16 Sep 10. DSM Dyneema confirmed that a Nordic-based manufacturer of body armor has recently stopped using ballistic material imported from China in their vests. The decision reflected the market’s strong position on non-acceptance of anything other than first class, genuinely legitimate materials such as Dyneema® for these life-critical applications. DSM Dyneema, manufacturer of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™ disclosed that a customer originally alerted them to the fact that material from China that may have infringed on their intellectual property was being supplied to the market and used in body protection vests. However, before any legal action was required, the company involved approached DSM Dyneema and both parties have since entered into close discussions to resolve and rectify the situation.
“This is an important development for the end-user, our customers, and for DSM Dyneema. It means buyers of ultra-high performance materials like Dyneema®, are effectively regulating the supply chain and will not tolerate sub-standard materials for their products and their customers” said Marco Kleuters, Area Manager Life Protection EMEA at DSM Dyneema.
“The company, which we cannot name, fully admits to their actions and they are now committed to fixing the situation. They recognize that only legitimate brands and superior materials like Dyneema® will help them succeed in the market and we are looking at how we can work together to resolve this. It is encouraging to see how the market behaves in this manner to ensure that only legitimate, quality products are in the supply chain, and we are pleased to see this being settled without taking legal action,” Kleuters added.
BATTLESPACE Comment: BATTLESPACE was alerted to the existence of ‘Chyneema’ by a subscriber who tested armour supposedly made from this product. The Company concerned claimed extensive ballistic properties for its body armour. On testing the bullet went straight through inspite of ballistic claims made by the manufacturer!
20 Sep 10. Iran is considering development of a new air-to-air missile to increase the aerial combat capabilities of the country’s air force. Deputy commander of the IRAF Lieutenant General Aziz Nasirzadeh said the Islamic Republic Air Force (IRAF) was working on a project to develop a missile stronger than the Phoenix missile. The new missile will include active guidance mode to enable it to travel longer distances, and enhance its navigation and manoeuvrability, according to PressTV. The Iranian version of the AIM-54 Phoenix could be mounted in groups of six on the IRAF’s multifunction F-14 Tomcat interceptors. Nasirzadeh said the IRAF had successfully tested a new indigenously built unmanned stealth aircraft known as Stingray. (Source: airforcetechnology.com)
16 Sep 10. Lockheed Martin recently demonstrated the second generation of its Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capability in a formal U.S. Navy test event. This configuration, known as Aegis BMD 4.0.1, enables the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Navy to defeat more complex ballistic missile threats and also introduces the BMD signal processor, which improves target identification. Aegis BMD 4.0.1 marks the beginning of the transition to the Navy’s open architecture – a transition that will be complete with software upgrades, known as Advanced Capability Build 12, scheduled for 2012. This upgrade is enhanced by the Aegis system’s ability to incorporate commercial off-the-shelf computing technology and open architecture standards. Further testing – a tracking exercise this fall and an at sea intercept test in March 2011 – will result in certification and deployment in September 2011. The MDA and the Navy are jointly developing and fielding Aegis BMD as part of the United States’ BMD system. Recently the Navy’s independent operational test agent assessed the first generation Aegis BMD and SM-3 Block IA system to be operationally effective and operationally su