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ihs.com/janes
IDR explores how much of a
role aviation really plays
Airpower vsirregular warfare
NOVEMBER 2013 VOL 46
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EditorialEditor-in-Chief: Nick Brown
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CONTENTS For further in-depth coverage go toihs.com/janes
Contents November 2013, Volume 46Features
38 Virtually grounded: UAS training eyesa future in
simulation
42 Rising STOM: China expandsamphibious capabilities
48 Airpower challenge: applications andlimitations in the COIN
environment
Departments
INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE DIGEST4 Brazilian Air Force conducts first
night
flights without runway lights5 ISAF working to improve ANSF
amid
uncertain future
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT6 Terminator 2 makes its debut8 Russias
latest BTR enters production9 F-35 project seeks to overcome EW
obsolescence10 New chip promises iPhone encryption12 Individual
soldier systems step out13 Research into pencil squids serves
as
basis for counter-infrared camouflage
16 Selex launches BriteCloud decoy
UPGRADE UPDATE17 More firepower offered for BMP-2 IFV18
Refreshed BVP upgrade readies for trials19 MANPADS co-ordination
system
gains mobility20 Raytheon tests anti-radar seeker for
Block IV Tomahawk
UNMANNED SYSTEMS21 Combat support system demonstrates
Russias advanced UGV
34
y
ISAF:1487860
22 Skate UAS active in Afghanistan
24 Saab Seaeye demonstratesunderwater vehicle developments
25 ENICS extends Eleron family26 RWUAS programme explores
potential
of UK maritime UAS
SPECIAL REPORTS28 Exactor, the missile that never was,
comes in from the cold32 Imperial aspirations: Nexter aims
TITUS at export market34 Fledgling Hawks: taking RAF pilot
training to the next level
36 Small arms lethality: never mind thecalibre, take aim at the
training
EQUIPMENT PROFILE54 Flexible 57 mm firepower trains on
littoral targets
TECHNOLOGY REPORT60 Training day: simulation software
advances come into focus
PARTING SHOT66 T-72 in the frame for upgrades
For more stories, log on to
IDRs website at ihs.com/janes
Online content is only available to online subscribers
US Navy software improves satelliteimagery analysis for maritime
detection
EDA progresses rapidly with ammotesting standards
F-35 office abandons alternative HMDS
ON THE COVER
48
A US soldier crouches
behind an AAF Mil Mi-8-17
Hip helicopter in Afghani-
stan. This months cover
feature explores how much
of a force multiplier airpower
can really be for the counter-
insurgency mission.
ON THE WEB
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INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE DIGEST
Polish, Russian, and Turkish
fighter aircraft jointly conducteda live five-day
NATO-Russiacounter-terrorism exercise in lateSeptember, including
participa-tion from each states air forceand ground
controllers.
Exercise Vigilant Skies 2013,which ran from 23-27 Septem-ber,
marked thesecond time thatair traffic controllers from
theNATO-Russia Councils Co-oper-ative Airspace Initiative (CAI)were
tested ina live scenario on
their real-time capacity to detect
and direct the response toa civil-ian aircraft hijacked by
terror-ists in the skies over NATOand
Russian territory, NATO said ina statement.Theinitiative was
created in
2002 following the September2001 attacks in theUnitedStates, and
is designed to bolsterairspace security co-operationbetween Russia
and NATO. Thefirst live exercise was in 2011and they now
focusmainly onreal-time surveillance and airtraffic
co-ordination.
TheCAI, which began in 2006,
is essentially a shared air traffic
control (ATC) system meant toidentify and respond to
hijack-ings, particularly those in which
the aircraft might be used as aweapon against a
populationcentre, according to the NATO-RussiaCouncil.
For its 2013 event, the NATO-RussiaCouncil created a
two-partscenario in which a civilianaircraft was hijacked by
terror-ists while aloft over NATO andRussian territory.
All incidents were success-fully resolved after NATO andRussian
air traffic controllers
co-ordinated [NATO] and
Russian military authorities toscramble fighter jets to
escortthe aircraft to safe landings,according to the alliance.
The first part saw a mock civil-ian aircraft take off from
Poland
and fly towards Kaliningrad,Russia, and air traffic control-lers
collaborated through CAIco-ordination centres in Warsawand Moscow
to identify theproblem and then launch Russianand Polish fighters
to jointlyintercept and escort the aircraft.
A second part took place overtheBlack Sea and saw Turkishand
Russian air traffic control-lers andfighter aircraft work
toidentify, intercept, and escort the
hijacked aircraft.
JANET TAPPIN COELHO
DANIEL WASSERBLY
Brazilian Air Force conducts first
night flights without runway lights
TheBrazilian Air Force (FAB)has releaseddetails of its
firstclandestine flights that involvedco-ordinated take-offs
andlandings in the dead of nightwithout runway lights.
The exercise, OperationGreen Owl II, consisted oftraining pilots
in theAraraSquadron (1st Squadron, 9th
Transportation Group) atManaus Air Base to use night-vision
goggles (NVGs) duringnight operations.
The flight crewworked withground staff from theFABs 7thRegional
Engineering Servicewhowere being trainedin theassembly, use,and
dismantling ofthe recently introduced SignallingLuminous
AutonomousTactical(SLTA) landing guidance system.
Thedrills ranfrom 16-19
September and involved fivetake-offs and five landings pernight
in Airbus Military C295(designated C-105Amazonasby theFAB)
transport aircraft.
Theaim was to provide air crew,who had undergone
previoussimulation training, with opera-tional experience without
visualreferences, navigating at lowaltitudes and learning how
toland on runways without lights.Thetraining enables the
FABtoperform rescuemissions or tolaunch paratroopers in a
conflictzone without revealing theirposition to the enemy.
Because the NVG turns the
night into day, the exercise wasnolonger about a day or
nightflight, but a flight with char-acteristics that needed to
betrained in, explained Sergeant
Renato Fontes, with the FABsAerospace Medical Institute.
As the crew guided the C295 into land, the NVGs illuminated
theSLTA infrared signalling systemthat had beenassembledon
therunway by personnel fromthe7th Regional EngineeringService.
The signalling equipmentcomprises solar-powered LEDsthat
areboosted by compactsolar panels and batteries. Eachlamp, fixedto
the groundof an
aerodrome or heliport, emits anindependent light and
signal,supervisedand handled via anencrypted remote control.
During Operation Green OwlII
the unitswere operated remotelyby theground engineers from
thePonta PeladaAirportcontrol towerat Manaus.The
AraraSquadronpilotsin theC295s cabin could
also operatethe SLTAfrom as farout as4 kmusingan embeddedremote
control.
The signalling system includesindependent units that can
beadapted to different configura-tions, runway lengths,
andhelipads. Aside from the infraredoption, theequipment
canalsooperate as a beacon with sixlight intensities.
The system is portable anddoes not require cables and a
generator, making installationvery fast and safe, said
MajorRicardo Rodolpho, an officerwith the7th Regional Engi-neering
Service. The technicalground team installed the unitswithin
thefirst 40 minutes ofthe four-day operation.
The exercise demonstratedthatthe FAB now has theability to
perform tasks duringa blackout and in previouslyinaccessible
locations, Major
Juraci Muniz, with the AraraSquadron, said. We have nowreached
another stage in avia-tion transport.We now use thenight to benefit
us, he added.
FAB/SargentoCarleilson/VIICOMAR:1484750
The SLTA system canbe operated from anapproaching aircraft
totrigger an infrared bea-con that helps guidethe pilot in landing
atnight without runwaylights.
Vigilant Skies trials ATC system
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INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE DIGEST
DANIEL WASSERBLY
The International Security Assis-tance Force (ISAF) in
Afghani-stan is continuing with itsefforts to train and support
theAfghan National Security Forces(ANSF) even as the futureofthe
NATO mission there growsincreasingly uncertain.
In June theANSF undertookresponsibility for nationwidesecurity
as ISAF assumed a sup-porting role instead.
A clear physical and cogni-
tive shift has taken place as wehave completed a transitionthat
started with our forces inthe lead, to our forces partneredwith
Afghanforces, to thecurrent Security Force Assis-tance [SFA]
construct, ISAFCommander US Marine CorpsGeneral Joe Dunford said in
arecent command update.
He noted that ISAFs onlyunilateral operations areconducted for
the forces own
security, such as route clearance,but added that theAfghans
werenot fully capable of operatingeffectively on their own.
ANSF capabilities are notyet sustainable, but they havemade
significant and very realprogress, he said. Much workremains tobe
doneon thesystems, processes and institu-tions necessary to make
ourprogress enduring, and we areproviding support at the minis-
terial level, as well as the corpslevel and below. In the
fieldedforce, the AfghanAir Force[AAF], logistics and
intelligenceare particular focus areas forimprovement.
However, ISAF might not havemuch time to support or
teachtheANSF, as political issues areendangering the NATO
forcesfuture role in Afghanistan.
The presence of NATO andISAFin Afghanistanbeyond 2014 is
largely dependent on the US and
Afghan governments reaching aformal Status of ForcesAgree-ment
(SOFA) that would legallyallow foreign troops to continueoperating
there.
At thetime of writing,officials in Washington were
becoming frustrated with thelack of progress towards a SOFA,with
the United States unwill-ing to meet Afghan requests fora NATO-like
security guaranteeand Afghanistan unwilling toallow ISAF to
continue counter-terrorism operations.
