US Halts Most Civilian Firearm And Ammunition Exports For 90 Days

Wikipedia 

Reuters: US halts exports of most civilian firearms for 90 days 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. has stopped issuing export licenses for most civilian firearms and ammunition for 90 days for all non-governmental users, the Commerce Department said on Friday, citing national security and foreign policy interests. 

The Commerce Department did not provide further details for the pause, which also includes shotguns and optical sights, but said an urgent review will assess the "risk of firearms being diverted to entities or activities that promote regional instability, violate human rights, or fuel criminal activities."  

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WNU editor: This is unprecedented. The only exceptions to this export ban are Israel and Ukraine. 

So why the ban and this hoarding of weapons and ammo? 

My gut tells me that with US military stockpiles now at an all time low and supply chain disruptions are  growing. In this environment the US has made the decision that with international relations deteriorating and threats of a major war growing everyday, the US needs to replenish some of their stockpiles ASAP.

The Age Of Swarming Air-Launched Munitions

A US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle carrying 20 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs. With technology being developed now through Golden Horde, an aircraft with this loadout might eventually be able to launch these weapons as a single autonomous swarm. USAF 

Warzone/The Drive: The Age Of Swarming Air-Launched Munitions Has Officially Begun With Air Force Test 

The Air Force has begun test-launching networked glide bombs that work together to sort, target, and destroy targets cooperatively on their own. 

The Air Force has dropped Small Diameter Bombs modified to incorporate swarming technology as part of the service's Golden Horde program for the first time. The ultimate aim of this effort is to develop artificial intelligence-driven systems that could allow the networking together of various types of precision munitions into an autonomous swarm. 

The test, which took place on Dec. 15, 2020, but which was only publicly announced today, was carried out by a team from the U.S. Air Force Test Center at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida using an F-16 Viper fighter jet from that base's 96th Test Wing. The aircraft dropped two specially-configured Collaborative Small Diameter Bombs (CSDB) during the experiment. 

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WNU Editor: Being bombed by one big bomb or being bombed by a swarm of air-launched munitions. It is the same to me. But I can understand why the US Air Force wants this. It would be harder for the enemy to intercept a swarm of munitions rather than one large target.

The U.S. Air Force's Small Diameter Bomb II Program Has Been On Hold For Almost A Year

An F-15E fighter aircraft is armed with the Small Diameter Bomb II, under development by Raytheon for the Air Force and Navy. (Raytheon)

Defense News: Production of one of the F-35′s most anticipated bombs has been on hold for almost a year

WASHINGTON — Deliveries of a new precision-guided bomb under development by Raytheon for the F-35 and other fighter jets have been at a standstill for about a year as the company struggles to correct a technical problem involving a key component.

A fix for the issue, which brought production of the Small Diameter Bomb II to a halt in July 2019, could be approved by the government as soon as July, said Air Force spokesman Capt. Jake Bailey in response to questions by Defense News.

However, a June report by the Government Accountability Office pointed out that continued technical issues have already caused a delay in fielding the munition, with Raytheon forced to redesign a key component and retrofit all 598 bombs already delivered to the Air Force and Navy.

The Small Diameter Bomb II — also known as the GBU-53 StormBreaker — was designed with a tri-mode seeker that includes a millimeter wave radar, imaging infrared and semi-active laser that allow the weapon to engage targets in all weather conditions and environments where visibility is obscured by dust and debris.

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WNU Editor: There is a back-up plan .... Boeing awarded $280 million Small Diameter Bomb integration and support contract (Defense Post).

U.S. Air Force’s New CLEAVER Cargo Plane-Launched Bomb Is Being Touted As A Game-Changing Weapon

A CLEAVER 2-pack Pallet is deployed from MC-130J Aircraft. (Courtesy photo)

Forbes: Why U.S. Air Force’s CLEAVER Could Be A Step Change In Air Weapons

Last week the Air Force announced it had successfully test-dropped a new type of munition called CLEAVER from one of its special operations MC-130J Commando II aircraft. In one sense this is just the latest in a long history of releasing weapons from transport planes, but in another it is a milestone towards a very different type of air strike.

The Commando II is a heavily modified version of the four-engined C-130 Hercules transport, which proved itself a surprisingly effective bomber during the Vietnam War. The new role came out of Project Commando Vault, a U.S. Army effort to create landing sites for helicopters in dense jungle using explosives. No existing bomb was powerful enough, and this led to the development of the mammoth BLU-82, a 15,000-pound monster delivered by parachute. Too big for bombers, the BLU-82 was dropped by C-130s. Rather than the standard TNT, the BLU-82 was loaded with a high-energy gelled slurry explosive of ammonium nitrate and powdered aluminum. The blast created a landing area which would otherwise take weeks to clear.

