Last March 26,2017, Airsoft Plantation or better known as AP to local Airsofters in the Essex area here in the U.K. held its first team tournament which they called the World Domination Tournament or WDT. Sounds like an international event, isn’t it? But do read on to understand it more…

The rules of the game were pretty simple. Each team is composed of a maximum of 10 players. A team is assigned a country as its base. The countries were USA, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, Swaziland, and France. The tournament was sort of divided into two parts: For the morning, teams were asked to collect ammo crates scattered along the site. The crates are colour coded and teams can only collect a specific colour at a given time. Each team already has 5 crates in their countries to start with. When a team collects a total of 10 crates they are then given the power to cross another country’s border through specified entry points and steal the other team’s crates. Penalties are given to teams for game rule violation, cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct and is done by taking away ammo crates from their base.

Ammunition used is limited to 1200 BBs for the whole team. They need to conserve this until an ammo drop is made by marshals. This made the game more tactical as players had to choose their shots wisely.

Players were also told that they can only enter their country and other teams' countries through specified entry points. The borders were marked by a blue rope and players were not allowed to cross under or over or shoot enemies across the blue ropes.

In the afternoon the teams were allowed to conquer other countries. When a team successfully conquers a country, the defeated country must fight for the country that conquered them.

At the end of the tournament, the team with the most countries conquered wins. In case of a tie, the team with the most ammo crates in their possession will win.

The day was a great success with very little glitches and all teams trying their best to get used to the rules of play. There were enough marshals who made sure that the game went smoothly but stood back to let the players do their tasks at hand.

Team Rouge Angels (Swaziland) in what was a very tightly fought tournament.

A big congratulations to John and Steve and the AP team for a successful first team tournament and we are looking forward for more events like this to come in the near future.

Pictures and videos of the event can be found on the Airsoft Plantation Facebook page.

Some good news for the Russian airsoft community with regards to the issue of the use of Kalashnikov trademarks on airsoft guns and other military tactical game products. In a press release, Concern Kalashnikov and the Federation of the Military-Tactical Games (FMTG or ФВТИ in Russian), upon the initiative of the latter, have mutually agreed upon conditions in resolving disputes in the use of trademarks.

The FMTG is comprised of representatives from the retail industry and the airsoft community.

The result of the meeting takes into consideration the concerns of all parties involved in the negotiations. Kalashnikov Concern will draft a standard tripartite form of licensing agreement with the FGMT acting as a guarantor on behalf of the airsoft retailers. Upon the publication of the licensing agreement, a 2-month moratorium will be taken by the company on taking any action against retailers carrying products using the Kalashnikov trademarks, allowing the retailers to sign the contract based on the licensing agreement during this grace period. They will also drop the demands for financial compensation for the use of trademarks against airsoft retailers but reserve the right to use them again upon the end of the 2-month moratorium.

Concern Kalashnikov will monitor the turnover of products that replicate the trademark within the Russian Federation. The parties involved shall be responsible for ensuring the quality of the products using the trademark and must not cause damage to the image of the Kalashnikov rifle. In the meeting, the company emphasized that they do not intend to prohibit the use of Kalashnikov-style airsoft guns, including products made overseas.

With the approved licensing for retail stores, they announce plans for the medium term, and for the efficient licensing of the Kalashnikov trademarks by the manufacturers, the trademark will need to be protected in the country of the manufacturer(s).

On the basis of providing products, the licensed stores will have to have a branded storefront and continue to provide service and warranty for the products. If they meet these requirements, they can take on the implementation of other products under the “Kalashnikov” brand.

The agreement also requires a fixed lump sum payment for royalties and will depend upon the turnover of a particular company. Royalty fee will be 20,000 Russian Rubles or around US$350 based on the exchange rate as of this writing.

Concern Kalashnikov will be supportive of the airsoft gaming industry and cooperation with the FGMT will allow to it to develop advanced equipment for use in military tactical games such as airsoft, laser tag, and fire tag.

Concern Kalashnikov will be releasing its own line of airsoft products in 2017 and will be completely authentic in appearance, weight, materials, and ergonomics.

Photo source:Concern Kalashnikov

The last time we have heard about the status of this fight was that Team Megabots were in the process of building a Megabots MK II to be able to fight properly against the Japanese Kuratas. It is almost two years since the Americans challenged the Japanese to a giant robot duel which was originally scheduled last year but the fight was delayed due to problems of finding a venue.

Now, we get news from Team Megabots that fight is definitely on and a venue has already been selected. But for now the information of the venue will be kept under wraps:

If you have been hoping to watch this fight, if it is really going to take place, then you are in luck. The fight will be streamed live to both the Megabots and Suidobashi YouTube channels so once we finally get the exact date and time of the fight, then we should set reminders to ourselves when to open YouTube to watch the world’s first giant robot fight.

Also, Team Megabots has already ditched the Megabots MK II and will be unveiling the MK III next month in San Francisco. The MK III will be much bigger at 16 feet in height and weighing 12 tons. The Kuratas, so far is 12.5 feet tall and weighs 5 tons, but we do not know if the Japanese are building a different version of the Kuratas since the agreed upon fight format will be a close quarters melee combat that will have the robots rely on weapons for pummeling each other rather than shoot each other. The original Kuratas is armed with an airsoft minigun and flying coke bottles whilst the original Megabots was armed with a large paintball gun. These weapons are actually useless for a real robot fight.

Who knows? Kuratas might be armed with a samurai sword as the Megabots might look to be armed with a giant chainsaw and a massive knife. The one thing that both teams will need to be worried about is pilot safety unless the new robot designs will have the pilots controlling the robots remotely using FPV headsets and remote control to keep them away from physical arm. When metal hits metal, any living flesh should get out of the way.

Remember, the giant robot fight will take place in August 2017. We might be seeing the future of warfare if it actually happens.

