Today we celebrate our 18th anniversary of daily publication with this 42,658th post. It’s been a great trip and we look forward to many more.
Here We Stand – 18 Years On
May 17th, 2026Botach Named Benelli’s 2025 Dealer of the Year
May 16th, 2026
LAS VEGAS, NV — Benelli has named Botach Inc. its 2025 Dealer of the Year. The award recognizes Botach for its sales volume, technical depth, and long service to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies nationwide.
Botach has grown into one of the largest and most-trusted suppliers of duty firearms, optics, body armor, and mission-critical gear to agencies across the United States.
A Heavy Hitter in LE Contracting
Botach holds active vendor relationships with thousands of law enforcement agencies, military units, and federal contracting offices, and is a registered supplier across multiple government procurement platforms. Recognition from Benelli, one of the most respected shotgun manufacturers in the world, reflects how far that footprint now reaches.
Botach continues to scale its LE-focused operations across duty-grade shotguns, patrol rifles, optics, protective equipment and all other Tactical Gear. Botach’s dedicated agency sales team handles bulk procurement, agency demos, police trades, and customized loadouts for departments transitioning between platforms.
The Shotgun’s Return to Patrol
Botach’s win arrives at a turning point for the 12-gauge in American policing. After two decades in the patrol rifle’s shadow, the shotgun is back.
Two mission profiles are driving the resurgence. The first is load flexibility. A single shotgun can run buckshot, slugs, less-lethal munitions, breaching rounds, and specialty loads inside the same shift. No other system in the patrol fleet covers that range. For warrant service, building clearing, crowd management, animal control, and vehicle disabling, the platform remains a proven tool.
The second is airborne. Small unmanned aerial systems have moved counter-sUAS planning onto every chief’s desk. Contraband drops over prison yards, unauthorized overflights of stadiums and federal buildings, and reconnaissance flights over critical infrastructure are now routine. Electronic countermeasures are expensive and legally complicated. A semi-auto 12-gauge loaded with anti-drone shells is neither. The shotgun has re-emerged as the most accessible and effective short-range counter-drone tool an officer can carry.
“The shotgun is one of the most adaptable tools an agency can deploy,” Botach added. “From less-lethal response to anti-drone work, departments are realizing the 12-gauge isn’t outdated. It’s evolving. We are seeing record demand from agencies upgrading to modern semi-auto platforms like the Benelli M4.”
Why Benelli
The Benelli M4 Platform is in service with the United States Marine Corps and dozens of federal and municipal agencies, and is widely regarded as one of the most reliable combat shotguns in production. Botach has been a long-standing authorized Benelli dealer, supplying individual officers and full agency contracts with M4, M2, M3, Nova, and Super Nova platforms.
“Benelli Law Enforcement is proud to partner with Botach as we strive to bring the best duty use shotguns to Law Enforcement personnel nationwide,” said Jeff Sterner, National Sales Manager – LE/GOV, Benelli USA.
The Dealer of the Year recognition is awarded on sales volume to LE and government customers, quality of technical support and warranty handling, inventory consistency during periods of high demand, and sustained partnership across the LE community.
About Botach Inc.
Botach Inc. is a U.S.-based supplier of tactical equipment, firearms, optics, body armor, and mission-critical gear, with a specialized focus on law enforcement, military, and government contracting. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Botach serves Military, Federal Agencies, State and Municipal Police Departments, Sheriff’s Offices, Corrections Departments, and qualified professionals nationwide. The company is an authorized dealer for leading manufacturers across the law enforcement and tactical industry.
For agency sales, bulk procurement, and government contracting inquiries, visit botach.com.
FirstSpear to Exhibit at SOF Week 2026, Showcasing Recon K9 Integration and Maritime Capabilities
May 16th, 2026
FENTON, Mo. (May 14, 2026) — FirstSpear®, the industry leader in innovation and standard-setting load-bearing technology and personal protective equipment, will exhibit at SOF Week 2026, taking place May 18–21, 2026, in Tampa, Florida. FirstSpear’s booth will be located in the Bayshore Ballroom at the Hilton Tampa Downtown as part of SOF Select, a focused industry exhibition running alongside the main SOF Week event. The booth will showcase FirstSpear’s full platform lineup alongside the newly integrated Recon K9® brand, with live demonstrations scheduled throughout the week.
SOF Week is the premier annual convention for the global special operations community, co-hosted by U.S. Special Operations Command and the Global SOF Foundation, drawing operators, acquisition leaders, government officials, and industry partners from around the world.
