13.10.2015 by Sergyi Way - army-guide.com
 

OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation company, is unveiling the Oshkosh® MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) 6×6 Technology Demonstrator, at AUSA in Washington, D.C. October 12-14, 2015. The M-ATV 6×6 Technology Demonstrator builds upon the protection and off-road mobility performance of the battle-proven M-ATVs, while providing more interior volume for up to 15 soldiers, as well as greater payload capacity and all-wheel steer for exceptional maneuverability.

“It’s never been more important for troops to have vehicles that effectively balance protection, payload, modularity and mobility to carry out missions in any environment or threat level,” said U.S. Army Major General (Retired) John M. Urias, executive vice president of Oshkosh Corporation and president of Oshkosh Defense. “The M-ATV 6×6 Technology Demonstrator was developed to transport a full squad with their required mission equipment and provide more power on the battlefield – all while maintaining MRAP level protection and off-road mobility.”

The Oshkosh M-ATV 6×6 Technology Demonstrator is multi-mission ready, allowing crews – whose roles may rapidly change – to have the right vehicle to perform that mission. The combined benefits from the TAK-4® independent suspension and the M-ATV 6×6’s all wheel steer enables maneuverability across any type of terrain on the modern battlefield.

At AUSA, Oshkosh is also introducing the Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) kits for any vehicle platform to help troops operate their vehicles safely in harsh conditions and difficult terrain. The Oshkosh ADAS kits use intelligent technologies to help increase driver control and response – during both peacetime and combat operations. The Oshkosh ADAS has three levels of performance:

• ADAS Tier 1: A camera-based technology that allows the vehicle to see where drivers cannot. Active alerts enhance driver awareness to mitigate collisions.
• ADAS Tier 2: Electronic Stability Control kit and radar-based technologies assist drivers with an additional layer of active safety. Tier 2 includes Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) to maintain a following gap with a lead vehicle and Collision Mitigation Braking (CMB) to help slow the vehicle if a crash is imminent.
• ADAS Tier 3: Equips drivers with comprehensive technologies for accident avoidance. Tier 3 combines all of the technologies from Tier 1 & Tier 2, making it Oshkosh’s most comprehensive safety solution.

The winning JLTV solution from Oshkosh, M-ATV 6×6 Technology Demonstrator and Global Integrated Product Support (GIPS) kiosk will be showcased on the second floor at AUSA in the Oshkosh Defense booth #6643. Oshkosh Defense leadership will be available to discuss the company’s vehicles, technologies and services.

14 octobre 2015. Portail des Sous-Marins

À chaque départ de patrouille, le patron est à bord ! Les équipages de sous-marins nucléaires accueillent, à chaque départ de mission, l’amiral ou son adjoint, hélitreuillés au bout de 24 ou 48 heures. Un lien essentiel pour une mission exceptionnelle à plus d’un titre.

Référence : Le Télégramme

Note RP Defense : voir La Force océanique stratégique de la Marine nationale

13 October, 2015 by Dominic Perry - FG

Turin  - Alenia Aermacchi is nearing completion of a test and evaluation phase for the Italian air force’s new P-72A maritime patrol aircraft.

The first of an eventual four examples of the ATR 72-600-derived type is due to be handed over to the service in March 2016 as it replaces its remaining fleet of Dassault Breguet ATL-1 Atlantics. Two aircraft – the MSN940 and MSN1031, built in 2011 and 2012 respectively – are currently at the manufacturer’s Caselle facility near Turin for mission-system integration and testing, having received airframe modifications at its site in Naples.

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October 13, 2015 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Indra; issued October 13, 2015)

MADRID --- On September 29 Indra presented the unmanned version of its P2006T MRI maritime reconnaissance and intelligence aircraft at the London conference series on maritime reconnaissance.

Indra's General Manager of Defense and Security, José Manuel Pérez-Pujazón, took advantage of the multinational's participation in the conference series to make the announcement. Indra adapted the aircraft as part of its so-called "Targus" project, and it has already passed the viability tests and experimental demonstration.

Indra is currently working on the system certification and testing phase, and has told the Regional Government of Galicia that it would be willing to conduct these activities at the UAV development center to be built at the Rozas airdrome in Lugo.

