18 Sep 12. BAE Systems Debuts Latest Tactical Remote Turret at Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition. BAE Systems launched its newly designed tactical remote turret, the TRT-R30MK, at the 2012 Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition from 19 – 21 September. The turret will be displayed for the first time on the company’s RG41 vehicle outside hall 4. The TRT-R30MK is a remotely-operated weapon system that will enable vehicles to operate in multi-role deployments and in multiple theatres. The system draws on BAE Systems’ experience in previous remote turret technology development, such as the TRT-25. It is designed as an effective, high-performance threat neutraliser, achieving a firing range of more than 2,500 meters with day and night fighting and observation capability. The turret’s control station can be integrated anywhere in the vehicle allowing for increased internal space for crew or extra payload. The TRT-R30MK turret can easily be adapted to carry other NATO standard 30mm cannons as well as smaller calibre weapons. The system is equipped with electro-mechanical drives and high performance sight equipment to allow for all round observation, fast reaction time and accurate firing on the move during day and night operation. (Source: Google)
17 Sep 12. Raytheon Company unveil its BattleGuard modular weapon system at the U.S. Army 2012 Maneuver Conference, which runs Sept. 18-19. BattleGuard is an integrated Electro-Optical Infrared and visible sensor with a weapon station that accurately identifies targets beyond the maximum effective range of weapons systems – more than twice that of competing technologies.
“BattleGuard is an affordable, low-risk solution for combat vehicles that enhances the commander’s mission capability,” said Glynn Raymer, vice president of Combat and Sensing Systems in Raytheon’s Network Centric Systems business.
“The significance to the commander is the plug-and-play nature of the system. It is easy and fast to change configuration, to take off and put on another device, providing additional and immediate vehicle and squad protection,” he added.
Designed for tracked and wheeled combat vehicles, BattleGuard provides trained operators with 360 degrees of “under armor” unobstructed coverage. It also offers a high performance 2nd or 3rd generation FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) – a threat detection system that enables classification, recognition and identification of stationary and moving targets beyond the maximum effective ranges of threat weapons.
The system supports a number of machine and chain guns, including the M249, M240, M2, MK-19, MK-47, M134 and the M230LF. It also supports hard- or soft-launch missiles such as the Griffin, Javelin, Stinger and TOW, and non-lethal weapons.
13 Sep 12. Lockheed Martin’s PAC-3 Missile successfully detected, tracked and intercepted an aerodynamic tactical ballistic missile (TBM) target in a test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The test included a ripple fire engagement, utilizing two PAC-3 Missiles against a single target. The first interceptor destroyed the target and the second PAC-3 Missile selfdestructed as planned. The PAC-3 Missile is one of the world’s most advanced, capable and reliable theater air defense missiles. It defeats advanced tactical ballistic and cruise missiles, and fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. As the most technologically advanced missile for the PATRIOT air defense system, PAC-3 significantly increases the PATRIOT system’s firepower, allowing 16 PAC-3 Missiles to be loaded in place of just four legacy PATRIOT PAC-2 missiles on the launcher.
13 Sep 12. MBDA Germany has achieved a power of 40 kW using its high-energy laser demonstrator during a laser firing campaign. The laser power generated by patented beam coupling of fibre lasers was successfully demonstrated for the first time in the world. In the target tracking and firing tests, MBDA Germany demonstrated performance features such as the burning of mortar shells i