From the computer screen to the big screen, that is what Activision is said to be planning for their Call of Duty video game franchise. It is not exactly a new development from the company as they have been looking into this possibility for some time now. But with the recent Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare not performing to expectations, they probably thought now is the good time to start the movie series.

And they will be taking a leaf from Marvel. In a report in the Guardian, Activision is hoping that they will be able to create a Cinematic Universe, in which they will be releasing interconnected standalone films. Disney acquired Marvel in 2009 for over US$4 billion and turned it into a money making monster, which they are now doing to the Star Wars franchise after acquiring Lucas Films.

Apart from movies, they might just go into producing a TV series that may focus on World War II or the Vietnam War.

Co-Presidents of the Acitvision Blizzard Studios Stacey Sher and Nick van Dyk have been tasked to work on this and already there are already multiple scripts produced that involved research and interviews with retired servicemen and military experts. If all goes well, they will be starting shooting in 2018.

In the Guardian report, they will be drawing from the Black Ops and Modern Warfare series, as Sher says, “We put together this group of writers to talk about where we were going. There’ll be a film that feels more like Black Ops, the story behind the story. The Modern Warfare series looks at what it’s like to fight a war with the eyes of the world on you. And then maybe something that is more of a hybrid, where you are looking at private, covert operations, while a public operation is going on.”

It remains to be seen if this plan for Call of Duty to follow in the footsteps of Marvel and Star Wars, which van Dyk was involved in the development of these franchise at Disney, will be a guaranteed success. It’s more of a hit and miss for video game industry when blockbuster game titles are turned into movies. Even Activision Blizzard’s Warcraft, which is a massive success in the game industry, was considered to be a mild success given its big film production budget.

But for those who want to see Roach, Ghost and Captain Price back again and in live action film, then this is something that they will be looking forward to.

We finally get official information of the Inaugural IPSC Action Air World Shoot (airsoft practical shooting). Initially, it was awarded to Hungary and was slated for this year, but we have not heard much of it, even signs of preparation. Finally, it was awarded to Hong Kong, which I believe is the best thing to do. Hong Kong has been at the forefront and the centre of Action Air in the world, and being the host of the first IPSC Action Air World Shoot is the best way to recognize this.

In a report posted on the International Sport Press Association, the IPSC awarded the Inaugural Action Air World shoot to the Hong Kong Practical Shooting Association (HKPSA), headed by its President Emily Ngan.  According to the report, over 600 shooters from IPSC’s 102-member countries are expected be participating in this event which is slated for the 29th of June to the 1st of July 2018 at the Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Center (KITEC).

There will be 30 Courses of Fire (COFs), which will be of varying degrees of difficulty to test the skills of the shooters. The good thing is that all of these COFs will be inside the KITEC, meaning that this will be an indoor shoot.

This event is very significant in the history of airsoft. Not so long ago, practical shooting was just a small niche in airsoft, mainly being a sport in the Hong Kong, where access to firearms is not that easy. Over the years, airsoft practical shooting grew in Southeast Asia and in Europe with the IPSC giving recognition to their efforts and eventually calling airsoft practical shooting as “Action Air” and sanctioning matches for recognized members. One big international event was the 5.11 Action Air Match that was held in the Philippines in 2011 where shooters from South East Asia and Hong Kong participated in. Then in Europe, the first of the Airsoft Surgeon Practical Pistol European Championships took place in 2013 and other countries in Europe started hosting their national and international Action Air opens such as the United Kingdom, Finland, Poland, Slovenia, The Netherlands, and Belgium.

Of all airsoft tournaments, it is Action Air/Airsoft Practical shooting that has shown steady and long term growth being a discipline that is based on an already recognized format --- practical shooting. We will be seeing the best Action Air shooters from around the world converging on one place next year, with the hosts being the favourites.

Thus, we shall see history in the making next year. If you are an airsoft practical shooter and aiming to compete with the best, then better get ready for Hong Kong.

Top Photo: Samson Chan, a top Hong Kong shooter, at the MMC Shoot in 2015.

As an airsoft website, Popular Airsoft also posts news and developments from the firearms industry given that both industries are linked. Airsoft grew out of the need of firearms enthusiasts in countries where guns are either banned or heavily regulated; and most, if not all, of airsoft gun external features are based on real steel designs. Also, a good number of airsoft players are firearms enthusiasts too.

Thus, when there are developments that affect the firearms industry, such as policies to regulate them by both the public and private sector, there is a possibility that airsoft will get affected. We have seen proposed regulations from around the world that sometimes lump airsoft with firearms, and now in the private sector, we saw Facebook putting restrictions on private firearms sales that affected airsoft. Now, YouTube, the largest video sharing website in the world may just have turned off the monetization faucet that is called advertising on gun-related channels.

According to The Firearm Blog, which we regularly monitor for its excellent content, YouTube has flagged videos on the site as restricted material, making them ineligible for advertising. Creating videos, especially by the well-known firearms channels, are not cheap, and they spend time and money to create proper videos for their audiences. Demonetizing these channels means turning off their means of supporting their operations and can affect the quality of their videos as well as put smaller firearms channels at a disadvantage.

YouTube is cracking down on offensive content, given the recent controversy in which it was accused of displaying ads on extremist videos, leading to big advertisers pulling their ads totally from the social media site. Thus, they are broadening what they deem to be “restricted” content and those determined to be showing such content, their videos will not be shown to viewers who have set their settings to block offensive material and will not be allowed to monetize from advertisements.

Gun channels may be affected as they may just fall on what YouTube considers as content inappropriate for advertising:

So far, we have not heard from airsoft YouTube channels if they are affected by this crackdown (the Popular Airsoft channel does not derive revenues from YouTube). But there is a possibility that they may just be affected if YouTube casts its net even wider as it continues its crackdown on offensive content.

How you wish you could just plug-in your brain to something like “The Matrix” and gain the knowledge and skills to have an advantage over your enemies. Whilst the technology seems to look feasible, it is still a long way off to become a reality. For one of the world’s most elite units, being able to stimulate the brain to improve physical and mental performance is one of its objectives.

