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30 Mar 12. The Pointer networked weapon cueing system is to be demonstrated to India’s security forces at the end of April. Pointer was developed jointly by Qinetiq, Istec, and Qioptiq to provide a cueing system, for weapons such as the widely deployed .50cal M2 heavy machine gun and the 7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), that can be easily networked to deployed sensors to provided rapid target marking directly to the gunners enabling those best placed to counter the threat to react. For the Indian demonstration Pointer will be fitted on a pintle-mounted machine gun on a light utility vehicle equipped with the Metravib PILARw gunshot detection system. Indian paramilitary forces, such as the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with 220 battalions, spearhead the government’s counter-insurgency campaign against groups such as the various Maoist-inspired Naxalite groups. On 6 April 2010 an estimated 1,000 Naxalite fighters killed 76 CRPF officers and wounded 50 in two separate ambushes and wounding 50 others. The government is boosting the numbers and improving the equipment of the CRPF and other paramilitary forces to counter the insurgent threat. Mark Lee, of Istec Services, which is leading the Pointer marketing effort in India, told Shephard that senior paramilitary officials were briefed on the Pointer in late 2011 and requested a demonstration. The Pointer team believe the system is ideally suited for counter insurgency, force protection and internal security duties. Using information provided by C4ISR assets, shot detection systems or a simple map, Pointer sends target location information directly to the head up display mounted on the weapon station. This system also enables multiple weapon systems to be cued onto the same or several different targets silently allocating priority as and when required. The vehicle-mounted Pointer is suited for such roles as fire support and convoy protection. Integrated on a tripod-mounted weapon it can be used to protect combat outposts and forward operating bases.
The US Special Operations Command has acquire a small number for trails and the UK Ministry of Defence DSTL technology organisation on behalf of the Royal Navy is trialling the Pointer on ship-mounted GPMGs to fill the ‘air gap’ between the weapon and the ship’s radars. At present target information is passed verbally from the command centre or observers to the GPMG gunners, who are typically the ship’s last line of defence against fast inshore attack craft. (Source: Shephard)
05 Apr 12. Iveco Defence Vehicles completes delivery of over 200 heavy trucks to the UK MoD. Iveco Defence Vehicles has completed delivery of its largest ever order in UK of 206 6×6 and 8×8 Trakkers to support the Royal Engineers on operations. Replacing the existing fleet, the new vehicles have been supplied through two separate procurement routes. The first of these, for 182 6×6 vehicles, was through the C Vehicle PFI contract run by the company ALC as prime contractor. Vehicles were supplied in five variants, with three -the Medium Dump Truck, Self Loading Dump Truck and Truck Mounted Loader -being managed by Iveco and the other two variants -a Drill Rig and a Flush Capping System -being procured under ALC’s direct control. The second procurement resulted from the success of this 6×6 fleet in service. The requirement was for a fleet of Protected Self Loading Dump Trucks for service on operations. As Iveco had already developed a ballistic steel cab for the Trakker family, the 8×8 Trakker was a natural choice for this demanding role. The procurement was a direct purchase by the UK MoD, with Iveco managing the complete integration activity. This required input from five separate sub-contractors – GD(UK), Terex Atlas, Thompson Engineering, BI Engineering and KraussMaffei Weg