Rafah’s Subterranean Tunnel City: The Gateway to Hamastan

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Jun 20, 2007

By seizing the so-called “Philadelphi” route along the Gaza- Egyptian international borderline, Hamas has finally taken full control of all exits and border crossings into the Gaza Strip- where they are about to create an Islamic Fundamentalist Hamastan.

Israel is highly concerned from the flow of Iranian originating weapons and munitions into Gaza through the underground tunnels under the Philadelphi line that was abandoned by Israel two years ago. That will make Gaza the terror empire of the Middle East under Iranian-Syrian, or al Qaeda control.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry is putting together a plan to station an international force on the Philadelphi route in Rafah to stop weapons smuggling from Sinai to the Gaza Strip. Israel believes that such smuggling is strengthening Hamas in Gaza, and stopping it will be the key to improving overall security in the entire region. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni hinted at the possibility of deploying an international force in her briefing to ambassadors Friday. Mrs. Livni was asked by European Union Ambassador Ramiro Cibrian-Uzal whether Israel still objected to the idea of a UNIFIL-style foreign peacekeeping force in Gaza. Livni said in response that UNIFIL, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, was a test case, and that the force’s many remaining challenges in Lebanon underscored the difficulties of such missions.

According to Dr. Dore Gold former Israel Ambassador to the United Nations, international force deployments have been extremely problematic in areas still afflicted by active combat operations. The main issue is that these forces spend most of their energies seeking to protect themselves from attacks of the more aggressive party, in particular. As a result, these forces inevitably decide to appease the party that threatens them more. For example, UNIFIL established intimate ties with Hezbollah over the years, in order to protect itself. It failed to address serious cease-fire violations and in the case of the Israeli invasion into Lebanon against the PLO in 1982, UNIFIL even stepped aside without interfering in any way. Another example should serve the prompt withdrawal of the United Nations force from Sinai in June 1967 which started the Six Day war with Egypt.

The Rafah Border Zone

Rafah is an ancient city, founded in the eighth century BC. Called originally Robhiwa by the Egyptians, Rafihu by the Assyrians, Raphia by the Greeks and Romans and finaly Rafah by the Arabs, this strategic area on the border of the Sinai peninsula was for centuries a focal point for famous military campaigns.

The first, documented on the walls of the famous Temple of Amon at Karak in southern Egypt, depicts the great battle 1314 BC which Pharao Seti I. fought against the Hittite king west of the present city, then as now the gate to Palestine in that narrow strip of land, between the Sea and impassable desert.

Many famous campaigns were fought here,over centuries, until in June 1967 the Israeli Army finally captured the Gaza Strip in what became known as the Six Day War. Currently numbering over 130,000 residents, the majority packed into several cramped refugee camps, its inhabitants making up over 70% of the population.

Rafah appeared first in an official capacity as a border town in 1906. On a map drawn by mutual agreement between Britain and Turkey, a line was drawn from Rafah southward to Taba, west of Aqaba. This boundary remained unchanged after World War I, and marked the border between the British mandatory in Palestine and Egypt. Egypt captured the Gaza strip in 1948, but did not annex it officially until 1967. Following the peace agreement with Egypt of 1979, Israel returned the whole of Sinai to Egypt, withdrawing to the original border delineated in 1906. The Gaza Strip, however, remained under Israeli military rule. However, Rafah, once again a border town and was soon to become the focus of attention again, as a notorious lawless smuggling center, in which neither Israel, nor the PNA, could exert its authority.

Rafah City – The Gateway to Terror

As a border town, Rafah always had enjoyed its unique location as one of the most flourishing smuggling centers in the Middle East. The ancient trade routes ran for centuries through its coastal strip, from North Africa to Mesopotamia. Following the 1979 treaty, Rafah city was divided between Israel and Egyptian territory, straddling the border. There were now two Rafahs instead of one. Egypt having refused Israel’s proposal to incorporate Rafah into its territory in Sinai, insisting on the 1906 boundary to the last letter.

With IDF stationed thinly along the, now peaceful border and Egypt under the constraints of its 1979 Peace Treaty restricted to deploy only lightly armed civil police in what was named Zone C ( the area between the international border from Rafah to Taba), the divided town, with its close family ties on each side, became ideal for lucrative smuggling activities.

The “Philadelphi” Route Story

According to the 1994 signed Gaza-Jericho Agreement, a so-called “Pink Line” was demarcated along the Egyptian Sinai border to become the ” Military Installation Area” under full control of Israel, acting as buffer zone to prevent unauthorized infiltration. This area, clearly marked on Map No.1 in the attached agreement, was signed by all partners and came into effect immediately following the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. It received its official Philadelphi designation from the original IDF military random code map, in which this route was displayed.

Unfortunately, due almost criminal shortsightedness by the Israeli negotiators, ignoring professional military caution, the “Pink Line” was demarcated, stretching 8500 meters from south-west to north-east hugging the Egypt-Israel international border, but with only a mere 60-100 meter wide stretch under Israeli sovereign territory. Such a ridiculously narrow area, left to IDF control, represented a military nightmare ever since, rendering an effective defence, or transborder surveillance virtually “mission impossible”.

This strip, which, at the time was considered by the negotiators to be maintained only by lightly equipped border guards, was never expected to become a warfighting zone. But the Oslo planners soon proved terribly wrong in their unrealistic estimates. Only a few years later, Rafah became one of the most dangerous places in the Middle East. Matters got much worse, since Sharon’s intentions to withdraw from Gaza.

Currently achieving strategic proportions, mainly through Hezbollah, wishing to saturate the Rafah Strip with advanced weaponry, it turned into a major war zone- with the IDF trapped into this indefensible narrow strip, struggling desperately to block the dangerous gunrunning traffic going on underneath.

The Rafah Tunnels – Intifada’s Lifeline

To ease drug traffic and other illegal commodities, the Palestinians constructed a complex network of subterranean tunnels under the Egypt-Israel border and the IDF controlled Philadelphi strip. A virtual subterranean tunnel city has been constructed underneath the Egyptian border line.

