Armada: Issue 2 - April/May 2012 by Armada International & Asian Military Review

THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976

Issue 2/2012

INTERNATIONAL

April/May

THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976

Contents 2/2012 INTERNATIONAL

06 AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLES

THE USMC YARDSTICK I Paolo Valpolini The United States Marine Corps remains the reference unit for amphibious operations. The cancellation of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) programme, announced in January 2011 and approved in May, has led to the revision of the future US Marine Corps amphibious vehicles fleet

MRAP TECHNOLOGY

AGM MATCHING

CAMOUFLAGE

MRAP, A RATHER OLD IDEA

LIKE HORSES FOR COURSES, AIR-TO-GROUND WEAPONS

THE QUEST FOR THE MULTISPECTRAL CHAMELEON

I Mark Huntiller

I Roy Braybrook

I PaoloValpolini

DUBAI AIR SHOW

DRONE UPDATE

WHERE SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

FROM WEE TO BIIIG!

I Eric H. Biass

COMPENDIUM SUPPLEMENT SPECIAL OPS & SOLDIER SMALL ARMS, SIGHTS & ACCESSORIES I Paolo Valpolini

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Index I INDEX TO ADVERTISERS AAI ADVENTURE LIGHTS

11 7

INVISIO

SAAB

ITT EXELIS NIGHT VISION

SAGEM

AIMPOINT

ITT EXELIS SPEARNET

AR MODULAR

L3 WESCAM

ARGON

LEMO

CERADYNE

LEUPOLD TACTICAL OPTICS

SELEX GALILEO

SMI

SOFEX JORDAN

TEAHEADSETS.COM

TELEPHONICS

MBDA BRIMSTONE

DATRON WORLD COMMUNICATIONS 5

MBDA VIPER STRIKE

TRASER

DDC

NORTHROP GRUMMAN

TRIJICON

VECTRONIX

COLT DEFENSE

ELBIT ELOP

ODU-USA

EURONAVAL

OTO MELARA

EUROSATORY

PHOTONIS

FNSS

REMINGTON DEFENSE

GENERAL DYNAMICS LAND SYSTEMS 15

REVISION

ILA

RUAG AMMOTECH

9 Volume 36, Issue No. 2, April/May 2012

Entries highlighted with blue numbers are found in Special Operations Compendium

9 25

I INDEX TO MANUFACTURERS Companies mentioned in this issue. Where there are multiple references to a company in an article,only the first occurence and subsequent photographs are listed below 3M AAI

36 8

Emirates Advanced Investment Group 40

New Czech Rifle

Eurofighter

Nexter

37,38,39,45

5 16

Adcor Defence

4,6

Flir Systems

Aimpoint Systems

FN Herstal

Airborne Systems

Force Protection

13,14,17

General Atomics

27, 44

Oto Melara

Panasonic

7,8,9,17, 32

Paramount

Airbus Military Alenia Aermacchi Alpha Jets

38,44 28

40 4, 6, 14, 15

General Dynamics GDLS

23, 24, 25, 26

NSWC Crane

Oshkosh

16,18

13,14

General Dynamics OTS

Arcturus

42,43

GMC Trucks

Photonis

Armalite

11,18

Harris

Premier Reticles Heritage

ATK BAE Systems Battelle

32,34,36 6,8,10,11, 26 9,10,11,15,27 8

Heckler & Koch

Northrop Grumman

AMX Arsenal

Armorworks

2, 3, 28, 11, 12, 14

Patria

9,10 22,25

Qioptiq Merlin LR

16 1,14, 22, 24

Hellenic Aerospace

Raytheon

Honda

Remington

4, 5,10, 14, 15,18

Rheinmetall

14, 26, 27, 28, 29

Honeywell

35, 36

24, 25, 26, 28, 31, 32

Innocon

Rockwell

32, 35

Intermat

Ruag

Bell

39,40

Israel Military Industries

Ruag Ammotec

Beretta

5,6,10

Israel Weapon Industries

Berliet

13,14

ITT Exelis

BBN Technologies BCB International

45, 46

Saab

Iveco

BMC Vehicle

JP Enterprises

Schmidt & Bender

KMW

Selex Galileo

Browning HP Camero-Tech Carl Zeiss Casper Cassidian Ceska Zbrojovka Cobham Cobic Colt

23, 24, 25, 27 10 33, 34 19, 20, 45 14 43, 44 5, 6 46 8 2, 4

Knight's Armament

9, 10, 11

Rugger

Blucher Systems Boeing

2,5,15,16

Sagem

Sig Sauer Simith Enterprises

SK Group

Landrover

16,32

St Marks Powder

Land Warfare Recources LMT Lockheed Martin Magpul Industries

MBDA McMillan Meprolight

4, 6 16, 18, 20, 22 11, 15,16 9,10,23,24,25

Stag Arms Steyr Mannlicher Systima Technologies Textron

4,18

Thales

28, 33, 34

Tialinx

11,18 19, 22, 24

Trijicon's Acog UAV Factory

Cyalume

34,36

Dassault

23, 28, 37, 38

Merkava

USMC

Metravib

Vectronix Veritay Technologies

Micromag

EADS

MiG

Eltics

MSC Software

41 5,6,10,11,18

28,32

16,19

14, 16

24,25

CSC

Dueck Defence

23, 25, 28,46,

L-3 EOTech

Cooneen Watts & Stone

DCNS

4 33, 44

L-3 Communications

Leupold

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2/2012

U.S. Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles conducting amphibious operations. See article on page 6

8 4 6, 7, 27, 28, 30 26 8 6, 26 32 2, 16, 20, 21, 22 42, 43 15 24, 25 8

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is published bi-monthly by Media Transasia Ltd. Copyright 2012 by Media Transasia Ltd. Publishing Office: Media Transasia Ltd, Room No. 1205-1206, Hollywood Centre 233, Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2815 1933 Editor-in-Chief: Eric H. Biass Regular Contributors: Roy Braybrook, Paolo Valpolini, Thomas Withington Chairman: J.S. Uberoi President: Xavier Collaco Sr. Manager International Marketing: Vishal Mehta Deputy Manager Marketing: Tarun Malviya Sales & Marketing Coordinator: Atul Bali Senior Visualiser: Sachin Jain Production Manager: Kanda Thanakornwongskul Group Circulation Manager: Porames Chinwongs Chief Financial Officer: Gaurav Kumar Advertising Sales Offices AUSTRIA, BENELUX, SWITZERLAND Cornelius W. Bontje Ph: +41 55 216 17 81, cornelius.bontje@armada.ch FRANCE Promotion et Motivation, Odile Orbec Ph: +33 1 41 43 83 00, o.orbec@pema-group.com GERMANY Sam Baird Ph: +44 1883 715 697, sam@whitehillmedia.com ITALY, NORDIC COUNTRIES Emanuela Castagnetti-Gillberg Ph: +46 31 799 9028, egillberg@glocalnet.net SPAIN Vía Exclusivas, Macarena Fdez. de Grado Ph: +34 91 448 76 22, macarena@viaexclusivas.com UNITED KINGDOM Zena Coupé Ph: +44 1923 852537, zena@expomedia.biz RUSSIA Alla Butova, NOVO-Media Ltd, Ph: (7 3832) 180 885 Mobile : (7 960) 783 6653 Email :alla@mediatransasia.com EASTERN USA – EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER Margie Brown, Ph: (540) 341 7581, margiespub@rcn.com WESTERN USA – WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER Diane Obright, Ph: (858) 759 3557, blackrockmedia@cox.net ALL OTHER COUNTRIES Vishal Mehta, Tel: (91) 124 4759625, Mobile: (91) 99 999 85425, (44) 11 5885 4423, E-Mail: vishal@mediatransasia.com Annual subscription rates: Europe: CHF 186. + 36. (postage) Overseas: USD 186. + 36. (postage) Controlled circulation: 22,739, certified by ABC ABC/WEMF, valid from autumn 2011. Printed by Media Transasia Thailand Ltd. 75/8, 14th Floor, Ocean Tower II, Soi Sukhumvit 19, Sukhumvit Road, Klongtoeynue, Wattana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand. Tel: 66 (0)-2204 2370, Fax: 66 (0)-2204 2390 -1 Subscription Information: Readers should contact the following address: Subscription Department, Media Transasia Ltd. Room No. 1205-1206, Hollywood Centre 233, Holywood Road, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2851 1933

Business

BOEING has announced that it has completed delivery of 257 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters and EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft to the U.S. Navy. Each aircraft was delivered ahead of schedule and within the contract budget. PLEXTEK LTD, the design house behind the market leading Blighter® electronicscanning ground surveillance radar system, announced that it has signed a

image tubes used in the Army’s AN/PVS-14 night vision goggles. The U.S. Army’s Research, Development, Engineering Command Acquisition Center issued the order. RAYTHEON has been awarded a $79.2 million contract by the U.S. Army to develop a system that will detect and destroy incoming rockets. The solution is called the Accelerated Improved Intercept Initiative (AI3). Development will culminate in a demonstration in 18 months, followed by low rate initial production.

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South Korean firm Nuriplan Co. Ltd, for the supply of Blighter radars into the South Korean market.

HARRIS CORPORATION, has announced the immediate availability of Momentum™, a complete communications solution for the growing Australian and New Zealand Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) user community. Momentum is an affordable, scalable digital solution that offers feature-rich functionality over an open technology platform. This new family of Harris radios provides public safety, public service, municipal, utility and transportation operators with a real choice in affordable digital communications.

ITT EXELIS has been awarded a delivery order for 8,248 Gen 3 image intensifier (I2) tubes under the U.S. Army’s OMNI VIII program. The largest order for I2 tubes to date under the program, the $11.1 million award is for MX-11769

OSHKOSH DEFENSE, has unveiled UPGRADED FMTV at the AUSA Winter Symposium & Exposition, Feb. 23-25 in Fort Lauderdale, USA. Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) is improved for protection and mobility for Warfighters on

the changing battlefield with new enhancements for the U.S. Army and National Guard’s. BOEING is being awarded an $11,399,100,000 firm-fixed-price, costplus-fixed-fee, time-and-materials contract by US Department of Defense to fulfill the Foreign Military Sales requirement of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to procure 84 new F-15 Saudi advanced aircraft with systems and munitions. AIRBUS MILITARY has signed a firm contract with Kazspetsexport, a State Company belonging to the Ministry of Defence of Kazakhstan, to supply two C295 military transport aircraft plus the related service support package for spare parts and ground support equipment. The aircraft will be operated by the Air Forces of Kazakhstan in support of their transport missions throughout the nation’s vast territory.

I BIG DEALS IN SHORT COMPANY

AMOUNT

EVENT

Lockheed Martin

$900 million

Operations Support (OPS) Services IDIQ contracts

AeroVironment

$11.1 million

RQ-11B Raven Small Unmanned Aircraft System Contract

Thales

Undisclosed

Flight Following System (FFS) to provide improved helicopter tracking

Lockheed Martin

$715 million

Construct Two Littoral Combat Ships

AeroVironment

$4.2 million

Switchblade Loitering Munition System Future Local Area Air Defence System Demonstration Phase Contract

FROM WHERE U.S. GSA U.S. Army Canadian Coast Guard U.S. Navy U.S. Air Force

MBDA

£483M

Boeing

$300 million

Performance Based Logistics contract of F-15K fighter jets

South Korea

Boeing

$11.4 million

To support 25mm Ammunition Storage and Handling Systems

U.S. Air Force

L-3 Communications

$50 million

Contract for Binocular Night Vision Devices

Northrop Grumman

$50 million

Repair avionics equipment on SH-60 Seahawk helicopter & EA-6B Prowler jet.

Raytheon

$3.8 million

Contract to communicate while conducting electronic warfare

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U.K. MOD

U.S. SOC U.S. NAVSUP U.S. DARPA

Amphibious Vehicles

The USMC Yardstick The United States Marine Corps remains the reference unit for amphibious operations. The cancellation of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) programme, announced in January 2011 and approved in May, has led to the revision of the future US Marine Corps amphibious vehicles fleet.