The U.S. Navy SEALs are turning to a headset for that purpose.

It’s no ordinary headset where you can tune out the world and concentrate in appreciating the music. The Halo Neuroscience headset can play music but what is more important are the silicon nibs that are on the band called the “neuroprimers”. These apply a mild electric field to the brain’s motor cortex and induce a state of “hyperplasticity”, which is a more rapid way for the brain to fine tune itself --- telling the muscles how to make the complex movements required, when training or doing any physical activity. Being in the state of hyperplasticity, better results happen from each practice rep such as training to increased endurance, improve shooting performance and strength.

According to a report on Military.com, a small group of volunteers began to test and evaluate neuro-stimulation technology if it can assist in achieving higher performance.  One of those involved are those from the Naval Special Warfare Develop Group (DEVGRU), or more popularly known nowadays as SEAL Team Six. The spokesman for the Naval Special Warfare Command,  Capt. Jason Salata, says the initial results show promising signs.

Photo:A U.S. Navy SEAL At Stennis Space Center (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Scorza)

The aim is to make training shorter and more efficient for the members of the elite unit who are already at their peak performance or train at the same level and get a boost in performance. If the Halo Neurosciece headset can be provide that, then soldiers are able to avoid performance enhancing pharmaceutical products that may produce certain side effects in the long run. Lab tests of the headset have shown it to be safe so far.

Athletes are already using the sports configuration of the Halo Neuroscience headset. Called the Halo Sport, the headset is paired with an app installed on a mobile device via Bluetooth. The athlete wets the primers and put on the Halo Sport headset to begin a 20-minute neuropriming session with the Halo Sport playing an audio cue when the session is complete.

For airsoft players wanting to try out the headset for performance enhancement for airsoft games and milsim events, or even other sports that they are involved in, they can purchase the Halo Sport from the Halo Neuroscience website for US$749.

Top Photo:U.S. Navy SEALs in winter warfare exercise (U.S. Navy Photo by Visual Information Specialist Chris Desmond)

It looks like combat at night will be done in full color if this ultra lowlight camera gets to be used in the military. It might be unsettling that it is almost like seeing in broad daylight using the SPI X27 Night Vision Camera when the user knows he/she is looking at this his/her environment deep in the dark.

The Las Vegas-based Sierra Pacific Innovations (SPI) has developed a revolutionary night vision sensor called the X27. This has an equivalent of 5,000,000 ISO to capture images in extreme low light environment with low noise and high sensitivity. ISO is the sensitivity to light, and the higher the ISO, the better it is for lowlight image capture. Many digital cameras nowadays have a normal ISO range of 200 to 6,400 with higher end cameras such as DSLRs have the capability of being boosted up to 204,800.

But with the 5,000,000 ISO of the X27, the user now gets the benefit of seeing in full color in the dark as compared to the usual tech of night vision intensifier tubes that give the green color that many consider to be night vision or thermal imaging sensors. Apart from military applications such as reconnaissance and surveillance, it will be extremely useful for rescue, law enforcement, astronomy, biosensing, and medical purposes.

The X27 is a 10 megapixel LLL CMOS Sensor that incorporates high grade, coated, IR corrected lenses. While it is touted for its amazing full color low light imaging, it can perfectly take images during the day as well. The X27 is fully automatic, adjusting to the light conditions without the need of any input from the user.

Full color vision at night gives tremendous advantage to the user since brain friendly images increase detection and recognition as explained by the video below:

We do not know how much it will cost to own one of these. SPI is offering the X27 full color night vision sensor to be used in cameras, binoculars, night vision devices, and other products. It still very much a new technology and we do not know when this will be made available for civilian use as SPI is mainly a military contractor.

For now airsoft players will have to settle to using the first gen and second generation night vision devices for airsoft and milsim night games.

An event that catapulted the Special Air Service (SAS) into the public eye that happened 37 years ago, is about to be told again in a movie this summer. “6 Days” is an action thriller about the 1980 Iranian Embassy Siege in London starring Jamie Bells (Fantastic Four) as Rusty Firmin, the SAS Blue Team Assault Team Leader, and Mark Strong, as the hostage negotiator Max Vernon.

Set to premiere on the 4th of August 2017 in the United Kingdom, “6 Days” is directed by Toa Fraser (The Dead Lands) and shot on location in Princes Gate, Knightsbridge. The first trailer just got released early this week:

The siege happened on the 30th of April to the 5th of May 1980, when members of the Democratic Revolutionary Front for the Liberation of Arabistan (DRFLA) took over the Iraninan Embassy, seizing 26 persons as hostages, demanding for the release of Arab prisoners from prisons in Khūzestān. The British Government under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, refused to grant safe passage to the hostage takers, but were able to secure the release of several hostages in exchange for minor concessions, including allowing that their demands be broadcasted.

On the 6th day, the hostage takers already frustrated due to the lack of progress of their demands, killed one of the hostages, who was the Press Officer of the Iranian Embassy, leading to Thatcher giving the green light for the SAS to execute Operation Nimrod. The rest was history and the world saw the hostage rescue operation live via news television.

During the assault, another hostage was killed whilst two were wounded and one SAS member was wounded. Five of the hostage takers were killed and one was captured alive. The SAS were accused of killing two of the hostage takers unnecessarily but were cleared after an inquest.

The aftermath of the siege for the SAS was something that they did not welcome as they prefer to be in rather an obscure unit. Now that they are known, there was an increase in demand from friendly countries to learn more about their training and expertise as well as applications to join the unit. The SAS by this time is one of the most feared elite units in the world.

It’s going to be full speed ahead in the closing months of 2017 as Disney and its Lucas Film will be fully promoting Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi which will be released this Christmas. But the marketing juggernaut leading up to its release will be leaving no prisoners, and together with it, the Star Wars: Battlefront II will be having video gamers battling for the galaxy again after the big success of Star Wars: Battlefront I.

