The Army Equips Itself with Blackhawk
The Ministry of Defense has recently acquired new breaching tools for the Infantry and Engineers. This equipment, the Dynamic Entry tools by Blackhawk, a brand exclusively distributed by Welkit in France, aims to facilitate breaching through simple and instantaneous physical action. This applies to most existing doors, windows, and other locking systems.
"Cold" Breaching
Cold breaching means that no pyrotechnic, hydraulic, or pneumatic action is required to perform a breach. In other words, no fire, no explosives, no hydraulic jacks, or other electrical tools. Each of these tools is easy to handle and requires only human action. Among the requirements, it was requested that the provided tools could be used in any environment (confined, open, high or very low temperatures, dry, humid atmosphere, etc.). Each tool in the kits must be operable by a single person, whether left-handed or right-handed, without the need for special adaptations. Additionally, these Dynamic Entry tools allow the user to stay outside the danger cone (see diagram below), thus keeping them as safe as possible from potential gunfire.
Diagram showing the advantage of tools that can be used outside the danger cone. The two operators outside the triangle are completely safe. Those inside the triangle can be targeted if the room is occupied by one or more hidden shooters.
The Tools Comprising the Cold Breaching Kits and Their Functions
The four tools delivered in this batch each have a main function, complementary to the other three: forcing (with a crowbar-type tool), striking (sledgehammer/heavy hammer...), shearing (bolt cutter...), and percussion (battering ram...). For each of these functions, a tool meeting strict criteria was provided. These criteria can vary: weight, material, sizes, colors, wear and time resistance, or various protections (protection against electric arcs, non-slip...). In short, this equipment should allow any operative to enter any type of place as efficiently and quickly as possible.
Each batch consists of four tools, all exclusively from the Dynamic Entry brand (Blackhawk): - The Mini Thundersledge breaching sledgehammer, extremely shock-resistant. - The Hallagan Tool crowbar, allowing entry into door frames, equipped with a glass breaker and a forcing beak. - The Boltmaster bolt cutter, the most efficient on the market and highly effective on all security chains, barbed wire, and padlocks. - The CQB battering ram, compact and very sturdy, ideal for quick operations on exterior and interior doors.
Additionally, each of these tools comes with a special case designed for carrying the tool on the FELIN backpack.
Mini Thundersledge breaching sledgehammer
Hallagan Tool crowbar
Boltmaster bolt cutter
CQB battering ram
Welkit is extremely honored to have understood and addressed the issues expressed by the Ministry of Defense and the SIMMT (Integrated Structure for the Operational Maintenance of Land Equipment) by offering the most suitable breaching equipment. This is why the company was chosen to provide this professional equipment, which will offer our military a significant improvement in their breaching capabilities.