“Weapon stations will be the main export field in the coming years”

Rafael’s Mini-Samson weapon station

21/6/2012 Arie Egozi - israeldefense.com

Giora Katz, Rafael’s VP and head of the company’s defense directorate, says that Rafael’s weapon stations are generating considerable interest among militaries and security forces worldwide. "It's a field in which we'll do good business"

The field of remotely operated weapon stations will be Rafael’s central export field in the coming years. “I know that this is a field in which we will do good business, also after the meetings we held at the 2012 Eurosatory exhibition, because we have the best products,” Giora Katza, Rafael’s VP and head of the company’s defense directorate, told IsraelDefense.

Rafael unveiled two new weapon station models during the Eurosatory exhibition. One is a new station whose installed weapons can be loaded from inside the combat cell of the APC it is installed upon, and a station adjusted for a heavy 14.5mm Eastern-European machinegun.

So far, all the weapon stations necessitated the extraction of part of the combat cell’s body in order to reload the weapons or for maintenance. The new station makes use of a round magazine for reloading the ammunition supply from within the APC. This allows for continuous fire with nearly no interruption, and does not endanger the crew.

Rafael has also developed a station that allows for the installation of non-lethal measures such as high-frequency devices, teargas, and more. According to Giora Katz, The weapon stations, which enable the protected vehicle’s crew personnel to remain unexposed, is also generating an interest among both militaries and forces dealing with various types of defense assignments. “It is simply a very good solution for these forces,” says Katz.