the armada+feb+2013+main+magazine

8/22/2019 The Armada+Feb+2013+Main+Magazine

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a a arm dFebruary/MarchIssue 1/2013


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Armed forces are increasingly confronted with new threats in

operation areas. Military transport vehicles in particular require

special protection concepts for the safety of their crew.

Mercedes-Benz has reacted to this challenge and offers logistics

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can be delivered within just a few months.

Spare parts are available quickly and for many years. Identical

control elements in armoured and non-armoured versions enha

operating safety and minimise training requirements. With armo

logistics vehicles from Mercedes-Benz, logistical transport is sa

procurement is simpler, faster and more cost effective.

Mobilising safety and efficiency:

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Faster deploymentGLF - Armoured Logistics Vehicles off-the-shelf

ADaimlerBrand


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01rINTERNATIONAL1/2013

Cs1/2013

38

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BoRdeR and BaSepeRimeteRS

SignaLS FRom theheavenS

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auSa 2012

LIGHT REMOTE-CONTROL TURRETS

BASE PROTECTIONSATCOMS ON THE MOVE GRENADE LAUNCHER FCS

SHOW REPORT

I PAOLO VALPOLINI

I LUCA PERUzzI I THOMAS WITHINGTON I PAOLO VALPOLINI

mine-pRoteCtedtRanSpoRtS

COMPENDIUM SUPPLEMENT

I PAOLO VALPOLINI

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independenCe noW!INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION

I ERIC H. BIASS

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international

a a arm dThe TrusTed source for defence Technology informaTion since 1976

www.armada.ch | www.armadainternational.com

I PAOLO VALPOLINI


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02 rINTERNATIONAL1/2013

Volume 37,Issue No. 1, February 2013/March 2013

armadainternationals publshed b-monthly by Meda Transasa Ltd.

Copyright 2012 by Meda Transasa Ltd.Publshng Ofce: Meda Transasa Ltd,Room No. 1205-1206, Hollywood Centre 233,Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong.Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2815 1933

Editor-in-Chie: Erc H. Bass

Regular Contributors: Roy Braybrook,Paolo Valpoln, Thomas Wthngton

Chairman: J.S. UberoPresident: Xaver Collaco

Sr. Manager International Marketing: Vshal Mehta

Manager International Marketing: Yusu Am

Deputy Manager Marketing: Tarun Malvya

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Advertising Sales Ofces

AUSTRiA, BENELUX, SWiTzERLANDCornelus W. BontjePh: +41 55 216 17 81, [email protected]

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aBc

I index to adveRtiSeRS

I index to manuFaCtuReRS

SiNGAPORE AiRSHOW 51

STEYR 21

ULTRALiFE 17

URALVAGONzAVOD 27

AFRiCAN ARMED FORCES

JOURNAL 41

AR MODULAR RF 55

ARMADA SUBSCRiPTiON 31

AUSA C3

CASSiDiAN 6-7DAiMLER AG C2

DiMDEX 53

DSEi C3

iDEX C2

iMDEX 49

iTT EXELiS 3

LEUPOLD 35

MTU 25

NEXTER 5

NORTHROP GRUMMAN 21

ODU-USA 29

OSHKOSH C4OTOKAR 11

PHOTONiS 13

PRECiSiON REMOTES 43

RAFAEL C4

ROHDE AND SCHWARz 19

SAGEM 9Entries highlighted withblue

numbers are found Mine-Protected Transports: What Lies

Ahead? 2013 Compendium

Companes mentoned n ths ssue. Where there are multple reerences to a company n an artcle,only the

frst occurence and subsequent photographs are lsted below

i

Wth ts roots n Australa where the large

Bushmaster long proved the useulness notthe necessty o havng ndependent suspensonto run ast n the bush, the Thales Hawke shere to show that t works on mne-protectedvehcles too, and that t can also look good.

Aerea 52

Ampont 37

Allson 12

AM General 50,28

Ares 40

Aramas 27

Ashok Leyland 11,12

ATK 40,50

Augusta Westland 52

BAE Systems 6,10, 41,47

BBN Technologes 7

BAE Systems 5, 11, 2, 32

Bell 52

Bn Jabr Group 28BMC 22,23

Boeng 52

Brownng 39,44

Cassdan 12

Caterpllar 46,47

Cobham 11

Commtact 16

CommunCase Technology 18

Damler 13,22

Deence Land Systems inda 10

Denel 45

Deutschland 10

Dehl Deence 12

DRS Technologes 7, 04,05,15EADS 52

Elbt Systems 7,16,40

Fnmeccanca 6

Flr Systems 5,6

FN Herstal 33,35,41,42

Force Protecton 4,6

GDLS 52

General Dynamcs 4,10, 18,23

H & K 39

Harrs 18

Hateho 23,24

Hyunda-Wea 43

iAi Elta 6,7,12,16

iMi 24,25,34,37

iTT Exels 18

iveco 21,22,40

Kama 25,26

KMW 13,19,43,44Kongsberg 39,48

L-3 7,16,17

Lockheed Martn 7,52

Mahndra 10

Man 12

Mercedes-Ben 12,18

Mcrovson Satellte Systems 16

Mowag 28

Navstar Deense 3,4

Nexter 19,20,26

Nmr Automotve 28

Northrop Grumman 43,47

Oshkosh 4,5,30,48

Oto Melara 42,43Otokar 1,22

OTT Technologes 10,11,12

Panhard 40

Paramount Group 12,13,24

Pearson Engneerng 46

Pratt & Mller Engneerng 47

Pro-Optca 44

Raael 7,39,40

Raytheon 5,8,45,52

Renault Trucks 20,21,44,26

Reutech 45

Rhenmetall 8,12,37,40

Rockwell Collns 18

SAAB 40,41

Sagem 11,40,41

Selex Elsag 20

Selex Galleo 11,12,40,43

Skorsky 52

Tawaun Group 28

Telecomsys 15

Telephoncs 6

Textron Land Systems 07,08,39

Thales 26,27,6,8

Tmoney 24

Ural Automotve Works 25

Vectronx 37

Vektor 45

Vasat 17

Wlcox 37

WzL Systems 20

www.armada.ch

www.armadainternational.com


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An exciting future building on a strong legacy. ITT Exelis addresses the fast-evolving needs of military,

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www.exelisinc.com

[NYSE: XL


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04 araaINTERNATIONAL1/2013

BASE PROTECTION

The recent operations in Iraq an Afhanistan hihihte the nee to provieprotection in theatre for the array of forwar operatin sites, fro which theiitary forces ounts operations, controin the oca area an proviinsecurity for resuppy, aintenance an rest purposes.

Luca Peruzzi

BORdER ANdBASE PERImETERS: NO

TRESPASSINg PlEASE!

US Base Expeditionary Targeting and SurveillanceSystems Combined (BETSS-C) programmesforce protection system comes with a DRSMSTAR V6 ground surveillance radar. (DRS

Technologies)

araaINTERNATIONAL6/2012


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05armadaINERNAIONAL1/2013

he BESS-C programme alsosupervises US Air Force enhancedactical Automated Security System(eASS) while the US Marine Corpshas procured similar equipmentunder a Ground-Based OperationalSurveillance System (G-Boss)programme, and a lighter Cerberussolution on trailer or tripods.

Under the Joint Force ProtectionAdvanced Security System (JFPASS)technology demonstrator programme,the US Army developed the CombatOutpost Surveillance and ForceProtection System (COSFPS), whichwas assigned to Flir Systems as primecontractor (see box). hese forceprotection systems employ a range ofadvanced cameras and electro-optics,such as Flir Systems Star Safire

family of sensors including SS III,III XR+, High Definition, hermoVision 3000 and Ranger 3000/ III,while the ground surveillance radarsare supplied by DRS, Flir Systems,

Sites range from main operatingbases such as Camp Bastionor Herat, which includes anairfield, to forward operating

bases accommodating a battle group-size force near main populatedcentres, down to combat outpostsand temporary base locations.Maintaining the security of thesebases requires a combination ofsurveillance, preventive measuresand targeted response. Buildingon overseas mission lessons andtechnology tailored developments,coming mainly from civilian intruderalert or border surveillance systems,the Armed Forces required industriesto develop a number of campprotection systems.

he latter are centred on a

command and control modulewhich collects and fuses data froma variety of systems, including day/night cameras, electro-optical andall-weather ground surveillanceradars, unattended ground sensors,in addition to air platforms such asaerostats and unmanned air systemsto provide a sufficiently accurateplot for indirect or direct fire targetsolutions, avoiding the risk ofcollateral damage.

