GHQ UAE Armed Forces Directorate of Morale Guidance 4 Daily Show 25 February 2015 Military Strategic Journal Day T he cheque books are coming out at IDEX 2015 in a big way with defence contract sales already notching AED 13.5bn. Yesterday alone saw the UAE Armed Forces sign seven new deals with local and foreign firms on the third day of IDEX valued at AED 3.955 billion. The contracts are for military hardware including aerial radars, helicopters, rifles and ammunition. IDEX spokesman Maj-Gen Obaid Al Ketbi says that the Armed Forces has entered into a deal with Tawazan Dynamics for the pur- chase of ultra-precision guided ammunition worth AED1.53 billion, and also with Emirates Advanced Research and Technology Hold- ing, EARTH, to develop Oshkosh defence systems and provide technical assistance and maintenance by providing spare parts with a total value of AED864 million. The Armed Forces has signed a deal with Caracal International, part of the Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), to buy 80,000 CAR816 modern assault rifles valued at AED 763 million. (See page 2) A contract was inked with AgustaWestland Aviation Services (AWAS) from Italy to buy nine helicopters with a total value of AED732 million. Six will be for search and rescue pur- poses and three for VIP use. A deal was done with Rheinmentall Air Defence to provide technical support through providing spare parts and main- tenance services, and repair for the Sk- yguard Cannon System at a value of AED34 million. The UAE forces has signed with Raytheon Systems of Britain to purchase and assemble an aerial radar to detect planes. The deal is worth AED11 million. Thales Communications and Security from France will supply for technical maintenance, repair and support of devices at a value of AED21 million. IDEX BUYING SPREE AS SALES HIT AED 13.5BN
Transcript
GHQ UAE Armed ForcesDirectorate of Morale Guidance
4Daily Show25 February 2015
Military Strategic Journal
Day
The cheque books are coming out at IDEX 2015 in a big way with defence contract sales already notching AED
13.5bn.Yesterday alone saw the UAE Armed Forces sign seven new deals with local and foreign firms on the third day of IDEX valued at AED 3.955 billion. The contracts are for military hardware including aerial radars, helicopters, rifles and ammunition. IDEX spokesman Maj-Gen Obaid Al Ketbi says that the Armed Forces has entered into a deal with Tawazan Dynamics for the pur-chase of ultra-precision guided ammunition worth AED1.53 billion, and also with Emirates Advanced Research and Technology Hold-ing, EARTH, to develop Oshkosh defence systems and provide technical assistance and maintenance by providing spare parts with a total value of AED864 million. The Armed Forces has signed a deal with Caracal International, part of the Emirates
Defence Industries Company (EDIC), to buy 80,000 CAR816 modern assault rifles valued at AED 763 million. (See page 2)A contract was inked with AgustaWestland Aviation Services (AWAS) from Italy to buy nine helicopters with a total value of AED732 million. Six will be for search and rescue pur-poses and three for VIP use. A deal was done with Rheinmentall Air Defence to provide technical support through providing spare parts and main-tenance services, and repair for the Sk-yguard Cannon System at a value of AED34 million. The UAE forces has signed with Raytheon Systems of Britain to purchase and assemble an aerial radar to detect planes. The deal is worth AED11 million. Thales Communications and Security from France will supply for technical maintenance, repair and support of devices at a value of AED21 million.
Frontiers, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ship Building, yester-day launched its state-of-the-art eKnight-suit at IDEX.Based on a Future Soldier concept, the eKnight-suit is a
modular, scalable and system diagnostic offering that integrates arrays of sensors and communications systems to provide in-fantry with significantly higher combat potential. It also helps identify potential capabilities that may be required by soldiers in the future. Khalfan Al Shamsi, Frontiers CEO, says:”eKnight is a techno-logical breakthrough for the military and defence industry, deliv-ered to the world from Abu Dhabi by Frontiers experts.”
Italian armaments house OTO Melara has revealed a new-generation lightweight single 40mm naval gun system de-signed to provide small craft with a bigger punch.
The all-digital Forty Light non-deck-penetrating mounting has been designed to take advantage of a new generation of 40mm ‘smart’ ammunition based on OTO Melara’s 4AP programmable fuze. While the Forty Light displayed at IDEX is a full-scale mock-up, OTO Melara is already working on an engineer-ing development model. First trials are planned to start in mid-2015.
STATE-OF-THE-ART eKNIGHT-SUIT
ITALIAN NAVAL GUN SYSTEM
CARACAL SHOWCASES ADVANCED FIREARMS
Caracal International, part of the Emirates Defence Industries Company (EDIC), is showing its
CAR816 and CAR814 tactical rifles, the CS338 tactical sniper rifle and the CC10 semiautomatic carbine at IDEX. In a busy and productive IDEX for Cara-cal, it has inked a deal for the UAE Armed Forces 80,000 CAR 816s, a contract worth AED163 million.It has also unveiled its new Caracal 1911 handgun, one of the most mature and in-demand designs in many parts of the world. Inspired by more than 100 years of history,
the Caracal 1911 is based on John Moses Browning’s quintessential 1911 pistol. “The new Caracal 1911 attracted a lot of interest in the US, thanks to the pistol’s design and finish,” said Caracal chief executive, Hamad Salim Al Ameri. “It will be interesting to gauge demand here at IDEX as we interact with a much greater international audience.” The pistol is avail-able either with a 5in barrel or as a com-pact version, designated Caracal 1911C, which has a shorter 4.25 in barrel. Caracal’s assault rifles are tactical weap-ons designed for law enforcement and
military operations. They are available in semi-automatic and select-fire configu-rations, and with different barrel lengths. They have been designed in accordance with NATO standards. The CC-10 semi-auto 9x19mm carbine is aimed at the sporting market and is of-fered in long-barrel (LB) and short-barrel (SB) versions. According to the company, all its products have been designed and manufactured in the UAE. All the models on show have been built and tested at the Caracal factory in the Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi.
Marwan Lahoud, chief strategy and marketing officer for Airbus Group, says the company is to
deliver 30 commercial aircrafts to UAE carriers Etihad Airways, Emirates Airlines, and Air Arabia. Speaking on the sidelines of IDEX, Lahoud also said that the UAE is con-sidered one of the Group’s biggest cli-ents, making up around 20 per cent of its Middle East market. He added that the region as a whole is a tremendous market for the aerospace giant’s ac-tivities. Lahoud says that the Middle East ac-counts for more than 20 per cent of the company’s orders globally, and with a de-livery rate of one out of five for commer-cial, and one out of five for defence – in the next couple of years - the region is considered an excellent prototype area to build and grow business and partner-ships. Lahoud says the company has not wit-
nessed any changes in its defence aircraft sales despite the recent volatile situation in the region. “It has been a constant evolution since 2000. We saw a steep increase in 2006 and it has stabilised since. We are in a very long cycle activity. When you order an aircraft, or helicopter, we are talking about years which are not affected by shorter-term fluctuations. On the other hand, if these changes were to last, then we might see something.” In terms of Airbus Commercial, the UAE is the Group’s number one customer in the Middle East. “If we take Airbus Commer-cial, it is clear that in terms of airlines in the Gulf, the three big ones, the UAE as a country is the largest customer.” Airbus Group has a broader vision in terms of its aspirations of being part of the development in the region, through build-ing industry, creating highly qualified jobs, and providing employment. Lahoud adds: “Through our strong and
positive presence that goes back more than four decades in the region, we have created strategic partnerships to provide assistance, training and support by building local entities, creating jobs, and contributing to local economic de-velopment. “The regional governments are working to develop a knowledge based economy and this is an area where we as a Group play a role in supporting current and future talent. “We talk about markets but fundamentally what is happening now is that the indus-try is shifting. What was built in Europe is now shifting here and this is something we would like to stress.” Speaking about Strata Manufacturing PJSC, Strata, the advanced compos-ite aerostructures manufacturing facility wholly owned by Mubadala Development Company, Lahoud said that it is among the top 10 of aerostructure suppliers in Middle East and North Africa.