TheUS Department of Stateon 11 October sent Secretaryof State
John Kerryto Kabul tomeet with Afghan PresidentHamid Karzai, but no
agree-
ments were reached.The WhiteHouse hoped for a deal bytheend of
October 2013 so thatplans could be made for shiftingto Operation
Resolute Supportor for withdrawing all forces.
It is anticipated that a LoyaJirga will be convened in late2013
togainpublic assent to theUS BSA[Bilateral Security Agree-ment]
andNATOSOFA. Theseagreements are critical precondi-tions for the
Resolute Support
mission, which will ensure that
the progress wehave made to dateis sustainable,Gen
Dunfordsaid.
The commander lamentedthat theuncertain futureforNATO and ISAF
operationshas been causing unhelpfulhedging behaviour among
some potential allies.Meanwhile, Gen Dunford said
that ISAFs current focus is toenable theANSF to emerge fromthis
fighting season confidentand credible inthe eyes of theAfghan
people.
To bolster theANSF, ISAFcontinues to execute a variety
ofprogrammes to prepare them tooperate on their own.
For example the AAF and theAfghan National Army (ANA) are
integrating air and ground forcesto conduct combat fire
supportand logistics missions, as theAfghans currently rely
uponISAF for air support.
In late September ANA officersconducted an
air-to-groundintegration exercise in easternAfghanistan that
sawAfghansoldiers work with two AfghanMi-35 helicopters during
live-firedrills. This served as partof a proof-of-concept
initiative
meant to certify Afghan air co-
ordinators, according to ISAF.US Air Force personnel are,under
this initiative, helping todevelop a curriculum for a newAfghan
Tactical Air Coordinatorcareer field within the ANA.
ISAF officials have also noted
thatthe ANSF still lacks theability to effectively
managelogistics tasks and variousadministrative functions, such
aspaying and promoting personnel.
For more basic combat andsupport functions, the UKMinistry of
Defence (MoD)announced in early October thatANA troops hadbegun
enrollingin training courses at a new 215Regional Corps Battle
School(RCBS) at Camp Shorabak in
Helmand province.The RCBS is to bea sustainabletraining facility
for theANAs215Corps that can provideAfghan recruits who have
com-pleted their basic training withmore advanced skills, such
asfiring mortars, the MoD said.
Aside from offering seveninfantry courses, it also provides10
combat service supportcourses for functions such asproviding food,
transportation
and maintenance.
ISAF working to improve ANSF amid uncertain future
g
p y g
A joint ANA and British Army patrol is seen
here at Kalang bazaar in the Nad-e Ali
district of Helmand province. ANA is now
the lead for all security operations.
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WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
Terminator 2 makes its debut
New airborne assault vehicle rolled out
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS
Uralvagonzavod unveiled itslatest armoured fighting vehicleatthe
Russian Arms Expo 2013in Nizhny Tagil, Russia.
Dubbed a Fire SupportCombatVehicle, the BMPT-72 Termina-tor 2is
built ona baseT-72mainbattle tank (MBT) hull includ-ing drivetrain,
running gear andso on and has been designedto operate alongsideMBTs
orindependently.
A key selling point of the
vehicle, a Uralvagonzavod spokes-person told a select audience
atthe exhibition, is that existingoperators of theT-72 will be
ableto convertsurplus vehicles intothe BMPT-72
configuration;offering utilityand increasingservice life.
This latest variant buildsontheearlier BMPT Tank SupportCombat
Vehicle,whichbegandeliveries to Kazakhstan, in 2011.While
theinitial variant was
partly funded by theRussian mili-tary and built onnew hulls,
thelatest vehicle was developed withinternalcompany funding over
aperiodof less than oneyear.
A significant difference
between the two vehicles is thenumber of crew required,
which
has been reduced from five tothree due tothe removal of thetwo,
bow-mounted 30 mm auto-matic grenade launchers.
TheTerminator 2s main arma-ment is externally mounted,separating
it from thecrewcompartment, although it stillrotates
synchronously.
It comprises twostabilised2A4230 mmcannons withamaximumrange of
4,000 m and850 rounds of ammunition and
twoprotectedpods of KolomnaKBM9M120 anti-tank laser-guided
missiles. Two types ofwarhead can be utilised
tandemhigh-explosiveanti-tank andhigh-explosiveconcrete pierc-
ing out toa maximum rangeof 6,000 m.The vehiclealso
features a coaxially mounted 7.62mm PKTM machinegun and
isprovided with2,100 rounds ofready-to-use ammunition.
A new computerised fire-control system (FCS) has beeninstalled
to enable stationary andmoving targets to be engaged dayand night,
and under a range ofweather conditions, while thevehicle itself is
on the move.TheFCS features target detectionand location
capabilities, stabi-
lised weapons laying, and laserrangefinders for the commanderand
gunner.
The gunners sight featureselectro-optical and infrared
(IR)channels, while the commander
is provided with a video andIR channels.
Both the hull and turret aremade of steel armour withfurther
protection in the form
of integrated explosive reactivearmour(ERA) tothe front of
theturret, a detachable ERA moduleon the glacis plate
andappliqueERA onthesidesof the hullandturret.Over the rear
arc,bar/slatarmour is fitted to increase pro-tectionagainst
rocket-propelledgrenades. It is equipped witha screening systemto
counterlaser target-designators and laserrangefinders. This system
warnsthe crew of targeting lasers and
automatically deploys an aerosolviagrenades that are fired
from12 launchers.
While the BMPT-72 wouldfeature theT-72 engine as stan-dard, it
can also be fitted withmore powerful diesels in theform of the
B-84MC and B-92C2units, which develop 840 hpand 1,000 hp
respectively. Anauxiliary power unit is fittedthat enables all of
the vehiclessystems to be operated without
the engines running; two optionsare available: 5 kW and 8
kW.
Themaximum road speed isstated as 60 km/h; when fittedwith
external fuel tanks thevehiclehas a range of 500 km.
The BMPT-72 Terminator 2 has a T-72 MBT at its core.
ChristopherFFoss:1448673
The latest member of RussiasBMD family of
airborneassaultvehicles was shown for thefirsttimeat RAE 2013 in
NizhnyTagil in late September.
The new vehicle is designatedBTR-MDM and is a furtherdevelopment
of the BTR-MD,which features a raised super-structure atthe front
of the hullto provide a significant increasein internal volume.
This enablesit to be used as anarmoured per-
sonnel carrier and has also seen
the vehicle adopted for otherspecialised missions, including
command post, ambulance, andlogistics variants.
As was the case with theBTR-MD, thenew vehicle is
fully amphibious and, in addi-tion to being used by airborne
units, also has potential for usewith the Russian Navy
Amphibi-ous Forces.
Armament consists of bow-and roof-mounted 7.62 mm
machine guns and two banks oftwin 81 mm grenade launchersthat
fire over the frontal arc.Toreduce life-cycle costs the vehicleuses
many components commonto the BMP-3M, including thepower plant,
electrical system,and information managementand monitoring
systems.
Production of theBMD serieswas originally undertaken at
theVolgograd Tractor Plant but hassince been transferred to the
Kurgan facility.
The BTR-MDM was shown for the first time at RAE 2013.
ChristopherFFpss:144867
2
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WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
Russias latest BTR enters production
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS
Russias Military IndustrialCompany (MIC) has begunbuilding a new
generationof 8x8BTR-82A amphibious armouredpersonnel carrier (APC)
for theRussian Army.
MIC is Russias major wheeledarmoured fighting vehicle
(AFV)manufacturer, having madeBTR-60, -70, and -80
variants.According to the company,speaking at the RAE exhibitionin
Nizhny Tagil, it canmanufac-
ture between 200 and 300 of thenew BTR-82A vehicles a year ona
single shift basis.
Although similar in appear-ance to theearlier BTR-80A,the
BTR-82A has a number of sig-nificant improvements, althoughperhaps
not a major step changein capability despite MICs claimsthat the
BTR-82A has doublethe combat effectiveness of theearlier
vehicles.
Enhancements include the
replacement of the originalKamaz 260 hp diesel enginewith a 300
hp turbodiesel fromthe same company, which givesa maximum road
speed of up to100 km/h (10-20 km/h faster
than the BTR-80, depending onvariant) and a roadrange of up
to600 km.The transmission and suspen-
sion have also been upgradedtosupport a growth ingrossvehicle
weight (GVW) from theBTR-80As 14.55 tonnes to15.4 tonnes.
An electrically operatedcommonised fighting moduleis mounted on
the roof of thevehicle, armed with a two-axisstabilised 30 mm 2A72
dual-feedcannon and a 7.62 mm PKTM
machine gun (MG), all aimedthrough TKN-4GA-02 sights.A bank of
three forward-facing81 mm grenade launchers is sitedon each side of
the weapons.
The modules design representsan improvement,as the weaponsare
mounted externallyso ammu-nition fumes do not enter thecrew
compartment.Their loca-tion also enablesa high degreeof movement,
withelevationranging from -7 to+70.
Althoughthe army has adoptedthe BTR-82A, it hasnot goneforthe
more lightly armed BTR-82,whichisfittedwitha14.5mmKPVT heavy MG and
PKTM.
The BTR-82As overall layout
andballistic protection is thesame as theBTR-80A, but
crewsurvivability has been increasedwiththe installation of
spallliners, blast-attenuating seatingandan improved fire
detectionandsuppressionsystem. The creware alsoprotected by a
nuclear,biological, and chemical filtrationsystem and air
conditioning.