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Update: US Media Says Air Force’s New CLEAVER Cargo Plane-Launched Bomb is Potential Game-Changing Weapon (Sputnik).

WNU Editor: The U.S. Air Force announcement of this test is here .... AFRL, AFSOC launch palletized weapons from cargo plane (Wright-Patterson AFB).

A Smart Rifle System Is Being Tested By US Special Forces Troops In syria

Business Insider/Task & Purpose: US special operations troops in Syria are testing a 'guaranteed hit' smart rifle system

* US special operations troops in Syria were shown testing out a new smart rifle system that promises a "guaranteed hit."
* The SMASH 2000 system uses a weapon-mounted optic and special pistol grip that allows the shooter to lock on to a target and fire when a hit is assured, the system's developer says.

US special operations forces are currently testing and evaluating a specially designed computerized fire control and rifle sight system downrange in Syria, US Special Operations Command confirmed to Task & Purpose.

Photos published to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) on May 30, first reported by The War Zone, show several unidentified US service members at the At Tanf garrison in Syria engaging targets with M4 carbines outfitted with a SMASH 2000 system.

The SMASH 2000, developed by Israeli defense contractor Smart Shooter in cooperation with Sig Sauer, uses a weapon-mounted optic and special pistol grip that "allows you to acquire, lock on and engage targets ... [and] the weapon to fire only when it's a guaranteed hit," company CEO Devin Schweiss previously told Military.com.

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WNU Editor: This will be the future of warfare.

U.S. Special Operations Units Want The Army's Next-Generation Squad Weapon

The Next Generation Squad Weapon Science and Technology prototype consolidates both ammunition and weapons, as well as a power and data rail for integration of next-generation fire-control systems. US Army/Daniel Cler

Business Insider/Military.com: The Army's Next-Generation Squad Weapon is a big hit with special operators

* US special operations units will eventually get the Next Generation Squad Weapon being developed by the Army.
* Special operations leaders are supporters of the NGSW effort, which has involved special operations forces in all of the soldier touch point evaluations.

The 75th Ranger Regiment, Green Berets and other US special operations ground forces will be equipped with the conventional Army's Next Generation Squad Weapons.

"We are an enthusiastic supporter of the Army's 6.8 mm Next Generation Squad Weapons," Col. Joel Babbitt, of Program Executive Officer Special Operations Forces Warrior, told Military.com recently. "We expect there will be Next Generation Squad Weapons in our formations as soon as we can receive them via fielding."

The Army is in the final phase of evaluating NGSW prototypes from General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., Textron Systems and Sig Sauer Inc. to replace the 5.56 mm M4A1 carbine and the M249 squad automatic weapon in infantry and other close-combat units.

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WNU Editor: It looks promising.

A New Shooting Grip For U.S. Marines?

Recruits with Alpha Company, 1st Recruit Training Battalion practiced breathing techniques and various marksmanship fundamentals during grass week. April 23, 2020. (Lance Cpl. Devin Darden/ Marine Corps)

Marine Times: What the hell is this shooting grip?

Some recent images from boot camp and a Marine shooting a simulator in Australia depict an obscure shooting grip not officially taught by any Marine Corps program of instruction.

The images show a recruit at Parris Island, South Carolina, and a Marine in Darwin, Australia, shooting in the standing and prone respectively, but holding the rifle in a manner not commonly done by Marines undergoing marksmanship training across the school houses.

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WNU Editor: Guess what grip I am going to try out when I find myself on a firing range.

Saudi Troops Are Using This Huge Grenade Launcher Gun In Yemen

صوره اخرى لقناصة قاذفة القنابل LG5
صممتها #الصين لتدمير الأهداف المدرعة
الخفيفة و القناصين بدقة لمسافة 1000 م
وأهداف المنطقة على مسافة تصل إلى
2000 م .......قناصة جباره 👍🇸🇦#اليمن pic.twitter.com/BbsF5vebLj

— SulaimanAldoosari (@SAUDI_POWER0) November 3, 2019

Warzone/The Drive: Saudi Troops Are Using This Huge Grenade Launcher Gun That Looks Like An Action Movie Prop

Saudi Arabia appears to be the first foreign customer for the Chinese-made weapon and its troops in Yemen seem to be the first to use it in combat.

