Armada Dec 2012 Compendium - Urban Warfare and Air Ops Equipment

39armada Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment 6/2012

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Nato military experts anticipate that in the near future over 70% of all conflicts will take place in urban scenarios. A great part of this Compendium is therefore dedicated to some categories of equipment that might help the warfighter under such conditions. Other specific situations that a soldier might encounter in his missions are desert, arctic and jungle. Not many types of equipment are specifically devoted to those scenarios, except for clothing. We have, however, added a few items dedicated to desert warfare, especially water production systems, since most recent operations have had a tendency to take place under rather dry latitudes. Air operations are described in the second part of this Compendium.

UrbAN WArfAre ANd Air Ops

Paolo Valpolini

T here are two things that recent conflicts have taught commanders. One is to reduce collateral damages

and the other to reduce own soldiers exposure to enemy fire. In both cases, robotics plays an increasing role both for intelligence gathering and for

emplacing warheads in a discipline where the line between drones and missiles is slowly disappearing.

ThrowablesInserting sensors in a building to

provide better situational awareness to infantry advancing in a built-up area

can be done in different ways. The fastest, without any doubt, is to toss a system through an opening, a window or a door. Numerous robots can climb stairs and move through rooms, but these generally are large and heavy, at least for infantry teams. Miniaturisation has allowed to develop new types of

Advanced recce allows to reduce risks. This is where a throwable robot – here a

Throwbot XT - finds its full raison d’être. (ReconRobotics)

02 armada Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment 6/2012

The Individual Reconnaissance and Intelligence System – Iris in short – was developed by Israeli Roboteam and can be thrown at long distance using a sling. (Roboteam)

install a greater number and variety of sensors. “We can foresee in the next few years the appearance of micro-UGVs with plug-and-play capabilities similar to those available nowadays in bigger systems,” Bignall adds.

Oddly enough, further size reduction is not necessarily a viable option: micro-vehicles still have to cope with uneven ground when used in military missions, and thus still need to overcome “sizeable” obstacles compared to their current dimensions. Power sources will still maintain a finite dimension, an added factor that imposes intrinsic limits to further size shrinking. The weight department, however, appears to offer shrinking opportunities, mostly through the adoption of new materials, although cost remains a main consideration. Weight reduction, however, will also have a positive impact on another option that is coming closer to reality:

“In the next five years we will see the advent of micro-UGVs capable of climbing walls,” says Bignall, although no details were unveiled on what technology seems most promising.

Teamwork between ground and air robots will also improve, for instance with drones capable of deploying multiple micro-ground robots,

although the swarm option does not climb very high on the list of “must have” as indeed micro-UGVs producers prefer to stick to the KISS principle – Keep It Stupid Simple – in view of the fact that their systems are be operated by frontline personnel working under stress.

Turning to artificial intelligence, how long will it be before we see a fully autonomous robot that simultaneously locates and maps an unknown building is still an open question, a major five-year research initiative having been funded in 2011 by the US Army Research Lab and led by BAE Systems.

Returning to the ‘throwables’, in the fall of 2012 – and following three weeks of robotics testing as a part of the organization’s efforts to improve robot capabilities for dismounted troops in Afghanistan – the Joint IED Defeat Organization selected three throwables, namely the MacroUSA Armadillo V2, the Irobot 110 FirstLook and the QinetiQ Dragon Runner-10. Jieddo, as the organisation is known as,

The Throwbot XT featured in our title picture is the latest development of

ReconRobotics’ latest development in throwable twin-wheelers. It is here shown

with its control station and headset, the robot being also equipped with a

microphone. (ReconRobotics).

robots, with good mobility and capable of carrying electro-optical and acoustic sensors as well as data-links to send back real-time info to the team. Even better: ‘throwables’ have recently been developed to add jamming systems to disrupt enemy communication and C2.

Before we dive into the technicalities of robotics, let’s see what might be the trends in this discipline and what the future potentially holds.

Urban warfighters need systems that enable them to acquire the best possible situational picture – thus small, light and simple robots of the “throwable” category are certainly among the most useful items in the so-called UGV world, although some bigger robots might also be used. “Finding the right balance between weight, size, power and radio range remains the key factor in the micro-UGV world,” said Alan Bignall, CEO of ReconRobotics, one of the most successful companies in this niche segment. Looking into the medium-term future, some technologies will certainly have a positive impact on micro-systems; the land robotic world will certainly exploit the advances in the battery field that are mostly generated by consumer demand, but also used , in the robotic scenario, by drones. Miniaturization will allow to


acquired around a hundred of robots of each type, that were then deployed downrange.

MacroUSA developed a trio of throwables – all featuring an automatic image inversion system, which exploit the same control station and video link – though the robots themselves have different dimensions, weights and architectures. The link employed is based on the Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (COFDM), a form of modulation particularly well-suited to the needs of terrestrial broadcasting and especially for linking elements in a compartmented terrain such as an urban scenario. The COFDM subdivides the high speed information packages in a number of low speed parallel fluxes using FMD on orthogonal carriers that do not interfere among them. The COFDM link used by MacroUSA robot features 50 channels and operates in the 1.2-1.4 or 2.2-2.4 GHz frequency bands. They also use a tablet-like (75 x 200 x 200 mm) body-worn common control display system weighing 1.57, with the antenna incorporated into the tablet cover. Thanks to the link adopted the control can operate multiple robots, one system being active and the others in sleep mode. The 5.6 inch colour display allows one to see up to four images simultaneously, while two

proportional joysticks provide for simultaneous control of the vehicle and its payload.

The biggest of the three throwables is the Armadillo. In fact the Armadillo is not a single product but a family of robots of similar size and increasing weight that can withstand multiple drops from heights of 2.5 metres or horizontal launches to eight metres. In their basic configuration the robots are symmetrical in shape. Powered by electric motors they can climb a 45° slope but to further increase their mobility they can be equipped with a stair/obstacle kit made of flippers with rubber tracks installed in place of the wheels, a composite articulated track kit being also available. Their sensor suite provide a full 360° vision while the data link ensures a 300 metre line-of-sight range (dropping to 200 metres otherwise, but exceeding that of other systems). A GPS, a digital accelerometer and a digital magnetic compass are part of the robots. The Armadillos are equipped with a Picatinny rail that allows them to carry payloads such as disruptors, manipulators or uncooled rotating thermal cameras, but then obviously lose their “throwability”. Maximum payload capacity is three kilos, although the company tested the system at much higher loads. Following the selection by Jieddo, MacroUSA is expecting before year end a new order that might encompass for a much higher number of systems. The first international success took place in

2009 when the Singaporean Army acquired a considerable number of Armadillos, followed by a derivative of the V2 version. Since numerous robots of the various versions have been sold in America worldwide.

The latest Armadillo versions form the core of the kit on which Oto Melara TRP3 robot is based, that will be soon delivered to the Italian Army as part of the Forza NEC programme. Numerous elements have been developed in Italy, while the vehicular control station was wholly designed by Oto Melara and the portable control station was also deeply modified.

MacroUSA is currently bidding for two major US Defence lightweight robots contracts, the Engineer Squad Robot (ESR) and the Ultra Light Recon Robot (ULRR), the former aiming at US Marine Corps requirements while the latter is based on the needs of the Jieddo, the Marine Corps and the Rapid Equipping Force programme.

Second by weight comes the Beetle, another throwable with dimensions of 75 x 175 x 206 mm. A tilt mechanism allowing ±60° tilt and a 185° FoV equips the front of this nano-UGV carrying a day/night colour camera, an audio microphone and IR and white diode lighting. The Beetle has a weight of 1.0 kg and can carry a 0.7 kg external payload on a Picatinny rail. In non-line of sight operations the COFDM link ensures a range of 150-200 metres, the link using streamline antenna

The twin-wheel TRM developed by PIAP (Przemyslowy Instytut Automatyki i

Pomiarów) of Poland is among the lightest throwables. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini).

The original Armadillo (left) has evolved into a family of robots with improving performances. It is among those selected by the Jieddo for operational trials in Afghanistan. Equipped with the Stairclimber kit, the wheeled Armadillo can overcome obstacles that are usually out of reach for non-tracked robots. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini - MarcoUSA)


panels. The Beetle can withstand 2.5 metre drops on concrete, while its endurance stretches from 1 to 2 hours in full operations or 12 hours in sleep mode. The latest development from MacroUSA, the Beetle is available since Spring 2012 and is being actively marketed, several dozens having already been sold to different customers for operational evaluation.

The smallest of the trio in terms of weight at 0.650kg, is the Tactical Throw Camera - or TTC. Believing that the ball-type systems that remain mostly static once launched in a room provide only limited intelligence, MacroUSA developed a system of similar dimensions, the TTC being 135 mm long and 148 mm wide, but its wheels being 68 mm high, it can easily move after landing. Its shock-resistant body is made of injected plastic reinforced with fibreglass, and thus has the same throwing capability as the Armadillo. Each motor is controlled independently by a microprocessor and when the two wheels counter-rotate the TTC’s day/

All MacroUSA systems exploit the samecontrol station and video link, the latter being based on the Coded Orthogonal

Frequency Division Multiplexing.(MacroUSA)

Smaller than the Armadillo, MacroUSA Beetle is the latest product of the company and a new version is already in advanced development stage. (MacroUSA)


Armadillo V3 (discontinued) Armadillo 3.5 Armadillo 3.5

Tracksorb polyurethane rubber

2 front, 1 rear and 2 side colour day/night cameras

IR LED lights on front and back

Audio microphone

1.5-2 hours continuous op-erations without payloads & 12 hours in sleep mode.

High resistance impact plastic

72 mm

130 mm

265 mm

280 mm

2.5 kg

30 mm

5 km/h

Lexan wheel hubs with vulca-nized rubber.

2 front, 1 rear, and 2 side day/night cameras with 2x digital zoom.


Audio microphone

3.5 hours continuous opera-tions without payloads & 12 hours in sleep mode

High impact resistance Lexan & aluminium laterals

60 mm

130 mm

270 mm

295 mm

3.13 Kg

30 mm

3 km/h

Lexan wheel hubs with vulca-nized rubber.

1 front, 1 rear, and 2 side day/night cameras with 2x digital zoom. Front camera with ± 60° tilt.


