Lewis Machine and Tool, Visible Assets to provide 16,000 assault rifles to Estonia.

Visible Assets, Inc. (Visible) Stratham, NH announced today that Visible and Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) have been selected to supply the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) with an initial 16,000 automatic weapons between 2019 and 2021.

Allegro 20/20: Visible Assets' Weapon Shot Counter (WSC) and software systems use secure RuBee wireless for data capture (Picture source: Visible Assets)

These weapons all have integrated RuBee wireless Weapon Shot Counter (WSC) tags. The contract also includes Visible handheld Javelin readers plus "Allegro 20/20" analytics and weapon maintenance software. Optional "Armory 20/20" software provides automatic wireless weapon audits by reading the WSC tags. An additional optional 9,000 weapons with integrated WSC tags may be supplied over 2021 and 2026 for a total of 25,000 units.

The combination of the LMT automatic firearm and RuBee wireless Weapon Shot Counter tags offer many unique advantages over other WSC weapon systems:
The patented Visible, custom waveform analyzer chip achieves 98% to 100% shot counting accuracy. This is based on hundreds of thousands of rounds fired by independent testers. -- Interval statistics and shot counting analytics provided by the Allegro 20/20 software and the WSC tag automatically notify the user, and/or the manufacture of critical weapon maintenance required in advance of any failure.

-- RuBee uses magnetic fields and unlike RF-based systems, provides high battlefield security with no tempest, target, or eavesdropping risk; has no explosive risks (HERO safe); and no risks on and near tactile or strategic fused ordnance (HERO safe).

-- RuBee Shot Counting tags provide a wireless weapon UID. With low-cost upgrades and Armory 20/20 software, armories can be fully automated, with daily audits, rapid automatic issuance, and enhanced perimeter security.

-- Since RuBee is not blocked by steel or humans, daily automated armory audits have proven to be 100% accurate and do not require human assistance. The Armory 20/20 software can optionally geolocate weapons within the armory to +- a foot.

-- RuBee armories provide enhanced security with sensitive weapon perimeter exit/entry detection. Independent tests show 100% to 99.9% covert exit detection, compared to 0%-50% covert exit/entry detection for competing RFID systems.

-- Finally, because the tags have an optional 20-year field proven battery life, RuBee wireless tags on each weapon serve as a UID reference, create accurate maintenance, ownership, pedigree, and chain of possession records for the life of the weapon.

"Estonia is known as one of the most digitally advanced countries in the world, and we are thrilled that RuBee wireless technology has been selected as a countrywide WSC and wireless UID tag solution on the LMT weapon. We have many Armory and WSC government customers who have set a high bar for weapon maintenance and weapon security and determined that RF-based systems are simply not acceptable." said John Stevens CEO. of Visible "RuBee wireless magnetics has consistently met the most critical customer requirement of 100% accurate audit read rates, 99.9% exit-entry detection, even in high steel content environments and high EMI noise environments where RFID based systems have challenges. Visible strives to deliver, maximum functionality, reliability, and value for our defense customers at the best possible price. It was gratifying to learn that not only did we win this tender based on performance and our unique features, but also when combined with the high-quality LMT weapon we were the lowest priced bidder."

The tender was issued in June 2017. Fourteen firearms manufacturers submitted proposals, nine pre­qualified for the procurement and five were rejected. By the January 2018 deadline, four manufacturers were invited to make firm fixed final bids. LMT was initially notified it won the tender in December 2018. Over the next four months, three unsuccessful award challenges were attempted by a competitor and the final LMT award was revalidated on May 13, 2019 by the Tallinn Administrative Court.

"This was a highly competitive tender, with a very sophisticated technical buyer and advanced bidding score system." Said Karl Lewis CEO of LMT. "In the review of the proposals, the outcome of a shooting test made up 10% of the overall score, the guaranteed number of shots throughout the weapon's life cycle 20%, length of the useful life of the weapon 30%, and the price 40%. With the Visible WSC and live-fire performance of our weapon and aggressive pricing, we had an overall performance score of 99.3. We are excited to be selected as the supplier of the EDF service weapon, we are committed to making high-quality weapons for our NATO partners and worldwide customers."