Defence Business: Rafael pushes force protection capabilities | ADM Feb 2011
Gregor Ferguson | Brisbane
Israeli firm Rafael used LWC to highlight two main capability offerings; the Iron Dome antimissile system to protect troops from incoming rockets, artillery projectiles and missiles; and the ImiLite ISR exploitation system.
The Iron Dome system is close to entering service in Israel, protecting settlements near its borders which come under artillery and rocket fire from organisations such as Hamas and Hezbollah.
This threat profile is similar to that encountered by the ADF in Afghanistan, but Rafael pitched Iron Dome to the LWC attendees as a combined all-weather, day/night C-Ram (Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar) and VSHORAD (Very Short Range Air defence) system.
The system uses IAI Elta’s Medium Multi-Mission radar to detect and track incoming threats; the Battle Management and Control System (BMC) determines whether or not the projectile represents a threat and if it does it triggers the launch of a Rafael Tamir interceptor missile from a 20-round Mobile Missile Firing Unit (MMFU).
Incoming threats are intended to be engaged outside the defended area, to eliminate collateral damage.
Importantly, the system doesn’t seek to intercept each incoming projectile: the BMC determines whether the point of impact threatens human lives or property and initiates an engagement on that basis.
It can also be networked into the operator’s higher-level operating picture
The ImiLite system is designed to receive, process and display imagery from a range of ISR platforms and sensors, including UAVs, manned aircraft and tethered aerostats.
Its embedded Geographical Information System provides the geo-reference context for this imagery as well as other data sources such as SIGINT and EW.
The system also has change and motion detection modes as well as image tiling.
Rafael sees opportunities to support the Australian Army’s Shadow 200 UAVs as well as the RAF Orion, Wedgetail and Heron surveillance platforms.
The ImiLite system isn’t designed to replace existing ground stations and control and exploitation facilities but to network with them and feed into a larger Recognised Operational Picture, ADM was told.