Beyond this latest BTR-82Aiteration, the RussianArmy isplanning
a longer term replace-
ment for the BTR-80 FOV withthe Bumerang (Boomerang)vehicle,
which is one of five keynew AFV expected tobe fieldedby the
RussianArmy from2015.MIC is believed to have already
built the firstBumerang proto-types, but they are
notexpectedtobe seen inpublic forsometime.
The Bumerang designis expected to break withtradition,looking to
a designmore in keeping with modernWestern lines, by moving
theengine from therear to thefront, unlike all of theBTR-60,-70,
and -80series types. Thisfrees up room in the rear for thetroop
compartment and adds
more bulk at the front, whichis more likely to point
towardsobjectives to be assaulted. Italso makes it easier to adapt
thevehicles for a more specialisedmissions, such as
ambulance,command post or specialisedweapon platforms.
Like the BTR-80 family,Bumerang will be fully amphibi-ous. One
version will be armedwith the sameweapons as thetracked Kurganets,
which is the
replacement for the currentlyfielded BMP-3 IFV.MIC is the prime
contractor
for the Bumerang as an umbrellaorganisation drawing in
manage-ment of theArzamas MachineryPlant JSC, Vehicle Hull
Plant
JSC, and the Military Engineer-ing Centre.
MIC also developed the largerBTR-90 8x8 and built a smallbatch
for thehome market, butall marketing of this vehicle has
now ceased.
The main difference between the BTR-82A (left) and the BTR-82
(right) is that
the former has a more powerful weapon station.
ChristopherFFoss:1518352
The latest Russian BTR-82Aamphibious armoured personnelcarrier
has a turret armed with a30 mm 2A72 cannon and 7.62 mmPKTM machine
gun.
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WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
MBDA offers PARS 3 as HOT successor
ANIKA TORRUELLA
RUPERT PENGELLEY
A range of evolutionarydevelop-ments of the7 km-range PARS
3 LR (LRTRIGAT) air-groundmissile system, now in produc-tion for
the BundeswehrsTigerattack helicopter fleet, hasbeen proposed to
theGermanMinistry of Defence by MBDAGermany as a potential
succes-sor to the Bundeswehrs currentHOT missile inventory.The
latteris due to bewithdrawn fromservice in 2017-18.
Dubbed Future HOT, MBDAis suggesting development on
a national basis of a family of
missiles broadly analogous tothe longer-range MHT versionof the
multinational Multi-RoleCombat Missile project.
MHT, which MBDA Germanyhas been studying in conjunctionwith its
French and British coun-terparts for the past several yearsand is
unfunded, would remainthegroups preferred offering ininternational
markets.
The company claims FutureHOT couldbe developed inashortened
timescale and wouldbe cost-effective, exploitingexisting components
and usingmodular airframe configurations.
It would be platform-agnostic,
allowing air and groundlaunch,with flexible operating modesand
changeable warheadsenabling the engagement of a
wide range of targets.Its guidance system wouldallow it to be
used against staticand moving targets, in line-of-sight (LOS) and
non-LOS (NLOS)engagements.
When operated as a direct-fire weapon, Future HOT wouldvariously
employ fire-and-forgetGPS guidance;
semi-automaticcommand-to-line-of-sight man-in-the-loop guidance; or
lock-onbefore launch semi-active laser
(SAL) guidance. In the indirect-
fire (fire support) role, lock-onafter launch (LOAL) with
third-party SAL designationwould beused. MBDA has also embarked
on development of a datalinkasa means of passing
mid-courseupdates in theLOAL mode. Theprojected Future HOT
launchplatforms range from utilityvehicles to 8x8 tank
destroyers,attack helicopters, and mediumunmanned aerial
vehicles.
An MBDA representative hastold IHS Janes thefirst
firingdemonstration of an evolvedPARS 3 missile conforming to
theFuture HOT concept is expected
to take place in 2014.
The United States has embarkedon a technology refresh for
theelectronic warfare (EW) moduleof theF-35 Lightning II
JointStrike Fighter to overcome obso-lescence issues before the
systemhas even made it into service.
TheUS NavalAir SystemsCommand has placeda USD149million contract
to LockheedMartin, as a modification to aprevious advanced
acquisitiondeal andcovers theredesign
and qualification of replacementF-35 Lightning II Joint
StrikeFighter Electronic Warfaresystem components due tocurrent
diminishing manufactur-ing sources.
Principal components of thefifth-generation multi-missionF-35s
integrated avionics suiteare theNorthrop GrummanAN/APG-81 Active
Electroni-cally Scanned Array (AESA)radar, Northrop Grummans
AN/
AAQ-37 Distributed ApertureSystem (DAS), the
LockheedMartinAAQ-40 Electro-OpticalTargeting System (EOTS), a
VSI
(joint venture between ElbitSystems and RockwellCollins)
Helmet-Mounted Display System(HMDS), and BAE Systemsdigital
AN/ASQ-239 (Barracuda)system derived from the F-22Raptors AN/ALR-94
EW suite.
Sensor fusionand avionic com-ponent integration is enabled
bymultiple commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) Freescale Power
PCprocessors, Green Hills Soft-wares Integrity DO-178B real-time
operating system (RTOS),and Xilinx field-programmable
gate arrays (FPGAs), whichsupport missile and aircraftdetection,
identification, orien-tation, target-tracking, engage-ment, and
evasion capabilities aswell as real-time data-sharing.
Thetechnology refresh isaimedprimarily at the [Barra-cuda] EW
system, a LockheedMartin spokesperson told IHS
Janes. Barracuda is essentiallya radar warning receiver
thatenables passive targeting of
other aircraft, high-sensitivityelectronic surveillance,
radiofrequency sensor fusion, infraredtracking, and
multi-spectral
missile countermeasures. Bar-racuda also includes Northrop
Grummans Communications,Navigation, and Intelligence(CNI) suite
datalinks and mayhave some passive jammingcapability through the
APG-81AESA antenna.
The Barracuda EW system iscomprised of fivesets of
sensorsdistributed on wing-leadingedges (6), trailing edges (2),
andthe horizontal stabilisers trailingedges (2), enabling aft Band
2,3, and 4 coverage. The digital
nature of Barracuda enablesprecise geo-location and target-ing
of potential hostiles withoutrequiring triangulation
usingothernetworked aircraft.
This changeis a technologyrefresh beginning with aircraftin Low
Rate Initial Production(LRIP) Lot 7 that is necessitatedby
diminishing manufactur-ing sources, said the LockheedMartin
spokesperson.
The spokesperson added:
Hardware modules within theEW system arebeing updatedwith new
components toaddress these obsolescence
issues. The overall system willmaintain the planned Block 3
baseline software and capabili-ties. This effort will be
confinedto the EW racks and will notaffect the
countermeasuressubsystem or antennas.
The refresh is planned tobeapplied to all F-35 variants andwill
be rolled out to internationalpartners.Work on the refreshis
expected to be completed byMarch 2018.
TheF-35 Joint Strike FighterJoint Program was recently
criti-
cised in a 126-page US Depart-ment of Defense InspectorGeneral
report citing 363 find-ings that contained 719qualityassurance
issues.
Thereport also criticisedsubcontractors NorthropGrumman, BAE
Systems, L-3Display Systems, HoneywellAerospace, and United
Technolo-gies Corporation, as well as theF-35 Joint Program Office
(JPO),for not ensuring that Lockheed
Martin and its subcontractorswere applying sufficient rigorin
design, manufacturing, andquality assurance processes.
F-35 project seeks to overcome EW obsolescence
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WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
Individual soldier systems step out
CHARLES HOLLOSI
GILES EBBUTT
Sagem showcased its AdvancedWarfighter Solution, whichleverages
its work in producingthe FrenchArmys Fantassin quipement et
Liaisons Intgrs(FLIN) individual soldiersystem, while Elbit
displayed thelatest iteration of its Domina-tor system, Dominator
Light(Warrior), at theDSEI exhibitionin London in September.
This is the fourth generationDominator system, which was
first announced in October2012 but has not been widelydisplayed
since then.Developedoriginally for special forces use itconsists of
theruggedized Raptorcomputer, which has a 4.3 inchdisplay with a
smartphone-likehuman-machine interface, abattery pack and
radio.
The Raptorincludes integratedGPS and a compass,andhasalight
sensor to controldisplaybrightness. Rachamim Cohen,
Elbits Dominator programmemanager, observedthat despitethe
currentdrive towards usingcommercial smartphonesfor userinterfaces
they were notruggedenough for operational use, evenwith a rugged
wrapper.Theyareallright for Trade Shows he saidbut notfor real
operations.
Elbit offers thesystem with itsPersonal Network
radio-1000Aultra-high frequency, althoughthe system is
communications
agnostic. It runs a reducedversion of theTORC2H
com-mand-and-control (C2) software,which forms the backbone of
theIsrael Defence Forces DigitalArmy Programme and has alsobeen
partially adopted by theAustralian Army.
