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THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976
Issue 6/2014
INTERNATIONAL
December/January
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Contents & Index_Armada Dec 14/Jan 15:Armada
11/26/14
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Page 3
THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976
Contents
6/2014
INTERNATIONAL
www.armada.ch
18
SMALL ARMS UPDATE
SMALL ARMS CHATTER

I Paolo Valpolini
While innovative companies explore the future
with hypersophisticated carbon fibre barrels that
are probably worth far more than their weight in
gold, times are nevertheless pretty tough for
defence budgets. Yet a few important contracts are
awaiting approval in the small arms world.
06
10
26
36
WHATS UP?
FAST PATROL VESSELS
GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION-V
WHATS UP?
SOON UP:
EMBRAERS KC-390
THE MARITIME
SURVEILLANCE SWISS-KNIFE
MAPPING URBAN
CANYONS
HELLO CARL, WHAT ELSE?
I Eric H. Biass
I Luca Peruzzi
I Wesley G. Fox
40
48
55
EXPEDITIONARY VEHICLES
CYBER WARFARE
SHOW REPORT
THE LIGHT STUFF
TIME FOR CYBER

WAR LAWS?
AUSA 2014
SOLDIER-WORN NIGHT
VISION SYSTEMS AND
NIGHT RIFLE SIGHTS
I Paolo Valpolini
I Paolo Valpolini
I Paolo Valpolini
I Paolo Valpolini
COMPENDIUM SUPPLEMENT
I Peter Donaldson
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
03
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Contents & Index_Armada Dec 14/Jan 15:Armada
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Page 4
Index
DEFENCE TECHNOLOG
SOURCE FOR
THE TRUSTED
Issue 6/2014
Y INFORMATIO
N SINCE 1976
L
INTERNATIONA
December/January
I INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
AR MODULAR
53
IMDEX
LAAD
C3
C4
LIMA
17
47
NORTHROP GRUMMAN
C4
ODU
31
ARMADA
ARMADA DIGITAL
ARMADA SUBSCRIPTION
ASELSAN
21, 23, 25
BRUNSWICK
13
PHOTONIS
DEFENCE AND SECURITY THAILAND
C2
ROSOBORONEXPORT
DSEI
29
SAAB
ESRI
C2
IDEX
13
34-35
45
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:
Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding
12, 16
10, 27, 28
Heckler & Koch
19, 46
Honeywell
15
07, 22
06, 07, 10, 12, 16, 23
American Motive Power Sys
42
Hutchinson
14
IAI
15, 16
Rafael
Aresa International
14
Israel Shipyards
15, 16
Raytheon
21, 27, 33
ArmorLine
42
Israel Weapons Industries
19, 23
Rheinmetall
10, 12, 17
Aselsan
15
Karachi Shipyard
16
Rhode & Schwarz
Kongsberg
55
Rolls Royce
21, 28, 29, 31 32, 49
42
Polska Grupa
Pyser
Ares
BAE Systems
Barrett
25
Kopin
55
Beretta
19, 20, 21
KWM
45, 46
BMT Group
15
L3
06, 11, 27, 28, 31, 56
Qioptiq
20
Sagem
Loc Performance Products
42
Schott
Burris
20
Lockheed Martin
Cantiere Navale Vittoria
11, 14
14
12, 14,16
44
42
Saab
Laser Devices
52, 54, 57
16
Rondo Trading Group
11
42, 54
09, 10, 20, 22
Roush Industries
Bollinger Shipyard
Boeing
21, 28, 36, 37, 39

08, 23, 24, 31
42
Selex
Lurssen
12
Shvabe
22
Siemens
12,19, 24, 25, 32

07, 11, 18, 30
50
Carl Zeiss Optronics
10
MKEK
Cassidian Optronics
10
MAN
16
SK Group
07
Catepillar
10
MBDA
12
Steiner
20
Ceska Zbrojovka
19
Meopta
10, 11
Subaru
China Shipbuilding
16
Meprolight
Cisco
50
Mercedez Benz
CloudFlare
49
Millog
Colt
19, 21
CMN
10
Damen Naval Shipbuilding

Defenture BV
DRS
20, 21, 31, 42, 56
DSM Dyneema
Elbit
42, 46
08, 14, 15, 26, 28, 33
Embraer Defence & Security

Etihad Ship Building
Exelis
06 , 07
16
16, 19, 33
Fabrika Broni Lucznik

FLIR
11
44, 46
22
03, 09, 21, 25, 26, 27
FN Herstal
General Dynamics
19, 20
42, 43, 44
46
12, 13, 32
MSBS Rifle
21, 22
MTU
Navitas Systems
12, 27, 29
Northrop Grumman
16, 33, 54
OIP Sensors
Opticoelectron
Oto Melara
PCO
Photonis
42
Polaris Defence
Harris
42
Polish Institute
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
20
58
TenCate Advanced Armour
Theon
Nivisys
OGara Sensor Systems
T. Worx
12, 14, 15, 16
11
18
12, 17
14, 18, 25
49, 52, 53
TAR - Ideal
Thales
04, 06, 07, 08, 09, 12
41
Symantec
16
42
Nightline
GKN
05
15, 18, 20, 26
MSI Defence System
Newcon Optik
Volume 38, Issue No. 6,

December 2014/January 2015
INTERNATIONAL
Entries highlighted with Red numbers are found

in Night Vision Compendium 2014
C3
Airbus DS Optronics
This still unusual - not to say weird - object might

become a common sight in a not too distant future,
as thinner walled steel barrels wrapped in heat
dissipating structural carbon fibre shield turn into a
financially bearable reality. This example from Ares
was photographed by the Author at he recent Ausa
exhibition. See full story on page 18
14
Thermal Vision Tech

Thermoteknix
56
16, 17, 19, 32, 33, 54
28, 30
36
Trijicon
26
VDL Group
44
Vectronix
13, 32, 33, 36
Voere
24
Vricon Systems
28
Wilco
10, 13, 19, 24, 30, 33
16
Yonka Onuk
14, 15
14, 19, 25
Zeiss Optics
22, 27
05, 06, 07, 10, 12, 15

40, 43, 44
22
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What's Up KC-390:Armada
11/26/14
8:53 PM
Page 2
Whats Up?
Soon Up: Embraers KC-390

Well thats it, with the roll-out of the KC-390 from Embraers Xavan Peixotos works on
22 October 2014 the Western Worldand there is every economical reason to believe
that Brazil is part of the Western Worldhas earned itself its second significant
new-generation military transport aircraft. What is best is that while the two aircraft
involvedthe first was the Atlas A400M that had its maiden flight in December 2009 and
the KC-390will not be competing one against the other, they are already setting new
thinking patterns in their own niches.
Eric H. Biass
rom a market point of view this

draws an entirely new, and yes
unprecedented, picture as neither the
United States nor the Russians are
involved. Apart from an umpteenth iteration
of the venerable Hercules and after the
unfortunate demise of the AN-70, the
medium and medium-heavy military world
transport future should orbit around these
two new types in the foreseeable future (even
the improved C-17B project was abandoned
in the even heavier slot). In a rather
06
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
interesting and unusual twist of events, the

larger and longer range aircraft has propellers
and the newest and smaller one has
turbofans. It is all the more interesting given
the fact that the latter, the KC-390, otherwise
fits in the somewhat broken-in shoes of the
Hercules which is turboprop engined. Speedwise, both the Atlas and the KC-390 belong
to the same league, the former hitting the
Mach 0.72 mark and the latter 0.80. And
apart from the fact that both boast
capabilities as in-flight refuellers, this is about
all the two have in common since one will
break contact with the planet at max 141
tonnes and the other at 81.
While as hinted above the KC-390 is

looking at new ways of handling the transport duties so far carried out by the latest
generation of the Hercules (the C-130J now
generally and affectionately referred to as the
Juliet), current President of Embrear
Defence & Security Jackson Schneider flatly
refuses to draw any performance comparison with the American aircraft. This shows a
dramatic change in Embraers management
attitude compared with its more aggressive
and optimistic approach of recent years. We
shall avoid dwelling into matter for conjecture here, but suffice to say that Embraer has
grown considerably since, that more inter-
11/26/14
8:54 PM
Page 3
At roll-out time Embraer had not yet chalked

up any firm export orders, although letters of
intent have been received which could
amount to orders for a total of 32 aircraft with
6 from Chile, 6 from Portugal, 6 from
Argentina, 2 from the Czech Republic and 12
from Colombia. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)
ests in every acceptance of the word now

have to be preserved, and that Embraers
world sales record-beating Phenom biz-jets
are also built in Melbourne (the Florida one).
Nevertheless, and right from the outset the
C-390, as it was then called (the K tanker
option had not yet cut in), clearly had the C130 drawn into the centre of its cross-hairs,
which is understandable given the fact that
Brazil with 22 aircraft has the second largest
fleet of C-130Hs and one that has an average age of more than 37 years. There were
many sub-targets in the strategy at the time:
a) a clear intention to reduce dependence
from America in defence matters, b) thereby offer a cheaper alternative based on an
aircraft using many readily available components from the civilian aircraft production line and c) conquer markets of cashstrapped nations operating older Hercs that
were beginning to be held together with
duct tape and that are now, nearly ten years
on, clearly beyond redemption.
This digression from the main event,
namely the roll-out of a major contribution
to modern military transport, was necessary to bring about the awareness of the fact
The undercarriage fairings have been designed to prevent wheels from projecting debris from
rough landing strips into the air intakes. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)
that the KC-390 we see today has very little

to do with the C-390 Armada started to talk
about eight years ago when the concept was
unveiled. In fact, not little, but absolutely
nothing, except for the 390 figure in its designation. Many concessions had to be made
in terms of technology for the politico-economic reasons briefly mentioned above.
Secondly it was seen that the solution of
very schematicallyturning an airliner
into a shoulder-winged EMB-190 military
transport was not in the end going to cut
the mustard and meet beancounter
approval. So rather than using ready-made
components and end up with something
that already existed in terms of capacities
and not necessarily cheaper, Embraer
decided to opt for the obvious solution,

namely draw on very fresh technological
know-how to optimise designs rather than
use existing parts in need of subsequent
adjustment. This of course came to a cost
compared with early hoped-for assumptionsa cost that must have created
immense upheavals within Embraer which,
in spite of being an economy-run company,
is still largely government-owned. The
resultant aircraft cost increase had the sad
effect to rebuke the obvious initial willing
partners in the programme in terrible and
desperate need to replace a moribund fleet
of transport aircraftSouth Africa, of
course, amongst others. But the truth is
here: even if today the military world now
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
07
11/26/14
8:54 PM
Page 4
Whats Up?
The flags under that of the Brazil on the side of the fuselage are not indicative of customers but of
industrial partner nations that include Argentine, Portugal and the Czech Republic. The selfprotection suite is from AEL, which is the Brazilian subsidy of Elbit. The air-refuelling capability of
the aircraft will enable it to operate over long distances, from the Amazon region right down to the
Antarctic, but the aircraft will also be equipped to dispense fuel from two tanks accommodated in
the hold via two underwing hose and drogue systems. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)
had a very high bypass ratio which enabled

the aircraft to be less subjected to possible
ingestion of foreign objects during operation from semi-prepared airstrips, something that the two metre clearance under the
engines and the ground also helped to avoid.
Turning to capacities, Gasto explained
that the aircrafts maximum cargo capacity
varied from 23 to 26 tonnes. The 23 tonnes
refer to a load spread out throughout the
hold, while the 26-tonne load refers to a
compact cargo load that could be adequately emplaced on the aircrafts centre of gravity. Technically, the aircraft can carry 80 soldiers or 66 paratroopers (who can jump out
through two rear air stream fairing-protected side doors), three Humvees, a
Blackhawk, or a Lav-25. We were not
allowed to visit the interior of the plane, but
the authors walk under the tail end
revealed that its huge ramp constituted a
sizeable portion of the deck length. This,
explained Gasto, enabled to diminish the
angle between the top of the ramp and the
actual cargo floor, but that the ramp also
had the capacity to lift the last embarkable
batch of cargo to a maximum of 10,000
pounds deposited on it to shut clean.
heavily draws on civilian technologies

(which was still the opposite only two
decades ago, roughly until the portable telephone actually started to be truly portable),
it can not always draw on identical designs.
I STATUS
Embraer is already building a second prototype and the current one is expected to take
to the air before the end of 2014. According
to KC-390 programme director Paolo
Gasto who spoke with Jackson Schneider at
a press conference shortly after the roll out
ceremony, two prototypes will suffice to
carry out all testing before delivery of the
first production unit to the Brazilian Air
Force during the second half of 2016. Asked
whether the two prototypes would be later
refurbished to complement (as opposed to
join) the 28 aircraft ordered by the Brazilian
Air Force last May, Gasto replied yes.
This being said, another non-flying airframe, plus a number of sections are used
for static and structural testing. As already
mentioned above, Embrear did not want to
make any comparisons with the Juliet, but
the two men explained that there is nothing
that our turbofans cannot do and that the
turboprops can. Gasto emphasised that the
International Aero V2500 turbo-engines
08
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
Wingspan
Length
Height
Max cruise speed
Max altitude
Range with 23 tonne load
Reconfigurable for
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
35.05 m
32.20m
11.86m
Mach.80
26,000 ft
1,380 nm
Air resupply, Air assault & infiltration, Airlift operations,
Air refuelling of fighter aircraft and slower helicopters,
Medevac, Firefighting and Search and rescue. (Embraer)
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10:32 PM
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Fast Patrol Boats:Armada
11/26/14
8:56 PM
Page 2
Fast Patrol Vessels
The Maritime
Surveillance Swiss-knife
The drift of maritime surveillance requirements towards multirole platforms able to
conduct military, homeland security and search-and-rescue missions, has caused the
traditional Cold War inherited fast attack and heavily armed types built by the
hundreds for military duties to give way to smaller and faster patrol boat designs.
Luca Peruzzi
hile in the past, the Northern

European and America were
the most prolific builders of
these platforms together with
European shipyards, the latter and the restof-the-world are now gaining momentum.
French shipyards are the most active, with
CMN (Construction Mcaniques de
Normandie) known not only for its
10
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
Combattante family of fast attack craft, with

more than 90 units built and the object of
continuous improvements, but also for its
range of Vigilante family of constabulary
patrol vessels and the three new-generation
43-metre maritime surveillance trimarans
under construction for Mozambique (under
a large contract assigned in 2013 which also
includes six patrol vessels). A collaboration
between CMN and naval architect Nigel
Irens, the Ocean Eagle 43 is a compact
multirole trimaran offering a unique
performance-to-cost ratio and a top speed of

30 knots. It has a crew of seven plus an eightman boarding team while the combat system
includes one 20/30 and two 12.7 mm
remotely controlled guns plus a multi-sensor
and combat management system.
Ocea offers a complete range of customised
small-and medium sized aluminium hulled
platforms from 12 to 85 metres with speeds
of 20 to 55 knots amongst which are the 24metre FPB 72 and 32-metre FPB 98. The
latter is capable of 35 knots under Caterpillar
11/26/14
8:56 PM
Page 3
Ocea boat builder offers a wide

range of small-and medium-sized
aluminium platforms, including
the 24-metre and 30-knot capable
FPB 72 Mk 2 here seen in
Suriname Coast Guard livery.
(Bernard Prezelin)
Raidco Marines latest doublechine deep-V hull design, the RPB

33 is built by Ufast shipyard.
Capable of 40 knots, its notable
feature is a 360 panoramic
surveillance bridge. (Jacques
Pradignac et Leo)
The Italians Custom Services, known as the

Guardia di Finanza, has two new large patrol
vessels based on the Damen shipbuilding
groups 58-metre Stan Patrol 5509 design.
Assembled at the Italian Cantiere Navale
Vittoria acting as prime contractor, it is
equipped with a combat system designed by
Almaviva. (Cantiere Navale Vittoria)
diesel engine power and waterjets, and is

armed with a remotely controlled 30 mm
DS30B Mk 2 gun mount, which has been sold
to Algeria, Benin and Senegal.
Raidco Marine also offers a portfolio of
patrol boats that includes the 12- to 36metre double-chine deep-V RPB range,
which now includes the latest RPB 33 built by
Ufast shipyard for Raidco Marine. This
model was delivered to Togo and Senegal in
2013 and ordered by Ivory Coast while the
20-metre RPB 20 model was ordered by
Libya in 2014. Equipped with two 1,958 hp

diesel engines and offered with either
waterjets or propellers yielding a maximum
speed of 33 knots, a notable feature of the
RPB 33 is a 360 surveillance panoramic
bridge. Weapon options include one 20 mm
gun and two 12.7 mm, in addition to a
launch and recovery stern ramp for a 6.15metre rigid hull inflatable.
The Netherlands Damen Naval
Shipbuilding group is offering a range of
security and patrol vessels ranging from
seven to more than 200 metres in length,

including interceptors and patrol platforms.
Damen platforms incorporate the results of
both Enlarged Ship and Axe Bow concepts,
respectively improving the sea-keeping
characteristics of high-speed vessels and
enhancing platform operability, comfort and
crew safety, in addition to reducing fuel
consumption. This design allowed Bollinger
shipyard in America to win the US Coast
Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter
platform in September 2008.
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
11
11/26/14
8:56 PM
Page 4
Fast Patrol Vessels
US Coast Guards Sentinel class fast response cutters are based on a

design largely derived from the Dutch Damen Stan 4708 patrol vessel and
built by Bollinger shipyard in America. Originally a design for the South
African Government, the 353-tonne and 47 metre cutter now has a higher
maximum speed, a stern launching ramp, fixed pitch propellers, and
water tight bulkheads. (US Coast Guard)
With a design largely based on the Stan