The aim of the development is to place an unmanned aircraft on the market for the very competitive price of less than 6 million euros per unit. “The system will offer 12 hours of flying time without touching down, high-performance maritime reconnaissance and search and rescue capabilities, and unbeatable operating and maintenance costs," said the company's general manager Pérez-Pujazón.

Indra initially developed the P2006T MRI as a low-cost airport surveillance solution based on a light manned aircraft, designed to complement coastal reconnaissance systems which, like the Integrated External Surveillance System (SIVE) in the Spanish case, have been deployed by different countries to protect and guard their maritime borders.

Coastal maritime reconnaissance systems offer effective cover of the area between the coastline and a 20 or 30-mile radius. However, the economic interests of coastal countries extend beyond this radius up to the boundaries of the maritime exclusion zone situated 200 miles from the coastline or, as the case may be, up to the halfway point between the coasts of two countries when the distance between them is less than 400 nautical miles.

This is the case of the Mediterranean Sea, in which the distances between coastlines belonging to different countries often form part of maritime exclusion zones situated within a radius of 50 to 80 miles.

An intelligent aircraft at an affordable price

Coastal reconnaissance systems alone are insufficient to monitor these areas efficiently, respond to the issue of illegal immigration and address the humanitarian crises it provokes. Aerial or ground reconnaissance systems are also required.

The P2006T MRI is designed specifically to cover these areas, and with operating costs significantly lower than those of traditional maritime reconnaissance aircraft. The miniaturization and greatly reduced weight of the radar and infrared sensors and automatic identification systems (AIS) required for the mission mean that they can be installed on light aircraft designed for low-consumption leisure aviation.

This is the case of Indra's P2006T MRI which, with six hours of flying time without touching down in its present version – the new unmanned system will double that – a fuel consumption of 32 liters of automotive gasoline per hour of flight and extremely low maintenance costs, permits the on-board installation and integration of not only a Seaspray 5000E active electronically scanned array radar (standard Royal Navy equipment), a high-resolution visible and infrared camera, and an AIS, but also a line-of-sight radio link with an effective range of 180 nautical miles and an Inmarsat terminal.

This terminal sends real-time transmissions of the radar signal, visible and infrared video, AIS data and the aircraft's navigation data to a ground station, where they are monitored in real time.

The P2006T MRI has been successfully tested by the Spanish Civil Guard and Frontex in the Indalo operation that is carried out every summer along the south coast of Spain; in Operation Cross Eye recently conducted in the Sicilian Channel; and in the demonstrations of the European Union's Perseus system carried out in the Alboran Sea and Aegean Sea. In view of the aircraft's efficiency, the European agency Frontex recently chose it for future aerial reconnaissance operations of maritime and land borders.


Indra is one of the leading consulting and technology multinationals in Latin America and Europe. In 2014 it reported revenues of 2.938 billion euros, employed 39,000 professionals, had a local presence in 46 countries, and delivered projects in more than 140 countries.

October 12, 2015: Strategy Page

Sweden has released more details of their new A26 class. This project was only announced earlier in 2015. This is a big deal because Swedish submarines have always been highly regarded because of clever design ideas and new technology each new class uses. It is now known that the A26 will have a “ghost mode” that makes the sub virtually undetectable while submerged. This includes the ability to sit on the sea floor, as if it were inert wreckage, while divers from the sub can still move in and out to plant mines or perform other functions. In short the A26 will emphasize stealth and the ability to dominate shallow and “busy” (lots of inlets, rivers and islands) coastal waters.

The A26 is a replacement for the Cold War era Gotland class boats. Two A26 subs will be in service by 2019 but all the new technology will not be completed until 2024. The two A26s will eventually replace the three Gotlands that entered service in 1996.

What made the diesel-electric Gotland unique was that it was the first submarine designed from the start to use AIP (air-independent propulsion).  With AIP it could remain submerged for 19 days. Gotlands were also among the quietest non-nuclear submarines in the world. The three Gotland class boats are highly automated, with a crew of 30. They displace 1,494 tons, are 60.4 meters (198 feet) long and have four 533mm torpedo tubes (with 12 torpedoes) and two 400mm tubes (with six torpedoes). They can also carry 48 mines externally.

