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27 June 19. Qatari howitzers train for coastal defence. The Qatari Emiri Land Forces used their new PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzers during the ‘Slingshot 2019’ coastal defence exercise, the Ministry of Defence revealed in a 27 June statement. It said the exercise was held from 23–25 June off the southwestern coast in the Mesaieed area and involved the PzH 2000s hitting naval targets at their maximum range. It was not stated whether the howitzers fired laser-guided shells to hit targets moving at sea. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
27 June 19. New Kalashnikov anti-materiel rifle makes debut. The Kalashnikov Concern is showing its new anti-materiel rifle designated as the SV-18 at the Army 2019 defence exhibition being held in Kubinka, close to Moscow, on 25–30 June. The rifle is a bullpup design with its bolt-action and box magazine behind the trigger and is therefore short in length. The SV-18 is chambered for either Soviet/Russian 12.7×108 or 12.7×99 mm, the latter of which is more commonly known as the .50 calibre BMG cartridge in the West. The rifle appears to be constructed from a combination of steel, aluminium, and polymer. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
27 June 19. Kalashnikov shows ‘kamikaze’ UAS for first time. The Zala Aero Group, part of the Kalashnikov Concern, showed its Lantset (Lance) ‘kamikaze’ unmanned aircraft system (UAS) for the first time at the Army 2019 defence exhibition being held in Kubinka, close to Moscow, on 25–30 June. Only one variant of the Lantset is on display at Army 2019, but Kalashnikov told Jane’s that the weapon system comes in two configurations. The heavier variant designated as the Lantset-3 exhibited at Army 2019 carries a 3kg warhead, has a 40-minute mission endurance, a maximum speed of 110km/h, and maximum take-off weight of 12kg, while the lighter Lantset-1 has the same top speed, but a 1kg warhead, 30-minute mission endurance, and maximum take-off weight of 5kg. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
27 June 19. RNLN puts down marker for hard-kill torpedo defence. Plans are being developed by the Netherlands’ Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) for the roll-out of a hard-kill surface ship torpedo defence system (TDS) across the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) fleet.
The system will initially go on board two new M-frigate anti-submarine warfare (ASW) replacements (Vervanging M-fregaten – vMFF) due for delivery in the mid-2020s. The installation of a suitably scaled version of the hard-kill TDS will subsequently be extended to other surface units and combat support ships. According to Ernest van der Spek, project manager torpedo defence in the DMO, the attraction of a hard-kill solution is its ability to defend against all threat types. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
27 June 19. Babcock International, the Aerospace and Defence company, has successfully completed Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) of the Air Weapons Handling System (AWHS) for the Type 26 Global Combat Ship, designed for BAE Systems. The AWHS provides a flexible and configurable munitions stowage system, capable of safely storing and retrieving a variety of munition types within highly space constrained magazine environments. Following several years of development by Babcock’s Defence Systems Technology team in Leicester, UK, the first in class unit, destined for Glasgow has now successfully completed Factory Acceptance Testing.
Andrew Hopkins, Babcock Programme Manager said: “The successful testing of this new Air Weapons Handling capability is the culmination of significant effort and collaboration between BAE Systems, Babcock and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) over the last five years; offering the Royal Navy (RN) a step change in mechanised weapon handling capability including safety, speed of operation, space efficiency, weight, flexibility, shock resilience and low signature.”
With testing culminating in an intensive three week factory acceptance period, Babcock’s engineering and production teams have successfully demonstrated the systems capability to representatives from BAE Systems, MOD, and RN – proving compatibility with both current and future weapons systems.
BAE Systems T26 Delivery Lead for Guided Weapons said: “This is a significant step forward for the AWHS, the FAT has clearly demonstrated the performance, function and flexibility of the design; it is a credit to the Babcock project team. Following the trials there is every confidence that the system can be successfully integrated into the T26 platform and proven as a highly efficient weapon handling system. Thanks also to the MOD customer who has supported the trials notably with the provision of all the weapon types and their trolleys/containers.”
26 June 19. LaserMax has introduced the most anticipated laser product of 2019. The “Lightning” is a universal fit rail mounted laser with GripSense™ Activation Technology. The new laser fits any firearm with at least 1” of accessory rail space and is designed to withstand rigors of everyday concealed carry and hard duty use.