For several years these tunnels served local smugglers for illicit transit of cigarettes, drugs, and even prostitutes, from Egypt to Gaza. But following the 1993 Oslo Accords Rafah became a major transit point for illegal weapons smuggling into the newly established Palestine National Authority (PNA) in Gaza. The ‘traditional’ smuggling activities were quickly seized upon by Palestinian terrorist organisations, who utilised them to transfer much needed weapons and explosives for the Intifada. For decades the traditional Bedouin tribal families, like the Abu Samhadanahs, Al-Dhair, and Abu Rish, have held the city keys firmly in their hands.

An interesting glimpse into the running of the Rafah tunneling system was revealed a few years ago, through the interrogation of a Palestinian ‘tunnel expert’ by the Israeli intelligence and analysed later by a Haifa Technion researcher:

“The tunnel is constructed like an artery system, with several access passages branching off like veins to various basements in the Rafah residential buidlings on both sides of the border”, the researcher said.” Shut off one passage and there will be plenty left for immediate further use”. Another riddle which haunted IDF counter-tunnel experts was the varying ground water levels in the Rafah region.

Originally Israeli geologists estimated the water level to be 12 meters. However it turned out that the Rafah tunneling experts were already digging tunnels at 20 and even 30 meters depth. The Reason for this discrepancy seems to be the rapidly changing coastal aquifer, which due to excessive pumping causes a constant decline of the ground water level in the Rafah region. Various mechanical devices are used to overcome natural obstacles, like rock. Recently special earth suction machines were imported to remove sand. The work is conducted under total secrecy. Sand is removed in periodical shifts using flour bags and transported by truck to remote locations. Lookouts are posted at each entrance to warn of any Israeli, or Egyptian patrols. Workers involved in tunnel construction receive percentage of the profit generated.

The standard rate is between six to twelve meters dug per day. At either end of the system is a work manager, using landline phone contact, by coded messages, to evade IDF listening post interception. Exit on the Rafah side is through vertical shaft, which can easily be camouflaged, or temporily sealed off.

Once the tunnel is ready to receive shipment transfers, an established routine is being followed:

The shipment is requested on the Egyptian entrance by the ‘work manager’ in charge, who gives details of the shipment via password and code by phone.
Light transports are ferried by cable, heavier equipment is transferred on trolleys.
Highly specialised shipments and VIPs are conducted through larger tunnel systems, which have walled paneling, electric lighting, air shafts, rails and even mechanical transportation systems available.

But Rafah tunneling is also a highly dangerous business and not only from IDF intervention. A major risk involves suffocation and drowning. Longer tunnels require special breathing ducts, which are natural give-aways to the IDF patrols. Following several disasters, Rafah tunnel constructors acquired special breathing apparatus, which are now used. The danger from drowning is even more hazardous, due to the sandy nature of the coastal ground, which often causes tunnels to collapse with water flooding. A few months ago a group of Palestinians were saved from drowning in their tunnel by an IDF rescue squad called onto the scene by locals.

Much now depends on the future conduct of the Egyptian authorities in Sinai. Sofar they have done little to stop the smuggling route, either overland or underground. An Israeli intelligence official has mentioned, that Egyptian Intelligence possesses the names list of all involved in illegal traffic over the Sinai desert and, when ready, can crack down on this dangerous smuggling racket within days, once it decides to do so. So the decision to avert a catastrophic Hamastan in the Gaza Strip is now entirely in the hands of the Egyptian authorities, who are the undisputed sovereigns in the Sinai Peninsular. Only they can effectively seal off this dangerous traffic zone.

For earlier analysis on the situation in Gaza please check:

Also from David Eshel – 1967 Six Days War Retrospect:
How the Kremlin Manipulated the 1967 War to the Brink of Nuclear Conflict

Hellfire II Missile System

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Jun 17, 2007

AH-64D_Apache_Longbow — Indonesia will receive eight Apache AH-64E for $500 million arms package to be signed with the USA

Hellfire is currently produced in three configurations – Anti-Tank, Blast-Fragmentation and Thermobaric. A choice of semi-active laser and milimeter wave active seekers are also available. The 45kg Hellfire II missile (48kg in AGM-114M version) offers operational range of 0.5 to 8 km, and utilizes a semi-active laser seeker which has improved targeting capability, including advanced processing to solve laser obscurant/backscatter problems identified during combat engagements in 1991.

Hellfire II locks on before or after launch and can engage multiple targets simultaneously. The missile uses Trajectory Shaping to enable optimal performance in degraded weather. Operation under degraded weather conditions are also improved with automatic target reacquisition after loss of track in low clouds.

The digital autopilot can be reprogrammed in flight, to home in on new targets in when employed in a Lock-On After Launch mode. Hellfire II is also uses equipped with electro-optical countermeasures hardening. The missile is capable of operating with pulsed radar frequency or A-Code laser codes for those aircraft equipped with dual code capability.

When employed with the AH-64D Longbow mm radar targeting system, the missile can also be equipped with a millimeter-radar seeker, which enables “fire and forget” operation in adverse weather, dust and smoke. The Longbow missiles are fully compatible with the launchers carried on the Longbow Apache which also carry the AGM-114K/M laser guided missiles. Beside autonomous homing on targets designated by the Longbow Fire Control system, the missile can also use advanced modes, currently being upgraded to the system, which provide home-in on active jammers that try to degrade or disable the missile. The missile will also receive advanced countermeasures to defeat and cancel jammers.

Hellfire II is provided with a choice of three warheads – a tandem warhead (to defeat advanced / reactive armor), blast-fragmentation warhead with delay fuse is used against soft, light armored targets, small boats, brick and concrete structures and bunkers.

Modified HEAT Warhead

The Hellfire AGM-114K anti-tank version has been modified to improve its fragmentation capability, when engaging soft targets. The Mod-K modification, pursued by Dynetics for the Aviation & Missiles R&D and Evaluation Center, included the installation of a fragmentation sleeve placed around the shaped charge, optimizing fragment lethality against a broad target set, while minimizing degradation of shaped charge performance.