4708 patrol vessels already employed by the
South African Government, the 353-tonne
and 47-meter long cutter is manned by a crew
of 22 and is armed with a remote-control 25
mm Bushmaster gun and four 12.7 mm
machine guns. The Stan Patrol platforms
family ranges from the 60-metre Stan Patrol
6011 capable of 26.5 knots to the 125-metre
Stan Patrol 1204 with a maximum speed of
35 knots. Between them are seven platforms,
such as the 58-metre Stan Patrol 5509 which
forms the basis of the Italian Custom
Servicestwo main patrol vessels, built and
integrated in Italy by Cantiere Navale Vittoria
and equipped with a combat system designed
by Italian companys Almaviva.
In addition to luxury yachts, Lrssen is
known worldwide for its high-speed craft
and history as combatant vessels provider to a
range of main and less known navies and
governmental services. The current product
portfolio ranges from the 28-metre FPB 28
with a maximum speed of 35 knots to the
FPB 57 combatant fast craft capable of 38
knots and the 35-metre TNC 35 with stern
launching ramp and an armament package
that includes a 20/30 main gun. Lurssen has
been reported to be involved in discussions
on the delivery of a fleet of patrol vessels to
Saudi Arabia, although there is no official
confirmation of this.
Fassmer is also offering a 21-metre fast
patrol boat, which has been sold to three
customers including the Cambodian Navy
and the Bulgarian Coast Guard. Swede Ship is
12
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
known for its family of multi-role high-speed

vessels, which range from 16 to 27 metres in
length. The latter, known as the Patrol 27
model, has been acquired by United Arab
Emirates Naval Forces through Abu Dhabi
Ship Building (ADSB) and being built both
by the Swede Ship and ADSB shipyard. As a
multi-role compact high-speed vessel for
medium range surveillance and weapon
engagement of asymmetric threats in a
flotilla configuration, the Emiratis naval
forces Ghannatha II patrol boat programme
involves twelve vessels equipped by two 2,432
hp MTU diesel engines and Rolls-Royce
FF600 waterjets allowing a 45-knot

maximum speed. These boats are equipped
with Rheinmetall 27 mm MLG 27 and Oto
Melara Hitrole-G with GAU-19A triple 12.7
mm guns, together with four MBDA Marte
Mk 2/N antiship missilesall managed by a
small combat management system built by
Selex ES. The sensors suite includes GEM
Elettronica radar, Selex ES IFF and a Cprotection unit. In addition to the Ghannatha
phase II programme, the UAE Naval Forces
Phase I, 24-metre transport vessels are being
upgraded with the same combat electronics
suite but different weapon systems package.
The United Arab Emirates Ghannata Phase I fast patrol boats are based on a 24-metre
transport vessel designed by Swede Ship Marine. (Luca Peruzzi)
AD Check.qxp:Armada
11/27/14
11:07 AM
Page 1
11/26/14
8:56 PM
Page 6
Fast Patrol Vessels
Italys Intermarine shipyard is building fast

patrol boats for the Italian Custom Service in
fibre-reinforced plastic. Designed to operate
at high speeds even in rough seas, they can
be fitted with a variety of engines propulsion
systems. (Italian Customs Service)
I MEDITERRANEAN
The Mediterranean basin main shipyards

have been heavily involved in the
construction of fast patrol vessel in the past,
but today only a few are specialised sites or
maintained such capability.
Aresa International in Spain is delivering a
range of patrol craft to the Cameroon navy,
including two new 24-metre 2400 CPV
Defenders and two 32-metre Aresa 3200
OPVs, both equipped with a fast intervention
inflatable. The 32-crew 2400 CPV Defender
can be equipped with two-2,800 hp engines
driving propellers or two-4,800 hp-plus
waterjet powerpacks delivering a maximum
speed of 30 knots, and an armament suite of
one 20 mm and two 12.7mm remotely
controlled guns. The 32-metre, 32 crew 3200
CPV patrol craft is also available with
propeller and waterjets propulsion options,
the latter yielding a maximum speed of 25
knots. Roadman Polyships, for its part, has a
range of glass-reinforced plastic, fast patrol
boats ranging from 10 (Roadman 33) to 44
metres (Roadman 145) that have been
exported almost throughout the world.
Italys Intermarine shipyard near La Spezia
is specialised in all-composite material craft
and mine countermeasures vessels, and
delivers to navies, coast guards and customs
services worldwide. A customs service is for
example receiving both 28 (Bigliani class) and
22-metre (Buratti class) fibre-reinforced
plastic fast patrol boats designed to operate at
high speed even in rough seas. They can be
fitted with different engines and propulsion
14
INTERNATIONAL
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systems (propellers or waterjets). With a

respective displacement of 100 and 56 tonnes,
these craft are being used for law enforcement
duties and patrol missions and can hit 40-45
and 30 knots respectively, depending on the
propulsion configuration. The combat suite
is based on GEM Elettronica/Almaviva
command, control and navigation suite, and
Rhode & Schwarz communications. The
armament is respectively based on a single
Oto Melara 30 or 12.7 mm guns.
Cantiere Navale Vittoria shipyard near
Rovigo on the Adriatic Coast is providing 12
patrol boats to the Tunisian Navy and
National Guard under a security assistance
package funded by the Italian Government.
These belong respectively to the 27-metre

and 90-tonne P270 and 35-metre and 140tonne P350 models of aluminium craft,
which in different versions have been sold to
national and Mediterranean customers,
including Libya, Croatia, Slovenia, Tunisia
and Romania. The P270 has a crew of 14 and a
water propulsion system comprising a
centreline Kamewa Rolls-Royce 40A3 and
two Kamewa Rolls-Royce 50A3, each driven
by a MTU 12V2000M84 engine, while the
P350 is powered by two MTU 16V4000M93
and Rolls-Royce 63S3 waterjets, for a
maximum speed of respectively 35 and 38
knots. Both types are fitted with a command,
control and communications, and navigation
system boasting Simrad and Furuno radars, a
mast-mounted optronic sensor and satcoms,
all integrated by Italian AlmavivA group.
Armament can include a 20-30 mm main
gun. Also on the Adriatic coast, the AdriaMar shipbuilding group is marketing a family
of 31-metre PV30-LS and other patrol crafts.
Turkeys Yonka Onuk and Ares are
specialised in patrol craft. The former
supplies a range of products worldwide, from
the 15-metre Fast Intervention Craft MRTP to
the 34-metre patrol/attack craft MRTP. The
latter has been ordered together with the
smaller 16-metre MRTP by the Royal Qatari
Navy in 2012 with deliveries starting late that
year. The MRTP-34 is based on the one-
Italys Cantiere Navale Vittoria shipyard is offering both the

27-metre and 90-tonne P270 and 35-metre and 140 tonne P350
aluminium craft, versions of which have been sold to national
and international customers, including Croatia, Libya,
Romania, Slovenia and Tunisia. Here seen is the Tunisian Navy
version of the P 350. (Cantiere Navale Vittoria)
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The Turkish Yonka Onuk shipyard has a range of

products that starts from MRTP Fast Intervention Craft
to 34-metre MRTP 3 patrol/attack craft. This one is
armed with a main gun, eight anti-ship and two light
surface-surface missile launchers, in addition to two
12.7 mm remotely controlled guns. (Luca Peruzzi)
metre shorter MRTP-33 model already

delivered to the Turkish Coast Guard and
other international customers, and is based
on the proprietary OE-01 deep V hull
design, which enables, depending on engine
selection and boat configuration, to reach
speeds over 50 knots in calm waters and up
to 30 knots in sea state 4. The 38-metre
MRTP 34 high-speed propulsion system
consists of two MTU 16V2000M90 diesels
and a Honeywell TF50 gas turbine, all driving
MJP waterjets. The diesels allow 28 knots
speed, while the gas turbine engagement

enables to reach its maximum speed. The
Yonka Onuk can accommodate a choice of
armament that includes a Bofors Mk4 40 mm
or an Aselsan Stop stabilised turret, mediumrange anti-ship missiles, short-range air
defence missiles launcher and two Aselsan
Stamp stabilised turrets with 12.7 mm gun.
Electronics include a 2D radar, electrooptical director, search and rescue or special
forces support equipment, and selfprotection decoys.
In 2013 Ares shipyard signed an

agreement covering the delivery of 17 patrol
boats to the Qatari Coast Guard to be
designed by the British BMT Group and built
in advanced composite materials. The
package includes five 23-metre Ares 75
Hercules with a maximum speed of 52 knots,
ten 33-metre Ares 110 Hercules capable of 47
knots and two of 46-metre, 40-knot Ares 150
Hercules. The programme will run over five
years with the first vessel on sea trails early in
2016. Ares is also active in other regions in
the Middle East, such as in Bahrain, where it is
to deliver 16-metre patrol boat.
Israels need to protect its coastline and
offshore oil and gas installations led to the
development of fast patrol vessels with
combat capabilities. Israel Aerospace
Industries (IAI) and Israel Shipyards have a
long experience of combat-proven craft
respectively represented by the Super Dvora
and Shaldag family of craft. The 25-metre,
50-tonne Super Dvora in its latest Mk3
iteration has a state of the art propulsion
system with articulating surface drive (ASD)
claiming higher overall speeds, quicker
acceleration and a better power-to-weight
ratio. Capable to reach 45 knots at normal
load, the 14-crew Super Dovra Mk3 in
service with Israel is equipped with a selfprotection system against shore-based
threats and can be armed with remotely
controlled and optronic-slaved 23/25/30 mm
Already ordered or built for Cyprus, Equatorial Guinea, Israel, Nigeria, Romania
and Sri Lanka, Israel Shipyards Shaldag Mk V fast patrol boat is being built
locally for Azerbaijan naval forces. With a 32.65-metre long and a 6.2-metre
beam deep-vee hull, the Mk V version is powered by two MTU 16V2000 allowing
for a dash speed of over 40 knots (Israel Shipyard)
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Fast Patrol Vessels
In addition to ten 37-metre and 29-knot

capable patrol boats for Yemen and Kuwait,
Austal supplied six 30-metre aluminium fast
patrol craft to Trinidad and Tobago Coast
Guard in 2009-10. (Austal)
Chinese shipyards are active in this sector. CSTC has a large portfolio of products that range
from 20-metre to 250-tonne patrol craft and fast attack platforms. China Shipbuilding and
Offshore International Company are even working on stealth attack vessels. (Luca Peruzzi)
guns, typically a stabilised 25 mm Rafael

Typhoon which can also receive a twin SpikeER missile launcher, a manually operated 20
mm and two 7.62 mm machine guns. A
Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine Bridge
Master navigation suite and a mast-mounted
electro-optical turret (either El-Op MSIS or
IAI Taman POP300) form the sensor suite.
In 2013 Israel Shipyards won major orders,
today identified to be from Azerbaijan, to
provide local building support for six 62metre offshore patrol vessels and a same
number of latest generation fast patrol craft
for the local Coast Guard and Navy. Already
ordered or built to date for Cyprus, Equatorial
Guinea, Israel, Nigeria, Romania and Sri
Lanka, the Shaldag Mk V differs from the
early versions from a larger superstructure
and a closed bridge. With a 32.65 metre length
and a 6.2 metre beam deep-vee hull, the Mk
V version is powered by two MTU 16V2000
diesels driving MJP or KaMeWa waterjets,
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allowing for a dash speed of 40 knots and a

maximum sustained speed of 35 knots. Sea
state 4capable and with a crew of 10 to 14
members, the aluminium craft can be
equipped with a combat suite including a
remotely controlled 23/25 mm Rafael
Typhoon stabilised gun, two 12.7/7.62 mm
Mini-Typhoon gun systems, four 12.7 mm or
7.62 mm machine guns plus one 20/23 mm
gun and four to eight short-range missiles.
Sensors include a surface search radar and
either a Rafael Toplite or an IAI POP.
In addition to the national market, which
mainly boils down to the Coast Guard, US
shipyards have found opportunities with
foreign military sales packages. Through
these, Swiftships has delivered twelve 35metre aluminium boats to the Iraqi navy.
This model is equipped with three engines
rated at 2,450 hp powering either and
propellers or waterjets to provide a max
speed of 30 knots. Crewed by 12, the boat is
armed with one 30 mm MSI Defense System

or an Oto Melara remotely operated gun, two
12.7 and two 7.62 mm guns.
Specialised in aluminium-made vessels
for frontline and support duties, Australian
Austal also produces a range of monohull
design patrol crafts. In addition to ten 37metre and 29-knot capable patrol boats for
Yemen, and previously others for Kuwait,
Austal supplied six 30-metre aluminium fast
patrol craft for the Trinidad and Tobago
Coast Guard in 2009-10. These are versatile
platforms for sustained surveillance in the
archipelago territorial sea, equipped with two
2.215 hp MTU 16V2000 M92 engines and
Rolls-Royce Kamewa SIII waterjets pushing
the boat at more than 40 knots. Armed with a
20 mm gun and two general purpose guns,
these boats can accommodate 12 crew
members and are provided with a tender for
search and rescue duties. Austal has also won
an international tender to provide four 21.2metre inshore boats for Maltas Armed Forces
in 2009. Equipped with two 1.209 hp MAN
D2842 LE410 diesel engines driving fixed
pitch propellers 26+ knots-capable boats are
equipped with a stern launching ramp for a
rigid hull inflatable, two 7.62 mm machine
guns and a 12.7 mm gun.
From the Middle East to Asia and Pacific
Rim, there are a number of shipyards active in
this sector, including Abu Dhabi Ship
Building (ADSB) and Etihad Ship Building
(the joint-venture between Fincantieri) and
Al Fattan Ship Industry in the UAE that
specialises in aluminium fast patrol boats.
Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works for
its part supplies 39-metre, 250-tonne multipurpose auxiliary craft. Among Indian
shipyards, mention has to be made of Garden
Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Car
Nicobar-class 49-metre fast patrol boat and
of Larsen & Toubros 46-metre fast patrol
vessel design, while Indonesian PT Palindo
Marine delivered a range of patrol boats to
the local Navy. Chinese shipyards are also
active in this sector, including CSTC with a
large product portfolio ranging from 20 to 46
metre inshore patrol craft to the 250-tonne
patrol craft here illustrated. China
Shipbuilding and Offshore International
Company (CSOIC) has several projects
amongst which are stealth attack vessels.
AD Check.qxp:Armada
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Small Arms Update
Small Arms Chatter

While innovative companies explore the future with hypersophisticated carbon fibre
barrels that are probably worth far more than their weight in gold, times are
nevertheless pretty tough for defence budgets. Yet a few important contracts are
awaiting approval in the small arms world. The major one concerns India where actually
two tenders are open, one for a close quarters battle carbine that will replace old 9 mm
submachine guns, the second being for assault rifles to replace the indigenously
designed Insas rifle, 359 Army infantry units and 100 special forces and
counter-insurgency battalions awaiting those new weapons.
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Page 3
An Italian mountain soldier with a

ARX160 equipped with an Aimpoint
sight; soon Italian Army infantry
teams will include a designated
marksman armed with a Beretta
ARX200 in 7.62 mm calibre
equipped with the
company ICS.
(Armada/P. Valpolini)
160,000 units with a first batch of one

quarter of this together with over 33 million
rounds of 5.56x45 mm ammunition being
soon needed and bought straight away from
the original designer. As for the assault rifle
tender, which foresees an overall need of
some 220,000 rifles, the Indian Army wants a
weapon capable to shift quickly from 5.56
mm Nato to 7.62x39 mm and vice-versa.
Competitors here are Beretta with the
ARX160, Colt with the Colt Combat Rifle,
CZ with the CZ 805 Bren and IWI with the
Ace 1. While a shortlist for the close quarters
battle (also known as CQB) tender is due to be
announced soon (tests were completed in
July 2014), the assault rifle contract will come
later as trials involving all possible climatic
conditions have started in early September
2014. When an announcement regarding this
matter will be made is anybodys guess.
The second huge small arms programme
is the replacement of Famas used by the
between assault rifles and carbines. The

tender, officially published in May 2014,
also includes an undisclosed number of
underslung grenade launchers, as well as 38
million training rounds and 92,000 40mm
anti-personnel, smoke and training lowvelocity grenades. The winner should be
announced in December 2016.
I INTEGRATION IS THE BUZZ WORD
Turning to new features in assault rifles,

integration has become the buzz word and
numerous companies are thus eyeing smart
rails in place of current Picatinny rails that
will maintain the same mechanical coupling capability, but will add power and
data distribution (with a main battery
installed in the buttstock in most cases).
This will allow accessory manufacturers to
do away with cables and batteries, reduce
subsystem dimensions and weight, and pull
the centre of gravity backwards, which
FN Herstal of Belgium is developing the