“Having the most advanced laser technology inside the firearm with our guide rod lasers, we now have the most advanced technology for outside the gun with GripSense,” said Kurt Worden Director of Sales for LaserMax Products. “Making this available now for pistols with rails opens up an entire new opportunity for consumers who don’t want to worry about pressing a button for activation”
GripSense represents the newest generation of laser activation technology by simplifying the activation process. The user simply grips the firearm, setting off a motion sensor once in the detection zone, which then activates the laser immediately and does not require the user to change their firing grip. Additionally, the Lightning with GripSense Activation Technology includes some significant innovations including a fully programmable operating mode, and up to twenty hours of continuous battery life- safeguarded from inadvertent drain by a ten-minute time out feature. The Lightning will come in Vivid Red or Daytime Green, green being the most visible color to the human eye.
Key Features include:
– Rail mounted allowing it to work with over 90% of pistols in the market today
– GripSense Activation senses the users grip within the detection zone and activates the sight
– Dual activation capable with either GripSense or controlled push button
– Does not alter your shooting grip
– Easily programmable for steady or high-vis pulsed beam
– External Battery access hatch with tool-less entry
– Water resistant design
– 5 year warranty
MSRP:
– GS-LTN-R (Red) – $149.99
– GS-LTN-G (Green) – $199.99
26 June 19. Russian military to replace LMG inventory. The Russian Ministry of Defence is planning to replace its inventory of Kalashnikov RPK-74 5.45 mm light machine guns (LMGs) with Kalashnikov RPK-16 modular LMGs, a military source told Jane’s on the first day of the Army 2019 defence exhibition being held in Kubinka close to Moscow from 25-30 June.
“There has been a decision to replace the bulky RPK-74 with a more portable light support weapon with modern interfaces and modular construction, and the Kalashnikov Group’s RPK-16 is such a replacement. Under current infantry tactics, each squad needs a fire team with a man-portable 5.45mm LMG that can be easily handled by a single soldier. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
27 June 19. Iraq Seeks Iranian Air Defence Technology. Iraq has called for enhanced cooperation with neighbouring Iran in the area of air defense, days after Tehran successfully thwarted an American spying mission by downing a sophisticated surveillance drone over Iranian territorial waters.
Visiting Deputy Commander of the Iraqi Army Tariq Abbas Ibrahim Abdulhussein made the call during a meeting with Commander of the Iranian Army’s Air Defense Force, Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi-Fard, IRNA reported on Sunday, citing the Army’s Public Relations Office.
The Iraqi official pointed to the Islamic Republic’s advanced capability in designing and manufacturing defensive systems. Baghdad was requesting the cooperation “in the light of the previous instances of observation by Iraqi military delegations of Iran’s defensive capabilities,” he noted.
Such cooperation, he said, would encompass such areas as production, training, logistical support in various fields, including electronic warfare operations, radar operation, optical surveillance, command and control, radar calculations, and software.
Baghdad’s call came after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) shot down an American RQ-4 Global Hawk, which had violated Iran’s airspace from the south, in what has been viewed by observers as a show of Iran’s aerial defense capabilities.
Abdulhussein further said, “Enjoying religious commonalities and facing common enemies has aligned the countries.”
Iran fully prepared
The Iranian commander, for his part, conveyed Tehran’s “complete readiness to meet Iraq’s defensive needs in all areas of expertise concerning manufacturing and supporting air defense systems.”
Sabahi-Fard said Iran had achieved the capability for manufacturing various pieces of air defense equipment, including tactical and deployable radars, missile and artillery systems, signal intelligence gathering, electronic warfare equipment, and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The two countries, he stated, were part of the unified Muslim Ummah, which could not be segregated from one another based on political and geographical demarcations.
In April, Iran’s top military commander said the countries had agreed to cooperate in the area of air defense to fend off the challenges facing their respective air spaces.
Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri made the announcement to reporters following a meeting in Tehran with his visiting Iraqi counterpart, Lieutenant General Othman al-Ghanimi.
The meeting addressed “the integrated defense of Iran and Iraq’s skies, because we might sense threats coming from the direction of [our] western borders,” Baqeri noted back then. (Source: UAS VISION/Press TV)
26 June 19. Saudi-led coalition identifies Iranian cruise missile used against airport. An Iranian-made Ya Ali cruise missile was used in the 12 June attack on Abha International Airport in southwest Saudi Arabia, Colonel Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition said on 24 June. The missile hit the airport’s arrivals terminal but only inflicted relatively minor injuries and damage. The Yemeni rebel group Ansar Allah claimed responsibility, saying the attack and another against the Al-Shuqaiq power plant a week later were carried out using cruise missiles. The Ya Ali was unveiled as part of exhibition that the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) put on for Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in May 2014. The missile was reported to have a range of 700km.