Paolo Valpolini

HE PROGRAM Manager Advanced Amphibious Assault thus decided upon a complete overhaul of the modernisation plans with a threepronged approach, namely to effectively develop of a new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV), to continue the technology development phase of a Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC) and to ensure survivability and/or technology upgrades to the current Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV). The US Marine Corps’ decisions will certainly have a deep impact on the choices of other smaller amphibious forces, especially amongst Nato and western countries, as some might well be called upon to operate

The test vehicle developed at the Nevada NATC during trials at sea

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with them, meaning that a degree of commonality is a key issue. This article will mostly focus on the US Marine Corps requirements that might shape the market for the coming years. Some characteristics will be common to the various vehicles, such as the need to be capable to host up to four litters when used for Medevac operations, or a capacity to accommodate a crew of three plus five to eight staff members in command vehicle configuration. I THE AMPHIBIOUS COMBAT VEHICLE

The ACV will become the primary means of tactical mobility for the Marine rifle squad – both at sea and ashore. It will be capable to autonomously deliver the assault echelon from beyond the horizon with the speed required for a rapid build-up ashore.

In terms of ground mobility it will have to meet or exceed that of the M1A1. Its firepower will allow it to engage targets of a similar class and destroy them – and provide direct fire support to dismounted infantry. Three variants are envisaged, personnel carrier (ACV-P), command and control (ACV-C) and recovery/maintenance (ACVR). The programme is still in its infancy, an analysis of alternatives being underway to identify an affordable alternative with sufficient water speed to transit the required ship-to-shore distances and provide protected mobility and C2 capability ashore to operate with mechanised formations. The Corps aims at fielding the ACV around 2017 to 2020. According to preliminary requirements it will be able to deliver a reinforced Marine infantry rifle

The ambitious Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle programme was terminated in January 2011; the vehicle had a planing hull that allowed it to reach considerable speeds at sea. (US Marine Corps)

Developed by General Dynamics Land Systems, the amphibious, but defunct, EFV would have been armed with a medium-calibre gun with air burst capability. (US Marine Corps)

squad (between 15 and 18 Marines) from over-the-horizon at a speed of at least twelve nautical miles (twice that of the AAV but with a non-planing hull requirement) and offer a maximum ground speed of 72 km/h. Target protection level with appliquĂŠ armour is 14.5 mm ballistic and M-ATV level against mines and IEDs, objective requirements being respectively 30 mm and Mrap level. Overall 573 vehicles are needed, which is the number originally forecast for the EFV, although potential force cuts might reduce that quantity. Since no request for information has yet been issued it is difficult to identify potential suppliers, although it seems obvious that General Dynamics Land Systems will leverage experience garnered from the development work carried out on the EFV and thereby reduce risks in the design of the new vehicle, which in any case will be less ambitious if cost are to be contained. According to a General Dynamics official, the company believes that the skills resident

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Amphibious Vehicles

in its Amphibious Combat Vehicle Centre of Excellence are critical to any new Marine Corps ground combat vehicle programme. However the company feels it is premature to expand on its plans since the Marine Corps has not yet refined its requirements. The Department of Defense has however made clear that all competitors will be given equal opportunities and will be provided EFV technical data considered applicable and necessary for future amphibious vehicles. The ACV is intended as the replacement for the Amphibious Assault Vehicle (AAV) fielded in 1972, which will have been in service for well

An AAV7A1 splashes into the sea from the ramp of a US Navy amphibious vehicle. These tracked amphibious personnel carriers will remain in service until the 2020s. (US Marine Corps)

over 40 years when the ACV is fielded. I ASSAULT AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE UPGRADE

The current Marines fleet of AAV7 underwent the Reliability, Availability, Maintainability – Rebuild to Standard (Ram/RS) programme and includes AAVP7A1 Ram/RS personnel carriers, Ram/RS C2 and AAVR7A1 Ram/RS recovery variants. Because the last AAV7A1 will probably be phased out in 2025 – after more than 50 years of service – a further improvement programme is foreseen. Survivability, land and water mobility require enhancements to bridge the gap with the ACV. Upgrades will include belly and sponson armour, blast-mitigating seats, spall liners, fuel tank protection and deck liners. To cope with the inevitable resultant weight increase, the vehicle will receive automotive and suspension upgrades. Water

mobility will be increased thanks to a modification to the water jet system, with a target speed increase to ten knots (from the current six to seven kt) and a capability to sustain 0.9-metre waves for 90 minutes. As for land mobility, the vehicle is expected to operate alongside M1A1s. The carrier variant will accommodate 17 to 18 Marines plus a crew of three and one or two days of supplies. Target ballistic protection is against 14.5 mm rounds, though the objective is to reach 20 mm. Solutions such as removing internal fuel tanks and relocating them outside the vehicle for increased safety might be considered. Lethality options include the replacement of the current turret with a 30mm remote-controlled weapon station. The US Marine Corps intends to upgrade some 392 AAVP7A1 Ram/RS, while a number of C and R variants will undergo selected upgrades. This upgrade will enter the acquisition life cycle at Milestone B during FY12, which will spark off the engineering, manufacturing and development phase. Developmental testing is planned for late FY15 followed by operational testing in early FY16. Initial fielding is planned for late FY17. Low-rate initial production is planned for the fourth quarter FY15, and full-rate production is planned to begin in the second quarter FY17. BAE Systems, which declined to comment, is certainly in pole position for the upgrade contract, being the company

In order to better hone its requirements and before the delivery of test vehicles, the US Marine Corps has developed its own 8 x 8 technology demonstrator and had it built by the Nevada Automotive Test Center. (US Marine Corps)

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A prototype of the Lockheed Martin-Patria Havoc during sea trials. This vehicle eyes the US Marine Corps Personnel Carrier contract. (Lockheed Martin)

that developed and produced the vehicle and carried on the Ram/RS programme from 1998 to 2006. To what extent the upgrade programme will impact the fleet of more than 370 AAV7 operating worldwide (Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand and Venezuela) remains to be seen. I THE MARINES PERSONNEL CARRIER

Of the three programmes, the MPC is definitely the most mature, as the decision

to go for an 8 x 8 personnel carrier was validated in Spring 2008. A request for information was passed out in February 2011 with answer deadline in April. Awaiting industry test vehicles, an 8 x 8 technology demonstrator vehicle was developed at the Nevada Automotive Test Center. The request for proposals regarding the test and development phase came in early February 2012 and stipulated the delivery of a non-development vehicle eight months later. The Marine Corps will focus on four major areas, namely water performance, survivability, human factors and stowage capacity, and potential US content. Final requirements should be available in early 2013 based on tests, three prototypes being then produced by that time versus the seven originally planned. Some 600 units are at stake. The Marines Personnel Carrier will provide general support lift to the ground combat element of the Marine Air Ground

Task Force, four battalions of armoured personnel carrier being currently planned. This will allow the Lavs to be returned to their original task, which is reconnaissance and light armour tactics. A rifle squad includes 13 Marines, few armoured vehicles are capable to carry such numbers plus their crew, and even fewer meet the Corps’ requirements in terms of mobility and protection. Moreover, the Marines are unwilling to concentrate all the squad manpower on a single vehicle. Thus two MPC-Ps (the personnel carrier variant of the 8 x 8 vehicle), will be able to lift a 17marine-strong reinforced rifle squad, meaning that each vehicle will carry a crew of three with eight or nine dismounts. Two specialised variants will operate beside the MPC-P, the command version (MPC-C) and the recovery vehicle (MPCR). As for seagoing capacities the requirement states: “The MPC will be sufficiently capable in the water to use the sea in the littoral operating area as manoeuvre space, breach inland water obstacles.” Target requirements consider shore-to-shore movements at six knots with 0.6-metre waves and a 1.2-metre plunging surf (with an objective requirement of 0.9

Amphibious Vehicles

and 1.8 metres respectively). Surf transit seaward and beachward is part of the testing programme. Two MPCs must be able to be transported by a ship-to-shore connector at full speed. As for protection the requirement is for “Mrap-level” or greater, which will be provided by a combination of basic hull (AKit), appliqué armour (B-Kit) and add-on armour (C-Kit). Three industry teams are known to be ready to bid for this contract, General Dynamics Land Systems, BAE Systems, Iveco DV and Lockheed MartinThe Havoc is a close derivative of the Patria Armoured Modular Vehicle. To improve commonality with other US Marine Corps vehicles Lockheed Martin is investigating the use of a different powerpack. (Lockheed Martin)

Patria, however others might join the fight in the coming months. Regarding other programmes General Dynamics did not provide any information, although the company will obviously exploit experience gained with the Piranha family to provide an amphibious version based on the latest developments of those vehicles. I HAVOC

Lockheed Martin and Patria unveiled their Havoc proposal for the US Marine Corps at the Gulf Defence and Aerospace Exhibition that took place in Kuwait City in mid-December 2011. Kuwait is one of the countries with a potential requirement for such a type of vehicle. The Havoc is largely based on the Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV) designed and produced by

Patria of Finland and of which more than 1500 vehicles have been ordered by Poland, Finland, Slovenia, the United Arab Emirates, Croatia and Sweden, and selected by South Africa. The main evolution that led to the Havoc focused on the three main areas that are blast resistance, survivability and corrosion. The internal volume remained the same, although the layout changed considerably to allow storage of all the equipment carried by the Marines. Another key point was the vehicle’s swim capacity, which Lockheed Martin and Patria have significantly increased. A first vehicle was produced, the one featured in this article. However, the Lockheed Martin-Patria second development vehicle, which includes all the sea-going enhancements was at hand, but the metrics of which does not correspond to the previous vehicle. That vehicle is the one that will undergo the trials next fall and that might be unveiled at the Modern Marine Day in late September. Lockheed Martin is also considering where to inject commonalities with the other Marine Corps vehicles, namely the ACV and AAV programmes. The AMV’s inherent modularity allows, for example, the replacement of the engine with minor modifications, and although the output of the MCV engine is obviously different from that of the tracked amphibious vehicles, installing an engine provided by the same manufacturer might bring logistic commonalities and thence savings on spares and maintenance crew training. Lockheed Martin made it clear that the company has no plans to enter the bids for the ACV and for the AAV upgrades. As for a possible involvement on the export market, case-by-case agreements might be discussed with Patria. I SUPER AV

Inside the Havoc: survivability is one of the key points of the MPC programme, and the vehicle is fitted with the latest energy absorbing seats. (Lockheed Martin)

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The BAE Systems-Iveco DV team intends to answer the Marine Corps requirement using the SuperAV 8 x 8 developed by the Italian company. The work on that vehicle started in late 2006, when Iveco decided to fill a gap in its armoured vehicles family. Indeed the existing 8 x 8 vehicles were either the Centauro armoured car with heavy-calibre gun, or the heavily armoured Freccia infantry fighting vehicle. A lower weight vehicle that could either answer the requirements of countries with lower protection needs or become a fully

Amphibious Vehicles

amphibious vehicle started to appear on the company’s computers. It features numerous commonalities with the Iveco 8 x 8 family of vehicles, starting from the “H” transmission architecture, final reduction and other automotive components taken from the Freccia. The engine is an Iveco Cursor 13 6L turbo intercooler providing 500 to 560 hp, coupled to a ZF 7HP902 gearbox. The SuperAV has an empty weight of 16 tonnes with an eight-tonne payload capacity for amphibious operations or nine tonnes for land operations. Propulsion in water is provided by two hydraulic-powered independent propellers that allow the vehicle to reach up to ten km/h or 5.4 knots, while on paved roads the SuperAV can travel at over 105 km/h. A scale model, 2.11 meters long compared to the 7.92 meters of the real vehicle, was submitted to a series of tests at the Dutch Maritime Research Institute Netherlands at Wageningen. Trials took about one month and verified stability, drag curves in the water, maximum speed in water and behaviour. The quest for optimal nautical performance did not blind designers from the fact that the SuperAV also had to be a good crawler. It thus features independent