The battery pack providesbetween 24-36 hours of lifedepending on
use, with powermanagement software in theRaptor controlling power
con-
sumption. The assembly weighs
less than 2.5 kg.SagemsAdvanced Warfighter
Solution has evolved from theFLIN programme and formsthe basis
for Sagems bids forboth theBenelux SmartVestprogramme and the
CanadianIndividual Soldier SystemProject(ISSP). ISSP is currentlyin
the assessment phase for thesecond time, the first competi-tion
having been abandoned forundisclosed reasons. Downse-lection of the
winning systemis expected at the beginning of
2014. For SmartVest, Sagem is
partneredwith NFMGroup andfor ISSP with RaytheonCanada.
For both bids the system usesRaytheons DH500 Micro-Light radio
paired with a newSagem computer and displayfor commanders. This
provides
a networking layer and newrouting protocols. The tabletcomputer
with a 5 inch displayis smaller than the SIT ComDused inFLIN, and
it has newC2 software with a simplifiedmenu and improved
applications,according to Patrick Curlier,SagemsVice President for
Busi-ness Development, Optronicsand Defence. Thesystem alsoincludes
a near-eye eyepiece,which incorporates a camera and
a simple finger interfaceacting asa mouse, providing an
alternativeto the tablet display and intendedmainly for junior
leaders. Indi-vidual soldiers areprovided onlywith the networking
radio.
Some of the developments inthe system will be incorporatedinto
FLIN V1.3, the contract forwhich is expected to beissued bythe
French Ministry of Defencebythe end of 2013, inparticularthe load
carrying and modular
protection arrangements.
Above: Sagems
new individual
soldier Advanced
Warfighter solu-
tion displayed at
DSEI. The near-eye
eyepiece can be
seen on the right of
the vest, with the
tablet secured at
the front.
Stidd Systems Inc has developeda low-drag towed cargo trailerfor
its range of Diver PropulsionDevice (DPD) swimmer deliveryvehicles
(SDVs).
TheDPD Capsule provides anadditional 340 litres of equip-ment
stowage space for 181 kgof neutrally buoyant cargo, withno
significant increasein drag,according to the company.
It is made of marinealumin-
ium alloy and measures 2.3 m inlength with a diameter of 53
cm,enabling compatibility withNATO submarine torpedo tubesfor
stowage and deploymentpurposes. It weighs around 27 kgin air, but
is neutrally buoyant inwater due to hard-mounted rigidfoam volumes
fitted in thenoseand tail sections. Access to theinterior is via a
sliding top hatch.
The capsule is towed byacable, which together withrear-
mounted horizontal and verticalplanes reduces snaking in
itsmovement through the waterandresultsin a calculated
dragloadof67Nat3kt.Thetowcableattaches to the rear tow
pointintegrated ontoStidds new SDV.
In addition to the towing con-figuration, two capsules can
beattached directly to thesides ofthe DPD using its
quick-releaseattachment points to increasecargo capacity from the
DPDs
baseline 85 litres to 765 litres.In response to the
customerfeedback, the company has alsointroduced exterior
quick-release cargo tiedown pointson the vehicles fore
body,allowing operators to attachweapons, hooks and ladderswith
minimal increasein drag.The DPD also benefits from anew
high-efficiency lightweightbrushless thruster providing a25%
increasein speed over the
standard thrusters.
New pod expandsstorage for SDVs
GilesEbbutt:1448653
GilesEbbutt:1448652
The Dominator Light/Warrior ensem-
ble shown by Elbit Systems at DSEI.
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Review | 13
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
Research into pencil squids serves asbasis for counter-infrared
camouflageERIK SCHECHTER
Researchers at the Universityof California Irvines HenrySamueli
School of Engineeringhave announced that theybelieve protein found
in cepha-lopods may help troops evadenear-infrared (IR)
sensors.
Like many cephalopods, pencilsquid can change colour, patternand
even skin texture to matchtheir background with incred-
ible fidelity in part thanks toaprotein called reflectin.
Alon Gorodetsky, an assistantprofessor of chemical engineer-ing
and materials science wholeads theUC Irvine team, beganresearching
cephalopods twoyears ago after attending a
lecture on cuttlefish by notedmarine biologist Roger Hanlon.
Studying the camouflage prop-erties of the pencil squid, theUC
Irvine researchers focusedtheir attention on reflectin,
thestructural protein in the animalsskin cells that allows it to
changecolour and modulate the lightit reflects. Gorodetsky
copiedthe protein and expressed it inbacteria, which was then
fixedto a silica surface using graphene
oxide as theadhesive. It wasmuch easier to mass producereflectin
using bacteria than tokill a lot of squids, he explains,but
functionally its identical towhatyou get out of a squid.
TheUC Irvine scientists sub-jected the bacterial film to
differ-
ent chemical stimuli, causing itto change colour and
reflectance.Finally, when exposed to thevapour of
high-concentrationvinegar, the reflectin reactedagain, this time
modulating wellinto the near-IR spectrum.
Gorodetsky realized reflectincouldbe used on uniforms toconfuse
active near-IR sensors.
Adding the protein to clothingfibres will not pose a
challenge,Gorodetsky says. But finding
a stimulus thatcould beusedunder battlefield conditions willbe
more difficult. Obviously, ifyou want a realistic application,you
cant be putting vinegar onyourself,he admits. So we aretrying to
find either a mechanicalor an electrical stimulus.
In particular,the team
islookingatlightweightandflexibleconductive materials
todeliveralow-Wattcurrent tothe
reflectin.Theresbeenalotofworkon
organic,carbon-based electron-ics, he noted.You cant
generatemassive amountsof power withthem yet, buttheyare
greatforpersonaldevices,and youcaneasily integrate theminto
clothes.
The UC Irvine teams work hasattracted some initial attentionfrom
US Department of Defenseagencies, but it will take manymore years
of experimentationbefore theproof of conceptreaches the field-test
stage.
As a scientist,I tend tobe veryoptimistic, so Id loveto say
thatwellhave near-infrared camou-flagetested injust a few
yearsfromnow, he says. Butrealisti-cally speaking withour
currentfunding, if weare very good andverylucky, maybe a
decade.
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WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
SPAWAR reveals novel human detector
GEOFF FEIN
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS
Two scientistsatthe US NavySpace andNavalWarfare(SPAWAR)
SystemCenter Pacific(SSC)have developed a technologythat candetecta
moving personbysensingtheir heartbeat andrespi-ration fromtens of
feetaway.
The Remote Human PresenceMonitoring System (RHPMS),which is
nobigger thana packof cigarettes with an externalantenna, was
developed byDanielTam and Jack Dea. The
technology uses triboelectriccharging the result of thepumping
of the human heartand lungs causing the skinto rubagainst
surrounding air mol-ecules creating triboelectricity,according to
SSC.
The device can sensetheelectricfield, or charges, that arealways
present in a persons heart-beat andrespiration,Dea, thedesigner of
the RHPMS, told IHS
Janes on 13 September. When
a person moves, the electric fieldalsochanges becausethe
chargemoves withthe person.
The abilityto sense a personsheartbeat and respiration could
make the device ideal for detect-ingsomeone buried under
rubble,Dea said, orit could beused bysoldiers to see if anyone is
hidingbehind a wall or withina struc-ture. I havebeenableto
observepeoples respiration and heartbeatthrough walls, he
added.
The RHPMS could also haveapplication on an
unmannedgroundvehicle. That is entirelypossible. People
workingunmanned systems have talked
tome about that, theyareinterested in this area, Tam, anengineer
at SSC said.
For closer [detection] weareconfidentin the
heartbeatcapabil-ity, butfor distance we aremoreconfidentin
respiration, Dea said.Currently, the monitorcan detecta
heartbeatata distance of about3 ft (0.9m). Tam and Dea
verifiedthedevicesresults against a bloodpressure
(sphygmomanometer)monitor. If I know someones
heartbeatis 59 beats perminute,Jack [Dea] will run sensor
[results]through thesignal analyser and
itshows the same59 beats perminute. That is how weverify
[the results]. The device is cur-rently at a Technology
ReadinessLevel (TRL) 3 sohas a way to gobefore it could enter
production,according to Tam.
TheTRL is roughly equivalentto a research and developmentarea
right now. Wegot thepatenta couple of months ago whenit was a TRL
1, Tam said. Weproved we can detect humanheart rate and
respiration.
Tam and Dea havealso under-
taken a paralleleffort to adaptthe RHPMS to detect people
hun-dreds of feet away, which couldmake the technologyideal
forperimeter defence. Eventhoughwehave not publicised it
wearefocused on improving the heart-beatand respiration
detection[capability], Dea said. Itusesourdetector but we add
attachmentsto it to improve range.
Because each person has theirown uniqueheartbeat pattern,
another potential application forthe device would be
biometricdata for accessing secure build-
ings, Tamadded.We can captureeverybodys heartbeat signature
and wecan put it intoa database.Using funding obtained
through SSC, Tam and Dea havebeen able to digitise the
signal,perform signal analysis as well asimprove thesystems
circuits tomakeit easier touse.
We arealways improving theproduct even thoughweonly havea small
amountof funding for it.But the picturecan change if acorporationis
interested in thisandcan work with us, Tamsaid.
We areslowly improving thetechnology maturity level.
Thegovernment is not interested inputting in funding until they
seea TRL of 8, Tam added. By thetimewepushtoaTRL8,theriskis minimal
for building it.
TamandDea acknowledgeitwill takequite a bit of additionalfunding
to reach the TRL8milestone. EachTRL takes aboutUSD500 thousand,
Tamsaid. Wehavefive more levels to goso [we
willneed] USD2million more.