Target Acquisition & Situational
Awareness Module which is centred on
a power and data rail that allows easy
integration of all subsystems.
Paolo Valpolini
ost of these will be produced

under licence by the Ordnance
Factory Board following a
transfer of technology from the
original manufacturer. The first tender sees
three competitors, Beretta with its ARX160,
Israel Weapons Industries with the Galil Ace
carbine, and Colt with its ubiquitous M4. The
overall requirement should be in excess of
French Armed Forces. As no small arms

mass producers have survived in France,
the DGA had to look abroad, but five competitors stand in line: Beretta with the
ARX160, CZ with the CZ 805 Bren, FN
Herstal with the Scar-L, Heckler & Koch
with the HK416A5 and Thales Australia
with the F90. The future rifle, which is
known in France as Arme Individuelle du
Futur (individual weapon of the future) will
be a 5.56x45 mm weapon with an initial
requirement for 90,000, equally subdivided
added to a slight overall weight decrease

will have a beneficial impact on a soldiers
fatigue at the end of a patrol.
One company that is looking in that
direction is FN Herstal from Belgium which
is currently developing the Tasam (Target
Acquisition & Situational Awareness
Module), a modular system centred on a
Nato standard-compliant powered rail able
to transmit both power and data between
the different modules. ZigBee is the proposed solution for wireless communica-
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Small Arms Update
Part view of a screen generated by the FN Herstal Small Arms Management programme
showing the management of a small arms depot, with among other data the number of rounds
left per weapon and the estimated run-out date. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
tions between modules, though a Bluetooth

solution is also envisaged if smartphones
can be involved. Sensor packs including,
inter alia, day/night imagers, GPS, digital
magnetic compass, elevation sensors and
laser rangefinder, can be installed and powered from a central battery. Visible and/or
infrared laser pointers can join the suite
with data transmitted to a helmet-mounted
display or forwarded to a higher command
echelon using wireless communication.
Target designation could thus be carried
out at lower levels, ensuring a more accurate fire support.
Rifle digitisation is not only uniquely
focused on the operational aspect; indeed
logistic can also draw its advantages and to
this end FNH is developing the SAM module that resides in the pistol grip. This has a
shot counter and a localisation and identification system allowing logisticians to optimise weapon maintenance operations and
thereby ensure better availability and
reduced operational costs.
Beretta Defense Technologies is also
going digital, as evidenced a while ago with
the i-Protect system and the PX4i handgun.
In terms of assault rifles, Beretta USA has
teamed with local T.Worx Ventures, which
developed the Intelligent Rail originally
aimed at the M16/M4 family. The
American branch of the Italian small arms
manufacturer and T.Worx are working on
an evolution of that smart rail for Beretta to
integrate it in a modified ARX-160 and
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INTERNATIONAL
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other company-made weapons. The use of

state-of-the-art materials cut down weights
compared to the Picatinny but maintained
exactly the same profile, and a series of connectors along the rail ensure power and
data transmission through a Broadcast and
Unknown Server (BUS).
Each couple of contacts can accept a voltage of between 4 and 32 Volts and a maximum current of 2 Amps. Data transmission
To develop a smart rail for its rifles BDT

tasked Beretta USA to team up with T.Worx
Ventures; the team is developing a solution
leveraging T.Worx experience acquired
with the rail developed for the M16/M4
weapons. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
throughput is between 1 and 5 MB and

adapts to the accessories. Batteries can be
fitted either in the pistol grip or in the buttstock, and two configurations are available:
four CR123A or AA batteries, or two 18650
Li-Ion rechargeable batteries in the grip, or
four 18650, eight CR123A or 12 AA in the
larger capacity buttstock. According to
T.Worx representatives, the polymer casing
of the ARX series will provide adequate
spacing for cables to run between the rail
and the battery, rail segments being installable in various positions on the receiver to
accept a variety of accessories. The company
estimates that the suppression of batteries
and cables hitherto contained in each single
accessory will cut weight by 270 grams and,
even more importantly, that the centre of
gravity would significantly shift backwards.
Currently Beretta is working on a new buttstock to host standard or rechargeable batteries, while the optronic companies of the
group or linked to it, such as Burris, Laser
Devices or Steiner, are starting to develop
products aimed at smart rail integration.
Steiner is heading the development of
what will be a joint Beretta portfolio,
namely the Innovative Combat Sight, the
increased effectiveness of which is paramount to Beretta since efficiency is a direct
dividend of diminished time of engagement. The ability to quickly engage is a key
factor, as is correcting the bullet drop in
near real time, especially as range increases. The sight is based on a x6 Steiner optic
sight, a quick response laser rangefinder
and a ballistic computer, which allows the
soldier to obtain, by only pressing one
remotely positioned button, the corrected
Small Arms:Armada
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Page 5
A view of the latest sensors added to the Sword suite by Colt Canada and that of the
SitaWare software with added functionalities. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
reticule position and hence the accurate

aiming spot. An angular sensor providing
correction when shooting at angles within
45 from horizontal is also included. Tests
have been carried out with the two first
prototypes and lead to a 40% average
improvement compared to a standard 4x
optical system. A three minute of angle red
dot sight on top of the sight caters to close

range engagements. Production sights will
be rubberised to increase shock resistance,
the overall weight being estimated at
around 820 grams. The ICS will be programmable at depot level to suit different
weapons, the aim being to preclude the
basic soldier to modify settings. According
to Beretta the sight cost will be comparable

to that of a standard 3-12 x 50 optic. By late
October 2014 Beretta was planning to have
eight advanced prototypes available, with
one on the new ARX-200 in 7.62x51 mm
calibre being expected to start qualifications in early January 2015.
Beretta is for the time being very quiet
about the above rifle, but it seems that the
Italian Army has already filed an order for
430 with the new sight with a view to providing each infantry squad with a designated marksman armed with that system
(the quantity being sufficient to equip
around 15 regiments).
At AUSA 2013 Colt Canada introduced
the Soldier/Sniper Weapon & Observer
Reconnaissance Devices suite Sword in
short that adds carbine power, data and
navigation capabilities to a C7. One year later
the technology demonstrator had evolved
into a product, the company exhibiting
Sword Gen.2 while a Gen.3 is already underway to improve the sensor suite, simplify the
rail mechanism, and get rid of the electronic
interface with considerable weight saving.
The company abandoned polymers, as these
were not ensuring zero holding. Mechanical
elements are now made of aluminium, while
the new rail mechanism allows moving the
centre of gravity backward and making the
system weight-neutral. Data are now transferred through the rail, throughput increasing to Gbps level. During the year Colt
Canada supplied limited numbers of Sword
kits to several customers for evaluation. The
British Ministry of Defence acquired six,
which are also being used on the LMT
The new (fore) and old (aft) version of the Polish MSBS rifle in
conventional configuration; the most apparent difference is the extended
handguard of the latest model. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
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Small Arms Update
of the MSBS are ready for production, and

beside being offered to the Polish military
the company is already targeting the export
market. The system also includes a bullpup
version; while the previously described version is aimed at mechanised infantry, the
bullpup should equip parachute, recce and
Special Forces units. It is still under full
development and, according to Fabrika
Broni ucznik, is three years behind the
conventional rifle.
I OTHER MAJOR CONTRACTS
The left-opening grenade launcher of the MSBS rifle system; to fit it to the weapon
a shorter handguard has to be used. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
L129A1 Sharpshooter rifle. The Canadian

Army has acquired a few and installed them
on C7 assault rifles as well as on two crewserved weapons of unspecified type, as did
the US Marine Corps incidentally. The
Sitaware software has also been improved to
add new features.
Turning to the new Polish Army rifle,
which is part of the Tytan soldier modernisation programme launched on 1 July 2014,
the prime contractor is PCO, the public
owned optronic company now part of
Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), the
Polish Armaments Group that brings all
Polish defence public companies under a
single banner. The responsibility for small
arms falls on Fabrika Broni ucznik, which
two years ago started showing rapid prototyping models of its modular armament
system, dubbed MSBS from Moduowego
Systemu Broni Strzeleckiej.
At MSPO 2014 the conventional version of the assault rifle was exhibited in a
well developed form, the weapon having
already been tested both by the Polish
Institute for Military Technology as well as
by special forces units. The MSBS is obviously chambered for the Nato 5.56 x 45
mm round; it is 843-900 mm long, has a
406 mm long barrel providing an 890 m/s
muzzle velocity; rate of fire is of 700-900
rounds per minute while effective range is
of about 500 metres. The trigger mechanism has been improved over the prototypes, with a pull stroke of seven millimetres and a pull force reduced to two kilos.
22
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The new version features a handguard

that extends nearly to the muzzle and, to
adapt the weapon to personnel of different
sizes, three interchangeable pistol grips are
available. The 30-round magazine has also
been redesigned. The optimisation work
carried on by Fabrika Broni ucznik also
reached the important result of reducing
the weight by nearly 10%, the new version
being at 3.4 kg compared to the previous 3.7
kg. The other element of the MSBS programme that has reached full development
is the 40 mm underbarrel grenade launcher.
Fitted with a quick-mount system, it swings
open on the left side to allow the use of low
velocity grenades of different lengths. The
double-action trigger has a pull force of
four kilos. According to Fabrika Broni
ucznik, both the aforementioned elements
Back to major contracts after this short

digression. The next involves the Turkish
Army need to replace over half million
H&K G3 locally produced by Makina ve
Kimya Endstrisi Kurumu (MKEK). The
state armaments company has developed a
new assault rifle maintaining the same calibre (5.56x45 mm being definitely not the
favourite round in the Turkish Army).
Named Milli Piyade Tfegi 76 (national
infantry rifle 76, or MPT-76 in short) by the
Defence Industry Execution Committee, it
is based on a short-stroke gas-piston system
with rotating bolt and is fitted with a 406
mm long floating barrel.
The 700-round-per-minute firing mechanism allows single-shot and automatic fire
only, and the 20-round transparent magazine is made of polymer. The aluminium
handguard protects nearly half of the barrel,
the upper part being fitted with a Picatinny
rail while side slots allow the installation of
shorter rails. Open sights are installed on
the upper Picatinny, as well as a transport
handle, while the lower one carries a curved
handgrip just forward of the magazine and
a vertical grip that might become a bipod.
The buttstock can house items like batteries
and can be extended out to 12 positions, the
MKEK of Turkey has developed a 7.62 mm

assault rifle known as MPT-76 to replace the H&K
G3 in the national armed forces. Slots in the
handguard allow the installation of short
Picatinny rails in various positions to equip the
MPT-76 with various accessories. (MKEK)
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The Dan .338 Lapua Magnum sniper rifle

unveiled in mid-2014 by Israel Weapons
Industries is the first dedicated sniper weapon
produced by that company. (IWI)
rifles overall length thus varying from 900

to 1,000 mm, for an overall weight of 4.18
kg. MKEK delivered the first 200 rifles to
the Turkish Land Forces on 9 May 2014 for
test and evaluation. A further batch of some
thousands rifles which will include adjustments from these first tests is being planned
for final users and qualification tests before
launching full-rate production.
Another market that seems to remain
active is that of sniper rifles, long-range
shooting having come back into most green
armies following recent operations in asymmetric warfare scenarios. The US Army is
looking for a Compact Semi-Automatic
Sniper System that will be shorter and
lighter than current M110 Semi Automatic
Sniper System. Also required are improvements in numerous other areas such as reliability, accuracy, ergonomics, lower felt
recoil, suppressor, modular rail capabilities,
coatings and optics. Testing will last 12
months, competing companies providing
30 rifles, while maximum orders will reach
3,643 systems in five years.
In the bolt-action world, numbers are
much smaller, but the request for improved
performances at longer ranges is keeping
this niche market pretty active.
A long time, well renowned, small arms

producer, Israel Weapons Industry has stuck
mostly to automatic weapon of different calibres, from submachine guns to assault rifles
and carbines. Things changed in 2014 when
the Ramat Hasharon-based company, now
part of the SK Group, unveiled its first true
sniper rifle known as Dan, named after a
kibbutz in the upper Galilee. As usual the
development of the new weapon was carried
out hand-in-hand with the Israeli Defence
Forces (most of IWIs personnel originating
from Special Forces units), with the latter
acting as the first testers for development
items produced since 2011. The first of what
should become a family of sniper rifles was
produced in .338 Lapua Magnum, a calibre
that has nearly become the standard for military sniping. The Israeli requirements
called for a robust weapon with superior
accuracy. The Dans heavy barrel is fluted,
eight grooves ensuring better cooling,
increased stiffness and reduced oscillations.
The full floating barrel is 737 mm long (29
inches) and has a 10-inch rifling twist, and is
fitted with an efficient muzzle brake/flash
hider with four side holes that deflect gases
upwards to help reduce recoil and avoid
kicking up dust. A ferrule protects the
thread at the front of the muzzle and can be

easily removed and replaced with a suppressor produced by IWI. To replace the barrel
the shooter has to unscrew four screws
located on the side of the receiver, which is
made of aluminium alloy and protects the
barrel for about two thirds of its length. The
of 881 m/s muzzle velocity Dan is 1,280 mm
long, however its folding stock allows to
reduce its length to 1,030 mm; the stock
features a big push button on the left side,
and it is tilted along the right side of the
weapon protecting the cocking lever once
A detail of the loading mechanism and

magazine of IWIs Dan; the 10-round
magazine release is located under the trigger
guard. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
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Small Arms Update
The Dan is fitted with a two-stage

adjustable trigger; its pull can be set by the
operator between one and two kilograms.
fully folded. The stock has a quite peculiar

shape: when loading the weapon the latter
rotates 70, and it features an ergonomic
handle. The two-stage adjustable trigger has
a pull that can vary between one and two
kilograms. The Dan has a 10-round drop
free magazine that is released by pulling
back on the fully ambidextrous catch located under the trigger guard.
The stock is fully adjustable: the cheek
rest is height adjustable and kept in place
by a winged nut, as is the buttstock length
adjuster. Like all the rest of the Dan, the
stock is made entirely of metal parts,

robustness having been, as stated earlier, a
key design parameter.
This being said, IWI managed to keep
the weight down to 6.9 kg without magazine and scope, which is in line with other
weapons of similar category. According to
IWI management the Dan is the first of a
family of rifles, as indeed a 7.62x51 mm
weapon and a .300 Winchester Magnum
rifles are in the design pipeline.
Another new rifle comes from Austria
and was unveiled by Voere at Eurosatory in
mid-June. The bolt action sniper rifle,
mostly built in 7075 aluminium and steel,
the X3 is a multi-calibre weapon and can be
equipped with 308 Winchester, 300
Winchester Magnum, 338 Lapua Magnum
and 408 CheyTac barrels, three-lug bolts
and magazines, the latter containing
respectively 10, six and five rounds. In 308
Win and 300 Win Mag the barrel is 660
mm long, while in 338 LM length grows to
690 mm and in 408 CheyTac to 720 mm;
660 mm fluted barrels are available in
stainless steel, the weight of the weapon
including the bipod being in that case of
6.5 kg. The 408 CheyTac version is fitted
with a 720 mm steel fluted barrel and, with
bipod, the weapon weighs 8.5 kg. All bar-
rels are equipped with a muzzle brake,

which at the front is threaded to allow the
installation of a suppressor, while a backup sight can be installed on the top. The
overall length thus varies according to the
barrel length and stock, and is comprised
between 960 and 1,350 mm.
The standard stock is straight, with
adjustable length and cheek piece; an
adjustable monopod is also used as hand
rest, while a sandbag rest is available on
request. The grip is AR15 standard, which
allows one to install a variety of grips, the
palm rest being itself adjustable in height.
Both the safety switch and magazine catch
are ambidextrous, the pull of the two-stage
trigger being adjustable between 700 and
1,200 grams, and a single-stage trigger is
also available. A safety system allows to
manually de-cock the firing pin to allow
safe transport with the rifle loaded; in the
future Voere will offer the X3 with a threeposition firing pin safety as standard, the
cocking safety and the thumb safety being
still available on option. The X3 is available
in desert colour, multicam pattern, olive
green and black finish. As option a right or
left folding stock is available. Beside the
aforementioned barrels Voere also offers a
254 fully silenced barrel produced by
The Voere X3 in action; the Austrian company

has produced numerous such rifles which are
being tested by many special forces units in
Europe and elsewhere. (Voere)
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A front view of Barretts MRAD sniper rifle equipped with a carbon fibre barrel, and below a
detail of that, which is being produced by Proof Research. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
in resin formulations and advanced composites manufacturing whose fibrewrapped barrels are claimed to be approved
for use by the US Military.
A carbon fibre barrel production starts
with a full-profile, match-grade 416R
stainless steel barrel blank, which is then
turned down to a significantly reduced
profile. This is then filament-wrapped
with high-strength, aerospace-grade carbon fibre impregnated with a high-thermal conductivity matrix resin. The carbon
fibre used is 10 times stronger and has a
specific stiffness nearly six times greater
than stainless steel. Strength and stiffness
are only part of the equation, the helical
wrapping pattern favouring the longitudinal thermal diffusivity of the carbon fibres
which allows dissipation of the heat emanating from the steel liner rather than
insulate it. According to Proof Research
the unique bonding agent developed by
the company also allows heat conduction
very effectively through the thickness of
the barrel. The result of all this is improved
cooling and thus a longer barrel life. In
addition, the reduced heating consistently
Brgger & Thomet in Switzerland. Under

the requirement of a special unit Voere also
developed a shotgun barrel, capable to
speed out 12-gauge ammunition with a 76
mm chamber, the magazine then containing four rounds (this was possible as the X3
was already designed for the 408 CheyTac,
which allowed to fit a 12-gauge round as the
action was big enough). The X3 has been
provided in small numbers to military special forces units for testing and evaluation,
at least one major European country being
close to a contract for its special forces.
I CARBON FIBRE BARREL
While Voere does not propose its carbon

fibre barrels for military use, one of the
major American companies involved in
sniper rifles production now considers this
technology (that started with .22 LR rifles)
sufficiently mature to incorporate it in its
products. A .338 Barrett MRAD rifle is thus
equipped. This brings considerable weight
saving but increased cost, with Barrett stating that carbon fibre barrels are definitely
more expensive than steel ones.
Cooling is definitely a key factor when
firing a machine gun, thus the same technology was adopted by Ares for its EPG
(Externally Powered Gun), an electrically
activated weapon in 7.62 mm Nato calibre,
The Ares Externally Powered Gun installed on a Precision Remotes T360 stabilised
weapon station can be equipped with a carbon fibre barrel that allows considerable weight
reduction. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
which can fire in semi-automatic and full

automatic modes at a variable rate of fire of
420 to 600 rounds per minute. Ares
installed the weapon on a Precision
Remotes Trap T360 with a barrel supplied
by Proof Research, a company specialised
reduces the point-of-impact shift during

high-volume fire, while mechanical characteristics reduce harmonic barrel vibration. This leads to improved accuracy with
a barrel weight that can be reduced by
64%, but at an undisclosed cost.
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Geospatial Information-V
Mapping Urban Canyons

