17 June 22. US Army conducts first firing of Patriot missiles from Palau. The US Army has demonstrated its ability to engage a simulated cruise missile with targeting data provided by a US Air Force (USAF) F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft.
The exercise marked the first time that the weapon system was fired from the Pacific Island country of Palau.
The demonstration was carried out on 15 June by the Charlie Battery of the US Army Pacific’s 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment (1-1 ADA) as part of Exercise ‘Valiant Shield’, a biennial joint drill held by the service in theatres such as Guam and the Pacific Islands region.
The Patriot is a ground-based air-defence system that uses a missile interceptor to defeat short-range and medium-range aerial threats such as cruise missiles. Its set-up generally comprises an AN/MPQ-65 radar system, an AN/MSQ-104 battery fire-control unit, short-range and long-range communications units, and a launch station deploying MIM-104 missiles. (Source: Janes)
16 June 22. India conducts training launch of Prithvi-II nuclear-capable missile. The surface-to-surface ballistic missile is designed to intercept targets at a range of 350km. The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced the successful user training launch of the Prithvi-II nuclear-capable missile. The missile was launched from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, off the Odisha coast.
Details regarding the trial supervision or whether the missile was chosen from the production stock were not revealed by the ministry.
Reports from local media outlets stated that the firing was carried out from a mobile launcher and that it was a routine training trial.
In a brief statement, the MoD said: “A successful training launch of a Short-Range Ballistic Missile, Prithvi-II, was carried out on 15 June 2022 at approximately 1930 hours from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, Odisha.”
It added: “The missile is a proven system and is capable of striking targets with a very high degree of precision. The user training launch successfully validated all operational and technical parameters of the missile.”
Prithvi-II was inducted into service with the Indian Army’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC) in 2003. Since then, the weapon has been subjected to several tests.
The 9m tall, surface-to-surface ballistic missile features an advanced inertial guidance system and can carry nuclear warheads ranging from 500kg to 1,000kg. It has a strike range of 350km.
The single-stage, liquid-fuelled missile was developed by the Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), under the integrated guided-missile development (IGMD) programme. (Source: army-technology.com)
14 June 22. New US Marine Air Defense Integrated System fielding set for 2024. The US Marine Corps (USMC) is testing two early versions of its new Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) Increment 1 to defeat aerial threats and is plotting ways to produce a future, more lethal version of the weapon, according to Don Kelley, the service’s programme manager for Ground Based Air Defense and the programme executive officer for Land Systems.
The service has two MADIS Increment 1 engineering development models, similar to a prototype, and is planning to conduct an operational assessment of the weapon by the end of 2022 in anticipation of a Milestone C production decision around February 2023, Kelley told Janes during a 17 May interview. (Source: Janes)
17 June 22. Pearson Engineering unveils Vector mine plough. Pearson Engineering has unveiled its Vector mine plough at Eurosatory 2022 in Paris.
The system is designed to provide light- and medium-weight forces employing wheeled armoured vehicles with the ability to independently clear a path through minefields.
Nicola Irving, head of strategic marketing and communications at Pearson Engineering, told Janes that Vector was developed using experience the company had gained in developing mine ploughs for tracked vehicles. According to Irving, the main challenge in applying this technology to wheeled vehicles was carrying out “dynamic analysis of the vehicle and plough together to optimise the system as a whole and to reduce the effort required from the vehicle”.
Vector consists of two plough blades, each with four tines, mounted on the front of the host vehicle. As the host vehicle moves forward, these blades dig out buried mines located in front of the vehicle’s wheels and deposit them in heaps on either side of the vehicle, clearing the way for other vehicles in the formation to follow. (Source: Janes)
16 June 22. Serbia shows Gavran loitering weapon system. Serbian state-owned export agency Yugoimport used the Eurosatory 2022 defence fair to showcase the country’s first loitering weapon system, the Gavran (Raven).
Currently in the initial development phase, the Gavran is intended to be a low-cost, long-range intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) system and strike weapon.
