Sep 10. Armour plate processor MTL Group, will be unveiling their latest perforated armour plate protection IMPAS, an exclusive at INDESEC and AAD 2010. IMPAS which stands for Interchangeable Modular Perforated Armour System is a cost effective alternative light weight solution to composite and add on armour with greater flexibility. Sales Director Karl Stewart said ‘IMPAS is an innovative state of the art product which is suitable for both RHA and aluminium hulls. One of the benefits is that the level of protection can be quickly changed while in service to meet various threat levels by replacing panel configurations’.

06 Sep 10. Afghan Air Force (AAF) helicopter pilots in Kandahar are participating in training to plan and execute Mi-17 helicopter live weapons fire by firing over 100 air-to-ground rockets. The AAF Kandahar Air Wing (KAW) will receive basic air-to-ground missile skills and tactics for future security and stability operations. Nato advisers that have learnt that the Combined Air Power Transition Force will train the AAF KAW’s armament personnel. Training will include the process to safely handle and load the rockets onto Mi-17s with engines running.
738th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group commander Colonel Bernard Mater said the training would increase the KAW’s own security for Mi-17 missions to medium risk landing zones when Nato escorts were not available. (Source: airforcetechnology.com)

01 Sep 10. Rheinmetall examines multipurpose less-than-lethal munitions launcher. A concept for a multishot weapon whose primary task is to fire less-than-lethal ammunition to a range of 500 m against point and area targets is being explored by Rheinmetall Waffe Munition (RWM) under the project name of Pascal (Paskal). Intended to be mounted on a protected vehicle, Pascal is designed to fire 40×165 mm projectiles, which it launches using compressed air at velocities between 20 m/s and 150 m/s. (Source: Jane’s, IDR)

07 Sep 10. Raytheon and Boeing have together completed the second test fire of the joint air-to-ground missile (JAGM). During the test, all three guidance systems operated simultaneously and provided telemetry data for further analysis of the weapon. The JAGM used its imaging infrared (IIR) guidance system to hit an armoured vehicle target at a distance of 4km during the test fire. The JAGM will include a fully integrated tri-mode seeker that will incorporate semi-active laser, uncooled imaging infrared and millimeter wave guidance. The weapon will also use components such as the Raytheon GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II and the Boeing Brimstone. Designed to replace three legacy systems, the JAGM will provide improved lethality, range, operational flexibility and supportability. (Source: airforcetechnology.com)

02 Sep 10. The University of Worcester has today announced a new addition to its environmental and ecological research team, the DraganFlyer X6. The X6 is a unique and state-of-the-art 6-rotor helicopter featuring a revolutionary aerial photography system that can take high definition video and pictures. The University of Worcester is one of only two Universities in the UK to invest in the The DraganFlyer X6 helicopter. It will allow researchers at the University to carry out vital studies of rivers, archaeological sites and landscapes. They will also be able to capture vertical and oblique aerial photographs to support more accurate and advanced studies that are planned for river research in California next year along with other projects in the UK. The DraganFlyer X6 features 11 sensors and an in built SteadyFlight system incorporated into the helicopter, which stabilises video and photography during flight making it easier to fly for beginners and more manoeuvrable for the more experienced pilot. The DraganFlyer’s unique design allows for various camera attachments, including video in high definition 1080p, low light, thermal infrared and 10.1 MP still pictures. All video and pictures are