GeneralDynamicsLand Systems Force Protection Europe hasprivately
fundedthe development
of a range ofnew Ocelot protectedvehicle variants based on a
cheaperdesignthatswaps thecrewcita-dels widespread use of
high-endcomposite materials forsteel.
According to the company, thenewvehicle, known as
Ocelot-S,offers similar levelsof ballistic andblastprotection
against impro-visedexplosive devices (IEDs).
The firstversionof Ocelot-Sis optimised for the commandfunction
at unit level andblends
General Dynamics UKs (GDUK)
integrated communications andbattlemanagement systemswithThales
generic vehiclearchitecture (GVA) kit.The latterforms the digital
backbone forelectronic integration and Health
& Usage Monitoring System
(HUMS) datagathering.Steel and composite bodies are
fully interchangeable, so custom-ers will be able to specify
typesto suit their budget and weight
requirements.The steel versionsare naturally heavier than
thecomposite vehicles, imposing an1,800 kg reduction in payload,but
General Dynamics claimsthat the mobility of theOcelot-Sis
unaffected.
TheOcelot and Ocelot-S areboth built on a Common BasePlatform
(CBP) propulsion skateboard with earlier variantsincluding an open
Reconnais-sance design and a Utility Variant
(UV), which has been built and
tested carrying two NATO-stan-dard pallets with a
two-tonnepayload to therear of a protectedtwo-door cab.
Other potentialOcelotUV
concepts areartillery tractors for105mm Light Gun, fuel
bowsers,recovery cranes, protectedshelters, dogkennel
andmortarplatforms.The current vehiclehasa wheelbase of 3.65 m
butthere isalso the potential of a long wheelbase (LWB) variant,
which wouldoffer more volume and payload.Furtherdown the line, the
pos-sibility of a 6x6model has alsobeen discussed.
GD to build full family of more affordable Ocelots
Ocelot-S promises lower-cost pro-
tection, eschewing composites.
IHS/PatrickAllen:1524976
Seeihs.com/janesfor more
Seeihs.com/janesfor more
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The new Star SAFIRE 380-HDc is the worlds
first stabilized multi-sensor system specifically
engineeredforlong-range,low-altitudepoliceair
support, military special ops and SAR missions.
The lightweight & compact Star SAFIRE 380-
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tactical surveillance operations forever. The
revolutionary new design combines low-weight
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These significant size, weight and costadvantages
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For more information visit
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GAME CHANGERMAXIMUM CLEARANCE. TWICE THE RANGE.FLIR Systems
continues to pioneer
ground-breaking broadcast-quality
high definition EO/IR imaging systems
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Finmeccanicas Selex ES sub-sidiary planned to unveil a
newgeneration of self-containedexpendable Digital RadioFrequency
Memory (DRFM)
jammers for fast jet aircraftbefore the endof October.
The new system known asBriteCloud are designed tobe ejected
fromthe aircraft,providing an off-board RF decoyto counter
fire-controlradars and
lureawayactiveand semi-activemissile threats.
Eachexpendablejammerispacked with high-power batteriesto react
andrespond to threatsquickly, and then provideatleast 10 seconds of
life after thedecoy is ejected. Their formfactorenablesthem to be
loaded intostandard 55 mm chaff and flaredispensers, reducing crew
trainingrequirementsand ensuring thatthey can be handled by
first-line
and maintenance personnel.
According to Selex ES, BriteCloudwillbe available at
significantlylower costs thanfibre-optictoweddecoys (FOTDs)as there
is littleorno platform integration requiredandeach BriteCloud unit
is highlycompetitively priced.
Compared with older-gener-ation off-board products suchas simple
repeater-based activedecoys that are only ableto defeatlegacy
continuous-wave emit-
ters Selex ES claims that the
new system is cheaper and atleast twice as effective,
providingDoppler andrange obscuration todefeat chaff discrimination
tech-niques and systems withrangeand velocity gates.
In addition, to avoid theinherent home-on-jam vulner-abilities
of on-board devices,the new expandable active decoyputs significant
distance betweenthe decoy andthe fighter after
launch, providing a larger
escapeenvelope. In itscurrent55 mm flare cartridge
configur-ation, the casecontainstheexpendable decoy and
foldablerear fins,withthe electronics to
activate the firing sequence andpreprogrammed jamming
tech-niques are connected through aninternal umbilical connection
tothe standard dispenser interface.
The decoys are 200-375 mmlongto suitintegration aboard
dif-ferentplatforms andrange withinthe standard 0.7-0.85 kg
flareweightmass, offeringa shelf lifeof aroundfive years.
The new decoyscan bepre-loaded withthreat data from
Selex ES EW OperationalSupport (EWOS) outfit undera support
contract or users canupload their own information
forspecificmissions.
Prototyping design work wascompleted 12-15 months agoandincluded
aerodynamic,anechoicchamber, shock and fire testing.Since then,
Selex ES hasbeenworking withChemring to pro-ductionise the decoy
design.
Selex launches BriteCloud decoy
LUCA PERUZZI
Expanded image of Selexs new BriteCloud expendable decoy.
WEAPONS AND EQUIPMENT
Selex:1518376
ChristopherFFoss:1448671
Renault Trucks Defense andtheUralvagonzavod Research
andProduction Corporation unveileda full-scale mock-up of a
concept
infantry fightingvehicle(IFV)atRAE 2013 in
NizhnyTagil,inlateSeptember.
Designated Atom, the 8x8vehiclebringstogether the capa-bilities
of the two contractors inwhatOleg Sienko, Uralvagonza-vodsdirector
general, describedas a 50:50 partnership.
The Frenchpartnerbrings itsexpertise in wheeled
vehicletech-nology, withresponsibility for thecomplete
powertrain,driveline,
andsuspension, while its Russian
counterpart willbe responsiblefor the complete hull
andassoci-ated weapon system, as well asfinal assembly.
The firstversionis projected
tofillaheavyIFVroleandwasshown fitted with a mock-up ofa
remote-controlled turret witha 57 mm cannon as its principal
armament, which Sienko said
would offer superior capabilitiesover comparable vehicles on
themarket today.
The heavy IFV versionwouldhavethree crew and spaceforeight
dismounts.
The projected designfeaturesan all-welded hull with a
grossvehicleweight of 32 tonnesclaimedto offer protection to
STANAG 4569 Level 5.Furtherprojected character-istics include a
maximum roadspeed of 100 km/h and a rangeofupto750km.
Discussionsare ongoing as towhether to progressto the nextstage
of the programme.
The development of a wheeledIFV represents Uralvagonzavodsfirst
effortin this vehicle class andis part of its plans tobroaden
itsproduct range away from tanks
and tracked combat vehicles.
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS,
HUW WILLIAMS
A full-scale mock-up of the Atom infantry fighting vehicle
concept wasshown at RAE 2013 in Nizhny Tagil in late September.
Seeidr.janes.comfor more
France and Russia team for future IFV
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UPGRADE UPDATE
ihs.com/janes November 2013 Janes International Defence Review |
17
More firepower offered for BMP-2 IFV
CHRISTOPHER F FOSS
Russias Kurganmashzavod JointStockCompany has developedtwo
firepower upgrades for thewidely deployed BMP-2 infantryfighting
vehicle (IFV).
Thefirst version includes theinstallation of a B07K2
gunnerssight that features double-planehead mirror stabilisation,
athermal imaging camera, and alaser rangefinder.The imageryfrom
these devices is displayed
on a monitor atthe gunnersposition in the turret.
Furthermore, in place of thecommanders roof-mountedTKN-3MB
vision device, theTKN-AI unit, which featureslaser active pulse
illumination,has been installed.
Armament improvementscomein the formof a twinlauncher for the
Kolomna KBM9K120Ataka missile system.This offers improvements
in
lethalityand range over the9K113Konkurs anti-tankguidedmissile
that is installed onthe standard BMP-2IFV.
TheAtaka has a semi-automaticcommand-to-line-of-sightguidance
system, requiring thegunner only to maintain his sighton the
targetuntil missileimpact.The supersonic missile
hasa maximum range of 5,800 m(the Konkurs is effective outtoa
range of4,000m),andatleast three types of missile are
currently being marketed.The first of these, the 9M120,is the
option for the BMP-2IFV upgrade.
The9M120-1 features atandem high-explosive anti-tankwarhead that
is claimed to beable topenetrate800 mm ofconventional steel
armourprotected by explosive reactive
armour (ERA).The 9M120F1has a thermobaric (or fuel
airexplosive)-type warhead that is
optimised for use againstbunkers, and the 9A220 has
acontinuous-rod high-explosivewarhead with impact andproximity
laser fuzing, whichis most often used againstairborne targets.
No upgrades have been madetothe BMP-2s 30 mm 2A42dual-feed
cannonor to its
7.62 mm PKT co-axiallymounted machine gun.
The more limited secondfirepower upgrade packageincludes the
installation of a
remote-controlled 30 mm AG-17automatic grenade launcher anda
BPK-3-42gunners sight.
Survivability enhancementscomein the form of appliqupassive
armour to the hull andturret, spall liners insidethecrew
compartment, and platesunder the hull floor for improvedprotection
against mines. Bar/slat-type armour has been fittedtothe hull and
turret to helpcounter rocket-propelled
grenades. ERA could be fitted asan alternative to the
bar/slatarmour, but this would increasethe gross vehicle
weight.