Thermobaric version of the Hellfire

Hellfire thermobaric warhead using a metal augmented explosive charge is used primarily in urban warfare, against bunkers, buildings caves and other concealed targets. This warhead is designed to inflict greater damage in multi-room structures, compared to the Hellfire’s standard or blast-fragmentation warheads. The Metal Augmented Charge or MAC (Thermobaric) Hellfire, designated AGM-114N, has completed rapid development cycle in 2002 and was deployed during OIF by US Marines Helicopters in Iraq. The new warhead contains a fluorinated aluminum powder that is layered between the warhead casing and the PBXN-112 explosive fill. When the explosive detonates, the aluminum mixture is dispersed and rapidly burns. The resultant sustained high pressure is extremely effective against enemy personnel and structures. The AGM-114N is designed for deployment from helicopters such as the AH-1W or UAVs such as the Predator drones.

Hellfire Longbow

The combination of Hellfire II’s precision guidance and Longbow fire control and Hellfire’s fire-and-forget millimeter-wave seeker capability provide the battlefield commander flexibility across a wide range of mission scenarios, permitting fast battlefield response and high mobility not afforded by other anti-armor weapons. The Longbow variant of the Hellfire missile is designated AGM-114L.

Greece is seeking to add 657 AGM-114 Helfire II missiles to equip its ground forces. The Greek armed forces are requesting the US for 633 AGM-114K1 anti-tank missiles fitted with a tandem HEAT warhead and 24 AGM-114M1 missiles equipped with Blast Fragmentation warheads. The deal worth US$66 million also include Hellfire II Training and drill missiles and technical support.

UAV Optimized Hellfire (AGM-114 P+)

SInce 2007 the U.S. Army invested over $18 million in modifying Hellfire missiles to better adapt for operating at higher altitude and wider engagement geometries, better suitable for deployement with unmanned aerial systems such as the Predator , Sky Warrior and Reaper. The required modifications include the replacement of the gyro into a MEMS-based inertial measurement unit (IMU), and introduction of software changes increasing the missiles engagement geometries and its capability to defeat a broad target set ranging from heavy armor to urban structures. The Army plans to modify the AGM-114-2K (anti-tank shaped charge) and AGM-114N (enhanced blast warhead) into the new AGM-114P+ model. The missile will also be compatible with all rotary-wing platforms.

Improving the Combat Survival Rate Among the Wounded

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Jun 16, 2007

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Enhanced body armor is extending the protected area covering even more body parts. Yet, even with these improvements, medical facilities are seeing more devastating extremity injuries than ever before, the wounded arrive with severe damages to bones, blood vessels and nerves, resulting from devastated explosions designed to maximize the effect on exposed as well as protected human targets.

First aid kits designed for modern combat are taking advantage of modern technologies to provide rapid and effective life saving treatment by the soldiers or their buddies. Standard equipment for each solider now includes an individual “one-handed” tourniquet, allowing prompt action to reduce blood loss. New bandages impregnated with clotting products are also being used to stop bleeding from severe injuries. Under another program known as “Surviving Blood Loss”, research program funded by DARPA are seeking innovative treatments to be administered by combat medics at the front line, treating severe bleeding on the battlefield. Such therapies could allow injured troops to survive an otherwise fatal blood loss extending the period between severe hemorrhage and irreversible shock or death from minutes for up to six hours. Achieving this goal will allow increased time for evacuation, triage, and initiation of supportive therapies.

Under this research scientists are examining mechanisms to control the metabolic state on demand, including the induction of a hibernation-like state, and the development of low-volume therapies that reduce tissue demand for oxygen and metabolites when full resuscitation is not available. Some studies have shown very promising results. For example, exposure to non-toxic levels of H2S was shown to result in a survival rate greater than 85 percent while treatment with the 17ß female hormone improved the resistance to the effects of shock caused by severe blood loss.

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

Load Carrying Systems for the Infantry

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Jun 16, 2007

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As the body armor is only part of the combat load carried by the infantryman, the military is seeking new concepts to offload some of the weight from the soldier. One way to overcome the weight barrier is offloading some of the cargo to load carrying vehicles – such as the SMSS, or robotic Mule.

DARPA dedicated several studies to improve human load carrying capability by introducing ‘wearable robots’, or ‘exoskeletons’, as well as robotic ‘pack mules’. Under the Biodynotics program, the BigDog project applied biological principles that animals use to move and crawl across different terrain types to develop a bioinspired robotic ‘pack mule’ that can carry 150 – 200 pounds over any terrain and under any conditions a human could tolerate. the vision is that BigDog would enhance warfighters capability by carrying supplies.

Another concept is the wearable robot of “Exoskeleton’, considered to become part of the future infantry combat system. Similar programs are aimed at people with disabilities and for artificial limbs and (prosthetics). Previously considered a futuristic dream, exoskeletons could become a reality much sooner, with pioneering technology demonstrators are already working and are expected to ‘walk out from labs’ by 2008. Among the developers engaged in research and development of wearable load carrying robots are Sarcos, the Japanese Cyberdyne and Berkley University.

In the future, warfighters tasked with long patrol missions will also be able to pack their loads on four-legged robots, such as the Boston Dynamics Big Dog, developed with DARPA funding. The current version of this ‘robotic pack mule’ uses hydraulically powered articulated legs designed with shock absorption mechanism, coordination and balancing, facilitating complex movement. The four legged robot measures 1 m’ long, 0.7 meters tall and weigh 75 kg. It already demonstrated negotiating rough terrain at a speed of 3.3 mph, climbing a 35 degree slope, carrying 120 lb loads. Big Dog is driven by a two-stroke single-cylinder petrol engine. The robot can follow a simple path on its own, or can be remotely controlled. (see video below)

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

Cooling with Phase Change Materials (PCM)

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Jun 16, 2007

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Several cooling vests are available on the market, including PCM based vests provided by Kappler, Another type is offered by Texas Cool Vest and Glacier Tek. The later is offering a five pound vest designed to maintain a constant temperature of 59-degree F for up to 2.5 hours. The vest uses a patented RPCM ‘Cool packs’ which can be recharged by dipping for 20 minutes in ice water. First Line Technology’s SWEDE Cooling Vest also utilizes PCM elements.