Audio microphone

3.5 hours continuous operations without payloads & 12 hours in sleep mode

High impact resistance Lexan & aluminium laterals

68 mm

130 mm

265 mm

320 mm

3.70 Kg

30 mm

3 km/h

WHEELS

OPTICAL SENSORS

LIGHTING

AUDIO SENSORS

CHASSIS MATERIAL

CHASSIS HEIGHT

WHEEL HEIGHT

WIDTH

LENGTH

WEIGHT

GROUND CLEARANCE

MAXIMUM SPEED

MACROUSA ARMADILLO FAMILY

At 650 grams, the Tactical Throw Camera is not much heavier than a ball-type

system, but can move in a room. Launch customer was Singapore. (MacroUSA)

night camera provides a 360° panoramic view. Transmission range is 250 meters in line-of-sight and 175 meters otherwise. It was initially developed for the Singaporean Army, which acquired a considerable number in 2009. Since, the TTC has been further developed and has sold in numbers in the US and Europe, mostly to police special units.

Looking into the future, MacroUSA is working on adding some degree of artifi cial intelligence to its robots in order to endow them with autonomous or semi-autonomous capabilities,

“follower” being one of those. In June 2012 the company demonstrated some of these capacities with the Armadillo. During the 2012 Robotics Rodeo at Fort Benning, Georgia, the company cooperated with 5D Robotics, a robotics soft ware company specialised in reactive robotic behaviours such as obstacle avoidance, shared control, human tracking, and dynamic follow.

Another well known American company, iRobot, also developed a ‘throwable’. Leveraging experience acquired with the 510 PackBot and the Sugv (Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle), iRobot developed the 110 FirstLook, entrusted as its name suggests with the investigation of hard-access places in urban scenarios as well as typical bomb caches such as tunnels, ditches and culverts. Light (2.4 kg), small (102 mm high, 254 mm long and 229 mm wide), the FirstLook can

withstand a drop on concrete from a height of nearly fi ve metrest. It moves at a maximum speed of 1.5 m/s and thanks to its tracks can climb obstacles of up to 178 mm; two fl ippers allow to turn the robot in place in case it turtles over during a manoeuvre. Th e FirstLook features four built-in cameras (front, rear and one on each side); and features a payload accessory port while an optional Picatinny rail can accommodate systems such as thermal cameras or chem-bio sensors. Th e radio data-link allows to using the 110 FirstLook at a range of up to 200 metres. Th e default frequency is 2.4 GHz, but an optional frequency alternative is available at 4.9 GHz. Th e 800-gramruggedized and water resistant Operator Control Unit has a game-style layout and includes a fi ve-inch, 800x480 resolution display and features an integrated radio. With a single set of batteries the 110 FirstLook is able to operate for more than six hours.

QinetiQ North America developed in the past a family of EOD robots, the Talon, and leveraging this experience it produced the Dragon Runner family whose smaller


member, the Dragon Runner 10, fits in the throwable category and is designed for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. Easily portable, it weighs 5 kg and its dimensions are 394 x 350 x 147 mm. It is equipped with front and rear day/night cameras and a microphone. In its basic form the Dragon Runner 10 is

After falling on its back the 110 Firstlook gets to the upside position using its flippers to roll over; this iRobot product is in service in numbers in Afghanistan. Tracks help the 110 Firstlook to overcome difficult obstacles such as this stony ground. It can be dropped from a height of around 5 meters. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

invertible, as it is symmetrical, and can thus enter into action immediately after being thrown over a distance of two to four metres. Propulsion is provided by multiple electric motors that sallow it to reach a speed of 6.4 km/h on a 45° slope. The robot can be equipped with wheels or tracks depending on the type

of “playground” state.

The change from wheels to tracks is done without specific tools. The robot remain throwable in both configurations and its 50 mm ground clearance allows it to operate on uneven terrain. It is equipped with a compass and a GPS that provide the operator with vehicle heading and precise location. Compatible with all existing QinetiQ controllers, the Dragon Runner’s operational range is 500 to 650 metres depending on the radio link used, while endurance ranges from two to three hours endurance depending on mission profile. The Dragon Runner 10 is compatible with the payloads developed for the DR 20 model, but of course impair its throwability. The


DR10 has been sold to the US military and is being used in Afghanistan, but in January 2012 QinetiQ North America received an urgent order from the Jieddo for more than 100 to the tune of around $5.3 million including spare, with deliveries due one month later. A further order worth $4.3 million for

“several dozens” DR10 was chalked up in June 2012, followed by a further order of similar value in August 2012, but with the DR10s this time destined to the US Marine Corps. The DR10 is considered to strike a good balance between dimensions and mobility, is rated among the most mobile of its category, but is considered a bit heavy and QinetiQ has already identified ways to reduce its weight.

At Eurosatory 2012 ReconRobotics introduced the latest of its ThrowBots, the ThrowBot XT. The original Throwbot was born out of a Darpa competition for police duties. The first model had a day camera, the following Recon Scout IR adding a night capability. Following the acquisition of about 200 by the military, the lattercame up with specific requirements, one of them being the minimum climbing capacity needed to overcome the frame of a typical Afghan door. This led to the Recon Scout XT. Although similar in appearance, this

its noise at 6 meters distance is of only 22 dB that is the equivalent of a very silent fan or that of the human breathing at 20 cm, its data link can transmit signals acquired by the sensor suite to a range of up to 30 metres in a building or 90 metres in open terrain (better indoor performances being ensured by adopting lower frequencies compared to most other robots, that better penetrate dense materiel). The sensor is a low-light sensitivity camera with a 60° field of view that operates at 30 frames per second. Autogain adapts the sensitivity to the light, while an IR source switches on automatically in very dark conditions allowing vision in total darkness at over 7.6 metres. Sporting a flat-terrain endurance of about one hour, the Throwbot XT can be dropped from a height of more than nine metres or thrown out to a distance of 36. In operation the Throwbot XT is 209 mm long, 193 mm wide and 114 mm high, and can be easily be transported in a rucksack once the antennae have been removed. The Operator Control Unit II (OCU II) features a new 3.5-inch display where video images are displayed. It can be equipped with a headset to catch the sound information provided by the Throwbot XT. A single joystick allows the operator to control the robot and simultaneously keep a hand on his weapon. The 730-gram control unit is 241 mm high with antennae down (510mm with antennae rotated upwards) and 142 mm wide. As each robot may be operated on any of three pre-determined transmitting frequencies, users can operate up to three robots in the same environment at the same time, the OCU II having an endurance of over two hours. In fact up to six frequencies are available, but no reason arose to use more than three Throwbots in the same area of operation.

To silently deploy the Throwbot XT without throwing it in places that cannot be reached by the operator ReconRobotics, stimulated by European military customers, developed the SearchStick, a telescopic aluminium pole with a button-activated clamp to release the device. The pole has a stowed length of 520 mm (the height of the British Army rucksack) and an extended length of 1,830 mm, for

QinetiQ North America’s Dragon Runner 10 has been acquired by both the US Army and Marine Corps for operational testing. (QinetiQ)

robot represents a quantum jump compared to its predecessors as it adopts new brushless electric motors with a much higher torque, while flappy paddle wheels replace the original set. These patented wheels provide shock absorption from every direction, enabling the robot to survive drops and throws onto hard surfaces in a broad range of temperatures and maximize manoeuvrability and climbing performance. When in flight the clutch of the powertrain is disengaged in order to avoid any damage to the axles on landing (a gyroscope then gives clutch engagement signals). The latest model, the Throwbot XT, uses the original self-explanatory designation, but incorporates a few refinements, such as an omnidirectional microphone and improved waterproofing characteristics. Unveiled at Eurosatory 2012, the Throwbot XT is one of the lightest systems of the kind - its weight of only 540 grams roughly being that of a hand grenade. The robot comes in the form of a central tubular structure that hosts the motors, batteries and electronics. The wheels, far onto the four corners, allow it to move on uneven ground up to a speed of 0.46 m/s. A rear “tail” is used for balance and orientation, while a small hook at its extremity allows clipping a cord to lower the robot in wells and other cavities. Super-silent,


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a weight of 1.36 kg. It allows also to retrieve the robot, or use it as a pole-mounted camera.

The most recent success for Recon

Robotics has been the US Army’s Rapid Equipping Force framework contract worth up to US$ 13.9 million. This Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract could lead to the acquisition of up to 1,000 miniature, throwable, mobile robots that will be issued US Army and US Marine Corps units. The first order for 84 Throwbot XT is already underway, with initial deliveries carried out in late June 2012. The systems is already used in Afghanistan.

To improve its international market penetration, ReconRobotics created RRI Global SAGL, a new wholly owned overseas sales, marketing and customer service subsidiary Lugano, Switzerland. ReconRobotics throwable systems are in service with the armed forces of Denmark, Italy, Britain, Australia and undisclosed Middle East countries.

Another mini-robot, the Cobra Mk2 first shown at Milipol 2011, was developed by ECA Robotics of France to assist military and paramilitary forces. Although not developed as a real throwable object, it can however be dropped flat from a height of one

A ball in one’s hand…

Left to right: ODF Optronics of Israel is awaiting a decision by the Bundeswehr on the possible acquisition of its EyeBall. (ODF Optronics). Th e ball rotates to provide a 360° image of the room. As seen in this picture from the author, the ball houses a colour or B&W camera, IR and white light diode illumination and a microphone. To complement its Eyeball ODF Optronics developed the Eyedrive, that can be tossed into a room and then move through the building. It is in service in Israel and in an undisclosed country. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

Left to right: Th e latest development by ODF Op-tronics is the OWLink, a ruggedized COFDM point-to-point bidirec-tional data link that al-lows to link up to eight standard defi nition or one high defi nition plus four standard defi nition cam-eras. Th e ODF Optronics

Point & Go system allows the operator to touch the screen thus to order the robot to move to that position. (ODF Optronics)

The control station and two of the iSnoop robots developed by Optimess of Germany, one with road wheels and one with bigger cross-country wheels. The iSnoop can also be equipped with stair-climbing “wheels”. Currently at prototype stage, the system will be available by late 2013. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

metre, without problems. One of the Cobra Mk2’s forte is its high payload – five kilos, which is one kilo short of its own weight. Shod with four 160 mm diameter low-pressure tyres the robot is 360 mm long, 390 mm wide and 170 mm high, and has a ground clearance of 50 mm that provide it with good mobility

over uneven ground. The Cobra Mk2 can run on both sides and has a 2.5-hour endurance and a radio link range of about 250 metres (a 100-metre cable is also available when radio link is not suitable). A two-speed transmission allows it to operate at speeds between 0 and 2 km/h or between 0 and 4 km/h, although an optional transmission ratio may increase top speed to 7.5 km/h. Its geometry allows it to climb down stairs, to cope with a 90 mm wide ditch and climb a 40 per cent gradient and run down a 30 per slope (sans mission module, though). The Cobra Mk2 mobile base is equipped with a +/- 90° tilting front camera and with a fixed rear camera. Apart from the tilting mechanism the two cameras are identical and are equipped with a x2 zoom and a 3.6 mm wide-angle lens. In daytime they provide a 540-line colour image, while at night they


provide a black & white image with 600 TV lines providing good quality images under 0.012-0.0014 lux. Both cameras are flanked with two rows of white and IR diode lights. The front one has eight on each side, the rear three. An automatic day/night filter with automatic switching allows to have the optimal view in every light condition. The Cobra Mk2 is also equipped with an omnidirectional microphone with automatic gain control that allows it to capture ambient sounds, which are then provided to the operator via the loudspeaker incorporated into the control station or via plug-in earphones. The Cobra Mk2 is fully compatible with the control station used by its larger Cameleon stablemate, (although a lighter PC tablet-based system has been purposely developed. It has a 7-inch high-luminosity screen that allows it to work in full sunshine. Two batteries provide a two hour endurance, but a hot-swap capability ensures continuous operation. Equipped with a three-axis joystick that provides full control, the control is 230x170x50 mm in size for a weight of 1.9 kilos. Video and still

pictures can be recorded on the hard disk and exported via a USB port.