EA revealed the first trailer of the Star Wars: Battlefront II last weekend and it is set in the 30 year gap between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens. The opening scenes shows Iden Versio, the commander the Empire’s Inferno Squadron watching the destruction of the second Death Star whilst she was on Endor battling the rebellion. A human pilot who is the daughter of an imperial admiral and her mother an artist designing propaganda for the Empire, she dedicated herself to avenge the Emperor and hunt down those who were behind the destruction of the second death star, including Luke Skywalker.

Star Wars: Battlefront II shows the Galactic War from the eyes of the Empire.

The trailer is indeed a sleek and promises more heroes such as Darth Maul, Yoda, Kylo Ren, and Rey apart from the Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker. What has been decided was to remove the DLC which the EA says causes fragmentation of players but what they are bringing is to allow the players to be able to command their own space ships, including the Millennium Falcon, and that means more space battles.

The multiplayer game spans three eras of Star Wars films that is what we see heroes of different generations in under one game. As for the maps, players will be able to battle it out on StarKiller Base, Mos Eisley, and Yavin 4.

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is now available on pre-order for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC platforms and set for release on 17 November 2017.

Shooting under water got deadlier with the introduction of a new ammo made by the Norwegian company, DSG Technology. For combat divers and those who operate on water, this is a god send bullet as they get to have bullets that go further and faster under water.

Called CAV-X, this bullet uses supercavitation. Not exactly a new technology as the Russians have been developing this technology since the Soviet times and have an existing supercavitating torpedo called VA-111 Shkval that has a speed that can go over 200 knots.

When firing regular bullets into the water, since it is denser, it creates drag the will result in the loss of velocity of the bullet, tend to be inaccurate as well as they have shorter ranges. With supercavitation, the CAV-X bullet creates a bubble of air around the bullet, creating a frictionless environment that results into an increase in speed, reduction in drag, and longer range for the bullet.

What is even better with the CAV-X, it can be used with existing rifles, and does not need any specialized gun to work with it. The Soviet Union developed a rifle for use underwater, called the APS or the Avtomat Podvodny Spetsialnyy, and fires a 120mm long 5.56mm bullet that can go to longer distances underwater, but when fired out of water, it is somewhat inaccurate. The CAV-X can still be fired accurately when firing out of the water and is available in 5.56 NATO, 7.62 NATO and 12.7 NATO and made of tungsten with a brass shell.

As for the range, the 5.56.mm and 7.62 can be effective up to 12-14 meters underwater while the 12.7mm can go up to 60 meters. If out of the water, the 5.56mm has a range of up to 900 meters; the 7.62mm up to 1,100 meters; and the 12.7 mm up to 2,200 meteres.

According to the company, the CAV-X has been already ordered by in small quantities by militaries for testing.

War Zone is a 3-Day airsoft event designed by “R.A. Action”, the Official Airsoft club of Rethimno, which is based on the island of Crete, in Greece. It is an annual airsoft large scale event and for 2017, WarZone 5, is organized to take place on the island of Crete from the 12th to the 14th of May. One of the best airsoft sites someone could play at, is available and the organizers work hard to prepare special staff for the participants!

The field combines Urban, CQB and of course Woodland engagements. But the most important is that the topography is such so the enemy contacts are kept in relatively close distance of no more than 100 meters. This allows us to simulate battles at which airsoft is really strong, the close combat battles!

The WarZone 5 game scenario is named “The Green Zone” and is about a country where a civil war is ongoing. There are two main large factions fighting to secure the area (villages). But this is not just that! At all this mess that war creates, the scenario includes another three quite smaller factions. First come the United Nations Forces, small but heavily equipped with strong mechanized units, is deployed to secure that citizens will feel again safe by keeping clear from engagements “The Green Zone”. Secondly USA and Russian Special Forces have been deployed. Rangers and Spetsnaz units, small but specialized units (hardcore milsim airsofters) aiming to affect the battle outcome serving their country interest! Everyone understands that with five factions in the field, WarZone is far from what we call a “linear game scenario”. Usually no one can predict the final outcome. Each side is going to behave, to the rest of the faction’s, according to the policy that the player’s adopt and this is subject to change in every next moment! Participant’s real characters and random in game incidents affect the cooperation’s and betrayal’s that happen every year at WarZone

Of course all these happen while heavy engagements are taking place. The main factions have under their command various units like heavy infantry, mechanized units, Special Forces, parachutists and artillery. With these army abilities the commanding officers, having established a strong chain of command, apply real battle tactics!

This scenario and the faction abilities that organizers have designed, bring participants to a real situation and so unique, realistic emotions are created to each of them! This is the aim of playing airsoft, “to create new, unique emotions to people”.

The “R.A. Action” organizing team is a very skillful team with quite large experience having organized a lot of airsoft scenarios and of course by participating to all the large European events like Berget, Overload and Borderwar. The WarZone thought, is based on a quite different philosophy comparing to other events. As it is a 100% non profit event is supported by experienced airsoft players who volunteer to help. Due to that fact the organizers have adopted very strict behavior control policy. Airsoft players must have what we call “the right airsoft attitude” in order to perform the right way and the organizers are here to do their best to assure that. Participant’s numbers are of no importance. The concept is that “is better to have a game with 400 quality players than a game with 1,000 players randomly selected”!

The WarZone organizers make this effort focused on producing quality airsoft events and only that and so heavy filtering is applied to all participants! People who don’t behave with respect to their opponents or their teammates, people who don’t play fair, don’t follow game rules or spread stupid rumors and so destroy the game, are noted down. Not only by the game masters but also all the participants are encouraged to note down players with wrong behavior. After the game complaints are gathered together, participant’s statistics are formed and players who are found presenting unacceptable behavior are banned from future events! ”.  High quality events are able to happen only if the participants have the right attitude. That’s the reason this event has very strong filtering for the participants, continuously aiming at an event of high quality. This needs effort and time but WarZone is not at all quite far from that! The motto of the organizers is: 

“I am honest, competitive as much as needed and I respect the efforts of others without being shellfish. Nobody wants a non-competitive opponent, or a dishonest opponent!! I am a “positive and active player”, I do my best so I take control of my actions and so I help also for the success of the meeting!!”