Urban areas severely complicate situational awareness and threat identification,
requiring a specific, time-consuming intelligence preparation of the battlespace (IPB).
Besides, the peculiar human nature of urban terrain combines with todays stringent
rules of engagement, with a view to minimising friendly fire and collateral damage risks.
Such constraints call for data accuracy and availability in large volumes; new solutions
which are breaking away from classical geospatial information production processes,
leveraging 2D/3D data processing to describe urban complexity.
Wesley G. Fox
rban terrain poses a formidable

challenge to military operations. No
need to look back as far as Stalingrad
for lessons learned: combats in
Beirut, Mogadishu, Grozny, Jenin or Fallujah
all share a considerable cost and reveal a
common finding, namely understanding that
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the complex, compartmented and obstructed

urban environment is critical to ensure the
success of operations in built-up areas. Urban
mapping is a branch of human geography, but
a challenging one too given its very large, or
human scale (1:10 000 to 1:5 000 ideally),
whereas most military maps deal with
strategic, operational or tactical scales. Beyond
surveying population and social habitat, the
amount of artificial features range from
transportation infrastructures to built-up

superstructures, and an increasingly complex
network of utilities: water, sewage, power
and phone lines, and more recently digital
communications either based on ground
cables or radio relays.
Ironically, this massive information exists in
documented, and often updated formats. It is
generated right from the outset to build any
city, for urban planning or cadastre and utility
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layout. However, this data comes in multiple,

fragmented and proprietary sources, from
archeological surveys to power distribution
charts, and incidentally, urban paper maps.
Digital information for urban applications
thus still forms a minor part of available
mapping information, compared to land
survey or maritime and aeronautical charting;
information standardization and integration
about cities are still at an embryonic stage.
These shortcomings painfully appear during
every disaster relief operation, as recent crises
have shown from New Orleans to Bangkok.
Each time, responders struggle to aggregate
data owned by multiple stakeholders; they are
critically short in any military operation in
urban areas, whether cities are orderly planned
or resulting from anarchic urban growth.
This is probably why most Geographical
Information System (GIS) vendors propose
dedicated tools adapted to urban mapping,
from raster edition to digitized paper maps, or
vector editions to add additional features.
Early modules dealt with cadastre or
urban planning applications; newer ones
provide advanced tools to produce fine-grain
Since combat or disaster

relief operations often
develop in poor countries
or even failed states, with
little or no co-operation
from local authorities,
modern armies spend a
considerable amount of
effort to survey, map and
describe urban areas of
operations in a hardly
permissive environment
information for navigation, horizontal and
vertical planning, or rationalization of
overlapping utility networks. In this process,
classical 2D descriptions are giving in to
innovative 3D representations of urban
information, with a growing contribution of
high-resolution, multi-sensor imagery,
modeling and simulation, and layers after

layers of semantic information, from mere
postal data to qualitative features about
habitat, business, and residents patterns of life.
Intelligence preparation of the battlespace
for Military Operations in Urban Terrain
(mout) hardly benefit from this increasingly
rich information content, though. Since
combat or disaster relief operations often
develop in poor countries or even failed states,
with little or no co-operation from local
authorities, modern armies spend a
considerable amount of effort to survey, map
and describe urban areas of operations in a
hardly permissive environment. The long
haul of producing up-to-date urban maps for
military operations, ill-adapted to operational
tempo, is thus increasingly giving way to more
automated urban feature description,
leveraging recent breakthroughs in payload
miniaturization, multi-sensor processing and
big data exploitation. The new capabilities
arising from network-centric operations
A satellite overhead of Falluja, Iraq. Spacemaps are the primary feed of urban mapping, but a
small contribution to describe the human and physical complexity of cities. (Digital Globe)
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conducted by highly-digitised and connected

forces also brings new requirements to
accommodate precision navigation, targeting
and communication needs.
I CURRENT SOLUTIONS
Urban areas are captured primarily through

remote sensing. In peacetime, aerial imagery
provides the best compromise between high
ground resolution and large area coverage,
and can be augmented by ground surveys. In
non-permissive areas, satellite coverage, at
the expense of multiple revisit, provides
accurate capture of urban areas, with fused
radar and panchromatic imagery producing
medium to high accuracy elevation data.
Vricon Systems, a subsidiary of Saab
Dynamics, offer such aerial or satellite (in
partnership with Digital Globe) mapping
services. The Image City Map (ICM) format
is the primary way to transform spacemaps
into the base layer of urban maps. GIS tools
can then edit maps, creating the relevant
overlays for street names, area classification,
buildings of interest, public works and
obstacles. Additional modules provide
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A Mazar I Sharif city map produced for the Afghan government. Such comprehensive
urban geospatial information are hardly available at the onset of military operations and result
from extensive remote and on-site surveys to rebuild information available elsewhere in
spread format and ownership. (AIMS)
bespoke urban feature description, notably

computer-aided 3D extrusion to compute
and extract building shapes.
Esris ArcGIS City Engine, for example,
provides such computer-aided functionalities
from imagery, including point cloud
conversion from lidar data, which produce
millions of georeferenced points accurately
measured in x-y-z.
Luciads Lightspeed saves pre-processing
time by reading data in their native format,
and offers a simultaneous, hybrid 2D-3D
view, instead of dedicated 3D modules of
traditional GIS. Such dedicated functionalities
for defence users are proposed in
Overwatch Geospatials RV3D, part of their
RemoteView suite.
Urban Analyst combines various feature
extraction and measurement tools tailored to
perform terrain analysis within a geospatially
accurate terrain environment. It can be
imported from a commercial GIS (Esris

ArcMap) desktop project.
The proven MapIt! Software, from the
Sarnoff Corporation, provides a somewhat
more generic suite for defence and security
applications; it combines imagery and lidar
point clouds to generate very high resolution
digital elevation models (DEM). The resulting
ortho-mosaics and 3D site models supports
IPB in urban areas, from intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance to targeting
and damage assessment. Last but not least,
the latest release of BAe Systems Socet GXP
(Geospatial eXploitation Program, see
Geospatial Information I) features the nextgeneration automatic terrain extraction
(NGATE), which uses dedicated algorithms to
create precise digital elevation models from
imagery. All these bespoke applications
deliver advanced results at the cost of expert
skills, though.
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Visualising complexity : a combat route

planning displayed against multiple
constraints in a littoral city around friendly and
hostile units. Digital geospatial solutions
provides both proven and innovative tools to
exploit multiple geospatial formats in a hybrid
2D-3D environment. (Luciad)
I 3D CITY MODELS
Producing high-fidelity 3D city models has

become a trade in itself, and specialized
businesses born out of urban planning
requirements are now offering geospatiallyenabled products earmarked for defence and
security. The American-based PLW
Modelworks, for example, produces detailed
3D models of more than 450 locations in 21
countries, covering either critical
infrastructures like stadiums, airports and
refineries or entire cities, with before-andafter disaster area models like Port-au-Prince
in Haiti or Ishinomaki in Japan.
Additional, highly
specialized software
modules can compute
radio or GPS propagation
between buildings
On a more modest scale, Vectuels Virtual
City, in France, has built geo-referenced 3D
models of cities like Abu Dhabi or critical
sites like the Moscow Kremlin. Such products
results from specific contracts which render
their output proprietary to the user; but the
tools and technology used are GIScompatible and can meet the stringent
requirements of urban analysis for critical
missions. Georeferenced 3D data in city
models can also support further analysis
compatible with information and navigation
warfare. Additional, highly specialized
software modules can compute radio or GPS
propagation between buildings. This aspect of
urban modelling is often overlooked in
military and security operations; however,
poor spectrum planning has resulted in the
past in catastrophic failure, as experienced by
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Russian forces in their first operation in

Grozny in 1994, where urban canyons
produced masks and multi-paths which
impaired tactical radio exchanges. Luciad
solutions take this into account by allowing
exploitation of large urban datasets (the
new GeoPackage open format defined
by the Open Geopsatial Consortium)
on disconnected mobile devices, as
demonstrated in their Astute project for
Belgian firefighters. Similarly, GPS data in
high-rise cities are often degraded by the
buildings glass and metal structures, calling
for innovative ways to provide high-accuracy
positioning information.
Locata Corporation, an Australian
company specializing in positioning solutions
in poor or non-GPS environment, has
demonstrated LocataNet in White Sands
missile range for the US Air Force, using a
network of ground-based transceivers to

allow air combat missions over the range in
GPS-denied conditions. The Air Force 746th
Test Squadron is expected to draw significant
experience in navigation warfare from this
project. The denials of service experimented
by both American and Russian GNSS
constellations over the Ukrainian crisis
clearly point position, navigation and time
(PNT) signals as a single point of failure in
future information-centric, networkenabled operations, calling for increased
attention paid to navigation warfare in areas
where positioning information is either
degraded or suppressed.
I NEW AIRBORNE SENSORS
The legacy process of producing validated

geospatial information from skilled users and
expert tools before dissemination in-theatre is
ill-adapted to the human resource and
operational tempo in the current theatres of
operations. This finding has led to an initial
stopgap measure, which consisted in fielding
in-theatre geospatial production workshops
to support soldiers. It was still deemed illadapted to unit-of-action requirements for
persistent surveillance and near-realtime
extraction of terrain features for immediate
tactical exploitation.
Gorgon Stares platform and payload provide a proven solution to rapidly generate accurate
urban geospatial information from massive volumes of wide area surveillance data, while
delivering pinpoint reconnaissance of urban areas to Army and special forces deployed forces.
(Sierra Nevada Corporation)
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The Vigilant Stare airborne sensor payload combines the latest improvements in
day and night motion imagery sensor integration with intelligence bandwidth
management to serve multiple deployed users in near-real time. (Exelis)
The solution has come out as a development of the first deployed persistent
drones in Afghanistan and Iraq. Platforms like the General Atomics MQ-1
Predator and its associated sensor payload delivered full-motion video feed to
ground stations and portable terminals such as the L-3 Rover. In parallel,
the American military began to equip modified business aircraft to carry
high-resolution imaging payloads, such as lidars. This was the aim of the US
Army Geospatial Centers Buckeye programme, which has revived combat
mapping since 2004.
Buckeye pioneered collection of high-resolution 3D (HR3D) imagery over (air)
permissive areas of operations, combining 10cm colour imagery and one-metre post
spacing lidar into unclassified data, shareable at coalition level. The resultant
human-scale HR3D feed was immediately grasped by special operation forces to
plan and execute delicate, small-scale direct action missions in urban areas.
Obstacles, cover, concealment, weapon placement, ingress and egress routes,
became available out of near-realtime geospatial information about urban targets.
Deep urban canyon understanding permitted by this high-resolution colour
imagery and accurate elevation data acted as a game-changer in the non-traditional
ISR and counter-insurgency warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq. Buckeye and its
associated suite of lidar exploitation and terrain modelling software quickly proved
able to serve military intelligence, special operations, and topographic/geospatial
communities at national and coalition levels. Its founding 3D foundation layer,
built by Applied Imagery, supports the most demanding urban terrain analysis,
such as sniper/counter-sniper operations or detailed road clearance against
concealed bombs. After more than ten years in operation, Buckeye has been
responsible for mapping most population centres and lines of communications in
both countries. In early 2014, as American forces began to withdraw from Iraq,
the entire Buckeye dataset was given to the new government, a much-appreciated
gift in the renewed fighting against radical Islam in northern Iraq by mid-year.
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Raw lidar data read natively in Luciad Lightspeed at a very large scale. Lidar data is the best
source of urban 3D mapping, since it can capture the smallest artificial features which
hamper line of sight and vehicle mobility. (Luciad & GeoEye)
A processed lidar elevation model from Kandahar, Afghanistan, produced by the

Buckeye platform-agnostic system. Such unclassified, high-resolution 3D information has
proved immensely valuable. (US Army Geospatial Center)
The full-motion video feed delivered by

traditional drone sensors is either in widefield of view or higher-resolution narrow
field of view; it produces a frustrating
looking through a soda straw effect, which
is ill-suited to large, complex urban areas, for
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the user loses context rapidly. The solution

was offered by latest wide-area persistent
surveillance programs; Sierra Nevada
Corporations Gorgon Stare, delivered to US
Air Force General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper
drones in a first increment, is a podded
sensor system from Exelis that combines

nine cameras. It began operations in
Afghanistan in March 2011, despite poor
initial operational assessment during Air
Force testing at Eglin in Florida, followed by
on-the-fly improvements.
The 16km2 area surveyed by Gorgon
Stare visible and infrared sensors can be
broken simultaneously into multiple spot
surveillance vignettes, and fed up to ten users
on the ground, equipped with portable
ground terminals networked to the Gorgon
Stare ground station. Advanced on-board
compression and storage hardware and
software packed by Mercury Federal Systems
in the drones pod overcame the traditional
limitations of on-board processing and airground communications bottleneck.
Gorgon Stare Increment 1 has since logged
nearly 12,000 flying hours over Afghanistan
terrain. The follow-on Increment 2 passed
the Air Froce initial operational capability in
July 2014, adding a four-fold increase in area
coverage and a two-fold one in resolution.
The optronics sensor, delivered from a joint
Darpa and BAe Systems Argus technology
development, combines with the largest
infrared sensor array to date (delivered by
Exelis), enabling a single drone to monitor a
100 km2 area for several hours. The resulting
scene fuses 368 camera images, creating a 1.8
billion pixels composite video image at
twelve frames per second. Increased imaging
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US Army servicemen pose around a

hologram map of an Iraqi city. Innovative
mays of representing urban areas
leverage new sensors and highresolution 3D data (Zebra Imaging)
3D data come from a variety of sources; the Battlespace Vista ACTD combines intelligence
and situational awareness in an immersive and interactive environment, where a complex scene
can be slaved to the users point of view for maximum situational understanding
and decision support (Thales).
performance allow users to find smaller

targets over larger areas. Dissemination uses
commercial standards (e.g. JPEG 2000
for image compression, or GeoPDF for
inclusion of imagery and its metadata in
digital documents). The Buckeye and
Gorgon Stare programmes have acted as
force multipliers; they can let future theatre
commanders expect near-real time coverage
and mapping of the largest urban areas from
a single aircraft.
I ADVANCED EXPLOITATION TOOLS
The increased availability and accuracy of

HR3D data have brought three-dimensional
mapping technologies to the tactical level,
allowing deeper understanding of the
complex urban environment. These
technologies call for new ways of visualizing
information to produce better situational
awareness. Draping imagery over elevation
data, which used to be the way to represent
3D features in 2D, is reaching its limits in
urban terrain combining topographic and
human features. New applications can render
3D data in a dynamic and immersive way to
better fuse physical and semantic
information, an attractive advantage in
visualising urban environments. These
applications can produce various 3D
supports, turning maps into holograms.
Using technology from the Texas-based
Zebra Imaging, holographic maps are the
main output of the US Army Tactical

Battlefield Visualisation programme. Such
a representation of urban terrain bridges the
gap between geospatial community and
tactical users, since untrained personnel can
understand a complex environment without
any particular map reading training. Zebra
Imagings hologram maps can be printed,
with 3D rendering triggered by a source of
light (e.g. a flashlight) over the filmlike map.
Viewers dont need any glasses to read the
3D features and can take the custom-made
holographic maps with them in the field.
The next step is going to see real-time
2D/3D display, allowing realtime data to be
fed into the hologram.
Another new technology being explored
to leverage HR3D fused with other
information overlays (such as C2-related
tactical situations, space volumes, or sensor
footprint) is being investigated by Thales
Urban terrain is now

reaching a higher level of
representation, bringing
peculiar situational
understanding to nongeospatial experts in a
fraction of the time and
effort required to build
legacy urban maps
under its 2014 innovation projects initiative.