Th e system automatically recognises its on-board modules. In the reconnaissance role, ECA Robotics provides three payload modules. Obviously once a module is installed the Cobra Mk2 is no longer able to run on both sides and therefore cannot be thrown. Th e two-kilo improved vision module comes in the form of a small gimbal equipped with a colour camera carrying a x10 optical and a x12 electronic zoom lens. Some 24 diodes provide additional illumination while the head has a 360° pan and a +90°/-55° tilt capability. Zone marking and object laying modules are also available for NBC recce or explosives disposal missions – a role for which it has been acquired by the French Army as part of the French Route Clearance Package deployed in Afghanistan where it is transported and operated from the Nexter Aravis (called VBHP – or Véhicule Blindé Hautement Protégé - by the Armée). Twenty-nine such robots dubbed Minirogen (Mini Robot du Génie) were actually ordered in three batches, the last one having

been delivered in late August 2012. Some extra payload modules have also been ordered. Th e fi rst batch was deployed to Afghanistan in the fi rst half of 2012 and the company is awaiting feedback. Th e Cobra Mk2 was also acquired by two other undisclosed countries, and further orders are expected before the end of 2012.

Remaining in France, Nexter unveiled its Nerva micro-robot demonstrator at Eurosatory in 2012. Developed to meet requirements expressed by the French military in the wake of recent missions, features include ‘throwability’ from the top of the Aravis armoured vehicle so that it can be deployed without exposing on board personnel and therefore, full controllability from within the vehicle. The Nerva standard configuration is that of a 4x4 robot, with each wheel driven by an electric motor. The wheels, however, can be replaced in less than two minutes by two tracks without using any tool, as the track kits are installed directly on the axles thus reducing the


vehicle dimensions, allowing it to operate in culverts with diameters as small as 250 mm. In the wheeled configuration the Nerva is 350 mm long, 280 mm wide and 140 mm high, the demonstrator operational weight being around 4.5 kg. Powered by a 120W motor it has a top speed of 15 km/h.

The industrialisation process will however allow to lower the weight “well under the four-kilo mark” according to company sources. The Nerva carries a rear-mounted handle that allows one to properly throw the tough polyurethane bodied vehicle. In the front section a day/night 5 MP TV camera with white and IR illumination is installed; this can be oriented in elevation, downwards to have a better view of the terrain in front of the vehicle and upwards to scan the underside of a vehicle. A robotic arm is integral to the system and can be deployed on the upper and lower sides, the Nerva being able to understand its position in order to deploy it on the upper side. A pan and tilt camera can be installed on that arm. The Nerva is watertight and floats, and can thus cope with ponds and small streams. Built with well-proven components in order to give it the highest possible reliability, the Nerva control system is based on an open architecture system, which means that the man-machine interface can be chosen by the customer among various

ECA of France developed its Cobra Mk2, a “droppable” robot that can withstand a one-metre fall, which is quite a performance for a 6 kg empty weight robot with a 5 kg payload. (Armada/Eric H. Biass)

solutions such as smartphones, tablets and PCs, its operational range being of 200-300 metres in the open and 20-30 metres in buildings. A 150 x 130 x 50 mm, 700-gram dedicated man-machine interface is however available, fitted with a touch screen that can be used by a gloved hand. Nexter Systems plans to make the first serial production Nerva available within 2013.

Queen of miniaturisation, Switzerland also has its throwable robot, the Scorp developed by Novatiq for reconnaissance and surveillance missions. A 330 mm

long, 260 mm wide and 110 mm high tracked device, the Scorp weighs 4.8 kg and its electric motors allow it to reach 7.5 km/h. Its 200-metre line-of-sight range datalink operates at 433 MHz for data link and 5.8 GHz or video-link. Equipped with four cameras, front, rear and side-facing - all surrounded by infrared illuminating diodes ensuring good viewing up to eight metres, the Scorp can provide a 360° view. The front motorised tiltable camera is installed in a pod that can be easily removed and replaced with another sensor, for instance a thermal imager, in a plug-and-play mode, the system being wholly integrated. In addition to the x1 colour camera module, Novatiq offers numerous thermal modules with different lenses, from 13 to 35 mm.

The robot also features a waterproof

microphone with five-metre range. Moreover the Scorp can carry a payload of up to eight kilos, although this will impair its throwability. The Scorp body is machined from a single aluminium block and allows it to be dropped on concrete from an over four-metre height. To increase its mobility the Scorp is equipped with flippers that help it overcome difficult obstacles such as stairs. Long-life batteries ensure an endurance of about three hours in reconnaissance mode and ten in surveillance mode (when movements are reduced to a minimum). The operator runs the robot through an all-in-one game-like, rugged, water resistant control unit weighing 1.2

Floatable and speedy (it reaches 15 km/h) the Nexter Nerva is under full development and aims at a target weight of less than 4 kg. Serial production is expected by the end of

2013. (Nexter)


kg featuring a seven-inch touch-screen. Overall dimensions are 330 x 180 x 70 mm. Production started in mid-August 2012, the robot being under evaluation in the USA, Canada, India, Singapore

and some other undisclosed countries. Deliveries have just started and, in the coming months, some customers should deploy the Scorp to Afghanistan for evaluation.

The production of the Scorp, developed by Novatiq of Switzerland, started in August 2012. Some robots should already be deployed in Afghanistan by some potential customers for operational evaluation. (Novatiq)

Electronic WarfareSo far, this survey examined the

robotic aspect of the throwable category of robots. Netline of Israel, specialised in jamming systems, developed for the Israeli Defence Forces the Portable Jammer Pack (PJP), aimed at disrupting enemy communications in the VHF, UHF and mobile phone bands, especially in urban areas. Th e system has a weight of 1.2 kg and is fi tted in a 250x110x100 mm rubber container that allows one to toss it into a room or a building to neutralise enemy communications before entering the facility. Th e PJP operates on fi ve bands within 25 and 2,500 MHz and has a total output power of 5-6W, that is 1-2W per band. It is fi tted with omnidirectional antennae and its Li-ion batteries ensure an operation time of about half an hour.

Direct Fire Eff ectorsWhile no specifi c eff ector has been

purposely built for urban operations, numerous weapon systems or ammunition are better suited than others for use in built-up areas due to their dimensions and/or terminal eff ects.


Small arms, antitank/antistructure weapons up to medium and large calibres can be of interest for the urban warfi ghter. Th is chapter wants to be a short summary of the latest developments in that fi eld.

Starting with small arms, one of the newcomers in the shotguns field is the SRM semi-automatic tactical family. Three models are available, the lesser the number of rounds the shorter the barrel, all having a distinctive detachable magazine made of four separate tubes; each tube contains four, three or two rounds, for a total of 16, 12 and 8 rounds, which actually give the three models their designation, respectively 1216, 1212 and 1208, where 12 stands for 12 gauge. While the majority of semi-automatic shotguns exploit the gas for reloading, the SRM 1216 family operates on a roller-delayed blowback principle. The shooting force of the shell carries bolt and carrier rearwards, this movement being delayed by a mechanical system until the pressure has dropped to a safe limit. Travelling rearwards the bolt extracts the spent shell and a new one is released from the magazine and loaded when the bolt moves forward. When all the rounds in a tube have been fired the bolt remains locked in the rearmost position; the operator then presses forward the magazine index lever with his thumb and rotates the magazine 90°

clockwise or counter clockwise, then releases the index lever, the magazine being thus locked in place. At this point, the bolt automatically travels forward chambering the next ammunition. The four-tube solution not only allows to house a high number of rounds but also allows to load each tube with a different type of ammunition, namely slugs, buckshot, door breaching or other types of 12-gauge ammo, allowing the operator to switch types according to his needs. A noteworthy point is that the magazine also acts as a forearm, while an extra round can be chambered before inserting a loaded magazine, thus further increasing the number of ammunition available. To load the

Not only robots are throwable: Israeli Netline developed a tossable jammer that allows to disrupt enemy communications inside a building. (Netline)

weapon with the magazine the latter is inserted into the magazine well of the stock, then the front of the magazine is pressed up into the magazine hanger. SRMs’ shotgun family is equipped with a fixed stock and features a Picatinny rail to install various types of sights. The 1216 is 825 mm long and has a 457 mm long barrel (18 inch),for an empty weight of 3.29 kg. The shorter 1212 and 1208 models respectively have a length of 698 and 622 mm, with 330 mm (13 inch) and 254 mm (10 inch) barrels, and weights of 3.06 and 2.83 kg. All models can fire any type of 12 gauge ammo, both 70 and 76 mm shells. SRMs’ shotguns receiver and controls can be reversed for left-handed shooters, and their disassembly mimics that of the AR-15 assault rifle, field stripping being based on a single push pin break-apart design. This also allows the shotgun to be quickly turned into a less lethal weapon by removing the lethal bolt, dropping in the less-lethal bolt immediately visible due to its orange colour, and by replacing the magazine with the orange magazine loaded with less-lethal ammunition. Marketed since July 2011 the 1216 and his smaller brothers have attracted the interest of numerous services and law enforcement agencies. Currently the 1216 is in use with Socom units and has been thoroughly tested by the French 1er RPIMa, the Army special forces regiment. As SRM does not sell directly its products these are sold through a network of dealers in the United States, Gibraltar-Arms being the international dealer for SRMs shotguns. The full automatic version of the SRM family

Distributed internationally by Gibraltar Arms, SRM multiple round shotguns are now available in semi-auto and MLE full-auto versions. The SRM 1216 magazine (right) shows its peculiar structure, with four tubular magazines containing four 12 gauge rounds each, for a total of 16 indexed rounds ready to be fi red. (Gibraltar Arms)

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World’s SmallestLightest multi-com control unit,20 meter submersible.