The vest uses 21 elements cooling the wearer for up to two hours (minimum duration 45 minutes). The PCM packs are activated at a temperatures ranging from 82 to 90 degrees F., optimized for environmental conditions. A different PCM application is used by Steele, Inc. in their SteeleVest product, using frozen gel Thermo-Strips inserted into the vest to provide up to four hours of cooling. However, endurance comes with a cost – the SteeleVest weighs between eight and 12 pounds.

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

Physiological and Physical Challenges of Body Armor

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Jun 16, 2007

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A serious challenge associated with body armor, apart from its excessive weight, is the heat caused by lack of effective perspiration, eliminating the body’s natural ability to dissipate and dispose of metabolic heat. Increasing heat stress exhausts the human body within a short time, even under normal conditions, let alone the extreme heat encountered in the Middle East and Central Asia.

Personal Cooling Systems

Enabling troops to endure these conditions, cooling vests are worn under the body armor or assault vests, preventing ‘heat overload’ on extended missions. Unlike ‘air conditioners’ that cool an entire space, these personal cooling systems sustain a microclimate just around the human body. Microclimate can be sustained by circulating dry, fresh air, liquid, ice or wax to draw and absorb heat from fighter pilot suites.

Yet, applying these systems for use by infantrymen is more challenging due to strict weight and power constraints. Currently available personal cooling systems are based on one of two principles: body ventilation or heat transfer. Body ventilation systems are designed to circulate air between the body armor and the skin surface, using electrically powered fans. Heat transfer systems are absorbing heat directly from the skin by circulating cool gel through the vest. Both of these methods have their drawbacks – whereas electrical fans are dependent on a power source, Phase Change Material (PCM) like ice or paraffin lose their ability to cool after some time, as they exhaust their potential to absorb heat. Both systems add significant weight (about 4 – 5 pounds in average) to the soldier’s load. A typical cooling vest is the MCCS.

Current personal cooling systems have serious limitations – they are heavy, and cumbersome to wear under the body armor. Most versions have limited duration (less than two hours) and must be ‘recharged’ between missions. New systems, currently in development, are aiming to overcome these limitations, by introducing more efficient microclimate cooling by combining electrical ventilation and phase change methods.

Phase Change Materials (PCM’s)

PCM’s are absorbing body heat by acting as ‘heat sink’. The PCM is activated when the temperature rises above a certain level, an activated PCM then absorbs heat as it transitions to a liquid state. After the mission, the PCM is ‘recharged’ by transforming back to a solid or semi-solid state in refrigerators, freezers, or in ice and water. Cooling vests are worn either over a T-shirt or next to the skin.
The material freezes at a temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit (F) for optimum cooling. The pack sustains cooling for up to two hours at 100 degrees F. Further enhancement of the PCM concept is applied in the design of cooling underwear, worn under the armor and helmet.

A typical cooling vest, designed by TPI includes a cooling vest circulating cooled water through a specially designed shirt, shorts and a cooling pad for the helmet. These elements are embedded with cooling channels linked to a heat exchanger. The system uses a thermostatically controlled valve to regulate the water flow through the heat exchanger, to establish an optimal operating temperature. The suit uses ‘camelback’ style backpack bladder to contain up to two liters of frozen water and is designed to sustain several hours of operation without coolant replacement.

Body Ventilation Systems

Another concept is a lightweight ‘spacer vest’, designed to assist the natural cooling through perspiration, which is blocked by the thermal insulation of the body armor. The US Army tested such a system designed to distance the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) from the wearer’s skin surface, therefore increasing evaporative cooling around the torso. The tests demonstrated an improvement of up to 20% in the evaporative cooling potential when wearing the spacer vest, compared to wearing standard IBA.

The Israeli company Rabintex developed a lightweight cooling system known as Breeze, utilizing a lightweight battery powered ventilation system that reestablishes the natural cooling by perspiration. By feeding fresh air beneath the body armor, the Breeze vest facilitates cooling by wicking moisture from the body and cooling through the natural phase change process. The vest weighs only 0.4 kg (0.9 pounds) and does not require additional coolant. Breeze is worn under most types of body armor vests, and is powered by standard AA batteries. A similar system developed by Global Secure is known as the Body Ventilation System (BVS).

In 2006 over 2,200 systems were shipped to equip troops in Iraq and Kuwait. BVS was designed to be worn underneath the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA). Weighing less than five pounds, BVS uses rechargeable lithium ion batteries to power a blower for up to eight hours.

Future Improvements

A more advanced cooling system is under development for the Future Force Warrior (FFW) Program and is expected to mature into a working prototype by mid 2008. This system will support the soldier operating the standard FFW suite as well as the full NBC protected gear. The 3.5 lb system will provide microclimate control by circulating cooling water. FFW project team is also considering the use of spaced personal armor to improve resistance to impact, trauma and improve heat transfer through evaporation and permeability. In the UK, another microclimate suite is currently under development for the British Army and is expected to complete development within two years (2009). This system is designed to weigh around four pounds, provide 100 watts of cooling to operating for four hours. Further improving performance, the US Army Natick Soldier RD&E Center is studying different physiological and technological means to extend the operational endurance and efficiency of future personal cooling systems.

Cooling can also be achieved by applying thermal regulation elements into the body armor. Such a concept is described in a patent registered by John Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Lab (APL). This concept is eliminating entirely the need for a liquid coolant or phase change materials by using high thermal-conductivity channels embedded into the body armor itself. The heat conductors are applied over a moisture wicking layer pulling moisture from the body and dispersing the moisture to the outer surface where it can evaporate.