IUnited States

Urgent requirements to providecamp protection systems duringoperations in Iraq led to thedevelopment of the Rapid AerostatInitial Deployment (Raid)/ PersistentSurveillance and DisseminationSystem of Systems (PSDS2) suitefrom Raytheon, which was providedto US forces from mid-2005.

he Department of Defensessubsequent efforts in this domaincame under the Base Expeditionaryargeting and Surveillance Systems

_ Combined (BESS-C) programme,which comprises a combination offorce protection systems (FPS). helatter includes the Raid in t he aerostat,mast and tower configurations,Cerberus tower-based system, theForce Protection Suite (FPS) andthe Rapid Deployment IntegratedSurveillance System (RDISS). Inservice in various models is theBESS-C/Raid transportable quick-

erect tower configuration based onFlir Systems Star Safire III electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor anda ground surveillance radar (GSR),data link, generator and standardground station (SGS), provided by SRISarnoff and common to all BESS-Csystems, with sensors collection,fusion and displaying capabilities forbase defence and target acquisition.

ogether with the Cerberustruck-mounted surveillance towerequipped with both E/O and GSR,the Raid addresses persistentday and night targeting andsurveillance requirements, whilethe FPS suite integrates pan-tilt-zoom cameras, long-range thermalimagers, illuminators, unattendedground acoustic sensors and ground

surveillance radars. Incorporatingday/night cameras, the RDISS isdesigned to improve situationalawareness for soldiers at jointsecurity stations and combat outposts.

Kraken(Paolo Valpolini)

Tis US Army view shows the Combat Out-post Surveillance and Force Protection Sys-tem (COSFPS), which is also known as theKraken. Devised by a Flir Systems-led indus-

trial team, it can be deployed in less than 20minutes by four people. It integrates sensorsand weapons and provides all-round 24/7situational awareness.

Te pictures of the displays, taken by Arma-das P. Valpolini, show Flir Systems skills atintegrating all the subsystems into one singlecommand post that can be run by a single op-erator, although two operational consoles areavailable, one for monitoring videos and theother for sensors.


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06 armadaINTERNATIONAL1/2013

BASE PROTECTION

Telephonics and Israeli IAI/Elta.Finmeccanicas American subsidiaryis providing the latest ManportableSurveillance and TargetingAcquisition Radar (MSTAR) versionof Thaless ground surveillanceradar, sold worldwide including toAustralia, Canada, Columbia andPoland. Internet Protocol-enabledand compatible with all currentintegrated solutions, the Ku-bandradar offers a typical detection rangeagainst moving persons and light

ve hi cles of resp ec ti ve ly 13 + and 25+km .

Flir Systems Ranger family ofground surveillance radars hasrecently been expanded with theintroduction of the new man-portableRanger R20SS and the longer range

dual-mode Ranger R5D, specificallydesigned for the Middle Easternenvironment, according to the samecompany. Telephonics providesits X-band solid-state AdvancedRadar Surveillance System (ARSS)

- a 10kg compact and lightweightsolution - while the Elta EL/M-2112

Flir Systems has recently expanded its range of radars and includes this man-portable

Ranger R20SS. It has a 90 coverage, and picks personnel at a range of 20km. (Flir)

SECURITY OF DEPLOYED FORCES. Wherever in the world, situations arise in which interventions

inevitably have to be made and force has to be applied, all while trying to avoid collateral damage.

Thousands of soldiers depend on the quality of their training and the reliability of their equipment. We

are proud that partners around the globe have selected us for our outstanding capabilities to protectarmed forces in these conflict zones.www.cassidian.com

MAJOR CONFLICTS WORLDWIDSOLDIERS IN ACTION: 530,000

ONE PARTNER FOR SECURITY S


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07armadaINTERNATIONAL1/2013

The Boomerang shooter detection system is the standard unattended acoustic sensor forboth bases and force protection. It is also being provided in a single soldier integratedsolution. (Raytheon BBN Technologies)

lightweight radar has been acquiredby US Customs and Border Protectionagency and US Army (see box).

Unattended ground and

acoustic sensors include the L-3Communications-provided RembassII Remotely Monitored BattlefieldSensor System (the sensors of whichcan be monitored at ranges of upto 15 km) and the Raytheon BBNTechnologies Boomerang shooterdetection system. Moreover theRaid aerostat version based on a17m air-vehicle platform providedby Lockheed Martin, comes innew configurations with electro-optical suite and surveillance radar,including Wescam turrets and the29kg Northrop Grumman StarLitesmall tactical radar providing SAR/

GMTI/Dismounted (person) MTIdetection capabilities.

IIsrael

All of Israels main defence andsecurity industrial group in Israel,including IAI/Elta, Rafael, Elbit,as well as a number of smaller

8

UTIONS


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BASE PROTECTION

companies have developed, producedand fielded a range of solutionsfor border surveillance and forceprotection. A number of these caneasily find applications in temporarybase and camp defence suites.

IAI/Elta provides a newgeneration of persistent groundsurveillance radars incorporating anelectronically scanned multi-beam

planar array with a dedicated digitalreceiver per beam. Representingthe familys leading member andproduced in four different versions,Eltas EL/M-2112 ground mastermodular X-band radar features up tofour stationary planar arrays, givingan instantaneous and continuous36 0 coverage, with a scalabledetection range of 300 metres to 20km for a moving person and up to 40km for vehicles.

Radar Electronic Industries

presented a new family of stationaryand mobile radars at AUSA 2012that is specifically designed forforce and border protection. It iscurrently undergoing field andlive fire testing, and production isscheduled to start during the firstquarter of 2013. The Multi-MissionHemispheric (MHR) advanced PulseDoppler, S-band, solid-state, aesa(active electronically scanned array)

The GO12 is a two-man-pack (30 kg full set) Ku-band GSR with a 360 coverage and a 10

km range against person target. It is in use with French and German armies and has beenrecently selected by a South America country. (Thales)

antenna-equipped radar familyincludes the border protection-optimised RHS-44 model. This canincorporate up to four independentand interchangeable 90-coverageradar panels of reduced dimensions,that can ba installed on mast stationsonboard vehicles or at stationarysites. Able to operate against ground,

IAI Elta displayed their aerostat-borne radar and electro-optical sensor technology at the

2005 Paris in air show, where this picture was taken. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)

air and sea targets, it has a six-kilometre detection range againstpedestrians and 40 kilometre rangeagainst large vessels. The same MHRfamily includes an innovative RPS-40 hostile fire detection radar systemwhich detects, tracks, classifies andlocates direct and elevated threats,such as rockets, artillery, mortars,missiles and rocjet-propelledgrenade fired at stationary or mobileforces.

Companies like IAI Elta, Aerostat/RT LTA, and Rafael providesurveillance systems based onaerostats equipped with electro-optical and/or radar surveillancesystems, including the tactical-oriented Skystar family, that havebeen sold worldwide. They are also

used in Afghanistan by Americanand Canadian armies, equipped withControp T-Stamp or Speed-A 3-axesstabilized electro-optical payloads.The latter company also providesCedar and Spider panoramicautomatic intruder systems, thelatter being stabilized and equippedwith IR, CCD Camera and laserrangefinder/pointer. Both are ableto scan and automatically detecttargets in wide area searches.


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BASE PROTECTION

BOR-A 550/560 I-band GSR represents the leading product in the long-range segment,being provided to 20 customers in 18 countries. Thales also provides a newer GO80

system, which oers enhanced perormances. (Thales)

ESC Baz has recently sold its Avivshort-to-medium range surveillancesystem, incorporating a CCD daycamera, Layla uncooled thermalcamera and zoom-controlledspotlight in motorized Smart pan-tilt-unit to an Asian customer forsite surveillance. For such and

border applications, IAI Tamandivision offers its Plug-in OptronicPayload (POP) on elevated poles andcentralized C2 stations.

IEuropeThe increased number of

deployments abroad has pusheda number of Nato and friendlycountries and industries to providea protection package for their armedforces bases.

Based on experience gained withthe battle-proven Discus (Deployable

Integrated Sensors for CompoUndSecurity) deployed to Afghanistansince 2006 with Royal NetherlandsArmy and later with the CanadianArmy, the Spectre (Syst_me deProtection des Elements Terrestres)demonstrator tested by France, andthe Mobids (Modular IntrusionDetection System) in service withGerman Army and deployed toAfghanistan and Kosovo, Thales

Deutschland has developed Musec2(Multi-Sensor Command & Control)system. Sold in different multi-sensorapplication variants in Europe and inthe Middle East, the Musec2 providesthe core of Thales scalable andmodular force and base protectionpackages.

Based on an open and flexiblearchitecture that allow one to add

va ri ous ty pe s of surve il lanc e se ns orsand to easily integrate with C4Ior Istar systems, the Musec2 is acommand and control system whosetypical applications include sitesurveillance, camp protection, localarea surveillance and sensor netting.The Musec2 forms the core of theThales Combined Surveillance andIntrusion Detection System (CSIDS)for fixed-site protection and bordersurveillance, which was unveiled lastFebruary at the Singapore air show.Capable of managing a large numberof radars, electro-optical sensors andof processing more than 320 tracks,a dedicated configuration was soldto Germany and to two unspecifiedMiddle East countries for different

border applications including ave hi cle- mounte d conf ig ur at ion.

