Military

Britain’s Ministry of Defense has put the HMS Invincible, an old aircraft carrier from the Falklands war, up for sale to cut a deficit. Bidders have until January 5 to make an offer, so get cracking.

Designed by Chris Rogers, the Mega Hurtz is a remote-controlled 4-wheel drive robot. It can turn on a dime, has enough torque to tow a Hummer, knocks down walls, and can be fitted with weapons.

We can totally picture ourselves thrusting and parrying our way through the rain with this Military Sabre Umbrella, complete with curved hand guard to cover our knuckles. Cover bag included.

Raytheon’s robotic exoskeleton suit is light years behind Tony Stark’s suit, but it is real and it is quite useful, giving enough strength to allow one man to do the work of three people.

Imagine combining a Segway with a tank. The DTV Shredder is a military-grade vehicle with treads. It can hit speeds of 30mph, climb 40-degree slopes, carry supplies, and be operated remotely.

Described as a cross between a bulldozer and an Abrams tank, Assault Breacher Vehicles are used in areas filled with land mines, packing a path-clearing 15ft plow and about 7,000 lbs of C4.

These Israeli soldiers jamming to Ke$ha in Hebron may have needed to dance to relieve their stress, which apparently piled back onto them once their unamused Commanding Officers got wind of it.

Handmade in an edition of 150 pieces from 1940’s dead stock Filson tin cloth and 1950’s military webbing, the very cool looking Scout bag from Farm Tactics has style and a story behind it.

The 36 foot-long unmanned aircraft could be used for reconnaissance and to deliver weaponry without putting soldiers in harms way. Boeing expects the prototype to take of as early as this summer.

Released by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Defence, this first-person video shows a team of Dutch Marines boarding the cargo ship Taipan to capture 10 Somali pirates who have taken over the ship.

Jason Bradbury of The Gadget Show tries to settle the score once and for all with a real SAS soldier, with the latter navigating a full-scale version of Modern Warfare 2’s Pit level.

Available on Blu-ray 3/23/10: Brothers is a modern war drama with Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire and includes an audio commentary, two featurettes, and 2.35:1 1080p encode.

New Balance revamps its durable Gore-Tex kicks for summer with a sweet military colorway: the MA-1 flight jacket-inspired MTG580 includes two Velcro N logos and is available 7/2010.

Robert Leckie’s Helmet for My Pillow gets a re-issue for its TV adaptation in HBO’s The Pacific; it’s the real account of a WW2 Marine who fought in Guadalcanal, New Britain, and Peleliu.

The Men Who Stare at Goats baa-rges its way onto DVD and Blu-ray 3/23/10; both versions include deleted scenes, audio commentaries, and a featurette of the real First Earth Battalion.

In select theaters 3/12/10: Severe Clear puts you on the front lines with Marines in the 2003 Iraq War; it’s real video footage shot and narrated by First Lieutenant Mike Scotti.

It’s not often we’re blown away by iPod/MP3 player speakers, but thodio’s A-BOX is a repurposed ammo box; the top of the line model packs 2×70 watt amps and woven kevlar speakers.

The Boneyard near Tucson, Arizona is where old military aircraft permanently bail out, and is viewable on Google Maps; there are over 4,000 planes spread out across 2,600 acres.

Saving Private Ryan arrives on Blu-ray 5/4/10: it’s a two-disc set with 2.35:1 1080p HD, English 5.1 DTS-HD audio, and 3 hours of bonuses including 8 featurettes and 2 documentaries.

It’s official: watch as a Boeing 747-400F shoots down an in-flight ballistic missile with a high-energy laser for the first time; it did so by essentially burning a hole in the side of the missile.

It’s fairly short and doesn’t reveal much, but it’s what you don’t see that excites us in this debut teaser for Ghost Recon: Future Soldier; the tactical shooter is due out Q3/Q4 2010.

Nothing explodes, but we’re still dazzled by this test of a jet-mounted airborne laser (ABL) as it targets a MARTI missile loaded with sensors; a shoot-down test takes place later this year.

The U.S. Army goes mobile with the release of its own iPhone app; it’s surprisingly not FUBAR’d thanks to a nifty Fact Files area that supplies news on weapons, equipment, and vehicles.

Because a big, bad weapon requires big, slightly NSFW badasses: set to Queens of the Stone Age, this Single Player trailer for Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is truly bad to the bone.

Made for military and public safety pros, ESS’ Crossbow 2X is a ballistic eyeshield with anti-fog and anti-scratch coatings, lens lock system, and distortion-free optical clarity. Thanks, Mac!

In use in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Tactical Tomahawk is a hi-tech take on an old-school weapon; it sports a drop-forged carbon steel head and tread-patterned nylon handle. Thanks, Mac!

Civilian Labs’ rugged iwallet is an uber-tri-fold that not only carries cards and cash but a cellphone; also included: a carabiner and optional mil-spec PALS/MOLLE belt loop. Thanks, everyone!

Created at the request of Navy SEALS, OTB’s Abyss II Boots are good both wet and dry; they sport silent soles, a ballistic mesh to keep grit out, and a quick-drain SEAL footbed. Thanks, Mac!

Henrik Toth’s Fighter Sidecar Mashup may not be particularly road or air-worthy, but it’s one sweet flight of fancy; it features a mini-WW2 cockpit bolted on to a Yamaha Wild Star.

Actual aviators may want to look elsewhere, but Wings of Prey is ideal for casual WW2 fighter fans; it includes six theatres of war, 50 missions, 40+ planes, multiplayer, and future DLC.