Other survivability improve-ments include the installation
offire- and explosion-proof dieselfuel tanks and suspended seatsfor
thecrew.
For improved crew comfortduring operations in highambient
temperatures, a KBM2air-conditioning system can be
fitted, and tracks with rubberpads will reducedamage to roadsand
noise.
Finally, the existing engine canbe replaced by a more
powerfulUTD-23T turbocharged dieselunit thatdevelops 360 hp and
anupgraded suspension, includingstronger torsion bars and newroad
wheels.
Above: Standard production
Russian BMP-2 IFV with 30 mm
2A42 cannon.
Right: Scale model of the up-
graded BMP-2 IFV with two
turret-mounted 9M120 series
ATGWs and bar/slat armour for a
higher level of protection against
rocket propelled grenades.
Anonymoussource:1127547
ChristopherFFoss:1518365
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UPGRADE UPDATE
A Czech andSlovakian consortiumis preparing to conduct trialsof
anew comprehensive overhauledand upgraded version of theSoviet-era
BMP-1 and BMP-2armoured fighting vehicle lines.
Czech-based ExcaliburArmyand the Slovak VOP Trancnmilitary
repair unit and EVPUInc have been working on the
vehicle known as theBVP-M2SKCZ since 2009 and this
firstprototype leverages work under-taken on theMGC-1, which
wasrevealed in 2011.
Its mainfocus is on boostingprotection for thecrew, who nowsit
on blast-attenuating, hingedseats. In standard form, the bellyof
thevehicle is protected toSTANAG 4569 Level 1, rising toLevel 2a
for explosions underthe tracks, with the main hull
offering Level 3 armour orLevel 4 with appliqu plate. Ifthe hull
is breached, the crewisnow protected by a standardanti-explosion
and fire extin-guisher system.
The7mlong,3.2mwide,and 2.9 m tall (without bar/slat armour)
prototype vehicleis also equipped with an RF
jammer to protect againstremotely detonated improvisedexplosive
devices.
Protection can be bolstered
further with elementsof passiveand active protection systems,
aswell as vehicle-specific camou-flage designs and nets.
As well as boosting protec-tion, the designers have
greatlyimproved the crew comfort andergonomic layout of the
vehicle,with thecrew accessing via arear hydraulic ramp with a
singlebuilt-in doorreplacingthe legacytwo-door set-up.
Thefuel tank and batteries located in the dismountsectionin
theBMP-series have beenrelocated and the compartmentsceiling has
been raised to offer amore usable1.3 m height.
Twoindependent heatingandair conditioning units shouldenable a
more tailored tempera-ture range.
The vehicles armament fea-tures EVPUs TURRA-30 remoteturret,
armed with a stabilised
30 mm 2A42 cannon, coaxial
7.62 mm machine gun, smokegrenade launchers, and mountingfor an
optional anti-tank missiletwin launcher.
Details are unconfirmed, buttheturret is understood to beaimed
through day-and-night,all-weather surveillance and tar-geting
sights for the commanderand gunner,enabling the weapontofire onthe
move.
The BMP-series traditional and
reliable butobsolete Soviet-
origin UTD-20engine is replacedwith a more powerful
CaterpillarC9.3 turbodiesel, developing402 bhp and 1,696 lb/ft
ofmaximum torque, which is quitesubstantial fora vehicle with
acombat weight of 18 tonnes.
The prototype vehicle retainsthe originalgearbox,
albeitcontrolledby a newsystemcapable of full-or
semi-automaticoperation.It also offers an emer-
gency manualmode in case ofmalfunction or tow-away.IHS Janes has
learned that Slo-
vakia may becomethe first cus-tomer for theupgrade,
lookingtoenhance part of its BVP-1 andBVP-2 fleet to BVP-M2
SKCZstandard, as those vehicles areapproaching theend of
theirservice life and Slovakia has notacquired any modern
wheeledIFVs to replace them (unlike theCzech Republic, which has
more
than 100 PandurII 8x8s).
Refreshed BVP upgrade readies for trials
MICHAL ZDOBINSKY
The BVP-M2s
driver station
features anintuitive layout.
Internal view of the BVP-M2, which has been completely
redesigned with
space for six dismounts in suspended seats.
The overall layout of the BVP-M2 offers more space for crew and
dismounts.
ExcaliburArmy:1518368
y
Excalibur Armys new BVP-M2 is a substantial modernisation of the
BMP-1
and -2 line.
ExcaliburArmy:1518366
ExcaliburArmy:1518369
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Review | 19
UPGRADE UPDATE
Russias Radiozavod has addeda mobile control capabilityto its
manportable air-defencesystem (MANPADS) co-ordina-tion system.
The system is designatedKTSAU PZRK (Komplet Tekh-nicseskikh
Sredstv Automa-tizirovannovo UpravleniaStrelka Perenosnovo
ZenitnovoRaketnovo Kompleta), and
enables up to nine MANPADSto be co-ordinated from a
singleAutomated Control Module(ACM), with the intention ofspeeding
up engagements andincreasing lethality.
An ACM consists of a laptopcomputer linked to GPS orGLONASS
housed in a rug-gedised case, along with thecommunications
equipment forvoice and data, and batteries.
The ACM can be connected
to higher level command-and-control (C2) elements such as9S482M,
9S482M7, and9S737MK as well as a radar(1L122-1), which the
companyclaims enables the ACM tosimultaneously track at least
60aerial targets travelling at speedsof up 2,550 m/s and out to
arange of 40 km.
The new mobile controlconfiguration is intended foruse in
vehicles and sees the
computer and voice radio unitremoved from the ruggedisedcase
although still connectedby wire and the communica-tions and power
elements fittedelsewhere in the vehicle.
Adding this mobile capabilityenables a greater flexibility inthe
deployment of the system.
The ACM automaticallyreceives information for thehigher C2
levels regarding theair picture, which includes radar
data, all of which can be pre-
sented on the ACM operatorscomputer display.
The ACM also receives datafrom its subordinate MANPADSunits
regarding their position,combat readiness, ammunitionlevels, and
combat actions.
Information sent to theMANPADS includes the airpicture and
operational com-mands for engaging targets.
Each MANPADS operator isprovided with an Individual
Automation Kit (IAK), whichconsists of a vest and helmet,the
former is fitted with thecommunications and computingsystems, as
well as the battery,the latter features the operatorsradio and a
monocle that pres-ents the information receivedfrom the ACM
regarding theassigned target.
This information is displayedon a grid and includes therange to
target, its direction
of travel, a visual indication ofthe targets position, and anaim
mark.
The IAK is able to receiveinformation on one target trackonly,
with information on thetarget refreshed at 0.5-secondintervals and
presented to theoperator at an update rate ofonce per second.
The ACM can be connectedto the C2 systems and radarvia a hard
wire to a maximum
distance of 5 km, via radio com-munications these ranges
areextended to 10 km.
The link with the IAK is viaradio and out to a maximumrange of
1.5 km.
The systems elements arestated as being capable of oper-ating in
temperatures rangingfrom -40 to 50 Celsius and inall-weather
conditions.
With the standard batteries,continuous operating time
is stated as up to six hours.
MANPADS co-ordinationsystem gains mobilityHUW WILLIAMS
The USArmy is tofit its BoeingCH-47Chinooks and SikorskyUH-60
Black Hawks with a newlighter ballistic protection systemthat is
designed to providethecrew and passengers with greaterprotection
against small arms fireover larger sections of the heli-copters,
the service announced inearlyOctober.
The Ballistic ProtectionSystem
(BPS) comprises a floor kit and aMulti-Impact Transparent
ArmorSystem (MITAS) for the windowsto provide additional
protectionto the pilot and cargo areas.
Fitted to theChinook, thesystem weighs just 680 kgcompared with
1,590 kg for the
ballistic protection currently inplace, and there is a
comparativeweight reduction for theBlackHawk also.
Developed at theArmyAviation and Missile Research,Development
and EngineeringCenters Prototype Integra-tion Facility (PIF) at
RedstoneArsenal in Alabama, the BPS ispart of a wider drive
toemploylighter-weight armour systemsin aircraft while maintaining
or
increasing theability to with-stand advanced ground fire.
The PIF will now deliver atechnical data package to theCH-47
andUH-60 programmemanagement offices to allowindustry to compete
for futureBPS acquisition contracts.
US to fit lightweight
armour to helicoptersGARETH JENNINGS
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UPGRADE UPDATE
The US Navy will begin upgrad-ing its inventory of Block
IVTomahawk cruise missiles in2017 with a new seeker capableof
locating and tracking fixed andmoving radar-emitting targets.
The electronic support mea-sures (ESM) seeker is part of
anewproductimprovement pro-gramme for the missilethat alsoincludes
a two-way satellite
datalink to enable a strikecontroller to redirect the
missilein-flight to pre-programmedalternate targets or more
criticaltargets, Raytheon said in an earlyOctoberannouncement.
Raytheons ESM seeker capa-bilitywas validated in a
realistic,high-density environment afterseven months of testing
inanechoic chambers, Raytheonsaid.The demonstration occurredin
July.
The plan would beto insertthis capability along with other
enhancements to Block IVproduction in 2017 as a part of
arecertification phase beginningbetween2017 and 2019. All
newproduction following the recer-tification phase will
incorporatenew capabilities, Roy Donelson,Tomahawk programme
directorat Raytheon Missile Systems,told IHS Janes.