Farther into the future, warfighters will be ‘tuned’ to maintain peak physical and cognitive performance under stressful and harsh battlefield environment, by increasing tolerance to extreme climates (heat and cold). At DARPA, scientists are studying several concepts, including feeding soldiers with special nutrients and supplements optimized for enduring peak physical stresses, and customizing their vitamin consumption based on each individual’s unique metabolism. The program has recently identified a key bio-molecule that is altered by stress, and may be causative for muscle fatigue following rigorous exercise. Scientists are also studying the principles of thermo-regulation, by controlling the core body temperature by bio-electronic means, thus cooling or warming the body by increasing the levels of heat transfer in certain areas, for example, through the palms and soles.

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

Ballistic Helmets

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Jun 16, 2007

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The helmet has been the military trademark for centuries. Even today, helmet designers highlight their visual attributes side by side with their ballistic protection and comfort. Modern helmets are lightweight; providing superior ballistic protection and comfort, since they are shaped to optimally fit the individual soldier, even when used with a headwear ensemble.

The US Army has lead the way in helmet designs, Modern designs evolved from 2nd world-war “Steel Pot” helmet, through the more recent Personnel Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT) helmet designed in the early 1980s, to the latest Advanced Combat Helmet currently issued to combat troops. Other armed forces adapting specific helmet designs include the Russian, British, French, Italian, Australian, Indian and Israeli Armies. The Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH) is replacing the Kevlar PASGT helmet, improving ballistic, impact and blast protection, as well as the weight saving of 3.5 lbs lighter then the old model. ACH uses specially designed suspension to comfortably fit on the Soldiers head. Its design blends better with the soldier’s body armor, enabling less restricted movement even with full protection. The helmet system is compatible with all current accessories, including night vision devices, communications packages, and nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) defense equipment.

The edges of the new helmet have been cut to improve situational awareness through improved field of vision and hearing. The shell provides ballistic protection. While the ACH has 8 percent less surface area than the Personnel Armor System Ground Troops, or Kevlar, helmet had, most of the material was removed from the front of the ACH, with a smaller amount removed from the sides. Nothing was removed from the back of the helmet. Another improvement currently supplied for conventional helmets are impact absorbing pads, also known as “padded helmet suspension systems“, designed to improve blast protection and protect against other non-ballistic impact. The system includes a set of seven pads, replacing the sling suspension used in earlier helmets. It is now standard in US Army ACH and the latest models of the US Marine Corps Combat Helmet.

Special gear is designed to protect troops from the effect of blast and flash fire associated with IED explosions, fire bomb attack and penetration of the vehicle’s armor by RPGs and other shaped charge munitions (anti-tank missiles etc.) explosion of burning ammunition or other flammable materials (diesel fuel, hydraulic fluids etc.) present a serious risk to the crews of armored vehicles. Risks of skin burns and internal burns can also be caused by chemical materials. They are addressed by special protection gear designed for NBC protection. Each threat is addressed with a specific protective gear such as Balaclava (ski mask), gloves, eyewear and underwear. For example, the new fire resistant ensemble is composed of up to seven separate layers, providing an effective fire resistant tactical outfit that provides effective protection even under extreme cold weather conditions as low as 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The fire-resistant gear included T-shirts of various types; gloves, boots, coverall, jacket and balaclavas. Initial examples of the new gear were sent by PEO Soldier to Korea and Afghanistan for field testing.

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

GPS III Program

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Jun 16, 2007

Among the advanced GPS capabilities developed by Boeing for the U.S.A.F Navstar GPS Wing the military, are 12 GPS Block IIF satellites , currently under contract. Boeing is expected to deliver the first GPS IIF satellite in 2007. For the next decade, the company is offering the next generation GPS spacecraft, for the GPS III which will include inherent anti-jamming.

The program successfully completed a critical U.S. Air Force review of its Global Positioning System (GPS) Space Segment III program in November 06 and has been awarded a $50 million contract for additional system design activities. The review was part of a $10 million follow-on order to the Phase A Concept Development Contract awarded in 2004. The U.S. Air Force is expected to award the multi-billion dollar GPS III contract in 2007.

The $50 million cost-plus-fixed fee contract supports a System Design Review in March 2007 and key program decision points in June 2007. The modification adds detailed system engineering and design, and continues risk reduction efforts as the Air Force moves toward initial launch in 2013.

Ergonomic Body Armor Designs

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Jun 16, 2007

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Excessive weight and limited mobility always exacerbate the weak points of personal body armor suits, demanding users and developers to agree and compromise on an acceptable balance between cost, weight, mobility and protection. Aiming always for ‘best possible protection’, meaning NIJ Level IV, does not make sense in terms of overall weight, as it results in personal armor suites that weigh more than the soldier can carry.

Sometime, this balance means not to decide at all – for example, British troops are deployed with two types of armor vests, enabling soldiers to choose the right kit for the particular mission, balancing between protection and mobility. US troops are using the Interceptor Body Amror (IBA) which went through several improvements since it was introduced and went into combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Interceptor’s outer vest is produced by Point Blank, while the add-on inserts are produced by several companies, including Honeywell, Ceradyne, Armor Holdings, ArmorWorks and others. At AUSA 06 the Armor Holdings introduced the LIMBS system, Lightweight Integrated Mobility Body Armor System. LIMBS provides enhanced protection to the shoulders, Bicep and Thigh while offering 25% less weight compared to existing systems. Its ergonomical design improves mobility, comfort and performance. The suite combines a shoulder-Bicep system.

Modern body armor designs are harnessing advanced manufacturing techniques, such as new bonding materials, flexible steel fiber meshes, ceramic-composites matrixes and molded glass-ceramics to develop lightweight personal protection systems that can better fit the human body, offering ‘assault vests’ style body armor that can be integrated with the soldier’s load-bearing vest. Typical of this new generation of body armor is the assault vest developed by Kata Vitec, and integrated as part of the latest version of the IDF Hashmonai bullet-proof gear. In the original design, this vest utilized a ‘clamshell’ formation made of two High Density Polyethylene (HD-PE) composites formed through pressing methods to better fit the human body, allowing unrestricted movement with full protection gear. The latest version of this ‘Anatomic’ assault vests combines advanced inserts made of glass ceramic materials, molded to match the same shape at a much lower cost and weight. Currently available at NIJ level III+, the producer of the new glass ceramic plate is currently working on an enhanced version that will meet Level IV requirements offering similar weight and cost advantages.