Connect AnythingThe ultimate soldier hub for headsets, radios, remote PTTs and computers.

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Plug & Go No training needed, fully functionalfrom when radio is turned on.

Quad-ComListen and talk simultaneously on 4com sources, mounted or dismounted.

INVISIO V60Advanced Tactical Communication and Hearing Protection System

Introducing INVISIO V60INVISIO has for a decade been dedicated to providing the ultimate in-ear communication solutions to the world’s most demanding users.The new INVISIO V60 Control Unit is a hearing protection and communication system with electronic hear-thru and impulse noise protection.With the INVISIO X5 Dual In-Ear Headset, that uses the patented INVISIO Bone Conduction Technology, the INVISIO V60 system provides crystal clear communication even in the most extreme environments without compromising comfort during all day use.Experience a new standard for operational effi ciency and personal protection.

NVISIO has for a decade been dedicated to providing the ultimate in-ear communication solutions to the world’s most demanding users.The new INVISIO V60 Control Unit is a hearing protection and communication The new INVISIO V60 Control Unit is a hearing protection and communication system with electronic hear-thru and impulse noise protection.system with electronic hear-thru and impulse noise protection.With the INVISIO X5 Dual In-Ear Headset, that uses the patented INVISIO With the INVISIO X5 Dual In-Ear Headset, that uses the patented INVISIO Bone Conduction Technology, the INVISIO V60 system provides crystal Bone Conduction Technology, the INVISIO V60 system provides crystal clear communication even in the most extreme environments without clear communication even in the most extreme environments without

ciency and personal protection.ciency and personal protection.


of shotguns, known as MLE-1216, MLE-1212 and MLE-1208, will be available from November 2012; these weapons will be nearly identical to the 1216, 1212 and 1208, but will allow both semi-automatic and full automatic fire.

Saab is actively marketing its recoilless gun and grenade launcher solutions for use in urban scenarios. The MT 756 multi-target 84 mm round for the Carl Gustaf weapon system, for instance, is now ready and has been fielded by some customers. The MT 756 is a tandem warhead round in which a first charge opens a hole in the wall for the second charge to travel through; this is a derivative of the warhead used in the HE 441D anti-personnel round and its detonation is delayed so that it occurs inside the room.

The ASM 509 anti-structure munition is also in service and is based on the enhanced blast technology. When used with impact detonation it allows one to open breaches in walls, but when aimed at windows or doors a kinetic energy sensor ensures its penetration in the room before explosion in order to maximise the effect.

As for the AT4, the CS-AST model is undergoing testing against Afghan-like mud walls. This version of the well known Saab weapon system adopts an enhanced blast munition with precursor that is similar to the MT 765’s. By default it is set on long delay mode, which allows the charge to detonate inside the building. However, when set on short delay it creates entrance point for infantry as the explosion generates a larger opening in the wall.

Dynamit Nobel DefenceA leading company in shoulder-

launched antitank weapons for infantry, Dynamit Nobel Defence (a subsidiary of Israel’s Rafael since 2004) has continued to develop its systems to enable them to match the needs imposed by today’s conflicts and thereby meet the requirements of some of its principal customers, including the German Bundeswehr. Numerous products have been devised to improve the fighting performance of soldiers in urban terrain. Some have already been

fired in anger in Afghanistan, while others are in final development. In the former category is the Bunkerfaust, with a warhead developed by Diehl Defence. Developed under a Bundeswher requirement, it leverages Dynamit Nobel Defence experience acquired with the Panzerfaust 3, of which it adopts the launcher (amongst other things). The warhead is however totally new, as it includes a penetrating charge activated by a percussion fuse located on the standoff rod that opens a path with a sufficient diameter for the follow-through 47 mm grenade that will explode inside the structure. According to company data the 110 mm leading charge can penetrate up to 250 mm of masonry, brickwork, limestone or reinforced concrete, up to 300 mm of aerated concrete and up to one metre of sandbag walls. The follow-on charge, for its part, detonates 1.2 to 2.7 metres behind the wall thanks to a delayed fuse. Its detonation generates about 1,200 fragments and 900 ball-type fragments are ejected and evenly distributed under a force of over 80 Joules. Minimum operational distance is a key factor in urban terrain, the Bunkerfaust range being comprised between 11 and 400 metres. The range against stationary targets can however be considerably increased when using the Dynarange, which is a 3.9kg fire control system that includes a laser rangefinder and a ballistic computer. This was used in some occasions by Dutch troops in Afghanistan to hit targets at ranges of nearly one kilometre. Among new customers for this system, Italy will supply the new round to its infantry units, particularly those deployed in

Dynamit Nobel Defence Bunkerfaust has been used with success by German troops in Afghanistan and is entering service in many other countries. The warhead was developed

by Diehl Defence and is composed of a precursor charge and a follow-through grenade that explodes inside the building. (Dynamit Nobel Defence)

Afghanistan as of late 2012 or early 2013. At 13.3 kg in its standard configuration, however, the Bunkerfaust had a weight problem, which is the reason why Dynamit Nobel Defence developed a specialised version of its RGW 90 for urban warfare, which offers the same performance, but at only 8.9 kilos. This disposable weapon has a range of 400 metres. The specialised weapon is the RGW 90 AS (Anti Structure), which also features a two-stage warhead with a penetrator charge. It can open a path through a 0.8-metre thick mud wall for its follow-through grenade. The latter has a time fuse than can be set in two positions for short or long delay triggering. In the first one the follow-through grenade detonation takes place within the wall to generate a large hole of up to 0.8 metre in diameter. The effect behind the wall is however limited. When a strong behind-wall effect is needed the long delay mode is selected, the main difference with the Bunkerfaust being that effects are mostly produced by blast rather than by fragments. Known as DM22 in the Bundeswehr, Germany acquired a total of 1,000 such systems in two batches. The first included 100 systems, of which 10 were used for acceptance tests. The remaining 90 have been delivered and immediately deployed to Afghanistan in the first half of 2012. The second batch consisting of 900 systems is currently under production. The launch customer for the RGW 90 AS was the Israeli Defence Force, soon followed by the British Army and now by Germany.

To answer special forces demands for


longer range multirole weapons the RGW 90 Dynahawk is being developed with a new optronic sight and programmable warhead. This new system has an effective range of 1,200 metres and is equipped with the Zeiss Optronics Dynahawk fire control system. Much lighter than the previous Dynarange at only 2.2 kilos, it features a x5.5 optical magnification, a laser rangefinder providing an accuracy of less than ± 1 metre at maximum range, a ballistic computer with environmental sensors, an electronic crosshair that moves automatically and allows to engage both stationary and moving targets, an electronic interface to the weapon allowing to set the mode and to programme the fuse and a clip-on night vision device. Initially aimed at the new long range weapon, the Dynahawk will also be made available to the other members of the RGW 90 family. The Dynahawk development is completed and production should start in 2013. The aim of having a multi-functional warhead is to avoid the need of carrying different types of effectors, thus the new warhead has been optimised to engage field positions, shelters, masonry, light armoured vehicles and specific rooms in buildings. Therefore upon impact it generates a fragmentation and blast effect or it acts as a HESH round, according to the type of target engaged. The RGW 90 Dynahawk warhead can also be used in the air burst mode, detonating over the target (the fuse delay is set according to target distance). The explosive charge is coated by tungsten steel fragments, mostly located in the front

of the warhead, generating a shower of fragments. Besides the airburst mode, four other modes can be set, two of them based on blast effect and two on HESH. The blast is used in impact-long delay mode against dugouts and bunkers, and in impact-short or long delay mode against rooms, according to the depth of the room and its distance from the wall. The warhead automatically detects the kind of target it is dealing with: against walls and armour the warhead works in the HESH mode while

against windows and wooden doors the warhead penetrates the target and detonates in the blast mode. Dynamit Nobel Defence and Carl Zeiss Optronics have developed prototypes that are now being tested.

Production is expected to start in 2014, with German KSK special forces being the launch customer, followed by regular German units.

Developed to provide the longer range needed by special forces, the RGW90 1200 has a 1,200- metre range and its fuse detects the type of target hit, switching automatically to impact or delay mode. (Dynamit Nobel Defense)

The Anti Structure version of the RGW90 features a warhead that works on the

same principle as that of the Bunkerfaust to ensure maximum lethality inside the

targeted room. (Dynamit Nobel Defense)

The long range accuracy of the new RGW90 Dynahwak 1200 produced by

Dynamit Nobel Defence is also due to the adoption of the Dynahawk fire control

system provided by Zeiss Optronics.(Zeiss Optronics)


Although not specifically developed for urban operations, the two most recent developments unveiled by Rafael of Israel in the infantry missile field can certainly find applications in such a scenario, when pinpoint accuracy is required. Because the Spike Medium/Long Range missiles are definitely too cumbersome to be carried in a built-up area, and due to the fact that their range definitely exceeds any need in such scenarios, the company launched two new models with reduced range and weight that might well fit into the weaponry used by forces engaged in urban scenarios. The first development is known as Mini-Spike and features modes similar to those available in its bigger brothers. Its guidance system includes a TV and an uncooled infrared sensor; the latter for lock-on-before-launch engagements while the TV sensor provides target imagery to the operator via radio link, allowing him to correct the trajectory shift onto another target, the Mini-Spike needing about ten seconds to reach its maximum range of 1,500 metres. Its warhead is of the Pressure-Blast-Fragmentation (PFB) type, optimised for neutralising infantry troops in the open and lightly armoured vehicles. The missile’s maximum angle of attack is pretty high, which is a useful feature for urban area use. The Mini-Spike comes in a sealed container. Overall weight is four kilos while the missile is 70cm long and has a diameter of 75mm. The launcher also weighs four kilos, but the new missile can also be used with the standard Spike MR/LR launcher. This smaller, lighter and cheaper round option (Rafael estimates its cost at about half that of the MR/LR type) can be useful to current Spike operators when the tactical situation does not require the range and destructive power of a full-size Spike. Unveiled in 2009 at Eurosatory 2012, the new missile should be ready for production in two years time.