Released during the companys TechDays in
March in Paris, it was shown during
Eurosatory as Battlespace Vista, an
advanced concept technology demonstrator
(ACTD) focusing on air-land integration in
Afghanistan. Merging Thales integrated C4I
technology with commercial software,
Battlespace Vista displayed immersive and
interactive information fusing terrain,
tactical situation, and semantic information
about own and enemy forces, down to the
soldier level. Northrop Grumman
Information Technology are also
investigating similar solutions at a lower
technology readiness level, having patented
a method combining located video streams
with geospatial information.
With these latest breakthroughs fed by
technical and operational advances, urban
terrain is now reaching a higher level of
representation, bringing peculiar situational
understanding to non-geospatial experts in
a fraction of the time and effort required to
build legacy urban maps. Urban and tactical
features are just starting to merge in order
to present a thematic, layer-based situation to
answer mission-driven requirements at a
very high scale. This step will pave the way to
integration of ever richer urban information
coming from civil and military sources,
producing a very high fidelity rendering of
all the constraints of urban landscapes.
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POWER MAKES
TERRORISTS AMICABLE
errorism never threatened

fundamental foundations of the society
in the 1960-80s. Nor it would influence
political, economic and social life either.
The whole situation is different in the
21st century. Today international terrorism
can trigger crisis in some countries,
precipitate spontaneous, large-scale
protests and mass disorders.
Figures reflecting terrorist activities are
also shocking. About 15.5 thousand people
were killed in 8,500 terrorist attacks all over
the world in 2012. Lives of 17.8 thousand
people were taken in 9,707 attacks the year
that followed. The largest number of them
occurred in Afghanistan, India, Iraq, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Somalia, Syria, Thailand, Yemen
and the Philippines.
But it was in 2014 that terrorists went
absolutely wild. Militants of the Islamic State
(IS) alone killed thousands of people in Iraq
and Syria, 13 thousand Iraqi families fled
their homes. Some estimates put the
strength of the IS at 30 to 50 thousand
militants. The range of their armament has
gone far beyond small arms and includes
artillery pieces captured at Iraqi depots,
armored vehicles, AD assets and even
aviation. They are branded terrorists by the
US, Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, GB,
and Indonesia. The Arab League has

the similar opinion.
Some experts believe that terrorism is
growing to a full-scale combat operation;
footprint of illegal armed groups is
expanding. Comprehensive
countermeasures are required to curb them.
These include supply of modern, powerful
and reliable weapons to national counter
terrorism (CT) units and other troops that
may be involved in such operations.
Russias experience in this area is
enormous. Her special CT units and
agencies are equipped with required
armament provided by the national militaryindustrial complex (MIC).
Rosoboronexport Russias only special
exporter of military and dual-purpose endproducts, technologies and services offers
foreign customers a range of military
equipment that can be deployed to fight
illegal armed groups.
Unlike in past years, when small arms
and police equipment were sufficient in CT
operations, helicopters as the most
effective assets are getting more attention
in todays environment.
Russias Mi-35 is one of the best multipurpose aircraft in the world designed to
provide fire support to Army units including
those deployed in CT operations. Apart

from the combat role it can also perform
personnel landing, air-lift,
MEDIVAC/CASEVAC, and reconnaissance
operations.
Another Russian helicopter with a
considerable export capacity is the Mi28NE. This will fly day and night missions in
any climatic conditions. Thanks to its
powerful weapons the Mi-28NE can destroy
armored vehicles and personnel of terrorist
groups to provide effective fire support to
ground troops.
Helicopters are efficient and reliable
assets that can be used to find bases, routes
of communication and assembly areas of
terrorist and rebel groups. Russias Ka-226T
has been developed specifically for these
operations. It is deployed with other combat
assets, day and night, to provide
reconnaissance and surveillance, target
designation, artillery fire correction, as well
as to air lift rapid response teams and cargo,
evacuate injured personnel, patrol, and
escort ground columns.
Its larger stablemate, dubbed the Ka-32,
has no equals in fast deployment of special
task forces, rescue and fire fighting
operations, as well as transportation of bulky
cargo weighing up to 5,000kg in urban
environment. It says much for the aircraft that
it was used to set seven world records in five
year since it had entered service. Nowadays
various models of this helicopter are
operated in 14 countries all over the world.
Analysis of terrorist activity suggests that
they keep relying heavily on small arms,
improvised explosive devices (IED), including
ROE-Armada:Armada
11/26/14
9:40 PM
Page 3
suicide bombers. They are still notorious for

taking hostages and hijacking people. It
would surprise no one if terrorists become
more cunning, switch to massive terrorist
attacks, and use more powerful weapons
and equipment in the near future.
Rosoboronexport offers its partners
comprehensive solutions for police and CT
units to prevent terrorist attacks. As the
situation may require the Customer can
purchase special warfare armament,
nonlethal weapons, or personnel protection
assets. There is high demand for operational
equipment (including inspection and search
gears, counter criminal explosion assets,
explosive devise inhibitors, security and
access control systems, special vehicles,
and forensic equipment) in the international
market. The focus has shifted recently to
special communications, transmit/receive
systems, data protection and processing
equipment, UAVs, special optics, including
the Prizrak-M (also called Antisniper) counter
surveillance camera, as well as visual and
voice identification systems.
Silent weapons also attract much

attention of special agencies and police
units. Among them are the PSS silent pistol,
VSS sniper rifle, and AS assault rifle.
The 9mm SR.1M magazine pistol, 9mm
SR.2M submachine gun, and 9mm SR.3M
small assault rifle are one of the most
powerful assault weapons in the world.
The idea of humanization and value of
human life that has been taking a tighter grip
on modern society leads to a more profound
use of non-lethal weapons. These include
Russias RGS-50 and RGS-33 grenade
launchers that can fire a wide range of
ammunition, special hand grenades, as well
as Zeus, Convoy, Avatar and Phantom
electric shock weapons. All these special
assets are based on physical and
psychophysiological impact on a terrorist.

They will be used to produce rubber
shrapnel, sound or fire, electric shock or riot
control gases commonly referred to as
police gases and powder compounds.
Most of the Russian special weapons
exported to other countries are effective in
cities when it is crucial to minimize collateral
damage among civilians, hostages and
personnel of special units, as well as protect
installations and facilities from devastation.
The ETTs-5 explosive ordnance and IED
disposal kit will be used by specialists to
reduce terrorist mines, bombs and
landmines to non-hazardous components.
The 2R-1U and 2R3 hydraulic disintegrators
are no less effective. These can be operated
in a wide temperature range and will require
water or special solution.
It is essential for CT units and special
agencies to have equipment to deal with car
bombs and combined effects explosive
devices based on radioactive or toxic
agents. To meet this requirement the ETTs31 and ETTs-29 systems have been
developed in Russia and used to equip
special forces. The Russian ETTs-1, ETTs4, and ETTs-20 explosive storage and
transport containers have capacity-todimensions ratio that put them in line with
the best products in the world.
There are lots of countries involved in this
special weapons and equipment business.
Though, it is Russian products that are
reliable, easy to operate, effective and safe,
as they have ever been.
Armada Marketing Promotion
Most of these assets have been tested in

combat, particularly in the Northern
Caucasus. Based on lessons learnt, Russian
engineers keep upgrading in-service
equipment. Hence the unique capabilities
and features that foreign counterparts lack.
In response to challenges posed by
international terrorism, Rosoboronexport
has been paying more attention to export of
special weapons and equipment to its
partners. A special section was brought into
being in 2001 to equip foreign law enforcers
with such systems.
This still increasing demand for modern
and effective CT assets prompts
Rosoboronexport to do its best to meet
requirements and needs of foreign
Customers in special weapons and
equipment, as well as provide assistance in
training of personnel of special units, that can
also be arranged in the Customers country.
It is also worth mentioning that
Rosoboronexport complies with
international and Russian laws and
regulations and supplies special equipment
only to state agencies not to let it fall into
the hands of terrorists.
Experts know it that special weapons and
equipment produced in Russia are not only
as effective as their foreign counterparts, but
even superior to them in more than one
respect. Russian assets meet the most
stringent requirements and will contribute to
effective operation of police units, security
agencies, special forces of various
services and CT teams.
What's Up Saab Carl:Armada
11/26/14
9:09 PM
Page 2
Whats Up?
A Swedish soldier training with the Carl

Gustaf M4 at the Kvarn Army Training Centre.
Spent cases can be seen in the foreground.
Hello Carl, What Else?

A weapon that is about to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its first delivery is usually
looked upon from a great height. Others, however, manage to rub shoulders with
the century, as exemplified by certain machine guns and the Carl Gustaf presented here
in its latest M4 iteration seems poised to join that league.
Paolo Valpolini
lthough it maintains the same

calibre and its ability to fire all the
ammunition produced since its
inception, the M4 is in fact a
wholly new weapon in terms of technologies.
The first public appearance of the new
weapon took place in late September 2014 at
the Ground Combat Systems demonstration
organised by Saab Dynamics in close
cooperation with the Swedish Army. The
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INTERNATIONAL
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weapon was fired at the Bofors test Centre in

Karlskoga during the technical test part, and
at the Swedish Army Land Warfare Centre
in Kvarn. The close cooperation between the
company and the military establishment was
underlined by both sides, namely Saab
Dynamicss Vice President head of Business
Area Dynamics Grgen Johansson and the
Swedish Army Chief of Staff Major General
Anders Brnnstrm.
The Carl Gustaf M4 was not the only star
at the firing range, as the new AT-4 CS HE
with airburst capability, the NLAW and the
Thanks to the authors camera,

Armada International was able to
have an exclusive picture of the
new Carl Gustav, which graced
the cover of our previous issue
on the occasion of the weapons
international dbut at AUSA,
but the article itself missed the
printing deadline, hence its
presence in this issue
Eric H. Biass, Editor-in-Chief
11/26/14
9:10 PM
Page 3
The shot counter (left) provides credible data on full calibre round shots, which actually enable
the weapon to be exploited to the true end of its 1,000 round design life. The new safety system
enables the soldier to safely carry the Carl Gustaf M4 fully loaded. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
60 mm and 81 mm Mapam mortar bombs

also were able to prove their worth.
One of the aims of Saab Dynamics
when it decided to launch a further evolution of the Carl Gustaf M3 was weight
reduction, a mantra for all companies producing soldier-related equipment. The
idea emerged in 2000, but a series of reasons hampered the development, which
was finally resumed in 2011 to lead to the
above-mentioned announcement and
demonstration. Compared to the older M2
export version of the Carl Gustaf, the new
type is 50% lighter and is more compact
(the all-steel M2 weighs 14.2 kg and is
1,130 mm long). Compared with the current steel-glass fibre M3, it is more than
three kilos lighter than the current steelfiberglass M3, which weighs 10 kg and is
1,065 mm long. The newcomer tips the

scales at less than seven kilos (actually 6.7
kilos sans accessories) and is less than
1,000 mm long. The adoption of new
materials, together with other minor
improvements, was instrumental in the
weight reduction process: the first layer is
now in titanium, which allowed a 1.1 kg
weight saving over the M3 while maintaining the 1,000-round minimum life; the
new carbon fibre casing cuts a further 0.8
kg, and the new Venturi a further 0.9 kilos.
While it will also be beneficial to conventional forces, the length reduction
results from the desire of numerous special
forces units whose obstacle courses repre-
senting potential urban situations proved

the point. As said above, the M4 adopts a
new Venturi, but in addition to contributing to the weight loss, it also is the item
responsible for reducing the weapons
length below the 1,000 mm mark. The
Venturi also features a slightly wider angle
to ensure the same recoil reduction effect
as its predecessor.
The Carl Gustaf M4 also adopts a shot
counter to exactly monitor the use of the
weapon to its 1,000-round life limit, as
until now the count was an estimate based
on soldier-supplied data which often led to
an early discard of the system to remain on
the safe side. The shot counter, which will
effectively stretch the life of the weapon to
its true limits, is installed on the right side,
at the back of the tube, and data such as
weapon number, production batch data
Other new features of the M4, from the left to right: the remote control, the control box of the
communication system, and munition programming galvanic link. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
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Page 4
Whats Up?
The expendable AT4 launcher in one of the versions usable from enclosed spaces. At Karlskoga
the new HE version with ABM capacity was fired. Insert: the AT4s are now available with a red
dot sighthere an Aimpointthat greatly improves accuracy. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
and obviously the number of full calibre

rounds shot can be easily transferred to a
computer by an induction device.
Another key feature of the M4 is its ability to receive an intelligent sight, which can
optionally be equipped with a communication system for two-way sight and round
interaction thanks to a galvanic contact on
the guiding pin. A remote control is also
available on the right side of the front grip,
which allows to set the intelligent sight
while maintaining the shooting position.
Such capability will allow to increase hit
probability, for example by providing the
sight fire control system with the propellant
temperature or other data like muzzle
velocity based on batch sampling.
As new rounds are being developed,
notably the new high explosive (HE)
ammunition with airburst capability, the
M4 will allow one to set the fuse according
to round nature and distance measured by
the sight rangefinder, which will move the
reticle to the optimal sighting position.
As standard the M4 is supplied with the
same telescopic as the M3, and can be used
for all existing ammunition types by changing the setting of an elevation drum on the
sighting system. As reserve/backup sight
one of the two following alternatives can be
chosen: an integrated aiming system fitted
with a red dot sight (a Meopta M-Rad, for
example), or a standard flip-up open sight.
The red dot sight allows four types of
38
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
ammunition to be selected and the flip-up

sight six. A total of 12 different types of
round are currently available for the Carl
Gustaf, including two for training purposes.
Among the most recent additions is the
HEAT 655 CS, the suffix indicating compatibility with use in Confined Space by
virtue of a solid back-blast reduction countermass used in combination with the
Venturi effect to neutralise the recoil.
Fuse manually set, the current HE441D
displayed its air-burst mode effect at both
The back-up
integrated aiming
sight equipped with
a red-dot sight allows
to use up to four
different types of
84 mm rounds.
Karlskoga and Kvarn. The new HE round,

which should be available in about two
years time, will also be programmable via
an external fuse setting device, which will
allow older launchers or M4s not fitted with
intelligent sights to use them. The new
round will not be confined space-compatible, range having been preferred to that
capability for dealing with troops in the
open, although a CS version is being considered to provide airburst fire in urban
fighting situations. Compared to the HE
441D which contains 5.5 mm diameter steel
balls, the new HE round for the Carl Gustaf
will have a warhead containing over 2,500
tungsten balls of 2.5 mm diameter.
11/26/14
9:10 PM
The warhead of that new round is a

close derivative of the aforementioned AT4CS HEs. The new airburst product currently is in advanced development phase
that Saab Dynamics demonstrated at
Karlskoga, but from a static position as the
weapon is not yet cleared for shoulder firing. This pre-loaded system has a warhead
containing over 2,000 tungsten balls of
2.5mm diameter and is designed for use
with an intelligent sight, typically an
Aimpoint FCS12, but being an open architecture it can accept other similar sights
and ensures the same two-way ammo-system dialogue as the Carl Gustaf M4. The
980 mm long AT-4 CS HE weighs around
nine kilos and proved the considerable
destructive effect of its airburst warhead
when flying over two cars located at a range
of 400 metres during the demonstration.
The maximum operational range is of
1,000 metres while the lethal area in airburst mode is of 400 m2, but it can also be
used in impact mode. As standard, this
weapon system is supplied with either an
open sight or a much more accurate red
dot sight. Another version of the AT4, the
AT4CS ER, is also being developed. This
has a HEAT warhead similar to that used
in the AT4CS HP, optimised for maximum
armour penetration. Other versions of the
AT4 were used in the demonstration,
including the AT4CS RS with armour penetration and behind-armour effects and
the AT4CS AST with an anti-structure
warhead. All new AT4s delivered are provided either with open sights or with a red
dot sight, the latter considerably increas-
Page 5
The Ultra Light Missile is a new development programme aimed at turning the Carl Gustaf into
a 1,500 to 2,000-metre range anti-armour guided round launcher. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
ing accuracy, CS versions that can be fired

from enclosed space using a combination
of liquid countermass and Venturi effect to
balance the recoil.
Turning back to the M4 after this short
digression, the new version of the Carl
Gustaf features a series of ergonomic
improvements that allow the soldier to
adapt the launcher to his or her size, a
Picatinny rail allowing both the front handle and shoulder rest to be moved back and
forth. A further rail is available on the right
side to install accessories like laser pointers.
The M4 carrying handle is considerably
longer than before which is linked to the
new additional safety adopted on the loading rod, itself now similar to that used on
the AT-4. As the presence of the round
alters the centre of gravity, a longer handle
was adopted to allow the soldier to carry the
weapon accordingly to the centre of gravity.
The M4 was officially launched at AUSA
2014, a clear sign that Saab Dynamics is targeting America as one of its primary markets. Saab Dynamics will start qualification
tests in 2015 with the aim of concluding
them in late 2015 or early 2016.
While the HE and the ER rounds are
expected in a near future with more types
following later, a longer term project could
be seen at the exhibition that followed the
technical firings. Dubbed Ultra Light
Missile, or ULM, this munition is in its
early concept phase but clearly shows that
Saab Dynamics doesnt see its Carl Gustaf
retiring tomorrow. According to Saab

