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BROWNSTOWN, Ind., June 19, 2026 — One Horse, an American firearms manufacturer, announced the launch of the One Horse Express Rifle, a full-production rifle developed in collaboration with Atrius Development Group.
The One Horse Express comes equipped with the Atrius Development Group FRS, or Forced Reset Selector, installed and tuned for out-of-the-box operation.
The One Horse Express key features:
• Atrius Development Group FRS (Single-Sided)
• THRiL RTG (Rugged Tactical Grip)
• THRiL CCS (Combat Competition Stock)
• Breek Arms Warhammer Mod2
• 16-inch CrMoV, nitride, SOCOM-profile barrel with 1:8 twist, dimpled
• 15-inch Express-Lock Handguard System with enhanced lock-up
• Low-profile, staked, steel gas block, mid-length gas system
• H2 buffer system
The One Horse Express will be available beginning June 19, 2026.
“This rifle was built to run,” said Jeremy Hammons, CEO of One Horse. “The One Horse Express represents a significant step forward for One Horse and for production rifle manufacturing. This collaboration pairs Atrius’ selector technology with a rifle platform engineered, assembled and tuned as a complete system from day one. Atrius and One Horse share the same standard: disciplined manufacturing, dependable performance and a finished product the end user can trust and be proud to own.”
“Since day one, the Atrius Forced Reset Selector has set the standard for what is possible in this industry,” said Ryan Spadafore, CEO and founder of Atrius Development Group. “Partnering with One Horse is the kind of move that changes the conversation. They represent what we respect in American manufacturing: family ownership, precision-driven production and a commitment to performance. This launch is more than a new rifle. It is an example of the industry working together to move gun culture in a positive direction. We’re proud to stand alongside One Horse as we take that next step together. Together we win.”
About One Horse
One Horse is an American firearms manufacturer based in Brownstown, Indiana. The family-owned company manufactures rifles, components and firearm platforms built around practical performance, disciplined production and American manufacturing.
About Atrius Development Group
Atrius Development Group is the developer of the Atrius Forced Reset Selector, a selector system designed for multiple firearm platforms. The company works with dealers, online retailers and distribution partners across the country.
The new 5AC Cobra Buckle Kit converts the 5″ Assault Cummerbund front Velcro interface into a rugged, quick-release buckle connection that secures directly to the front plate pockets.
Features:
ferroconcepts.com/products/5ac-cobra-kit
Come see us next week at ADS WARRIOR EAST over at booth #733 from Wednesday, June 24th, through Thursday, June 25th. Check out our product line-up and catch up with our team to learn more about what’s yet to come in 2026 and beyond!
To request an estimate click image above or visit First-Spear.com/Request-For-Estimate. FirstSpear is the premier source for cutting-edge tactical gear for military, law enforcement and those who train. For more information visit First-Spear.com.
FORT RUCKER, Ala. — Army Software Factory noncommissioned officers marked a milestone in their careers as they became software operations warrant officers, graduating from Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker on June 10.
The software operations technician military occupational specialty, known as 280A, is the Army’s newest functional area.
“We realized the operational power of having Soldiers who have software operations skills paired with Soldiers with artificial intelligence skills to solve problems for commanders,” said Howard K. “Howie” Brewington, deputy director of the Mission Command Center of Excellence based at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
The Army Software Factory is an Army Transformation and Training Command unit that enables Soldiers to reach global mission outcomes through software operations. They find hidden tech talent in the Army to build proficiency and mastery in commercial technologies and processes. This results in an upskilled technical force that enables the Army to be better prepared for software-centric and dynamic contested environments.
The traditional path for transitioning an NCO to warrant officer was too slow to support the rapid transformation needed, so the Mission Command Center of Excellence encouraged exceptional NCOs with the Army Software Factory additional skill identifier to submit their packets for the Functional Area 28 software operations selection panel in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025.
The NCOs were selected through a rigorous multi-stage interview process, which examines military performance records and experience, civilian experience and technical aptitude. The NCOs then received 12 months of training and real-world operational experience on a Software Development Team.
Brewington said Soldiers with a passion for software operations now have a path to continue serving their nation, whereas a year ago, the Army was losing NCOs with these skill sets to industry.
“…Same thing with warrant officers, same thing with officers. We said this is important enough that we need to have a specialty called Software Operations, a functional area. Functional Area 28 includes Area of Concentration 28A software operations officer and MOS 280A software operations technician,” he said.
Standing up a functional area that includes officers, warrant officers and noncommissioned officers who want to become warrant officers, benefits the operational force, the Soldier and Army recruiting and retention goals.
“If you think about a Venn Diagram with three circles: the needs of the Army; the knowledge, skills, attributes and other characteristics of the Soldier/Leader; and the desires or preferences of the Soldier, you find the place where those three circles overlap, you color that in, put a Soldier there, and they will stay in our Army forever,” he said.
Warrant Officer DJ Barroga, a product designer who previously served as a 25B IT specialist, was serving as an NCO in an Army operations and training office in Hawaii when he saw the message that went out, and he applied.