The second missile maintains the

Spike brand name however it is of a wholly different type, being a disposable fire-and-forget weapon. Known as Spike-SR, for Short Range, the weapon is a true antitank system its shaped charge warhead being designed for defeating heavily protected vehicles. Its calibre is bigger than that of the Mini-Spike, this wooden round weighing about 9 kg its range being of roughly 1,000 meters. The Spike-SR features an IR uncooled seeker that locks on the intended target and ensures the tracking once the operator has launched the missile. The Spike-SR cost should be in line with that of the Mini-Spike. According to Rafael different warheads,

such as fragmentation or anti-bunker, might be developed at customers request, the company leveraging its research and development work carried out for its other similar weapon systems. Unveiled at the Singapore 2012 Air Show in February 2012 and subsequently at Eurosatory, the Spike-

The Mini-Spike under development by Rafael maintains most of the characteristics of its

bigger brothers but is smaller and lighter; its high angle of attack makes it suitable for urban

warfare. (Rafael) The two new products under development by Rafael, the MiniSpike and the disposable Spike Short Range. An antibunker version might be developed on a customer’s request. A fire-and-forget system, the Spike SR features an uncooled seeker that locks onto the target providing missile after-launch guidance. It can be used from enclosed spaces making it a weapon of choice for the urban warfighter. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

The Mini-Spike features a blast-fragmentation warhead and has a

1,500-metre range. The new Rafael system should be available in 2014.

(Rafael)

Although not an infantry item, the BCB International Wall Breaker allows to open

a breach without using explosive, its water-filled ammunition ensuring limited

collateral damages. (BCB Int.)


meters, to tackle doors, which are typical booby-trap homes. The system can be reloaded and fired within 10 to15 seconds. A vehicle-mounted version has been provided to some customers. Owing to the sensitive nature of the work of the end users BCB does not unveil the identity of its customers, the company confirming however that the Wall Breaker has been sold in the United States, Eastern Europe and Asia. Although developed for homeland security purposes, the BCB system has been adopted by military special forces units. The company is currently developing a lighter version for maritime purposes, the development of which might have an impact in reducing the Wall Buster weight should some customer ask for such an improvement.

Indirect Fire Effectors The pressure put on the military to

reduce collateral damages to a bare minimum has led manufacturers to develop new indirect fire weapons. Units engaged in urban operations often need indirect fire support, which must be delivered with pinpoint accuracy and just sufficient terminal effect to avoid injuring innocent people and friendly personnel. Conventional 155 mm artillery remains an option, provided guided ammunition is used.

SR should be available in three year’s time.Breaking through a wall does not

necessarily need the use of explosive. BCB International in Britain developed a family of non-explosive methods of entry normally referred to as Kinetic Impact Systems (KIS).

At the top of the range is the Wall Breaker, a cannon using compressed air to fire plastic water drums that can knock a large access hole in walls, gates and doors. The projectiles are filled with water or sand, and lack of explosives means that collateral damage is reduced to a bare minimum. The system, which is equipped with a recoil mitigation system, is operated by an air bottle that provides the energy that shoots the “ammunition” against the wall. Kinetic energy is the key destructor here, with the projectile weighing some 22 kilos. The compressed air generates a pressure of 70 kg/cm- that propels the ammo through the 800 mm-long barrel, which has a 274 mm diameter. The drawback of the system is its weight – 160 kg – but according to BCB it allows to open holes in double-skin breeze block cavity walls that are wide enough to enable soldiers to pass through. To get through specific elements such as metal doors, BCB developed projectiles that are fitted with a serrated blade at the front. The Wall Buster can be operated at stand-off distance, normally some tens of

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, together with Raytheon Systems, has developed the M982 ER DPICM (Extended Range Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions), which is better known as the Excalibur. A GPS/inertially guided device, it has, according to statistics, landed 92 percent of the time less than metres from the intended target. Deployed since 2007 by the US Army and the US Marine Corps, it is a relatively expensive system and the above-mentioned precision might not be sufficient under certain circumstances. In these cases laser-guided rounds definitely are a better option.

The 155 mm M-712, also known as the Copperhead deployed by the US for instance, and first used in anger in 1991 in Iraq, as well as the Russian 12 mm Kitolov-2M and 152 mm Krasnopol fall in this category.

Among the latest developments in this field is the Oto Melara Vulcano subcalibre 155 mm ammunition, the laser version of which is being developed together with Diehl Defence. A subcalibre round, it contains less explosive than of a full-bore ammunition (155 mm rounds carry around 7 kg of explosive), which helps reduce collateral damage. Laser guided mortars are also available, and

With its carbon fibre wings folded, the Textron BattleHawk is launched from a tube and can loiter for 30 to 45 minutes at 500 ft above ground before hitting the designated target with its 40 mm grenade. The whole system weighs less than 4.5 kilos (Textron DS)


the US Army has fielded the 120 mm smoothbore M395 Precision Guided Mortar Munition produced by ATK and fired its first shot in Afghanistan in March 2011. ATK, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems are also developing a similar round for 120 mm rifled mortars.

A 120 mm mortar round has an average of 2.3 kg of explosive, which further reduces the risk of collateral damage, but the mortar typically also allows more vertical terminal trajectories, which are often needed in urban terrain. However, to further reduce damage as well as to allow the warfighter on foot to deal with the threat using its own indirect fire, a new breed of systems is appearing in the form of micro loitering munitions carrying a small warhead as well as a simple optronic system.

In 2010 the US Air Force started looking for lethal mini-drones for its special operations units. The requirements for this so-called LMAMS (Lethal Miniature Aerial Munition System) called for a 1.4 kg system with a ground control station of similar weight. Deployment time was to be less than half a minute with a 30-minute loitering endurance at 100 metres above the ground. The main role being attack, the first mission was to acquire a target within 20 seconds from launch and hit it within one meter, the aim being to kill or incapacitate personnel in the

open or in a soft skinned vehicle within two meters of the point of explosion. Maximum speed was set between 70 and 85 knots. A shortlist was issued in December 2010 asking three companies to provide their systems for field testing in April 2011: these were AeroVironment with its “Switchblade”, IATech with its

“Point and Toss” and Textron Defense Systems with its BattleHawk.

After testing the US military eventually chose the AeroVironment offer. The Switchblade is an

electrically powered micro-drone with a 1.3-metre wingspan and a weight of 1.36 kg, the whole system including launcher and transport bag reaching 2.5 kg. It fits into an Alice pack and can be launched and operated by a single man, who is equipped with the same control unit as those used for the other Aerovironment micro-drone like the Raven. The Switchblade carries a warhead developed by ATK and typically flies at less than 150 metres above the ground, with a ceiling of over 15,000 feet above sea level that allows it to be operated in the Afghan highlands. It has an endurance of 10 minutes and reaches a speed of between 55 and 85 knots. Launched from a tube equipped with a light bipod, which looks like a light mortar, it provides the operator with real-time colour video. GPS grids allows to continuously monitor its position while it loiters over the area of interest, and once the target has been confirmed the operator sends the lock-on signal to the air vehicle that flies at high speed against that spot. Small and quiet, the Switchblade is difficult to locate while its small warhead allows collateral damage to be reduced to a bare minimum. Additional Air Force contracts soon followed: in June 2011 AeroVironment received

According to US Army sources by mid-October three Switchblade had been fi red in anger in Afghanistan, although at the time of AUSA no feed-back was yet

available. (Aerovironment)

MBDA proposal for the LMAMS programme was the Tiger, which featured unconventional infl atable wings and carried two 40 mm grenades. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)


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a first US$ 4.9 million contract for the Switchblade agile munition from the US Army Close Combat Weapons Systems, followed by a US Force US$ 4.2 million extension contract. In May 2012 a further US Army US$ 5.1 million was filed. Some Switchblades were tested by special forces units in Afghanistan in 2011, while over 50 were deployed downrange by the Army during Summer 2012.

IATech unveiled its Point and Toss micro-system in mid 2009, initially aimed at providing reconnaissance and capability to the warfighter on foot. The air vehicle is 356 mm long, with a 910 mm wingspan and a standard weight of 750 grams, although it can carry an additional 450-gram payload, namely a small warhead. Propulsion is provided by a brushless DC electric motor activating a pushing propeller, fed by two 2.3 Ah Lithium Ion batteries providing 30 minutes of flight time. Cruise speed is of about 26 knots, ceiling 5,000 ft and range one kilometre. The bird is

equipped with autopilot, SmartIMU GPS/inertial suite, and embedded vision system. The standard optronic suite includes a camera for daylight operations, an IR camera option being available for night operations. All aerial photographs are geo-referenced and stored to a secure digital card onboard the aircraft which can be recovered by deep stall skid landing when not used in attack mode. Hand launched, setup takes two minutes to assemble the wings on the fuselage, activate the heading vector lock, start the motor and toss the aircraft in the air.

Textron Defense Systems’ BattleHawk performed successfully in late May 2012 in New Mexico during the US Army’s Rapid Equipping Force demonstration. The system flown in that event incorporated all the enhancements introduced by Textron following the first round of tests of the then-called Tactical Remote Aerial Munition, or T-RAM, in 2011; those included improved manoeuvrability

in mountainous terrain, upgraded dual high-resolution digital cameras and moving target tracking during terminal guidance manoeuvres. Powered by an electric motor and a pusher propeller the BattleHawk can fly for over 30 minutes at a range of more than five kilometres, has a maximum speed of around 100 knots. Its typical operational height is 500 feet above the ground although it can fly at altitudes of 10,000 feet above sea level. The launcher tube is 560 mm long and the system in launcher has a weight of 2,5 kg, and while the air vehicle is 457 mm long, its wingspan is still classified. The payload consists of a 400mm fragmentation grenade with a multimode sensor for height-of-burst or point detonation for maximum effectiveness against soft targets such as light vehicles and personnel, but no more details are available on the warhead.

