Sponsored by Control Solutions LLC.
http://www.controls.com/product-cat/systems/
————————————————————————
08 Sep 17. H145M completes first flight with HForce weapon system. At the end of August, the H145M performed its first flight with a complete HForce weapon system in Donauwörth. Thanks to this modular weapon system designed by Airbus, the H145M can be equipped with all kind of guided and ballistic armaments such as missiles and laser guided rockets, guns, machine guns and rockets. The qualification of HForce for use on the H145M is planned for 2018.
“The next steps prior to qualification include a firing campaign, testing the whole fire mission spectrum through guns, cannons and rockets in Hungary as well as tests on the laser-guided rockets in Sweden before the end of the year,” said Jean-Luc André, HForce Program Manager at Airbus Helicopters. “As the launch customer for the H145M with the HForce weapon system, the Republic of Serbia has ordered nine H145M aircraft, including four attack helicopters equipped with HForce”, he added.
HForce is a comprehensive, modular and cost-efficient weapon system that can be used on any military version of Airbus’ civil helicopter range (H125M, H145M and H225M). The flexible weapon management system enables armies around the world to complement their fleets with specialised versions of light attack helicopters.
The H145M is the military version of the tried-and-tested, twin-engine H145 civil helicopter that was first delivered in 2014. The entire H145 fleet has now clocked up more than 60,000 flight hours. With a maximum take-off weight of 3.7 tonnes, the agile light attack H145M, which perfectly matches the needs of Special Forces, can be used for a wide range of tasks, including armed reconnaissance, ground fire support, escort, tactical transport, MEDEVAC and CASEVAC. Customers for the H145M include the German Armed Forces – which in June received their 15th H145M LUH SOF helicopter on time and on budget – as well as the Republic of Serbia and the Kingdom of Thailand.
08 Sep 17. ECA Group announces the delivery of a full scale development of an integrated solution for mine counter measure, a project successfully completed in collaboration with an Asian partner. This navy, already renowned for its highly-specialization in the field of mine warfare, is switching from mine hunters (50 meters boats managed by a crew of 40 people) to a new unmanned system, controlled by only 3 people, allowing to cut operational costs and reduce significantly human risks. This unmanned solution for MCM operations is the first completely automated underwater robot demining system, including EMDS (Expandable Mine Disposal System) which can be remotely piloted and use a highly secured dedicated link for neutralization sequence. This ECA Group system completes the Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) built by a partner company. The USV is equipped with an inspection function using the K-STER I and a destruction one using K-STER C. All the vehicles are launched autonomously with an automated Launch and Recovery System (LARS), remotely piloted via a radio or satellite link.
Onshore, crew launches and pilots remotely from the Control & Command Center the inspection vehicle.
If a mine is found a Disposal vehicle K-STER C is deployed by a dedicated launching system, in order to destroy the mine.
This project is the result of more than 20 year’s partnership between Southeast Asian nations and ECA Group and concluded with around 10 M€ contract back in 2015, the delivery of 2 complete systems in 2017 and expected service agreement in 2018. Sea acceptance tests of the first system is scheduled for September 2017.
The training for maintenance and usage of this unmanned naval drones system has been conducted in the end of May in the in ECA premises in South of France.
With this ECA Group advanced solution of Expendable Mine Disposal System (EMDS) for mine c