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20154
Unique, Tailored Solutionsfor an Ever-Changing World
DynCorp International (DI) which is built on more than six decades of experience as a trusted partner to
commercial, government and military cus-tomers and provides sophisticated avia-tion, logistics, training, intelligence and operational solutions, is taking space at IDEX.DI says it is “proud to support the United Arab Emirates and the GCC states in of-fering unique, tailored solutions for an ever-changing world.” “With vast international experience, we provide a unique array of expertise across a broad range of specialties,” it says.DI is an industry leader in providing ex-perienced security professionals to mis-sions around the world. A global recruit-ing network allows it to select skilled and seasoned experts who understand the professionalism required and sensitivities that come with working across all cultures.
Full service
DI currently provides full service and turn-key logistics to US and allied forces during combat, peacekeeping, humanitarian and training operations in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Oman. By leveraging worldwide expertise in contingency operations and an extensive global network, high-performing teams
have quickly organized and deployed a workforce of more than 20,000 people to more than 70 sites throughout the Middle East on five task orders.For more than a decade, DynCorp Inter-national has provided aviation, transporta-tion, maritime, dining and facilities support in the Philippines to the US Department of Defense.Meeting mission schedules in all circum-stances, the DI team provides logistics and full base-operating services through-out the joint operational area within the Philippines.This includes power generation, water and wastewater services, maintenance, avia-tion services, transportation, ordnance handling, freight operations, hazardous material collection and disposal, facilities maintenance, billeting management, food services, fuel services, morale welfare and recreation, and other services.
Diverse capabilities
DynAviation spans full-spectrum aero-space, aviation and air operations solu-tions worldwide. From daily aircraft and ground support equipment maintenance, modification and overhaul, to compre-hensive airfield and aircraft operations, it provides the services that ensure safety, reliability and performance.
DynGlobal brings the full range of DI’s diverse capabilities and decades of ex-perience to international and commercial customers around the world.DynLogistics provides best-value mission readiness through total support solutions, including conventional and contingency logistics; operations and maintenance support; platform modification and up-grades; supply chain management; train-ing; and full spectrum intelligence mission support services.Combat environments present unique challenges, and the DI team consistently delivers the highest level of support to al-lied forces. This includes: supply opera-tions, such as the delivery of food, water, fuel, spare parts, and other items; field operations, such as dining and laundry facilities, housing, sanitation, waste man-agement, postal services, and morale, welfare and recreation activities; and other operations, including engineering and construction, support to communica-tion networks, transportation and cargo services, and facilities maintenance and repair.To date, the customer has benefitted from more than $100 million in cost savings and cost avoidance. The DI team pro-vides necessary support functions to the customer, allowing military units to focus on their mission.
LOGISTICS LEADERDI provides ‘unique array of expertise across a broad range of specialties’
The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) is being developed by the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps
as a successor to the High Mobility, Multi-Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), which has been in service since 1985. The U.S. De-partment of Defense determined that a more capable vehicle was needed to re-store the protected mobility that was lost as the HMMWVs were heavily up-armored in an attempt to provide more protection to the vehicle occupants. The vehicles have also been constrained by attempts to increase payload, provide some level of power generation, and incorporate inte-grated, net ready and information-assured C4ISR (Command, Control, Communica-tions, Computers, Intelligence, Surveil-lance and Reconnaissance) architecture.The Lockheed Martin Team’s JLTV is far more than just a truck. It is a fully integrated combat tactical system that meets today’s requirements and was designed with the future in mind. It of-fers MRAP levels of crew protection, substantial increase in performance and payload, as well as greater reliability, outstanding fuel efficiency, and lower
operations and sustainment costs.The Lockheed Martin JLTV Team consists of a number of highly respected compa-nies with decades of military vehicle pro-duction experience. Partner BAE Systems has produced over 100,000 tactical com-bat tracked and wheeled vehicles, and provides the JLTV’s occupant-centric pro-tection system. A robust Cummins 4.5-li-tre, 4-cylinder engine provides greater displacement than many V6 engines, yet returns superior fuel efficiency. A highly reliable Allison 6-speed transmission completes the drive train. And a rugged independent air bag suspension system, provided by Meritor, delivers superior ride quality while maximizing ground clear-ance with an innovative “adjustable ride height” feature.“Government testing proved our JLTV meets protection standards for IED-pro-tected vehicles with margin, and restores cross-country maneuver for Marines and Soldiers,” said Scott Greene, vice presi-dent of Ground Vehicles at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “We started this program from a blank sheet of paper and purposefully designed a ve-
hicle to meet or exceed the specific JLTV program requirements, rather than taking an existing vehicle and trying to force-fit it into the requirements. The result is a vehicle that precisely aligns to the cus-tomers’ stated protection and mobility needs.”The Lockheed Martin Team’s JLTV also features an innovative Power Genera-tion Exportable Power solution instead of an alternator, providing vehicle power of up to 25kW, and expandable to as much as 75kW in the future. That power gen-eration capability is crucial as the need for on-board power continues to rise for the warfighter. Additionally, the team’s JLTV is designed to be easily expandable and reconfigurable; anticipating that future needs of the users will continue to evolve.“We will deliver an exceptional vehicle to the U.S. Government at the right price,” Greene said. “Our JLTVs have almost half-a-million combined testing miles to date, and our performance in the testing phases of the program has been out-standing. We are eager to provide our sol-diers and marines with the best possible vehicle.”
This is not the first time you have par-ticipated at IDEX. What made you decide to come back again this year?Finmeccanica’s companies have been at-tending since the first IDEX. The exhibi-tion is firmly established as one of the key shows on the international aerospace cal-endar, and this year Finmeccanica along with its companies are participating again in this important event. The Oto Melara CEO Eng. Cortesi; WASS CEO Eng. Franzoni; AgustaWestland CEO Eng. Roa-miti; Alenia Aermacchi CEO Dr. Giordo; DRS CEO W. Lynn; Selex ES CEO Eng. Giulianini; MBDA Italia CEO Dr. Perfetti, all of our defence companies are attend-ing this year, and I believe this is a clear indicator of how important is this country and the show for us. It is amazing to see the improvement of the event every two years and how it is excellently planned and executed.
Which products are you highlighting at the show?Among our products, we are highlighting our advance training aircraft, the M-346. It is the most advanced/lead-in fighter trainer aircraft currently produced and the only new-generation trainer optimized for the role of training pilots who fly on latest-gen-eration high-performance military planes. Thanks to its advanced technical design solutions and to the adoption of the latest
“design-to-cost” and “design-to-maintain” concepts, the M-346 provides reduced acquisition and operational costs. Further-more the reduced number of hours neces-sary for its maintenance make the aircraft excellently cost-effective. Another product we are pleased to showcase is the MC-27J Spartan Gunship aircraft. The MC-27J is becoming the benchmark in the new-generation, medium battlefield airlifter cat-egory. Oto Melara, which is collaborating with the local company Siham Al Khaleej Technologies, decided to unveil the new 40mm Light naval gun at IDEX due the importance of this event. In Finmeccanica stand, there are the mocks up of the AW 169 EMS, AW 149, AW 101 VVIP and CSAR version, and AW 139, with more than 60 of those delivered in the UAE to various customers and for different roles. Inside the vast Mubadala area, Frontiers together with Selex ES, is presenting our “Future Soldier System” solution. Further-more, DRS is exhibiting Rugged Worksta-tions, tactical Manpak comint/DF system,
Heavy and Medium Weapon thermal sights and DDU. WASS is presenting at SAKT’s stand at NAVDEX the Anti Torpedo Counter Measure system “Black Snake”, while the new light torpedo “Black Arrow”, Jammers and Decoy countermeasure are exhibited in Fincantieri shipyard stand.
