WEAPONS SHORTS
Euromissile unveils modular turret - The Franco-German missile manufacturer Euromissile has unveiled its Advanced Turret Modular (ATM) with a demonstration to an international audience in Germany.
The prototype ATM PT2000 turret, mounted on a Pandur 6x6 armoured personnel carrier, will undergo extensive user trials with the German armed forces and the company believes it has considerable market potential in Australia.
The ATM is a complete modular turret system designed to be equipped with a variety of sensors, data links and weapons, at the customer's choice. These allow a baseline vehicle to be configured as a reconnaissance, command and control or weapons platform. ATM can be mounted on almost any wheeled and tracked armoured vehicle, ranging from the small, airportable German Wiesel 2, up to 6x6 or 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicles such as Pandur, Piranha or the ASLAV. The system is operated by a crew of two or three (commander, observer and driver).
The ATM consists of three main assemblies: sensor system; command, control and communications (C3) system; and armament. The components of the main assemblies can be selected by the customer to meet his specific requirements.
The sensor system allows observation and reconnaissance by day and night. It is composed of a horizontal platform which swivels through ±120° and can be elevated up to a height of 2.5 m above the turntable. It generally comprises a TV and thermal imaging camera, a laser range-finder, missile guidance sensors and warning sensors. Additionally a battlefield radar can be integrated.
The information obtained from the sensors, the hybrid navigation system (INS/GPS) and IFF can either be processed in the vehicle on two workstations or be transferred in real time by data link (VHF, HF and SATCOM) to a command post or to another nearby combat vehicle. By continuously monitoring the battlefield with several ATMs, commanders and combat units can maintain a high level of situational awareness in real time.
The open system architecture allows the ATM main computer to interface the command support system being used by that unit with other unit's or countries' systems to ensure interoperability in coalition operations.
The identical workstations of the Commander and the Observer, designed for fatigue-free long duration observation, have a high-resolution, Windows-based operating surface, keyboard and touch-pad manufactured by VDU (touch-screens also on request). Sensor imagery and weapon sight
The ATM is designed to handle a range of weapons including guns, guided weapons or a mix. It will take guns up to the recoilless 30mm German Mauser RMK30 and the GIAT 25 mm cannon. Guided weapons could include the Euromissile HOT 3 system (successfully demonstrated with the ATM on Pandur against targets at a range of 3,850 m in 1999), the PARS 3MR Merlin (range up to 2,400 m), TOW and other systems.
In the air defence role, the ATM can be used in a modified form equipped with Stinger or Mistral.
The vehicle-independent modular design and the extensive use of COTS components make the ATM system an economic solution in many roles for both the German armed forces and export customers the company says, including vital point protection, armoured reconnaissance, tank reconnaissance, artillery forward observation and battlefield surveillance with a mast-mounted sensor pack.
MTU targets M-113 upgrade - The German defence industry has targeted the Army's M-113 upgrade program as an export prospect for the M-113 package now adopted by Germany and Denmark. Members of the German M-113 G3 Upgrade Solution team visited Australia in early May to deliver a series of presentations to Defence on the upgrade kit which has been developed jointly with German-based FFG and ZF.
The M113 G3 Upgrade Solution was developed for the German Army and has since been adopted by Germany and Denmark. At present it is being evaluated by a number of other European NATO countries for inclusion in their M113 upgrade programs.
At the heart of the M113 G3 Upgrade Solution is a power pack comprising an MTU 6V 183 series diesel and ZF's LSG 1000 transmission. The package includes independent dual circuit braking system, a modernised driver's seat and improved power take-off which combine to improve the M-113's mobility, enabling it to keep pace with other modern combat vehicles.
ZF says its LSG 1000 automatic shifting and steering transmission in the M-113 G3 Upgrade Solution overcomes critical safety issues that have arisen following decades of continuous upgrading which has seen the vehicle's weight increase from 10 tonnes to over 15 tonnes today without its steering and braking systems being upgraded.
MTU's M-113 G3 Upgrade Solution, with a hydrodynamic torque converter, lock-up clutch, downstream six-gear power shift transmission, hydrostatic steering transmission and regenerative hydrostatic system combine to overcome these safety issues, while delivering greatly improved manoeuvrability and mobility.