Launched by solid propellant booster and powered by either a combustion or electric engine driving a pusher propeller, the Gavran is 4.5 m in length and has a 3.2 m wingspan. The air vehicle has a 50 kg maximum take-off weight and a 15 kg payload capability, and can fly at 120 km/h while loitering for up to 30 mins at about 5,000 ft out to a range of up to 100 km.
The interchangeable explosive payload of each Gavran vehicle would be made of a 175mm/12kg combined shaped-charge, high-explosive fragmentation warhead, or other types of target-tailored weapon packages, including 122mm /13kg, 130 mm/10.5kg, and 145mm /6.4kg warheads. (Source: Janes)
15 June 22. Lithuania to purchase 18 Caesar MarktII howitzers from France. The new generation of self-propelled wheeled 155mm howitzers will help strengthen the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ capabilities.
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MoD) has signed a Declaration of Intent to procure 18 new-generation Caesar MarktII self-propelled wheeled 155mm howitzers from France.
The ministry will join the General Directorate for Armament of France in developing the Caesar Mark II artillery system.
According to the MoD, the entire procurement process may see an expenditure of up to €150m, including the development of the artillery system, acquisition, and integration into the armed forces.
Details about how many howitzers Lithuania plans to purchase remain unknown.
The move to buy the new generation of howitzers is aimed at strengthening the Lithuanian Armed Forces and its artillery capabilities.
Lithuanian National Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas said: “The acquisition of the French Caesar MarktII new generation artillery systems will be the largest project the Lithuanian Armed Forces has ever had with France.
“The war against Ukraine has made it obvious that indirect fire capability is essential and therefore it is vital for us to provide it for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. We cannot afford to wait until the next war.”
The new weapon systems will be used in place of the outdated 105mm towed howitzers and will be dedicated to Brigadier General Motiejus Pečiulionis Artillery Battalion.
The technical agreement, which defines the MoD’s role in the Caesar MarktII development programme, will likely be signed by 30 July.
Other Nato allies, including Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and France, either have or plan to own the Caesar MarktII howitzers.
In February this year, French Direction générale de l’armement awarded a contract to weaponry systems manufacturer Nexter to develop the Caesar 6X6 Mark II new generation artillery system. (Source: army-technology.com)
14 June 22. USMC executes HIMARS rapid infiltration on Angaur island.
The US Marine Corps (USMC) has carried out a high mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) rapid infiltration in the Republic of Palau.
The HIMARS rapid infiltration (HI-RAIN) was executed on 8 June by the USMC’s 5th Battalion from 1st Marine Division’s 11th Marine Regiment, currently deployed in Exercise Valiant Shield.
The event also marks the first time USMC has deployed HIMARS on the island of Angaur.
The HI-RAIN was a result of enhancements provided to the Angaur Airstrip in 2020, during Task Force Koa Moana.
The USMC’s I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), based at Camp Pendleton in California, was responsible for providing command and control (C2) for HI-RAIN from a forward location in Guam.
The exercise aims to provide joint training in a multi-domain environment and allows I MEF to quickly deploy and integrate both lethal and non-lethal capabilities to support naval manoeuvres.
11th Marine Regiment 5th Battalion Quebec Battery Commander captain Andrew Richards said: “HI-RAIN is the culmination of the targeting process in which, the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System is selected to engage a target.
“This process is based on a multitude of interoperable systems involving intelligence, communications and C2.”
The HI-RAIN can be deployed to support Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) by integrating precision fire assets in minimal logistical footprint environments.
Valiant Shield allows the forces in Indo-Pacific to integrate Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Army, Space Force and Special Operations units to train together in lethal and multi-axis environments.
Exercising the use of joint forces by integrating with the 133rd Operational Support Squadron from St Paul, Minnesota, the USMC flew from Andersen Air Force Base to the island state south of Peleliu. (Source: naval-technology.com)
14 June 22. Air-breathing Hypersonic Weapon Delivers Value and Performance. Two core technologies are at the heart of the U.S. pursuit of hypersonic weapons, or those that travel Mach 5 or faster: scramjets, which derive propulsion from the air around them, and boost-glide systems, which use a rocket motor to reach the edge of space and then descend to their target.
Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, is making significant investments in scramjets. Here are some of the reasons that approach holds particular promise.