How important is the Middle East in general and the GCC in particular for defence industry worldwide?Finmeccanica has a long term presence in the Gulf Region, and at the moment we are strongly focused on increasing our on-site presence and maintaining our advantage in the high technology field. We are consequently increasing our presence in the UAE with the aim to bet-ter support the commercial agreements, local collaborations and joint ventures in the aeronautics, electronics and high-tech industries sectors, which would contribute to enhance the local scientific and techno-logical capabilities. We are very active in other Gulf countries too, like Kuwait and Bahrain, where our companies are work-ing on important projects from defense electronics to aerospace. It is important to emphasize that all our activities are car-ried out in close coordination with the Ital-ian MOD, Embassies and Military Attaché offices, which proves the endorsement of our Government and their full support to our international commercial initiatives.
Finmeccanica to enhancepresence in the UAEFinmeccanica is a leading industrial group in the high technology sector, headquartered in Italy and one of the main global players in aerospace, defense and security with a strong industrial and commercial base in four domestic markets – Italy, UK, USA, Poland, and for-eign offices in 10 countries. Dr. Caio Mussolini, Vice President of global market development and the Head of Middle East region since 2007, took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Nation Shield.
The Rafale omnirole fighter is regu-larly subjected to upgrades to in-crease its military capabilities and to
facilitate supportability and maintenance. The F3R Standard due to enter service in 2018 will include a significant number of improvements such as:• Full integration of the Meteor missile - The ramjet-propelled Meteor is designed to defeat all known and projected adver-saries in the air-interception role.• Further ameliorations of the L16 da-talink to increase tactical information exchange capabilities while keeping full interoperability with other French and al-lied assets.• Full integration of the laser-guided SBU-54 variant of the Hammer (Highly Agile, Modular Munition Extended Range) fam-ily, allowing the weapon to be released with laser designation management any-where within the firing envelope.• Adoption of a fully automatic AGCAS system which will automatically bring the Rafale in level flight if a risk of CFIT is detected. The system is designed to ex-ecute an automatic recovery when terrain impact is likely; the ‘roll and pitch up to upright’ manoeuvre taking just a couple of seconds, without any pilot action. This will prove to be a decisive step forward for flight safety.• Improvements to the RBE2 radar, with the introduction of new, more efficient counter-counter measures modes.• Implementation of a Mode 5 and of an enhanced Mode S IFF.• Introduction of a new generation in-flight refuelling pod for the buddy-buddy tanking mission, mainly for use by the French Navy from Landivisiau naval air station and from aircraft-carrier Charles de Gaulle.• Adoption of the Thales Talios targeting pod which will replace the current Damo-clès. This new generation pod will allow
targets to be engaged at longer ranges, and fast moving vehicles or ships to be tracked more easily, in day light or at night.• Improvements to the GPS system for better interoperability with NATO partners.• Improvements to the SPECTRA elec-tronic warfare suite.• Introduction of new operating modes for the Pod Reco NG recce pod.Testing of the new functionalities of the
F3R Standard began in April 2014 and will last until late 2017 when qualification will be granted by the French MoD. The first series of trials were carried out by Dassault Aviation engineers at Istres on fixed test benches before the first flights were recorded in July 2014. Initial testing focussed on the Meteor Fire Control Sys-tem. With the advent of the F3R Standard, the Rafale omnirole fighter will be equipped with the best suite of sensors and weap-ons ever designed by the French indus-try. Dassault Aviation and its partners are already working on further improve-ments to be introduced at some point in
the next decade to boost even further the Rafale’s impressive combat ca-
pabilities.
Dassault Aviation engineers and flight test aircrews have begun testing improved Standard F3R software and hardware at Istres, France.
Patria and KONGSBERG have an-nounced a joint venture to pursue a major combat vehicle and weapon system program in the Middle East. Can you give us more details on this?Patria and KONGSBERG make a strong team and are working together to further solutions to meet the future customer needs in the Middle East. Patria is the market leader of modern 8x8 wheeled ar-mored vehicles and turreted 120 mm mor-tar systems with strong sales track-record. Patria AMV 8x8 is currently in commission by seven nations in wide range of envi-ronments. The vehicle is combat-proven in the real mission environment. KONGS-BERG offers products and systems for re-motely controlled weapon systems, com-mand and control, weapons guidance, communications solutions and missiles. Together with KONGSBERG we are a strong competitor with outstanding perfor-mance, skills and solutions, enabling us to offer the state of the art systems for next generation soldiers.
How suited are these vehicles for the Middle East?Patria AMV and Nemo mortar system, have
both been selected for use by the UAE Armed Forces. The versatility of the vehi-cle’s modular design enables tailor-made solutions for the local customer needs. As a modern and compact system, Patria Nemo can easily be mounted onto various armored vehicles, both wheeled (6x6, 8x8) and tracked. Due to its low weight, it is also adaptable to lightweight, high-speed ves-sels and can be effectively used for harbor patrolling and protection, coastal guarding
and infantry landing operations. For Patria, The Arabian Peninsula is an important area of future focus.
Your products include mortar systems – a highly competitive market. What features are unique to your product?In Patria’s turreted mortar systems, both the mortar crew and the vehicle driver are protected against ballistic, mine, IED and NBC-threats. Our top mortar system is the Patria Nemo, which is a 120 mm remote controlled mortar turret, providing indirect and direct fire as well as MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact) and direct fire capabilities. Another mem-ber of Patria’s turreted mortar system family is the AMOS, which is a double barreled breech-loading 120 mm mortar turret. It is designed to be mounted on wheeled or tracked APC chassis and on fast combat boats. It is able to operate autonomously with impressive firepower, including direct and indirect fire capability together with Multiple Rounds Simultane-ous Impact (MRSI). AMOS is a product of Patria Hägglunds, which is Patria’s 50% owned joint venture with BAE Systems Hägglunds.
COMBAT-PROVEN VEHICLESInterview with Patria vice president cor-porate communication, Birgitta Selonen
Saab Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System (MCS) is in-tended primarily for protection of military vehicles during movement and in combat and is designed to help the ve-
hicle to blend in with its surroundings. The MCS is a flexible solu-tion which can be applied in a number of configurations using dif-ferent types of materials providing stealth capability in the visual, near-infrared, thermal infrared and broadband radar wavebands, dimming sensors, obscures targeting and fooling smart ammuni-tion and giving a tactical and operational advantage. The MCS is essentially a tailor-made, multi-purpose, Combat Vest enhancing survivability, sustainability and the logistics of a vehicle or platform relative to a specific operational environment/requirement. MCS is designed to not degenerate the operational use or features of the original vehicle configuration and consists of interlocked panels, attached to the vehicle by a variety of tech-niques, none of which require modification to the vehicles. The MCS with integrated heat reduction system (CoolCam) effectively reducing heat build-up from solar loading and en-vironmental heat while operating in hot climate conditions. This minimizes the effects of solar loading passively, radi-cally lowering the vehicle inner temperature, creating better conditions for both personnel and electronic equipment and preventing the ballistic effects from temperature changes and shortens time for cooling down to operational tempera-ture and lowering fuel consumption by minimizing the fuel used for cooling.