The seeker upgrade will allowtheTomahawk to target, forexample,
fixed radar installations
on land that would be emittingenergy, Donelson said.
However, in its currentform the upgraded Block IVTomahawk ESM is
not designedto find non-emitting targets.
This test covered only thepassive ARH [anti-radar
homing]element, Donelson said. Theprogramme is pursuing a
multi-mode sensor capability. Themulti-mode sensor could
thenlocate, identify, discriminate, and
engage both moving/fixed andemitting/non-emitting targets.
TheBlock IV Tomahawkprogramme started productionin 2004 and has
delivered morethan 2,900 production missilesas of September
2013.
The current budget reflectsprocurement of Tomahawkmissiles
through 2020, a USNaval Air Systems Command
spokesperson told IHS Janes.Block IV missile inventories,
including planned recertificationefforts, will sustain fleet
opera-tions until the 2045 time frame,the spokesperson said.
Block III Tomahawk missiles
procured and deliveredprior totheBlock IV productionwillremainin
thefleet until theirservice life expires.
It is anticipated that Block IIImissiles will be out of the
inven-tory by 2020, thespokespersonsaid. It is not possible to
modifytheBlock IIImissiles to makethem Block IVs.
The Tomahawk programmecontinues to evaluate
potentialenhancements of the Block
IV missile for future budgetsubmissions, including warheadand
communications improve-ments, the spokesperson added.
Raytheon is pursuing othernew product improvements,according to
Donelson.
The company is also exploringcapabilities to provide
Tomahawkenhancements for operations inan anti-access/area-denial
envi-ronment, a multi-mode sensorpackage, enhanced communi-
cation suite, and multi-effectwarhead capability.
Raytheon tests anti-radar
seeker for Block IV TomahawkGEOFF FEIN
The US Navy will install a new ESMseeker onto the Block IV
Tomahawk
cruise missile beginning in 2017.
The US Navy (USN)will beginmodifying AV-8B
Harriermissioncomputers before the endof2013 to provide additional
com-
puter memory and processing,andenablefuture upgrades.Under the
current contract
awarded to General DynamicsAdvanced InformationSystems all133
AV-8B Harriers inthe fleetwillreceive the upgrade.
This upgradewill provide asecond Open System Processor[OSP3]
card with a Future Air-borneCapabilities Environment[FACE]software
environmentinthe AV-8B, MarciaHart-Wise,
USN NavalAir Systems Command
spokeswoman, told IHS Janes inlateSeptember.
This willallow future capa-bilities to be added to
theAV-8Bmission computer via FACE soft-ware applications, she
added.
The secondcard upgradetothe MissionSystems Computer(MSC)
willprovideadditionalcomputer processing, additionalcomputer
memory, anda card onwhich the Required NavigationPerformance/Area
Navigation(RNP RNAV) capability developedby the government willbe
hosted,Hart-Wise said.
Once government-producedsoftware is completely separatefromthe
processor cardupgrade,
RNP RNAV will provideAV-8B
equipped aircraft withthe abilityto navigate using GPS as a
primarymeansof navigation, enablingthose aircraft to fileandfly
RNAVdepartures, routes,arrivals,and RNAV (GPS) non-precision
approaches withcivil airspaceauthorities, andallow for globalRNP
RNAV airspace access, shesaid. The effort includes
hardwareandsoftware upgrades. A secondOSP3 card will be installed
in theAV-8B missioncomputer.Thiscard willhave a FACE environ-ment
thatwill support the RNPRNAV application.The secondcard will
support RNPRNAVeven if FACE conformance is notachievable, Hart-Wise
added.
Hardware upgradeinstalla-
tions are expected to begin afterthe contract is awarded,whichis
anticipated late thisyear,Hart-Wise said. Installations areexpected
to continue to the endof 2016. RNP RNAV softwareis
expected to be delivered in 2017.The upgradewill enable theUS
MarineCorps (USMC) to con-tinue flying the Harrierafter thearrival
of the F-35B short take-offandvertical landing variantof
JointStrikeFighter. Hart-Wisesaid the AV-8B and F-35B will
beflown together on the battlefield,with the USMC hoping
tokeeptheAV-8B operational until 2030.
TheUSN has awarded 44 con-tracts for Harrierupgrades since
1 October2012.
USN to upgrade AV-8B Harrier mission computersGEOFF FEIN
USNavy:0522981
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UNMANNED SYSTEMS
A Russian consortium has devel-oped a combatsupport
unmannedground vehicle (UGV).
Armoured vehicle specialistUralvagonzavod has partneredwith OAO
Izhevskiy Radiozavodand theFederal State UnitaryEnterprises Radio
Research andDevelopment Institute (NIIR) todevelop the system, a
prototype
of which took part in the live-firedisplay at RAE 2013 in
NizhnyTagil,Russia.
Designated MRC-002-BG-57,the tracked system on display
isintended to act in intelligence,surveillance and
reconnaissance(ISR),and direct and indirectcombat roles.
According to company data,the vehicle can operate out toa range
of5 kmandtravel atspeedsof upto 35km/h;it isalso
said to feature an encrypted com-munications system.
It is fitted with a gyrostabilisedweapons station and an
electro-
optic/infrared (EO/IR) payload,which is used for both its
ISRrole andfor engaging targets.The current weapons fit
canaccommodate 7.62 or 12.7 mmmachine guns (with 500 and300 rounds
of ammunition,respectively), or a 30 mm auto-
matic grenade launcher. It alsohas a ballistic computer to aidin
engagements.
The vehicle is battery-powered
and has an operational weightof1,100kg,anditissaidtobeable to
operate in temperaturesranging from -40 to 40Celsius.In its present
configuration, itmeasures3 m inlength by1.8 min width and 1.26 m in
height.
The level of autonomy pos-
sessed bythe system is notknown; however, direct controlis
undertaken via a joystick andcontrol console.
The partnership has alsodeveloped a four-wheeled UGV,designated
MRC-001-b-23.This vehicle is also designedto provide combat support
and
ISR capabilities.To date, most Russian efforts
to develop UGVs have focusedon explosive ordnance
disposalsystems which for the mostpart offer basic
functionalitywhen compared to Westernsystems and the
conversionofsmall engineering vehicles.Thesenew systems represent
the firstforay into larger purpose-builtUGVs by Russian industry,
andthe willingness to incorporate
combat capabilities in systemsfrom the get-gois a notableaspect,
given that most Westernmanufacturers (and militaries)aretaking only
tentative steps inthis area of UGV utility.
However, how far thedevel-opment of these systems willprogress
is not known.At RAE2013, a number of leading indus-try figures said
thedevelopmentof advanced UGVs will requireguidance from the
Russian
Ministry of Defence and militarybefore companies can
commitresources, but to date this has notbeen forthcoming.
Combat support system demonstratesRussias advanced UGV
capabilitiesHUW WILLIAMS
The US Navyis set to field28 MQ-8C FireScout
unmannedhelicopters,based on the Bell407 airframe.
The MRC-002-BG-57 system demonstrated a high degree of mobility
duringthe live-fire display at RAE 2013.
ChristopherFF
oss:1518353
MQ-8C Fire Scout readies for flight trials
Northrop Grummanhas begunpreparing the MQ-8C Fire Scout
unmanned helicopter for flighttrials set to take place in
October.The main rotor blades of the
first MQ-8C were rotated duringinitial ground testing and
engineruns at Naval Base VenturaCounty Point Mugu,California,in
mid-September. This was doneto ensure that all of the
aircraftssystems are functioning andcommunicating properly prior
toits first flight, the company saidin a statement.
Based on the Bell 407 air-
frame, the MQ-8C is a largerand more capable variant of itsMQ-8B
Fire Scout namesake,which is modelled on the smaller
Schweizer Aircraft model 330helicopter. The US Navy is set
toreceive 28 MQ-8Cs to augmentthe 168 MQ-8Bs it plans tooperate in
both the intelligence,surveillance and reconnaissance(ISR) and
unmanned strike roles.Northrop Grummanis currentlyunder contract to
produceMQ-8C aircraft for deploymentbeginning in 2014.
In May, the navy announcedthat it was standing up its first
composite squadron to operate
both manned and unmannedhelicopters. Based at Naval AirStation
(NAS) North Island inCalifornia, Helicopter Maritime
Strike Squadron (HSM)-35
Magicians will field a mixedforce of eight Sikorsky
MH-60RSeahawk and 10 NorthropGrumman MQ-8B/C Fire
Scout helicopters.
GARETH JENNINGS
NorthropGrumman:151302
6
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UNMANNED SYSTEMS
Aurora Flight Sciences Skateunmanned aircraft system (UAS)has
deployed operationallyto Afghanistan, the companyrevealed in
September.
Skates deploymenthas beensponsored bythe USAir ForceResearch
Laboratory. A companyspokesperson told IHS Janes thattheUAS was
sent to theatreinMarch 2013 and that there is noscheduled enddate
for its mission.
According to a company state-
ment, the initial assessment ofthe systems performance hasbeen
very positive, with systemcapability and ease-of-use amongthe
highlights.
The spokesperson said thatmultiple systems have beendelivered
and that Skate is inoperation with two differentservices. Exact
details regardingthe number of systems in theatreand where they are
operatingcannot be disclosed for security
reasons, however, the spokesper-son confirmed that thesystemsare
being used ina variety of
intelligence, surveillance andreconnaissance roles, includingfor
patrol overwatch and forwardoperating base security.