McPherson hydro-pneumatic suspensions, 14.00R20 XML/XZL tyres, CTIS, run-flat VFI system, while steering on 1st and 2nd axles reduces the turning radius to less than ten meters. Protection levels have not been disclosed though part of the eight-tonne payload capacity can be used for add-on armour to increase protection against both ballistic and mine threats. The rear compartment can host up to twelve soldiers, with the driver upfront on the left, the overall internal volume being 14 cubic metres. Two rear doors are used to exit the vehicle, a ramp being proposed as an option with a weight penalty of about 200 kg. The existing prototype, with non-ballistic chassis, was tested in 2010 in Brindisi, home of Italian Navy amphibious forces. The vehicle without any ballast carried out movements from the beach to the sea and vice-versa, movements from a “San Giorgio” class LPD, etc. Those tests are being repeated in early 2012, this time with the vehicle loaded with the equivalent weight of a remotelycontrolled medium-calibre turret on top. The first target for the SuperAV remains the Italian requirement for the Joint Amphibious Force, which is part of the Forza NEC digitisation programme and should

The SuperAV at sea. The Iveco DV vehicle has been submitted to a first round of amphibious trials and is being tested again by the Italian Navy and Army. (Armada/PV)

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For the MPC programme, Iveco DV teamed with BAE Systems and is proposing its SuperAV 8 x 8, purposely developed for amphibious operations. (Armada/PV)

entail the acquisition of 144 vehicles for the Navy “San Marco” and the Army “Lagunari” amphibious regiments. Supported by the Iveco-Oto Melara consortium (CIO) and known as VBA (Veicolo Blindato Anfibio), it will be equipped with an Oto Melara Overhead Weapon Station armed with a Rheinmetall 25-mm KBA gun. In addition to the standard APC, Iveco is proposing a three-metre-wide-body version (increased from 2.72 metres) but with identical internal volume. Although not C-130 transportable it will provide an extra tonne of payload capacity in the amphibious role and increase the lateral stability when equipped with a medium-calibre turret thanks to the extra buoyancy. As for the US Marine Corps, the BAE Systems-Iveco team awaits the publication of the exact requirements and is producing a second prototype to be used for a road show in America. The SuperAV fulfilled all Marine Corps requirements highlighted in the request for information with the exception of the 95 percentile, American and European figures being different. Steel cutting for a new prototype dedicated to the MPC programme has started in January 2012 and tests are planned for May with a view to delivering this non-developmental item to the Marine Corps in October or November. Should the SuperAV-based proposal succeed, BAE Systems will be responsible for production with components coming from Italy, and for systems integration. On the other export markets Iveco is looking with interest at countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, India and Norway, while the Greek bid seems definitely cancelled due to the financial crisis.

MRAP Technology

Slat armour dramatically improved in the last decade. Pictured by the author, this Force Protection Cougar is totally surrounded by a cage of steel slats

Mrap, a Rather Old Idea If the Mrap design is strongly tied to operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, history tells us that the concept actually dates back some 50 years. At the time, another Arabic country was subjected to a bloody and long-lasting war – Algeria. The French army experimented new tactics, being the first army to use helicopters as high-mobility assets for special forces (the commandos de chasse) equipped and trained to destroy ‘Katiba’ rebels in mountainous environment.

Mark Huntiller

HERE WERE other innovations, amongst which some amazingly modified trucks that were part of the French coin (counter-insurgency) inventory. Algerian fighters used to organise ambushes, but also made extensive use of mines and bombs hidden along roads and frequently used trails.

The French Army’s main vehicles consisted of American WW II surplus, namely half-tracks, GMC trucks, M8 light reconnaissance cars and jeeps. None of them were able to withstand the blast and fragments generated by mines and roadside bombs. The AMX arsenal was thus asked to develop a mine-resistant vehicle able to better protect troops and provide convoys with dedicated escort assets. In association with Berliet, a truck

manufacturer renowned for its highly mobile ‘Sahara capable’ trucks, AMX designed an armoured hull featuring a superb “V” hull. Someone may say, “nothing’s new in the military”, and would be right! The first vehicles were put into service in 1959. A decade later, the southern part of Africa started to be affected by small ‘Cold Warrelated’ conflicts. Soviet-supported guerrillas were in charge of destabilising so-called ‘colonial inspired’ regimes in South Africa,

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MRAP Technology

Back-and-white pictures beset an old story: in the late 1950s AMX and Berliet teamed to make the first Mrap ever (right) for use in Algeria to escort convoys and transport infantry. (Armada/MH)

The 90° Vee-shaped hull bottom of the south African Ivema Gila troop transport is clearly shown on this picture. (Armada/MH)

The Force Protection Ocelot has won the LPPV programme in Britain. Its combines a “V” hull and a composite structure reinforced with ceramics. (Armada/MH)

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Namibia, Angola and Mozambique. Mines and roadside bombs were again weapons of choice in the hands of irregular forces. It was time to engage a serious engineering effort in favour of true armoured fighting vehicles with mine protection. First experiments started in South Africa with ‘long legged’ and V-shaped hulled vehicles. Those first vehicles looked like ‘do it yourself ’ contraptions, mixing light truck drivelines, improvised frames and welded boxes to shelter driver and crew at the highest possible point. So characteristic of these vehicles, this essential feature was intended to place personnel as far away as possible from the blast point. The further the better. From demonstrator to production, the transition materialised with vehicles such as the Caspir, the Ratel and the Buffel. South African National Defence Forces used them extensively in their fight against Swapo and other insurgent forces and proved efficient enough to protect soldiers and weapon systems. The technology of mine protection, mainly based on the “V” hull concept and sacrificial suspension items, migrated to other assets such as logistic trucks (e.g. the Samil) and even artillery self-propelled howitzers like the G6. As far as armouring materials were concerned, regular RHA was exclusively used. There were no sophisticated ceramics, no aramid fibres, no composites, but just a clever ensemble resulting from new welding and bending processes, and the smart use of spaces and insulated compartments. Interestingly, the Merkava Mk 1 was designed along the same principles and at

MRAP Technology

The Paramount Matador has straight-line DNA connection with its famous South African ancestors, the Caspir and the Buffel. The “V” is the basis of its design. Paramount turned its mind with the new Mbombe, which is based on a new protection approach. (Armada/MH)

the same time! Meanwhile, the northern hemisphere was frozen in a Cold War posture – a far cry from the southern regional concerns, made of ambushes, fights in the bush, raids and zone control, with their ballistic consequences from blasts and fragments. However, peacekeeping operations in former Yugoslavia came about and completely changed minds and acquisition strategies. The German industry was among the first to understand the dramatic changes that were about to unravel and the KraussMaffei Wegmann ATV was rolled out in 1996. The led a new generation of mineprotected vehicle to a more balanced design, integrating new technologies but keeping the concept of a truck-based vehicle. The ATV became the Dingo, one of the most successful industrial stories at the turn of the new century.

This detailed picture of the back of the BAE Systems RG-35 shows two interesting features of the armoured structure. First, the angle of the “V” is significant and it has been reinforced with a small welded plate. Secondly, the welding line between the V-shaped floor and the hull sides can be seen in the upper left of the picture. The deep overlapping between the upper and lower structures guarantees stiffness and a proper seal against a shock wave. Typical thickness is around 18 mm of HHS. It provides a level 3 ballistic and a level 4a/4b mine. (Armada/MH)

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I TO VEE OR NOT TO VEE

Vee was the magic word and a sine qua non in mine-protected hull construction conversations, to a point where no credibility could possibly be given if the letter didn’t feature. Marketing was so efficient that many armies required the “V” as the ultimate solution in their planned acquisitions. Armoured fighting vehicle manufacturers understood that without “V” many business opportunities might have vanished. Therefore, from the genuine “V” to

marketing the “V”, the step was short. The beauty of the “V” is that a single folded or properly welded sheet of steel, positioned at the right height provides mine protection without any additional system. It is a stand-alone solution. Its thickness is important too, but less than the value of the angle. It was clearly demonstrated that a “flat V” doesn’t behave as expected, the blast wave not being adequately deflected. The blast deflection effectively occurs when the angle is close to 90°. Nevertheless, when it is combined with high ground clearance it mechanically drives to a high silhouette – the weakness of all Mraps.

Permali Gloucester is a major important armour specialist. These two pictures show side-protection panels and a floor protection for light to medium vehicles. Though the mine protection kit is designed for Land Rovers, it is interesting to notice that no welding line is visible. Folding, bending and stamping solutions are preferred for robustness with welding avoided as much as possible. (Armada/MH)

Coin operations in Iraq started in 2004. Mrap was an American industrial answer to an urgent operational requirement. Former South African engineers took on the hiring opportunities offered by innovative and commercially aggressive companies like Force Protection or Navistar. Within very short notice, they were able to offer solutions to the US Marines who where first in line to demand a new generation of combat and support vehicles. The South African fellows came up with the proven solution they knew, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vâ&#x20AC;?, of course the rest is a well-known story. The American industrial heavy machinery, taking a wartime posture, was able to deliver thousands of Mraps in a few years. Many models were manufactured and they got heavier and heavier as the threat increased. By the end of 2008 this lethal vicious circle spun out into an operational cul-de-sac. Indeed, Mraps were not designed to run over cross-country and, as they

MRAP Technology

got heavier, their mobility got increasingly impaired. Insurgents thus knew where to catch them. I CURRENT “V” – THE TRUTH

It was time to think differently and to break the protection paradigm. Strategists suddenly realised or rediscovered that mobility was part of the holistic survivability approach. In a recent symposium, the French Army stated that no VBL had been hit by a RPG though many of them had been threatened and fired upon by insurgents in all theatres of operations during the last twenty years. The vehicle is simply too small and too agile. The M-ATV programme was launched and it was anticipated that protection solutions would be different. The goal was to design a cross-country-capable vehicle with a more balanced ballistic protection. Lowering the silhouette in order to provide better mobility excluded a “V” floor. At this point of the story it must be emphasised that “V” is not “‘the’” solution, but “a” solution. Neither the Merkava, nor the Puma, the VBCI and even the light Mraps like the Dingo or the Aravis rely on this solution. Thick and stiff floors or energy absorption modules are very efficient technologies too. Nevertheless, confusion is intentionally

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This Force Protection Cougar (above) features thick and heavy side armour blocks to prevent an EFP from penetrating the crew’s citadel. Jammers and electronics countermeasures have blossomed onboard all Mraps in Iraq and Afghanistan, as shown on this Cougar (top), but pose problems with communications, crew safety and health regulations. (Armada/MH)

maintained for obvious marketing reasons. Indeed anyone can notice that “V” or even “double-V” floors are mentioned in some programmes, though the “V” angle is rather flat. The sole purpose of those so-called Vs is to augment the stiffness of the floor, without being able to deflect any blast. This technology is applied to the Canadian Lav 3 modernisation programme and can be

observed underneath the Oshkosh M-ATV, the Piranha 5 or some other 6x6 and 8x8 combat vehicles. Interestingly “flatter” floor technologies use very traditional materials, regular RHA and high hardness steels being preferred. Lower silhouettes mean shorter distances between the floor and the ground. It is then mandatory to use materials with good ballistic and resilience properties. Good ballistic properties are required to stop fragments and shrapnel generated by both the mine and the ground (because high-velocity stones and pebbles can be just as lethal). Resilience on the other hand guaranties that the plate will absorb the shock wave without shattering or tearing. It appears that good old RHA and its derivatives, HHS or very high hardness steels are well up to the job. There is a lot of steel underneath an MATV or a Dingo. The Nexter Aravis also uses nicely designed energy-absorption modules made of steel. They are combined with an aluminium folded floor to provide a level 4a/4b mine protection. It is also noticeable that some aluminium alloys are very suited too as they have an outstanding capability to stop fragments. According to the nature of the threat, other materials can be integrated into the armour sandwich. Glass and polyethylene