When:

Friday 12th May to Sunday 14th May 2017
Arkadi, Rethymno
Medium – Large scale airsoft  meeting with LARP & MILSIM elements, night operations, buildings, vehicles.
Duration of  meeting: 45 hours non stop!

What is special about it:

• Experienced administrative staff
• Unique game field, ideal for airsoft
• Personnel vehicles and Light armor vehichles support operations
• Artillery
• Filtering players on units with special features
• Combination of  Urban and woodland field
• LARP & MILSIM elements
• Large-scale engagements
• Special unit missions
• Night-time operations
• Airborne units
• Large military type tents provided

PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE:

• Ability to operate within a basic, simple hierarchy and  obey commands.
• Able to comply with the regulations set by the organizers with honesty.
• Clothing, equipment and playing style according to their role.
• Positive and willing attitude without excessive and extreme behaviors.

The ultimate aim of any serious airsoft event organizer, especially for an airsoft event organizer, is to give as much realism as they can. After all, airsoft players want to immerse themselves in almost “realistic” situations without the inherent dangers of a real world situation. Thus, many airsoft players always get excited when they see the use of actual military vehicles as well as replicas of other heavy hardware and weapons.

With the scenarios being developed by organizers, they always consider what props they provide to make the experience more immersive. For the props, they should be made to look like the real thing as much as possible. Indeed, we do see some airsoft companies providing props such as replica bombs, explosives, and even missiles.

But for now, these airsoft companies can’t provide anything closer to what this Scranton, Pennsylvania-based company provides for training and Hollywood. Inert Products LLC., has almost everything that any military, law enforcement, Hollywood studio, and airsoft event organizers can dream of for training, action movies, and milsim events.

We learned about Inert Products LLC., in this article on Motherboard, describing the company as “an eye-opening seller of fake Islamic State weapons, fake casualties (including body parts), simulated explosives, and replica ordnance—all in the name of military, government, and law enforcement training purposes.”

You need a Suicide Vest like those used by terrorists from ISIS, Al Qaeda, or the Taliban? You bet they have it, even those pressure cooker bombs that were used by the Boston bombers.  They have landmines, IEDs, and artillery shells that EODs can train with. They even have inert training devices that are used for X-Rays, to train screeners to identify suspicious items hidden in bags and luggage. They also have dummy guns, but of course, in airsoft, we have much better replicas in the form of AEGs, Gas  Blowbacks, Springers, and HPA-powered ones.

They are not cheap products though and civilians cannot just go to their website and purchase the items for their purposes. Sales are restricted to official use only and you probably know what means. But you might want to take a look at their website to find out which can be probably developed for the airsoft market. There might be props there that can be replicated for airsoft and milsim, as long as authorities or local laws will allow you and your buyers.

All photos from the Inert Products LLC. Facebook Page.

It looks like that 2017 will be the year of 360 cameras. There is the Samsung Gear 360 and the Nikon KeyMission 360 already released, and Facebook also announced their Surround 360 x24 and x6. GoPro will be jumping into this segment late this year with their 5.2K Camera called GoPro Fusion.

Yes, you read it right. It’s not just 4K resolution, it is 5.2K and that goes over the existing offerings from its competitors.

The GoPro Fusion does VR and Non-VR videos and photos whilst it avoids using the term “360 degree” like the other companies’ offerings. Instead it use the term “Overcapture” as explained by Jess Foley, GoPro Senior Product Manager of Spherical Solutions:

Imagine never having to worry about framing your subject…ever. Yes, cameras do the heavy lifting already, but it still takes the eye to compose a shot, right? Well, thanks to Fusion, our users will be able to record their moments in all directions and then go back and choose the composition they want. This is referred to as OverCapture or reframing. It’s like having a camera team with you when you shoot capturing your primary and b-roll footage. From there, you have the flexibility in post-production to pick and share all sides of your story in conventional HD

Thus, if the user does not intend to create VR footage, using OverCapture shows the different angles that the user can create regular high definition videos, showing the story at different angles. If I got this right, an airsoft YouTuber may not necessarily need different action cams mounted in different directions to capture airsoft action footages at different angles or points of view. Instead, using the GoPro Fusion, he/she can get these different angles with just one mounted device although the airsofter may look like a Teletubby wearing a spherical device on top of the helmet.

It may look good for other sports, airsofters and other shooters may still need to have another action cam mounted on their guns as the angle of them shooting (showing them looking through the sight or optic) is another perspective that an spherical camera will not be able to provide.

Still, being the king of Action Cameras, the GoPro Fusion will find airsofters who want to capture the airsoft action in VR, 360, or HD. It can also help game organisers show their game sites in 360 allowing their customers to see the different layouts of the game site online using the VR option.

GoPro are having a pilot program for the Fusion, where they will allow brands, agencies and content makers to create content with the Fusion, trying all the possibilities that can be done with it. If you are interested, you can apply to become part of the pilot.

In videos of some milsim events, you have watched some airsoft players use blank firing guns to simulate a live environment and set the atmosphere that what airsoft players are in is not the usual airsoft skirmish. That is subject to debate, but a good number of milsimers appreciate the mix, especially if the aim is to have an immersive experience.

In Russia, they have another way of military tactical gaming apart from airsoft, paintball, and lasertag. It is called “Firetag” and it involves the use of blank firing guns with IR emitters and IR sensors that detect when a player is hit, just like what you see in laser tag:

The video above reminds you of the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) that is used by the military of the U.S.A. and other armed forces around the world. The MILES uses the same system of laser and blank firing rounds to simulate a live battlefield.