The aircraft is typicallyequipped with electro-opticaland
infrared imaging payloads,and the spokesperson said thatboth types
have been utilised.
Skate is hand-launched anddesigned to be lightweight,
easilyportable (in a backpack), and todeliver relatively long
endurance
on quiet electric power, as wellas having an autonomous
opera-tion capability.
The aircraft is made fromexpanded polypropylene andweighs less
than 1 kg, includingthe batteries and payload.Thevehicle is
essentially a rectan-gular flying wing with a
spanof61cmandalengthof48cm that has a rear-mounted controlsurface
and twin vertical stabilis-ing surfaces. Theaircraft has a0.2 kg
payload capacity, whichis mounted centrally and can beswapped in
and out in the field.
Skate features twin indepen-dently articulated motors thatpower
two-bladed propellers andenable the aircraft to transitionbetween
vertical and horizontal
flight.These areintended toimprove manoeuvrability andendurance,
the latter due to theability to combine vertical take-off and
landing functionalitywith typical fixed wing flight.They also
enable the vehicle tobe launched and recovered inconfined
spaces.
The aircraft has an operatingrange of around3.5 km with
anomni-directional antenna, butthis can be extendedto 5 km
with a directional system; it usesan encrypted digital
datalink.
Skates one-hour endurance canbe extended to 90 minutes withan
optional kit. It typically flies at400 ft above ground level and
hasa maximumoperating altitudeof13,000ft above mean sea level.It is
controlledvia a handheldunit that has an integratedvideodisplay
andcan operate undermanual control or using GPSwaypoint
navigation.
Skate UAS active in AfghanistanHUW WILLIAMS
AuroraFlightSciences:1518346
Aurora Flight SciencesSkate UAS is in use with USarmed forces in
Afghanistan.
The US Defense AdvancedResearch Projects Agency(DARPA) has
modified its con-tract with Boston Dynamics forthe development of
theLeggedSquad Support System (LS3) in
order to incorporate a range ofnew capabilities.DARPA is working
with theUS
MarineCorps on the LS3 with anaim of combining mobility
andlogistics capabilities in a systemthat can haul 400 lb (181
kg)of equipment more than 32 kmwithout the need for interven-tion
during a 24-hour period, andalso keep pacewith the forces itis
supporting.
Under the modification
which provides for up to nearly
USD10 million in extra funding Boston Dynamics has beentasked
with improving thereliability and usability of theplatform, as well
as providing
enhanced survivability againstsmall arms fire and introducinga
quiet power supply to supportstealthy tactical operations.
LS3 is a quadruped and has
evolved from Boston DynamicsBigDog system. It undertookits most
recent field trials inDecember 2012 at Fort Pickett,Virginia; the
two-week effortwas held in conjunctionwiththeUS Marine Corps
Warfight-ing Laboratory (MCWL).Therobots legs have
hydraulicactuators with sensors for jointposition and force.
Thesystem
can run and maintain its balanceon loose, slippery, and
unevenground, climb hills, and can alsoright itself if it falls
over.
During the trials, fivecapabili-ties of the system were
demon-strated: verbal commands; nightoperations; go toorders;
percep-tion of environment; and intelli-gent foot placement. At the
timeof the trials, platform robustnessand perception were
identifiedas the primary challenges in the
development of the system.
DARPA has tasked Boston Dynamics with enhancing the
survivability
among other improvements of the LS3.
DARPA:1517081
HUW WILLIAMS
DARPA looks to enhance LS3
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UNMANNED SYSTEMS
Leveraging technologies fromits Swedish and UK operations,Saab
Seaeye showcased a numberof new developments in theunderwater
vehicles arena onboard the Swedish Navys minecountermeasures vessel
(MCMV)HMSwNS Vinga atDSEI2013inLondon, in mid-September.
Based on the Double Eagle
family of remotely operatedvehicles (ROVs), with advancesin
autonomous underwatervehicles (AUVs) and ROVs in thecommercial
offshore sector, thecompany has developed a newconcept called the
Multi-MineNeutralisation System (MuMNS).
We have matched our latestversion of the SeaeyeFalcon ROVwiththe
MuMNS multiple-shot
reusablesystem,Saab Seaeyesales manager Bengt Larson toldIHS
Janes. This not only signifi-cantly reduces costs comparedto
current mine neutralisation[concepts] employing eitherdiver-or
ROV-placed charges, butalso substantially increases theefficiency
andspeed of advancethrough mined waters.
MuMNS consists of a magazinesystem, which accommodates as
standard three launchers housingthe Ballista disruptor
system.The latter system incorporatesthe ShadowFloat capabil-ity, a
remotecommand firingsystemusing an antenna buoy.More launchers can
be included,depending on thesizeof the ROVand customerrequirements.
Thesystemwastested off Estonia inAugust, while further trials
are
plannedin UK waters using theThales/ASV unmanned
surfacevehicledemonstrator Halcyon.
As MuMNS employs simpledeck filled charges, Larsonsaid, the
magazine can befitted to a variety of remotelyoperated vehicles.The
chargesare attached tothe mines byamanipulator arm and nail
gun,after which a float is releasedwith an RF communications
antenna for command deto-nation, or the charges can beprimedto
detonate by a timer.
In theMCM concept of opera-tions envisaged by Saab Seaeye,anAUV
equipped with MuMNSwould search for andidentifymines before
activating the float-ing antenna buoy. The chargecould then be
triggeredat longrange by an unmanned aerial
vehicle or a helicopter usinganRF signal. The charge can
betriggeredup to 28 days after themine is discovered.
Elsewhere, Saab Seaeye
revealed that it has secured ordersduring 2013 tosell the
latestversionof itsAUV-62 systemtotwo undisclosed customers.
CalledAUV-62-AT, the systemis designed for
anti-submarinewarfareoperatortraining, as wellas for on board
sonar,helicoptersonar,and command systemoper-ations.The
AUV-62-ATacts as atarget surrogate which mimicsthe signature of a
submarine bytransmitting broadband noise
similar to the passivesignaturesof a conventional submarine.The
AUV-62-AT returns activesonar pings witha realistic targetstrength
andecho location.
The AUV-62-AT systempackage consists of a vehicle,
acommand-and-control system,and operating and maintenanceequipment.
It can be launchedfrom a variety of platforms.
LUCA PERUZZI
Saab Seaeye demonstrates
underwater vehicle developments
Roboteam offers new mobility option for MTGR
Unmanned systems specialistRoboteam has developed a
newconfiguration of its Micro Tacti-calGround Robot (MTGR)that
isdesigned to improve operation indifficult terrain.
The MTGR is primarilyintended for explosive ordnance
disposal (EOD)and intelligence,surveillance and
reconnaissance(ISR) duties.
The standard MTGR featuresrubber main tracks and trackedflippers
that aid in stair climb-ing and traversing over
objects;interestingly, these flippersare approximately the
samelength as the main tracks. Thenewconfiguration adds a wheelkit
to theplatform to improvemanoeuvrability and mobility,
while maintaining the ability
to climb using the flippers.The MTGR is inservicewith
US special forces and EOD teams,andin Israel with the police,EOD
units, and specialist elem-ents of themilitary.
The complete system can becarried in a backpack.The
vehicleitself weighs 16 lb (7.25 kg) in itstracked configuration
and 19 lb
when fitted with wheels,it has a
20 lb payload capacity andistypically fitted with a
company-developed manipulator arm.Power is provided by a
standard2557/U battery pack, which sup-ports an operating endurance
ofup tothree hours.
A new manipulator featuresfour degrees-of-freedom (DoF)instead
of the three DoF previ-
ously available.
The platform uses a secureMANET datalink andis controlledwiththe
companys tablet com-puter-style Ruggedised
OperatorsControlUnit-7(ROCU-7).This isalsopowered by a 2557/U
batteryandruns Microsofts Windows 7,withcontrolsoftware devel-oped
in-house.The batteriescanbe detached and worn on the
operators belt to lighten thecontroller.Through
line-of-sightcommunications, the system canbe controlled out toa
range ofalmost 490 m.
For situational awarenessand surveillance, the MTGRfeatures five
cameras: one ineach flank and therear; with twofacing forwards, one
with a widefield-of-view, the other narrowand near-IR; another
camera isused to guide the manipulator
arms gripper.
HUW WILLIAMS The additionof a wheel kitto the MTGRis designed
toimprove thevehicles mobil-ity in challeng-ing terrain.
Roboteam:
1518375
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UNMANNED SYSTEMS
Russias ENICS displayed thelatest variants of its Eleronunmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV)series atRAE 2013 in NizhnyTagil, Russia.
The company has developednew SV versions of its
Eleron-3andEleron-10 systems, whichoffer a number of
enhancementsover the baseline UAVs,but whichalsobring reductions in
the per-formance of certain aspects.
TheEleron-10SV brings an
improvement in maximumspeed, now standing at 135 km/has opposed
to thebaselinesystems 120 km/h. However,the SVs ceiling has
reducedsignificantly from 16,400 ft to13,100ft. While the
maximumtake-off weight has not changedat 15.5kg, thenew
versionspayload capacity is 2.5 kg lessthan the baseline vehicle,
nowstanding at2 kg. The upside ofthis loss in payload capacity
is
an increase in endurance (whenfitted with maximum payload) to2.5
hours inthe SV, up from thestandard 1.5 hours.
Perhaps the mo