The Universal Engineering Ranger was presented as the ultimate Mrap concept, mixing as it does almost all available technologies to provide the best protection afforded by the weight limit. Despite promising performances, the Ranger has failed to convince a first customer to date. (Armada/MH)

without compromising mobility. I GETTING THE RIGHT STUFF

are favourites. They have a very positive action against small explosively-formed projectiles (as used by some mines like the former Yugoslavian TMRP-6). The most critical part in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;flatterâ&#x20AC;? floor design is to make sure it remains

sealed against the penetration of a shock wave. Drop boxes, axles, and other parts of the mechanical driveline of an Mrap require holes in the hull and the main structure of the vehicle. The art of mine-protected vehicles consists in filling those holes

At least three steps identify the evolution in the nature of the threats in Iraq and Afghanistan. step one consisted of mines and buried shells of all kinds that hit the lower part of the Mrap. step two: urban operations and zone control saw the proliferation of RPG attacks. The technical answer was static protection in the form of slats, grids and other equivalent concepts. As most of the RPG firings were defeated with this technology, insurgents thought differently. step three. Explosively formed projectile (or EFP) showed their ugly faces, creating a far more lethal threat than RPGs. In addition they can be remotely controlled to

MRAP Technology

limit operator exposure. They can also be triggered by wire or other devices and are generally made with old artillery shells: the body is cut in two parts and a spherical iron piece is directly affixed to the explosive block. This spherical piece is directly stamped out of sheet metal. Those handmade weapons have erratic behaviours, one of them being that they may generate many small projectiles — up to three — instead of generating a single hefty one. They thus hit the vehicle in a salvo and armour protection must be designed accordingly. I SUPER BIG MAC

An EFP generates three main effects: punch, penetration and fragmentation. Unsurprisingly thus, dedicated armour protection is generally made of different layers integrated in a box. Each layer is carefully selected and arranged to neutralise one of the above-mentioned effects. A standard industrial EFP, it is worthy of notice, is able to penetrate up to 100 mm of RHA, and that means 780 kg of metal per square meter! The entire lateral surface of an Mrap can reach 15 square metres, which would mean twelve tonnes of steel.

Doors and seats became high-technology items at the turn of the century with the advent of mines and roadside bombs. The door of this Dingo 2 exemplifies the new technologies implemented to prevent the crew from being hit by shock wave, blast and fragments. (Armada/MH)

Mrap designers obviously had to make do with limited protected areas, but armour labs created smart armour technologies with high mass efficiencies (Em). Statistics show that EFP generally “fly” between 0.8 and 2 metres above the ground, meaning that armour boxes are thus located between those height values on both sides of the vehicle. Some so-called “Super Big Mac” armour plates have been seen featuring up to eight layers of different materials. Steel is used to manufacture the external body of the boxes. It provides the required stiffness and it can receive bolted or welded attachments. The internal composition is made of aluminium, titanium, rubber, ceramics, glass and polyethylene. They interact to combine their own mechanical properties to stop the projectiles, absorb energy and fragments. Each armour designer has his own recipe, which he keeps close to his chest as any multiple-star chef would. The smartest technologies easily reach Em=1.5, which represents up to three tonnes of armour on a large Mrap. Up to a hundred kilos of explosives can be carried by vehicles (also known as VBIED), which are triggered by suicide drivers who ram them into coalition convoys. Here, the best protection is intelligence gathering and subsequent standoff destruction of the vehicle. Turning back to the more classical static bomb threat, attention was paid to door and hatch designs. It must be remembered that a huge quantity of explosive creates a double wave. The first one hits the vehicle directly, but is immediately followed by a severe reverse depression that tends to rip doors and hatches off. Both waves are equally lethal for the crews who are shocked and shaked and an entire article wouldn’t suffice to provide a detailed description of the mine-proof seat technologies that are now being implemented in vehicles. I TRANSPARENT ARMOUR

More interesting are the dramatic improvements made by transparent armour. Thanks to the massive production requirements generated by American Mrap programmes, industrialists have been, financially speaking, in a favourable position to invest in those technologies. The armoured windows of 2011 are a far cry from the regular 1990s vintage thick glass plates. New composite or transparent ceramics like the Saint Gobain Sapphire even

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This BMC vehicle features a very interesting solution in that the entire hull is linked to the chassis via with a central axle, allowing it to rotate in case of side attack. Strong springs push the hull back into position once the blast wave has subsided. The proud oak is uprooted under the storm while the humble reed simply bends down. (Armada/MH)

feature better Em than RHA! Transparent armour is a key technology to provide crews with instantaneous situational awareness, a crucial operational requirement in coin missions. Armour technology took a quantum leap during the last fifteen years and owes a lot to Mrap programmes. Those technologies are now migrating to other armoured fighting vehicles to the extent that, for example, the future French VBMR personnel carrier gleans experience gained from protection technologies developed for Mraps, but incorporates it in the more classical mechanical architecture that pertains to armoured fighting vehicles. I AND REMEMBER...

The Mrap concept was about to self-implode when its poor mobility started to pose strategic problems. The M-ATV and retrofit independent suspension solutions as promoted by Oshkosh in America for example, are coming to the rescue. However, the story of Mrap protection did ring a few bells and showed once more how important a system approach is, where mobility, situational awareness, communication and active protection must all combine into a survivability bubble around the vehicle. It is one of the most important lessons learned from the recent engagements. The best ballistic material will never replace that.

AGM Matching

Like Horses for Courses, Air-to-Ground Weapons for Wars Each new conflict seems to highlight inadequacies in air-to-ground armament. The development of such weapons is thus largely a series of reactions, to achieve greater explosive effect, area coverage, enhanced penetration, better day/night all-weather delivery accuracy, impact at selectable angles, reduced collateral effects or the destruction of NBC targets without creating lethal plumes. Looking ahead, North Korea would pose its own special problems.

Roy Braybrook

ORLD WAR II, lasting even longer than its predecessor and heading toward a drawnout siege of Japan, created the need for a real showstopper. This eventuated as the atomic bomb, a device so horrific that any nation thus attacked (and incapable of retaliation) would immediately sue for peace. The need for special-purpose bombs arose even earlier. In the Spanish Civil War (193639) Hitler’s Legion Condor pioneered divebombing with the Henschel Hs123 for precision delivery, but found difficulty in hitting moving ships. This led to two radioguided bombs: the 1362-kg Fritz-X unpowered penetrator for high release, and the 1045-kg rocket-powered Henschel Hs293. Both entered Luftwaffe service in 1943. The best-publicised unguided highexplosive bomb of World War II was the 4200kg Vickers Type 464 ‘bouncing bomb’, which in 1943 destroyed two German hydroelectric dams, causing substantial flooding and loss of life. Released from an Avro Lancaster at low level over the water, it was given a 500-rpm back-spin, to ricochet over torpedo nets and force the sinking bomb against the dam, to

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Purposely built as an anti-ship missile, the 1940s vintage radio-controlled and rocket-powered HS293 missile proved diabolical to control and relatively easy to jam, particularly after the capture of near-intact transmitter components on a crashed Heinkel He177. (EHB/Armada)

detonate nine metres down. The Allies needed penetration bombs to destroy Germany’s hardened facilities. The leading example with Britain’s 5445-kg Vickers Tallboy. Released at 20,000 ft, the Tallboy would hit the ground supersonically,

typically producing a crater 24 metres deep and 30 metres wide. It could penetrate five metres of concrete. Introduced in 1944, the Tallboy was employed against underground V-1 and V-2 assembly bunkers and later against the 43,000tonne battleship Tirpitz. The bomb led to the 10,000-kg Grand Slam, which could penetrate 40 metres of earth or up to six metres of concrete. It was used in the final months against U-boat shelters, viaducts and railways. I EARLY POSTWAR

Some Tallboys were later produced in

In Nato’s Operation Unified Protector over Libya, the French Air Force and Naval Aviation employed the Dassault Rafale with the Sagem AASM/Hammer in both basic (INS/GPS) and IIR-homing forms

America as the T-10 or M121. Given an annular wing and large tail controls, the T-10 became the 5900-kg Tarzon radio-guided bomb. This served from 1949 to 1951, and was used from the Boeing B-29 against bridges and dams in the Korean War. Some M121 warheads were employed in the Vietnam War (1965-75), parachuted from Lockheed C-130 Hercules to create

helicopter landing zones in the jungle. This in turn led to the 6800 kg BLU-82 ‘Daisy Cutter’, likewise detonated above ground by a long probe. It was used in Vietnam, and later in Desert Storm (1991) to clear Iraqi minefields. Some were employed in 2003 in the Afghan mountains, reportedly for psychological effect. The GPS-guided GBU-43/B Massive

Ordnance Air Blast (Moab or ‘Mother Of All Bombs’) was developed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). It weighs 10,250 kg with 8500 kg of explosive, and is extracted by parachute from an MC130. It has also been evaluated for carriage in the Northrop Grumman B-2A. Although the Moab entered service in 2003, it has not yet been used operationally.

The world’s heaviest conventional explosives bomb, the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast or ‘Mother Of All Bombs” is shown prior to compatibility tests with the Northrop Grumman B-2A stealth bomber. (US Air Force)

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AGM Matching

Russia subsequently developed the Glonass-guided 7100-kg ‘Father Of All Bombs’, which uses a thermobaric warhead to give four times the explosive effect of the Moab. The Korean War highlighted a need for precision strikes against key bridges and tunnel entrances from a safe standoff distance. This prompted the development of the radio-guided, rocket-powered 260-kg Martin Marietta AGM-12B Bullpup, which entered service in 1959 and become the first mass-produced air-to-surface guided missile. In attacking bridges in North Vietnam though, the Bullpup was less successful than the same company’s unpowered TV-guided 544-kg AGM-62 Walleye I, which served from 1967. The 1130-kg Walleye II was still in US Navy service at the time of Operation Desert Storm (1991). The Vietnam War produced the laserguided bomb (LGB) as a cheap, precise means to destroy key bridges. The Paveway I was introduced in 1972 and over 10,000 were used by the US Air Force alone. The Paveway II featured fold-out fins for improved range and accuracy. The Soviet air defences of North Vietnam had to be suppressed by anti-radiation missiles. The Texas Instruments AGM-45 Shrike was introduced in 1965, and was augmented from 1968 by the General Dynamics AGM-78 Standard. The supersonic Texas Instruments (later Raytheon) AGM-88 Harm was first used operationally by the US Navy against Libyan air defences in 1986. I THE WAR THAT NEVER CAME

Western post-Vietnam planning was largely

Bad weather in the Balkans in 1999 demonstrated the need for bombs with INS/GPS navigation, as instanced by these Boeing GBU-31 Jdams on one of three rotary launchers of a Rockwell B-1B, which can carry 24 such bombs. (US Air Force)

concerned with the fear of a Warsaw Pact armoured thrust across Western Germany. Anti-tank guided weapons in the form of Nord Aviation SS.10s had been used by French Army helicopters in Algeria in 1955. However, the dawn of the new anti-tank missile era ATGW really came with the Hughes/Raytheon BGM-71 Tow, used by two US Army Bell NUH-1B Hueys to destroy 73 North Vietnamese tanks in 1972. Post-Vietnam anti-armour developments included the supersonic Lockheed Martin

One of the key weapons in Desert Storm of 1991 was the Raytheon GBU-27/B Paveway III laser-guided penetration bomb, tailored specifically for carriage inside the Lockheed Martin F-117A stealth aircraft. (Raytheon)

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AGM-114 Hellfire, first employed during the US invasion of Panama in 1989. Other developments were 30-mm depleteduranium ammunition, submunition dispensers producing uniform area coverage to compensate for delivery errors, and sensor-fuzed submunitions that rotate to scan the ground as they fall. Unsophisticated cluster munitions used in smaller wars left behind millions of unexploded bomblets, resulting in massive civilian casualties and postwar clearance problems. Many countries (though not China, Russia and the US) have now adopted the 2010 Convention on Cluster Munitions, banning their storage and use. Some minor conflicts changed thinking on air-to-ground weapons. For example, the 1983 US invasion of Grenada brought out the need for longer-range, heavier (12.7 mm, rather than 7.62) defensive guns on helicopters. I DESERT STORM

In the 1991 Gulf War, Paveway laser-guided bombs were again used successfully. One of the special needs was for penetrators to destroy deeply buried concrete bunkers.