Pictures and a video have emerged online reportedly showing a Saudi Arabian soldier engaged in the conflict against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen using a Chinese-made Norinco LG5 man-portable 40mm grenade launcher. This appears to be the first evidence of the weapon, which looks like a prop gun from a Hollywood blockbuster, being in service outside China, as well as its first use in combat anywhere.

Twitter user SulaimanAldoosari, who also goes by SAUDI_POWER0 on Instagram, posted the images of the LG5 in use with Saudi forces in Yemen on social media on Nov. 3, 2019. It is unclear how long the Saudis have been using the weapon, but Defence Blog reported in February 2018, citing unnamed sources, that Chinese state-run arms company Norinco had secured an order for the grenade launchers from an unspecified "Middle East customer."

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WNU Editor: That weapon definitely looks intimidating.

America's Top General In Afghanistan Must Like His 1911 Pistol

Lieut. Gen. Zia, Deputy Minister of Defense, Brig. Gen. Koshal Sadat, Deputy Minister of Interior for Security and Gen. Scott Miller Resolute Support Commander visited Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces on Tuesday to assess the security situation and meet with leaders and troops. pic.twitter.com/FxUYrKt7Jy

— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) May 28, 2019

Warzone/The Drive: America's Top General In Afghanistan Packs An Old School 1911 Pistol

General Scott Miller, who was previously a member of the elite Delta Force, was spotted with this increasingly rare government issued sidearm.

A week ago, the top American officer in Afghanistan, U.S. Army General Scott Miller, appeared at a meeting with Afghan troops armed with a version of the iconic .45 caliber Colt M1911 pistol, which has served across the U.S. military for more than a century now. For now, this is Miller's issued sidearm, but the historic handgun is becoming an increasingly rare sight in the hands of American troops. The last major user of M1911 variants, the U.S. Marine Corps, plans to stop issuing them within the next four years.

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WNU Editor: If it works and you feel comfortable having it, why change it.

A New Pistol For The Russian Military?

Новый пистолет "Удав" рекомендован к принятию на вооружение ВС РФhttps://t.co/7N0m4vNXi4 pic.twitter.com/LdAKadIcWK

— TOPWAR (@topwar_ru) January 5, 2019

RT: Russia’s brand new ‘Boa’ pistol may soon replace legendary Makarov sidearm

A state-of-the-art pistol, nicknamed ‘Udav’ may soon become a new sidearm of the Russian military, which is hastily seeking a proper replacement to its time-proven but aging Makarov’s weapon.

The newest pistol successfully withstood all trials held by the weapons manufacturer and the Russian Defense Ministry, the arms producer, the Central Research Institute for Precision Machine Engineering, said in a statement. ‘Udav’ (Russian for ‘Boa’) was tested for reliability in harsh weather conditions and performed very well in both frost and heat, the statement said.

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WNU Editor: It is hard to believe that they are going to replace the Marakov. But I guess after six decades of having the same pistol (even though it is reliable), they want to replace it with something "modern".

6 Expected Military Technology Breakthroughs In 2019

Gen. Robert B. Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, uses a HoloLens to manipulate virtual objects April 4 at the Marine Corps Installations Pacific Innovation Lab aboard Camp Foster, Okinawa, Japan. (U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Tayler Schwamb)

We Are The Mighty: 6 military technology breakthroughs to look for in 2019

2018 was a pretty good year for military innovation, but 2019 is shaping up to be even better. The Pentagon and DARPA are experimenting with virtual and augmented reality, developing new aircraft and vehicles, and expanding their robotics and hypersonic offerings.

Get the skinny on what will likely break next year in the six entries below:

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WNU Editor:  Developments in hypersonic missile technology is where most of the focus will be.

Five Innovations to Emerge From the First World War That Changed The Face Of War Forever

Popular Mechanics: Five Innovations to Emerge From the First World War

From hand grenades to fighter planes, World War I changed the face of war.

Veterans Day, observed every year on November 11th, is the anniversary of the Armistice with Germany that ended World War I. This Veterans Day marks the one hundredth anniversary of the end of the Great War, a global conflict that lasted approximately four years and killed more than thirteen million people worldwide.

As a form of competition, war supercharges innovation and often brings new, sometimes terrible, innovations to the forefront. On this anniversary Popular Mechanics asked Doran Cart, senior curator at the National World War I Museum and Memorial at Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss five innovations that emerged from what was dubbed "The War to End All Wars".

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WNU Editor: I would add tanks, submarines, and advances in artillery to this list.

Is The U.K. Military's SA80 Rifle The World's 'Most Lethal' Weapon?