“I am the empathizer-in-chief: I go around talking to different users and stakeholders and discovering…is it a software solution for them, or an issue with their process? I relay that information to their battalion commander or their company commander, and then synthesize all that information to bring it back to our team, the project manager, software engineers, so we can discuss what is the best course of action to solve their problem,” Barroga said.
He explained that the Army Software Factory has four tracks — product managers, product designers, software engineers and platform engineers.
“We all work in Agile teams,” Barroga said. “We’ll get tasked from our product office with some issues that go to our Army Software Factory site. Those issues come from the force. The product office will review all these problem sets and figure out if it’s something we can work on that’s not enterprise, because the Army pays for applications and we don’t want to do double dipping. They’ll give us a problem set, and the team will go out and start doing the discovery and framing application process.”
Barroga said he likes the uniqueness of the job. In communicating with leaders and Soldiers he gets a better look at the actual issue the user is having, which enables him to translate that to leaders and develop a path forward.
“You’re able to build that connection and say, ‘Hey, sir or ma’am, what you’re saying is valid, but your Soldiers down the line are having a totally different issue, so I think we should go this way’,” he said.
He anticipates that becoming a warrant officer likely will not change his duties, but rather impact how he is able to do the job.
“I think I’m going to have more of that presence, and be able to talk to these leaders and they will take what I say into consideration more because of what a warrant officer is and that status a warrant officer holds,” the former staff sergeant said.
The next step for the group of warrant officers is Warrant Officer Basic Course.
By Kelly Morris
At Eurosatory 2026 in Paris, the European joint venture Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems set out its priorities. The joint venture is accelerating the introduction of the Ruta Block 3 – a cruise missile for strategic deep strike with a range of over 2,000 kilometers and a warhead of up to 250 kilograms – and begins production with its initial products, the Kryla and Ruta Block 2 cruise missiles.
The Ruta Block 3 is designed for high-value and hardened targets at depth and is launched exclusively from standard containers, which can be carried on vehicle platforms – including Rheinmetall HX trucks – and in maritime applications. Firing readiness is reached in around 2 minutes.
The objective is NATO qualification, making the Ruta Block 3 available to all NATO and EU member states.
“Together we are advancing NATO qualification on an accelerated path, embedded in existing programs for European defense ministries. This allows us to rapidly provide European armed forces with a ready-to-deploy, certified and fully European effector,” says Roman Köhne, Head of Division Weapon and Ammunition, Rheinmetall.
The basis is the signed Term Sheet; the final shareholders’ agreement is close to signature. Within the joint venture, Destinus combines its technology with Rheinmetall’s industrial scale.
Joint production begins with the joint venture’s two initial products. Kryla is a compact, cost-efficient cruise missile with a 50 kg warhead for massed saturation strikes; it launches from containers and from common rocket artillery launchers (MLRS), immediately adding a cruise-missile capability to existing launcher fleets.
Ruta Block 2 carries a 250 kg warhead, is designed for high target effect against high-value and hardened targets and is launched exclusively from containers.
“We are firmly committed to launch from standard sea containers. This gives our customers maximum flexibility: our systems can be deployed across virtually any land and sea platform and through existing logistics chains – concealed and brought to firing readiness in the shortest time,” says Mikhail Kokorich, Founder and CEO of Destinus.
The joint offering comprises Kryla, Ruta Block 2 and Ruta Block 3 – precision deep strike throughout, from a 100% European value chain.
For logistical independence, Rheinmetall Destinus Strike Systems will establish its own facility for final assembly, integration and testing in Germany; initial delivery readiness is planned for 2026.
Recent Demonstration Showcases Interoperable Counter-UAS Capabilities for National Security and Critical Infrastructure Missions
Warrenton, VA. – 16 June 2026 – DroneShield, a global leader in advanced counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS), recently highlighted its participation in a recent C-UAS demonstration with Parsons Corporation, showcasing how interoperable technologies can help organizations detect, track, and respond to evolving drone threats.
The demonstration brought together advanced sensing, command-and-control, and counter-drone technologies within a common operational environment, highlighting how organizations can leverage best-of-breed capabilities to improve situational awareness and accelerate decision-making during complex security operations.
As part of the demonstration, DroneShield provided drone detection, electronic warfare, and mitigation capabilities within Parsons’ DroneArmor™ command-and-control environment. The event highlighted how open architectures enable technologies from multiple providers to work together, giving operators greater flexibility to build solutions tailored to mission requirements.
DroneShield’s portfolio of counter-UAS and electronic warfare solutions is deployed globally across military, government, law enforcement, critical infrastructure, and commercial environments.
Parsons is a leading disruptive technology provider in the national security and global infrastructure markets, with capabilities across cyber and electronic warfare, space and missile defense, transportation, water and environment, urban development, and critical infrastructure protection. The demonstration underscored the value of industry collaboration in addressing increasingly sophisticated airspace security challenges. The demonstration underscored the value of industry collaboration in addressing increasingly sophisticated airspace security challenges.