In his press briefing, Col Maliki showed images of the remnants of the missile that hit Abha airport, including a part that was certified in October 2018, which he said proved that Iran was continuing to supply weapons to Ansar Allah.
He also showed a slide that identified the missile’s engine as a TJ-100: an apparent reference to the TJ100 turbojet made by the Czech company PBS Group. The company announced in May that it had delivered 900 TJ100 engines since 2004, many of which were used in aerial targets. It told Jane’s that it could not rule out the possibility that the engine shown by Col Maliki was one that it produced but noted that it could be a TJ100 copy or a different type of engine.
“We have never delivered our engines to Iran or any of its allies, even in the past,” PBS business development director Tomas Koutsky said, adding that the company is fully compliant with the Czech export regulations and that this is the first possible case where someone other than an approved end-user has acquired one. “We will co-operate fully to clarify the origin of the used piece,” he said. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 June 19. Lockheed Martin enhances C2BMC system. Lockheed Martin has modernised the command, control, battle management and communications (C2BMC) system, enhancing the US Missile Defense Agency’s Ballistic Missile Defense System. C2BMC enables warfighters at all levels to systematically plan ballistic missile defence operations, collectively see the battle develop and dynamically manage designated networked sensors and weapons. The upgrade provides an ‘engage on remote’ capability that enables the Aegis Weapon System to engage threats based on information provided entirely from C2BMC remote sensor and track data. This capability supports the European Phased Adaptive Approach Phase III milestone, which is designed to protect US deployed forces and NATO allies in Europe from ballistic missile attacks.
The engage on remote capability was successfully demonstrated as part of a Missile Defense Agency flight test in December 2018, where the Aegis Weapon System used remote sensor data provided by C2BMC to plan, launch and engage a missile without detecting the target with the organic Aegis radar.
Using its ground, air and space-based command and control architecture, C2BMC detected the threat, tracked the missile through its connection to ballistic missile defence radars, locked onto the target, then relayed the target location to the Aegis system. By enabling Aegis interceptors to conduct operations based entirely on off-board radar information, C2BMC greatly expands the range of the Aegis systems. (Source: Shephard)
24 June 19. Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) company, along with several industry partners, participated in a successful Javelin flight test from a Kongsberg remote weapon station on a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) at the Redstone Test Center in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
“This successful demonstration further solidifies the importance of the JLTV’s position within the current combat fleet formation,” said George Mansfield, Vice President and General Manager of Joint Programs at Oshkosh Defense. “The JLTV is the only light tactical vehicle on the field today that can maneuver within combat formations, hauling critical weaponry and equipment quickly across complex terrain, all while keeping our troops safe and protected.”
This demonstration represents the first-time firing of both the Javelin and the Northrup Grumman lightweight 30mm cannon through a remotely operated weapon station on the Oshkosh Defense JLTV.
The Javelin is an anti-tank, guided munition and surveillance weapon system made by the Javelin Joint Venture, a partnership between Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin.
Distinguished US military guests, as well as guests from multiple allied nations, were able to attend and observe this special event.
23 June 19. The US Marines’ Urban Warfare Tactics Are Outdated. Here’s How They Plan to Fix That. Hundreds of Marines will join their British counterparts at a massive urban training center this summer that will test the leathernecks’ ability to fight a tech-savvy enemy in a crowded city filled with innocent civilians.
The North Carolina-based Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, will test drones, robots and other high-tech equipment at Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville, Indiana, in August. They’ll spend weeks weaving through underground tunnels and simulating fires in a mock packed downtown city center. They’ll also face off against their peers, who will be equipped with off-the-shelf drones and other gadgets the enemy is now easily able to bring to the fight.
It’s the start of a four-year effort, known as Project Metropolis, that leaders say will transform the way Marines train for urban battles. The effort is being led by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, based in Quantico, Virgina. It comes after service leaders identified a troubling problem following nearly two decades of war in the Middle East: adversaries have been studying their tactics and weaknesses, and now they know how to exploit them.