Curious as we are with Firetag, we got in touch with Alexandr Evgenevich of Red Army Airsoft to learn more about it. He explains that in Russia, anyone of legal age can own a blank firing gun without restrictions and Firetag started appearing in the FVTI or Federation of Military and Tactic Games which promotes airsoft, laser tag, and firetag.

Alexandr says there are companies supplying complete Firetag units such as IrbisTag and Poligon64 which cost from 25,000 Rubles (US$450) for an AK-74 up to 70,500 Rubles (US$1,250) for a Degtyaryov (DP) Machine Gun. Blank rounds cost US$0.25 and a Firetag player spends up to US$100 per game. There are still costs such as protective equipment as well as tactical gear so the costs tend to pile up.

As for fields or game sites offering Firetag, there are still few. For those who do not have equipment, according to the Firetag.org website, players can rent Kalashnikov Firetag unit with tactical equipment, 90 rounds, protective glasses, and 1 hour game for 4,200 Rubles (US$75) or a Kalashnikov Firetag unit, 270 rounds, protective glasses and 3.5 hours of gameplay for 8,900 Rubles (US$160). That makes airsoft more attractive to players than Firetag in terms of cost since mere ammo expenditure itself will rack up the rubles (or dollars if you want to put it that way).

The sensors for detecting hits, according to the Firetag.org cover the following areas:

• The head (helmet) - 6 sensors laid out circularly
• Torso (front) - 2 sensors
• Torso (rear) - 3 sensors
• Shoulders - 4 sensors (2 for each shoulder)

A minimum firing distance is established as there are risks to injury even when using blank firing guns. From Alexandr’s experience, burning powder can travel up from 2 to 3 metres, and thus there is a minimum firing distance of 3 metres. Protective goggles is mandatory to protect the eyes, and ear protection is also required especially in CQB games. Ear protection is not necessary when playing in an open field but is highly recommended.

Firetag still is an interesting game to participate in if you want more realism in military tactical games as the staccato of blank firing guns will give you a more realistic sound of battle as compared to AEGs and gas blowbacks. The question is, will Firetag spread out to other countries outside of Russia and other countries that allow blank firing guns? That is a big question as the noise generated by blank firing guns can be big nuisance in residential areas or in urban centres. If you want to try it, better consult with local authorities and existing laws, you might encounter a lot of roadblocks along the way.

All photos from the Firetag.org website.

It’s now on, the search for the replacement of the 5.56mm G36 Assault Rifle as the standard issue for the Bundeswehr (German Army). It was just a matter of time before the Germans started looking for a new rifle for their soldiers and according to the Polish website, Milmag.pl, the BAAINBw (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr or The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support), has released a tender for the System Sturmgewehr Bundeswehr  April 19, 2017 and are expecting submissions on or before the deadline of May 22, 2017.

Whatever company or rifle will win, the Bundeswehr will be expecting a delivery of 120,000 rifles under a 7-year contract worth EUR245 million or around us$263 million. The first delivery will be expected on the 1st of April 2019 and the final batch will be by the 31s of March 2026. The G36 will then start to be withdrawn from the service by the 3rd quarter of 2020.

The Heckler & Koch HK433 is expected to be the company's offering as the G36 replacement.

In the Milmag report, the Bundeswehr is interested in a two variants of the rifle, a longer and shorter version and did not specify any preference for the caliber, allowing companies to submit 5.56mm x 45 NATO or the 7.62mm x 51 NATO. The rifle should have fully ambidextrous operations to allow both right-handed and left-handed soldiers to operate the rifle with ease.

One potential contender is the RS556 from Rheinmetall

The winning rifle should also meet the requirements for the NATO Accessory Rail (NAR) for mounting weapons accessories as defined by Standardization Agreement 4694 (STANAG 4694) which was set in May 2009.

Other potential contenders are the Sig Sauer MCX (top) and the Beretta ARX160 (bottom)

Other specifications are that the rifle should not exceed 3.6kilograms in weight, a 30,000 round receive or structure lifespan and the lifespan of the barrel should be 15,000 rounds. The Bundewehr will be expecting 230 short variants and 160 long variants for testing and integration with existing equipment being currently used. The first production of the series is expected to include 13,929 models with the longer barrel, 3,104 with the short barrel, and 514 to be used as part of simulation systems.

As for the potential contenders, many are expecting Heckler & Koch, the supplier of the G36, to fiercely compete, which will offer the new HK433 (or perhaps the HK416 or HK417). Other bidders expected are Rheinmetall with the RS556 which will be offered jointly with Steyr Mannlicher; SIG Sauer with the MCX; and even the Italian company, Beretta, joining in the fray with the ARX160 and the ARX200. Other companies are enjoined to participate in the bidding process.

Top photo: German Soldiers with the G36 in Bosnia (Source: Wikipedia)

With the confirmation that Activision’s latest Call of Duty title this year will take back to the game to its roots, which is World War II, now we get to see more information as based on leaked marketing materials showing some features and release date for the video game franchise.

Charlie Intel posted photos of marketing materials they laid their hands on to and confirms that the game will be set on D-Day Normandy and players will get to battle in iconic locations. If you want to experience another “Saving Private Ryan” opening scene, then hope that Sledgehammer will work hard on that. Overall, are the descriptions of the COD: WWII campaign and multiplayer modes as based on the leaked material:

Campaign Description:Call of Duty: WWII tells the story of an unbreakable brotherhood of common men fighting to preserve freedom in a world on the brink of tyranny. Players enlist in a gritty intense journey through the battlegrounds of war. The campaign features bold, lifelike visuals with the kind of blockbuster cinematic authenticity that only Call of Duty can deliver.

Multiplayer Description:Call of Duty: WWII multiplayer engages players in grounded, fast-paced combat across many of World War II’s most iconic locations. Players will also enjoy exciting new ways to interact and socialize with their friends and the Call of Duty community.