A different flexible armor design is implemented in Pinnacle Armor’s Dragon Skin body armor, utilizing flexible armor made up of bullet proof ceramic ‘leaves’, creating a flexible layer shaped like fish scales. This armor is claimed by the producer as superior to the US Army standard Interceptor body armor, with certified protection Levels of NIJ level III and IV. Ceraflex, manufactured by Ares Composites uses a Ceramic matrix bonded on flexible aramide pre-pregnated backplane to offer shaping flexibility while retaining the high ballistic performance of ceramics. Monolithic ceramic plates can be shaped into curved shapes by complex pressing process, which reduce protection level. Therefore, these tiles have inherent limitation as to the curvature they can provide. Due to its matrix design, Ceraflex does not have this limitation and retains effective protection against Level III multiple 5.56 and 7.62mm threats over the entire area. According to the manufacturer, when configured for level IV protection, the tile can stop AP threats including modern ammunition with tungsten carbide core. Due to the homogeneous (seamless) matrix composition, Ceraflex can stop a wider ammunition range than ceramic tiles at 10 – 30% of the weight of comparable monolithic ceramic tiles.

Flexible Armor

A new “liquid armor” could be the solution for protecting the limbs, which cannot be protected by standard, rigid body armor. Conventional ballistic fabrics impregnated with STF effectively resisted penetration from an ice pick that would otherwise easily penetrate the fabric. In addition, such materials demonstrated reduction in “back face deformation”, hinting on their ability to reduce the blunt trauma effect resulting of high energy ballistic impacts.

In 2006 Armor Holdings became the sole commercial provider of STF technology in applications related to body armor vests and extremity protection, helmets and gloves for protective use worldwide. Dr. Tony Russell, Chief Technology Officer for Armor Holdings, Inc., explains: “Going back to the Middle Ages, developing armor has involved a constant balance between the need for protection and the need for comfort, flexibility and light weight. Rarely do the words ‘flexible’ and ‘armor’ get used in the same sentence, but this new technology has the potential to unlock entirely new and better solutions that will leapfrog to the next generation of armor and other lifesaving equipment.” Armor Holdings plans to offer the field STF based armor designed for the military market later in 2007. The Russians are also studying applications of liquid armor. The Military and Industry Venture Fund of the Sverdlov Region is studying the application of liquid Armor for vehicles, boats, helicopters in addition to body armor vests. Their design goals are to improve the level of protection while minimizing weight increase.

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

Ballistic Composites for Soft Armor

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Jun 16, 2007

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One new product is Teijin’s Laminated Fabric Technology, or LFT, a fabric woven from Twaron fibers with a large number of densely packed, very fine-denier fibers which, according to the manufacturer, are improving protection level, compared to thicker, coarser fabric made of the same composite materials. Teijin, the manufacturer of Twaron, developed a lightweight laminated fabric taking advantage of the fiber’s patented Microfilament yarns.

These microyarns are woven in such a way that crossover of warp and fill are minimized, and the woven fabric is subsequently formed into a sandwich, using extremely thin thermoplastic film, yielding lighter weight armor in a process, the company calls “complicated.” The LFT design rapidly dissipates energy when impacted by a bullet or fragment. LFT, initially introduced for soft body armor applications, will be used in a family of antiballistic products for many applications, including military and commercial vehicles.

Inserts made of lightweight High-Density Polyethylene (HD-PE known as Dyneema) can offer ballistic protection of steel plate at 45% of the weight. Through the production process HD-PE is processed through pressure and heat treatment, followed by the application of surface coating sealing it from the degrading effect of solvents, fuels and water. In contrast to ceramic tiles, HD-PE can be shaped into complex designs that best fit the human anatomy, therefore enhancing protection provided to all vital organs offering high multi-hit protection.

Another option for reinforcement of composite fibers is by utilizing ballistic steel fibers, produced by Hardwire, which demonstrated good ballistic properties at weight significantly lower than steel plates and at a lower cost than most advanced fibers.

Ceramics produced from ultra-fine grains known as nano-particles introduce enhanced capabilities. Such nano-based ceramics have the potential to introduce advanced composites with stopping power and durability unmatched by current armor protection suits. An Israeli company ApNano materials has recently tested one of the most shock-resistant materials known to man based on a metallic-based nano-material called IF nanospheres. The material is five times stronger than steel and at least twice as strong as any impact-resistant material currently in use as protective gear.

Attempting to balance between weight, protection and comfort, researchers are studying super-strong fibers based on advanced fibers such as DuPonts’ new M5, carbon nano-tubes, and Kevlar, impregnated with nanomaterials suspended in Sheer Thickening Fluids (STF), improving the flexibility of soft armor, and ballistic and stab protection of standard uniform.

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

Body Armor Suites

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Jun 16, 2007

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Current body armor suites are designed to defeat most threats encountered on the modern battlefield. However, when configured for maximum protection, combat gear is becoming so heavy that it inhibits free movement and maneuverability, limits peripheral vision and causes dangerous heat stress that adversely affects performance, turning the protected soldier into a slow, vulnerable target.

Body armor has become a standard issue in all armies, and law enforcement agencies, and is commercially available to civilians operating in high threat situation. The efficiency of these vests varies, as protection, weigh and comfort levels are proportional to their cost. Designers of personal body armor are trying to balance between maximum protection and comfort. Such armor should defeat multiple hits of high level threats while maintaining the lowest possible weight, and provide the wearer with unrestricted movement, without degradation of his performance.