The GBU-54 Ljdam is shown on an F-16C Block 40E (serial 89-2008) from the 510th Fighter Squadron â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Buzzardsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; of the 31st Fighter Wing, based at Aviano AB in Italy. It was pictured at Bagram in Afghanistan. (US Air Force)

The best penetrator available when Iraq invaded Kuwait (August 1990) was the 984kg GBU-27/B version of the Paveway III with BLU-109 warhead. This had been developed for internal carriage on the Lockheed F-117A and could penetrate 1.8 metres of reinforced concrete.

For even better penetration, the 2130-kg GBU-28A/B Paveway III was developed with the BLU-113 warhead, manufactured from old 203-mm artillery barrels in a 28-day programme. The GBU-28 was claimed to penetrate over six metres of reinforced concrete, but could be carried only by the Boeing F-15E and General Dynamics F-111F. Concern over the limitations of the GBU-28 led to the fielding in 1997 of the 540-kg B61 Mod 11 nuclear penetrator, with a reported yield of 340 kilotonnes. The B61 Mod 12 planned for 2017 will allow internal carriage in the Lockheed Martin F-35, and will have Jdam-type GPS/INS guidance. I NORTHERN WATCH

Post-Desert Storm operations produced a demand for air-to-ground weapons with reduced collateral effects. No-fly zones had been established by the

AGM Matching

Recalling the early days of military aviation, when it took only one man to lift a bomb, the 5.9kg Raytheon Small Tactical Munition (STM) glide weapon is loaded manually on the same company’s Cobra drone. (Raytheon)

Coalition over the north and south of Iraq to protect dissidents from air attacks by Saddam Hussein’s forces. During Northern Watch missions in 1998 it was discovered that Iraqi Sam launchers were being placed next to mosques, schools and densely populated areas, making them impossible targets for conventional ordnance. The US Air Force addressed this problem by using laser-guided practice bombs filled with concrete, the kinetic energy of impact being sufficient to destroy most targets. I OPERATION ALLIED FORCE

Nato operations over the former Yugoslavia in 1999 involved some new weapons, and demonstrated the limitations of existing guided bombs. During the first air raid (2 May 1999), F117s produced widespread disruption of electrical power supplies by use of the GBU114/B submunition, or ‘filament bomb’. Dispensed from the 450-kg CBU-94/B or SUU-66/B, which carried 202, they scattered chemically-treated graphite filaments that short-circuited electrical supplies. Over Kosovo in 1999 the dependence of laser-guided bombs on a clear sightline to the target brought major problems. Acknowledging the threat of Serbian air defences, Nato had imposed a minimum release height of 15,000 feet, but low cloud persisted for two-thirds of the 78-day operation, ruling out laser-dependent attacks for extended periods. The solution was satellite guidance, giving semi-precise delivery against fixed

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targets, regardless of weather, though with reservations over possible GPS jamming. However, in 1999 the INS/GPS-guided Boeing Jdam was still in low-rate production (as the 950-kg GBU-31 and 2130-kg GBU–37) and was cleared only for the Northrop Grumman B-2A. The US Air Force quotes a mean accuracy of 30 metres on INS alone, or 13 metres with GPS, against a precisely surveyed aim-point. Boeing subsequently private-ventured the addition of a laser seeker for the Jdam to allow better precision (three metres) when laser designation is available. It also allows use against moving targets, though with reduced accuracy (six metres). Based Exhibited as it will be ejected from a tworound launcher designed by Systima Technologies, this 2.7-kg ATK Hatchet minimissile is being developed from the outset as a complete integrated system. (ATK)

on the 253-kg GBU-38, the GBU-54 LaserJdam or Ljdam is intended for targets moving at up to 112 km/h. Conversely, the addition of an INS/GPS module to an LGB allows an attack on a fixed target to continue if cloud moves to obscure it. Lockheed Martin was funded by the US Navy to develop a dual-mode version of the 227kg GBU-12, adding GPS/INS navigation to legacy Paveway II kits. Series production of this GBU-12F/B began in 2007. In 2001 Raytheon Systems in Britain began production of the GPS/INS-assisted Enhanced Paveway II or GBU-49. The EP2 was followed by the dual-mode 227-kg Raytheon Paveway IV, combining laser spot-homing and second-generation GPS/INS, with anti-spoofing and antijamming. It also has an enhanced Mk 82 penetration warhead and a Thales-Alliant Techsystems Aurora fuze. The Royal Air Force introduced the Paveway IV in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than 700 were dropped over Libya during Operation Unified Protector in 2011. I DRONE WARS

One of the features of the 2003-2011 US-led occupation of Iraq has been the use of armed drones, notably the General Atomics MQ-1 and MQ-9, using the 227-kg GBU-38 Jdam, 227-kg GBU-12 Paveway II LGB and 47-kg Hellfire. Use of Hellfire from level flight at medium altitude necessitated development of the AGM-114P with increased look angle. The AGM-114P+ for the US Army MQ1C adds an inertial measurement unit and software changes to allow sharp turns after launch. The AGM-114R will combine a multi-purpose warhead and a choice of trajectories to suit targets inside buildings and caves. Drone use has generated requirements for lighter, less expensive missiles, such as the Northrop Grumman GBU-44/B Viper Strike and the Raytheon Griffin, both in the 20-kg class. The unpowered Griffin-A is already in service in Afghanistan on the US Marine Corps KC-130J Harvest Hawk and US Special Operations Command MC-130W Dragon Spear. The rocket-powered GriffinB is proposed for drones such as the Northrop Grumman MQ-8B and General Atomics MQ-1C. I REDUCED COLLATERALS

Ground targets in Iraq have often been

AGM Matching

The recent demand for weapons with reduced collateral effects has encouraged Lockheed Martin to develop the 45.4-kg Scalpel on the basis of its Enhanced Laser Guided Training Round. (US Navy)

warheads, produced by Aerojet, was delivered in early 2011. The MBX is also referred to as enhanced blast explosive or dense inert metal explosive (Dime). It combines conventional explosive with a powdered high-density metal such as tungsten. The strength of the blast wave falls with the cube of radius, giving high lethality at short range but little collateral effect. Another product of the 2006 US Centcom initiative is the 130-kg GBU-39A/B Focused Lethality Munition (FLM) variant of the GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB-I), with a 93-kg warhead combining a composite case and Dime filling. The SDB has a BAE Systems Diamond Back wing-kit for a standoff range of 110 km. The objective of the FLM is to kill the occupants of a crudely built structure without destroying the structure itself. Developed by AFRL and the Air Armament

One product of the Cold War was the Lockheed Martin AGM-114, a lightweight supersonic laser-homing anti-armour weapon. An AGM-114P is shown on a General Atomics MQ-1B Predator at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. (US Air Force)

small groups of insurgents and unarmoured vehicles. To deal with soft targets close to innocent civilians or friendly forces, the US Centcom (Central Command) produced a need statement for a Low Collateral Damage Bomb (LCDB) in 2006. The LCDB was developed by the Naval Air Systems Command, by reducing the explosive fill of the 210-kg BLU-111 warhead from 84 to 12.2 kg and restoring its mass with inert material. The resulting BLU-126/B LCDB is used in GPS-guided Jdam form as the GBU-38(V)4, and in laserhoming Paveway II form as the GBU-51/B. The latter was the first LCDB to be deployed. Deliveries began in April 2007. The first operational use occurred on 27 July, when a Boeing F/A-18 of the US Marine Corps VMFA(AW)-121 ‘Green Knights’ used a GBU-51/B against a group burying an improvised explosive device alongside a convoy route.

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Lockheed Martin is developing the 45.4kg Scalpel low collateral damage weapon, based on its E-LGTR (Enhanced Laser Guided Training Round). A flight demonstration with an inert round took place in January 2008. In January 2010, the US Joint Chiefs approved a Joint Urgent Operation Need (Juon) for a very low collateral damage weapon (VLCDW) that would be compatible with the Jdam and the Ljdam, and could be used on any aircraft cleared for the Mk 82. The resulting US Air Force’s Precision Lethality (PL) Mk 82 or BLU-129/B is a Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) programme. The PL Mk 82 employs a carbon-fibre composite case, so that detonation produces blast and only a cloud of dust and fibres. It uses a multi-phase blast explosive (MBX) developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. A batch of 50

Center, the first 50 FLMs were delivered in March 2008 to the US Air Force, which has acquired at least 250. In October 2008 the US Air Force issued an RFI for concepts for a Selectable/Variable Effects Weapons of not greater than 227 kg, providing at least two effect modes (min/max), to enter development in 2012 and 2016. Such weapons are seen as allowing relaxation in the rules of engagement in dealing with targets of opportunity. The Nato air operation over Libya, aimed at preventing Colonel Gaddafi from massacring civilians, again demonstrated the need for low collateral damage. Britain used the 49-kg MBDA Dual-Mode Brimstone, combining millimetric radar and laser homing. The French services used 225 examples of the 250-kg Sagem AASM/Hammer missile in both its basic GPS/INS form and with imaging-infrared terminal homing. The 1230-kg MBDA Storm Shadow cruise missile was used against targets that were outside the reach of combat search-and-rescue units. I FUTURE NEEDS

The US Air Force has studied the possible

More ways than one to kill a tank. A recent Raytheon exhibit featured in descending order: the 5.9-kg Small Tactical Munition (STM) for drone applications, the 23-kg Tow missile and the 120GM Dagger INS/GPS-guided mortar bomb. (Raytheon)

need to destroy North Korean facilities buried deep under granite. The resulting GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator weighs 13,600 kg and is 6.2 metres long. In April 2011 the service contracted Boeing to produce eight such bombs for $ 28 million. Two GBU-57s can

Photographed at Solenzara (BA126) in Corsica, these 250-kg Sagem SBU-38 Hammer INS/GPS-guided bombs are shown with French Air Force Dassault Rafale F3s of Escadre de Chasse EC.01 from BA113, St Dizier-Robinson. (Sagem)

be carried by a Northrop Grumman B-2A. Deeper penetration would require rocketassisted bombs, or new types of nuclear weapons (the development of which is currently ruled out by Congress). In September 2011 AFRL invited industry proposals for risk-reduction efforts leading to a High Velocity Penetration Weapon (HVPW), which is seen for research purposes as a 900-kg class device with a solid rocket booster. The HVPW is required to fit in the weapons bay of the F-35, and to have the same penetration capability as a 2270-kg gravity bomb. In April 2011 ATK was awarded a development contract for the Hard Target Void-Sensing Fuze (HTVSF) for use on all current and future US families of 900 and 2270-kg air-delivered penetrating weapons.

Camouflage

The Quest for the Multispectral Chameleon In the ‘survivability onion’, the term ‘do not be seen’ remains among the top priorities to be able to see another day. Compared with air and sea, ground provides many more concealment opportunities, but things nevertheless get more complicated on the move when a human being or a vehicle must merge into a background that may considerably vary. This is true for both visual and thermal spectra, which are the two domains in which ground units must hide.