Dynamics the single components are nearly available, the work being now that of
making all them fit into an 84 mm calibre
round. The missile will have a soft launch
system, the rocket motor igniting once the
missile has left the launch tube. A favourite
solution is to fit the ULM in a container
tube that is in turn fed into the Carl Gustaf
to prevent interference between the folding
control and lift wings and the barrel rifling.
However this brings a very small penalty in
calibre, which might affect the warhead.
Other options are therefore being considered given the very early stages of development. Saab Dynamics intends to keep the
launch procedure as similar as possible as
that of any other Carl Gustaf round.
The missile will have a lock-on-beforelaunch seeker in the nose, its type depending on performance versus cost considerations, though a dual-band seeker is not
excluded. What is pretty sure is that the
ULM will have a multimode attack capability, dive attack being required to destroy
main battle tanks should this option be
retained. No decision has yet been made on
warhead types, although HEAT and multirole being are two most obvious choices.
The ULM will be capable of confined space
firing, will weigh around 5 kg, and have a
range of 1.5 to two kilometres. The programme timing will be influenced by customers interest, reason why Saab Dynamics
didnt speculate an availability date.
INTERNATIONAL
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39
Rapid Deployment:Armada
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Expeditionary Vehicles
The first vehicle purposely designed by Polaris for the

defence world, the Dagor has taken its suspensions design
from the Trophy Truck. (Polaris Defense)
The Light Stuff

The need for vehicles that are always more apt to provide
immediate mobility to expeditionary forces, especially
when inserted by air, is a typical and constant
requirement from special forces. However, some
conventional units may also need to be air-deployed
when operations may not need special forces approach.
Typically these missions are assigned to light brigades,
parachute or airmobile units that deploy swiftly over long
distances in a short period of time.
Paolo Valpolini
ercules
transportability
of
armoured vehicles such as the
Striker has been a mantra for some
years; however deploying a
battalion level unit requires a considerable
amount of transport assets, which are seldom
available. The United States Army is
considering re-equipping part of its XVIII
40
INTERNATIONAL
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Airborne Corps with new vehicles, the

heavier one being the Mobile Protected
Firepower (MPF), a tank-like vehicle the
initial capabilities document of which should
be discussed by the Army Requirements
Oversight Council in October 2014. Two
lighter vehicles are also part of the reequipment plan to replace the Hummer: one
is known as ULCV, for Ultra-Lightweight
Combat Vehicle, the second being the LRV,
for Light Reconnaissance Vehicle.
A Request for Information for the latter

vehicle was issued in July 2014 with a view
to enhancing the Infantry Brigade Combat
Team by providing with a modified off-theshelf solution. This has to be internally
transportable by a CH-47 and able to
detect, destroy, and survive multiple threats
from light armoured vehicles, dismounted
personnel, hardened enemy bunkers,
snipers, chemical/nuclear threats etc. It
must have an operational range greater than
current M1025s, be capable to carry out
silent watch, carry a C4ISR suite as well as
some form of protection against kinetic
energy and underbody blast threats,
although no level indication has been indicated to date. The crew will be of six military each of an average fully equipped
weight of 160 kg. The LRV will have a day
and night move and shoot capability in all
weather and visibility conditions and in
complex terrain, while defeating second tier
armour threats. A Platform Performance
Demonstration is expected to be carried out
in the third or fourth quarter of 2015.
The Ultra Light Combat Vehicle appears
to be the most advanced of the three potential programmes, of which none, incidentally, has yet been the object of an approved
requirement. A Sources Sought announcement (similar to a request for information)
11/26/14
9:12 PM
Page 3
Derived from the Mungo in

service with the German Bundeswehr,
this is KMWs proposal for the US Army
ULCV programme. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
was issued in late January 2014, followed by

an update in March. Draft requirements
include a maximum kerb weight of 2,040 kg,
a payload capacity of 1,450 kg to cope with
an equipped nine-man squad, high mobility
to enhance personnel protection and a
crashworthy structure able to survive a
rollover. The profile for its mobility capacity
includes 10% on primary roads, 10% on secondary roads, 75% cross-country and trails,
and 5% in urban, rubble environment; it
must also be capable to perform on ridges
and summits. As for firepower, threshold
capability includes the use of crew-served
weapons of the IBCT inventory, though an
objective requirement is to include a medium-calibre weapon. The ULCV must be able
to be driven in and out of a CH-47 with the
squad and their equipment onboard, or be
transported as sling load by a Blackhawk, in
both cases in combat configuration under
hot-and-high conditions, and must be able
to be air-dropped in combat configuration
from a C130 on 463L pallets and with Dual
Row Airdrop System from a C17 on 463L
pallets. A range of 400 km is required.
The need for such light vehicles was
anticipated in 2010 when the Office of
Secretary of Defense, with support from the
Darpa, engaged the US Army Tank
Automotive Research Development and
Engineering Center as the executive agent
for the Ultra Light Vehicle effort. This led to
a hybrid driven prototype with a kerb
weight of 6.3 tonnes with add-on armour
phase generator and inverter peak power

providing 200 kW continuous power and a
Navitas Li-Iron phosphate battery with a
14.2 kWh capacity, a 180 kW peak output
and a 65 kW continuous output. Top speed
is 120 km/h, the 114-litre tank ensuring a
540 km range. Electric range is 19 km on
80% charges batteries down to 20%, and
over 33 km by running down 100% charged
batteries. Silent watch time is 4.38 hours and
7.3 hours respectively.
The ULV is 5.06 metres long, 2.43 metres
wide, 2.05 metres high in operation (height
is reduced to 1.83 metres for air transport as
ground clearance can be varied between 127
and 584 mm by virtue of Liquid Spring
Technologies compressible liquid adaptive
suspension system with a 457 mm stroke fitted with integrated elastomeric jounce
bumper). The vehicle seats five military
(four plus one gunner) and is equipped with
Jankel blast limiting attenuation seats. It has
an internal volume of 4.8 m3, protection
In the last few years the US Army Tank Automotive Research Development and Engineering
Center worked on the prototype of an Ultra Light Vehicle with a view to exploring available and
emerging technologies. The resultant ULV is equipped with a hybrid propulsion and is said to
ensure maximum crew protection (protection against RPGs was one of the requirements, hence
the net-armour system). Mobility was a key issue that was studied in co-operation with
numerous American companies. (US Army)
and a payload of 1.9 tonnes, powered by a

Subaru Boxer Turbo Diesel Engine providing 175 hp with a 360 Nm maximum torque.
The wheels, shod with Baja ATZ Radial,
40X14.5R20LT, are powered by American
Traction Systems Remy-410HVH HT drive
motors themselves fed a UQM-200 power
being provided underbody against mines

and roadside bombs, and laterally against
small arms fire, rocket propelled grenades
and explosively formed penetrators (Tardec
states an Mrap protection level). The LTV
is equipped with a full communications,
command and control, situational aware-
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Page 4
The ten-seat version of Boeings Phantom

Badger that took part in the June trials at Fort
Bragg in view of the future ULCV request for
information. (Boeing)
ness and jamming system suite. Price estimate is $260,000 on a 15,000 vehicle base,
although price target was set on $250,000
on a 5,000 vehicle base. To develop the
ultra light vehicle Tardec Ground System
Survivability partnered with Hardwire
LLC. Other companies include Roush
Industries, DRS, DSM Dyneema, Boeing,
American Motive Power Systems, Harris,
Schott, ArmorLine, GKN, Hutchinson, Loc
Performance Products, Navitas Systems
and Penn State University. Clearly the ULV
does not meet the ULCV requirements;
however it allowed to better focus the state
of the art in the light vehicles domain,
which was useful for acquiring knowledge
to be exploited in incoming programmes.
Back to the ULCV, the Platform
Performance Demonstration (PPD) was
conducted at Fort Bragg from 2 to 13 June
2014, and to verify that the draft threshold
requirements were achievable. Six competitors took part in the demonstration
(but no details revealed on participants,
although it is quite obvious that some
competitors for the GMV 1.1 have developed a nine-seat variant of their vehicles to
meet the Army requirement).
One of them definitely is General
Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems
that until May 2014 was obliged to withhold
information on its GMV 1.1 due to legal
issues raised by some competitors. The
company was eventually able to communicate and details finally emerged at
Eurosatory. As expected, it is larger than the
standard Flyer Gen II ALSV since no internal V-22 transportability was required. The
42
INTERNATIONAL
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GMV 1.1 still has to enter the wider CH-47

though, which means a 1.98 metres width
which usually needs to be reduced to keep
sufficient lateral space for tie down and
access for crewmembers or drivers. The
vehicle is thus 1.85 metres wide (or 72 inches), hence the Flyer 72 designation given to
the basic vehicle from which the GMV 1.1 is
derived, in a similar manner that the 1.52
metre- wide (60-inch V-22 width limitation) Internally Transported Vehicle is now
renamed the Flyer 60. Height is limited to
1.84 metres, while length is 4.62 metres
(4.90 metres with pushbar and winch).
The kerb weight is the same as the Flyer
60s at 2,315 kg, but payload capacity is
increased from 1,814 kg to 2,500 kg. Power
is courtesy of a 195 hp turbocharged double
At AUSA 2014 GD-OTS exhibited a version of its Flyer 72 armed with a 30 mm gun, which is
proposed for the Light Reconnaissance Vehicle programme. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)
11/26/14
9:12 PM
Page 5
Here in the fully open configuration, Polaris

Defense Dagor can be fitted with some lateral
protection. (Polaris Defense)
overhead camshaft Euro 5 engine yielding a

400 Nm torque coupled to a six-speed
Tiptronic autoshifter. Capable of two and
four wheel drive, the GMV 1.1 has a maximum speed of 160 km/h and a power-toweight ratio of over 39 hp/t. Mission profile
range is given as 563 km. It can climb 60%
slopes and 40% side slopes, ford 0.76 metres
without preparation, and overcome a 355
mm vertical obstacle. The chassis remains a
tubular frame as in all Flyers. It carries up to
seven men, three in front with the driver in
central position, two passengers on the
sides, two in the second row with the gunner
in the centre on a five-point belt seat, and
one on the rear deck facing backwards. The
Flyer 72 has independent suspensions on all
four corners with coil-over-shock absorbers
and air spring variable ride. Tyres are
12.5x37 R17 with bead lock, or VFI run flat,
but 38x17x14.5 tyres are also available. The
front axle being well forward and the snout
shape allow for an approach angle of 73.4
(which are reduced to 55.5 if the pushbar
and winch are installed).
Typical main armament would be a 12.7
mm machine gun installed over the roll
cage (Browning type or a GAU-19 for
example). All roll-over protections are folded or disconnected for air transport, but the
vehicle is able of being guns up within 13
seconds of helicopter exit. Each operator on
the side seats can have a pintle mounted
M240 7.62 machine gun installed. The
same applies to the back-facing soldier who
covers the rear arc as the rear roll-cage limits the use of the heavier weapon over that
arc. The GMV 1.1 has two independent
electric systems, one with a 14 V alternator
and batteries providing power to the vehicle
itself, and one with a 28 V alternator and
dedicated batteries to power, in addition to
silent watch duties, all mission systems such
as communications, command and control,
jammers, etc. A survivability package that
includes armour is part of Socoms requirements, the extra weight impacting only air
transportability due to axle weight limitations of the Chinook floor.
The Flyer 72 for the GMV 1.1 programme was developed in parallel with the
Flyer 60 for the ITV programme, thus most
components are identical, which considerably reduces the logistic footprint.
Currently the ITV vehicle is in the mid of
Socom evaluation, while General Dynamics
OTS is getting ready to start deliveries of the

nine GMV 1.1 vehicles that will undergo
Socom Production Quality Testing. Both
vehicles are available to the export market in
their base version and can be fitted according to customer requirements.
Other new vehicles have appeared in the
ULCV contest. A well known brand in the
ATV world with numerous successes in the
special forces community, notably with its
MRZR and MV850, Polaris Defense
marked a step up in class with its new
Dagor, which not only is the first specific
military design for the company but also a
much heavier and bigger one. Unveiled at
Modern Day Marine and AUSA in fall
2014, this 4x4s data sheet seems to be a
blueprint of the ULCV draft requirements,
with a kerb weight of 2,040 kg and a 3,515
kg payload capacity. Its development started two years ago and numerous data are
kept under wrap as the vehicle is definitely
competing for the aforementioned programme (and has thus definitely been one
of the six that showed up last June at Fort
Bragg). One of these hush-hush elements is
the engine, which is defined as a turbodiesel JP8 without any indication of output,
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Page 6
mounts can be installed in many other locations providing 360 coverage with small
calibre machine guns. In early October
Polaris Defense announced that its Dagor
had already won contracts with the US
Socom as well as with international special
forces customers, but failed to provide more
details in terms of numbers and nations.
Before we leave the United States territory, just a short note concerning the
Guardian Angel Air-Deployable Recovery
Vehicle (Gaarv): the US Air Force choice
went to the Storm 4x4 produced by HDT
Global, the company having so far delivered 13 units to the Air Force, and now
expects further orders that could bring
total sales to the 61 mark.
I NON-AMERICAN
This picture shows the half windscreen adopted by Polaris Defense to protect the driver and
commander from air at the lower possible weight cost. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)
power, weight and size since these are key

choice parameters, while the range of 800
km is twice the threshold requirement.
The Polaris Defense vehicle uses a readily available commercial off-the shelf driveline, suspensions are inspired by the Trophy
Truck to cope with the payload as well as
with mobility on very harsh terrain, usually
travelled on foot. The Dagor can host up to
nine soldiers, two in the front, three in the
rear, the one in the centre in elevated position to act as gunner, and four in the rear
cargo bed, rucksacks being attached to the
rollbar. This while coping with stringent
dimensions due to air transportability

requirements that forced the designers to
stay within the 1,880 mm width and 1,840
height limits, (length being 4,520 mm) for
H-47 Chinook or H-53 Sea Stallion transportability (two in the first and one in the
second), while kerb weight allows sling
UH-60 transportation. As per requirements, the Dagor can be air dropped using
the Low Velocity Airdrop delivery system.
The Dagor features a 24 V auxiliary power
terminal to operate a full C4I suite. As for
weapons, the roll bar can accommodate a
medium calibre weapon, while pintle
Elsewhere, and although it was well known

that the Netherlands Special Forces had
selected a vehicle developed by a national
company, no details had emerged until
Eurosatory, when General Dynamics
European Land Systems unveiled the Air
Transportable Tactical Vehicle (ATTV)
marking its breakthrough in the light vehicles world.
In fact GDELS is marketing the ATTV
following an agreement made with
Defenture BV, a Dutch company based in
Tiel. Internally known as the CRf-C1, the
vehicle features a peculiar architecture with
a stainless steel centre chassis which houses
and protects the mobility chain. A-arms
suspensions, provided by X-motion
Engineering as one of the participating
companies in Defenture together with
Rondo Trading Group and the VDL Group
(the latter in charge of production), result
General Dynamics European Land Systems unveiled is now distributing the Air Transportable Tactical Vehicle (ATTV) developed by
Defenture BV of the Netherlands and adopted by Dutch Special Forces units. The mobility chain is well protected as it is nested within the
vehicles stainless steel central chassis; front and rear axles and suspensions are identical. (GDELS)
44
INTERNATIONAL
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11/26/14
9:13 PM
Page 7
Built on a Bremach chassis, the SOVs superstructure has been developed and
produced by KMW; it is here seen with half of the windshield folded down to give the
machine gun a good arc of fire. (KMW)
from Paris-Dakar rally experience. The

