STRIKE-HOLD - the international military and tactical blog

Friday Foto

The exercise "FALL WIND 2020" has mobilized nearly 500 Legionnaire paratroopers throughout Balagne for a week. The first phase involved dropping divers of the nautical company at sea from French Air Force helicopters to scout the enemy bastion of the Ile Rousse. After 36 hours of fierce fight in the...

Heckler & Koch HK433 – what now?

Many people were surprised by the announcement earlier this week that the Bundeswehr has chosen the Haenel MK556 as its new assault rifle system - snubbing both the HK416 and the HK433 in the process. The stated reasoning was that the Haenel rifle, which is essentially a German rebrand of...

Haenel MK556 to Replace HK G36 for the Bundeswehr

According to a breaking story by the German language defense publication 'Soldat & Technik', the MK556 from CG Haenel emerged as the winner of the German MOD’s competition for a new assault rifle to replace the current Heckler & Koch G-36. Official confirmation from the Federal Ministry of Defense is...

Dutch Interim Combat Clothing Project – Update

Last month we reported on the problems the Netherlands MOD was facing with its Defense Operational Clothing System (DOKS) procurement, and the interim solution that has been adopted in the interim. Today we can share with you some additional, highly-detailed publicity photos that the Netherlands MOD has just released. These...

Friday Foto

Tribute in lights illuminate downtown in New York, NY. Photo by Jin Lee, 9/11 Memorial Sept. 11, 2016.   

Team Wendy To Become Part Of Avon Protection Systems

Team Wendy, a leading U.S. supplier of exceptional head protection systems for military, law enforcement, search and rescue, and adventure markets, today announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement with Avon Rubber p.l.c.. Under the terms of the acquisition, Avon Protection Systems, Inc. will acquire Team Wendy...

LCTairsoft LK-33 Series Modularization

In a world full of M4 and AK clones, stand out with an HK. And one of the absolutely best HK replicas available now is the stunning LK-33 series from LCTairsoft (HK-33 family). One of the things that's great about the LK-33 series is that LCT is offering a host...

Czech Air Force Purchases Bell UH-1Y Venom and AH-1Z Viper

On 4 September 2020, Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth (TX) was awarded a USD 272 million fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract for the production and delivery of eight UH-1Y Venom and four AH-1Z Viper helicopters to the government of Czechia. All work will be performed at Fort Worth (TX) and Amarillo (TX) and...

Friday Foto

Soldiers of the Finnish Jääkäriprikaati - Jaeger Brigade conduct a tactical cross-country march - on bicycles. The Jaeger Brigade is the northernmost force of the Finnish Defense Forces, specializing in Arctic training and air defense. Photo credit: Finnish Defense Forces, 2020

The PIAT – WWII Anti-Tank Warfare British Style

"Take cover! Bring up the PIAT!" - Anthony Hopkins as Colonel John Frost of the British Parachute Regiment in the movie "A Bridge Too Far". The issuing of that command on-screen was my first introduction to the rather odd looking, and oddly named, "Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank", or PIAT for short....