The A26 is a 1,900 ton boat that is 63 meters (207 feet) long and armed in a similar fashion to the Gotlands but with about 20 percent more mines and torpedoes. Each one will cost about $500 million. Underwater endurance (with an improved AIP) is the same as the Gotlands; 18 days with overall endurance of 45 days. The A26 crew is smaller (about 28). The A26 has better electronics and can dive a bit deeper (at least 200 meters/650 feet). Both designs were mainly intended for coastal waters and the relatively shallow Baltic Sea (average depth 55 meters and max depth 459 meters). The A26 is also equipped to carry naval commandos and has a special chamber for the commandos to leave and enter the submerged sub. The core stealth technology for the A26 is called GHOST (Genuine HOlistic STealth) and some of this may end up in one or more of the refurbished Gotlands. GHOST involves more tech for keeping machinery even quieter than it is now as well as designing the shape of the A26 to make it more difficult for sonar and other sensors to detect.

Meanwhile the three Gotland boats are undergoing refurbishment and upgrades, which was always meant includes some of the new gear developed to the next class of subs. The refurbed Gotlands can serve into the late 2020s if need be. There are many nations who seek to buy second-hand Swedish subs and that’s what may happen to the Gotlands.

The U.S. Navy had a high opinion of the Gotlands as they leased one of them (along with Swedish crew) for two years (2006-7) to be a vital part of an anti-submarine warfare training program. The Gotland was something of a worst case in terms of what American surface ships and submarines might have to face in a future naval war. None of America's most likely naval opponents (China, North Korea or Iran), have many or any AIP boats, but they do have plenty of diesel-electric subs which, in the hands of skilled crews, can be pretty deadly. China is already putting AIP subs into service.  Training against the Gotland enabled the U.S. Navy to improve its anti-submarine tactics and techniques, as well as getting much valuable data from inside the Gotland. All the results of this training is highly classified, but it was apparently successful enough to get the one year program extended for another year.

October 10, 2015: Strategy Page

A Russian firm recently offered for export a new armored bulldozer design. This is the 21 ton B10 commercial bulldozer with armor added and a few other changes. This results in a 25 ton vehicle that is similar to the Cold War era BAT-2, a larger, 40 ton armored bulldozer. The militarized B10 is apparently more cost-effective than the BAT-2, which was an improved version of the World War II era BAT-M.

Most nations turn older tanks into “combat engineer vehicles” by removing the turret, adding an armored box for the operator plus a bulldozer blade and other items. But if you just want to shove stuff around while under fire you are better served by armoring a large commercial bulldozer. That is what Israel has been doing since the 1960s.

By 2009 Israel realized armor wasn’t enough and began converting all its D9 armored combat bulldozers to operate by remote control. Israel has been using the armored D9 bulldozer since the 1960s. For the United States the 62 ton D9 armored (via an Israeli armor kit) bulldozer has been an important tool for urban warfare after 2001.

Although the Israelis pioneered the use of special explosives to blast entry holes through walls, so troops can quickly get to their objectives, the D9 proved an even more effective solution. The D-9 lets you bash through walls, and buildings, much faster. The D9 can even shake the enemy out of some buildings. Thus the D9 proved very effective in urban combat. The Israelis often mounted a machine-gun on the D9s, to provide protection from the increasing number of attacks on these vehicles. The D9s are pretty sturdy, often surviving large roadside bombs and several RPG hits. But the D9s are not invulnerable and have increasingly become a target for enemy attack. Despite the armor kit and machine-gun, D9 drivers sometimes get killed or wounded, and the vehicles put out of action. Thus the need for a remote control option.

The remote control version of the D9, called "Black Thunder", was developed in 2006 as a secret program that was only revealed because so many troops were now aware of it. Even the Palestinians were talking about it, having been confronted with "Black Thunder" D9s during the 2009 war in Gaza.

"Black Thunder" D9s retain the armor kit, but instead of an operator, the cab contains the electronics and radio gear needed to run the dozer remotely. Several cameras and other sensors are mounted on the outside. An operator, sitting in a nearby armored vehicle or truck, views several flat screen displays, and operates the controls. Any soldiers with lots of video game experience can quickly master the remote operation of a D9.