With tensions heating up with Iran, China and Russia, it’s likely Marines could face a far more sophisticated enemy than the insurgent groups they fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Just this week, Iran shot down a massive U.S. Navy drone capable of flying at high altitudes that collects loads of surveillance data. President Donald Trump said he called off retaliatory strikes just minutes before the operations were slated to kick off.
Less than two weeks prior, a Russian destroyer nearly collided with a U.S. Navy warship in the Philippine Sea. These are just some of the examples of close calls that could have left Marines and other U.S. troops facing off against near-peer militaries equipped with high-tech equipment in highly populated areas.
At the same time, the Marine Corps’ Operating Concept, a document published in 2016, found the service isn’t manned, trained or equipped to fight in urban centers, Maj. Edward Leslie, lead planner for Dense Urban Operations at the Warfighting Lab, told Military.com.
“The enemy has changed,” Leslie said. “… They obviously have more access to drones. I think the enemy’s sensing capabilities have increased, they have the ability to see in the night just as well as we can, and they have capabilities that can exploit our technology or disrupt our technology.”
The Marine Corps isn’t alone in grappling with these new challenges. The Army is spending half a billion dollars to train soldiers to fight underground, and has begun sending small-units to its massive training center in California where leaders are challenged with more complex warfighting scenarios.
The Army also found that young sergeants in most infantry and close combat units don’t know how to maneuver their squads or do basic land navigation, Military.com reported this spring.
Those are skills Marines must continue to hone, Leslie said, since so many advantages they’re used to having on the battlefield are leveling off. It’s not just room-clearing Marines need to be good at, he said, but overall urban operations — things like figuring out ways to penetrate a building without destroying it since it’s right next to a school or hospital.
“I think that’s the value we’re going to get [with Project Metropolis],” he said.
A Next-Gen Fight
The training center Marines and British Royal Marines will use this summer is a sprawling 1,000-acre site that houses dozens of buildings, some with up to seven stories and basements. The complex also has more than a mile’s worth of underground tunnels and active farmland.
The urban center has been used not just to train troops, but to help government leaders prepare for pandemic responses or natural disasters as well.
Kilo Company will complete four phases during the month they spend there, Brig. Gen. Christian Wortman, who recently served as the Warfighting Lab’s commanding general, told reporters last month. It will culminate with a five-day force-on-force simulated battle in which the Kilo Company Marines, equipped with new high-tech gear, face off against a like-minded enemy force with its own sophisticated equipment.
The concept was introduced by Commandant Gen. Robert Neller last summer to help Marines better prepare to fight a near-peer enemy. The British Royal Marines participating in the exercise will either join Kilo Company’s efforts against the aggressor, or act as another force operating in the same region, Leslie said.
Project Metropolis will build on years of experimentation the Marine Corps has conducted as part of its Sea Dragon 2025 concept. Leslie said the grunts picking up the next leg of experimentation in Indiana will be further challenged to use some of the new technology Marines have been testing in a more complex urban setting, similar to what they’re likely to face in a future warzone.
Marines have been experimenting with different infantry squad sizes to incorporate drone operators. Now, Leslie said, they’ll look at how to organize teams operating a new tactical self-driving vehicle called the Expeditionary Monitor Autonomous Vehicle, which will carry a .50-caliber machine gun.
“That’s going to be a major thing,” he said. “We’re looking to see, what’s the table of organization look like to work with that, and is it any different if it’s an urban vehicle?”
Marines practice Military Operations on Urban Terrain at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, Nov. 23, 2012. The Scout Sniper Platoon, Weapons Company, Battalion Landing Team 3/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit is deployed as part of the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group as a U.S. Central Command theater reserve force, providing support for maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Timothy R. Childers)
Rifle squads will continue experimenting with unmanned aerial systems, Leslie added, to spot enemy positions without sending someone into a danger zone. They’ll use ground robots that have the ability to map the insides of buildings, and will test Marines’ decision-making when they’re overwhelmed with information.
“Really want we want to see is how the tech integrates and also how it operates in a dense urban environment,” he said.
Kilo Company will also work with nonlethal systems, Wortman said, which they can turn to if they’re in an area where there could be civilian casualties. They’ll have access to kamikaze drones and “more sophisticated tools for delivering lethal fires,” he added.
It’s vital that they see that Marines are able to put these new tools to use quickly and easily, Wortman said, as they don’t want them to be fumbling with new systems in the middle of combat situations.