According to Henry Finneral, Textron Defense Systems Vice President, Advanced Weapons & Sensors, the company’s answer to the

fUtUre Air-delivered WeApONry fOr UrbAN WArfAreMany air-delivered weapons are being used in an urban context, although almost none was purposely developed for that role. All of

them are guided, collateral damage reduction being one of the main constraints. However very few of them can dive in a near-vertical path or feature a sufficiently small charge to limit such damages. As seen in a dedicated article in this issue, drone weaponisation has become a reality. At Farnborough 2012 MBDA unveiled its yearly Concept Vision programme: named CVS301 “Vigilus” the system is aimed at improving unmanned air systems in the areas of range, all-weather performance, timeliness and attack path. The Vigilus is made up of three sub-systems, the “Armatus”, that is the interface between the carrier aircraft and the releasable sub-systems, the swing-wing “Caelus” and the flip-out wing “Gladius” all seen here photographed by the author. The former is a 100-kilo, 1.8 metre-long missile with a two-metre span folding wing. It is powered by a ducted pusher propeller driven by an electric motor. Once released by the drone, the Vigilus would fly under the clouds at relatively low altitudes (being silent and flying at speeds of between 70 and 130 m/sec it is inherently stealthy and safe) providing reconnaissance and target identification for about two hours (endurance is evaluated on the basis of a linear battery development trend in the next 10 years that replicates progress achieved over the past 10!). Once targets are identified, warfighters on the ground are able to view the Vigilus’ images that earmark their priority targets. At this point the Armatus receives the data and feeds them into the Vigilus actuator, the “Gladius”. This 800 mm long minimissile with a 440 mm wingspan weighs seven kilos including the one-kilo warhead, which can either generate an explosively formed projectile or act as a fragmentation device. The Gladius is launched at a maximum altitude of 40,000 feet and at a speed of around 100 m/sec, with a rocket motor increasing this to 250 m/sec. In less than two minutes it reaches the target at a maximum range of 30 km. Its guidance is provided by an anti-jamming GPS system, and during the final attack the missile adopts a trajectory with a deep angle to adequately top-attack targets in a built-up area. It is to be noted that the Caelus can be also equipped with the same one-kilo warhead, and being an expendable system it can also be used as an attack weapon in the last phase of its flight, adding its own kinetic energy for use against hardened targets.


XAver sees thrOUgh WAlls

Unveiled in October 2011 at Milipol, the 1-D model of the Israeli through-the-wall Xaver sensor family has been completely revised and at Eurosatory 2012 was shown in its new configuration, based on feedbacks of the users of the first version. This came in the form of a 196 x 81 x 50 mm

rectangular case that included a small colour screen in the upper portion of which the operator sees the presence of a human being and its distance form the wall, while the central portion show the symbol of a person that is either static or on the move, a graph indicating if the person’s distance from the system is changing, range being given on an axis graduated from 0 to 8 metres. This man-machine interface was considered not intuitive enough, and the system had proved difficult to be held against the wall. Camero-Thech designers went back on to the drawing boards. The new system looks totally different, although it retains the same technical features with the use of a micropower, ultra-wideband pulsed radar signals working in the 3 to 10 GHz frequency range that allows to detect a human being behind concrete, plaster, brick, drywall or other types of obstacles at distances of eight metres with a range resolution of less than 0.15 meters covering a 120° field of view both in azimuth and elevation. The new display shows in the top left corner an icon that indicates the detection of an individual is in the room scanned by the system, the lower left corner showing battery status and the lower

forward-looking TV camera and a side-looking camera. The warhead is obtained by coupling two 40 mm fragmentation grenades with the arming unit between them. After take-off the Tiger can circle around the target, sending images from its side-looking camera, and once a target is decided upon, the operator switches to the forward camera to refine aiming and dive point. The control unit comes in the form of a laptop equipped with a crypto WiFi. Attach range is 3.2 km while endurance hovers over the 15-minute mark. The system is carried in a 0.4 metre long, 0.1 metre diameter and has an overall weight of 1.8 kg (the package containing the wing inflation bottle). The Tiger was not short listed for the LMAMS programme, but is currently being marketed by MBDA although no further developments were carried

LMAMS programme is a system that “delivers a unique blend of long stand-off, advanced ISR and precision effects to empower the dismounted soldier with critical protection and interdiction capabilities” providing the US Army with a system featuring

“effective performance, affordability, simple operation, minimal training and immediate applicability to warfighter needs”.

At the 2010 edition of the Farnborough Air Show MBDA unveiled its proposal for the LMAMS programme. Known as the Tiger (for Tactical Grenade Extended Range), it came in the form of a hand-launched microdrone carrying two 40 mm grenades. Powered by an electric motor the Tiger has a rectangular inflatable wing with a 610 mm span, and a weight of 1.6 kg. The carbon fibre fuselage houses a

out.Although Rafael of Israel answered

to the latest US Army Request for Information for LMAMS, the company does not have an actual product in itself and is exploring a variety of business opportunities in this field, studying customers’ needs to figure out possible future solutions.

That last LMAMS Request for Information was issued by the Department of the Army on August 15 2012 and shows the increasing interest for such systems among the US military. This is further underlined by the announcement that the Army is also looking to less-than-lethal warheads to be installed in LMAMS. According to Army figures this “LTL” warhead should weigh less than 96 grams, should be smaller than 30 x 30 x 54 mm and cost less than 500 US$ apiece.

right signal strength. The central part of the screen shows a path graduated from 0 to 20 metres at intervals of four metres that gives the perspective of distance, making it more intuitive; the icon of the individual is highlighted in yellow, an arrow showing if he/she is moving towards or away from the wall. The 20-metre range indicated is real, Camero having further improved its signal processing and software that now allows to accurately detect living movement up to that distance.

The new version also has a handle that is raised when the system is in use, allowing the operator to carry out all operations with a single hand, the three command buttons being easily reachable with the thumb. This caused a slight increase in dimensions to 218 x 97 x 65 mm, while the weight grew from 550 to 630 grams with two AA batteries (660 grams with four A123 batteries), operating time being respectively 2 and 4 hours according to the batteries chosen. End of testing and qualification were finished in late summer 2012, the new Xaver 100 being available to customers before the end of 2012. Camero-Tech is also working on adding a wireless capacity to its see-through-the-wall systems.


Desert warfareAmongst the key consumables used

by a military force whatever its strength, water and ammunition are at the top of the list (probably joined by batteries now). Desert areas are by definition those where water is a rarity, and this is true whatever the location: a main base, a forward base, a combat outpost or a patrolled area. Adding to this the high temperatures that considerably increase the daily water consumption of each individual, it is clear how much the water supply has an impact on the logistic footprint, as well as on operational endurance. The need to transport water to frontline troops’ bases as well as to elements deployed in the field generates considerable risks whether this entails increasing the number of trucks in a convoy or increasing the number of convoys.

Reducing that burden has thus become a priority, and the possibility to obtain water from the humidity present in the air has become a reality, numerous companies having developed systems able to produce useful quantities of water from relatively compact plants. Some of those are specifically targeting the military market.

16°C. Maintenance is kept to a minimum, the unit needing sterilisation and filter replacement every six months while the UV bulb and the air filter are to be replaced every year.

In April 2012 Water-Gen was awarded a British Ministry of Defence contract for

“Atmospheric Water Generation Device for an Operating Base CCD.”

A smaller system known as GEN-150G, capable of producing 150 litres per day, was thoroughly tested around October-November 2011 during the Army Expeditionary Warfare Experiment Spiral G that took place at Fort Benning. Vehicle mounted, thus dubbed GEN-150V (for Vehicular) the system was mounted on a Humvee known as the Essential Services Vehicle (ESV) that besides generating and dispensing cool drinking water also provided electrical power for lighting, power outlets, and ensuring cellular and tactical battery charging. The ESV supported the FOB 24 hours a day for four days a week for three weeks, while the soldiers lived in the base. Water-Gen has already installed smaller systems on combat vehicles. For instance, the GEN-30V capable of delivering between 20 and 40 litres per day with an energy consumption of 0.8 to 1.0 kWh equips the Merkava tanks of the Israeli Defence Forces, as well as some US Army and US Marine Corps vehicles like the LAV and MRAP. In August 2012 the company launched its latest vehicular product, the GEN-35V, whose output reaches 30 to 60 litres per day (35 litres at 25° C and 55% RH), to the cost of a slight increase in energy consumption, 0.9-1.2kWh, which shows the improvements in efficiency obtained in the last few years.

In hot climate areas both

accommodation and vehicles are often equipped with air conditioning systems. These naturally produce large amounts of water, thus Water-Gen developed a water treatment unit control system that optimises an air conditioner’s water production without affecting its effectiveness, the water being then purified and mineralized.

Another company involved in water generation from atmospheric humidity for the military is Veragon

Having developed various models of atmospheric water generation units capable of producing pure and fresh water, Water-Gen of Israel is constantly aiming at improving energy efficiency. Consumption has already been reduced from 1.2 kW/l to 800 W/l then to 500 W/l and the current target is 300 W/l. Water production can be carried out even in arid environmental conditions, obviously with variable results. Dimensioned to produce enough water for a platoon-sized unit is the Water-Gen GEN-250G. This produces between 200 and 500 litres of pure, fresh, and cold drinking water per day. At 25° C and 55 percent relative humidity production is at 290 litres per day, the average consumption of a soldier being estimated at 10 litres per day. The system includes a 120-litre integral tank where water is continuously circulated in order to keep it fresh and safe. Ultraviolets are used to reduce the growth and development of bacteria, algae, and viruses, while minerals are added for taste and health. With a power consumption of 5.8kWh, the GEN-250G is relatively compact, at 1.54 metre length, 1.4 metre width and 1.0 m height. A dispensing unit is available to allow troops to get fresh water at a rate of two litres per minute and at a temperature of between 12 and

Water-Gen of Israel has developed not only static water producing systems based on condensation but also smaller systems aimed at vehicles, such as the one installed on this Merkava 2. (Water-Gen)


Italia headquartered in Perugia, with a subsidiary based in New York City. Its equipments generate both mineral and distilled water, respectively for drinking and for medical purposes. Currently being off ered to the military market is the V12 machine, developed for FOB-sized camps. Th e V12 Magnum is available as a water generation system or as a water generation plus water purifi cation system. Th is “all in one” solution also processes rain water as well as waters pumped from unverifi ed water layers. Th e V12 Magnum comes in two modules of identical sizes (1.26 m high, 1.15 m wide and 2.11 m long) stacked one on top of the other. Th e 450-kilo Atmospheric Water Generator is stacked over the350 kilo mineralisation unit. Th e fi ltered air goes through the generator where water is produced by condensation and then accumulated in a 500-litre tank that receives ozone disinfection cycles every 45 minutes. At this stage the water can either be used as distilled water, being microbiologically purifi ed, or sent through the mineralisation unit in which it is not only mineralised but also further sterilised through a UV-based process and cooled at 8°C. Th e mineralisation process varies according to customers needs. Overall power consumption is 5.8 kWh and considering the production of around 1,200 litres per day in optimal conditions (80 percent humidity and 28°C) the cost per litre is evaluated at 3 eurocent. Th e V12

Magnum can operate between 18 and 40°C with a relative humidity of between 20 and 100 percent. A small add-on purifi cation module can also treat 12,000 litres of rain or ground water per day. According to data provided by the company three of its V12 systems were deployed for four months in an undisclosed north-African country where they provided six litres per soldier per day to a 600-soldier contingent,

In optimal conditions Veragon V12 Magnum can produce around 1,200 litres water per day. Obtained by condensation and sterilized, the water produced locally allows to considerably reduce the logistic

impact of water supply. (Veragon)


producing a total of 432,000 litres. Considering the acquisition cost of bottled water this meant a nearly 100,000 Euro saving, not to mention the logistic cost of transporting 572 pallets of bottled water weighing 636 tonnes, compared to the 2.5 tonnes of the three machines. Veragon is currently starting the development of a vehicle-mounted unit capable of providing most of the water needed by the crew.