There is also cooperative gameplay in a standalone story, making it different from the single player co-op gameplay feature in previous titles or in different mode such as the Zombie or Spec Ops modes.

As for the release date, what is revealed is it will on the 3rd of November 2017, a Friday giving players the whole weekend of non-stop gameplay from the single player campaign to the multiplayer battles. As for Beta testing, those who have pre-order the game will be given access to a “Private Beta.”

But the waiting for the official reveal of COD: WWII will be over by tomorrow, 26 April, as Activision will be having a worldwide reveal livestream at 1 p.m. E.T. So stay tuned for more details to be revealed.

Almost ten years ago, Popular Airsoft had for its feature story Readings on Urban Combat, citing an airsoft player who wants to keep on going to CQB games since he believes that cities will be the main battlefields and that will entail a lot close quarters battles.

Probably with all that we see in the news these days, most of you will agree that urban combat will be more predominant in the following years given that more people move into cities.

The Chief of the U.S. Army, Gen. Mark Milley, agrees with this according to Military.com reporting on the Future of War Conference 2017. He adds that urban combat in the future will happen in megacities. That means urban centers with over 10 million inhabitants and there are many cities nowadays that can meet that criteria with the 8 in the top 10 located in Asia.

Jakarta, Indonesia, One of the top 10 Megacities.

If urban combat in regular cities is already a very hazardous way of conducting warfare, just imagine urban combat in the magnitude of megacities. Mosul in Iraq is already a large city with around a million people up to its outermost boundaries, and the fighting happening there is taking months before it can be concluded. Just imagine 10 Mosuls in one urban area for a megacity, and that will heavily task any regular army, which will mean large casualties.

Even for a high-tech military, urban combat can be a great leveler and advantage will always go to small, highly motivated, and well-equipped units. With smartphones allowing people to send videos and photos quickly, it is hard for a military unit to move in urban centers without being detected. As Gen. Milley , emphasizing on the units to be even more mobile than ever before, said,"Smaller units will have to disperse more widely; they will have to in order to survive. If you stay stationary for any length of time, say more than a couple of hours, you are probably going to get killed."

He added that more senior leaders will be put at the lower level, just like in the Special Operations forces where majors command companies while in the regular army, it takes captains. It may just mean an increase in the number of special operations units.

U.S. Army soldiers urban combat training in Camp Zafar,Herat, Afghanistan.
(U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communications Specialist 1st Class Stephen Hickok)

Fighting in megacities will be very dangerous as they provide a myriad of ready obstacles and hiding places for the enemy. Each corner, each floor, each rooftop, even each manhole can provide the enemy an opportunity to wear down the army with IEDs or well-placed snipers. Fighting up skyscrapers will even challenge the most physically fit soldier. Casualties will really run high, and experts in urban combat believe it can be from 40% to 50%, apart from that civilian casualties can run into tens of thousands, that soldiers will have to be more discriminating when firing to keep civilian casualties down.

But then, we have not ruled out technology with the rise of drones and robots used in military applications. Perhaps more investments will be put in semi-autonomous or autonomous drones to get into more dangerous situations in urban combat. If military wants to minimize casualties and structural damages in megacities, then it might want to look into robot armies.

As for airsoft players, it might be time to look into more indoor, CQB games. It might look like future warfare will hit even closer to home, especially in cities that we are familiar with though we wish it will never happen. It is still best to be prepared.

Top photo: Fort Bliss Urban Combat Exercise (Wikipedia)

The circular for the airsoft parts of the PCA 2017 was released today (26 April 2017). In light of the questions that have been raised, this document is where we would have expected to find the guidance for airsoft players. What Home Office have published is extremely limited, and we do not expect to receive further clarification in the short term.

As the legislation comes into effect on the 2nd of May, please view the official briefing note from UKARA and UKAPU.

Please stand by. Soon we will be publishing further information on how you can help us get some real answers from the government.

Matt Furey-King
Chair
UK Airsoft Players Union (UKAPU)

Frank Bothamly
Chair
UK Airsoft Retailers Association (UKARA)

AIRSOFT AND THE POLICING & CRIME ACT 2017

How does the Act affect airsoft?

From the 2nd May 2017 the Act introduces an exception from the classification for airsoft guns as firearms, so long as they meet certain criteria.
This means that airsoft guns (and it doesn’t matter how they are powered) are not firearms if they are designed to fire a spherical plastic missile that is no bigger than 8mm in diameter and they have a muzzle energy that is no greater than 1.3 joules if they can fire successive shots (often called “full auto”) or 2.5 joules if they can only fire individual shots (meaning either “single shot” or “semi-auto”).

Isn’t that already the case though?

No. Previously we have had to rely solely on guidance agreed with the Home Office, the police service and the prosecution authorities that has had a similar effect, but this agreement was not law. Airsoft will now have a specific exception that can be relied on if a criminal investigation was to take place.

Does it really matter?

Yes, it is a significant achievement for the sport/discipline, and good recognition of us by government. If airsoft guns were to be classified as firearms then there would be considerable uncertainty as to how the sport could be conducted. At the very least there would be higher age limits, registration of retailers as firearms dealers, face to face (not postal) retail sales and there may have been prohibition of certain types of airsoft gun (see below). To avoid these changes we would most likely have had to accept lower site limits than are commonly used at the moment.

How were the muzzle energy thresholds arrived at, and what do they mean in practice?

The two limits were determined through forensic tests some years ago. They represent the muzzle energies at which the tests suggested that a potentially lethal injury could be caused. There are two limits because the tests suggested that successive shots hitting the same point had a cumulative effect.

In practice airsoft sites apply limits that leave a margin for even more safety. It is usual to measure the muzzle velocity of a 0.20g BB in order to check whether an airsoft gun is within the site limits. Knowing the velocity and weight of the BB means that the energy can be calculated, but by convention sites usually publish a muzzle velocity limit, knowing what velocity will keep an airsoft gun within the muzzle energy threshold that applies. The common site limit of 350fps with a 0.20g BB equates to 1.14 joules, and 500fps with a 0.20g BB equates to 2.32 joules.

