Weekly News Roundup: ATF NFA Surge, RIMPAC SINKEX, Coast Guard Drone Defense & European Ammo Buildup
ATF's eForm NFA surge, a multinational Pacific sinking exercise, Coast Guard drone defense push, and a European ammo buildup — the week's biggest developments in the tactical world.
In This Dispatch
The NFA eForm system processed a record number of applications, allied navies and armies sunk two decommissioned U.S. warships in the Pacific, the Coast Guard put out a call for anti-drone underwater tech, and a European ammunition giant broke ground on a plant that could reshape Western propellant supply. Here's what's been moving in the tactical world this week.
NFA Applications Hit All-Time High as eForms Hit 98% Adoption
The ATF's eForm system continues to shatter records six months into the era of free tax stamps. May 2026 saw 231,502 NFA applications submitted, with 121,117 of those — just over half — being Form 4 transfers for suppressors, according to data posted July 1. Year-to-date, 894,938 Form 4 transfers have been finalized, and 134,498 Form 1 applications approved.
Processing times have stabilized at the new normal: eForm Form 1 submissions sit at 59 days, while Form 4 transfers for trusts are at 26 days and individual applications at just six days. Paper submissions lag significantly behind. Form 3 transfers between manufacturers and dealers are the fastest of all — one day through eForm.
The most telling number isn't speed, it's volume. Of the 1.62 million total NFA forms submitted in 2026, 1.59 million — 98.47% — went through the eForm system. The registry now holds 6.5 million suppressors, 1.1 million short-barreled rifles, and 206,800 short-barreled shotguns. SBR and SBS numbers continue climbing as owners realize their chopped firearms would actually get used if they were registered.
Source: The Firearm Blog
Allied Forces Sink Two Decommissioned Warships in RIMPAC SINKEX
The U.S. and seven partner nations took down two retired Navy ships in the Pacific this month, using the sinking exercises as a proving ground for real-world tactics. As part of the Rim of the Pacific exercise, American and allied forces struck the USS Peleliu on July 11 and the USS Mobile Bay on July 17 — both placed more than 50 nautical miles off Kauai.
The missions weren't just ceremonial. AH-64 Apache helicopters from the Army fired Spike Non-Line of Sight missiles into the Mobile Bay. The Navy used one-way attack surface drones against the Peleliu — the same type of maritime attack drones that Ukraine has employed extensively against Russian naval assets in the Black Sea. Troops from Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Italy, and Japan participated alongside U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force units.
The Peleliu, a Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship commissioned in 1980, served in Somalia and both Gulf Wars before decommissioning in 2015. The Mobile Bay, a Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser in service from 1987 to 2023, made multiple Pacific deployments and took part in RIMPAC 2022 before being retired. This was only the second time a Ticonderoga-class cruiser has been used in a SINKEX — the USS Valley Force was sunk in 2006.
The exercise comes weeks after a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber fired a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile during Valiant Shield, the first time the Air Force publicly disclosed the bomber's ability to carry LRASM. RIMPAC 2026 involves more than 30,000 personnel from 30 nations and runs through July 31.
Source: Task & Purpose
Coast Guard Issues Call for Anti-UUV Technology as Port Threats Grow
The U.S. Coast Guard is moving to acquire technology that can detect, track, and defeat unmanned underwater vehicles operating near American ports and maritime infrastructure. The Coast Guard's Futures Development and Integration Directorate issued a Request for Solutions on July 24 seeking counter-UUV systems, citing growing threats from both state actors and non-state groups.
The request follows a December 2025 incident in which Ukraine's SBU used a Sub Sea Baby UUV to strike an Improved Kilo-class diesel-electric submarine inside the heavily defended Russian naval base at Novorossiysk. The attack demonstrated that UUVs can penetrate well-guarded harbors and deliver payloads next to high-value naval assets. Separately, U.S. Central Command reported the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV in February 2024, during counter-operations in the Red Sea.
"Malicious actors can employ UUVs for a range of activities, including intelligence gathering, surveillance, smuggling, sabotage of critical infrastructure, and kinetic strikes," the Coast Guard stated in its RFS. "The covert nature and advanced navigation capabilities of modern UUVs make them difficult to detect, track, and mitigate using traditional maritime interdiction tactics."
Ports and harbor infrastructure represent a growing vulnerability. Adversary militaries and proxy groups are developing increasingly sophisticated UUVs for surveillance, strike, and sabotage missions. The Coast Guard's acquisition push reflects how seriously that threat is being taken.
Source: TWZ
Rheinmetall Breaks Ground on Europe's Largest Modern Powder Plant
Rheinmetall has begun construction on one of Europe's largest and most modern propellant powder production facilities at its Aschau am Inn site in Germany. The plant, being built under the company's Project Firepower initiative, will have the capacity to produce more than one million propellant charge modules annually once operational.
The ceremony in Aschau marks a significant expansion of Western ammunition manufacturing capacity at a time when stockpiles have been drawn down by donations to Ukraine and sustained demand. Rheinmetall is among the largest ammunition manufacturers in the Western world and has been steadily scaling up production across its facilities in Germany, Spain, and elsewhere.
Propellant production is one of the most technically demanding and capital-intensive parts of the ammunition supply chain. Modern propellant plants require precision chemical processing, extensive safety infrastructure, and long lead times to reach full production. A facility of this scale represents a multi-year investment in sustained domestic capacity rather than a short-term surge response.
For military buyers and allied governments watching ammunition availability, the Aschau project signals that Western industrial bases are committing to longer-term production infrastructure — not just filling current orders but building out the base for the next decade of demand.
Source: Soldier Systems Daily
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the shift to eForms mean for NFA buyers?
The eForm system has cut wait times dramatically. Form 4 transfers for individual applicants are down to six days. Combined with the elimination of the $200 tax stamp fee for NFA items, the barrier to entry for suppressors, SBRs, and SBSs has never been lower. Volume, however, has surged — May saw over 231,000 NFA applications submitted in a single month.
Why are SINKEX exercises important?
Sinking exercises let military units train against realistic maritime targets — ships — that behave like actual combat vessels. They develop proficiency in targeting, live fire, and coordinated multi-domain strikes. RIMPAC brings 30 nations together, so the SINKEX also validates that allied forces can operate together in high-end scenarios.
How real is the UUV threat to U.S. ports?
The Ukraine-Russia conflict has demonstrated that modern UUVs can penetrate defended harbors and deliver strikes against naval vessels. The fact that the Coast Guard is now seeking dedicated counter-UUV technology — not just detection but active defeat — suggests this threat is being treated as credible and present, not theoretical.
Related Gear & Guides
Sources: The Firearm Blog, Task & Purpose, TWZ, Soldier Systems Daily
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