Building on the Past
Marines aren’t new to urban fights.
Leathernecks saw some of the bloodiest urban battles since Vietnam’s Battle of Hue City in Fallujah, Iraq. About 12,000 U.S. troops fought in the second leg of the 2004 battle to turn that city back over to the Iraqi government. In the fierce battle, which involved going house-to-house in search of insurgents, 82 U.S. troops were killed and about another 600 hurt.
The Marines learned during those battles, Leslie said. But a lot has changed in the last 15 years, he added. With adversaries having access to cheap surveillance drones, night vision and other technology, military leaders making life-and-death decisions on the battlefield must adjust.
The goal, Wortman said, is to keep Marines armed with and proficient in to keep their edge on the battlefield.
Every city has a different character, too, Leslie added, so what Marines saw in Fallujah is not going to be the same as what they can expect in a new fight.
There has also been a great deal of turnover in the Marine Corps since combat operations slowed in Iraq and Afghanistan, Leslie said. Today’s generation of Marines is also incredibly tech-savvy, Wortman said, and they’re likely to find ways to use some of the new gear they’re handing to them during this experiment and come up with innovative new ways to employ it.
“We have the expectation that these sailors and Marines are going to teach us about the possibilities with this technology because they’ll apply it in creative … ways the tech developers didn’t fully anticipate.” (Source: Military.com)
21 June 19. Global Hawk shootdown validates Iran’s indigenous SAM capabilities. Key Points:
- The US has confirmed Iran’s claim it shot down a Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) at a range of about 70km
- Iran credited a 3 Khordad, one of several new indigenous surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, with the shootdown
The shooting down of a US Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle on 20 June appears to have confirmed that Iran has developed highly capable surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems in recent years.
The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) announced the incident, saying the Global Hawk was shot down near Kuh Mubarak on Iran’s Gulf of Oman coast after it entered Iranian territory without identifying itself. It released a video purportedly showing the engagement, with a 3 Khordad self-propelled SAM system launching a missile at night.
Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif tweeted co-ordinates for the location of the UAV when it was shot down that put it inside Iranian territorial airspace over the Gulf of Oman.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Iran shot down an RQ-4A but stressed that the UAV never entered Iranian airspace. It supported this assertion by releasing an image apparently taken by the UAV of the incoming missile that showed it was located in international airspace at an altitude of 22,209ft (6,769m) over the Gulf of Oman immediately before it was hit.
A map released by CENTCOM provided the approximate location of the SAM launch on the Iranian coast some 70 km away.
There are no fixed SAM sites within range of the shootdown location, lending credence to the claim that a mobile system like the 3 Khordad was used in the engagement. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
21 June 19. Raytheon prepares for first flight of HAWC prototype demonstrator. Raytheon is preparing for the first flight of its scramjet powered air-launched Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) prototype demonstrator ‘in the near term’, Dr Thomas Bussing VP, Advanced Missile Systems, Raytheon disclosed at the Paris Air Show on 18 June.
“We have a flight test planned in the near future, where we will begin flying this particular class of weapon system,” said Bussing. “The upcoming test will be the first flight test that we’ve done, although we’ve already conducted significant ground testing.”
The disclosure was made during the announcement of a teaming agreement between Raytheon and Northrop Grumman Corporation for the development, production, and integration of Northrop Grumman’s scramjet combustors to power Raytheon’s HAWC solution and future air-breathing hypersonic weapons.
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded Raytheon Missile Systems a USD174.7m contract in October 2016 for research under the joint DARPA/US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) HAWC programme. Lockheed Missiles & Fire Control was awarded similar contract, valued at USD171.2m, in September of the same year.
The HAWC programme – a follow-on development of DARPA’s earlier Integrated Hypersonics programme – aims to mature and demonstrate critical technologies to inform the development and flight testing of an effective and affordable air-launched hypersonic cruise missile to deliver transformational changes for USAF in responsive, long-range strike capabilities against time-critical or heavily defended targets. These technologies include advanced air vehicle configurations capable of efficient flight; hydrocarbon scramjet-powered propulsion to enable sustained hypersonic cruise; thermal management approaches designed for high-temperature cruise; and affordable system designs and manufacturing approaches.