Thales sensor packages range fromthe GO12 (Ground Observer 12),Squire, BOR-A 5 E/O or new GO80ground surveillance radars to electro-optical systems (including multi-sensor cameras on pan-and-tiltsmounts), robotic ground systems, RFand acoustic-based weapon locationsystems, and electronic-intelligencesensors. The GO12 is a two-man-pack (30 kg full set) Ku-band ground

surveillance radar with 360

coverageThe Thales Margot 5000 houses the latest-generation Catherine XP 8-12m band thermal

imager, a daylight colour CCD camera and laser range fnder, and uses the Astar (AssistedSurveillance Tracking Analysis and Report) common amily sotware. (Thales)


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The Hydra sensor range is meeting the need or detection, localisation, and identifcationo intrusion by using rugged, remote sensing, surveillance, and versatile wireless sensingnetworks. (Selex Galileo)

The Janus houses a third generationthermal imager with a ull ormat staringocal plane array, a Superhad colour CCD

TV camera with continuous zoom and alaser rangefnder. (Selex Galileo)

and a demonstrated range of 10 kmagainst a person on foot. It is in usewith the French and German armiesand has recently been selected by aSouth American country.

The Thales Nederland Squire

medium range ground surveillanceradar has been integrated in theDiscus, and over 300 systems havebeen sold to various customersworldwide. The BOR-A 550/560I-band radar represents the leadingproduct in the long-range category,and has found 20 buyers in 18countries. During IDEX 2011, Thalesunveiled the GO80 system, whichexpands the companys portfolioabove the BOR-A family, providinghigher transmitting power, largerantenna and high-end signal

processing. The new X-band radarhas a 24 km range against a personand around 60 km against a larger

ve hi cle (2 0 sq m) .

The range of Thales electro-optical applied products includes theTeoss 350 which is used in Discusconfigurations and the Margot5000 sensor packages. The latteris equipped with the Catherine XP

latest-generation 8-12m bandthermal imager, day light colourCCD camera and laser rangefinder, and uses the Astar (AssistedSurveillance Tracking Analysis andReport) common family software.Thales portfolio also includes the

Wasp (Wide Area SurveillancePlatform) suite, consisting of atrailer-based mobile suite with amast-mounted surveillance suitebased on an elector-optical solutionto be coupled to a lightweightGO12 standard ground station.The Wasp uses Ultra ElectronicCommand and Control Systems(UECCS) and the SituationalAwareness Management Systems(SAMS) control suite.

Based on an open and

reconfigurable architecture, anddesigned to fuse data from a rangeof sensors (automatically trackingseveral hundred individualtargets), the UECCS SAMS is atthe art of UK Project Cortez campprotection system. In servicesince 2009 and provided by primecontractor General Dynamics UK,it is known on the open market asthe ISO Persistence Surveillance

(ISOPS). Showed for the first t ime atEurosatory 2010, it consists of a 20ft ISO container-based surveillanceand command suite, including anintegral 20-metre tower with anumber of sensor options. TheBritish forces, for example, use theThales MSTAR SGR, but Elta andPlextek radars, Kylmar camerasand Cobham UGSs have also beenintegrated.

Selex Galileo is promoting itsmobile trailer-based Observer 100and 250 surveillance systems that arerespectively equipped with 10- and25-metre masts and a tailored multi-sensor package including thermalimagers with continuous opticalzoom, colour camera and groundsurveillance radar, all managed

by Vintage software suite. Selexalso offers the Hydra multi-sensorunattended ground system.

Sagem, for its part offers theSaps omni-directional stabilizedsurveillance sight, which providesreal-time and 360 continuoussituational awareness thanksto innovative operating modesincluding Pan Scanb and Track &


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BASE PROTECTION

Deployed by US, Canadian and UK forces, the Halo acoustic sensor has been selected by the Italian army as part of its camp protectionpackage, together with the Metravib Pilar MkIIW small-calibre gunshot detector. (Selex Galileo)

While Scan, and Teos (TerritoryElectro-Optic Surveillance). A20km-class turret-mounted long-range system, it features a Matisthermal camera with continuous18x optic zoom and a CCTV cameraequipped with a 60x optic zoom, aswell as VGA infrared detectors.

A Rheinmetall-led consortiumof German and French companieshas successfully conductedinteroperability test of a military

asset protection system under thethree-year Camp Protection Systems(FICAPS) project contract awardedby the European Defence Agency(EDA) in 2010. The ultimate aim isto create a system for the protectionof military assets and installationsin multinational operations. Theprevious year, Germanys FederalAgency for Defence Technologyand Procurement awarded a

Rheinmetall, Thales Deutschlandand Diehl Defence consortium acontract for a fully networked campprotection prototype under SEO(Schutz von Einrichtungen undObjekten) programme, which wasdemonstrated from 2010.

Cassidian also received acapability demonstrator contractunder the same programme, basedon its Dome (Defence Of Mission-critical Entities) system. The later

is centred on an Operation Cell forInfrastructure Protection (OCIP),with a combination of sensors andeffectors. Cassidian developed anew generation Spexer GSR familyusing active electronically scannedarray and innovative digital beamforming technologies. Based on anall-in-one-box solution, the Spexerfamily grow from the man-portableSpexer 500 with a pedestrian

detection range of 5 km to theSpexer 1500 model, which offershigher performances (15 km againsta person and 18 km for lightweight

ve hicl es ) for la rger pe ri mete rprotection. The more powerfuland border surveillance optimizedSpexer 2000 is in production fora Middle East customer, while amilitary version has been developedfor the German Army.

Based on the already provided

solutions for borders andinfrastructures protection, anindustrial team lead by Selex SistemiIntegrati received in December 2011a contract from the Italian Ministryof Defence to develop and provide anundisclosed number of deployablesuites for the protection of forwardbases abroad.

As a spin-off of activities already


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conducted for the Italian armedforces digitalization programmeForza NEC (Network EnabledCapability), a Selex SistemiIntegrati-led team of companiesis providing a tailored suite thatincludes a C2 element and a packageof ground surveillance radar,electro-optical and acoustic sensors.Once evaluated and certified by theItalian Army, a first full suite is to beshipped to Afghanistan. In additionto a perimeter network of cameras,microphones and infrared intrusiondetection sensors, the suite comesin a shelter-contained deployablesolution that accommodates trailerswith sensors and supportingequipment to shorten setting-uptimes. It includes a Selex SistemiIntegrati Lyra 10 ground support

radar on an 18-metre extendingtower, which has a typical man andve hi cl e de te ct io n ra ng e of 10 and 24km respect ively, and provides 360coverage.

The Lyra 10, thanks to its 25 kgantenna group weight and reduced

dimensions, can be installed onsmall vehicles such as quad-bikes toprovide protection to forward postsor to fill gaps in border surveillancenetworks. Selex Galileo also providesthe electro-optical package. Thisincludes a Janus long/medium rangestabilised multi-sensor systemand four Mini Colibr_ day/nightcompact systems (this ensures a levelof commonality with Italian Army

vehi cle eq uipment) . How ever, aspecial version of the Janus mountedon an 18-metre tower features a new-generation Erica FF (full format)3-5_m cooled staring focal planearray thermal imager with dual fieldof views, a Superhad colour CCD TVcamera with continuous zoom and alaser rangefinder.

The 6.5-kilo Mini Colibr_s areequipped with uncooled 8-12 _mIR cameras, a laser range finderand a Superhad CCD TV colourcamera. The acoustic suite includesa Halo (Hostile Artillery LocatingSystem), which is Selex Galileosfourth-generation weapon locating

system which is already employedby American, Canadian andBritish forces. It offers a typicalrange of 15 km and 6 km againstartillery and mortars roundsrespectively, while small calibresgunshots detection is provided by aMetravib Pilar MkIIW system. Thepackage is managed by a C2 modulewith six-operator stations, buttypically, it is handled by a three-member team. It is based on an openarchitecture, plug-and-play sensor,Linux computing and IP protocol-based capability which collects, fusesand correlates data from differentsensors, providing the best reactionto the identified threat. The ItalianArmy has contracted Selex to providean additional single package forairfield protection, which in addition

to a Lyra 10 radar includes an IsraeliAeronautics Skystar 300 aerostatsystem equipped with ContropSpeed-A 3-axis stabilized optronicpayload and the same companysground-based Spider stabilizedpanoramic automatic intruderdetection and recognition system.