In the early days, typical body armor included a ‘flack jacket’ style vest, made of a soft fabric designed to protect the wearer from low-speed fragments, shrapnel and a harder ‘trauma plate’ placed over the chest, protecting the ‘center of mass’ – including the most sensitive organs, from injury by high speed bullets fired from firearms. Traditionally, ‘combat assault’ type vests were composed of soft fabric made of glass fibers. More advanced vests were produced from synthetic aramid fibers such as Kevlar or Twaron. Other materials now include the high performance polyethylene known as Dyneema or Spectra. Vests produced from these advanced materials are providing superior protection (NIJ Level II, II+) usually stopping small-arms fire, particularly 9mm. Most vests are designed with special ‘pockets’ located in the front, back and, sometime, at the sides, where protective panels called ‘inserts’ are placed. These panels are made of High Density Polyethylene (HD-PE) or ceramic materials, enabling units to tailor the level of protection to match anticipated threats. For example, equipping soldiers positioned at highly vulnerable sentry posts, or protecting the gunner, exposed in a gunner’s position on mounted patrols, will be more protected than the rest of the patrol, located in relative safety inside the protected vehicle, but required to dismount from the armored vehicle when on ‘foot patrols’.

A variety of composite materials offering different ballistic protection levels, costs and weights become available. Costs vary, depending on protection level and weight. Lighter materials are usually more expensive. Panels covering relatively large areas provide more protection for vital organs, but they tend to be heavier and limit the wearer’s freedom of movement. To sustain the heavy weight, the carrier system (vest) must be well designed, utilizing weight distribution systems. Protection vests utilizing heavier armor tend to maintain reasonable weight by utilizing smaller panels, offering higher ballistic protection against armor-piercing projectiles, sized to protect the most vital organs, but leaving significant portions of the body exposed.

Two types of materials are currently used for personal body armor – High-Performance Polyethylene (HPPE) fibers, known as Spectra or Dyneema, produced by Honeywell and the Dutch company DSM and several compositions of Aramid fibers – known as Kevlar or Twaron fibers, produced by DuPont and Teijin. While the bullet-proof vest or ‘body armor’ provides relatively effective protection from low-velocity fragments and some high velocity projectiles (up to 9mm and, in some levels 5.56 or 7.62mm bullets), effective protection against common battlefield threats, such as AK-47 Kalashnikov, M-16 rifles as well as sniper rifles, requires enhanced protection by special inserts, designed to stop these high velocity, high energy threats.

Advanced body armor and assault vests are designed as modular sets, capable of upgrading their protection against specific threats, at a reasonable weight and cost. The concept calls for the use of high protection ‘inserts’, formed to fit into special pouches integrated into the vest, to protect vital organs.

In the USA, funding for body armor procurement is currently increasing to protect the surge in forces deployed in Iraq. Replacement of older equipment and battle-damaged gear, introduction of enhancements for the Interceptor Body Armor (IBA) and additional protective items are underway. Current body armor systems are procured in ‘suites’, comprising the Outer Tactical Vest (OTV) textile based bullet-proof ‘soft armor’, ceramic based Enhanced Small Arms Protective Inserts (ESAPI) and ESAPI Side Plates, and the Deltoid Auxiliary Protectors (DAP) made of composites. The total unit cost for each suit is approximately $3,500, depending on the specific configuration. The latest, most advanced version of the personal body armor suit, used by the British Army is the Osprey Advanced Combat Armor (ECA). This new protective gear was recently demonstrated by the Irish Guards prior to their deployment to Iraq in May 2007. Combat tested Osprey body armor provides enhanced coverage with full front and back of protection of the torso.

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV)

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Jun 16, 2007

An Armored Troop Carrier for the FCS

The Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICV) will be part of the Future Combat Systems Brigade Combat Team (BCT). It will carry a crew of 11 (commander, driver and 9 soldier infantry squad). Powered by a new hybrid electric system, ICV will share a common platform with other Manned Ground Vehicles (MGV) components. Its weight and external dimensions will enable transportation in both C-17 and C-130 aircraft.

The main difference between ICV and other MGV will be the composition of the armor, which will be based on lightweight combination of titanium and composite-ceramic armor, optimized for deployability while maintaining high ballistic protection. The ICV will be armed with remotely operated turret mounting the Mk-44 30mm cannon and 7.62 machine gun. It will have an integrated survivability approach, comprised of advanced armor, active protection systems, and multi-function countermeasures, including threat warning sensors, signature management and NBC protection.

Every ICV in the FCS BCT will be equipped with a JTRS radio, satellite communications terminal and networked data-link. An integrated computer system will host the “system of systems common operating environment” (SOSCOE). The vehicle will be equipped with various daylight, IR and radar sensors, autonomous navigation system, threat warning laser and EO sensors and will maintain a constant link to the army C4ISR network (WIN-T), enabling mounted warfighters an access to the entire spectrum of firepower, communications and recce assets while employing own lethal fire.

Gaza – Hamastan to be Declared Rogue State

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David Eshel

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Jun 16, 2007

Following long hesitation, in face of Hamas’ highly provocative and brutal takeover of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas has finally reacted to the challenge right on his doorstep. Perhaps too late to redress the situation in Gaza, Abbas is trying hard not to lose his grip of the West Bank as well.

On Thursday evening, President Abbas made the obvious, but still quite dramatic step and dismissed the Hamas government declaring a state of emergency after six days of bloody factional fighting. His announcement came as Hamas fighters stormed remaining strongholds of his secular Fatah group in the Gaza Strip, finally seizing the presidential compound, the last bastion of Abbas’s authority in the enclave. Mr Abbas said in a statement he was declaring a state of emergency in all the lands of the Palestinian Authority because “criminal war in the Gaza Strip and and armed rebellion by outlaws” left him no other option. Although the Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniyah declined to accept Abbas’ statement as legal, the Palestinian constitution is clearly giving the ellected president the right to disolve any government, especially if “munity” is officially declared. Thus, Friday awoke to a new reality, one in which the Palestinian autonomous areas are split into two entities, Gaza and the West Bank. By declaring Hamas as outlaw, President Abbas has also created a new situation visa vie Israel. “Hamastan”, which is the new entity in Gaza has no longer any legal link to the Palestinian National Authority ( PNA), as long as the Islamic fundamentalists rule the Strip and refuse to accept the legislative rights of the PLO and Abbas’ authority.

