Archive for October, 2011

In our coverage of last year’s event we unveiled the new Gilboa Assault Pistol Rifle (APR). This year, Silver Shadow is displaying a Production ready model APR, an ultra compact weapon designed specifically for close quarter combat, VIP protection and special forces and commanders; the APR will also offer an excellent survival weapon for helicopter aircrews, offering improved range, accuracy and lethality, compared to pistols.

ISDEF 2011 in Photos: Silver Shadow Gilboa APR | A Compact Concept Weapon from Cornershot | Magshoe 3D – Beefing the Gatekeeper | Amstaf Tactical Robot | Virtual World to Prepare Soldiers for the Real FightGunshot Detecting UAVs | CTI unveils the Octopus, Wearable Computer for the IDF | Rigged for Rough Rides

Microflown Avisa is now offering UAV acoustic sensors to equip miniature UAVs. At ISDEF Microflown highlights the sensor integrated on a Aerovironment Raven, offering effective situational awareness for small units operating the miniature drone. According to John Bremner, business development manager at Microflown, the sensor weighing about 200 grams can be best integrated in the mini UAVs employing pusher propellers, as it offers a clean environment for the system. The sensor can also be integrated on aerostats, typically operated on force protection missions.

A new robot at the show is new weaponized version of the Amstaf from Automotive Robotic Industries (ARI). The company has already displayed the security guard version in the past, and the system is currently being evaluated for airport security missions. The combat support vehicle represents ARI’s concept of a vehicle combining the fire support and load carrying platform (mule), supporting dismounted infantry teams.

Quantum 3D displayed here the ExpeditionDI wearable simulator, also known as ‘immersive dismounted infantry training platform’; the system was recently ordered by the U.S. Army to help preparing U.S. forces for missions to foreign theaters. The $50 million contract was awarded to Intelligent Decisions, where Quantum as a subcontractor, is expected to deliver several thousands systems over 18 months. The evaluation of the trial batches is scheduled to begin at Ft. Bennings in January 2012, supporting the Army’s Force Generation (ARFORGEN) cycle.

ComputerTech International (CTI) has unveiled several Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) computers designed for military operations, introducing higher performance yet cost effective computing solutions for military users. The new Tamnun (Octopus in Hebrew) wearable computer was developed to support the IDF dismounted command and control system.

The Despite the turmoil of the ‘Arab Spring’ uprising in many Arab states, the Middle East continues to be one of the world’s leading markets for defense systems. Israel’s Institute of National Security Studies has released the annual assessment of Middle East military forces. Following is a short assessment by the editor of the report Yiftah S. Shapir.

GDLS to Equip Two Brigades with Double-Hull Strykers | Northrop Grumman Delivers Litening G4 Advanced Targeting Pods | Canada to Upgrade LAV III for One Billion US$ | P-8 launches First MK 54 Torpedo

General Dynamics was awarded $367 million to deliver 177 Stryker combat vehicles equipped with double-V hulls (DVHs). Combined with previous orders for DHVs, this production order will provide the U.S. Army with vehicles to equip two Stryker brigade combat teams by July 2013. GDLS delivered the first vehicle Stryker DVH in May 2011, following 14 months of development.

Oman is requesting to receive an integrated air defense system based on the Boeing Avenger very short range air defense (VSHORAD) system, augmented with medium range AMRAAM interceptors

Northrop Grumman to Equip Japan’s MCH-101 Mine Countermeasure Helicopters | Japan’s parliament Members Hacked | Vietnam Receives New Patrol Boats from Russia | Philippines to Invest US$230 Million in Military Modernization

The British Ministry of Defense has finally launched the billion pound (US$1.6 billion) worth Warrior Capability Sustainment Program (WCSP) that will extend the vehicles’ service life to beyond 2040, ensuring that Warrior continues to play an essential role in future land operations. The upgraded Warriors are expected to enter service by 2020, with the first deliveries beginning in 2018.