At Night, you used to detect,

now you can identify

NIGHT VISION

See All Ways

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SATCOMS ON THE MOVE

ITT Exeliss Gnomad can be used in both a vehicle-mounted and soldier carriedconfguration. In terms o data transer, the Gnomad can transmit this at a rate o up to two-megabits per second. (ITT Exelis)


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15amadaINERNAIONAL1/2013

SigNAlS FrOM

THE HEAVENS

and vehicle-mounted systems which theycan use while on-the-move. Te worldo military satellite communicationsor land orces encompasses everythingrom large strategic-level xed and

transportable antennas and terminalswhich can be used to link deployedheadquarters to national commandauthorities, down to the small man-portable and vehicle-mounted terminalsnoted above. In the interests o space andclarity, this article will concentrate onman-portable and on-the-move vehicle-mounted satcom systems, with the largerstrategic terminals being examined inuture Armada articles.

Todays ames ey on Hh Fequency (HF), Vey Hh Fequency (VHF) andUta Hh Fequency (UHF) communcatons to tansmt voce and data tafcbetween unts and echeons. Mobe satete communcatons oe exponentanceases n the quantty o tafc whch can be handed on todays battefedand the anes at whch such tafc can be sent and eceved.

Tomas Withington

HF communications, whichtypically use the 3-30Megahertz (MHz) portiono the electromagnetic

spectrum provides beyond line-o-sightcommunications and are ubiquitous inarmed orces across the world. Yet HF hasits disadvantages. It uses the ionosphereto bounce transmitted radio signals backto Earth. Tis provides impressive range,but at the same time, HF can be vulnerable

to weather phenomena and solar activity.VHF, which inhabits the 30-300MHzrange, can transmit high levels o dataand voice trac and has good resistanceto atmospheric and electromagneticintererence, but can only achieve a line-o-sight range, unlike HF, and can thusbe blocked by elevated terrain. UHFcommunications stretch rom 300MHzto three Gigahertz (GHz) and, like VHF,provide a line-o-sight range and requiresmall-sized antennae. Tis latter pointreduces a transceivers physical ootprint,although such communications can be

adversely aected by attenuation causedby naturally-occurring water dropletsin the atmosphere. Tese absorb radiowaves and thus reduce signal strength.Satellite Communications (satcom)typically use the X-band or uplink inthe 7.9-8.4GHz waveband and the 7.25-7.75GHz waveband or downlink, alongwith the Ku-band (12-18GHz) and theKa-band (26.5-40GHz). It is noteworthythat some military satcom terminals

also utilise the comparatively lower-requency C-band.

Te advantages conerred by satcominclude its long range derived rombouncing o a spacecraf-based antenna,and the large quantity o communicationstrac that it can manage. Increasingly,telecommunications suppliers areplacing satcoms into the hands o troopsat the tactical level outtting them with

terminals that they can activate in minutes

Increasingly,telecommunications suppliers

are placing satcoms into thehands of troops at the tactical

level

IDRS Defense SolutionsDRS Deense Solutions 1.2 and 1.8

metre antenna Multi-band Flyaway Auto-acquisition Satellite erminal (MFAS)can be assembled by a single individualwithin 15 minutes. Once built, a satelliteconnection can be secured at the toucho a button. Te entire kit is transportablein three airline shipping cases. Largersatcom products are available rom DRSin the orm o the 2.4 metre vehicle/trailer-

mounted on-the-pause antenna whichis available in the C-, X-, Ku and/or Ka-bands. Tose users requiring on-the-movesatcom can opt or DRS echnologies Ku-38V Low Prole cotm (Continuous On-Te-Move) aerial. Te Ku-38V is designedto deliver high bandwidth continuous

voice, data and video communications in apackage with a small size and weight, whilea low power consumption helps reduce thephysical burden on vehicles carrying thisequipment. X-band users can opt or theKu-38Vs sister unit, the X-38V Low ProleCOM antenna. Joining the Ku-38V is the

Ku-Band satellite COM antenna. Likeits sibling it oers high bandwidth voice,data and video communications althoughit is available in an X-band congurationupon request in the guise o DRSs X-BandSatellite XOM antenna.

ITelecomsyselecomsys oer two notable satcom

terminals in the guise o the SwiflinkDVM-90 and Swiflink DVM-100. Te


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16 armadaINERNAIONAL1/2013

SATCOMS ON THE MOVE

ormer has a 0.9m Ku-band antenna as part

o a broadband lightweight and compactfyaway satellite terminal. Te DVM-90 istransportable in two fight cases and canbe ready or use inside o 20 minutes. Onceactivated, it oers a data throughput orom 64kbps up to 4.2mbps.

IIsraeli OferingsIt will be o little surprise to many

readers to realise that Israel is a centreo excellence or mobile military satcomas much as it is or conventional militarycommunications. Commtact producethe Mobile Satellite erminal (Most)

which oers ull duplex Ku- and Ka-band communications and includes anadvanced stabilisation and polarisationmechanism which enables the Most tokeep track o the satellite it is using whilea vehicle is in motion. Elbits cataloguecomprises the MSR-3000, MSR-PRO andMSR-R terminals. Te MSR-3000 providestactical man-portable satcom in a packagewith a total weight o twelve kilogramsusing the X-, Ku- and Ka-bands. Vehicles,meanwhile, can be kitted out with ElbitsKu-band MSR-2000 mobile terminal. TeMSR-2000 can be used with Elbits MSR-R

and MSR-PRO rugged broadband routersand either an Elsat 2000 or Elsat 2100 low-prole antennas which are 0.52 and 0.9metres in size respectively.

Elbits ellow militarytelecommunications specialist IAI Eltaoers ull duplex Ku-band satellitecommunications in the orm o the EL/K-1891 satcom on-the-move solution, whichoers wideband links or land, air and sea

applications. Elta complements the EL/K-

1891 with a number o antennas underone metre in size, a compact transceiverand a lightweight, high-eciency 100-watt amplier. Te rms man-portablesatellite communications include the EL/K-1895 Manpack actical satcom terminalwhich handles voice, data and compressed

video trac. Te user has the choice opositioning the terminal at their location,or remotely controlling it via either alaptop computer or a handheld device.Another useul eature is that the EL/K-1895 is pre-programmed to search oravailable Ku-band communications and

direct itsel accordingly once in operation.

General Dynamics provides the military with a range of mobile satcom terminals via itsWarrior family. These include the Warrior Model 240 trailer-mounted antenna seen here. (USDoD)

IL3 CommunicationsWhile the EL/K-1895 oers

communications in the Ku-band, L3Communications AN/USC-66 KaSAequipment operates in the Ka-bandproviding the United States Army withlong-range reach using the WidebandGlobal Satcom (WGS) constellation. TeWGS is a bilateral US and AustralianDepartments o Deence programmewhich will provide a considerable increasein the satcom bandwidth available tothe militaries o each country. It mayalso oer similar additional capacity toCanada which has signed on as a WGSpartner. Te WGS constellation augmentsthe existing American Deense SatelliteCommunication System-III (DSCS-III)constellation o 14 spacecra, the nalexample o which was launched in 2003.Te WGS will supersede the DSCS-III birds

as they leave service. In terms o capability,the WGS constellation oers 4.875GHzo instantaneous, switch-able bandwidth,supplying ten times the capacity o thelegacy DSCS-III system. Te rst WGSspacecra,USA-195, oers a 2.5 gigabits-per-second wideband communicationscapacity. Tis already exceeds thebandwidth available rom all o the DSCS-III spacecra put together. In total, theWGS network will include seven satellites,o which our are already operational.

L3 Communications has designed the

AN/USC-66 to be quick to deploy and

South Africas MicroVision Satellite Systems provides military grade soldier satellitecommunications systems such as the MicroVSAT portable antenna. (Micro Vision SatelliteSystems)


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tear down. It is transportable in our 40-kilo fight cases and it can be used as in a

vehicle-mounted role. Mobile platormscan utilise L3 Communications IntegratedMobile satcom erminal On-Te-MoveIP Data System which provides highbandwidth, Internet Protocol (IP)-basedmobile satellite communications, whilethe rms NCW-1200 Network CentricWaveorm 1.2 metre Flyaway erminal is aKu-band transportable satcom terminal thearchitecture o which comprises basebandpower distribution, support equipmentand an antenna pedestal positioner all owhich are housed in their own fight cases.An external power supply and a laptopcomputer are the only required additionsto operate the NCW-1200.

Te L3 Communications RM-1000,or its part, teams an MPM-10000 IP

modem with an antenna to transmit andreceive trac via the WGS constellation(see above) while the rms amily owideband satcom antenna terminalscovers all o the satellite communicationsbands in a package which is (JRS)Soware Communication Architecture2.2 Core Framework standard and WGS/

XAR X-band communications satellitecompliant.

IViasat

Te American armed orces also make

use o Viasats AN/PSC-14 BroadbandGlobal Area Network (BGAN). isutilises the International MaritimeSatellite broadband international satcomnetwork (more commonly known as

A US Army soldier confgures a Harris AN/PRC-117 sotware-defned combat net radio toperorm satellite communications. A current trend is seeing satellite communications being

placed in the hands o individual troops via their personal radios. (US DoD)

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SATCOMS ON THE MOVE

Inmarsat) across hardware that is certiedto a US National Security Agency ype-1encryption standard. Data rates o up to422kbps are attainable with the AN/PSC-14, which can be used in either a manpackor vehicle-mounted conguration.