Two important nominations have been made on Friday. In Israel, Ehud Barak is to be appointed defense minister by next Monday, which comes not a moment too soon under the escalating regional crisis situation. A man of his caliber at the helm of the IDF will no doubt affect not only the military, but also far-reaching strategic issues, urgently requiring determined leadership. The other appointment is in the Palestinian Authority, where the Palestinian president, has appointed Salam Fayyad, an independent parliamentarian, as prime minister of an emergency government.

The overall situation is extremely critical. Since Hamas is boycotted by Israel, it is still unclear how essential contacts will be handled, particularly coordination over the control of transit points and the entry into Israel of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip for humanitarian purposes. In fact, as Hamas is adhering to its traditional non-recognition status of Israel and continues its rocket attacks on its territory, this would hardly encourage any Israeli government to soften its attitude, to what is now officially regarded as a “rogue terrorist” entity.

Not only Israeli security is concerned. Egypt sent police to beef up security on the border with Gaza. Authorities deployed armored vehicles and water cannons to prevent any potential mass flight of Palestinians out of Gaza, while searching for tunnels under the border through which infiltrators could pass. There are also fears that if the fighting spreads to the West Bank, it will further weaken Abbas and ultimately stir up trouble for Jordan, said a Jordanian government official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the situation’s sensitivity. Roughly half of Jordan’s 5.5 million population is Palestinian.

A Gaza-style civil war in the neighboring West Bank could spark clashes between the factions’ supporters in the kingdom — particularly in refugee camps where many are known to support Hamas.

At this stage all crossings into the Gaza Strip are closed to traffic because of the fighting. IDF forces along the border fence have been instructed to show restraint and avoid being dragged into the Palestinian infighting. Israeli political sources said Friday that the Hamas takeover requires that Israel re-examine its ties with the Gaza Strip, and whether it will continue its economic ties, the infrastructure links – providing of fuel and electricity from Israel.

Legally, Hamas is listed as a terrorist organization by Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, the USA, banned in Jordan, Australia and the UK both list the military wing Izz ad Din- al Qassam brigades as terrorist organization. In a 2002 report, Human Rights Watch stated Hamas’ leaders should be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Indeed, the 1988 Hamas Covenant (or Charter) states that the organization’s goal is to “raise the banner of Allah over every inch of Palestine,” in order to establish an Islamic Republic.Hamas rejects “so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences” as incapable of realizing justice or restoring rights to the oppressed, believing “there is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. In April 2007, Palestinian Media Watch released a video in which “Dr. Ahmad Bahar, acting speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council,” refers to Israel’s Jewish citizens as a “cancerous lump” and prays to Allah to “count them and kill them to the last one, and don’t leave even one.

Under the present circumstances, Israel’s most reasonable response would be that, once Abbas having officially expounded Hamas takeover as “mutiny against the institution” which regards a “Hamastan” in Gaza an illegal formation, Israel should openly declare it as an ‘enemy entity’ with all legal aspects involved. At the same time, Israel should consider Abbas and the PLO partner for continued negotiations including enhanced financial aid. In order to prevent a human catastrophy creating in Hamastan, however, a certain time limit should be extended to Hamas, through Egyptian mediators, to reorganize its relations with potential sponsors, seeking appropriate assistance, wether through the United Nations, or any other international humanitarian institutions. Once the declared time limit expires, Israel should then cease all contacts, with Hamastan, as long as it does not change its official stance against recognizing Israel and ceases all hostile activities against the Jewish State. The entire issue should be referred, by Israel officially to the Quartet, the United Nations, the United States, and Arab nations, with which Israel maintains diplomatic relations.

But not only do Gaza residents face an unclear future. Israel also is being forced to confront some very difficult questions and the answer needs to be more creative than merely deploying international forces on the Egypt-Gaza border. That initiative, which was born in the Foreign Ministry, was appropriate in the days when Fatah controlled the Palestinian Authority in Gaza, when there still was someone to talk to. Ehud Olmert’s recent announcement of his support for the idea proves that the prime minister has not yet internalized the critical developments in the Strip. With Hamas in control, the question is with whom exactly will the international deployment be coordinated? Who in Hamas will agree to a foreign presence on the border? In fact, the Hamas leadership has already declared that it will oppose any establishment of a foreign military power on its borders and even confront such action by force.

Infantry Survival Gear – New Trends in Infantry Gear

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Jun 16, 2007

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Where there is no clear ‘front line’ or ‘friendly area’, danger may be lurking everywhere and the enemy can strike anytime. Snipers, shooting from elevated levels, illusive Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) spraying deadly fragments over a large area, hit-and-run strafing from a passing vehicle or mortar attack from a distance are widely used by insurgents fighting asymmetric warfare. IEDs proved to be effective even when striking armored vehicles, let alone the less protected ‘foot patrols’. The myriad of threats requires a holistic approach to personal protection featured in this issue.

Personal protective measures are incorporated into body armor suites, helmets and protective eyewear to eliminate much of the risk of high-velocity fragments and projectiles, such as shrapnel and firearms, making previously fatal chest wounds survivable. Eye protection provided by transparent shields made of polycarbonate is also used in tactical goggles and protective eyewear which, when used properly, can prevent most common eye injuries associated with blast and fragments.

Yet, the use of body armor under extreme environmental conditions is physiologically exhaustive, requiring the addition of additional cooling systems to dissipate excessive heat.

In this series Defense Update covers the following topics:

Defense-UpdateMilitary Technology & Defense News

Defense-UpdateMilitary Technology & Defense News

Personal Cooling Systems

Phase Change Materials (PCM’s)

Body Ventilation Systems

Future Improvements

Flexible Armor

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