The L-3 Spydr is an ISR platform based on the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350ER. It is offered with the Wescam Mx-15 EO/IR turret and a Selex Galileo PicoSAR radar. (L-3 Communications).

Operations carried out in extreme environments such as those seen above often require extraction of either own troops or freed civilians taken as hostages on the ground. As we shall see, the art begun to evolve as soon as aircraft with sufficient reliable agility and flexibility became available.

Air eXtrACtiON

Roy Braybrook Inputs from Eric H. Biass

Otto Skorzeny’s 1943 ‘Unternehmen Eiche’, the rescue of Italy’s former dictator Benito Mussolini from detention on the Gran Sasso massif, made use of rocket-retarded DFS 230C-1 assault gliders to insert a combined force of Luftwaffe Fallschirmjaeger and Waffen-SS troops, and subsequently a Fieseler Fi-156C-3/Trop Storch stol aircraft for subject extraction. Some later special missions have featured equally special aircraft, operating at much greater range.

Extracting Al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden from his compound at Abbotabad in Pakistan in May 2011 (US Special Operations Command’s Neptune Spear) is destined to become the classic air-launched mission. Although originating at Bagram airfield near Kabul, the Afghanistan capital, the infiltrating Sikorsky MH-60s of the US Army’s 160th Soar (Special Operations Aviation Regiment) were able to refuel at Jalalabad, just 300 km from their objective across the border.

After a ‘boots-on-soil’ time of only 38 minutes, a Boeing MH-47G flew bin Laden’s corpse and intelligence material back to Bagram. A US Marine Corps Bell Boeing MV-22B then performed the final leg, to land vertically aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), some 1400 km away in the Arabian Sea.

The high speed, tilt-rotor MV-22B was one of several types of special equipment used in Neptune Spear.


Another was the modified MH-60, with reduced radar and infrared signatures and a tail rotor redesigned to lessen noise output. The stealthy Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel drone was reportedly employed to provide target imagery prior to the operation.

A recent book (SEAL Target Geronimo by Chuck Pfarrer) alleges that it was originally planned to use the highly classified “Ghost Hawk”

This Sikorsky MH-60S, informally known as Knighthawk, is operated by the US Navy’s Helicopter Sea Combat 28 Sqn (HSC-28), home ported at Norfolk, Virginia. Its roles are troop transport, vertical replenishment and search-and-rescue. (US Navy).

version of MH-60 (also known as “Jedi rides”), but that the risk of one falling into unfriendly hands led to the older and less stealthy “Stealth Hawk” being substituted.

Operation ThunderboltAnother long-range special mission

was Israel’s Operation Thunderbolt, to rescue hostages from an Air France Airbus A300 that was hijacked in 1976 while carrying 248 passengers, including over 100 Israelis. Members of the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) had taken control of AF139, while flying from Athens to Paris. It was diverted to Benghazi in Libya, and then to Entebbe in Uganda, over 3500 km from Israel.

At Entebbe, where non-Israeli passengers were released, the terrorists came under the protection of dictator Field Marshal Idi Amin. The hijackers threatened to kill the remaining hostages unless 53 prisoners (mainly in Israeli jails) were released. What made release of the hostages feasible was that Kenya gave Israel access to its

airspace and refuelling facilities at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi. This was a courageous decision, which later led to reprisals by Uganda in which Kenyans were killed.

Another important factor was that the released hostages provided detailed intelligence on the number of terrorists involved and the situation inside the old control tower at Entebbe, where the remaining passengers were being held.

‘Operation Thunderbolt’ involved four Israeli Defence Force Lockheed Martin C-130s, supported by two Boeing 707s with C&C and medical facilities. The lead C-130 landed at Entebbe at night, and offloaded a Mercedes to simulate the limousine of a VIP, escorted by Land Rovers with the 29-man assault team. In the subsequent attack on the airport terminal, all the hijackers, four hostages, 45 Ugandan soldiers and the leader of the Israeli assault team lost their lives, but 102 hostages were saved.

The other three C-130s offloaded APCs, which destroyed all the Ugandan


Air Force MiG-17/21s at the airport to prevent them following the returning C-130s.

HerculesThe C-130, able to offload vehicles

without ground support facilities, was the star of the Israeli raid on Entebbe, and is now also employed by the special forces of many other nations. The C-130 entered service in 1957, and over 2400 C-130s have already been delivered.

Replacing the Allison T56 turboprop series with more powerful Rolls-Royce AE2100s turning six-blade GE Aviation/Dowty R391 propellers, the C-130J Super Hercules flew in 1996 and entered service in 1999. Production of the C-130J is currently running at over 30 per month.

Many US Air Force HC/MC-130s are decidedly old. The ACC (Air Combat Command) HC-130N entered service in 1965 and the HC-130P in 1966 (the HC-130H following in 1990). The Afsoc (Air Force Special Operations Command) MC-130E entered service in 1963, and the MC-130P in 1965 (the MC-130H following in 1985 and the MC-130W in 2006). The AC-130H Spectre gunship entered service in 1969 (the AC-130U Spooky following in 1994.

The HC/MC-130 Fleet Recapitalization Program will replace

all existing US Air Force HC-130s and MC-130s, and also provide airframes to replace AC-130 gunships. Air Mobility Command has standardised on the extended-fuselage C-130J-30, but ACC’s HC-130J personnel recovery aircraft and Afsoc’s MC-130J special operations variant (which also serves as the basis for the AC-130J) are both based on the short-fuselage US Marine Corps KC-130J Block 6.5 tanker.

Aside from providing the ability to operate from airstrips of less than 900 metres, only this short Hercules is compatible with the hose-and-drogue

refuelling system needed to support helicopters such as the MH-60G.

The HC-130J and MC-130J are basically the same aircraft. Like the KC-130J, the range of the HC/MC-130J benefits from the use of two underwing tanks, and a removable 13,500-litre tank that can be fitted in the cabin. However, the HC/MC-130J differs from the KC-130J in various respects, notably in having a receptacle in the upper fuselage to accept refuelling from a tanker boom, and a chin-mounted Raytheon AAS-52 EO/IR sensor turret.

Key HC/MC-130J features include

ballistic protection, an enhanced service life (ELS) wing, an enhanced cargo handling system (ECHS) and the ability to open the rear ramp and cargo door at airspeeds up to 465 km/hr, compared to 335 km/hr for old models. The flight deck has a third crew station for the combat systems operator, and a fourth station is planned for later application. The HC/MC-130J has INS/GPS navigation, NVG-compatible lighting, dual ARC-231 satellite and data-burst communications, radar and missile warning receivers, and chaff/flare dispensers.

The Hercules AC-130H Spectre (shown here) and AC-130U Spooky II bring

a devastating firepower to the close support mission, with a side-firing 40

mm Bofors and a 105 mm howitzer, plus a 25 mm Gatling gun in the case of the

AC-130U. (AFSOC).

The basic armament for the MC-27J is an electrically-powered 30-mm ATK M230LF chain gun, capable of firing 625 rd/min. The same cannon is used on the Boeing AH-64 and some Sikorsky MH-60 helicopters. (AleniaAermacchi).


Combat King IIReplacing the ACC fleet of 34 HC-

130P/N Combat Kings, the HC-130J Combat King II will become the only dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery aircraft in the US Air Force inventory. It will equip rescue units in ACC, AETC (Air Education and Training Command), AFRC and ANG (Air National Guard).

The US Air Force plans to acquire 37 HC-130Js, of which eleven are already under contract. The first had its maiden flight on 29 July 2010, and was delivered to ACC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona on 24 September 2011.

The primary role of the HC-130J is to execute all-weather, night-time, low/medium level recovery operations into denied territory, performing aerial refuelling of helicopters from its outboard-mounted Sargent Fletcher pods, airdrops, and landings at austere airfields, where it may be employed to perform ground refuelling. It will also be employed in humanitarian assistance operations.

Commando IIThe MC-130J was originally named

Combat Shadow II, but this was changed to Commando II to reflect a wider range of duties. The first flew on 22 April 2011 and was delivered on 29 November.

The MC-130J is equipped for low level night-time operations to refuel special operations helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraft, insert and extract special operations forces, and resupply such forces in politically sensitive or hostile territories by airdrop or landings. The MC-130J can offload 20,400 kg of fuel at 370 km radius. Secondary missions include leafleting.

A batch of 37 MC-130Js (of which 20 are already under contract) was initially planned to replace Afsoc’s ten MC-130E Combat Talon Is (operated by AFRC) and 27 active duty MC-130P Combat Shadows. In May 2011 plans were announced for a further batch of 48, to replace 20 MC-130H Combat Talon IIs and twelve MC-130W Dragon Spears (now AC-130W Stingers), and to provide 16 airframes that will undergo post-production conversion into AC-130J gunships.

This plan will result in 85 MC-130Js (the currently stated requirement), this number reducing to 69 as a result of

At the recent Farnborough Air Show AleniaAermacchi exhibited an Italian Air Force C-27J with a palletised, trainable 30mm ATK M230LF chain gun, representing a baseline MC-27J

gunship. (AleniaAermacchi).

the 16 gunship conversions. However, Afsoc leadership is already talking of 57 MC-130Js and 37 AC-130Js, implying that 12 more of the ‘existing’ MC-130Js would be converted and nine additional airframes procured to boost gunship numbers.

Herc GunshipsThe basic Afsoc fixed-wing gunship

fleet consists of eight active duty AC-130H (Pave) Spectres, which entered service in 1969, and 17 AFRC AC-130U Spooky IIs, which were added from 1994. The AC-130H is armed with side-firing 40 mm L/60 Bofors gun and a 105 mm M102 howitzer, and the AC-130U adds a 25 mm GDATP GAU-12/U Gatling gun (a five-barrel version of the four-barrel GAU-22/A of the Lockheed Martin F-35). The AC-130U is currently being upgraded with a new wing box and the Lockheed Martin AAQ-39 Gunship Multispectral Sensor System.

Recent operations have highlighted the need to reduce collateral damage. This has led to special ammunition being developed for the 105 mm gun, using a highly frangible lightweight plastic case containing a mixture of high explosive and powdered high-density metal.