Niklas Ålund, Key Account Manager, Saab Barracuda explains: “Barracuda MCS, used by more than 20 nations world-wide, of-fers full multi-spectral protection and passive temperature reduc-tion, while at the same time passively reducing the power con-sumption up to 25%. A newly executed study made by Thermo analysis INC. USA, shows that Barracuda MCS can create a cost-saving of 30,000 Euro in a year – for every vehicle used in theatre during operation.”
Used in any condition
The MCS is optimized in color, design and properties and can be adapted to any mission and theatre in hours. En-hancing mission specific capability by the pallet of integrated features, it is a carrying system, shade net and shelter. MCS provides simplified logistics and the vehicle can be prepared for training or any mission in any environment in hours with-out repainting or mounting complex add-ons as extra air con-dition. The MCS can also be complemented with Shading Umbrella. The multispectral umbrella system obstructs thermal and visual reconnaissance by enemy forces, including snipers, while al-lowing outward observation by the user. The system also offers shade and significantly reduces solar heating. Additionally, the Umbrella is lightweight, offers rapid deployment and stowage, and has been proven on a variety of vehicles.
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201512
Northrop Grumman is showcasing a range of systems including air-
borne early warning and con-trol, C4ISR, radars, defence electronics, cyber security and an upgraded helicopter cockpit at IDEX.The company will also fea-ture leading maritime capa-bilities, including mine-coun-termeasure solutions ALMDS and AQS-24, at NAVDEX, the naval defence and mari-time security section of IDEX. Northrop Grumman’s NAVDEX exhibit is at booth B-040.In addition, Northrop Grum-man and the Higher Colleges of Technology will sign a mem-orandum of understanding to continue the Innovation Chal-lenge program. This unique competition em-powers college students in the UAE to design, build and fly unmanned aircraft as part of the company’s support for sci-ence, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) ed-ucation. The signing ceremony took place in Northrop Grum-man’s booth 02-A10 in the US pavilion.“Northrop Grumman is com-mitted to being a trusted, long-term partner with Gulf Cooperation Council coun-tries,” said Doug Raaberg, chief executive, Northrop Grumman UAE. “IDEX and NAVDEX 2015 are oppor-tunities to renew those ties, shine a spotlight on our lead-ing capabilities and work closely with our customers
to enhance the security and development of the region.”A featured attraction of North-rop Grumman’s IDEX exhibit is the E-2D Advanced Hawk-eye airborne early warning and control tactical worksta-tion, which enables visitors to simulate operating an E-2D and learn about its data-gath-ering features.The exhibit will also spotlight Northrop Grumman’s industry-leading radar technologies, including Longbow fire control radars for the AH-64 Apache
attack helicopter and ground-based radars such as the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar and the AN/TPS-78 and TPS-703 air sur-veillance and air traffic control radars. Among the advanced defence electronics systems on dis-play will be the AN/APR-39 radar warning receiver which protects a wide variety of fixed-, rotary- and tilt-wing air-craft, and the AN/AAQ-28(V) LITENING pod, a combat-proven, self-contained, multi-
sensor targeting and surveil-lance system. Northrop Grumman offers a full range of open, interop-erable and cyber-hardened command and control solu-tions. These solutions in-clude the Citadel Enterprise Battle Command System, a cyber-secure, rapidly de-ployable and mobile com-mand-and-control system that delivers a single in-tegrated air picture to en-able better, timelier decision making. Citadel can easily incorporate current and fu-ture sensors and weapon systems for the greatest flexibility to contend with the evolving threat and budget environments.In addition, Northrop Grum-man will showcase its up-
graded helicopter cock-pit. Derived from the
US Army’s UH-60V Black Hawk pro-gram, the system allows customers to have an af-fordable, highly digital, integrated suite of avion-ics equipment. The system’s integrated archi-tecture can be applied to many platforms through a single software package.Northrop Grum-man can be found in US pavilion booth 02-A10, stand CS-2.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN SHOW-CASES DEFENCE CAPABILITIES Company signing UAE Innovation Challenge
How important is it for Oshkosh to be a part of IDEX?JMU - Our agenda is as it was 2 years ago, to talk about our tremendous capa-bilities. Last IDEX we had different vehi-cles here so what we are trying to do is tailor our booth to what we believe are the needs of the customer base that we are trying to nurture relationship with and to meet their requirements. We view IDEX as a strategic show. We don’t attend eve-ry show but we believe IDEX is a show we must participate in. If you look at the different countries that are here, the expo-sure and the ability to interact with many international leaders, there is no show like it. We believe we have the right types of equipment to showcase and they have the opportunity to come in and see what we are offering.
What can customers expect from the Oshkosh stand?JMU - If you look at the nature and growth of global threats today compared to two years ago, it’s a night and day difference. Situa-tional requirements in mobility and surviva-bility have become exceptionally important.
We feel that we have tailored the vehicles that we are showing here in accordance with the needs of our customer base. We are showing our MATV ambulance – one of our heavy vehicles, in response to feedback we have received from clients that there is a need for a full equipped yet survival ambu-lance and we believe the M-ATV is the right solution. We’ve already had a number of potential customers in the medical field that have responded well to our configuration. It is an extremely survivable vehicle whereas the current vehicle in use, the Humvee, is not against the types of threats. The JLTV light vehicle is also highly mobile, survivable and less costly and the life cycle cost are going to be significantly reduced from the current vehicles out there.
Where does the Middle East stand in terms of Oshkosh’s global out-look?JMU - The UAE is our number one inter-national customer, with Saudi Arabia and Canada following on.
You will be showcasing your Un-manned Systems technology at the
event. Can you give us a brief about the technology, its development and its deployment?JWB - Our Terramax UGV unmanned ground vehicle is a key part of our un-manned systems. It can be installed to any tactical wheeled vehicle and give it an unmanned, remotely operated ca-pability. The main benefits in this are its implementation for logistic missions, surveillance, and reconnaissance. It is an enabling technology with many ap-plications with added force multiplication and protection aspects. These vehicles are very capable with very little opera-tor interaction. We’ve been developing the technology for over a decade and we’ve been continually improving on the systems. What we have today is the cul-mination of our efforts to take advantage of the latest technology and it the result of multiple generations of development with academic and design partners to push the tech to the level of maturity it is at today. It’s a promising technology and we are certainly seeing a higher level of interest from certain quarters particularly from the United States.
Interview with Major General U.S. Army (retired) John M Urias, executive vice president of Oshkosh Corporation and president of Oshkosh Defense and John W Beck, chief engineer, unmanned systems, global technology and advanced products.
HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT IN OSHKOSH DEFENSE SOLUTIONS
Major General U.S. Army (retired) John M Urias, executive vice presidentof Oshkosh Corpora-
tion and president of Oshkosh Defense
25 February 2015
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Any modern radar sys-tem can find a needle in a haystack. But how do
you find one in a stack of nee-dles rocketing through space at hypersonic speeds?To the people responsible for defending the U.S. and its al-lies from a ballistic missile attack, this type of problem isn’t a theoretical one. Real warheads could hide among countermeasures meant to confuse the radar. “There are a lot of objects associated with a ballis-tic missile, and if you don’t know which one to hit, the only way to address that threat is to shoot an inter-ceptor at each object,” said Adam Art, chief engineer for missile defense programs at Raytheon Integrated De-fense Systems. The technical term for using ra-dar to distinguish a threat like a warhead from non-threats, such as countermeasures is discrimination.“When there are multiple ob-jects in a cluster, you have to determine which one is the le-thal object,” said Chip Wolcott, Raytheon’s chief engineer for
the AN/TPY-2 radar. “The ra-dar does this and passes the information to the interceptor.” Two Raytheon missile de-fense radars, both of which operate in the X-band of the radio-wave spectrum, have become synonymous with discrimination: the AN/TPY-2, a school-bus sized radar, and the Sea-based X-band radar, a converted offshore oil rig topped with a 10-story-high ra-dar dome. AN/TPY-2s are deployed around the world in sites that include Turkey, Japan and Guam.“The AN/TPY-2 is so powerful that a radar could see a base-ball being lofted into space from
hundreds of miles away, and then direct a player where to stand in order to catch the ball,” said Fred Kramer, Raytheon’s AN/TPY-2 program director.The company’s engineers and scientists are applying their expertise in discrimination to other frequencies beyond the X-band. Raytheon is incor-porating discrimination capa-bility into the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR), a new S-band radar for the U.S. Navy. “AMDR introduces new tech-nologies, like gallium nitride-based semiconductors and modular hardware and soft-ware to create a highly scal-able radar,” said Raytheon’s
Jim Barry, technical director for Integrated Defense Sys-tems’ Seapower Capability Systems business area. Over more than four decades, the company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to conduct focused research and development, create pro-cesses, develop tools and build a nation-wide manufacturing infrastructure, with one aim in mind – creating radars that pro-vide the customer with cutting-edge discrimination capability.The focus on discrimination matters. Public U.S. intelli-gence reports estimate there are more than 6,300 ballis-tic missiles outside of U.S., Russian, Chinese and NATO control, with that number ex-pected to grow to nearly 8,000 by 2020. The danger posed by those missiles is also growing, as they become more accu-rate and lethal, and capable of traveling over longer dis-tances.“People are in harm’s way from these threatening ballis-tic missiles, and as the threat evolves, it’s important we keep up with it,” Art said. “There’s no room for error here.”
THE RIGHT NEEDLEIn a flurry of targets, radar must find the threat
The AN/TPY-2 is so powerful that a radar could see a baseball being lofted into space from hun-dreds of miles away, and then direct a player where to stand in order to catch the ball.
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FULLY INTEGRATED HEADGEAR SYSTEMInterview with Mikael Westerlund, Chief Strategic Officer, Savox CommunicationsYou are unveiling a new in-fantry soldier modernization equipment system at IDEX 2015. What are the salient features?THOR®, which stands for ‘Tactical Headgear system for changing Operational Requirements’, is our new system designed to meet the headgear requirement for all arms of the Finnish De-fence Forces (FDF) under its ‘Future Warrior 2020’ pro-gramme. We’re very excited about this new, world-class system and while the FDF is actually our first customer, THOR is also ideal for other military and security end us-ers, including Special Forces, Marine and SWAT units. It’s a fully integrated headgear system consisting of ballistic protection, communications, night vision equipment, hear-ing protection and powered accessory rails, and can be configured for different users and scenarios. THOR’s bal-listic, helmet-shell component is lightweight, and provides troops not only with state-of-the-art protection, but it’s also extremely comfortable and stable. Another important factor about THOR compared with other programmes, is that the main sub-systems and components, such as its night vision goggles, have been specifically designed for the headgear system, enabling the highest level of integration reliability to be achieved and ensuring all its component parts work to-gether in perfect harmony.
To what extent is your new integrated headgear system useful for homeland security and special operation forc-es, particularly in the Middle East?THOR offers a unique ca-pability in extremely hot cli-mates, such as the Middle East. For the first time, a sol-dier or security operative can configure their headgear sys-tem and use just the NVG, hearing protection and com-munications modules with-out having to incorporate the protective ballistic shell. This will be of particular interest
for Special Forces and cov-ert operations in hot regions, where it might prove to be a real advantage due to its re-duced weight and for keeping the head cooler. Another ad-vantage in the hot tempera-tures of the Middle East is that THOR’s hearing protec-tion system has a ventilation position.
How many countries in the region have shown interest in the new system?We have sold many different communications products and advanced accessories
in more than 60 countries worldwide. As for the new THOR tactical headgear, the system has not been re-vealed anywhere other than in Finland, until now, at IDEX. We are hoping that it will gather a lot of interest here from the many different end user groups across the Mid-dle East for which we think THOR would be ideal.
Your equipment is said to be tailor made for “extreme dust and temperature envi-ronments”. So is it suited for offshore and desert environ-ments?The new THOR has certainly been designed to meet the requirements of both land and marine units operating in extreme environments. Other systems we manufacture are suited to civil applications in the extreme and often haz-ardous scenarios found in the ME region’s oil and gas production industry.
Do you have a presence in the Middle East?Previously, we have supplied equipment for certain naval applications in the Middle East as well as other solu-tions for use by some of the region’s Special Forces. However, at this time we don’t have a physical pres-ence in the region, although this is something we are cur-rently evaluating. We’re cer-tainly looking forward to be-ing at IDEX. It’s our first time at the show, so we have high hopes for a successful visit.
Embraer Defense & Security is at-tending IDEX to promote a broad range of integrated solutions that
combine a high technological level and op-erational efficiency at competitive acquisi-tion and operating costs. This includes the A-29 Super Tucano light attack airplane and advanced trainer as well as the new KC-390 military airlifter and tanker. The A-29 Super Tucano was selected for the U.S. Air Force’s Light Air Support pro-gram to perform counter insurgency mis-sions in Afghanistan while the KC-390, which has performed its first flight some days ago, is designed to set new stand-ards in its class, at a lower operational cost and higher availability rate due to lower
maintenance downtime. Its great flexibility to perform a wide range of missions such as transport and airdropping of cargo and troops, aerial refuelling, search and rescue, and forest fire response, among others, will also translate into savings to customers since they can perform more missions with a single platform. On May 20, 2014, Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force signed the serial production contract for the delivery of 28 KC-390 aircraft and initial logistic support. Besides the order from the Brazilian Air Force, there are cur-rent purchase intentions from other coun-tries, for a total of 32 additional aircraft. Embraer’s Defense & Security portfo-lio also includes a family of Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, state-of-the-art radar technolo-gies, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and advanced information and com-munication systems, such as Com-mand, Control, Communication, Com-putation, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) applications. “We are glad to participate again in this prestigious event and to have the oppor-tunity to promote our mission-ready prod-ucts for the Middle Eastern market,” said Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security. “We of-fer a large number of solutions made-to-order for the needs of each customer in the region.”
Raytheon Company has begun de-velopment on an extended range variant of the combat-proven Ad-
vanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM). Designed specifically for ground-based air defense, AMRAAM-ER will enable intercepts at longer range and higher altitudes.“With AMRAAM-ER, Raytheon is re-writing the book on ground-based air defense. The new missile will be even faster and more maneuverable than the current AMRAAM,” said Mike Jarrett, Raytheon vice president of Air Warfare Systems. “By leveraging many existing AMRAAM components, Raytheon can
deliver AMRAAM-ER quickly and af-fordably with very low risk.”Raytheon will integrate AMRAAM-ER into the NASAMS launcher. NASAMS is the latest and most modern Medium Range Air Defense system. In partner-ship with KONGSBERG, Raytheon has delivered more than 70 fire units to seven countries. It is the most commonly used Short and Medium Range Air Defense System in NATO.“Combined with the NASAMS launcher, AMRAAM-ER will provide a new level of protection to customers,” said Ralph
Acaba, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business. “NASAMS is one of the most easily manned, trained, and maintained systems in the world.”Fielded in Norway for more than a decade, NASAMS is operationally de-ployed in the U.S. National Capital Re-gion, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, and an undisclosed country. It is also
in production for Oman under a contract received last year. Ray-
theon plans to flight test AM-RAAM-ER before the end
of the year.