Paolo Valpolini

round surveillance radars are obviously an added threat, but their spread is minimal compared to the Mk 1 Eyeball aided by optical enhancements and thermal vision systems, with the latter no longer restricted to vehicles but widely distributed to the soldier on foot in the form of light hand-held units. Research is working in various directions,

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although reduced military budgets will certainly have an impact on those programmes as well. One of the fields currently explored is that of nanotechnologies, with the hope of finding materials that could be purposely engineered so that they change properties under the influence of various types of stimuli such as temperature, moisture, electric charge, magnetic fields and so forth. Thermochromic and photochromic materials that change colour according to

temperature or light intensity are already available, but electrochromic materials that change colour under the influence of electricity might well hold the best promises for military applications. This would indeed considerably help to adapt the visual colour of an object to that of the background. The key factor here is to find a system that is capable of picking a vehicle’s background colours and subsequently determining which parts of the vehicle will have to be ‘painted’ and in which colour – a

thermal imaging system, even if one has to remember that the mean temperature of the vehicle may still not match that of its background, meaning that even a complete cancellation of hot spots might not be sufficient to make the vehicle â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;invisibleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. One company that has been particularly active in that department in recent years is BAE Systems. In late November 2010 the British Minister for Defence Equipment announced a white paper to be published in spring 2011 that would formalise the Defence Industrial and Technology Policy for the next five years. In that framework

BAE Systems launched the Future Protected Vehicle study, with the aim of addressing two main issues: the high number of casualties related to convoy attacks in Afghanistan (over 80% of all American casualties), and the high cost of fuel on the front line (15 to 50 times higher there due to the cost of logistics). The company studies are aimed at identifying innovative technologies and concepts for short-, medium- and long-term exploitation. The research has pondered over 567 technologies and 244 vehicle concepts, and involved 35 industrial

A detail of the BAE Systems Adaptiv active thermal camouflage system, which is also said to help reducing radar signature. (Armada/PV)

Artist impression of the BAE Systems Wraith with an active visual camouflage system

real feat if the vehicle is in motion if one bears in mind that visual systems, especially in daylight, have a much higher definition than thermal systems. Between visual and thermal, the latter is definitely the easier client since it involves much fewer variables than the visual spectrum. Research programmes by official agencies seem to be mostly oriented in that direction, while generally speaking the importance of camouflage appear to have been played down by other higher priorities resulting from lessons learned from current operational theatres. This in no way means that the camouflage field has come to a halt, 2011 having brought a wealth of new products both in passive and active domains. As for available solutions, the recent past has delivered some significant improvements in active thermal camouflage, or to be more precise, in the capacity of a material to match the thermal signature of the background. Reducing the heat signature generated by a propulsion system or rotating elements is paramount to decreasing oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chances of being spotted by an enemy equipped with a

BAE Systems first showed its Adaptiv active thermal camouflage system at DSEI 2011, installed on a CV90 prototype. (Armada/PV)

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Camouflage

The Tacticam 3D developed by Armorworks comes in flat lightweight panels that are installed over the vehicle armour. (Armada/PV)

organisations as well as British universities and schools. Some 47 technologies were finally identified as short-term ones, with some relevant to the camouflage and signature reduction world (active thermal management and active visual signature management). At least one of them has already come to fruition, although it has earlier roots. The Swedish FMV started in the late ‘90s to be worried about the proliferation of thermal sensors on the battlefield and asked its national industry to co-operate and identify technologies that might reduce vehicle infrared signatures. Initially the system used for pumping heat from the vehicle’s surface was based on water, but this solution proved too expensive, too power thirsty and not robust enough. The company thus shifted to a different approach that led to what was is known as the Adaptiv. Developed with a fifty-fifty investment between industry and the Swedish military, it was unveiled at DSEI 2011 in London. Based on the heat exchange principle, the Adaptiv is physically formed by a series of hexagonal tiles approximately 15 centimetres across, each one working as a solid-state semi-conductor heat pump and linked to the vehicle’s computer. In other words, each tile becomes a pixel of a huge screen spread over the sides of the vehicle. Not many details were unveiled and no cables are used to command the tiles, so an induction system might be used. It is the computer that tells every single

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tile at which temperature it must be set and manages the power generation to do this end (to individually increase or decrease the temperature of every single tile) and ‘thermally sink’ the vehicle into its own background. The required temperature, which can differ from one tile to the next, is provided by a thermal camera (which can be the vehicle’s own thermal vision system). Once the sensor has analysed the background, it provides the data to the computer, which in turn manages the tiles’ temperatures to reproduce the picture of the background. Interestingly, the pixel array of the system allows it to be use in other modes, deception being one of them when the thermal signature of a totally irrelevant vehicle is purposely displayed. IFF is another option made possible by using the pixels to display an established code sign, or even message. A tracked infantry fighting vehicle requires around 1500 such tiles, optimised for an observation range of at least 500 metres. Current tiles are rigid but a flexible version is under development for other applications such as helicopters. Refresh time is relatively short and ensures camouflage even with vehicles moving at 30 km/h. Current Adaptiv tiles also ensure good radar energy absorption and can also be ballistically protected. According to BAE Systems officials the new product will be available in late 2013. A visible spectrum camouflage system, which might be based on visual film technology over panels, could

be available three years later. Another company that is finalising the development of an active thermal signature camouflage system operating along the same principle is Eltics of Israel. Known as the Black Fox, this adaptive multi-spectral stealth technology can be used in land and naval applications. It comes in the form of panels affixed to a vehicle and linked to electronic control boxes. The latter are connected to two panoramic cameras that provide a 360° thermal scan around the vehicle. This allows the electronics to reproduce the thermal picture on the panels and thereby blend the vehicle into its background, even on the move. Each panel is made of multiple parts, sort of pixels, each of them linked to a digital processor that sets the right temperature within the 3-5 and 8-12 µm spectral ranges, typical of thermal imagers. Full blending is just one mode, though others allow mimicking a different vehicle using data stored into a database or display reconnaissance symbols or numbers. Eltics has demonstrated that a Land Rover protected by three panels could ‘disappear’ into the landscape (when watched through a thermal imager, of course). With a view to improving integration with vehicles the company teamed with Israel Military Industries in 2010 to eventually merge the Black Fox with

Armorworks Tacticam 3D shown here on a GDLS Stryker. This product was devised to reduce both thermal and radar signatures. (Armada/PV)

Camouflage

Intermat of Greece also offers special paints for buildings to reduce their vulnerability to thermally guided missiles. (Intermat)

armour packages and obtain what is termed Invisible Reactive Armour Protection. I PAINTS

Shifting to passive camouflage, Armorworks developed a three-dimensional system known as the Tacticam 3D that appeared on a Stryker at both AUSA 2010 and Idex 2011 exhibitions. Not many details were unveiled except that the new 3D skin irregular pattern coupled to the material used allows a considerable reduction in thermal and radar signatures. Panels are obviously painted in camouflage colours to cover the visual spectrum, using the company’s Opticam system that allows to rapidly create a camouflage pattern that adapts to the surroundings, basing the pattern on hyperspectral pictures of the scenario. The system comes in rigid 3D plastic panels that are installed over the armour. The specific weight of the panels has not been revealed but defined as ‘lightweight’. If panels with different optical camo are available the vehicle can quickly shift its outer skin without having to be repainted. The Tacticam 3D is still under development and was considered at TRL-5 in February 2011. Moreover, Armorworks also developed a spray paint that is said to reduce infrared signature to nil, but no details were made available on this product. Another paint specialist, Intermat of Greece, is actively marketing its Chameleon series of Low Observation Paints (Lop) – Low Emissivity Paints (Lep). In most oil-

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based and conventional paints 90% of the possible heat radiated is emitted from the platform’s surface. Chameleon paints aim to equalise the target’s optical and thermal/IR signature with that of the background, merging shapes and images in an image devoid of operational interest. This result is obtained by merging the higher reflectance of the target with the lower one of the background. Not much information has been provided by Intermat about its paint, which is proposed not only for vehicles but also for static installations to reduce their thermal signature and thereby impair the lock-on performance of some potential threats. Intermat also produces radar absorbent paints. A company specialised in radarabsorbent coating is Micromag of Spain, which uses a specific metallic fibre capable of absorbing electromagnetic waves. According to the company a 45-metre vessel painted with its product would have a radar signature equivalent to that of a four-metrelong boat. The company demonstrated its products at Nato level and has been actively dealing with the Pentagon, although nothing is being said about a possible contract. Over the past few years Saab Barracuda has considerably evolved its Mobile Camouflage System, adopting a system concept that provides signature reductions in the spectrum required by the user. The MCS is usually made of five to seven different layers of materiel. Continuous R&D efforts have allowed the company to improve radar and thermal performances

while making the materiel lighter. The 3D configuration is maintained, as this is according to Saab Barracuda the best solution to ensure thermal and radar signature reduction as well as better cooling when integrating the company’s Coolcam heat reduction system (to decrease the effects of sun radiation into the vehicle). Colours as well as near-IR values can be adapted to the environmental conditions in which the customer plans to operate. The MCS ensures protection against thermal imagers and heat-seeking missiles but also reduces electromagnetic reflection making lock-on by radar homing missiles operating in the 1-100 GHz band pretty difficult. Saab Barracuda plays on materials, particles, pigments and the position of the different layers within the camouflage package to obtain the desired effect. The MCS multispectral system is currently used on more than 4000 vehicles around the world, many of which are serving in Afghanistan. Originally developed to ensure the camouflage of mine and IED-clearing vehicles such as the Souvim, MBDA’s Multisorb lightweight synthetic fabric is starting to find new applications. Developed a few years ago under a requirement from the French DGA, the fabric is a passive camouflage that reduces signature in three domains, namely visual, infrared (in bands I, II and III) and radar (typically in the 4 to 100 GHz band). The Multisorb comes in the form of an outer ventilated three-dimensional structure applied onto a conductive mesh and then

A CV90 in action in Afghanistan equipped with Saab Barracuda’s Multispectral Camouflage System, a product currently installed on more than 4000 vehicles. (Saab)

Camouflage

mounted onto a foam base. It is available in sand, European and snow camouflage, its thickness varying between 50 and 100 mm while its specific weight is in the 1.5 to 3.0 kg/m2 range, depending on specifications. The Multisorb’s camouflage properties are attracting special forces, with French units testing them on Panhard VBLs (and they seem very satisfied since the materiel on test was not sent back to the company and is still being used). At least one other major European special forces unit is known

to be testing the Multisorb in very harsh conditions and a contract is awaited before year-end. A special force unit of a Far East country is also testing the MBDA material and amphibious forces of the same country have also expressed their interest. MBDA is also promoting the Multisorb as a radar and infrared absorption solution for fast attack craft although simple maintenance rules must be observed when used in a salt-water environment. A major Middle East country is considering the

The Multisorb developed by MBDA is here seen on a French Army VBL. Its specific weight varies between 1.5 and 3 kg/m2. (MBDA)

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This chart shows how MBDA’s Multisorb reduces thermal, radar and visual spectrum signatures. The system is attracting its first customers. (MBDA)

Multisorb to impair the lock-on capabilities of certain anti-tank missiles (more specifically to avoid positive identification and lock-on until the vehicle is within weapon range of the enemy system). Another company involved in the camouflage business is Blücher Systems of Germany, which recently introduced a new reversible camouflage tarpaulin for use as weather protection in desert or snow areas, the two sides having sand or white colour camouflage. The sand side features a textile surface that traps small particles of airborne sand to further enhance the merging effect of the tarp in the local colouring. The multiple-layer camouflage also ensures maximum effectiveness against thermal imagers. The Blücher system is made of a lightweight materiel, a five x five-meter tarp weighing a mere 20 kg.