With Night Hunter’s Dropped, Apache Block III Remains the Finalist in India’s Attack Helicopter Selection. Selecting the AH-64D will also pave the way for India to receive the AGM-114L-3 Hellfire Longbow anti-tank guided missile for the first time.

With the Libyan campaign wrapping to an end, a new theater is broiling in Somalia, as Kenyan land forces are operating in southern Somalia, in an effort to route Al-Shabaab militants bases in townships near the Somali South-East border with Kenya. Like the Libyan campaign, the kenyan forces are assisted by foreign air and naval support.

The “Iron Dome” anti-rocket active defense system was first used by Israel in April 2011 with great technical success. The study concludes that the Iron Dome system has succeeded in saving lives and reducing damages, thus providing more flexibility to the political leadership for containing the fighting with the Hamas government in Gaza. This success has prompted Israel’s defense officials to publicly set strategic objectives and limitations of the system, which, until then, had not been divulged.

In his recent post David Eshel points at an interesting option which could be regarded utopian by many skeptics with only doomsday scenarios in their future perception. A plan concerning a “different Gaza”, which seems already in the making, In fact, while Mr Abbas seeks a virtual state at the UN, Hamas already controls a real one.

Bowing under economical burden the german Government plans deep cuts in defense spending, dramatically reducing planned procurement of main weapon systems and platforms. Overall the personnel level in military services will be reduced from 185,000 to 65,000, to include only professional service members. Among the hardest hit industry group will be EADS, with its Eurofighter Typhoon, NH90, Tiger helicopters and Euro Hawk drones affected, all programs are managed by EADS subsidiaries.

The Dutch Schelde shipyard in Vlissingen, Netherlands will build four Sigma corvettes for the Vietnamese Navy. The first two ships will be built in Vlissingen, and the last two will be built in Vietnam, under Dutch supervision. With the conclusion of the Vietnam, Schelde will win its third international customer for this class.

GOWIND class Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) designed and built by DCNS as a company funded program is leading the company’s vision of future maritime safety & security (MSS) and counter-piracy vessels.

Germany Investigates How Qaddafi Obtained H&K G36K Rifles | German Military to Administer Deep Cuts in Manpower, Procurement | French Navy Gets L’Adroit OPV for Three-Year Evaluation | French Aerial Ordnance Maker SAMP Closes Bombs Manufacturing Line

Japan Self Defense Air Force future replacement of F-4J fighters (F-X) is becoming a head-to-head competition between the two American aerospace giants, Boeing and Lockheed martin, offering the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and an advanced variant F/A-18 Super Hornet. Tokyo is expected to make a decision next month. Besides the two fighters’ operational capabilities Japan is likely to give high marks for involvement of domestic companies.

According to an alert report published by Symantec, the new treat designated ‘Duqu’ has parts nearly identical to Stuxnet, but with a completely different purpose. Unlike Stuxnet which was seemingly designed for specific attack mission, Duqu’s purpose is to gather specific intelligence data and assets from specific organizations.

The Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed delivery of the first 50 Litening G4 Advanced Targeting Pods under a U.S. Air Force contract. Litening G4 offers enhanced imaging capability, with wider field of view, better target identification at longer ranges than previous versions. The new pod has begun full operations at its first military base with seven additional base deployments planned in the near future.

General Dynamics Awarded $1 Billion to Upgrade LAV III Vehicles by Government of Canada. The LAV III Upgrade Project will modernize 550 vehicles, significantly enhancing their survivability, mobility and firepower and extending the fleet’s lifecycle to 2035.

The latest Army-Marine Corps solicitation for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) replacement of the Humvee isn’t a refinement of the previous approach, it’s a whole new competition. The terms contained in the solicitation rearrange contractor incentives in a way that is likely to lead to the breakup of existing [...]

In July 2011 the French air force and Naval aviation began operational deployment of the
infrared terminal guidance version (SBU-64) of the Hammer IR AASM modular air-to-ground weapon.

