Kwesst Micro Systems (KWE.V) will be launching their Low Energy Cartridge (LEC) product line at the 2022 SHOT Show in Las Vegas in January, according to a press release.
The summer’s been a busy one for Kwesst so far. On Friday (July 9) they put on a live demo of their LEC system to a group of investors in the Whistler, B.C. area. They took video, which they released in a press release today, and we’ll embed in the story below.
Here’s Reza if you’ve only got time to watch a video:
What’s an LEC?
The LEC system is a cartridge-based non-lethal firing system with application across four market segments presently using dated ‘non-lethal’ or ‘less-lethal’ solutions. They’re used in case of riots and in service of public order, for training purposes for military and law enforcement, as well as personal defence and for high action gaming—like paintball, but often with high velocity beanbags.
KWESST’s priority with their LEC system is the global self-defense and public order and safety markets where they already some penetration due to their access to e-marketplaces for tactical products and social media campaigns. Using these helps them skip the cost in time and money to build a sale force, while giving them near-term opportunities with short selling cycles.
“We are now accelerating our go-to market efforts. Over the summer, we will introduce samples to authorities for demonstration and testing in the public order and security market and the personal defence market. We will also obtain user testimonials and engage with key influencers in the field of law enforcement and public security to heighten the profile of the LEC system in the U.S. and internationally. We expect to take pre-orders for the LEC product line in late fall. This is the lead-up to an official launch at the SHOT Show® in January, which will include firing demonstrations in various calibres and firing platforms,” said Jeff MacLeod, founder, CEO and president of KWESST.
KWESST is a develops, builds and sells tactical systems for both security forces and for personal defense. A few of their products include their signature Tactical Awareness and Situational Control System (TASCS) for helping with situational awareness in real time and targeting information from any source, including drones, which is sent straight to smart devices and weapons.
The SHOT Show is an annual trade show servicing buyers and suppliers in the “Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Trade” (SHOT) and has now expanded its purview to include the tactical, personal defense and high-action gaming communities. It’s really the perfect place for a company like KWESST to show off their latest products.
Beyond simply fodder for airsoft players this market is a recurring multi-billion-dollar opportunity. A lot of the products on the market touted as ‘less-than-lethal’ or even ‘non-lethal’ are still pretty damn lethal as it turns out. Thousands of fatalities are on record from existing cartridge-base systems like tasers. Other legacy products like air guns are unreliable because they’re effected by external circumstances like ambient temperature, and involve high maintenance to avoid certain parts degrading and causing catastrophic failures, not to mention a long logistics tail of compressors, air tanks and spare parts.
And here’s the video:
The LEC option blends the reliability of a cartridge-based system in a low-cost firing platform that fires only LEC cartridges. In terms of aesthetics, the format the weapon comes in can be customized to either look like a firearm or or not, but the specifics of the mechanism for firing aren’t customizable. The cartridge stabilizes the projectile for accuracy and distance, with a device that controls velocity and muzzle energy to keep it below lethal levels without needing gunpower or any other conventional propellant. The armament itself comes with various payloads, including colouring to mark your targets, an inert powder or a safe but powerful irritant powder to temporarily incapacitate your target.
—Joseph Morton