Recon K9 Live Demonstration
On Tuesday, May 19, FirstSpear will host a live Multi-Purpose Canine (MPC) demonstration in the courtyard of the Hilton Tampa Downtown, led by Jason Watson, founder of Recon K9.
The demonstration will feature a working K9 outfitted in Recon K9’s DT Alpha™ modular vest system, complete with an integrated camera rigging to showcase real-world operational capability, modular load carriage, and the equipment standard trusted by military, law enforcement, and federal agency K9 teams.
FirstSpear announced an exclusive, ten-year licensing and operations agreement with Recon K9, through which FirstSpearhas assumed full responsibility for the sales, marketing, manufacturing, distribution, and logistics of the Recon K9 brand, with Watson joining the FirstSpear team as part of the transition.
“In the SOF community, the K9 is not merely an asset; they are a fellow operator,” said Jon Laplume, FirstSpear co-founder and vice president of SOF Strategy and Product Development. “Our integration of Recon K9 applies FirstSpear’s material science and manufacturing precision to these products. We are making a strategic commitment to the safety and lethality of the entire team.
Featured Recon K9 products on display will include the DT Alpha Vest™ with Coverlet System™, OTB Ruck™, and Aviation Parachute Bag™.
Maritime Capabilities Demonstration with Prime Hall and Deep End Fitness
On Wednesday, May 20, FirstSpear will lead an off-site product demonstration at Bobby Hicks Pool (4120 W. Mango Ave., Tampa, FL 33616), running from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The demonstration will be supported by Deep End Fitness and Prime Hall, FirstSpear’s lead maritime Vanguard.
Hall, a former U.S. Marine Raider and water survival instructor, was appointed to the FirstSpear Vanguard Program earlier this year. In that role, he serves as a subject matter expert in FirstSpear maritime platforms. The demonstration will highlight the AAC Frog™ Kit (Assaulter Armor Carrier Frog Kit), including the patented Cummerbund Tactical Aid to Flotation (CTAF)™, which has become the standard for maritime operations across USSOCOM, the U.S. Air Force, and the U.S. Coast Guard.
“When seconds count, our maritime operators need equipment that helps them remain undetected, agile, and mission-ready,” said Hall. “The AAC-FROG and CTAF systems were engineered to provide that advantage, combining patented, low-profile design with industry-leading buoyancy, giving operators more lift, more mobility, and more survivability when it matters most.”
Booth and Product Focus
FirstSpear’s SOF Select booth will feature its full maritime and aviation platform suite, including the AAC Frog™ Kit, ABAV™ (Aircrew Body Armor Vest), CTAF™, FirstSpear LVPC™ (Low Visibility Plate Carrier), and new SOF requirement-driven chest rig configurations, alongside the full Recon K9® product lineup.
For technical inquiries related to K9, flotation, CTAF™, AAC-FROG, or other FirstSpear products, visit the FirstSpear booth.To request a meeting during SOF Week, contact sales@First-Spear.com
The Cross-Domain Contact Layer: Army Advances Multi-Domain Command-Pacific Following Successful Operational Experiment
May 16th, 2026
HONOLULU— The U.S. Army is moving forward with the establishment of Multi-Domain Command-Pacific (MDC-PAC) following a successful multidomain command experiment that demonstrated the effectiveness of integrating maneuver formations with advanced multidomain capabilities at the theater level. The initiative combines the 7th Infantry Division and the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force into a theater-enabling joint force integrator designed to synchronize multidomain effects across the Indo-Pacific.
According to the MDC-PAC Deputy Commander for Support Col. Todd Burroughs, the effort originated from a December 2024 operational experiment that tested a combined two-star headquarters capable of integrating multidomain operations for the joint force. “What we did in December 2024 is we ran a multidomain command experiment where we combined the 7th Infantry Division and the 1st Multi-Domain Task Force,” said Burroughs. “We did a proof of principle for a two-star headquarters as a joint force integrator and a theater-enabling command to integrate multidomain capabilities at the theater level.” Burroughs said the success of the exercise directly informed the Army Transformation Initiative and accelerated development of the new command structure. “That led to the Army Transformation Initiative after the efficacy of having that two-star command was proven during the exercise,” said Burroughs.
The new command merges the 7th Infantry Division’s two Stryker infantry brigades with the multidomain fires, cyber, space, electronic warfare and intelligence capabilities developed by the 1st MDTF. Burroughs described Multi-Domain Command-Pacific as functioning similarly to a modern covering force for the joint force — operating independently forward of the main body to develop the situation, conduct reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance operations, and disrupt enemy systems before decisive operations begin. “We see Multi-Domain Command-Pacific as a covering force for the joint force,” Burroughs said. “They are self-contained and operating independently from the main body, developing the situation, preventing enemy observation and preventing the enemy from directing indirect fires.”