The growing demand for special mission aircraft has raised the interest in the PC-12NG / Spectre platform from the Swiss company Pilatus. At the recent NBAA business jet convention in Las vegas the Swiss company Pilatus presented the special mission ‘Spectre’, a version of the PC-12 NG single-engine turboprop designed exclusively to support multiple government, military, law enforcement and medevac roles.

As the U.S. Air Force is heading for a final selection of a Light Attack and Armed recce (LAAR) aircraft, final evaluation of the Brazilian Embraer A-29 Super Tucano and Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) AT-6 are performed. The AT-6 has been undergoing extensive weapon qualification and operational evaluation outlined in this article

Seven months after the beginning of the conflict the French forces spent over 950 bombs, 240 guided weapons and 431 HOT anti-tank missiles in Libya. However, while weapons replenishment could be expected soon, French aircraft ordnance maker Société des Ateliers Mécaniques de Pont sur Sambre (SAMP) is shutting down production because of lack of orders.

With the current operations in Libya directly impacting the direction of the fighter jet market, military and industry professionals are faced with the challenge of defining immediate upgrade plans and future capability developments. Next month, senior global military and industry leaders will gather in London, UK at the International Fighter meeting to discuss these issues. Defense Update, as a supporting media sponsor, will also be there to cover this important event.

BAE Systems has been selected by Lockheed Martin to supply a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) system for the F-35 during the next phase of its development. The new HMD incorporate the Q-Sight waveguide display and feature detachable Night Vision Goggles for night operations. BAE Systems will begin delivery of test assets in 2012 to support the F-35 development and integration laboratories, flight simulators, and flight-test platforms.

The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration aircraft reached a major milestone Sept. 30 when it retracted its landing gear and flew in its cruise configuration for the first time. The flight, conducted at Edwards Air Force Base, also helped validate precision navigation hardware and software that will allow the X-47B to land with precision on the moving deck of an aircraft carrier.

Navistar Defense introduced today the Saratoga light tactical vehicle at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Symposium today. The 10 ton vehicle has a payload of 3.2 tons including the four-passengers, plus an optional gunner accommodated in the armor and blast protected cab.

ATK, IMI Highlight Air Burst System at AUSA 2011. The U.S. system, developed by ATK is currently undergoing operational evaluation in Afghanistan. The Israeli system is being tested by the Israeli Army. The XM25 weighs 6.35 kg with a loaded four-round magazine while an M-16 with MPRS totals 6.70 with the same load of ammo. The XM25 offers the benefit of an automatic loading and rapid burst, the Israeli can be fielded more quickly and benefit from existing logistics suport, training and tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP).

Elbit Systems is demonstrating several new systems providing ground forces with better, safer air support. Among the systems displayed at the AUSA exhibition are the Rattler and Serpent-M, an ultra-light, battery-powered laser target designator and marker is small enough to be carried by foot-mobile war fighters, enabling soldiers to designate targets for laser-guided bombs, missiles and other munitions.

IAI Elta is introducing a new version of their lightweight Synthetic Aperture radar (SAR) Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) sensor designated EL/M-2054. The new radar is based on another Elta SAR radar, the EL/M-2055DX modular SAR/GMTI radar, The new version is designed specifically for small form and size, low weight and power consumption, making it suitable for small, tactical unmanned aerial systems (STUAS) and Tactical Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) platforms, light reconnaissance aircraft and aerostats. The new radar employs an open architecture for rapid integration and configuration to meet the requirement of different platforms and applications.

DAPRPA is seeking the wisdom of the crowds to innovate with new concepts for micro drones that will be able to perch and stare on the battlefield.

A computer ‘Keylogger’ spyware (virus) has infected the cockpits of America’s Predator and Reaper drones, logging every keystroke pilots were doing while remotely flying their missions over Afghanistan and other warzones. The virus was first detected nearly two weeks ago by the Creech Air Force base security; however, the virus resisted multiple efforts to remove it from Creech’s computers, network security specialists say.

