17 Jun 16. Eurosatory 2016: BAE Systems Hägglunds hoping for Beowulf buyer by turn of the year. BAE Systems Hägglunds is hoping to secure a contract for its new BvS10 Beowulf all-terrain vehicle (ATV) by the end of this year or the start of next year, allowing serial production to start by the end of next year or the beginning of 2018, company officials told IHS Jane’s at Eurosatory on 15 June.
Tore Akser, ATV platform manager for BAE Systems Hägglunds, said the company is having parallel discussions with potential buyers in Europe, South America and Asia, with the potential clients ranging from those who already operate the Beowulf’s predecessor, the Bv202, or the armoured ATV from which it is derived, the BvS10 Viking, to those with no experience of operating BAE Systems Hägglunds ATVs.
Akser said interest in the vehicle, which combines the chassis and powertrain of the BvS10 Viking with an unarmoured front cab provided by Finnish company Fortoco, ranges from military users to those with an interest in developing an all-terrain capability for civilian applications such as rescue services or firefighting.
The concept behind the Beowulf, Akser explained, is a combination of three elements: extreme mobility, an extensive payload capability (the vehicle can carry 8 tonnes compared to 2.2 tonnes for the Bv202), and flexibility, with the rear section of the ATV able to be reconfigured in a variety of ways or even designed and provided by the user.
Like the Bv202, the Beowulf remains fully amphibious but now has a digitised front section. Additionally, the front cab, taking a lesson from the commercial truck sector, can now be tipped forward to allow access to the vehicle’s powerpack for easier maintenance.
In terms of performance the Beowulf can reach a top speed of 80 km/h compared to 50 km/h for the Bv202 (achieving twice the speed of the Bv202 in difficult terrain) and has a range of up to 1,000 km compared to 300-350 km for the Bv202. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
17 Jun 16. Eurosatory 2016: KMW launches new FLW500 weapon station. Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has launched the FLW500, which is the latest entry to its FLW family of remote weapon stations (RWS) at Eurosatory 2016.
The latest FLW500 has a typical weight of 500 kg above the deck but this depends on the type of weapons fitted and associated ammunition supply.
The version being shown at the exhibition is armed with the Orbital ATK Armament Systems 30 mm M230LF dual-feed low-recoil weapon that is provided with 150 rounds of ready to use ammunition.
A co-axial 7.62 mm FN-MAG machine gun (MG) is provided with 250 rounds of ready use ammunition.
The weapons are fully stabilised with the mount featuring electric traverse through 360° and elevation from -10 to 50°.(Source: IHS Jane’s)
17 Jun 16. Eurosatory 2016: EYE09 readies for flight trials with Austrian Army. Austria’s EYE.AERO will soon commence trials of its EYE09 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) with the Austrian Army.
Speaking to IHS Jane’s at Eurosatory 2016 in Paris, company CEO Gregor Schnoell said that the flight trials will take place in July,
EYE09 consists of a folding quadcopter and a soldier-borne control unit: the PCS13. It is designed to be carried and operated by one soldier, with the air vehicle largely composed of lightweight materials – principally alloys and magnesium.
The system is intended to provide a visual intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability as well as hazardous area inspection – it has been fitted with a Dräger radiation detector for example. Payloads are integrated with the air vehicle via a detachable mounting unit.
Schnoell said that the system has been designed for simple operation and maintenance, with the PCS13 – which is worn on the chest – having a glove-compatible touchscreen interface and joystick controls. It can be flown via GPS waypoint navigation or manually.
The operating platform is currently Linux-based, a design approach which was decided open