IITT Exelis

Likewise, the US Army employ I

Exeliss satcom products with the rmsoerings including the Gnomad amily(see our title picture), which has a common

base package with an interchangeableantenna according to whether the terminalis being used in a manpack or a vehicle-mounted conguration. Te company saysthat one o the key dierentiating actorsor the Gnomad amily compared to othersatcom gear on the market is its low size,weight, power and cooling ootprint. TeGnomad oers a two megabit-per-seconddata rate and uses commercially-availableKu-band satellite bandwidth, while thelow-prole antenna utilised in the vehicle-borne version preserves stealthiness anddoes not impede other roo-mountedequipment such as remote-controlledweapons stations. Full duplex voice, dataand video transmissions are attainable andor secure communications the terminalcan be teamed with the National SecurityAgencys aclane KG-175 IP network ype-1 communications security and KIV-19

ype-1 link encryption device providinga secure 50Mbps data rate. In addition theuser can connect the Gnomad to an AN/VRC-92 single channel ground and airradio system, AN/VRC-104 and AN/VRC-110 tactical vehicular transceivers. Sales oGnomad have ollowed to the US Armys2nd and 4th Inantry Divisions.

IHarris

Well known in the tactical radio domain,Harris satcom wares include the AN/USC-65 C/X/Ku/Ka-band terminal used by theUS Marine Corps. Te AN/USC-65 is being

superseded by Harriss Modular AdvancedQuad-Band Antenna (MAQA) terminalwhich covers the same bandwidth as theAN/USC-65 using a 3.8-metre aerial. Itwill be able to communicate across the US

WGS and the United Kingdoms Ministry oDeence Skynet-5 communications satelliteconstellations, and via standard commercialsatellite bandwidth. Harris also has the tri-band Seeker amily o fyaway antennas thatare available in both 1.3 and 0.95 metre sizes.Handing about ve megabits-per-secondo data, the Seeker amily has recently beencertied or use with the WGS. Purchaseshave been orthcoming rom the UnitedStates Special Operations community, androm several European Nato members.

IRockwell Collins

Likewise, Rockwell Collins has anestablished pedigree in the tacticalradio world and a catalogue with anumber o satcom oerings. Te MiSAportable terminals oer X- and Ku-bandcommunications in a package weighingbelow 18 kilos that can be readied or

operation in under ve minutes, evenor someone without any satellitecommunications experience. Boastingsimilar innovation is the CommuniCaseechnology (CC) Swe-Dish. It is builtaround a modular concept, with speciccomponents that can be combined toprovide a customised solution. Te modulesinclude the antenna, transceiver, processor,soware, power supply, packaging andauxiliary products. Every time a newmodule is added, the soware notes thisand adapts itsel accordingly. An intuitivegraphical interace also reduces training

time, and all the modules can be enclosed inone case. Both the MiSA and the CC havebeen acquired by special orces and deenceministries around the world, in addition tothe US Navy and US National Guard.Rockwell Collinss CCT120 Swe-Dish

CommuniCase Technology satelliteterminal uses a modular approach orspecic components, enabling customersto obtain a bespoke system based on theirspecic needs. (Rockwell Collins)

The Rockwell Collins CCT200 Swe-Dish

fyaway antenna is available in X, Ku-and Ka-bands according to customerpreerence, and oers a data rate o 50megabits-per-second. (Rockwell Collins)

Thales is one o Europes leading providers o military portable satcoms. Included in therms product portolio is the Talisman tactical satellite communications set. (Thales)


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Thales was selected by the French deence procurement agencyto ulfl an urgent operational requirement or its Venus mobilesatellite command and control vehicles which provide X-bandsatcom on the move. (Thales)

IGeneral Dynamics

No mention o American satcom on-the-move providerswould be complete without discussing General DynamicsWarrior amily. Te rms Warrior SM (Small Man-portableerminal) provides both secure and non-secure high-speed dataX- and Ka-band trac at rates o 18mbps when receiving and ourmegabits-per-second transmitting and is ready to use inside o15 minutes. Joining the Warrior SM is the Warrior Model-96which handles the same communications bands and data rates, (asdoes the Warrior Model-120 1.2-metre antenna terminal), whichis portable in three lightweight fight cases. General DynamicsWarrior Model-180 1.8-metre antenna handles C-band tracin addition to X- and Ka-band communications. Larger trailer-mounted dishes in the orm o the Model-240 (2.8-metre antenna)and AN/SC-185 terminal, both o which support satellite

communications at-the-halt, are also available rom GeneralDynamics.

ITalesEuropean companies provide their air share o satcom

terminals or tactical land applications. Taless oerings haveocused on its System-21 transmission solution (also previouslyknown as the Modem-21E in its export guise). Modications tothe Modem-21E during its lietime have included the additiono waveorms improving its resilience to jamming, and eortsto increase its data rates providing the wherewithal to now carryup to 32mbps o trac. System-21 covers all the soware andhardware versions o the ormer Modem-21E as well as the newunctions such as Net-IP which manages the Quality o Service

o the network according to the military requirement. System-21uses IP-based architecture and specic treatment which meansthat, should the terminal loose its connection with the satellitei the antenna is obscured by trees or tall buildings or example,the terminal remembers the particulars o the connection andautomatically re-establishes it once the satellite is back in view.

urning to aerials, Tales oers vehicle satcom solutionsgrouped together under the companys Satmove amily. Teseare vehicle agnostic and are available with either a conventionalparabolic design, or with a phased array. Tis latter system is

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SATCOMS ON THE MOVE

particularly useul or ground vehicleswhich are moving across bumpy anduneven suraces which may cause aconventional vehicle antenna to looseits lock on the satellite. As the phasedarray antenna is electronically-steered, ithas a ar easier time maintaining its viewo the satellite. Furthermore, Tales isresponsible or the alisman amily omanpack terminals that have proven to

Te migration to Ka-bandis just as well, as recentoperations have taught

that the high demand forsatellite communicationsbandwidth is very much

here to stay.

aluminium fight cases. Te alon Litesarchitecture includes an Outdoor Unit(ODU) which remotely connects to theIndoor Unit, used to control the system

via a ve-metre long bre optic cable,although the user can extend this to 1000metres i desired. Te ODU includes theantenna, a Global Positioning Systemreceiver, compass and inclinometer toprovide automatic satellite capture basedon positional inormation within theODUs memory. Te IDU comprises aCDM570L-IP satellite modem, and acontrol and monitoring computer.

In terms o technological trendsor military mobile and on-the-movesatcoms, a quiet revolution is ongoingin terms o bandwidth. Military satellitecommunications currently tend tooperate in the X-band segment o the

spectrum. While X-band boasts robust

Polands WZL systems have already been supplied to the countrys armed forces to support

its deployment in Afghanistan, most notably the 1.8 metre PPTS-1.8 terminal. (WZL)

Although military satellite communications have traditionally used the X-band, this frequency

spread is becoming increasingly saturated. Therefore a migration is occurring with the militaryincreasingly using the higher-frequency Ka-band. (US DoD)

be very attractive to special orces aroundthe world. Most Tales land terminals areavailable in X-band, Ku-band and Ka-band.

ISelex ElsagSelex Elsags alon Lite is a compact

fyaway terminal oering either X-bandor Ku-band communications using a one-metre antenna and two 20-30 kg aircra

anti-jamming characteristics, thecomparative narrowness o the segment

available or military communications(500 megahertz) means that it ishugely oversubscribed. Tis has beenunderscored by the vocierous appetitethat the United States and her allieshave had or satellite bandwidth duringmilitary operations in Aghanistan, Iraqand more recently Libya.

Ku-band is comparatively wider, but isalso hugely subscribed, being extensivelyused by the commercial sector. Ka-bandoers some much needed additionalbandwidth, providing one gigahertz

or military communications and thesame quantity or commercial users.echnology has caught up with Ka-bandand military satcom terminal designersnow able to oer equipment with smallantennas at a competitive cost whichcan use this part o the spectrum. Temigration to Ka-band is just as well, asrecent operations have taught that thehigh demand or satellite communicationsbandwidth is very much here to stay.


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24/60


INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION

The neessity to ft any suspensions at all to vehiles appeared at a time whenthey were still horse-pulled and this was not neessarily or omort reasons.

At the time, suh arts had beam axles, in other words rigid axles. With theadvent o mehanial propulsion, and in spite o ever inreasing speeds, ittook almost hal a entury or automobiles to start and only start adoptingindependently suspended wheels. Why and or what advantages will be

explained here.