In recent years Turkey is standing out as one of the growth defense markets. This report provides a top level overview of the Turkish defense market, and domestic defense industry. The reports identifies emerging trends and opportunities in the Turkish defense industry in the last 12 months, along with details of the top companies active across the Turkish defense industry. The report also provides a breakdown of the Turkish defense industry by spend pattern valued from 2005 through 2010 and forecasted from 2011 through 2016, a breakdown of the markets by segments valued for the same periods.

Australian defense is considered one of the world’s growth markets, even in the recent tough years. In 2009, the Australian government launched a new military modernization plan to upgrade its forces in order to counteract the threat posed by rising global terrorism, changing political dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region and the rising number of peacekeeping operations undertaken by Australian forces. With the exception of an anomaly in 2010, defense expenditure as a percentage of Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected rise consistently through 2016. In the years after, this rate is expected to be reduced again, to cover increased sustainment costs.

This 194 page report provides a top level overview of the French defense industry, offering insights into market opportunities and entry strategies adopted by foreign OEMs to gain a market share in the French defense market. In particular, it offers in-depth analysis of defense industry market size from 2005 through 2010 and forecasts till 2016 and provides an insight into the French defense market with current, historic and forecast market values.

The U.K. defence industry could be expecting further job losses following the government’s historic and recent cutbacks in defense spending. Further layoffs of 20,000 – 30,000 skilled employees are at risk across the defense industry, jeopardizing the ability of the British industry to recoup and sustain its market leading position, according to Ian Godden, Chairman A|D|S

Market Opportunities and Entry Strategies, Analyses and Forecasts to 2016 This 167 page report provides a top level overview of the Canadian defense industry, offering insights into market opportunities and entry strategies adopted by foreign OEMs to gain a market share in the Canadian defense industry. In particular, it offers in-depth [...]

The Swedish Defense Industry 2011-2016 – this 156 page report provides a top level overview of the Swedish defense industry, offering insights into market opportunities and entry strategies adopted by foreign OEMs to gain a market share in the Swedish defense industry.

The 370-foot-long, 1.4 million-cubic-foot blimp called ‘Blue devil 2′ is taking shape at a hangar in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. As the giant airship is being filled with helium, thus lighter than air, it becomes afloat inside the hangar.

German Military to Administer Deep Cuts in Manpower, Procurement | Boeing’s New Electronic & Mission Systems (E&MS) Division to focusing on ISR | Russia Grants Venezuela US$4 Billion Line of Credit for Arms Purchases | A|D|S chief: “the U.K. is heading in the wrong direction on Defense” | ATK-GD OTS Team to Deliver the marines with Precision Mortar Bombs

Korean Daewoo Expects to win a US$1.1 billion Indonesian Submarine Contract | Decision Time for M-MRCA | India to test 5,000 km Agni-5 IRBM by December | The Iranian Navy to get a new ‘Compact’ Submarine Next Year | ITT Packs new EW Pods for Pakistani F-16s | Australian Bushmasters get Upgraded Protection | Indonesia Considers Buying 24 Ex-USAF F-16C/Ds | Airbus Military, PT DI Indonesian to Modernize C295 Manufacturing Process

The U.S. Navy is relocating four AEGIS ships to the port of Rota in spain. These ships will support the initial phase of NATO’s missile defense effort, with additional responsibilities for activities in the Mediterranean Basin, the Atlantic Ocean and provide rapid and responsive support to the U.S. Africa and U.S. Central Commands.

The U.S. Army Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system performed a successful intercept today, scoring almost simultaneous kill of two targets. The test was conducted at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai, Hawaii, as part of the The test, part of the first THAAD unit’s initial operational qualification phase.

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to deploy the unmanned K-MAX to Afghanistan in November 2011. K-MAX will be the Navy’s first-ever cargo unmanned aircraft system to deploy in an operational environment. The deploying team consists of active duty mission commanders, air vehicle operators and company employees has recently concluded training and flight tests at its base in Twenty-nine Palms, Calif., and is currently preparing the aircraft for shipment into theater.