We’ve already tested it successfully.
The air-breathing scramjet relies on high speed to operate. After being boosted, air and hydrocarbon fuel are burned to produce thrust for sustained flight into the upper reaches of the atmosphere.
In 2021, the business, in partnership with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman, successfully completed the first flight test of a scramjet-powered Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, or HAWC, Missile.
“The HAWC flight test success was important because it demonstrated how far and fast the government-industry team has matured affordable scramjet technology,” said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense.
It’s less expensive to manage heat.
One of the biggest challenges with developing hypersonic technologies is thermal management. Hypersonic systems heat up as they accelerate, so the business developed cost-effective solutions to protect the electronics from blazing temperatures without adding extra weight, which can reduce range.
Air-breathing systems can rely on low-cost conventional metals, such as nickel-based alloys, for their airframe. Nickel-based alloys are known for their corrosion resistance and strength and have superior durability to heat.
“Heat is still a factor for air-breathers, but these systems are much less reliant on exotic materials than other hypersonic systems, and that helps lower the cost significantly because traditional metals are easier to source and can be purchased in larger quantities,” Kremer said.
Scramjets can be produced efficiently.
Scramjet-powered hypersonics are designed and built leveraging the digital thread and additive manufacturing, or 3D printing.
“Digital design coupled with additive manufacturing is key to making air- breathing hypersonic weapons affordable,” Kremer said.
They can be integrated onto multiple aircraft.
Scramjet systems are smaller and can be installed on both fighter jets and bombers.
Air-breathing systems use hydrocarbon fuels that have high energy density, and because these systems use air from the atmosphere, they don’t need to dedicate space and weight to onboard oxidizers for combustion.
“Scramjet solutions can be carried in greater quantities because of their smaller size, which means they can be employed against more targets in a single mission. That’s a huge advantage,” Kremer said.
They’re survivable.
Hypersonic weapons – both air-breathing scramjet and boost-glide – offer increased survivability against advanced threats compared to legacy systems, allowing them to reach their targets. The altitudes they fly and their range and maneuverability make them difficult to detect and track.
“Air-launched weapons combined with Raytheon sensors provide incredible accuracy with inherent survivability, which equates to increased effectiveness over conventional systems,” Kremer said. (Source: ASD Network)
13 June 22. KONGSBERG and Milrem Robotics perform first live firing from the Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle. The leading European robotics and autonomous systems developer Milrem Robotics and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG), the leading technology and defence supplier successfully performed the first live firing of the PROTECTOR Remote Turret from the Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV).
The first firing on the second week of June was carried out with KONGSBERG’s PROTECTOR RT40 which includes the Bushmaster 30 mm cannon and a linkless ammunition handling system.
The live-fire was a step towards the companies’ joint project of developing the Nordic Robotic Wingman (NRW) – a robotic fighting vehicle that addresses the requirements of the Nordic and Western European countries, but also the US. The NRW’s purpose is to support Main Battle Tanks (MBT) and Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) like the Leopard 2 or CV90, respectively. It will be equipped with KONGSBERG’s latest and best PROTECTOR Remote Turrets (RT) that will be chosen specifically to meet the particular needs of various end-users.
The Type-X, which the NRW is based on, provides equal or overmatching firepower and tactical usage to a unit equipped with IFVs and gives mechanized units the means to breach enemy defensive positions with minimal risk to their own troops. It can be fitted with a cannon up to 50 mm, anti-tank missiles and a tethered drone for continuous situational awareness.
Milrem Robotics’ Type-X is equipped with intelligent functions such as follow-me, waypoint navigation and obstacle detection with Artificial Intelligence being part of the algorithms. With the Type-X Milrem Robotics also introduces a feature called Indirect Drive that allows remote-controlled operations on higher speeds.
10 June 22. BAE Archer 155mm Mobile Howitzer Shortlisted by Swiss Armed Forces. The Swiss government has shortlisted BAE Systems’ ARCHER 155mm mobile howitzer as one of the systems going into the final round of competition for its future artillery system.
The Swiss Federal Office for Defense Procurement, known as armasuisse, received multiple proposals submitted by several companies for the competition.