SA80 A3 Assault Rifle. Flickr

Express: ISIS killer: After £100m re-vamp hated SA80 becomes world’s most lethal weapon

A REVAMPED version of the British Army’s rifle has been hailed one of the world’s “most lethal” weapons by military chiefs 20 years after its manufacturers received criticism over its poor performance.

The SA80 was so plagued with problems since the weapon, by Heckler & Koch, was introduced into the British armed forces in 1987 it was given the nickname the “civil servant” of guns.

Two decades ago the makers upgraded the hand-held assault rifle, yet soldiers still found it was ill equipped to perform in hot and sandy locations, and even jammed on occasion when it was loaded especially in theatre in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The weapon was then given an eye-watering £92million upgrade but it still did not do the trick, The Telegraph reports.

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Update #1: New British Army rifle is among world's 'most lethal' weapons, military chiefs say (The Telegraph)
Update #2: UK expands SA80 rifle upgrade programme (Jane's 360)

WNU Editor:  The "world's most lethal weapon"?!?!?

Report: There Are Over 1 Billion Small Arms In The World

Of the 857 million guns owned by civilians, 393 million are in the United States - more than all of the firearms held by ordinary citizens in the other top 25 countries combined

DW: Gun ownership worldwide estimated to top one billion

Over one billion firearms now flood the world, most of which are owned by civilians, according to Geneva-based researchers. Americans alone possess 40 percent, more than all civilians combined in 25 other countries.

The Small Arms Survey compiled by Geneva's Graduate Institute and published Monday said the global civilian firearms stockpile had swelled from 650 million to 857 million between 2006 and 2017, accounting for 85 percent of all stocks.

Military arsenals held 133 million (13 percent) and law enforcement agencies 23 million (2 percent), raising the total to slightly more than one billion.

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Update #1: Report says over 1 billion small arms in world, up from 2007 (AP)
Update #2: Civilians own 85% of world's 1bn firearms, survey reveals (The Guardian)
Update #3: Americans own 40 percent of world's firearms: study (AFP)

WNU Editor: The report is here .... Global Firearms Holdings (Small Arms Survey).

The U.S. Military Is Checking Its M4s And M16s For A Dangerous Flaw

The U.S. Army has changed the functions checks and immediate action drills for its M4 carbines and M16 rifles after discovering a flaw in many of the weapons. COURTESY OF THE U.S. ARMY

Stars and Stripes: Army updates automatic rifle procedures after soldier films misfiring M4A1

The Army is updating procedures for use of the M4A1 automatic rifle after a soldier recorded cellphone video of his weapon firing when it shouldn’t have.

The video, recorded in late March, shows the soldier operating a rifle that has been converted from a standard M4, which can fire a maximum three-round burst, to the fully automatic M4A1, according a safety message sent to troops on Tuesday.

The soldier places his carbine’s selector switch between “semi” and “auto” and squeezes the trigger but it doesn’t fire, until the switch is moved to “auto” and immediately discharges a round, the message says.

The Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command, or TACOM, first warned soldiers about the problem in March and April.

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Update #1: The Army’s M4 Carbine Can Fire Even If You Don't Pull the Trigger (Popular Mechanics)
Update #2: This malfunction has the Army inspecting its M4s and M16s (Army Times)
Update #3: The Army And Marine Corps Are Checking Their M4s And M16s For A Dangerous Glitch (Task & Purpose)

WNU Editor: This is more than just a small flaw .... testing by the Army has detected nearly a thousand weapons affected by the problem.

The U.S. Army Wants A New Machine Gun

The M3, as seen here in the hands of Major Reisman does not fit the US Army's new SCW criteria

Popular Mechanics: The U.S. Army is Looking for Its First New Submachine Gun Since WWII

The last time the Army adopted a submachine gun was 75 years ago.

In a surprise move, the U.S. Army is asking industry for ideas for a new submachine gun. The last time the Army adopted a submachine gun was in 1943. It’s not clear why the Army wants a new subgun but it likely has to do with the service's eventual adoption of a new rifle caliber and new assault rifle.

Submachine guns were developed during the World War I as an alternative to bulky, slow-firing bolt action rifles. Short and firing pistol caliber ammunition, they were ideal weapons for assault troops clearing narrow trenches of enemy troops. The U.S. Army went into World War II with the M1928A1 Thompson submachine gun, which fired the same .45 ACP round as the M1911A1 pistol. Towards the end of the war the Thompson was supplemented by the M3 “Grease Gun”, also in .45 ACP.