Scramjet (Supersonic Combustion Ramjet) combustion occurs in supersonic airflow, where the engine relies on high vehicle speed to forcibly compress the incoming air before combustion. Whereas a ramjet decelerates the air to subsonic velocities before combustion, the airflow in a scramjet is supersonic throughout the entire engine, allowing the scramjet to operate efficiently at extremely high speeds. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 June 19. First captive carriage flight test for AGM-183A ARRW. The US Air Force (USAF), in collaboration with Lockheed Martin, conducted the first captive carriage flight test of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW) air-to-surface hypersonic weapon on a B-52 Stratofortress strategic bomber out of Edwards Air Force Base, California, on 12 June.
“A sensor-only version of the ARRW prototype was carried externally by a B-52 during the test to gather environmental and aircraft handling data. The test gathered data on drag and vibration impacts on the weapon itself and on the external carriage equipment of the aircraft,” the USAF said in a statement. “The prototype did not have explosives and it was not released from the B-52 during the flight test. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
21 June 19. StormBreaker IOC with USAF expected later this year. The US Air Force (USAF) is expected to declare an initial operational capability (IOC) with Raytheon Missile Systems’ StormBreaker smart weapon on the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle multirole combat aircraft in the third or fourth quarter this year following completion of the operational test and evaluation (OT&E) phase of the development programme in May.
Optimised to address moving battlefield targets, StormBreaker – formerly designated ‘Small Diameter Bomb II’ – is a 250 lb-class, air-launched unpowered glide weapon system furnished with a unique tri-mode seeker that combines millimetre wave (MMW) radar, imaging infrared (IIR), and semi-active laser (SAL) sensors with a GPS/inertial navigation system (INS) autopilot for precision accuracy in adverse weather conditions. The seeker’s optical dome is protected by a clamshell shroud, which is jettisoned before the seeker is activated. A Rockwell Collins TacNet bi-directional dual-band datalink enables Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) connectivity with aircraft and an ultra-high frequency (UHF) link with a ground designator.
Equipped with a deployable wing assembly to achieve stand-off engagement ranges in excess of 70 km, StormBreaker incorporates a multifunction warhead (blast, fragmentation, and shaped charge jet) designed to defeat armoured and non-armoured targets; a redesign of the warhead was performed during the development cycle to provide the capability to disable or defeat main battle tanks. The warhead fuze can be set to initiate on impact, at a pre-set height above the intended target, or in a delayed mode. The munition operates in three principal attack modes: normal attack (NA), laser-illuminated attack (LIA), and co-ordinate attack (CA). It can be used against moving or stationary targets using its NA (MMW/IIR) sensors or LIA modes, and against fixed targets with its CA mode. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 June 19. The TLVS bidders consortium, an MBDA Deutschland and Lockheed Martin joint venture, has submitted its proposal to the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) to develop, test and deliver TLVS, Germany’s future Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) system. The tender proposes an efficient four-phased approach that includes development, integration, testing and delivery of a fielded multi-mission system. The fielded unit will deliver new capabilities and significant performance enhancements well beyond the MEADS program and all known systems.
“A brief glance at the headlines show significant advances in adversarial threats in just the last five years, and we are operating in an environment today where those threats will likely only continue to proliferate,” said Dietmar Thelen, managing director of the TLVS joint venture. “Germany needs a future-proof solution that can grow with the emerging threat.”
Designed to replace Germany’s aging, sectored Patriot systems designed in the late 1960s, the 2019 TLVS proposal provides protection from a broader threat spectrum with two mission-specific effectors, significantly enhanced radar capabilities for long range engagements and a new communications system to support enhanced interoperability, data fusion and cyber resilience. TLVS will be the first-ever integrated air and missile defense system able to simultaneously detect, track and intercept multiple threat sets, including medium and short range threats with full 360-degree coverage.
“We’ve completely reimagined TLVS based on customer requirements. Our approach reduces risk, supports lower life cycle costs and enables more effective coalition operations,” said Gregory Kee, managing director of the TLVS joint venture. “TLVS will allow Germany to provide regional protection as the Framework Nation for Air and Missile Defense for NATO, with a high degree of system sovereignty.”
The TLVS proposal represents the beginning of a new chapter in the longstanding partnership between MBDA Deutschland and Lockheed Martin.
With its integrated plug and fight interface, TLVS is the most advanced, networked 360° IAMD system in the world. It is the only system with the ability to adapt to evolving threats using capabilities that are tailored to the mission. TLVS will transform Germany’s defense capabilities and set an important precedent in how neighboring nations address persistent global threats for years to come.
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