Shows & Exhibitions

The Rafale, as impressive as ever. (EHB/Armada)

Dubai Air Show is Where Small Is Beautiful The reason why, over the years, the Dubai Air Show is by far rated a favourite amongst professional visitors (and probably a fair number of exhibitors) is its decent size. Yet anything that flies and counts in the world is there. Every two years. Visited and photographed by

Eric H. Biass

f one could transpose decibels into ink, the noisiest aircraft in the Dubai Air Show 2011 skies were not the ones that made the boldest daily news headlines. While the sales of commercial airliners took the upper hand in the papers, those aircraft did not shine by their presence aloft. Take the military aircraft scene and you get the

mirror image. They kept filling the skies in the afternoon, but made very little noise at lounge level, with one notable exception: the news on the very first morning that the United Arab Emirates had decided to reopen their fighter aircraft bid to Eurofighter took everyone by surprise, including quite a few Eurofighter officials. And apart from that, there was nothing much to write home about in terms of major defence sales. So gone were any hopes of seeing the Dassault Rafale clenching its first export deal

before year end. At stake are 60 aircraft, which are expected to replace a similar number of Mirage 2000-9s. While it was difficult to obtain any comments from the officials involved on their own aircraft, some were pretty good at delivering opinions on their opponentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s machines â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fair game. It was largely felt, however, that the operation was mainly aimed at encouraging Dassault and its partners to take another look at their totals. Apparently one of the stumbling stones is the cost of the latest generation

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Shows & Exhibitions

electronics, including the aesa radar. This year, the afternoon air display curtain raiser and closing roles were entrusted to Al Fursan, the United Arab Emirates air force’s aerobatic team, and Patrouille de France, alternating their positions every day in their respective aircraft types, namely their Aermacchi MB339s and Alpha Jets. The Dassault Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon wrestled hard to draw best public attention, perhaps with an edge to the French aircraft, but a noteworthy newcomer was the Pakistani JF17 Thunder fighter aircraft. However, whilst transport aircraft flight displays are normally and necessarily blander than that of their fighter counterparts, the one aircraft that forced all eyes upwards was the Alenia C-27J Spartan whose evolutions in the overheated air confined with the extravagant. If anyone wanted to see a transport aircraft believing it was a fighter aircraft, Dubai was the place to go to. Alenia is eyeing in particular a requirement from nearby Oman, which has a potential need for eight multiple mission aircraft in that category. Whilst on the subject of Italian jobs, the Macchi M 346, which had great hopes of chalking up an order in Dubai, provided a fine display of its capabilities, having traded its hitherto dark red livery for a deep blue finish for this year’s event. Talking of transport aircraft, the great absent was the Military Airbus A400M. This, however, was for a good cause. With flight testing now in overdrive, none of the aircraft could be diverted south east. At the time of the show, the test flight programme had moved ahead with MSN 6 (the test

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The United Arab Emirates aerobatic team Al Fursan still flies the Aermacchi MB 339, but will it eventually transition to the latest Aermacchi M 346 Master seen on the right? (EHB/Armada)

aircraft are all called MSN) due to fly from Seville a few days later. This aircraft is the first test aircraft which, when it has finished its testing career, will go to a client. This particular one will be the seventh A400M delivered to the French. At time of writing, Airbus Military was taking advantage of the hot/high testing which takes place in La Paz, Bolivia to undertake an A400M demonstration tour in Latin America making an appearance at the

The four-European nation Typhoon in one of its graceful low-speed high angle of attack fly-bys. /EHB/Armada)

Fidae International Air and Space Fair in Santiago de Chile in late March. On a different scene Airbus Military clenched an 18-month consultancy agreement with Indonesia with a view to transposing the 30year old CN-235 production agreement. Now, this might be confusing, but all falls back into place when one remembers that the CN letters in the designation of the six-tonne aircraft stand for Casa (now part of Airbus Military) and Nurtanio of Indonesia – both companies being involved in the development and production of the aeroplane three decades ago. Indonesia would now wish to move on to building the C-295 nine tonner, with the wings manufactured in Indonesia

and the fuselage in Spain while final assembly would take place on individual lines in Madung and Seville. Returning to the fighter aircraft scene, if the flight display offered by the single-engine JF17 Thunder was somewhat (and understandably) more conservative compared with that of the twin-engine Rafale and Typhoon it did provide an impressive sight when parked back to its spot on the static display, surrounded as it was by a large array of weapons, mainly of Chinese origin. By the time these lines are printed, some 42 aircraft should have been delivered and the production go-ahead for another run of 50 aircraft given the go-ahead. Pakistan’s aim is to have its 1970s-vintage A-5s (now retired) and F-7s replaced with between 200 and 250 Thunders. In terms of avionics origins, the Pakistani Thunder is a reflection of what’s outside: still essentially Chinese. Word “still” is intentionally used here as avionics of European origin were at one time envisaged, but it is now increasingly believed that a switch to western equipment, even on future batches would prove out of reach financially.

“Fasten your seatbelts, chaps, we’re hitting turbulent air”. In service, transport aircraft will never be required to execute such manoeuvres (and had better not), but the unbelievable postures the crew imposes to its Spartan show after show give an idea of the extreme weather conditions the aircraft would be able to cope with in operation. (EHB/Armada)

As faithful as an old dog the Hawkeye, in the form of the latest E-2D, was again present at Dubai, as a static display. Northrop Grumman informed the author that six aircraft had been delivered by November (2011) and that another six were under construction. Current testing has revealed that the APY-9 electronically scanned radar radar performance has exceeded contractual requirement in range and resolution. The US Navy is planning to acquire 75 Advance Hawkeyes by 2021. I CHOPPER CHATTER

The Bell 407AH did not feature in the air, and quite rightly too since what it had to show was better seen on the ground. The bird was developed from a baseline 407 in six months to turn it into an armed helicopter – hence its AH suffix. According to

Shows & Exhibitions

Captured in the shimmering air seconds before touch-down, the Thunder weighs 6.6 tonnes empty and dry, and 12.380 tonnes fully loaded. Powered by a single RD-93 (of Mig-29 origin) delivering 50 kN of thrust (84.5 on afterburner), it is capable of Mach 1.6, a typical combat range of 1,350 km and is equipped with seven hardpoints. (EHB/Armada) I NOW TO WI-FI WEAPONS

The array of weapons and systems surrounding the Pakistani JF-17 Thunder include left to right and top to bottom) the L-6 satellite guided glide bomb, the PL-5EII all-aspect infrared short-range missile, the 500 kg LT-2 laser guided bomb, the 280 kg WMD-7 day and night detection and targeting pod, the KG300G self-protection jamming pod, and last but not least, the famous 180 km range, 600 kg C802AK anti-ship missile.

the Bell officials there, it actually is intended as a scout helicopter, but its role can be stretched to that of a light attack machine – basically “a low cost option for those that cannot afford an Apache”. The engineering beauty in the AH is the solution adopted to install the weapon pylons without tampering with the airframe structure. These are in fact bolted onto a sort of double floor insert that runs from port door to starboard door inside the rear cabin (and before anyone asks, yes, the doors still close!). As for the related electronics these are derived from those used in the OH58 Kiowa. The AH comes with, inter alia, a weapons management system and a night vision goggle-compatible holographic target sighting system. By the time ir reached the Dubai Air Show, the 407AH had performed two live firing demonstrations, one in Brunei and the other in Jordan.

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The Bell 407AH features weapons pylons on both sides able to bear rocket launchers as seen here, but also barrelled weapons such as the Dillon Aero M134D Minigun. Also visible are the passive radar detectors and a Flir Systems Ultra 9HD ball mounted under the aircraft’s chin. Still, the 2,268kg (all-up) chopper maintains its original 140-knot Vne. (EHB/Armada)

It was bound to happen sooner of later, but Raytheon has done it. It’s called the WiPack and enables an aircraft not integrated with a GPS, for example, to perfectly well use an Enhanced Paveway, and Raytheon proved the point with a Super Tucano. Basically, the cockpit screen is wired to a transmitter which “hooks up to a bluetooth” fixed at the back of the weapon – no extra wires needed through the wing. As a Raytheon official explained “you punch the co-ordinates on the display which downloads them to the weapon, as well as other parameters such as attack profiles”. The company has been working on the WiPak for three years and was introducing it at Dubai. Raytheon also gave an update on the status of the Talon laser-guided rocket it has been developing with the Emirates Advanced Investments Group, indicating that firing tests had been completed a month earlier (October) in the Emirates, from an apache attack helicopter. Declared ready for production, the Talon is a guidance kit for 70 mm rockets – typically the Hydra. Guided to its target by an onboard or buddy-carried laser designator, the Talon uses a standard 19tube launcher to deal a blow to light armour targets with its 10-pound warhead at ranges of up to 6,000 metres. The latest tests showed that it could be used at a range of four kilometres against moving targets. If one considers the numbers of platforms employing 70 mm rockets around the world and the fact that very little modifications are required, the potential market for the Talon is quite sizeable. In fact Raytheon is using company funds to install it on an AT-6.

Drone Update

The Crex-B pictured in its native Italy by Armada’s P. Valpolini

From Wee to Biiig! The drone world is more than ever as busy as a beehive, with novelties and news flowing in from the extreme ends of the size spectrum, although admittedly the smaller end has had the upper hand in terms of novelties in recent weeks.

Eric H. Biass

N TERMS of drones, Selex is more particularly renowned for it handsome gullwing Falco which, failing to attract any orders from the Italian forces, has seduced those from Pakistan to the point that its licence production there started in 2009. A version closer to the male category, known as the Falco Evo was later devised mainly by extending the inner wing sections and stretching the rear twin booms. Selex Galileo has since turned its gaze to

smaller systems, particularly those that had been developed by a university-based entity known as Utri, the electrically powered microdrones of which have been examined by Armada in the past, amongst which the Asio vertilift system. Having acquired production rights from Utri, Selex Galileo is now announcing the availability of the Crex-B featured in our title photograph. Tipping the scales at just under two kilos, the Crex-B essentially is a “peep over the hill” bird, capable of a 60-minute endurance. Perhaps the most significant feature for such a lightweight bird is its

stabilised pan and tilt gimballed video sensor capable of target tracking and relaying data to the operator through a digital datalink. The drone is now ready for production and is currently being evaluated by the Italian Ministry of Defence. Latvian UAV Factory flew its first drone, the 3.3 metre span Penguin B in August last year. UAV factory appears to have developed into a supplier of ad hoc systems and modules for drones (including the 28cc Honda-powered Penguin B airframe itself), including inter alia a car roof-mounted launcher, a heated Pitot tube and an

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Drone Update

interesting comprehensive, yet transportable, ground station. Unsurprisingly designated Portable Ground Station, the approximately 20-kilo unit is designed to operate in conjunction with CF31 Panasonic Thoughbook computer and a modular electronics compartment

UAV Factory’s Portable Ground Station comes in a rugged wheeled plastic case. It weighs 18.9 kilos sans Panasonic Toughbook computer, which is to be purchased separately. Also optional is a lightweight stand with legs to install the unit at seated operator height. (UAV Factory)

that offers the flexibility to install application-specific hardware. The lid of the unit accommodates a 17” sunlight-readable touchscreen while the lower bay also encloses the power distribution system with hot-swappable lithium batteries. Slightly upscale in terms of weight, Innocon has recently announced that it had recently qualified its six-kilo Micro Falcon in weather conditions it is unlikely to encounter in its native Israel (see photos herewith). The drone is unusual in many respects, having an elongated S-shaped fuselage clinging onto a pair of so-called boxed-wings whereby the top and bottom wingtips are held together by a vertical plate. Rounding up the “weird” features, the Micro Falcon topples over when descending under its parachute to land flat on its back and thereby preserve its belly-mounted optical payload. The Israeli manufacturer chalked up an order for 50 systems from an anonymous Asian customer last year. Still moving up on the drone weight ladder with the 50-kilo T-20, Arcturus announced having been selected last March

During its extreme weather qualification flights in –15°C and 35kn wind conditions, the Innocon Micro Falco appeared more at ease than its operators. (Innocon)

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Recently introduced by UAV Factory specifically for small drones, the heated Pitot tube weighs a mere 58 grams, runs on 12 volts and has a maximum power consumption of 19 watts. (UAV Factory)

as part of a proposal team led by prime contractor CSC of Falls Church, to receive a multiple award contract from the U.S. Navy Air Systems Command. The award is for support of future Department of Defense intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance requirements. The catapultlaunched T-20 typically carries a 15-kilo payload and a similar weight of fuel and has a maximum endurance of 16 hours. Assembly time is less that one hour. Back in Europe, Rheinmetall and

Cassidian announced to merge their drone activities in a joint venture with respective stakes of 49% and 51%. Simply known as the “Joint Venture”, at least for the time being, it currently employs 160 people in Bremen, home to the KZO manufactured for the German Army and to the Heron of the German Saateg deep-penetration imagery recce system programme. Rheinmetall is also involved in the development of another system known as the Wabep which, like the