ARCHER is a fully automated system purpose-built to keep pace with fast-moving land forces. It is designed for rapid deployment to quickly respond to threats and deliver superior mobility, lethality, and survivability.
Operators control the entire gun system from the safety of ARCHER’s armored cabin. In only 20 seconds, the vehicle can stop and fire its first round. After completion of the fire mission, ARCHER is on the move again within 20 seconds. In less than two minutes, ARCHER can fire six rounds, displace, and move 500 meters, while the crew remains in the armored cabin, making the ARCHER the ultimate shoot-and-scoot system for soldier and platform survivability.
“ARCHER is the most advanced wheeled 155mm howitzer in operation today and meets the requirements of the Swiss Armed Forces,” said Stefan Löfström, director of marketing and sales at BAE Systems Bofors in Karlskoga, Sweden. “Consistent with our long history of implementing industrial cooperation projects around the world, we are working with Swiss industry to establish a project plan to successfully fulfill all Swiss requirements.”
ARCHER can fire the BONUS anti-armor munition up to 35km, conventional munitions up to 40km, and the precision-guided munition Excalibur in excess of 50km. The automated magazines can hold a mix of different ammunition types and modular charges needed to support any mission.
The system is already in service in the Swedish Army with the highest technical and manufacturing readiness levels.
13 June 22. Milkor’s enhanced weapons range takes aim at the global market. International defence company Milkor has over the last couple of years further developed and expanded its weapons range, with improvements covering the Milkor AGL (Automatic Grenade Launcher), UBGL (Under-Barrel Grenade Launcher) and new MAR (Multiple Anti-Riot) grenade launcher.
The Milkor AGL has been in development since mid-2020. The AGL has recently gone through a rigorous testing and evaluation phase and will be showcased during the Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) 2022 exhibition in September at Air Force Base Waterkloof in South Africa.
Milkor explained that the AGL has a uniquely designed feeding mechanism which provides an improved rate of fire, as well as the ability to handle the extra weight of longer ammunition belts while still considering the operability and maintainability of the weapon.
The AGL can be equipped with an advanced fire control system that allows for improved accuracy, and can effectively be used with airburst munitions. Milkor is also in the process of identifying possible remote weapon station partners the AGL can be integrate into so it can offer a combined solution to customers.
Milkor’s Business Development Director Armand Bodenstein reiterated that quality, operational efficiency and user safety are top focus areas with AGL development. At 27 kg, the weapon is relatively light and easy to use, while still limiting recoil for better accuracy. Once satisfied with the final internal adjustments of the AGL, Milkor will qualify it with 40 mm high velocity ammunition from various manufacturers before demonstrating it to interested end users.
The AGL has a cyclic rate of fire of 400–500 rounds per minute (rpm) and a sustained rate of 40–60 rpm. It makes use of a variant of 40×53 mm grenade ammunition, giving a maximum range of over 2 km. It can easily be mounted on a recoil mitigating cradle for remote turret operation.
Milkor will also be launching its new Multiple Anti-Riot six-shot grenade launcher and improved UBGL at AAD 2022. Compared to its previous anti-riot launcher capable of firing 37/38 and 40 mm less lethal ammunition, the new Milkor MAR boasts a reduction in weight, improved trigger and indexing mechanism and an increased cylinder length to accommodate all less lethal ammunition available.
The company’s UBGL has been improved since its original market introduction with feedback and involvement from various end users. Some updated features include an increased effective range of 400 meters, the option of reloading from the left or right together with the ability of being adapted for integration into most assault rifles in service. The single-shot UBGL fits snuggly under the barrel of any assault rifle.
Since inception, Milkor has sold well over 60 000 grenade launcher systems to nearly 70 countries around the world. Despite successful efforts in expanding capabilities to air, land, and sea in recent years, Milkor is still actively developing new 40 mm products and improving existing 40 mm weapon systems.
Milkor is the Diamond Sponsor of the 2022 Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition and will be showcasing its full range of land, sea and air offerings in Hall 4, stand 4W5. These offerings include unmanned aerial vehicles, patrol boats, and 4×4 armoured vehicles. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)