RAYTHEON UNVEILS EXTENDED RANGE
EMBRAER’S COMPLETEPORTFOLIO ON DISPLAY
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UAE based company, ASIS Boats has un-veiled its newest design
model called the “Bluebird” at NAVDEX. With its unique, high-endurance, high-perfor-mance capabilities, the Blue-bird is one of the world’s most advanced military rigid hull inflatable boat. It can be pur-posefully disguised and col-oured to appear as a civilian or recreational vessel which provides a tactical advantage when needed.The 9.8 meter Bluebird is pow-ered by twin 350hp outboard engines, is capable of speeds up to 65 MPH (105km/h), even in choppy waters and combines the latest advances in maritime shock mitigation, including a three-axis fully shock-mitigated console hous-ing the operator seats and all equipment. It is easy to ma-noeuvre both on the open wa-ter and in close quarters, and is also fuel-efficient.
Equipped with a state-of-the-art, headset wireless commu-nications system that cancels intrusive, fatigue-inducing wind and engine noise, it ena-bles full communication be-tween crew and passengers and is fully integrated with both the marine VHF and tacti-cal radio systems. Some of the features include: a Cool Suit device that allows passengers to stay cool despite being in an open air environment – an
added benefit in Middle East-ern climates along with bullet proofing, bullet resistant glass, gyro-stabilized thermal cam-era, and multiple crew-serve weapon pedestals, supporting heavy machine guns and gre-nade launchers.“We have more than 10 years experience of delivering the most effective and innovative solutions for naval and military forces around the world, and understand the challenges
and needs,” said Roy Nouhra, founder and President of ASIS Boats. “The Bluebird’s revo-lutionary design and features makes it one of the most ad-vanced military rigid inflatable boats, with exceptional perfor-mance, versatility, safety, agility and comfort. There is no doubt that this is a craft that will be of great interest at NAVDEX.” As a manufacturer and sup-plier of military, government, security, coastguard and in-dustry marine craft around the world, ASIS Boats are known for their speed, manoeuvrabil-ity, reliability, seaworthiness, safety and stability in the most adverse conditions, in all climates and at the highest speeds. One of the few manu-facturers in the world to gain US Coastguard Sub-Chapter T approval, ASIS Boats has both European CE approval, as well as US-certification from NMMA, SOLAS and ABYC bodies.
Can you elaborate on CY4Gate and the solutions it offers?It is primarily concerned with cyber elec-tronic warfare and cyber intelligence. CY4Gate provides a number of solu-tions to enhance capabilities and gather, collect and analyze data. Gathering and collection have been typical missions of electronic warfare. The typical informa-tion collected through electronic warfare is electronic signals coming from radar or a radio. Today there is also data coming from open sources which is web, social media and images. Cyber intelligence in this respect combines traditional ways of collecting information which is what elec-tronic warfare does with different types of data of different nature. It’s unique and gives customers a credible advantage in terms of overall protection of assets which could be people, infrastructure etc.
How does social media come in to play here and how are these threats identified?Terrorists communicate a lot through Fa-cebook but they also communicate on
what is not open source, it is either deep web or dark web. CY4Gate has the ca-pability to process large amounts of data from sources that are open. For that we have developed a number of platforms, one of this is Cogito, which is Latin for I think. Cogito is capable of digesting large amounts of documents in different lan-guages coming from open sources pos-sibly containing the information that you want and would never be able to find. It is a platform that allows identification of op-erationally meaningful patterns. We also have other solutions that allow the scan of what is not readily available like the deep or dark web.
What do you mean by deep or dark web?A search engine like Google is capable of indexing only a small percentage of the In-ternet. Whatever is not indexed by one of the major or better known search engines is called deep web. It’s like an iceberg basically. On the tip of the iceberg you find other search engines like Yahoo etc. Then there is another part of the iceberg
which is substantial and is not impossible to reach. Then there is another part that is deep down and that is where most of the illegal trafficking happens. This informa-tion is important from a law enforcement and intelligence agency perspective to find out what’s happening.
How has the response been to CY-4Gate at IDEX and what are your fu-ture plans?IDEX is one of the most important de-fense exhibitions and solutions like these combine defense with security and law enforcement and intelligence and the response has been quite good. There has been quite a lot of interest for CY-4Gate. We have a number of meetings planned; we are taking commitments for further discussions in the future. I have to say that behind CY4Gate is Elettronica, which is the world leader of electronic warfare systems. Without that herit-age and strength we would have never reached where we are. We have a plan of expansion that focuses heavily on the Gulf and East Asia.
CYBER DEFENSE SOLUTIONS
A joint venture between Elettronica SpA and Expert System SpA, CY4Gate was announced in December 2014 and integrates the mutual knowledge and expertise of both houses to offer products for cyber defense electronics and intelligence to government organizations operating in the security field. Nation Shield met with chief marketing and innovation officer, Andrea Melegari.
SA’S PARAMOUNT IN MAJOR DEAL WITH JORDANCollaboration for Mbombe vehicles
Paramount Group, Af-rica’s largest privately-owned defence and
aerospace operation, has tel-egraphed an emphatic mes-sage to the industry in the Mid-dle East – we mean business. Paramount and Jordan’s state-owned defence com-pany, the King Abdullah II Design and Development Bu-reau (KADDB) signed a “ma-jor contract” for the production of the world’s most advanced armoured infantry combat ve-hicles, the 6x6 Mbombes.The deal for the production of the first 50 Mbombes was signed by the CEO of KADDB, Major-General Omar Al Kaldi and chairman of Paramount Group, Ivor Ichikowitz, at IDEX this week.Ichikowitz says: “We’ve had a long-standing relationship with KADDB. They are sophisticat-ed users. We are proud they chose our product. We worked in close collaboration to refine our product for real-world situ-ations.“The usual situation with com-petitors is that there’s a lot of testing, a lot of trialling then the product goes into service. But we have refined it before it goes into service. Our product certainly isn’t cheap, but it is cost-effective. But what would have convinced the Jordani-ans would have been the col-laboration in the development.“We have developed a large focus on the Middle East. This is one of our product offerings. In South Africa, due to our tur-multuous past, we know about battle-hardened technologies.
“From a future planning per-spective we want to grow this relationship with Jordan along with other collaborations in the Middle East. The next genera-tion is not just about supplying products, it’s about far greater focus on the domestic market – the Jordan project is testa-ment to this.” CEO of King Abdullah II De-sign and Development Bu-reau (KADDB), Major Gen-eral Omar Al Kaldi says: “The production of Mbombe in Jordan signals an important milestone in the continuing growth of the defence indus-trial capability in the Middle East. The Mbombe is a world-class product that is optimally suited for the requirements of defence forces in the region. The Mbombe will become the
platform for the future 6x6 re-quirements of the Jordanian Armed Forces.” Ichikowitz says: “Paramount Group and the Jordanian de-fence industry have a long history of collaboration and we are very excited to support the development of a defence industrial base in Jordan that will contribute to employment, skills development and tech-nology transfer and training.”There has been an extensive programme of vehicle trials comprising 50°Celsius desert environments in Jordan and the UAE, to -50° Celsius dur-ing winter trials in Kazakhstan. The Mbombe successfully completed the rigorous trials and in the process covered more than 10,000 km in the world’s most harsh and chal-
lenging environments. “The vehicle is equally at home in the snow and ice as it is in the desert,” according to Ichikowitz.The Mbombe is a six-wheeled vehicle that employs a ground-breaking new form of con-struction technology offering outstanding protection, mobil-ity and firepower. It is designed to provide unrivalled protection against landmines, IEDs, side blasts and RPG attacks. Ichikowitz says: “The nature of threats that armed forces in the Middle East are facing has intensified. Armed forces de-mand world-leading technolo-gies and capabilities to com-bat these threats. The South African defence industry has become one of the most ad-vanced developers of defence technologies in the world and Paramount Group today is the custodian of much of this tech-nology.”Mbombe is the first vehicle in its class to use flat hull mine protected technology, and the first to offer all-round protec-tion against a variety of threats. Ballistic protection is provided against 14.5mm heavy ma-chine gun rounds, while it of-fers similar levels of protection against 155mm artillery burst. Level 4 mine protection is of-fered against 10kg mines deto-nating under the hull or wheels. Against IEDs, it can withstand a 50kg TNT blast.Production of the 50 Mbombe’s will commence im-mediately with manufacturing taking place in Jordan and South Africa.