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Update: BACK TO SUBGUNS? US Army Releases RFI for Sub Compact Weapons (TFB)

WNU Editor:  After 75 years they now want a new machine gun. What has changed?

Update #2: 5 key differences between a machine gun and an automatic rifle (Business Insider/Task & Purpose)

Is The Army's M17 Pistol That Good?

Warrior Maven: Army Sends New M17 Pistol to War - Says it Changes Combat

Service weapons say the new M17 pistol changes combat for infantry

In recent months, soldiers with the Army’s 101st Airborne Division were the first to receive the services’ new high-tech 9mm pistol engineered to give dismounted infantry a vastly increased ability to fight and close with an enemy in caves, tunnels, crawl spaces, houses and other close quarter combat scenarios.

Service weapons developers and soldiers say the new M17 and M18 pistol, designed as a next-generation handgun to follow the Army’s current M9 Beretta, is expected to substantially change combat tactics, techniques and strategies for dismounted soldiers on-the-move.

“You can close with the enemy in close quarter combat and engage the enemy with one hand. It is tough to do this with the M9,” Lt. Col. Martin O’Donnell, spokesman for the 101st Airborne, told reporters several months ago.

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WNU Editor: Apparently the soldiers like it.

The U.S. Military Is Embracing The New M17 And M18 Handguns

A soldier tests the Modular Handgun System for the US Army Operational Test Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, August 27, 2017. US Army photo by Lewis Perkins

Business Insider: The US military is snapping up the Army's new sidearm

* The Army picked a new sidearm in January 2017 and started distributing it to troops that November.
* In the months since, the other service branches placed orders for the weapon.
* The Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps have confirmed the plan to buy thousands of the M17 and M18 handguns.

Months after the Army started distributing its new Modular Handgun System to soldiers, the other service branches are following its lead and buying thousands of the new sidearms for themselves.

The latest confirmation comes from the Air Force, which told Military.com on Thursday that it planned to buy 130,000 of the weapon to replace its current 9 mm M9 pistols. The Air Force released photos of its personnel performing some intense tests on the weapon in December.

An Air Force spokeswoman said the service planned to purchase the M18, which is the compact version of the weapon, as its standard handgun. The M17 is the full-size version.

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WNU Editor: Everyone wants the new handgun.

U.S. Special Forces Want U.S. Companies To Manufacture Russian Guns

Michael Peck, National Interest: U.S. Special Forces: Soon to Be Armed with Russian Guns?

Though USSOCOM is starting with a pair of Russian machine guns, the research proposal speaks of foreign-made weapons in general. “Developing a domestic production capability for foreign-like weapons addresses these issues while being cost effective as well as strengthens the nation’s military-industrial complex, ensures a reliable and secure supply chain, and reduces acquisition lead times." One wonders whether there could be a copyright issue with producing Russian weapons in America without a license, though Russian and Chinese spies haven’t been reticent about helping themselves to U.S. technology. Either way, it seems like a sensible and economical idea to produce foreign weapons in America, rather than having to procure them from unreliable or unsavory international arms merchants.

Why would U.S. special forces want to manufacture Russian machine guns?

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WNU Editor: I say buy it directly from the Russian manufacturers themselves .... it would be cheaper. But yes .... I know that such a deal is not going to happen.

Here Are Five Major Weapon Systems That Arrived In 2017

File picture of Russian anti-ship missile

Michael Peck, National Interest: Game Changers: 5 Killer Military Weapons That Arrived in 2017

2017 was not a happy year for the world, but it was certainly a good year for weapons. Here are the five most interesting weapons of the last year:

The Long Range Anti-Ship Missile

When it comes to anti-ship missiles, the United States has always been behind Russia. The Soviet Union and now Russia have been fielding them since the 1950s, and Russia and China have numerous models in use, as well as upcoming hypersonic weapons. America, meanwhile, is still using the venerable and short-ranged Harpoon from the 1970s. The new Long Range Anti Ship Missile, or LRASM, should even the odds. The LRASM, which will launched from ships and aircraft, has a range of more than 200 miles compared to seventy for the Harpoon, packs a 1,000 pound–warhead, and is designed to be stealthy to enemy radar. This year, Lockheed Martin was awarded an $86.5 million contract to build the first twenty-three regular production missiles for launch from B-1 bombers and F-18 fighters. While the U.S. Navy's offensive punch has long tended to be airpower, the LRASM will go a long toward restoring the potency of the navy's surface warships.

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WNU Editor: It looks like the Russians have developed some effective weapon platforms that when used can seriously damage the U.S. Navy.