In early 2003, the U.S. bought nine 62 ton D9 armored Caterpillar bulldozers into Kuwait for the Iraq campaign. The D9s, and their Israeli made armor kit, were purchased because of the Israeli success with the dozer in urban warfare against Palestinian terrorists. America had used the D9 during the 1960s in Vietnam, but after that only used the smaller (35 ton, with armor kit) D7. The D9 was not needed for urban fighting in Iraq during 2003, but was found very useful (much more so than the smaller D7) for combat engineering tasks. The D9 quickly cleared highways of debris and built temporary roads for combat vehicles. D9s was eventually used in Iraq for combat operations in places like Fallujah. The U.S. has also developed remote control systems for several types of armored vehicles.

Russia apparently will offer their B10 at a cheaper price than competing Western models as well as many additional options.

13 octobre 2015. Portail des Sous-Marins

Le chantier naval turc Gölcük Tersanesi Komutanl a débuté le 8 octobre la construction du sous-marin classique TCG Pirireis.

Le programme a connu de nombreux retards attribués à des raisons commerciales et techniques qui sont apparus après la signature en 2009 de l’accord entre la Turquie et ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

Cet accord prévoyait la livraison de 6 ensembles de composants pour la construction en Turquie de 6 sous-marins U-214.

Référence : Info Defensa (Espagne)

October 13, 2015: Strategy Page

Questions are being asked, and no answers given, about the aftermath of an American raid in Syria that captured lots of evidence of illegal activities throughout the Middle East and in the West. Five months after the raid the massive amount of intel taken has resulted no one being arrested or prosecuted. This all began on May 18th, 2015, in the eastern Syria (Deir Ezzor province) when American commandos (from the army Delta Force) raided the heavily guarded ISIL compound of Fathi ben Awn ben Jildi Murad al Tunisi (nicknamed Abu Sayyaf), a Tunisian who ran ISIL finances. This included the lucrative trade in stolen oil and any other scams that will bring in revenue. The raiders sought to take Abu Sayyaf alive but he and two other senior ISIL officials died in the brief battle.

The raiders did seize many records (most of them electronic) and took away Abu Sayyaf’s wife who was wanted for supervising the enslavement of captured women. Also taken away were a quantity of small (easy to smuggle) antiquities that ISIL was preparing to smuggle out of Syria for sale to wealthy buyers in the Middle East and the West. In late September the United States returned these small antique items to the Iraqi government and that put the May raid back in the news and triggered unanswered questions about the follow-up to the intel taken in that operation. It may be a long time before it is revealed what actually happened here, especially when it comes to the trade in illegal antiquities. The most likely explanation is that the non-terrorists revealed to be involved (as smugglers, middlemen and financiers) of the smuggling operation all agreed to provide information about ISIL and thus are remaining unidentified. That doesn’t explain all the silence, but does account for much of it. Abu Sayyaf was dealing with tens of millions of dollars of illegal transactions each month and the number of operations he had in various stages of completion probably amounted to over $100 million and involved a lot of prominent people who pretended to be honest, upright citizens. That sort of thing rattles a lot of cages and has lot of unpredictable side effects. .

The raiders came in at night in special SOCOM UH-60 helicopters and left the same way with all their loot and captives. ISIL was alarmed as the suddenness and success of this raid and suspect one or more traitors supplied the Americans with information. That was because the raiders know where everyone and everything was inside the compound (which contains over fifty buildings) and also seemed to know that most of the security forces had been temporarily called away to take care of an emergency. ISIL is always looking for traitors and being falsely accused of treason is considered an occupational hazard within ISIL. Most of those accused are executed and many are extensively tortured first. ISIL has also made it more complicated to join the inner circle (ISIL management) and now demands extensive background checks. The penalty for failing such a background check is death. The most likely source of the traitorous information was probably local civilians who hate ISIL. 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13 By Ryan Maass   (UPI)

Raytheon announced major milestones bringing an upgrade of Patriot Air and Missile Defense System radar with Gallium Nitride-based Active Electronically Scanned Array radar closer to production phase. Raytheon is funding an upgrade to the Patriot radar as more advanced drones, aircraft, and ballistic missiles are likely to become a greater threat. The upgrade is a Gallium Nitride-based AESA technology, which uses three antenna arrays mounted on a mobile radar, allowing coverage in all directions. Ralph Acaba, vice president of Integrated Air and Missile Defense at Raytheon's Integrated Defense Systems business, says the upgrade will balance more coverage with mobility.