Eric H. Biass

INDEPENDENcE

Impressive montage revealing the OshkoshM-ATVs Tak-4 suspension

armadaINTERNATIONAL6/2012

Why suspensions to beginwith? When lie on earthwas rough, men were alsorough, even when they

invented the wheel. Tese were rst

made o slices o tree trunks axed toan axle. Running slowly on a relativelysmall obstacle like a stone amountsto a small climb, but done at a certainspeed, it becomes a shock, and aster

it becomes a jolt. Tis is still relativelyacceptable i there is no weight onthe axle, but i this weight increases,efectively pressing the wheel down,the stone will then have the efect o a


25/60


NOW!or subrame (on horse-pulled carts, thewhole ront sub-rame swivels to turn).

With the higher speeds aordedby thermal engines came the moresophisticated wheel the type thatcomes with the rubber, air-inatedtyre invented by John Dunlop to givebicycles a sofer ride but when AndrMichelin adapted the size to t them toautomobiles wheels hitherto shod withsolid rubber bands, a disturbing actorcame into play: bouncing (or rebound).Indeed, the tyre was nothing else than adoughnut-shaped rubber ball. Initially,this did not have a big impact becausespeeds were still relatively low and thesemi-elliptical lea suspensions then used,had a sel-damping eect (or rather thestacked spring leaves rubbing againsteach other had). Tis eectively bringsus to the development o the damper

and the reason why the development oindependent suspension was so delayed.

Tis was perhaps a long introduction,but one that is essential to understandthe reasons why the advent o theindependent suspension particularly oro-road vehicles was not only held backby its more complicated design requiringa much larger number o parts, but alsoby the necessity o obtaining adequatematerials to build long-lasting, reliabledampers (ofen called shock absorbers,but the term nowadays generally reers to

the coil+damper combination).

ITe Damper IAs its names implies, the dampers role

is to prevent a tyre rom bouncing up an

Tyre or Tire?

Te original word is actually tire,which was short for attire. In thecontext of wheels, attire did notrefer to the way they were dressedor decorated, but rather more to

the metal band that encircled orbound their wooden rims to keepall their components together andof course add an element of rug-gedness. When the rim itself waseventually made of metal andthe tire made of rubber, Britaindecided to spell the tire with a yto avoid confusion between thegenres.

These two a Humvee ftted with an Tak-4 suspension (let) and an Eagle 3 ftted with a rigid De Dion beam perectly illustrate dierentphilosophies and, thereore, behaviours. The Hummers wheels remain vertical whether the suspension is compressed or ully extended in

stark comparison with the Eagles. (Oshkosh and General Dynamics)

wedge being orced into the woodenwheel, with perectly imaginable eects.

Tis is when some crafy brain hadthe idea o putting a sof mount betweenthe axle and the weight-bearing platormmounted on it, to act as a shock-retardingdevice, meaning that the wheel can nowrun over that small stone without splittingbecause the orce exerted on the wheelwill partly be absorbed by the sof mount.Although still wooden, wheels had by nowbecome the more sophisticated spoke

type held tight by a metal band. Earlysuspensions were usually made up o leasprings that also acted as axle longitudinalxtures, ensuring that axles did stay wellperpendicular to their carried rame


26/60



down like a pea on a drum afer it hashit a road imperection. o make thingsworse, the act that the wheel carries a

heavy axle makes the whole process evenmore dicult to keep under control. Tegreater the non-suspended weight (orunsprung mass), the stronger the requireddamping. Initially, riction dampers wereused. Tese were metal plates made torub against intermediary plates. Tetighter they were pressed, the higher thedamping eect was. Te more they wereput to hard work, the hotter and the lesseective they became, thereby initiating adisastrous vicious circle.

ISprings

For a very long time, the mostcommonly used springing element camein the orm o a stack o variable lengthso steel blades called lea spring. Tis

had inherent advantages as its lateralrigidity enabled it to play key role as oneo the axle securing elements, and thus

oers a cheap solution. As seen above, italso had a measure o sel-damping eect.Its downside was its inability to providea long stroke, whether in compression orextension.

Te coil spring is a comparatively avery modern aair, only appearing inthe middle o the last century, and evenmuch later on heavy vehicles. It oers a

very high degree o exibility and longstroke, but necessitates very specic steelgrades and highly controlled productionmethods. Its downside is that it cannot

play any structural role whatsoever in the

suspension assembly. In o-road vehicles,a 40cm wheel stroke is good, 50cm betterand 60cm everybodys wish.

Te torsion bar, usually associatedwith a trailing arm, is very popular with

hulled armoured vehicles, as it enablestheir designers to make the best possibleuse o the space determined by the

vehicles track.

Finally, there is air. Amazingly, thismedium is one o the last ones to haveentered that suspension arena as aspringing element. Tis is mainly due tothe act that it needs to be enclosed ina exible chamber involving a materialthat was very dicult to master in termso durability: rubber. It is now almost allthe rage with the truck community (seethe atra picture in this article. Also,

by pumping additional air into the airchamber, one is allowed to control theriding height in relation to the weightcarried. In a more sophisticated world(initiated by Citron in the 1950s withhydraulics) it now enables computers toautomatically handle the parameters andeven adjust the suspension qualities to theroad surace within seconds, in a processknown as active suspension.

IWhy Independence?First o all, to reduce the weight o

the non-suspended or unsprung mass

(in vehicle parlance anything suspended

One o the early orm o damper involved two plates made to rubagainst a clutch plate (Author archives)

This Mbombe exemplifes the justifcationo an all-independent suspension to helpguarantee ull wheel-to-ground contactand thereore best possible traction inadverse situations. (Paramount Group)

Timoney in Ireland developed some small armoured vehicles in the 1970s, but perhapsbecame more internationally renowned or its double wishbone independent suspensionsthat were chosen or the ADI (now Thales Australia) Bushmaster massively adopted by the

Australian Army. (Timoney)


27/60



28/60



is above the top o the suspensionsystem), which by military truck or lorrystandards is horrendously high the rimand type assembly alone (which makesthe wheel) weighs more than 150 kilos(a ar cry rom the light alloy wheels oyour modern little coup). In a 4 x 4 this isdone by breaking up the axle intoroughly three main parts, the central partcontaining the dierential being xed tothe chassis (and thereore as seen above,becomes a suspended mass) and thetwo, lighter stub axles (or hal-shafs)driving the wheel hubs via universal and

constant-speed joints.

Te above picture being laid out,urther advantages become apparent,but rst and utmost it is clear that anyadverse road or surace action on a wheelwill have no direct impact on the oppositeside wheel. But there is more: a horizontalshock, as would be imparted by hitting alarge stone, would also cause a solid axleto want to steer. I one can imagine this

In a telescopic damper (a single-actionhere), a piston is orced to push through a

volume o fuid which has a limited escaperoute via a valve. (Authors archive)

motion combined with that o the axlemoving up and down, one begins to seein slow motion the horrible picture o awheel wobbling and wiggling in space.ranspose the picture to a steering beamaxle: the horrible picture clearly becomesa nightmare, with all the motion beinggenerously kicked back into the steeringwheel and the arms o the driver (reasonwhy experienced o-road drivers neverkeep their thumbs under the steeringwheels spokes to avoid having themwrenched backwards on a kick-back).

In an all-terrain scenario, the essentialingredient to eciency is grip. Not onlyrotational grip to ensure traction, but alsolateral grip to prevent the vehicle romslipping sidewards on a slope or spinningin a bend on greasy wet clay terrain notto mention the lateral grip absolutely

required to keep steering control. Tesine qua non here is to ensure that allwheels remain in contact with the groundat all times and with a maximum load oneach one o them. o ensure this, there isonly one solution: long suspension stroke.

Independent suspensions also bringabout another advantage: by playingon the geometry o its components(triangles, struts and so orth) not only

This CAD printout shows the sturdy

double wishbone suspension layout o theront suspension and driveline designedby Renault Trucks Deence or the

Nexter VBCI. (Renault)

can one add camber to the wheel, but byworking out a proper dierential lengthbetween the upper and lower trianglesin the geometry, this angle can be madeto increase as weight crushes down thatparticular suspension. Tis means thatthe suspension, by cambering out canbe made to compensate the naturalpropensity o an outside wheel to oldunder the vehicle in a bend, particularlythe outer ront one.

IDamper II

Te longer the suspension stroke itsability to travel up and down the moredamping eort is required. It goes withoutsaying that having read the paragraphabove, the riction damper describedunder Te Damper I paragraph wouldnot last long. Te use o the telescopicdamper had been generalised well beore

WWII and the device has gone throughtremendous improvements, particularlyin the last decades.