“Drone threats continue to evolve, and organizations need technologies that work together seamlessly,” said Nate Webb, Director of Strategic Projects at DroneShield. “This demonstration highlighted the value of interoperability and open architectures, allowing customers to combine best-of-breed capabilities into effective counter-drone solutions that can adapt as mission requirements change.”
DroneShield’s solutions are designed to integrate with a broad range of command-and-control systems, sensors, and mitigation technologies. This approach enables customers to build layered counter-drone ecosystems that meet operational requirements while maintaining flexibility as technologies and threats continue to evolve.
At under 2 kg and nearly half of the cost of US equivalents, it is the most accurate European payload in its class with the longest targeting range, designed for off-the-shelf integration across drone platforms. As Russia’s GPS jamming spreads across the region, laser designation offers the only targeting solution that does not rely on GPS at all.
June 17, 2026 – Vilnius, Lithuania. When GPS guidance fails, a drone can drift off course by as much as 100 km. Over the last month, at least six drone incidents across Europe have been linked to GPS jamming and spoofing – and the problem is spreading. For ordinary Europeans, it means air raid sirens, evacuation orders, and, in Romania’s case, waking up to a drone embedded in your apartment building.
3D-printed plastic prototype of a payload mounted on a real-size drone, Eurosatory 2026 (Source: Tactical Photonics )
Russian electronic warfare (EW) demonstrated the scale of this problem when Ukrainian strike drones were diverted across the region within 48 hours, one striking the chimney of an Estonian power plant.
When a drone is knocked off its course, it does not stop flying. It can wander hundreds of kilometers and deliver whatever payload it carries wherever it happens to land.
However, Europe has an emerging solution to this. Current targeting systems rely on GPS or radio links, both of which Russian jamming has shown it can disrupt. Laser targeting designators don’t need GPS at all. They work on fundamentally different principle: light cannot be intercepted or spoofed. Until now, similar high-tier systems had to be acquired through US-based companies, controlled by the US authorities.
Tactical Photonics, part of Aktyvus Photonics Group, is changing that by presenting the most accurate laser targeting payload in its 2 kg class, with the longest targeting range. To do so, the company joined forces with Lithuanian talents and built a separate entity powered by Aktyvus Photonics laser technology. A key benefit of laser designation is precision strike capability – ensuring guided munitions hit exactly where intended.
The payload functions as a laser designator, it marks targets with a laser spot, which laser-guided munitions then home in on to strike with precision. The payload does not carry or launch munitions itself, but determines exactly where they land.
“We built this because we were asked to – by Ukrainian and Baltic national forces. Europe has invested billions in the next generation of tactical drones, but it has not solved the targeting problem. And the payload is usually what determines whether the drone is useful or not,” says Laurynas Šatas, CEO of Aktyvus Photonics Group.
“Lasers are key here, as they turn a surveillance drone into a precision strike platform, and these are still US-made, ITAR-controlled, and out of reach for programmes that cannot wait for a US State Department approval. There were no commercially viable companies in Europe providing laser payloads, and we intend to change that.”
According to the company, the payload weighs under 2 kg and is designed to hit small moving targets at ranges beyond 3 km. This is enabled by 4-axis mechanical stabilisation – a critical differentiator in this class of system. Most payloads in this weight category rely on 2-axis stabilisation and digital image processing, which limits both range and accuracy. Four mechanical axes maintain a stable targeting lock on small moving targets even as the drone itself manoeuvres, replicating the performance of much larger systems in a fraction of the weight.
4 axes. 3 km range. 2 kg. 1 system. For comparison, the equivalent US system from L3Harris WESCAM weighs approximately 15 kg and costs two times more. With this component, a drone can guide the full range of laser-guided STANAG 3733 NATO munitions.
Beyond precision, the system significantly increases situational awareness for the operator. It enables forces to operate beyond line of sight (BLOS), requires less crew training than comparable systems, and is designed for rapid deployment across multiple drone platforms.
“Military experts ask how can a European company build this better and cheaper than established American suppliers. Well, the answer is where we come from. Lithuania has been a global hub for laser science for decades. Some of the world’s leading laser companies were and are being built here. We have extremely well-trained scientists and engineers. The knowledge is here, the supply chain is here, and the cost base reflects that. It is not a surprise that this technology gets cheaper when it is built in the country that helped invent it,” adds Šatas.
The system is compatible with fixed-wing drones and helicopter-type drones. It can also work alongside loitering munitions – which carry a SAL seeker that homes in on the laser-marked target, rather than marking targets themselves.
European defence investment grew by 14% last year, faster than any other continent, reaching €739 billion, the steepest climb since the 1950s and double the level of a decade ago.
“As spending increases, Europe needs to become more independent in every area and own different parts of the supply chain,” continued Šatas.
“We are not building drones. We are building the part that determines how precise a drone can be, and making that part available in Europe at a price and scale that procurement officers can actually work with.”
The payload made its public debut at Eurosatory 2026, one of the world’s leading defence and security exhibitions, displayed on a small drone at the Lithuanian national stand. Production is set to scale to 600 units per year from 2027.