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October 11, 2015: Strategy Page

Sensing an opportunity the manufacturer of the 1970s era F-15 jet fighter are offering another upgrade, one what uses new missile racks and novel use of hard points usually reserved for extra fuel, to create an F-15 that can carry 16 long range (AMRAAM) air-to-air missiles rather than the usual eight. This enables an F-15 equipped with the latest radars and fire control systems to quickly attack enemy aircraft before those fighters are close enough to hit the F-15. The F-22 and F-35 were designed to excel at BVR (Beyond Visual Range) encounters where longer range AMRAAM missiles could take out enemy fighters up to 70 kilometers away. But there are too few F-22s and the F-35s are suffering an unending series of delays. Air forces with F-15s need some help in the BVR department and an F-15 with the right electronics and lots of BVR missiles seems a likely solution.

Since BVR capability arrived, as the next-big-thing in the 1960 pilots have not been enthusiastic about BVR engagements. The early missiles (like the AIM-7 Sparrow) were not all that reliable or accurate. Pilots were also not confident about firing on an aircraft they could not see (and positively identify as hostile). But after decades of trying, they finally have a winning combination with the AMRAAM and a new generation of radars and electronic gear. Combat training exercises between BVR aircraft and those relying on heat seeking missiles and cannon usually show the BVR birds winning. It has reached the point where many older fighters are being equipped with modern radars and BVR missiles and turned into formidable warplanes because of their BVR, not dog fighting, capabilities. 

For American F-15s there is the added bonus of working with one or more of the stealthy F-22s and relying the superior F-22 passive sensors acting as spotters for targets that the AMRAAM equipped F-15s can then fire on quickly and with enough missiles to knock down most of the enemy aircraft before they can fire back. The U.S. Air Force is upgrading 178 of its F-15s to the “Golden Eagle” standard (AESA radar and passive long range sensors) that makes these new tactics possible because these aircraft are equipped to communicate with F-22s using a new system that does risk detection by doing so.

13.10.2015 Navistar - army-guide.com

Navistar Defense, LLC is displaying, for the first time, its latest MaxxPro® MRAP. A Reset vehicle coming straight from the Reset line in West Point, Miss., this vehicle has an enhanced level of blast protection and features the Electronic Stability Control (ESC). The company also has on display the General Troop Transport (GTT) variant of its 7000 MV Medium Tactical Vehicle line which is similar to what will be delivered to Afghanistan under a recent $369 million order.

“The MaxxPro on display incorporates two very significant steps forward in improving safety and mission performance for our country’s warfighters,” said Kevin Thomas, president, Navistar Defense. “First, it is a Reset vehicle which brings a MaxxPro that previously deployed in support of combat operations and has now returned for an extensive refurbishment effort to restore it to like new condition while also being upgraded to the latest configuration. The second is that we have added electronic stability control which further improves safety and performance. As a result of this Reset effort, all MaxxPro vehicles in the U.S. Army inventory will be at the same level of configuration.”

These newly Reset and upgraded MaxxPro vehicles are re-entering service in Afghanistan. A total of 785 MaxxPro vehicles, in two variants, are being Reset under a $75 million contract.

“Our Medium Tactical Vehicle on display is an example of state-of-the-art technology for taking our commercial Series 7000 WorkStar® truck platform and making it tactically viable and flexible,” according to Thomas. "The baseline MTV platform has been configured in 17 different variants ranging from the GTT to water and fuel tankers and recovery vehicles. This provides tremendous flexibility, commonality and supportability for the Afghan and Iraqi forces operating them.”

In late August 2015, the U.S. Army Contracting Command awarded Navistar Defense a $369 million contract to provide 2,293 Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTVs) to build upon the already existing Afghanistan National Security Force's (ANSF) MTV Fleet. Production will commence immediately, with deliveries starting in January 2016 and concluding in 2019.

A total of 17,000 MTVs are in service in both Afghanistan and Iraq.