10 May 10. UK MoD places additional CTAS order. The UK MoD – acting on behalf of both the French and UK programme authorities – has placed an order for an additional 15 40 mm CTAS (Cased Telescoped Armament System) cannons with manufacturer CTA International (CTAI), jointly owned by BAE Systems and Nexter. There are currently four such cannon in existence in a condition to be used for live firing. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)
BATTLESPACE Comment: Hardly a good example of cost saving measures under the new austerity rules! Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that the Qinetiq survey carried out to judge the CTA as the best gun in terms of lethality was carried out as a stand-alone task which did not take into account such through life issues as barrel wear cost or indeed cost of ammunition. Physics suggests that if you put more propellant in the cartridge it will go further and have great punch. However, more propellant means more barrel wear, a point which was discovered during the trials which caused BAE to put less propellant in the cartridge to limit barrel wear. Result – less lethality!!Perhaps the only answer to this thorny question is a shoot out between CTA and the Bushmaster Mk. 55 30/40 canon before more money is poured down the drain!
02 Jun 10. Applied NanoStructured Solutions LLC (ANS), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation and Owens Corning have signed a joint development agreement to support the commercialization of carbon-enhanced reinforcements. Under the agreement, the companies plan to combine the carbon infusion technology of ANS with Owens Corning’s reinforcements expertise to create a family of next-generation composite materials. The companies expect the carbon-enhanced reinforcements to be scalable to meet the demands of large-volume applications and provide mechanical properties with customizable electrical and thermal conductivity.
“Joining together with Owens Corning is a natural next step as we look to scale up our production capabilities,” said Jeff Napoliello, president of ANS. “We expect that this agreement will permit us to shorten the development time to produce customizable material attributes for commercial and defense applications.”
“This agreement builds on key strengths of both companies to drive the speed and efficiency in bringing new materials to market,” said Chuck Dana, president of the Owens Corning Composite Solutions Business. “Potential applications range from wind turbines for renewable energy to protective packaging for electronics to composite armor for defense applications.”
01 Jun 10. Australian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan will receive new lightweight combat body armour by the end of 2010, according to the army chief Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie. The new tiered body armour system (TBAS) comprises up to three load carriers designed for multiple combat roles and uses a new ballistic plate system that weighs less than the current modular combat body armour system. The TBAS package will also incorporate a new ammunition pouch system designed to enhance pouch access and versatility. Gillespie said the new TBAS was expected be issued to crucial elements of the next deployment of Australian troops in Afghanistan during 2011.
“The first batch of TBAS will be issued to the soldiers for trial at the end of 2010,” Gillespie said.
“We will also incorporate soldiers’ recommendations into the new tiered system once the trial is complete.” (Source: armytechnology.com)
01 Jun 10. Metal Storm is pleased to report that Metal Storm Inc (MSI) has delivered the first of forty five Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Training Kits to the US Marine Corps at 29 Palms, California. Metal
Storm is manufacturing the kits to be delivered to US Marines Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams across the globe. The IED Training Kits manufactured by Metal Storm include a broad range of equipment and materials that are used by US Marine EOD units to replicate IEDs currentl