The M-113 G3 Upgrade Solution underwent three separate 6,000km endurance tests by the German Army. The vehicles were also tested in extreme cold and hot environmental conditions, with the EMC and performance under the influence of electromagnetic impulse also proven.
To date there are over 300 M-113 G3s in service, with over 1,000 others to be introduced throughout Europe during 2001 as other NATO members consider the codified Upgrade Kits.
With the entire kit being NATO Codified this upgrade solution is not an orphan, with product support available through the logistics supply chains of NATO Allies, which can be called upon to support the vehicles in the field wherever and whenever necessary, say MTU sources.
DSTO extends R&D agreement with Metal Storm - Ballistics innovator Metal Storm has extended its existing R&D and evaluation agreements with the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) for at least 5 years; the new agreements reaffirm Defence's support and interest in the unique Metal Storm technology as a potential basis for future weapons systems.
The Agreements between the two organisations comprise a Research Agreement and a Technology Licence Agreement.
The Research Agreement enables further collaborative research between Metal Storm and DSTO, including further development of a 40mm test bed produced under the Evaluation and Research agreement. This now forms the basis of the Area Denial Weapons System program being conducted with DSTO and other international defence companies in conjunction with the Australian Army.
Metal Storm inventor Mike O'Dwyer said, "This is a significant step for the company and the technology as it confirms the Australian Defence Department's ongoing commitment to the technology and will open up to the company further potential military applications for commercial exploitation. Key improvements to the company's technology developed under these agreements are owned by Metal Storm."
GHD develops home-grown solution to night training dilemma - There's more to night fighting using enhanced vision equipment than meets the eye. Studies show that, without build-up training, troops can suffer side effects like headaches, motion sickness and fatigue.
However, training opportunities are limited by mother nature - there are only five 'totally dark nights' on average in a lunar month.
Defence has decided to build four advanced facilities as a sub-phase of Project Ninox to enable troops to train during the day or night for night fighting, at Australia's Royal Military College in Duntroon; Robertson Barracks, Darwin; Enoggera Barracks, Brisbane and Lavarack Barracks, Townsville.
The light-proof buildings and contents are being designed from scratch by engineering, management and environment consultants GHD in close consultation with Duntroon's Field Training Wing.
They will house two interactive 'sets' comprising jungle/woodland and urban streetscape, which troops will negotiate in various levels of darkness, using image-intensification and infra-red night vision equipment acquired under separate phases of Project Ninox. There will also be a control room and staging rooms.
At present the Army's only night-fighting training facility exists at Singleton, which provides very basic familiarisation.
"The design challenge was to provide compact, realistic training settings that were able to meet multiple training objectives," says GHD International Defence and Security Manager Richard Fechner. "Each training area contains movable partitions and multiple levels to create a realistic illusion for both basic familiarisation and challenging small-group training. Use of fibre optics as point light sources will satisfy the unique lighting requirements of the Ninox equipment."
"The new facilities cannot replace authentic night patrols or night
GHD will also project manage construction of the three facilities, commencing with Duntroon in early June 2001. All are expected to be completed by early next year.
ADF adopts non-lethal approach - The ADF has begun to exploit non-lethal "effectors" in response to a growing requirement to support policing and para-military objectives on peace-keeping, peace enforcement and humanitarian tasks.
In recent times the ADF has deployed to East Timor and the Solomon Islands where the role is focused on non-warfighting tasks, according to Brad Parfitt of Brisbane-based BLP Training and Services. There is an emerging requirement within Defence at all levels to develop a flexible response to incidents and challenges to the rule of law. The use of non-lethal products is an essential part of a flexible response, Parfitt said, because it prevents a damaging and possibly lethal over-reaction to low-level incidents and threats.
The company has built a niche business providing the ADF and other customers with a broad range of non-lethal products to service new Defence requirements in peace-keeping and para-military tasks. The company has worked closely with the department to design new products and implement capability modifications to existing products to meet the ADF's battlefield effects requirements, Parfitt told ADM.
The company has recruited staff and expertise from the ADF and civil Police but has declined to name specific customer organisations and units. However, with a growing market base throughout South East Asia, including both Police and Defence end users, BLP Training and Services is becoming recognised as a reliable provider of effective solutions to complex and demanding training and operational requirements, Parfitt said.