ATTV was proposed with two power
packs, one based on a 200 hp Ford 3.2 litre
five-cylinder diesel, and the other, retained
by the Netherlands, is a Steyr M160053-B
3.2 litres six-cylinder kicking out 220 Hp
with a 500 Nm torque, coupled to a ZF
6HP280 six-speed automatic transmission.
Low and high ratio drives from the commercial T-case respectively offer maximum
speeds of 170 km/h and 95 km/h while
range over hard level surfaces at much
lower speed is given as 1,200 km. Two fuel
tank options are available, 102 or 130 litres,
though 140 litres worth of jerry cans can be
added. The vehicle is a permanent 4x4 and
runs on 275x65x18 tyres. Ground clearance
is 300 mm, while approach and departure
angles are both 50. The ATTV can climb
over a 0.3-metre vertical obstacle and ford,
without preparation, an 869 mm-deep
water obstacle. The vehicles architecture
allows it to easily receive different types of
bodies (the ATTV prototype seen in Paris
being one of the solutions). The ATTV can
climb an 80-90% front slope, its power-togross weight ratio is of nearly 50 hp/t, and
with identical kerb and payload capacity it
11/26/14
9:13 PM
Page 8
The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Special Operations Vehicle was unveiled in Poland at MSPO
in 2014. It is based on German Kommando Spezialkrfte requirements. (Armada/P. Valpolini)
grosses out at 4.5 tonnes. The width of the

aluminium body (without mirrors) is of
1,800 mm, which allows the ATTV to
access a CH-47 Chinook helicopter thanks
to its 1,841 mm height (length is 4,959
mm). The turning diameter is of 13 metres,
although a Defenture four-wheel steering
option reduces this to only nine metres. On
top of the roll cage a foldable ring mount
carries a 12.7 mm machine gun, the mount
being foldable inside the vehicle to make it
compatible with CH-47 transportability;
swing-mounts are available to provide
occupants with additional firepower using
7.62 mm machine guns, Standard crew
consists of four men with a fifth manning
the machine gun. It has four side-doors
and an ample rear flatbed.
Defenture teamed with Tencate, which
provided Dyneema-based Level 1 ballistic
protections both for transparent and
opaque surfaces. In addition a V-shaped
underbelly plate that provides some protection against mines is available as option.
As said above the vehicle seen in Paris
was a prototype, the delivery of the first
two pre-production vehicles to the Dutch
Special Forces being awaited before year
end. The 48 production vehicles will then
be delivered during 2015, and will replace
the Mercedes Benz G280CDI vehicles currently in use by special force units. The
main installed weapon should be either the
Heckler & Koch automatic grenade
launcher or a 12.7 mm machine gun. The
46
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
manufacturer has now started an export

campaign. According to certain sources
the vehicle has already been tested the
American Special Forces Command.
At MSPO 2014 Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
unveiled its new Special Operations
Vehicle, the result of a co-operation with
Bremach of Italy that developed the chassis.
In the mid-2000s KMW examined the
Italian T-Rex chassis based on a tubular
design that yielded much higher strength
compared to standard extruded profiles
and asked Bremach to develop a chassis for
military use, a base of a CH-47 transportable vehicle. Fully tested in Germany in
2008-09 and further developed, this chassis
is now the core of KMWs 4x4 Special
Operations Vehicle. It meets German
Kommando Spezialkrfte (KSK) requirements and even fits inside the CH-53GA
Sea Stallions of the German Army Aviation
inventory. The roll-protection bar enables
the windshield to decouple from the portion that supports the heavy machine gun.
All folded with weapon resting on the bonnet, height is reduced from 2.63 metres to
1.87 metres to enable the 1.935-metre wide
car to enter the aircraft.
At 4.99 metres overall length, both
Chinooks and Sea Stallions can transport
only one at a time. The vehicle can carry a
load equivalent to half of its five-tonne kerb
weight, providing an ample margin for additional protection, for example (protection
currently stands at Level 1a mine). The
medium- calibre machine gun installed on a

power-driven ring mount over the roll protection bar has a complement of 600 rounds.
Two other machine guns, either 5.56 mm or
7.62 mm, can be installed on pedestal
mounts, one on the right for the commander and one on the rear flatbed for a gunner.
The prototype vehicle on show at MSPO was
fitted with two types of grenade launchers,
two twin Wegmann 76 mm launchers at the
front on the right and left extremities of the
bumper, and four twin Wegmann 40 mm
launchers at the rear right. A five-tonne
winch with a 25 metre steel cable is fitted at
the front. Powered is entrusted to a 176hp
Iveco 3.0 litre diesel engine resulting in a
power-to-weight ratio of over 22 hp/t. Range
is said to be in excess of 800 km on rough
terrain. It is equipped with 255/100 R16
run-flat tyres, and the front axle is located
well forward to produce a 42 slope attack
angle while the shaped rear clears a 37 exit
slope. Turning radius is less than 13 metres.
The number of crew members can vary
from three to six, the prototype having two
front seats, two seats in the back row, and
one seat looking backwards in the rear, the
rails on the flatbed allowing for quick reconfiguration. The vehicle shown in Kielce was
the first prototype, and since last July it has
been used for company tests in Europe.
Further prototypes are being produced, and
some will probably be delivered to the
WTD91 and then to the KSK for field testing. KMW plans to develop variants in the
form of armoured personnel carrier with
open roof, fully armoured pick-up and
armoured cab with flatbed.
AD Check.qxp:Armada
11/27/14
11:09 AM
Page 1

INTERNATIONAL
THE TRUST
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Cyber Warfare:Armada
11/26/14
9:15 PM
Page 2
Cyber Warfare
Time for Cyber War Laws?

If electronic warfare amounts to efforts to deny enemies the effective use of the
electromagnetic spectrum to pursue their goals while preserving such use for oneself, cyber
warfare can be thought of as the equivalent applied to computer and communications
networks. Because such networks are all-pervasive in modern life, little is more predictable
than that humankind should fight over and through them. There is growing evidence that
associations of nation states and myriad non-state actors are engaged in covert cyber
conflict shading between crime, espionage, sabotage and undeclared war that has
persisted with varying intensity for more than a decade.
48
INTERNATIONAL
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9:16 PM
Page 3
Peter Donaldson
All-pervasive computer
networks are inevitably
a battleground and
some analysts indicate
that undeclared cyber
war involving multiple
state and non-state
actors and organised
criminals has been
raging for years. (Nato)
n a thesis on cyber warfare published in

January 2009, Major (now Lt Col) Scott D
Applegate of the United States Army
called cyber warfare an inexpensive,
highly-effective means for a nation to
achieve its political, economic or strategic
objectives while maintaining plausible
deniability for its actions. Cyber warfare
can potentially be used to destroy the
enemyss initiative and his confidence in his
ability to succeed in battle, thus disrupting
his plans. A successful attack can create
uncertainty for an enemy commander,
causing him to forego an opportunity for
success and tipping the balance of power in

favour of the cyber attacker.
Cyber attacks rarely cause death or
destruction directly, but one thing can lead
to the other. In some cases, the disruption to
modern life is the point, as in the presumed
Russian attack on Estonia in 2007 that
followed the small Baltic nations decision to
move a statue commemorating Soviet
soldiers who died in the Second World War.
The following year, however, cyber attacks
on Georgias communications networks
served as prelude and enabler for kinetic
attacks from the air and on the ground as the
dispute with Russia over South Ossetia
escalated. Today, cyber attacks and kinetic
actions are happening together and may be
mutually supportive in the conflict between
Ukrainian Government forces and Russianbacked separatists.
I DDoS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG
Typically attackers hack into and deface

government websites and flood servers with
overwhelming numbers of requests in
distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks
that target cultural, governmental, security,
Cyber security houses Symantec and BAE
Systems Detica both point to Russia as the
likely source of cyber attacks against several
former Soviet states using Trojan.Wipbot to
deliver malware variously known as Uroboros,
Carbon and Snake. (BAE Systems Detica)
defence, financial, communications and

media organisations.
DDoS attacks are often, but not always,
associated with botnets, networks of
computers that have been infected with
malware that enables criminal organisations
to use them to attack other systems without
the knowledge of their owners. The criminal
organisations that run botnets often sell time
on them to others for specific attacks, and
their customers are believed to include
national intelligence agencies looking for
plausible deniability. They are often, but not
always, brute force attacks gauged by the
sheer volume of data that they fire at the
target network. The distributed character of a
DDoS attack stems from the fact that the
infected computers used to carry it out can
be anywhere in the world.
According to Matthew Prince, co-founder
and chief executive officer of web performance
and security company CloudFlare, anything
from 10 to 80 gigabits per second (Gbps) is
considered a nuisance attack, although
something at the higher end of that range can
knock a poorly prepared organisation off the
internet while it lasts. Until recently, the rough
upper limit for DDoS attacks has been 100
Gbps set by router port capacity, he said at the
Black Hat USA 2013 event.
Mr Prince was discussing CloudFlares
response to the attack on Spamhaus last year.
At more than 300 Gbps, this was considered
the largest denial of service attack up to that
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
49
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Cyber Warfare
I KINETIC CYBER IS HERE
Cyber aggressors have

learned to rent or
compromise data centres
and cloud machines,
subverting them for
distributed denial of
service attacks; Cisco
helps clients defend their
networks. (Cisco)
point. (Spamhaus was founded to track and

block the internets worst spammers and
regularly upsets the digitally aggressive.)
Mr Prince said that this attack required
neither botnets nor a lot of people nor
significant technical skill to carry out.
Instead, it used a set of misconfigured
Domain Name Service (DNS) resolvers
devices that translate memorable names of
internet resources (such as armada.ch) into
IP addressesalong with servers on
networks that allowed source IP spoofing.
A DNS resolver that lacks limits on how
many requests it accepts or who its responds
to is misconfigured or open. IP address
spoofing is the forging of source addresses
on data packets.
I BIG ATTACKS WORRYINGLY EASY
As he described it, a small but carefully

designed queryit might be only 64 bytes
long can elicit a response more than 50
times the size from a single open DNS resolver.
By spoofing the source IP address, the attacker
50
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
can make the query appear to come from the

target, which is then sent all the responses.
Good networks dont allow this to
happen, he said. Good networks say, at your
edge when a packet is egressing your network
if that packet has a source that you are not
responsible for within your network then
dont forward it on.
Unfortunately, there were 28 million such
misconfigured DNS resolvers on the internet
as of 27 October 2013, according to the Open
Resolver Project, and the number is believed
to be increasing. Whats more, the Spoofer
Project, supported by the Center for
Measurement and Analysis of Network Data
(CMAND), estimates that more than 25% of
the worlds networks permit source IP
address spoofing.
DDoS attacks, however, are only the tip
of the iceberg and more subtle and insidious
infiltrations by trojans, viruses and
worms enable theft, espionage and other
damage, electronic and physical, over
long periods of time.
Even systems that are not directly connected to

the internet can be vulnerable and can suffer
distinctly kinetic effects. This the Iranian
Government learned with the revelation that
the chronic unreliability of the uranium
enrichment centrifuges at its Natanz nuclear
plant was the result of infection with a worm
that American and Israeli cyber warriors had
designed for the job. (The worm came to be
known as Stuxnet following its escape onto
the internet in 2010.) As David E Sanger lays
out in his 2012 book entitled Confront and
Conceal: Obamas Secret Wars and Surprising
Use of American Power, the worms target was
the supervisory control and data acquisition
system, based on Siemens programmable
logic controllers, that Iran installed to run the
gas centrifuge cascade at Natanz.
Because the Iranians had isolated the
system from the internet, the National
Security Agency and its Israeli counterpart
had to find another way to insert first a
beacon programmeto map the target
system, figure out how it worked and
communicate its findings back homethen
the custom-built worm itself to take
command and wreak havoc. They chose the
Because the Iranians had

isolated the system from
the internet, the National
Security Agency and its
Israeli counterpart had to
find another way to insert
first a beacon programme
11/26/14
9:16 PM
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Joint America and Israeli cyber attacks using the Stuxnet worm caused many
centrifuges at Irans Natanz uranium enrichment facility to destroy themselves over a
period of three years. (Iran Presidents Office)
classic combination of unwitting human

beingsengineers who were allowed to work
on software at home and to plug their laptops
into the centrifuge control system and
infected memory sticks. It turns out that
there is always an idiot around who doesnt
think much about the thumb drive in their
hand, is a comment that Sanger attributes to
an unnamed architect of the plan.
For three years, centrifuges full of
uranium hexafluoride gas mysteriously and
unpredictably went haywire and destroyed
themselves, as effectively as if they had been
bombed, and set back Irans quest for a viable
nuclear weapon. While not the first of its
kind, this attack, which caused physical
destruction through the exploitation of a
vulnerable process control system, may be
the most successful example so far of what is
coming to be known as kinetic cyber warfare.
LinkedIn: It is my assessment that the

failures of seven Russian satellite systems over
the last four months were mostly due to cyber
attacks (some could be natural failure events)
emanating from American anti-satellite
cyber weapons.
Mr Szymanski is former principal
scientist at Metatech Corporation, a science
and engineering company specialising in

electromagnetic environmental effects.
Even though Im sure the United States
has better and more numerous offensive
military technologies than the Russians he
continued, I believe the Russians won this
space war because they took the war back to
Earth and attacked the American banking
system the day before they invaded SE
Ukraine in force.
This is a reference to the incursion of
substantial Russian forces into Ukraine
I US AND RUSSIA AT WAR?
More recently and against the background of

the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a series of
failures in Russian satellite systems, including
an 11-hour outage of Glonass (Russias GPS
equivalent) in April and the effective loss of
Cosmos-2479 (part of Russias Oko ballistic
missile early warning system) has raised
suspicions of American cyber attacks. Some
analysts believe that Russia has responded
asymmetrically with sophisticated attacks on
American banks including JP Morgan Chase.
One of these is freelance military space
consultant Paul Szymanski, who wrote on
Following suspected American attacks on the Glonass navigation satellite network, Russia
is thought to have hit back with cyber attacks on the American banking system to discourage
interference with its operations against Ukraine, illustrated here. (DigitalGlobe via Nato)
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
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Cyber Warfare
Lockheed Martins NexGen Cyber Innovation and Technology Center is key to its
response to threats against vital network, facilitating cyber research and development,
customer and partner collaboration and innovation. (Lockheed Martin)
revealed in images released by NATO on 28

August purporting to show Russian selfpropelled artillery units moving in convoy
through Ukrainian countryside and then
establishing firing positions in the area of
Krasnodon, Ukraine.
Ukrainian government websites, including
that of the prime ministers office have been
attacked heavily as the crisis has unfolded. In
the joint statement of the NATO Ukraine
Commission issued on 04 September, heads
of state and government listed help with cyber
defence among a package of substantial new
programmes to support Ukraine.
I TROJANS, WORMS AND ESPIONAGE
Ukraine, however, is only one of the cyber

victims and the attacks seem to be part of a
well established pattern of activity largely
concentrating on spying. According to
52
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
internet security giant Symantec, a cyberespionage campaign using highly-capable

malware has systematically targeted the
governments and embassies of a number of
former Eastern Bloc countries. The company
says that the key weapons used are
Trojan.Wipbot and Trojan.Turla, the latter
also going by other names including Snake,
Uroboros and Carbon. (I will use Snake
from now on for simplicity.)
It appears that this combination of
malware has been used for classic espionagetype operations for at least four years.
Because of the targets chosen and the
advanced nature of the malware used,
Symantec believes that a state-sponsored
group was behind these attacks.
Many fingers are pointing at Russia as its
origin although, as Symantec points out, the
identity of the group behind these attacks has
yet to be established. Many of the items of

evidence pointing to Russia are circumstantial,
but mutually supportive, particularly when the
targets and the time stamps of the attacks are
correlated. The company notes that while
infections initially appeared to be spread over a
range of European countries, closer analysis
revealed that many infections in Western
Europe affected computers connected to
private government networks belonging to
former Eastern Bloc countries.
In May 2012, for example, the prime
ministers office in a country that is a former
member of the Soviet Union suffered an
infection that spread to 60 computers, and an
attack on a computer in the embassy to
France of a second former Soviet Union
member followed later in the year.
During 2013, infections began to spread
to other computers linked to the network of
this countrys ministry of foreign affairs. In
addition, its ministry of internal affairs was
also infected, said the company. Further
investigation uncovered a systematic spying
11/26/14
9:16 PM
Page 7
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Georgia National Guard soldiers learn cyber defence at the Georgia