A telescopic damper operates prettymuch like the hand pump we use toinate the tyres o our bicycle, only thatinstead o pumping air out, it pumpsoil which instead o being pushed outo the pump is pressed through a valve-controlled opening, allowing the liquid


29/60


OJSC RESEARCH AND PRODUCTION CORPORATION

URALVAGONZAVOD

28, Vostochnoe shosse,Nizhny Tagil, Russia, 622007Telephone +7 (3435) 344-209

40, St. Bolshaya YakimankaMoscow, Russia, 119049

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E-mail: [email protected] www.uvz.ru www.uralvagonzavod.com

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Based on the D-30 122 mm artillerysystem mounted on a 6x6 truck chassis,the Soko SP RR. Yugoimport unveiled it

in 2010. (Yugoimport)

to ow onto the other side o the piston.With top end attached to the chassis andthe bottom to the wheel hub carrier, thedamper thus limits the speed at which thewheel is allowed to move up and down.But there is a problem, and all o uswho have used bicycles have experienceit: afer a while, our pump can becomeso hot it is painul to hold it any longer.Well, the same thing happens to a vehicledamper, but temperatures here can reachdramatic temperatures, with two tragicconsequences: a) the liquid boils (thedamper thus pumps bubbles or steam

and the damping eect vanishes) andb) the seals melt or break up causing aninstantaneous ailure o the device.

Tus when driven hard or ast onhigh-requency corrugated desert surace,which is the worst torture room onecan nd to test absorbers, dampertemperatures can rise very ast and theworst is that when one damper gives upthe ghost, the others will not be able tocompensate very long or the shortcomingand will ail as quickly as takes you tosnap your ngers. A G-Wagen 4x4 at

the Paris-Dakar rally a ew years ago wassuddenly seen rocking rom nose to tailonce, twice, thrice and nally roll over itsront bumper beore the driver even knewwhat had happened!

ISquaring the Circleo measure the challenge with our

military vehicles, let us put a ew, totallyincompatible, acts together: we needlong suspension stroke, we need this to

work at ast speeds, and we want this tohandle weights well in excess o 200 kg(wheel, hub, suspension, hal shaf andbrakes i these are not in-board) andprevent the latter rom bobbing about.Tis explains why sports automobileand racing car manuacturers did theirutmost the lighten the masses involved,not only by using wire-wheels andlater alloy wheels, but also eventuallymounting the braking system inboard

a solution adopted by AM Generalor the Humvee, by the way. Te otheractors that came to the rescue o

overboiling dampers are higher boiling

point hydraulics, improved elastomersand sintered metals.

ITe Various ConfgurationsA most common way o devising an

independent suspension is to mount thehub (in other words the wheel carrier) atthe pointed ends o two superimposedtriangles (reerred to as wishbones), thebases o which are attached throughan articulation to the vehicle. Tisgeometry is known as double wishbonesuspension. Tis allows or numerousadjustments in camber and castor angles,

the latter being very important on the

A modern iteration o the De Dion axle and subrame invented in the late1800s is this layout imagined by Bucher-Guyer to rame the portal axleso its Duro troop transport (the tubular structure is here seen in orange).

Bucher Guyer was subsequently bought up by Mowag who used thedesign or the Eagle 4. (Authors archives)

This cutaway drawing o a Piranha 10x10 shows the combination o trailing arms andtorsion bars or the fxed axles and MacPherson struts on the steered axles. (Mowag)


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Usually criticised or its rather twitchy behaviour, the swing axledesign appears to have been pretty well mastered by Tatra, giventhe Czech frms highly impressive scoreboard in tough o-roadrallies and competitions. This model, as seen in the insert, also

incorporates air-cushioned springing. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)

steering axle to improve sel-lining up o the ront wheels tominimise wandering). Tere are two ways o emplacing thisunder a vehicle: either by mounting the entire suspension unitin a separate cradle or subrame, which is in turn bolted ontothe vehicles chassis members, or the monocoque structure, bybolting all these elements directly onto the structure. As usual,both solutions have their pros and cons: in case o damage aseparate cradle can be dropped as a single unit and quicklyreplaced, but is heavier (yet still a suspended mass!) and moreexpensive. With a simpler direct mount conguration on theother hand, i push comes to serious shove, its the structure

(chassis element or monocoque) that might get bent, i notripped o at the attachment point.

A second layout is known as trailing arm suspension. Usuallyapplied to non-steering axles, this conguration is generallyassociated with a torsion bar suspension and is very popularwith armoured vehicles as they take very little space andthereore allow designers to maximise the exploitable inner

vehicle width between lef and right wheels. Because the torsionbar (which eectively replaces the coil spring in this instance)is tted transversely across the bottom o the vehicle oor, theonly element that needs to be placed between the wheel and the

vehicle hull is the damper (although some clever rocket armcongurations can allow these to be tted horizontally and out

o the way).

A third conguration, is the De Dion axle, named afer itsFrench inventor. Stricto sensu not an independent system, thisoers some o the advantages o a ully independent suspensionin terms o unsprung weight and constant camber angle on atrebound, but with limited benet in terms o reduced interactionbetween lef and right wheels on a bump. Also, the DeDiontube (as the rigid element that links the two wheels is called,is cumbersome and can reduce ground clearance. Tis layout,however, was adopted by Bucher-Guyer in the rst Duro truck.


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By keeping unsprung masses to a bare minimum as this Thales Hawkei does ensures a) a proper contact of the wheels with the ground, b)verticality of the wheel plane, c) a better durability of the dampers when running fast (a live-saving factor under certain circumstances) overlong distances on corrugated terrain. A tired suspension will bounce the vehicle off track in no time.

A ourth solution, essentially or

steered wheels, is the McPherson strutassembly, named afer its Americaninventor. In this conguration the bottompart o the shock absorber unit (damper-cum-coil spring) carries the wheel huband rests on a lower wishbone while theupper part o the strut is bolted onto the

vehicle rame (see the Piranha cutawayview).

Finally, there is the swing axle solution.Tis consists o having the dierential (orthe tips o the lower wishbones) boltedto the centre o the carrier rame and

let the ends (the wheels) swivel up anddown. Tis gives the characteristic hyperpositive camber o the inside wheel(s) ina sharp bend and hyper over-camberedattitude under heavy loads.

IWhy Such a Sudden Need?Indeed, one may wonder why

independent suspensions came intosuch demand in recent years, when ordecades earlier lorries, trucks and troop

transports were apparently quite happy

to live on live axles. Cicero would havereplied O mora o mores!, these weredierent times when a war was expectedto be conventional, and take place neara nations borders with massive meansin terms o vehicle numbers and logisticsupply.

Nowadays, units are despatched to theour corners o the world and very muchinto the unknown. Mention was madeearlier o the extremely demanding Paris-Dakar rally. Fun actor removed, onecould say that current missions in hostile

terrain such as Aghanistan and certainArican areas have much in common withthe historical rally in terms o torture to

vehicles. Not only do they have to travellong distances, but they also have to dothis as quickly as possible, and i possiblenot along obvious routes where ill-atedrendezvous are to be expected, whichofen means avoiding roads and eventrails. Running on the rough imposes a loto stress to the vehicle, its occupants and,

not to be orgotten, electronic equipment

(see Oshkoshs ootage here, it reallyproves the point: http://www.armada.ch/videos. I most o this stress can bedamped, including or the soldier whosestress is not only physical, eciency willtake a ormidable leap orward. One tendsto orget that as sturdy as it looked like,the amous one-tonne Willys Jeep was inact quite ragile. It was to be cheap andsimple enough to be quickly put into massproduction. It had to be easy to erry, easyto use, and had to last until it lasted.

IAs Simple as Tat

Te end word is that i you want torun ast across dicult land you have tobe t and exible. I you are a vehicle andhave to do the same thing, tness willdepend on your engine and transmission,while exibility, which will guarantee thatevery one o your leg strokes lets youreet reach the ground with the necessarybite to translate your muscular eortinto orward speed, is your suspension.Arguing this is denying the obvious.


33/60

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GRENADE LAUNCHER FCS

Mre and mre armes are acqurng underarrelgrenade launchers prvde her fre eams

wh sme nheren ndrec fre capal. Uranwarare s nl ne he scenars n whch 40 mm

grenades pla a cnsderale rle, her use havngals een hghlghed n pen space engagemens n

Aghansan, where en he enem s hddenehnd sacles.

GRENADE LAUN

CoNtRoL SyStEMAttER oF FLEx

I

ncreased accuracy and effectivenessare the two drivers that promptedthe development of dedicated fire

control systems, evaluating targetdistance with the Eyeball Mk.1 beingalways tricky, the precision of thatdatum being the first element of fireaccuracy.

The products available and underdevelopment are based on a computingunit, but follow two differentphilosophies in the human machineinterface that provides the aimingsolution to the grenadiers. The first oneis to show them on a display a crosshairor a series of arrows indicating how to

move the weapon into the right shootingposition. The second is based on a scopewhich elevation changes according tothe ballistic solution. Some systems arenot limited to grenades but can also beused to improve assault rifle direct fire,providing the correct elevation usinghigh velocity rounds ballistic tables.