At the center of the command’s operational approach is the Cross-Domain Contact Layer (CDCL). Burroughs explained the concept as a network of distributed multidomain teams capable of sensing, identifying and rapidly converging kinetic and non-kinetic effects from multiple locations and domains simultaneously. “Once they get good target-quality data, they’re executing non-kinetic and kinetic effects from multiple formations in order to create maximum effect,” Burroughs said. “The operational framework we use to do that is the Cross-Domain Contact Layer.”
The CDCL framework integrates four primary components: -Integrated sensor arrays operating across air, land, maritime, cyber and space domains. -Layered agile effects formations combining precision fires with scalable, lower-cost autonomous systems. -Agentic artificial intelligence-enabled command and control systems designed to synchronize sensing and effects. -Durable force disposition capable of sustaining operations inside anti-access and area denial environments.
The command is also incorporating lessons learned from ongoing global conflicts, including drone warfare and integrated air defense operations observed in Europe and the Middle East. “We built the CDCL in terms of the Indo-Pacific,” Burroughs said, “but we think you could probably pick that up and apply it elsewhere with equal effect.” Army leaders said Multi-Domain Command-Pacific will continue refining the concept through future exercises, experimentation and integration with allies, partners and industry. “I think our allies and partners are pretty excited,” Burroughs said. “The biggest challenge right now is ingesting the data and publishing it back out in a usable format so everybody can use what the MDC can bring.”
The activation of Multi-Domain Command-Pacific represents a significant milestone in the Army’s modernization effort and its broader effort to adapt to the evolving character of warfare in contested environments. As a theater enabling command and a joint force enabler, Multi-Domain Command-Pacific plays a vital role in providing the Joint Force cross-domain solutions designed to create multiple dilemmas and neutralize adversary anti-access and area denial networks.
Story by SSG Brandon Rickert
RoGO Communications Awarded NASA SBIR Contract to Coordinate Aerial Support for Wildland Firefighters
May 15th, 2026The Phase II contract from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) extends collaboration on development of RoGO’s DropBlock 2.0 to track the location of firefighters and equipment where cellular service is not available. The Phase II contract supports enhanced data sharing and communication among firefighters on the ground and aerial firefighting resources.
The satellite-enabled DropBlocks are carried by wildland firefighters. Immediate tactical coordination and lifesaving situational awareness is enabled by tracking the location of crews, equipment and resources including bulldozers, water tenders, fire engines, high-value structures, medical evacuation rescue sites and makeshift water resources. DropBlocks also share hyper-local weather information and serve as portable weather stations, including wind speed, direction, temperature, humidity and other IoT sensor data.
RoGO was formed after the tragic deaths of 19 firefighters in the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona. “We founded our company to save lives of wildland firefighters, developing technology for firefighters to avoid being trapped by the spread of the fire,” said RoGO Chief Executive Officer Rod Goossen. “This contract allows us to better integrate support from aerial resources for enhanced safety of firefighters.”
During the Yarnell Hill Fire, an errant airdrop of water mistakenly extinguished a controlled fire that the firefighters ignited to create a safety zone. Location and weather data from the RoGO system may have prevented the misplaced aerial drop of water on the control fire location and alerted crews to weather conditions rapidly driving the spread of the fire.
A new RoGO mobile phone app expected to be released in Q3 2026 enables point-to-point communications among DropBlocks and firefighter crews and displays the location of firefighting assets along with fire weather data. DropBlocks also support first responders in other All Hazards emergencies including disaster responses for hurricanes, earthquakes and floods.
For more information, please visit www.rogocom.com.
BlackSea Technologies Demonstrates GARC Autonomous Surface Vessel Capabilities During Arctic Sentry 2026 in Norway
May 15th, 2026BALTIMORE, May 15, 2026, BlackSea Technologies recently participated in Arctic Sentry 2026, a NATO enhanced vigilance activity in the High North, demonstrating its Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft in Ramsund, Norway, alongside partners from U.S. 6th Fleet, U.S. Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron 3 (USVRON-3) and the Royal Norwegian Navy.
The exercise gave BlackSea’s GARC unmanned surface vessels an opportunity to operate in the far north, demonstrate autonomous surface vessel capabilities in cold weather maritime conditions, integrate with NATO partners and serve as training tools for the next generation of naval warfighters.