Technology Research Institute in Atlanta. The Georgia Guards cyber
cadre has grown from one to 25 over two years and plans to add
another 20. (US Army National Guard)
campaign targeted at its diplomatic service. Infections were

discovered at embassies in Belgium, Ukraine, China, Jordan, Greece,
Kazakhstan, Armenia, Poland and Germany.
Regarding timing, both Symantec and BAE Systems Detica, which
recently published an analysis on the Snake malware, imply that
Russia is a likely source. BAE Systems Detica reported that it has
collected 100 unique files related to this espionage tool kit, many of
them submitted by victims to online malware analysis websites, in its
2014 Snake Rootkit report.
I LIKE ANY OTHER PROFESSIONAL
Plotting the day of the week in which the samples were compiled
shows a now familiar pattern for analysts of modern cyber attacks.
The creators of the malware operate a working week, just like any
other professional, said the report. Similarly, plotting the hour of
the day in which the samples were compiled reveals another human
pattern the working day. This has been adjusted to UTC+4 to show
a possible fit to the operators local time.
The 56 samples in which the country from which the report was
submitted is known, said Detica, shows where the malware has been.
Of those samples gathered between 2010 and early 2014, 32 (a little
over 57%) came from Ukraine.
Analysts have concluded that Trojan.Wipbot is used to deliver
Snake to its targets, usually through spear phishing or watering hole
attacks. In a spear phishing attack, the target, who is usually an
individual in an organisation of interest to the attacker, receives an
email purporting to come from someone he or she knows and trusts,
one that includes an infected attachment. A watering hole is a website
that has been identified as one that is used regularly and trusted by the
targeted individual or organisation and then contaminated with
malware to infect selected visitors.
Once in the target computer, according to Symantecs analysis,
Trojan.Wipbot collects information on it and passes it back to the
attackers, who then decide whether to proceed to the next stage.
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Cyber Warfare
Trojan.Turla then downloads Snake, possibly

disguised as a Shockwave installer bundle,
which drops a driver file into the target system,
which, in turn, sets up a hidden file container to
store stolen information and other files. The
driver also injects code into web browsers to
hide malicious traffic to and from hostile
command and control servers among the
legitimate traffic to get through firewalls.
I CYBER SOLUTIONS
With so much at stake cyber warfare and

cybersecurity have become key markets for
the defence giants such as BAE Systems,
Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed
Martin, Northrop Grumman and Thales.
Cybels, for example, is the name Thales
gives to its cybersecurity solution that the
company has designed to handle risks
dynamically, claiming that it prevents,
detects, analyses and thwarts all types of
attack (including denial of service, theft of
critical data, intrusion etc.) by coordinating
effective IT resources and qualified
personnel. Cybels, says the company, is one
of the cornerstones of information system
security at the French Ministry of Defences
new Balard headquarters.
Cybels includes both services and
products. Services include supervision of
information systems either from inside the
customers organisation or from a Thales
security operations centre; simulation and
training for operators in an environment that
54
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
Thales Cybels cybersecurity solution includes products and services and has been
designed to handle risks dynamically, preventing, detecting, analysing and thwarting all
types of attack, says the company. (Thales)
duplicates the customers IT infrastructure;

consulting, security audits and penetration
testing; and a rapid reaction team that helps
customers to face crises and to mitigate the
effects of any attacks as quickly as possible.
As Thales describes it, a security operations
centre is the locus of technical surveillance,
collecting, correlating and analysing suspicious
events detected by sensors and generating
alerts. It also enables cyber operators to
organise, coordinate and implement responses
in line with the prevailing risk acceptance
policy, says the company.
It draws on information from raw events
and defensive products such as firewalls,
intrusion detection and prevention systems to
establish a correlated picture of hostile activity
and enable appropriate responses to alerts.
It provides decision-making and
traceability tools by generating surveillance
summary reports that highlight both
malicious activity detected and vulnerabilities
discovered, subjecting them to analysis
backed by a knowledge database that informs
plans of action.
Products include a viewer that enables
operators to centralise and visualise alerts
from all the sensors in the network, which
helps them to forecast impacts and
implement their reactions. Cybels Scan is
designed to find vulnerabilities in customers

systems before attackers do. A patented
sensor product provides detection and
investigation capabilities and can be used for
ad hoc supervision. Cybels Practice replicates
an information system in a confined
sandbox environment so that reaction
plans can be tested against simulated cyber
attacks and operators can train. Finally, an
intelligence platform enables analysis of
blogs, forums and social networks to help
anticipate and prevent attacks.
I TIME FOR CYBER WAR LAWS?
The Stuxnet attack on Irans nuclear

enrichment facilities demonstrated how cyber
attacks can do physical damage even to a
system that was not directly connected to the
internet. With many more control systems for
vital infrastructure and services actually
connected to the web for remote monitoring
and control, these cyber physical systems
make increasingly attractive targets.
Concluding his 2013 paper entitled The Dawn
of Kinetic Cyber, Lt Col Applegate called on
industry to make these systems more secure
by design, called for new industry standards
and regulations, and called on the
international community to codify cyber
warfare under the laws of armed conflict.
AUSA Show Report 1:Armada
11/26/14
9:19 PM
Page 1
Show Report
LOOKING FOR HEAVY

VEHICLES, DESPERATELY
Visited and photographed by Paolo Valpolini
ith interests currently focused on expeditionary light vehicles (see article on page XX),
the US Army is rethinking the future of its Armored Brigade Combat Teams following the
cancellation of the Ground Combat Vehicle programme. According to Brigadier General
Bassett (left), Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat System, the top two priorities
remain the replacement of the M113 (the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, or AMPV) and of the
self-propelled howitzer. Abrams and Bradleys vehicles will receive a series of incremental upgrades
that will mainly involve optics, ammunition and networking. Any decision regarding their
replacement has been moved to the right: the draft requirements for a Future Fighting Vehicle that
might replace the Bradley are expected in five years time, during which the Army will consider
maturing technologies that might be applied to the new vehicle. This situation was reflected in the
lack of heavy vehicles at this Ausa event if one excepts the two Bradleys used as chassis for
technology demonstrators at BAE Systems and Kongsberg booths, and the Stryker Engineer Squad
Vehicle, to give substance to the US Armys funding announcement during the show of a fourth
brigade of double V-hull Stryker vehicles.
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
55
11/26/14
9:19 PM
Page 2
Show Report
IMPROVED ACCURACY FROM KOPIN
alifornia-based Kopin
unveiled its Precision
Acquisition and Targeting
System (or Pats). Alternatively
described as an integrated fire
control system for small arms,
this clip-on solution provides
the shooter with the right
ballistic solution. The Pats
includes an eyesafe 1.55 m laser
rangefinder with a maximum
range of 1,000 metres, which can
be activated either by the builtin trigger or by a remote trigger
allowing to keep hands in the
shooting position. The shooter
keeps the red square shown in
the sight on the intended target,
which is in fact the overlay of the
Pats display on the direct view
optical sight, and activates the
rangefinder the data being fed
into the ballistic calculator. A
red cross appears, which is the
corrected aiming crosshairs the
soldier has to put on the target
to hit it. The 640x480 display
covers a 7 field of view, which
matches that of the 4x32
Trijicon Acog Army Rifle
Combat Optic. Brightness is
automatically adjusted between

0.1 fL and over 5,000 fL,
ensuring good visibility in all
conditions, day and night. This
quality is due to the adoption of
Kopins augmented reality
weapon sight technology,
which generates ultra-high
brightness levels typical of
larger systems seen in aviation
helmet-mounted displays.
It is powered by a single
DL/CR-123 battery with a life of
over 50 hours. Other sensors are
contained in the Pats such as an
inclinometer, a cant sensor and
temperature, humidity and air
pressure indicators. During
system set-up the user enters
values for the weapon, the round
he is firing, the muzzle velocity,
the barrel spin ratio, the bullet
weight, the drag curve, the
weapon boresight range and the
direct-view optical sight height
off the rail. Boresighting is
extremely easy and does not
require any extra shooting, as
the unit features a precision
electronic boresighting function
that allows to align its crosshairs
with that of the optical sight.

The Pats weighs 482 grams, its
dimensions being 90.1 x 101.7 x
98 mm. Saving weight Kopin
developed a second version,
known as the Pats Light, for
those customers that already
have a laser rangefinder on their
weapons. The Light is
compatible with systems such as
the DRS Storm AN/PSQ-23
AN/PSQ-23 Small Tactical
Optical Rifle Mounted MicroLaser Rangefinder and L-3
Warrior Systems, Wilcox
TENCATE SENSORS TO INCREASE BODY ARMOUR LIFE
eramic body armour plates

are subject to degradation;
however inspecting the plates is
not an easy task. TenCate
Advanced Armor USA
announced the acquisition of
the Smart Body Armor
technology from Newport
Sensors Inc, a California-based
company specialised in sensor
technology. Newport Sensors
worked for seven years together
with US governmental entities
to develop the technology, based
on micro sensors embedded in
the ceramic plate. Mapping the
whole plate these are able to
detect cracks inside the ceramic
body. State is verified by
56
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
Raptar. With the exception of

the rangefinder all other
components remain similar,
dimensions being reduced to 91
x 87.7 x 90.4 mm while weight
drops to 399 grams. Hit
probability remains of course
the same: according to the table
provided by Kopin, and with a
standard M855 round, hit
probability is increased from 50
to 98% at 300 metres, from 27 to
85% at 400, 12 to 60% at 500 and
8 to 37% at 600. (Photo
Armada/Paolo Valpolini)
touching the contacts on one

side of the plate with a USB-like
key; if the testing item light is
green the plate still ensures
sufficient protection, but if red it
has to be discarded. Plate testing
can be performed while in use,
especially in very harsh combat
environments when damage can
go unnoticed. According to
Tencate the technology is
currently at TRL5, having gone
through environmental and
durability testing. The company
is seeking rapid development to
integrate it in its Liba and MultiLight products. The company is
however also open to sell the
technology to other plate
manufacturers.
(Photo: Tencate)
11/26/14
9:19 PM
Page 3
GENERAL DYNAMICS GOES ROBOTIC
ovelty on the General

Dynamics stand was not
to be found amongst the
heavyweights, but in the halftonners. Known as the Multi
Utility Tactical Transport, or
Mutt in short, just like the old
M151 Military Utility Tactical
Truck (the US Armys jeep in
the 1950s). Also a 4x4, the big
difference is that today Mutt is
uninhabited and its payload
capacity is entirely dedicated to
carry supplies. Intended to
relieve soldiers on foot from
their burden it had to be cheap,
simple, with no radio link, and
tailored for units that do not
have a motor pool when
deployed forward, and even less
any time for robotic
babysitting. The Mutt had to be
capable to ensure between 60
and 80% of dismounted
mobility going roughly
everywhere a soldier on foot
can go. It is 1.68 metres long
and 1.38 metres wide, has a
curb weight of 340 kg and a
payload capacity of 272 kg. It is
guided by a soldier through a
two metre-long tether that is
drawn out of a sprocket in front
of the vehicle. The guidance
system, known as Dismounted
Follow Tether, recognises the
tension on the tether as well as
the angle and adapts speed and
direction accordingly. The Mutt
can be used either in wagon
mode, with the man in front of
the vehicle, or in wheelbarrow
mode, with the soldier

in pushing position, while
walking through woods
for example.
The current model is
electrically powered, with two
drive units, one on each side
with one motor. Tracks can be
installed in place of wheels, but
ad 45 kg to the curb weight. The
skid-steering system ensures a
turning diameter of 3.35 metres.
It can overcome a 60% grade
and move on a 60% side slope,
maximum governed speed

being 13 km/h. It is capable of
amphibious operation, but at
half the speed and payload. In
its current configuration it has a
24 km autonomy, though a
hybrid solution with a JP8 fuel
cell could provide a much
greater range. The Mutt can be
easily towed at speeds of up to
65 km/h providing the
propulsion and guiding
mechanisms are disengaged.
The Mutt takes the space of two
seats inside a CH-53, the US

Marine Corps having shown
interest in the system not only as
a logistic support item but also
as a force protection tool for
roadside bomb detection and
reconnaissance duties and even
as a remote weapon platform
carrier (a weaponised version is
being tested). Easily
transported inside the V-22
Osprey, it currently is in preproduction phase. (Photo
Armada/Paolo Valpolini)
LOCKHEED MARTIN:
4 CYLINDERS FOR THE JLTV
ockheed Martin announced that the engine of its JLTV is a

four-cylinder Cummins giving the vehicle a fuel
consumption of over 12 miles per gallon (5.1 km/l) at full combat
load. It is the only one of the three JLTVs to run on a four-cylinder
engine, the other two being equipped with six-cylinder units.
Lockheed Martin considers this an edge over its competitors, as it
will reduce total ownership costs. (Photo: LM)
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
57
11/26/14
9:20 PM
Page 4
Show Report
IR-VISIBLE BEACON FROM ISRAEL
ig problems dont always

require big solutions.
Sometimes 90 grams might
save a life, and if you can afford
a few, a battery and a mount, its
even better. TAR-Ideal, an
Israeli company specialised in
defence and security issues,
used Ausa as an international
marketing stepping stone for its
TL5 Pro personal marker,
which is already in mass
production for the Israeli
Defence Forces to the tune of
70,000 pieces ordered. The
Israeli special forces were
among the initiators of the
project together with other
military and TAR-Ideal experts.
The marker works both in
the infrared and visible spectra,
in the latter in white, blue and
red colours. The system is
contained in a splash-resistant
80 x 60 x 30mm case. A knob on
the side opens the AA or
CR123 3V lithium battery
housing, the latter type being
recommended. A transparent
cover protects the diode lights four circular 830 nm infrared
types and a central high-
powered coloured one.

Commands are very simple, one
selector, on the left, and two
push buttons allowing to set the
required mode. Rotating the
selector knob clockwise till the
first click the TL5 Pro shifts
from off to the IR position. To go
further it is necessary to lift the
knob, for safety reasons, to
switch over to red, then white
and finally blue mode. The
NEXT ISSUE FEBRUARY-MARCH 2015:

2 FEBRUARY,
ADVERTISING: 16 JANUARY
sea, land or the air, ships literally are sitting ducks.

As the attack methods constantly evolve,
so must ship defensive systems. This is the topic
of this article.
Remote-Control Turrets: Generally involving
Air Defence Radars: Recent events have
small- and medium-calibre weapons and roofmounted, they have become extremely popular in
recent years as they enable vehicle gunners to
effectively defend their vehicle without exposing
themselves to enemy fire.
shown how important advanced detection - the

only way of adequately countering hostile action
from aircraft or missiles - has become an essential
piece in a countrys defence strategy.
Rover Systems: Like most revolutionary
systems that are not initially taken too seriously

Rover systems have become a sine qua non in a
number of cases as they enable a man on the
ground to have a drones view see his
surroundings (for example) on his adequately
equipped display.
Naval Countermeasures: Without electronic
systems to defeat and deceive threats from the
58
central button allows

to shift from constant light to
beacon, while the one on the
right selects light intensity, for
visibilities at 100, 300, 800 and
1,500 metres ranges. A variety of
side mounts are available to suit
many helmets (the IDF has five
different models, two provided
in the kit together with a vest
mount). Considering its range
the TL5 Pro can be used not only
INTERNATIONAL
6/2014
Armoured Vehicle Active Self-protection:

Given the limits reached by armoured vehicles in
terms of add-on armour plate weights, active selfprotection systems are intended not to protect a
vehicle against the result of an impact from a
missile or rocket, but rather to prevent such missile
or rocket from reaching the vehicle.
Euronaval: This biennial exhibition is gradually
gathering momentum and worldwide recognition

and attracting exhibitors from outside the
as an IFF beacon for

identification by the infantry or
squad team, but also by vehicles
or drones. Several can also be
used to mark a landing zone
with IR lights. According to
TAR-Ideal the system allowed to
save several lives during the
recent events in Gaza.
(Photo: TAR-Ideal)
boundaries of Europe to reflect the latest - and

sometime surprising - trends in the Naval field.
Geospatial Information: This Compendium
is highly likely to become a reference book on the

true art of Geospatial information, a field that has
remained rather obscure in numerous minds, but
which is now poised to become a sine qua non in
modern warfare. Geospatial information is beyond
dots on a 2D or 3D map; it has moved on to a fourdimensional level, serving multiple layers of
information, an art by virtue of which maps have
not only become digital, but the bearers of smart
services, showing not only georeferenced objects,
but also what they contain, where they come from
and what is around them at any given time, and
what to expect where and when in terms of
potential trouble. Obviously full-fledged geospatial
intelligence describes ground environments, but
not only: also involved are air and space, sea and
urban environments.
AD Check.qxp:Armada
11/27/14
11:10 AM
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AD Check.qxp:Armada
11/27/14
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Cover Armada Dec 2014.

THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976

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Contents & Index_Armada Dec 14/Jan 15:Armada

THE TRUSTED SOURCE FOR DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION SINCE 1976

SMALL ARMS CHATTER

FAST PATROL VESSELS

HELLO CARL, WHAT ELSE?

THE LIGHT STUFF

TIME FOR CYBER

Contents & Index_Armada Dec 14/Jan 15:Armada

DEFENCE AND SECURITY THAILAND

Heckler & Koch

American Motive Power Sys

Israel Weapons Industries

Rhode & Schwarz

21, 28, 29, 31 32, 49

06, 11, 27, 28, 31, 56

Loc Performance Products

Cantiere Navale Vittoria

Rondo Trading Group

09, 10, 20, 22

21, 28, 36, 37, 39

12,19, 24, 25, 32

Carl Zeiss Optronics

Damen Naval Shipbuilding

20, 21, 31, 42, 56

Embraer Defence & Security

Fabrika Broni Lucznik

03, 09, 21, 25, 26, 27

TenCate Advanced Armour

OGara Sensor Systems

12, 14, 15, 16

04, 06, 07, 08, 09, 12

15, 18, 20, 26

MSI Defence System

Volume 38, Issue No. 6,

Entries highlighted with Red numbers are found

This still unusual - not to say weird - object might

Thermal Vision Tech

16, 17, 19, 32, 33, 54

13, 32, 33, 36

10, 13, 19, 24, 30, 33

05, 06, 07, 10, 12, 15

is published bi-monthly by Media Transasia Ltd.

Kamran Saeed, Solutions Inc.

Soon Up: Embraers KC-390

rom a market point of view this

interesting and unusual twist of events, the

While as hinted above the KC-390 is

At roll-out time Embraer had not yet chalked

ests in every acceptance of the word now

that the KC-390 we see today has very little

decided to opt for the obvious solution,

had a very high bypass ratio which enabled

heavily draws on civilian technologies

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