Ivor Ichikowitz and Major-General Omar Al Kaldi at the signing
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The German Federal Procurement Agency BAAINBw, in charge
of procurement for defense programs, informed the Ital-ian Ministry of Defense about the decision to proceed with the joint qualification program of the Vulcano Guided Long Range (GLR) ammunition family. After successful comparative tests and technical investiga-tions, including compatibility with PzH2000, and a series of firing campaigns performed
to assess the maturity of the technology and the accuracy of the guidance, BAAINBw de-cided to proceed with the final phase of qualification of the Vulcano GLR for future use on their land and naval artillery gun systems. Both nations have agreed on a Joint Qualification Pro-cedure to be applied to the complete family of Vulcano
127mm/155mm (GLR) with GPS*, SAL* and IR* Terminal Homing Capabilities. The Vulcano is being devel-oped by OTO Melara in co-operation with Diehl Defense. Finmeccanica-OTO Melara S.p.A. is a company of the Fin-meccanica group whose 2013 revenues amount to 16 billion Euros and with business activ-ities in the fields of helicopters,
aeronautics, electronics for defense and security, defense systems, space, transportation and energy. Paul Sonnenschein, head of public relations at Diehl Defence said: “We are very pleased with the confirma-tion of this agreement, which highlights the success of the joint venture between Diehl Defence OTO Melara and ce-ments our mutual commitment to the development of preci-sion long-range, laser-guided munitions”.
UAE based company Siham Al Khaleej Technology (SAKT), to-gether with the European MBDA
and the Italian GEM Elettronica is pre-senting an innovative and cost-effective coastal battery system. This cooperation is part of a head of agreement signed during 2013 Dubai Air Show that sees SAKT as the prime contractor and system integrator, MBDA as the supplier of the launchers and the launching systems for the Marte family missile, and GEM as the coastal battery remote station system supplier.The coastal defence system can pro-vide both maritime coastal traffic sur-veillance and interdiction of territorial waters to hostile ships and can launch two different missile options: the Marte MK2/N, for those users willing to con-trol littoral waters up to 35 km ranges and the Marte ER for those operators requiring to extend the control in depth. The system can be connected through Data Link with an Upper Echelon of
Command and Control and can be rap-idly deployed anywhere along the coast and easily redeployed to small islands.The Coastal Battery Remote station (CBRS 100-MD) is a small size shelter-contained system, capable of operating in all weather conditions, day and night. As an option GEM is offering a TV/IIR capability to extend the overall iden-tification performance. The proposed system will be on display at the SAKT stand, representing the baseline con-figuration of a Coastal Defence System
that satisfies the key requirements of surveillance, control and protection of sea lines of communications and pro-tection of coastal assets. The baseline is a very simple configura-tion with a minimum number of compo-nents (high performing Surface Coastal radar, a shelter with Command & Con-trol functions and devices, and a Marte missile launcher) and reduced perma-nent crew requirement. The missile ammunitions of the Marte family will be supplied directly by MBDA.
TOUGH COASTAL DEFENCE SYSTEM
PINPOINT ACCURACY ASSUREDOTO Melara and Diehl Defence’s Vulcano am-munition family receives bi-lateral approval
Emirates Defense Technology (EDT) has un-veiled its new 8x8 Armoured Modular Fighting Vehicle, Enigma. Displayed on the Emirates
Defense Technology’s stand for the duration of IDEX, the vehicle provides high-levels of protection, heavy weapons systems, amphibious capabilities, and an unrivalled spacious interior that can accommodate 11 personnel, all without compromising the 28-ton vehi-cle’s mobility. The production of the Enigma will be at EDT’s facility in Abu Dhabi, where it has already undertaken strin-gent tests ahead of its official introduction and will further support the UAE’s development of an indig-enous defense industry and enhance EDT’s global reputation as a modern and progressive defense company. Attending the unveiling ceremony, Saeed Moham-mad bin Butti Al Qubaisi, vice chairman of Emirates Defense Technology, said, “Emirates Defense Tech-nology is proud to deliver another state-of-the-art armored vehicle, which has been designed and de-veloped here in Abu Dhabi, and further enhances the UAE’s burgeoning defense industry.” Mohamed Bin Jabr Al Suwaidi, CEO of Emirates Defense Technology, said, “The new Enigma 8x8 reflects our long-standing commitment to the de-sign, engineering and manufacture of hardware here in the UAE. It also supports our reputation for producing exceptional defense solutions that direct-ly meets the needs of our local, regional and global client base.”
NEW HAND-HELDDEVICE BY BRUKER
In a world of complex global and domestic threats, the ability to easily, efficiently, safely and accurately guard against potential danger is a necessity. Combatting the threat of secreted narcotics or explosives, Bruker Detec-tion introduces RoadRunner, an innovative, hand-held explosives and narcotics trace detector with outstand-ing sensitivity, selectivity and ease of use – rivaling many bench-top devices already in service. The device offers enhanced versatility with the dual modes for ‘sniffing’ vapor samples directly, as well as for thermal desorption of particles captured by swabs.It is equipped with non-radioactive photoionization source and so avoids regulatory checks for radioactive source safety. Aside from the long-term benefits, con-tinuous automatic internal calibration makes manual calibration and verification steps obsolete and simplifies day-to-day operation.Dr. Norbert Kloepper, Head of the Bruker Explosive Trace Detection business, commented: “With RoadRunner we are offering a major analytical performance and usability advance for hand-held ETD in cargo security, passenger security, the protection of critical infrastructure, trans-portation nodes, ports of entry and of the general public. “This light-weight and convenient new explosives and narcotics detector for field and portable applications will give our customers increased confidence in being able to detect a broad range of traditional and emerging ana-lytes, with excellent sensitivity and specificity, and with exceptionally low false negative rates.”
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When did the ITS Doria arrive and what activities are you conducting in the area?The Ship left the naval base of Taranto, Italy on 22 July, and arrived in Mina Zayed Port last Wednesday, after more than six months at sea for Counter piracy opera-tions in the Gulf of Aden and the Somali Basin. The Unit is fully equipped with state of the art sensors, weapons and combat management system mainly from FIN-MECCANICA’s group companies that al-low us to accomplish our mission at our best.