The exception is unlikely to cause sites to have to change their current limits, as it consolidates limits that have been in place for many years voluntarily.

How will airsoft guns that exceed the thresholds be categorised?

In short, we still do not know for certain. This is not a new problem for us, as that question has existed since airsoft guns were first introduced to the UK. Although we have been able to discuss this with the Home Office, police and prosecution authorities, we do not know because only a court can decide with certainty, and there have not been any prosecutions that we are aware of (a good thing, even though it leaves the uncertainty!).

The Home Office have published a Circular, number 06/2017, which comments very briefly on the airsoft exception. It includes;

18. Owners of airsoft weapons that meet the definition of an airsoft gun will have to ensure that any modifications made to the weapon do not cause it to no longer meet that definition.

This advice is very limited indeed, however it does indicate that the Home Office are aware that airsoft guns can be modified, and might be capable of being modified to exceed the muzzle energy thresholds. The advice does not say how airsoft guns that exceed the thresholds might be categorised, nor does it advise that all airsoft guns are caught by what are sometimes called the “readily convertible provisions “(see below) as a result. This may be because it remains the case that only a court can decide that, in each case.

It seems likely that single shot/semi auto airsoft guns that exceed 2.5 joules muzzle energy would be categorised as “low powered airguns”. This is the category that the vast majority of airguns are in. In Scotland airguns need to be licenced. However, there is far more uncertainty over airsoft guns that can fire successive shots and exceed 1.3 joules muzzle energy. Previous guidance from the Home Office has indicated that such airsoft guns may well be prohibited weapons.

Are there now issues for HPA airsoft guns, and those where the mainspring can be changed to exceed the muzzle energy thresholds (which must be most airsoft guns)?

Some of the issues being discussed are often collectively called the “readily convertible provisions”.

They are not a new problem, as the provisions feature in the Firearms Act 1982. In short nothing has changed on these questions just because of this Act, and the same uncertainty remains for now (see below). We will continue to press for resolution and certainty, but that may require further changes to the law. Achieving that is very difficult, as securing our new exception has already shown.

The further concern for most “off the shelf” HPA and GBB airsoft guns is that the new exception refers to airsoft guns as not being capable of firing any missile above the stated limits. Whilst the discussion we have had about this during the drafting of the law suggest that the provision is intended to apply to the airsoft gun in its current state (without changing components), the flexibility to vary the air/gas pressure so the gun fires above the thresholds (without needing to change any components) may be seen as being too easy for an individual to do, and thus the gun might not be able to benefit from the exception. Whilst this query has been explained, and clarification sought, we do not yet have an answer.

Can you briefly explain what the concerns are?

The law states that if an imitation firearm (which would include a RIF) can be converted to be a firearm without specialist tools or knowledge then that imitation firearm is actually a firearm instead. The uncertainty for airsoft is what airsoft guns above the new thresholds are actually to be categorised as (see above). If they are airguns then there is less of a problem because the readily convertible provisions only catch air weapons that can be converted to the “specially dangerous” category (which airsoft guns are unlikely to be strong enough to be capable of) or to the “prohibited weapons” category (in this case those subject to control under s5(1)). This means that if successive fire capable airsoft guns above the 1.3 joule muzzle energy threshold are prohibited weapons (s5(1)(a)) then those below the threshold might be caught as being “readily convertible” to be above it, however so might any toy imitation firearms into which the component parts of an airsoft gun could be fitted.

Are imports also affected?

There is no change to the controls on importing airsoft guns which are below the applicable threshold. However, now that clearly defined thresholds are in place, anyone importing an airsoft gun should take extra care that the sender has verified the muzzle energy is below the applicable threshold.

What happens now?

Airsoft guns within the criteria will be excepted from the definition of a firearm, giving certainty where we previously did not have it. UKAPU and UKARA will continue to work with the Home Office, police service and prosecution authorities to achieve clarity on the outstanding issues. We will keep you up to date and we hope you will continue to support our efforts to achieve this.

In a fast changing legal environment for the airsoft industry in Russia, Kalashnikov Concern has been working on protecting its intellectual property rights. It has agreed with the local airsoft and tactical gaming industry represented by the Federation of the Military-Tactical Games (FMTG or ФВТИ in Russian), allowing a grace period for its members to sign an agreement with the company and dropping any charges of trademark infringement.

It also went after Cybergun in Russia last 3 March 2017, demanding that the airsoft company recognize its rights to the labels "Калашников" and "Kalashnikov" as part of trademarks and brand names and right to use the name of M. T. Kalashnikov in economic activity as well as declare that Cybergun’s use of the Kalashnikov trademarks is illegal.

RAPSI, the Russian Legal Information Agency posted an update last 24 April that the Arbitration Court of the Udmurt Republic has postponed consideration of action on 30 May after the parties have agreed to to settle the dispute under mutually acceptable terms. Both Kalashnikov Concern and Cybergun requested the court more time to discuss the term of agreement, leading to the postponement of action by the Arbitration Court.

It looks like that if the both companies come to an agreement by the 30th of May 2017 Kalashnikov Concern will have generally put its house into order in Russia in terms of consolidating its grip on its rights to use the “Kalashnikov” brand in trademarks and products that it produces. This frees up the company to focus on protecting its intellectual properties outside of Russia, as it actually intends to do.

In an interview with TASS, as reported here on Popular Airsoft last month, Kalashnikov’s CEO Aleksey Krivoruchko said that they are taking actions to protect their brand and trademarks in China, Europe and the U.S.A. This should put other airsoft companies that are producing products to the likeness of Kalashikov products as well as even using the trademark that they might want to strike deals with the company rather than being hauled off to court.

Top Photo:Kalashnikov Concern at Arms & Hunting - 2015 (Photo Credit: Kalashnikov Concern)