To improve 40 mm grenadeeffectiveness against hidden targets

numerous companies are developing airburst munitions. To be fully effectivethese must be initiated right above

the target, which means that a timefuze must be used and fed with theright time-to-target. A must for newfire control units this is its capacity tointerface with programming units andto feed them with time data for ABMfiring. With the development of newrounds such as medium velocity orextended range 40 mm grenades, newfire control systems must also be able towithstand the greater impulse generatedwhen shooting those projectiles.Technology progress allowed to reducesize and weight of those systems, which

however still weigh around 500 grams not featherweight, but if one realisesthat this is slightly more than the weightof two grenades, the increased accuracyamply allows to significantly reduce theammo needed to be carried. While someolder systems have already disappearedfrom the market, due to their weightand lack of flexibility, it is quiteprobable that the coming years will seenew players coming into the market,

not only from ammunition companiesdeveloping ABM grenades but also from

other manufacturers.

IRheinmetallOne of the newest entries comes

from Germany, where Rheinmetall isdeveloping a new fire control unit forrifles, grenade launchers, machine guns,and shoulder-fired anti-tank or anti-bunker weapons such as the Carl Gustavor the SMaW. Known as the Multi Rayit includes a ballistic computer that can


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HER FiRE

S: ALL AiLity

This picture shows the range data displayed on the small screen at the back o the FCU; theFN Herstal system can also be used as a laser rangefnder with a range o over 900 metres(FN Herstal)

store over 1,000 ballistic tables. Thesystem can be installed not only on theleft or right side of the rifle, but also ontop. The sight can be the same as the onealready adopted by the service, whichconsiderably helps to reduce trainingtime and increase confidence as well asreducing the logistical footprint. Thesequence is typical, and starts activatingwith the soldier aiming at the target

through the sight and activating thelaser rangefinder which provides thetarget range; the computer providesthe appropriate data to the servomotorthat moves the MultiRay to the correctelevation. The soldier then aims againthrough the sight and fires the round.

The MultiRay also features athermometer and barometer providing

air temperature and air pressure datato the computer while an inclinometer

measures the shooter/target elevationdelta. The MultiRay LRF is a ClassB system working at 1.55 m, with amaximum range of 1,500 metres. Otherlaser emitters are included in the systemfor aiming purposes, a visible red lightlaser marker with a dimmable 30 mWoutput providing a range of 800 metresat night and 80 metres in daytime, anda dimmable 30 mW IR laser workingat 850 nm, providing a night range


36/60



o 2,000 metres. An IR illuminator isalso available: it has an output o lessthan 150 mW and being electronicallyocusable its divergence varies between5 and 100 mrad, its maximum rangebeing 1,000 metres. Finally a 6 W pulsedIR laser working at 905 nm and with arange o 600 metres acts as integrateddismounted soldier identiicationinterrogator.

o ensure quick reaction the MultiRay

eatures direct aiming buttons that setthe system or shooting at 50/100 metreswith low velocity or 100/200 metres ormedium velocity 40 mm grenades, whileiron sights set or the same distancesare available as back-up. A trainingmode reducing laser output to Class 1is available or training. Rheinmetall iscurrently developing air burst 40 mmmedium velocity grenades, with an IRprogramming system that allows themto be used rom any rie, provided theprogramming system is mounted on theweapon. Te MultiRay obviously includes

this capability and would thereore beproposed together with the grenadestted with the Velan IR use that providesthem the air-burst capability. Te systemdimensions are130 x 40 x 70 mm, it isequipped with Picatinny rail or le/rightside or top applications, and it weighs lesthan 500 grams, including the teo C123Abatteries, an adaptor or using two AAbatteries being also available. Seen asmock-up at the 2012 events, the MultiRay

is currently in evaluation phase and willbe ofcially launched at the ShotShow inmid January 2013 at Las Vegas.

IIMIIsrael Military Industries has its new

system, namely the Multi-Purpose RieSystem. Currently in its last phase odevelopment, a prototype system was

visible at AUSA 2012, although thenal FCS will have reduced dimensionsand will weigh around 400 grams. In

The mock-up o the MultiRay, the FCS developed by Rheinmetall, shown at AUSA 2012. Thecompany planned to unveil the production system at the Shot Show. (Armada/PV)

Israel Military Industries has just completed the development o the Multi-Purpose RifeSystem that works not only as an FCS but also as a programming system or its ABM rounds.

It can also be used to improve direct ring accuracy. (Armada/PV)

November 2012 the Israeli DeenceForces received a rst batch o 10 systemsor evaluation purposes, the systemhaving already been optimised by IMIworking alongside IDF representatives.

The MPRS has been delivered in small

quantities to the Israeli Deense Forces orevaluation; this sight developed by IsraeliMilitary Industries allows to considerablyimprove ring accuracy o both 40 mm

grenades and 5.56 mm rounds.(Armada/PV)


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One o the main diferences o the MPRScompared to many dedicated grenadelauncher re control systems is that it canbe used in two modes, one or 40 mmgrenades, and the other or 5.56 mm rounds,thus considerably increasing the accuracyo soldiers direct re thanks to the precisedistance measurement and the use o ballistictables by the built-in computer. Te soldierhas thus a single sight or carrying out bothtypes o ring, the programming system

or air-burst grenades allowing to inject thedelay time data in the round by an inductionsystem o coils contained in the launcherand in the grenade itsel. However thanksto the communication protocol, the MPRSre control system can also be adopted byother weapons ring diferent types o ABgrenades.

IFN HerstalWhile the above-mentioned companies

produce both FCS and ABMs, FN Herstal oBelgium is so ar the only grenade launchermanuacturer to have developed such a re

control system. In act the company proposestwo systems that are very similar but usediferent laser sources, providing diferentclasses o beams. Te FCU-850N eatures aClass 1M rangender and IR pointer and aClass 3B visible pointer operating in the 850nm requency. Te FCU-1.5M, working inthe 1.55 m, has a Class 1 rangender. Inpointer mode this can be used either at lowpower with a Class 1 eyesae level or training,and at Class 3B in combat situations. Tetwo systems share the same cases as wellas the same procedures, and both are to beinstalled on top o the rie.

Te soldier acquires the target either withthe standard rie sight or with the red dotsight integral to the FCU, and then pressesthe FCU trigger; the latter is providedas a remote and can thus be installed bythe soldier in his preerred position. Tetrigger activates the laser rangender, themeasured target distance being readableon the LED display located at the rear othe FCU. Tis is also ed to the computer

The FCU 850N from FN Herstalmounted on top of an FN SCARcarbine. Over 10 contract have beensigned for the Belgian systems but FNdoes not provide indications on itscustomers.(FN Herstal)

The FN FCU 850N from FNHerstal; the Belgian companydeveloped two such systems

which lasers operate respectively

in the 850 nm and 1.55 mfrequencies. (FN Herstal

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over 600 oregn wrkers stnd behind the optics americn Wrf ighters use.


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that receives the elevation data rom theclinometer, and according to the typeo round selected provides the ballisticsolution according to its tables. FNHerstal FCUs can store up to 50 diferenttypes o grenade in their memory. Bybringing the moving red dot on the

target the soldier takes the correct aimingposition; a urther renement is providedby a second sensor that measures the cantangle, the quick or slow ashing o thered dot reticle showing i the weapon hasto be canted to the right or to the le. FN

FCUs were conceived to be compatiblewith medium velocity grenade and canthus withstand the impulse generated bysuch ammunition. In perspective the FNsystems will be able to communicate withABM programming devices. FN Herstaldoes not provide details on its customers,

however it states that its FCU system willsoon enter service in three countries, over10 contracts having been signed thus ar.

ISelex GalileoWith the acquisition o the rst batch o

Soldato Futuro equipment or the ItalianArmy approved in Fall 2012, the SelexGalileo Scorpio should soon enter serviceand be deployed downrange. Te Scorpiodoes not rely on a sight but indicatesto the soldier on an LED cross displaythe direction in which he has to movethe weapon in elevation and azimuthto obtain the correct aiming position,once the laser rangender has lled thetarget distance into the computer. Ayellow disk appears in the middle othe screen when the grenade launcheris aligned, the cross disappearing whenmaximum ring accuracy is reached.wo orthogonal DC accelerometersensure the alignment when a statictarget is engaged, selection being madepressing the [S] button located in thelower le part o the system. Pressing[D] means selecting the dynamic aiming

or engaging slow moving targets. Herethree orthogonal angle rate gyroscopesare used, the soldier having to track thetarget or about three seconds to acquirethe angular speed beore getting theballistic solution on the screen.

wo other buttons located on thesame side but in a higher positionprovide menu navigation [M] andallow to adjust the display intensity[I]. hrough the menu, the soldier canchoose the appropriate iring t able, theRS232 serial port allowing to load the

iring tab

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