What is the reason for your participa-tion at this event?IDEX is a paramount defence event, supported by the UAE Government and UAE Armed Forces, and our presence in Abu Dhabi is a demonstration of the im-portance for the Italian government and Italian Navy to support this initiative. I attended IDEX for the first time when I was Ensign, in 1993 onboard of ITS Libeccio, a Maestrale Class frigate. It was a long time ago and mean-while the event became the most relevant defense ex-hibition in the Gulf area. Furthermore, the Italian Horizon-class vessel is
a self-evident showcase of our technol-ogy in the naval sector, and we have on board some systems that are showcased in Italian companies’ stands in IDEX and NAVDEX. The ship is a “multi-role” ship able to counter air, surface and under-water threats and to perform many tasks, in particular medium range air defense, therefore contributing to the protection of naval formations and convoys.
What are the main weapons systems on board?The ship is equipped with a medium range missile system “PAAMS” – Principal Anti Air Missile System (MBDA), a multi-func-tional radar, EMPAR – European Multi-functional Phased Array Radar (SELEX ES) and a Long Range Radar (THALES Netherland). The Unit is equipped with a state of the art Combat Management Sys-tem CMS (SELEX ES-DCNS/THALES), an Electronic Warfare System (SIGEN-ELT) and two multisensory tracking sys-tems (radar and electro-optical) supplied by SELEX ES. Self-defense is guaranteed by the inner layer defense system based on 3 OTO Melara Super Rapid 76/62 mm Naval Guns and two Single 25 mm guns. In addition, the unit has onboard an EH 101 AgustaWestland Helicopter.
When will the ship depart?We are planning to be back to Taranto’s Naval Base next month. It has been a long mission, but we are proud to serve our country and give our concrete contri-bution to the safety and security at sea. My crew, 193 people, really enjoyed tak-ing a break in a nice and modern city like
Abu Dhabi and of course, we have enjoyed the good winter weather conditions very much!
ITS ANDREA DORIA at NAVDEXAfter more than six months in counter piracy operation, ITS Andrea DORIA is visit-ing Abu Dhabi as part of NAVDEX. Nation Shield met with Commanding Officer Cpt. Angelo Virdis while he was visiting the exhibition.
CAE is training MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper pilots and sen-
sor operators from the United States, United Kingdom, France and other nations in the skill sets needed to fly and manage the two remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) which have become featured as-sets in reconnaissance, coor-dination, and strike missions worldwide. Predator/Reaper aircrews receive training for initial qualification, refresher/recurrent training and instruc-tor qualification.Under a five-year contract won in 2013, CAE employees pro-vide classroom, simulator, and live flying instruction as well as courseware development in support of approximately 1,500 pilots and sensor operators who go through the training program annually at four U.S. Air Force bases. The primary schoolhouse is at Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), New Mexico, which is home to both the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper formal training units. Additional training is provided by CAE at Creech AFB, Ne-vada; March Air Reserve Base, California and Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, New York. The USAF and CAE intro-duced a new syllabus in Oc-tober, and also recently im-plemented a new learning content management system for the program.“A number of companies, in-cluding CAE, market and sell the hardware that can be used to train remotely piloted air-craft aircrews,” said George Stillman, CAE’s site manager
at Holloman AFB and also an MQ-9 Reaper instructor pilot. “What CAE brings, though, is intimate knowledge and ex-perience on how to train pilots and sensor operators to use the aircraft to perform various mission sets.”The MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper training program at the formal training units last ap-proximately four months and comprises academic training, simulator training, and live flying. About a quarter of the training time is spent in the classroom, with the remaining three-quarters divided almost equally between simulator and live flying training. Pilots and sensor operators train as
a crew using flight simulators that are very much like the ground control stations (GCS) used operationally. For live fly-ing training, the crew employs the aircraft from inside the GCS via a line-of-sight data link or a satellite data link for beyond line-of-sight opera-tions.Whether in a simulator or the actual GCS, the pilot flies the aircraft with a joystick and throttle based primarily on data inputs from an array of displays, including a mov-ing map. Simulation includes real-world environmental flight conditions such as wind shear, slope winds, low visibility, ic-ing, and thermal variations. A
key learning requirement is fly-ing the aircraft smoothly so as not to risk interrupting its data connection.The sensor operator controls the electro-optical, low-light and infrared cameras, other sensors, and the targeting system. An instructor op-erator station supports crew training, monitoring, and evaluation.Once they have learned the basics, the RPA crews conduct simulated missions includ-ing Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Recon-naissance (ISTAR), combat search and rescue (CSAR), and air interdiction.“No combat mission is going to be exactly the same, so what we are trying to do is teach people how to think critically and make informed, intelligent decisions in a dynamic envi-ronment,” said Stillman.Further, the Italian Directorate for Air Armaments and Air-worthiness (DAAA) recently contracted CAE to develop and deliver upgrades and en-hancements to an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Mission Trainer being developed for the Italian Air Force.CAE is developing a high fi-delity UAS Mission Trainer specifically representing the Italian Air Force’s General Atomics Predator A and Pred-ator B. In partnership with General Atomics and the Ital-ian Air Force, CAE will con-duct flight test data gathering on actual Italian Air Force Predator aircraft to ensure the highest fidelity simulation of flight systems and sensor payloads.
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TEXTRON SYSTEMS FEATURESPROVEN LAND CAPABILITIES
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Textron Systems high-lighted a number of its land system solutions at
the exhibition, including sev-eral variants of the company’s family of combat-proven COM-MANDOTM armored vehicles. The company has nearly 50 years of experience in the design, development and pro-duction of wheeled armored vehicles. Over that time, it has produced more than 10,000 armored vehicles for a growing roster of international militaries and security forces. Textron Systems offers three vehicle lines – COMMANDO Elite, COMMANDO Select and COMMANDO Utility – each customizable to meet specific requirements. In response to customer needs, the vehicle line-up has expanded with new variants to provide ad-ditional firepower and greater mission flexibility. “Our objective continues to
be to provide our customers with armored vehicle solu-tions that deliver exceptional performance across the full spectrum of military and secu-rity operations, and in the most challenging environments,” said Marine & Land Systems
Senior Vice President and General Manager Tom Walms-ley.The company reported that interest in its roster of COM-MANDO vehicles continues to grow as it engages with cus-tomers across the Asia-Pacific
region, Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Recent vehicle sales and de-liveries include the Afghan National Army, the Bulgaria National Military Forces, the Canadian Forces and the Co-lombian Army.
NorthStar Aviation has announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with CAE to jointly
develop a comprehensive training so-lution for its NSA407 Multi-Role Heli-copter (MRH). Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, NorthStar Aviation’s 407MRH is designed specifically for light attack, close air support, intelligence, surveil-lance and reconnaissance (ISR) mis-sions. It is a modified variant of the Bell 407GX.“NorthStar Aviation provides full-spec-trum, customized aviation solutions, and part of our commitment is to ensure our customers receive the high-quality
training required to safely and efficiently operate our platforms,” said Reno Al-berto, CEO of NorthStar Aviation. “CAE is a recognized global leader in heli-copter simulation, and our partnership agreement will lead to a high quality training solution for our 407MRH cus-tomers worldwide.”As part of the strategic teaming agree-ment, NorthStar and CAE will conduct flight test data collection to develop the highest fidelity aerodynamic flight model for the 407MRH. This flight data collection effort will enable CAE to ac-curately simulate all 407MRH flight characteristics, mission and weapon
systems, and aircraft performance in the suite of simulators and training de-vices to be developed. “We are delighted that NorthStar Avia-tion has selected CAE as their simula-tion and training partner for the 407MRH helicopter,” said Gene Colabatistto, group president, defense and security, CAE. “Simulation-based training has proven to be ideal for enhancing safety, proficiency and mission readiness when preparing helicopter aircrews, and we look forward to working with NorthStar Aviation to develop and deliver a world-class 407MRH training solution to their customers around the world.”