Heron, also calls on an Israeli airframe, the Harop. In the Wabep – an acronym that translates from German as “weapon system for standoff engagement of individual and point targets" – the idea is to get the KZO and the Harop work in tandem, with the former performing surveillance and target identification, while the former performs the attack according to the co-ordinates determined by the KZO. Wabep demonstator flights were completed in

Arcturus has sold over 60 T-20 systems to several customers, amongst which are the US Air force, Marine Corps and Navy. The firm has now been called in to provide support regarding future intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance requirements. (Arcturus)

Drone Update

The 20-metre wingspan Avenger has an endurance of over 16 hours against the turboprop-powered Reaper’s 30+, but can fly at 740 km/h instead of 480. You can’t have it all. (General Atomics)

September 2011 and involved the two drones operating in a networked communication mode. The Harop, which is a loitering drone designed to perform a lethal dive on its assigned target, can see its mission aborted at the last minute via the KZO. Cassidian, on the other hand, had a number of smaller drone programmes in the past, including vertical take-off and landing aircraft, but a number of these and other research work appear to have fa jllen by the wayside, leaving Cassidian’s development work focussed on the Talarion and the Barracuda, if one excepts the Eurohawk programme (another join venture). The Joint Venture is thus seen as a way for both companies to strengthen their offerings. Across the Atlantic, General Atomics announced in February that the second Predator C, or Avenger, had completed its maiden 12 January. The first flight of a second aircraft may sound banal, but the manufacturer stresses the importance of this flight due to the fact that “it refines the first prototype design to an operational capability”. Known as Tail 2, it features a significant fuselage stretch – 1.20 metres - to accommodate extra fuel and payload. Tail 3 is expected to take to the air in the summer, followed by Tail 4 early next year. The top end of the drone spectrum in this update concerns the European Neuron, the first technological demonstrator of which was unveiled at the Istres base to the official services of the various states involved in this co-operative programme. The six member states are France (with Dassault), Sweden (Saab), Italy (AleniaAermacchi), Spain (Eads-Casa), Greece (Hellenic Aerospace Industries) and Switzerland (Ruag). The next major stage for the Neuron will be its maiden flight now scheduled for mid-year. The stealth ground-attack aircraft will then undergo a two-year flight programme in France, Sweden and Italy, which will include the release of weapons from its internal underwing bays.

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Digest

PAC-3 MISSILE SUCESSFULLY TESTED aytheon Company's modernized Patriot Air and Missile Defense System successfully fired two PAC-3 missiles to engage a tactical ballistic missile (TBM) at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. This is the first time PAC-3 missiles have been fired from a new-production Patriot system. "The demonstrated flawless performance of the modernized Patriot system means our customers can deliver the most advanced air and missile defense capabilities to warfighters quickly, affordably and with lower risk exposure," said Sanjay Kapoor, vice president for Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business. "With Patriot now in full-rate production, they can also expect improved reliability and reduced costs for decades to come."

EUROFIGHTER SUPPORT CONTRACT urofighter Jagdflugzeug GmbH has signed a major contract with NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency (NETMA) to support the fleet of Typhoon jets across the four Eurofighter core nations: Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The five-year support contract is part of a new contract suite agreed with the nations which includes integrated mechanisms for continuing development work on the aircraft and will replace a number of legacy contracts whilst extending the terms for a longer period. The agreement demonstrates a commitment by all parties in achieving continued efficiencies on the programme; long-term support for the sustainability of aircraft covering all three production tranches and future enhancements and upgrades of the platform.

NEW ADVANCED SYSTEM LASER arl Zeiss has launched the AURIGA® Laser, a new advanced system combining the specific advantages of the AURIGA® CrossBeam (FIB-SEM) workstation with the capabilities of a pulsed micro-focus laser for fast ablation of material. AURIGA® Laser is particularly useful for the examination of samples where the target structure is deeply buried under material layers. To gain access to the target structure this material needs to be removed — a procedure which is difficult to conduct with conventional techniques. Mechanical ablation and crosssectioning of large material volumes often cause deformations, making the sample unsuitable for further examination. In contrast, applying a focused ion beam is inefficient, because the process is much too slow.

UK AWARDS NIGHT VISION CONTRACT TT Exelis has been awarded a $33 million Foreign Military ISales (FMS) contract to provide the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence with the latest Generation 3 night vision technology. Under this FMS order, the U.K. MoD will receive the Head Mounted Night Vision System (HMNVS), a variant of the U.S. military AN/PVS-14 monocular. Deliveries are expected to begin in the second quarter of 2012 and be completed by 2016 in accordance with a phased delivery plan.

F117-PW-100 ENGINES S Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the United Kingdom of 20 F-117PW-100 engines and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $300 million. The UK Government has requested the possible sale of 20 F-117PW-100 engines, engine exchange kits, support equipment, Global Positioning Systems, communications equipment, spare and repair parts, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical documentation, U.S. The proposed sale supports the continued UK access to the United States Air Force/Boeing GLOBEMASTER III Sustainment Partnership program supporting the UK’s fleet of eight Boeing C-17A GLOBEMASTER III aircraft. The estimated cost is $300 million. The UK was the first foreign customer for the C-17 GLOBEMASTER III cargo aircraft. Continued sustainment of this system by the UK helps alleviate the burden placed on U.S. forces supporting NATO operations. The C-17 provides the UK with an increased force protection capability that enhances regional and global stability. The UK will have no problem absorbing these additional engines and support into its armed forces.

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2/2012

Digest

1ST THAAD BATTERY DELIVERED ockheed Martin has completed delivery of all hardware and components associated with the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) weapon system’s first U.S. Army Battery. THAAD is the only missile defense system with the operational flexibility to intercept in both the endo- and exoatmospheres to provide versatile capability to the warfighter. A key element of the nation’s Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), THAAD is a Missile Defense Agency program, with the program office located in Huntsville, Ala. The agency is developing the BMDS to defend the United States, its deployed forces and allies against short and medium range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight. Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill interceptor. It also has considerable experience in interceptor design and production, infrared seekers, command and control/battle management, and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and signal processing.

SPERWER DRONES MAINTENANCE CONTRACT agem (Safran group) has just signed a contract with SIMMAD (1), on behalf of the French Ministry of Defense, to provide in-service maintenance for the Sperwer SDTI tactical drone systems deployed by the French army. The contract covers all maintenance, repair and technical support services for systems in service with the army until 2014.

US TO STRENGTHEN CYBERSECURITY orthrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a cybersecurity task order by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to strengthen cybersecurity protections across all Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community networks by implementing the Host Based Security System (HBSS) as part of the DoD Information Assurance and Computer Network Defense contract. The task order was competitively awarded under the Encore 2 contract vehicle and is valued at $189 million over a 3-year base period with two 1-year options. As prime integrator, Northrop Grumman will provide software license maintenance support, training, help desk and architectural infrastructure support personnel.

EXELIS COMPLETES WEAPON EJECTION TEST TT Exelis announced that its weapon ejection release technology successfully launched an MK 54 torpedo from the P-8A Poseidon test aircraft, T-3, over a test range in the Atlantic Ocean. This first airborne weapons separation test confirms the technology’s safety and effectiveness. This Exelis-developed innovative ejection technology uses clean, high-pressure compressed air to launch weapons. It replaces the traditional use of electroexplosive cartridges that had to be discarded and replaced after every single weapon release.

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2/2012

DIGITAL AUDIO SELECTED FOR NEW EC175 obham’s Digital Audio Control System (DACS) has been selected as forward-fit for the new Eurocopter EC175. Since 2008, DACS has been forward-fit on more medium and heavy helicopters than any other digital audio system in the world, including the EC135, 635, 225, 725, and 155. The EC175, a seven metric ton-category helicopter, will feature enhanced range and payload capabilities for 12, 16, and 18passenger configurations when it enters service in late 2012. Two EC175 prototypes at Eurocopter’s Marignane, France location have logged nearly 300 flight hours to date.

FIRST HELICOPTER LANDING TRIALS ON FREMM AQUITAINE CNS has achieved formal qualification of the FREMM frigate Aquitaine's flight deck for operations with the Lynx helicopter. This milestone was reached several months ahead of schedule after a successful deck landing campaign at sea, organised by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) in early February. Trials were conducted with a Lynx helicopter operated by the French Navy. Trials to qualify the flight deck of the first-of-class FREMM frigate were conducted in early February and supervised by the DGA. French Navy test pilots completed several series of approaches and as many as 50 deck landings with a Lynx fivetonne class helicopter. The operations were a complete success. In particular, the pilots appreciated the absence of turbulence above the flight deck in all landing positions.

B-1 BOMBER COMPLETES 10,000TH COMBAT MISSION

he Boeing B-1 bomber aircraft has completed its 10,000th combat mission. The heavy bomber entered service with the U.S. Air Force on June 29, 1985, and has been in nearly continuous combat for the past 10 years. The milestone mission took off from a base in Southwest Asia and was flown in support of operations over Afghanistan

before returning to base. "10,000 conventional combat missions for a relatively small fleet of 66 B1s is a major milestone and a testament to the men and women who built, sustain and modernize the fleet, including the U.S. Air Force, Boeing and our subcontractors," said Rick Greenwell, Boeing B-1 program director.

MORE AWD BLOCKS wo more keel blocks constructed by BAE Systems for the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) program have been shipped to the ASC facility in Osborne South Australia. The $8 billion AWD project comprises three ships and will provide the Royal Australian Navy with one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most capable multi-mission warships.

Digest

NEXT ISSUE JUNE/JULY 2012: 1 JUNE, ADVERTISING: 14 MAY AEW&C Aircraft: Initially intended to provide an early warning of air traffic activities, these surveillance and command aircraft have not only seen their capacities increased to see what’s happening downwards but have also become more affordable to operate due to their relatively smaller sizes. Modern Soldier Programmes – Update: Modern Soldier Programmes are now well established in a number of countries, but their components, especially for what regards electronics and assistance devices, and just like anyone’s personal computer, have to be kept in tune with their times.

P-8A POSEIDON AIRCRAFT DELIVERED oeing on March 4 officially delivered the first production P8A Poseidon aircraft to the U.S. Navy in Seattle. The P-8A is the first of 13 anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft Boeing will deliver as part of a low-rate initial production (LRIP) contract awarded in 2011. The Poseidon team is using a first-in-industry in-line production process that draws on Boeing’s Next-Generation 737 production system. All P-8A-unique aircraft modifications are made in sequence during fabrication and assembly.

NEW AIR TRAFFIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR AFGHANISTAN orthrop Grumman Corporation's Europe-based air traffic management systems subsidiary, Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems, has been awarded a contract by the NATO Consultation, Command and Control (NATO C3) Agency to provide a second air traffic control receiver site for Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan. Kandahar Airfield has been maintained by NATO since 2006 and is a key logistics hub used by NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Utility Helicopter Armament: Once upon a time relegated back to their pure original role – utility – by the dedicated attack helicopter, the type is now increasingly being exposed to the forward edge of battlefield activities to carry out their utility function, but also ground attack operations which commands ad-hoc barrelled and propelled weapons, whether guided or not. IR Micro Cameras: In the current world of asymmetrical warfare, crews locked up in a windowless vehicle need to know what to expect from the outside world before debussing. A number of devices not only roof-mounted cameras, but also shot detection and shot direction devices, together with fresh data on their personal displays plugged into the vehicle’s data bus, help them evaluate a tactical situation before opening the rear doors. Radio Accessories: The wide variety of radios available or under development is covered in specific Armada articles or Compendia, however few of these devices could be of any use without certain peripherals – just think of your computer without a mouse. These amenities range from osteoheadsets and microphone, safe connectors, recharging devices and so forth. Fighter Aircraft Market: While the number of fighter aircraft being purchased worldwide has dramatically decreased, their unit cost and capabilities have gone the opposite way – reason why manufacturers are more aggressively than ever pursuing niche markets. Compendium Drones: This extremely popular title, complete with its now legendary illustrated fold out table, once again reviews all the major developments that have taken place since the last issue was printed.

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2/2012