Author: Jack Bogart

By Friedrich Seiltgen Posted in #History On April 24, 1933, a legend was born when Grumman test pilot Paul Hovgard flew the prototype Grumman J2F “Duck,” designated XJF-1, on its first flight, taking off from the factory’s grass strip at Farmingdale, New York. The flight marked the debut of one of the most versatile amphibious aircraft ever created. Originally designed as a utility aircraft, the Duck has the distinction of being the U.S. Navy’s first amphibious aircraft to outfit its initial utility squadrons and to serve in various roles throughout World War II. Grumman’s New Design In 1931, a streamlined…

Virginia Beach, VA — MATBOCK, an industry leader in bringing paradigm-shifting technologies to the defense market, is proud to announce the immediate availability of its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Series Hybrid-Electric Powertrain Conversion Kits. This milestone follows the successful development advances made during the $17.3 million Phase 4 contract modification in partnership with the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). MATBOCK was founded on the principles to bring innovative products to the market, and while most of our products are in the soft-goods space, we have always been on the cutting edge of tech development. That…

The BFG® Integrated Stealth Harness (ISH™) Combines Three Critical Systems Into One Certified Platform A gun belt carries the equipment needed to do the job. A restraint system keeps a professional connected during aircraft operations. A climbing harness provides certified protection when the mission moves into vertical terrain. Traditionally, those have been three separate pieces of equipment. The Blue Force Gear® Integrated Stealth Harness, or ISH™, brings them together. The patented ISH combines a combat gun belt, rotary-wing restraint system, and independently certified Type C sit harness in one lightweight platform. It allows trained professionals to carry their equipment on…

BEMOWO PISKIE TRAINING AREA, Poland — U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 37th Armored Regiment conducted squad tactical exercises and live-fire training from Aug. 4-13, 2026 at the Bemowo Piskie Training Area, testing their ability to maneuver, communicate and engage targets in day and night conditions. The training progressed from team live-fire exercises to squad-level tactical movements, allowing Soldiers to build proficiency at the smallest level before operating as a larger formation. “You just have to make sure the lowest element is trained,” said Sgt. 1st Class Geordie Blower, platoon sergeant with Charlie Company, 2-37 AR. “You need to make…

Company has been granted a Department of War Certificate to Field and an Authority to Operate from the U.S. Intelligence CommunitySANTA BARBARA, Calif., Aug. 19, 2026 — MixMode, the AI cyber defense company, today announced two U.S. Government security milestones that clear its platform for wider use in some of the nation’s most secure operational environments: a Department of War Certificate to Field (CtF) and an Authority to Operate (ATO) granted by the U.S. Intelligence Community. MixMode defends large, mission-critical government networks against AI-driven attacks, insider threats and other emerging cyber threats. The platform autonomously observes an organization’s network traffic,…

Welcome to the big wide world of ARs. This article and the video at top are intended for the new owner of an AR-pattern firearm such as the SAINT series from Springfield Armory. We’ve got a lot of new AR owners in the fold, and we want them to understand how their firearm works.First and foremost, let’s look at the four primary safety rules for any firearm:Treat every weapon as if it was loaded.Never point a weapon at anything you do not intend to destroy.Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire.Know your target…

Precision brain therapy uses new technology to target post-traumatic stress disorder at the source HOUSTON, Texas—Approximately 17.5 veterans die by suicide every day in the United States, and 7% of veterans are diagnosed each year with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Against that backdrop, Texas A&M Health researchers are helping to advance a more personalized approach to treating the disorder. New technology developed by Wave Neuroscience, a California-based company, in collaboration with the research team of Kenneth S. Ramos, MD, PhD, with the Texas A&M Health Institute of Biosciences and Technology, has recently received FDA clearance for a system that maps and treats the specific parts of the brain impacted by PTSD. While…

Getting troops and equipment across the battlefield is a vital part of every theater operation — Soldiers and their kits, as well as spare ammunition and other supplies, all need to arrive quickly, with nothing left behind — or risk jeopardizing the mission. The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and Humvee have done a great job at performing those tasks so far, but the battlefield is always changing. In some cases, those vehicles are too heavy and impractical for the task at hand. So, the Army chose to develop a new, ultra-light troop transport vehicle. The Infantry Squad Vehicle is an…

NEW YORK, Aug. 21, 2026 — Accrete, the cognitive infrastructure company building Knowledge Engines for autonomous work, today announced that it has been awarded a sole-source contract by the U.S. Marine Corps to deliver Argus for Cognitive Advantage. The award was made on a sole-source basis. Under the award, Accrete will license its Expert AI Agents to the U.S. Marine Corps to help achieve cognitive advantage, enabling more informed, confident decisions. Adversaries increasingly compete below the threshold of armed conflict, using coordinated narratives, synthetic media, and inauthentic amplification to shape perceptions faster than human analysts can track. Rather than treating…

There was a time, not that long ago, when most cops had wheelguns in their holsters and autopistols were the rare exception. While it may be hard to believe today, the transition by American law enforcement agencies away from revolvers to semi-auto pistols actually began as a trickle. However, once the shift began in the 1980s, that trickle turned into a tidal wave.Police agencies here in the U.S. tend to be somewhat conservative in their thinking, but once the advantages of autoloading pistols for duty use could no longer be denied, the big switch was on. By the late 1990s,…