The company says it has achieved market dominance in this specialised niche by combining operational experience with intimate product knowledge and the ability to develop custom solutions if inventory items do not suit the customer's battlefield effect requirement. The next step for the company is the ongoing development of a totally indigenous manufacturing capability to enhance delivery and COTS supply, Parfitt said. The company is also active in the industrial and mining sectors with the provision of paramedics, security staff and safety/rescue auditing and training.
RAAF awaits ASRAAM outcomes - Re ASRAAM: We have an independent contract and performance requirement from the UK. MBDA is not scheduled to deliver a performance statement against our requirement until September 2001. We will review that statement and conduct our own evaluation trials to determine the level of performance of ASRAAM. The Department will not accept delivery of missiles which are not compliant with the Australian performance requirement.
The ASRAAM meeting at Salisbury in late-April was not an IPT meeting, it was
a Steering Committee meeting. The ASRAAM Steering Committee is charged with
guiding the collaboration between Australia and Britain on ASRAAM.
NZ Army chooses Diehl's grenade - The New Zealand Army will be the launch customer for the new-generation Diehl Munitionssysteme Light Weight Hand Grenade. The Army, which is the subject of a major re-investment program by the New Zealand government, made the announcement after selecting Diehl's M-DN-71 hand grenade and M-DN-82 fuze for a 4-year supply contract. The Agreement will see Diehl supply the Hand Grenades through its Australian and New Zealand representative, Rosebank Engineering Pty Ltd in Port Melbourne.
The grenade design incorporates the latest technological and OH&S features. "This new generation of hand grenades represent the latest in grenade and fuze technology and represents a truly light weight grenade with exceptional lethal effect for modern armies around the world." said Martin Wolff, Sales Manager at Diehl's Mariahütte facility. "It builds on the foundation of the previous model of this grenade family and our famous Offensive grenade, the DM51A1, more than 5 million of which have so far seen service with the German Bundeswehr."
"Diehl is working on developing a new family of grenades to suit the projected force structures well into this century, especially MOUT and LIC operations. In particular, we are working with the United States Army and other NATO countries in determining the best mix of features to operate in all environments, while maintaining the highest levels of safety", said Werner Krämer Head of Sales and Marketing at Diehl.
The Diehl grenades are manufactured using a newly developed process, using pre-shaped, mainly spherical fragments and a suitable plastic compound. This allows almost all the energy of the explosive charge to be exploited in accelerating the fragments and keeping energy losses caused during fragmentation to an absolute minimum. This means that the amount of explosive used in each hand grenade can be reduced by about two thirds in comparison with previous conventional hand grenades. At the same time, Diehl has been able to increase the number of fragments. By choosing the appropriate size and quantity of fragments and explosive, it is possible to achieve a controlled fragmentation, which can be adapted to meet specific tactical requirements of the operator.
Two types of hand grenades are qualified by Diehl:
* Offensive-defensive hand grenade DM 51 A1 with DM 82A1B1fuze, which is in active service with the German Bundeswehr
* The new defensive hand grenade M-DN 71 with M-DN82 fuze.
Based on existing DM51 A1 Hand Grenade and previous M-DN 71 model success, Diehl has further developed its barrel-shaped grenade body fragmentation technology and developed safer and better performing insensitive munitions for their grenades. The fragmentation jacket is made up of a highly ductile plastic material with excellent mechanical properties and an inner wall of high-strength plastic which holds a large number of spherical fragments sized to match the specified performance requirements. The new generation of M-DN 71 defensive hand grenade offers high performance at low cost.
The DM82A1B1 and M-DN82 hand grenade fuzes were developed by Diehl to ensure maximum safety for the soldiers using them.
DM 51A1
M- DN 71
Complete Weight
430 g
340 g
Delay time
3 -5 sec
3 -5 sec
Height (with fuze)
107 mm
103 mm
Diameter of frag. body
57 mm
57 mm
Diameter of fragments
2.0 - 2.3 mm
2.0 - 2.3 mm
Number of fragments
5,700
3,600
Explosive weight
60 g
65 g
Corresponding Practice
versions
DM 58
M-DN 78
"We firmly believe that Diehl's new hand grenade family is the most suitable ammunition for the soldier in the 21st century. Its outstanding safety features and high performance and innovative design make it ideal for all combat roles including urban combat operations, special forces and peace keeping missions," stated Werner Krämer.