“Arctic Sentry proves that GARC can operate effectively in dynamic, contested maritime environments north of the Arctic Circle,” said Lunsford Schock, mission director for BlackSea Technologies. “The exercise further cements our nation’s military partnerships with key European allies and reflects BlackSea’s commitment to preserving freedom of action at sea by delivering scalable, intelligent tools to naval forces around the world.”
NATO launched Arctic Sentry in February as a multi-domain activity to strengthen the alliance’s posture in the Arctic and High North. NATO has said the activity brings NATO and allied exercises, forces and capabilities together under one overarching operational approach to the region. The activity is led by Joint Force Command Norfolk, with overall strategic direction from Allied Command Operations.
U.S. Navy photos
U.S. Navy imagery released May 15 showed a Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft attached to Commander, Task Force 66 operating in Breivika Bay during Arctic Sentry 2026. The Navy identified the activity as taking place in Ramsund, Norway, and noted Arctic Sentry’s role in strengthening allied security in the Arctic and High North.
BlackSea’s participation underscored the role of small, scalable autonomous surface vessels in distributed maritime operations, allied interoperability and training in strategically important waters. The demonstration also highlighted GARC’s ability to support naval forces in demanding operating environments where endurance, adaptability and autonomous capability are increasingly essential.
Catch Up with Hudson Supplies at OpEx 2026
May 15th, 2026See the latest from Hudson during the upcoming Operator Expo, May 27 & 28, at the Infinity Convention Centre in Ottawa.
Iris Technology and Ultralife Pair Power HIVE Mission Power Node with High-Capacity UBI-2590 Battery to Address Tactical Edge Energy Demands
May 15th, 2026
IRVINE, CA, May 6, 2026 — Dismounted and expeditionary teams are being asked to power more from the same limited battery pool. Radios, UAV controllers, counter-UAS systems, sensors, compute, and networking gear are all adding demand at the tactical edge. The problem is no longer just battery capacity. It is how units manage, regulate, recharge, and distribute that energy in the field without adding unnecessary hardware, complexity, or manual power management to already overburdened teams.
THE PARTNERSHIP
Iris Technology is developing its Power HIVE — Hub for Integrated Versatile Energy — mission power node to help close that gap and is optimizing the platform around Ultralife’s high-capacity UBI-2590 UBBL13-01 battery while maintaining compatibility with the broader BB-2590 battery family.
The pairing is straightforward: Ultralife’s UBI-2590 delivers 288Wh of energy, flexible 15V/30V operation, SMBus communication, rugged military construction, and integrated state-of-charge visibility. Power HIVE extends the operational utility of that battery platform by combining multiple BB-2590 class batteries into a regulated, field-usable mission power node — providing reliable 28V distribution, simultaneous load support and charging, hot-swap capability, and real-time telemetry across the full battery stack.
The result is a BB-2590 class power architecture purpose-built for the distributed equipment demands of the tactical edge.
LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVES
“Power HIVE is built around a simple idea: the BB-2590 should become more than a battery carried in a box. By optimizing Power HIVE around Ultralife’s high-capacity UBI-2590 while maintaining compatibility with other BB-2590 class batteries, we can give military users a smarter, regulated mission power node using a battery format they already understand and trust.”
— Mike Stein, Vice President, Tactical • Iris Technology
“Ultralife’s UBI-2590 battery was designed for rugged military applications where energy density, flexible voltage, and reliable battery communication matter. Power HIVE gives us a practical way to show how high-capacity BB-2590 batteries can support broader tactical power architectures.”
— Mike Manna, President and CEO, Ultralife Corporation
DEVELOPMENT STATUS & SOF WEEK 2026
The initial effort is focused on customer demonstrations and field feedback around BB-2590 class mission power applications. Prototype units are already in test and evaluation, with additional configurations planned as part of Iris Technology’s broader power management roadmap.
Power HIVE will be on display at SOF Week 2026, Booth 755, as part of Iris Technology’s broader portfolio of tactical power management solutions.
ABOUT IRIS TECHNOLOGY
Iris Technology is a 40-year precision engineering firm delivering mission-critical power, data, and control systems for the U.S. military, SOCOM, and DoD prime contractors. CMMC Level 2 certified and AS9100D registered, Iris Tactical products are fielded across Army, SOF, and NATO programs. From 1W dismounted to 10kW vehicle-mounted, Iris builds the power architecture that keeps missions running when the environment is trying to stop them. Power HIVE is optimized around Ultralife’s UBI-2590 UBBL13-01 battery platform.
