Special Operations

Parachute and Airborne Delivery expert IrvinGQ has adapted its ATAX platform to support the autonomous aerial deployment of unmanned ground vehicles, enabling users to deploy UGVs by parachute to remote locations, behind enemy lines without risking human lives to support those assets.

Israel’s Air Force (IAF) today officially inaugurated the special operations wing, a combat formation that groups the air-force operated elite units under one wing. Based in Palmachim Air Force Base south of Tel Aviv, the 7th Special Operations Wing includes the 669 combat rescue squadron, Shaldag Special Tactics Squadron, and the Tactical Air Operations Unit. The new wing will soon establish a new intelligence to provide intelligence support for the special operations. A training center scheduled to open will complete the wing’s structure in 2022.

IAI acquires the manufacturing operations of the Zibar offroad tactical vehicle, designed and built by Israeli offroad entrepreneur Ido Cohen. The Z family activities being acquired include the Zibar, Zmag – a light version of the platform, and ZED – the armored off-road vehicle. IAI ELTA will design and produce the vehicles in its manufacturing site in Beer Sheva, where RAM vehicles are currently built. The company plans to adapt and configure the vehicles for military and homeland defense applications, and now, acting as the vehicle design authority will be well-positioned to address specific customer requirements.

Supacat, Rheinmetall Defence and SCISYS have partnered to showcase at DSEI 2019 the ‘High Mobility Integrated Fires Capability’. Supacat also demonstrates a hybrid, optionally manned autonomous ATMP developed in cooperation with te University of Exeter

General Robotics brings the new Dogo Mk II tactical robot to DSEI 2019. The new robot is designed to assist SWAT teams and close-quarters combat, inside buildings and underground, The new version features a faster Point & Shoot interface, enabling accurate designation of lethal or non-lethal means simply by clicking on the screen.

On its 10th edition, Israel’s premiere defense, homeland security, and cyber exhibition -- ISDEF Expo, will celebrate the largest, most extensive event in its history. With 300 exhibitors and 15,000 visitors expected to visit, ISDEF 2019 will take place at the new recently constructed Pavilion #2, the largest at Tel-Aviv’s International Convention Center. The exhibition will open its doors on June 4th and continue until June 6th, 2019.

RAFAEL has tested a new lightweight launcher for its Spike NLOS missile system, designed for integration on light offroad vehicles. For the launcher qualification testing the system was integrated into the Tomcar TE6 all-terrain, hybrid-electric powered vehicle, demonstrating unique operational capabilities for the system. RAFAEL developed this application to meet a specific customer requirement, making it the...

The British Army began operating a mobile Close Air Support (CAS) and Joint Fires simulator, a bespoke solution was built to satisfy the military requirement for mobile, on the job training for personnel of the 1st Artillery Brigade personnel. The Joint Fires Mobile Trainer (JFMT) is now in active service, training Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) and Fire...

Sand-X Motors has launched an unmanned version of its Tracked All-Terrain Vehicle (T-ATV 1200).

Several contracts awarded recently marked significant progress in DARPA's Ground X-Vehicle Technologies (GXV-T) program with field demonstrations of projects developed by teams and companies under the Phase 2 of the R&D program. Among the technologies showing much progress are extreme mobility projects and crew augmentation technologies. The GXV-T program aims to demonstrate how future combat vehicles could improve mobility, survivability,...

The Defense Material Organization (DMO) of the Netherlands announced the selection of Vectronix AG, Switzerland (a subsidiary of Safran Electronics & Defense) to supply more than 1,000 handheld thermal sights for the Dutch Army.

Plasan unveiled today it's all-new, lightweight protected vehicle - Yagu at Expo Seguridad event in Mexico City this week. In fact, plasan transformed the 767 kg commercial Arctic Cat Wildcat 4 1000 four-seat all-terrain vehicle into a 1.48-ton (dry weight) fully-protected assault vehicle. The vehicle is designed to behave like an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) but offers its crew of...

Plasan's new ultra-light, armored vehicle - Yagu is designed to behave like an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) but offers its crew of three persons the all-around protection against high-velocity threats that troops are accustomed to with much heavier protected vehicles.

Part I of 4 photographic reviews of DEFEXPO 2018 brought to you by Defense-Update.