Pending availability of the AC-130J, the gunship fleet is being augmented by twelve AC-130W Stingers (formerly named Dragon Spears), converted from MC-130Ws by L-3 Communications. The Precision Strike Package of the

AC-130W includes a chin-mounted sensor turret, a side-firing 30-mm ATK Bushmaster II GAU-23 Chain Gun firing PGU-46/B 30x173 HEI ammunition from a 500-round magazine, and wing mountings for four Lockheed Martin AGM-114P Hellfire or 16 Dagr 70 mm laser-guided rockets.

The AC-130W also has provisions on the rear loading ramp for a 10 round Gunslinger launch system for lightweight unpowered air-ground missiles such as the MBDA GBU-44/B Viper Strike and Raytheon Griffin-A. It is also cleared to use the 130-kg Boeing GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, although no further details are available.

The first AC-130J is to fly in early 2014. The initial batch of 16 will allow retirement of both the AC-130H and AC-130W. It is generally expected to follow the form of the AC-130W, which might be regarded as a third-generation gunship.

The first-generation Douglas AC-47 Spooky, introduced in 1964, was armed with three 7.62 mm GE GAU-2 Miniguns, and could provide a cone of protective fire around a Vietnam village for hours on end. The succeeding AC-130E/H/U turned the concept into a flying battleship. The AC-130W/J represents a change in direction, to a cargo aircraft that can (when required) be used as an ISR platform, with a ro-ro facility for air-ground strikes with a 30


mm gun and/or small guided munitions, operating above the reach of lightweight Sams.

The successful employment of AC-130s clearly requires a relatively benign air defence environment. Reports suggest that in a future war with a near-peer adversary, the role of the gunship in special operations would be taken over by the US Air Force’s stealthy Next Generation Bomber or Long-Range Strike-B.

Other special Hercules variants flown by the US Air Force include 14 active duty EC-130H Compass Call and three ANG-operated EC-130J Commando Solo electronic warfare aircraft. The EC-130H is used primarily as a jamming platform in the suppression of enemy air defences, and the EC-130J for psychological warfare, broadcasting on radio and TV frequencies. Four ANG-operated EC-130SJ ‘Super-J’ aircraft are dedicated to the airdrop of personnel, cargo and leaflets. The service is expected eventually to replace its EC-130Hs, which entered service in 1983, with EC-130Js

Harvest HawkFollowing Afsoc’s development of a

guided weapon capability on the AC-130W, Naval Air Systems Command (Navair) produced the Harvest Hawk (Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit) for use on some of the 79 KC-130Js planned, to provide fire suppression (if necessary) from altitudes above 17,000 ft. All KC-130Js will eventually be wired to accept the kit, but at present only six kits are planned.

Harvest Hawk is being developed in a series of stages, starting with the installation of the Lockheed Martin AAQ-30 Target Sight System on the port external tank, a Sierra Nevada fire control station, and an M299 rack on the port outer pylon for four Hellfire missiles.

The first operational use of Harvest Hawk occurred in Afghanistan in November 2010, when a Hellfire was fired from a KC-130J of Marine Aerial

The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan is an economical means to deploy personnel without attracting attention. A Hellfire-armed version has been developed for Iraq. Illustrated is the

32nd for the Brazilian Air Force, local designation C-98A. (Cessna).


Refueler Transport Squadron VMGR-352 ‘Raiders’, operating from Kandahar.

Plans to add a side-firing 30 mm GAU-23 cannon in the port front troop doorway appear to have been deferred due to installation problems, but a 10-round launcher for Griffin-A has been developed for the rear cargo ramp.

However, this cargo ramp missile installation provides a slow reaction to targets of opportunity, since the cabin has to be depressurised and the ramp lowered before a missile can be launched. In addition, the installation must be removed for cargo operations.

Navair has consequently developed

the “Derringer Door”, a modification to the (port side) paratroop door that allows two missiles to be fired and the system reloaded from a storage rack of 10, without depressurising the cabin. Flight testing began in late 2011. The concept is reportedly based on Afsoc’s Gunslinger, details of which have not been released.

Recent weapon tests with Harvest Hawk’s Derringer Door have included the new GBU-44/E version of Viper Strike, with upgraded software to provide improved accuracy against moving targets.

It is believed that the US Air Force has operated a single Shadow Harvest Hercules in Afghanistan as an ISR platform, one of its sensors being tank-mounted, like that of Harvest Hawk. Arising out of Harvest Hawk, Lockheed Martin has proposed the Vigilant Watch kit, which would turn any C-130E/H/J into an ISR platform.

In its baseline form, Vigilant Watch would replace the standard port underwing tank with a pod carrying a 51-cm EO/IR sensor ball and containing 3174 kg of fuel, and introduce a ro-ro operator station and additional communications equipment. Optional modules could take the form of synthetic aperture radar, underwing Hellfire mounts, and pressurised cabin installations for a 30 mm cannon and lightweight air-ground missiles.

Lighter GunshipsThe development of lightweight air-

ground missiles allows much smaller

aircraft than the C-130 to become useful gunships. It may be noted that in 2008 a retired US Air Force Alenia C-27A Spartan (G.222) was moved to Eglin AFB, Florida for ground tests with various 30 and 40 mm gun installations, to pave the way for an AC-27J. Afsoc planned to start funding a total of 16 AC-27Js in FY2011, but the

“restructuring” of the US Army/Air Force C-27J Joint Cargo Aircraft programme in 2009 forced this plan to be abandoned in favour of developing the AC-130J.

The Italian Air Force had no requirement for a dedicated gunship, although it reportedly had a “Pretorian” paper study for a multi-role version of the C-27J, with ro-ro modules to provide ISR, intelligence-gathering, C&C and other capabilities.

It was consequently left to AleniaAermacchi to team with ATK and start developing a baseline multi-mission MC-27J with a palletised, trainable 30 mm GAU-23 Bushmaster cannon. This installation was exhibited in an Italian Air Force C-27J at Farnborough in July. The team plans to add provisions for Hellfires and 70 mm rocket pods at a later stage.

However, Italy’s recently released Defence Ministry budget for 2012 refers to the launch of development of “onboard systems to equip the MC-27J destined to support Special Forces”. Coming at a time of defence cuts, this announcement

The first three production A400Ms are in their final stages of preparation in their Seville assembly hall. The bottom one is slated for delivery to France in the 1st half of 2013,

followed by the first one to join Turkey (centre) and the second one for France. To date, another 171 aircraft are to expected to roll out of this hall to join their eight owners.

(Airbus Military)

(at least) assures AleniaAermacchi of government support in the longer term.

In early 2011 ATK announced the award of a contract by the King Abdullah II Design & Development Bureau (KADBB) to modify two Royal Jordanian Air Force Airbus Military CN-235s to armed special missions aircraft. The modifications reportedly include the installation of a side-firing 30 mm M230LF chain gun, an EO targeting system with laser designator, the ATK AAR-47 missile warning system, and BAE Systems ALE-47 chaff/flare dispensers.

ATK is prime contractor for this “Light Gunship”. Illustrations show two sponson-mounted pylons, each with four Hellfire missiles and a 70 mm rocket pod. The aircraft are being modified at ATK’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas, and deliveries to Jordan are due in August/September 2013.

Airbus Military has since stated that it is in discussion with ATK and other contractors over both permanent and ro-ro armament and sensor fits for the CN-235 and C-295.

Lightweight missiles such as Hellfire allow carriage on even smaller aircraft, such as the Cessna C208B (U-27A). ATK has been contracted to supply eleven C208Bs to the Iraqi Air Force, including three armed AC-208B Combat Caravans with Hellfires and an EO targeting


The Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano was designed from the outset for light attack duties in addition to basic fl ying training. It has already been adopted by nine air forces.

Illustrated is one of eight employed by the Dominican Republic for duties that include the interdiction of narcotics fl ights. (Embraer).

system with laser designator. The Lebanese Air Force has three AC-208Bs with Wescam MX-15Di sensor turrets and Hellfire provisions.

A400M AtlasIt might be too early to anticipate the

exact roles that the new European aircraft will play in the future in terms of special warfare, since the first production aircraft still need to be delivered and put through their paces by their first military owners before they can actually be declared fully operational. Much has been said above about the Hercules, and there is little doubt that the far more capable Atlas will be able to easily take over some of its roles, particularly in terms of deployability, since it is not only air-refuellable, but it also flies at near jet speeds (780km/h cruise), and lands and takes off on unprepared short fields as besets a true turboprop transport aircraft. With such feathers in its cap, together with hefty capabilities in terms of cargo volumes and weight – and particularly with the growing political instability of certain areas of the world

– there is every reason to expect that the A400M will be sent out to battle much earlier than the pulling out of European forces from Afghanistan could have led one to believe. At its maximum take-off weight, the aircraft has an unrefuelled range of 3, 290km. Its four-metre wide and 17-metre long hold can accommodate 116 fully equipped troops, or an NH90 helicopter, or two Tigers, and is wide enough to carry a Piranha 8x8 with all its “birdcage” anti-RPG paraphernalia.

Light Attack The insurgents’ lack of shoulder-

launched Sams in Iraq and Afghanistan has encouraged consideration of turboprop aircraft for the light attack role, although there are growing fears that such missiles will reach the black market from “liberated” stocks in Libya and Syria. Such fears may have influenced the US Air Force decision to omit from its FY2013 budget request its Light Attack Armed Reconnaissance (Laar) programme, to field 15 turboprops to train pilots of friendly nations. However, in its place appeared the Light Air Support (Las) programme to acquire 20 off-the-shelf aircraft for the Afghan National Army

Air Force, with an option on 50 more for Afghanistan and other countries.

On 22nd December 2011 the US Air Force, having ruled out as “technically unacceptable” the Lockheed Martin/Hawker Beechcraft (HBC) AT-6, awarded the 15 aircraft, $ 355 million

Las contract to prime Sierra Nevada (SNC), sponsoring the Embraer A-29 Super Tucano. The first ‘Super T’ was to be delivered to Afghanistan in April 2013.

However, following HBC protests and the service’s admission of botched



The Beechcraft AT-6B is a development of the T-6A Texan II basic trainer, with an uprated engine, reinforced airframe, a sensor turret and armament provisions. Given strong political and diplomatic support, it has excellent prospects. (Hawker Beechcraft).

documentation, a stop-work order was issued in the following month. A new request for proposals was issued on 4th May 2012 for response by 4th June. A decision is due early in calendar 2013, leading to first delivery in the third quarter of 2014.

The ‘Super-T’ was designed from the outset for the light attack role, standard fit including cockpit armour, self-sealing tanks, and two 12.7 mm FN Herstal machine guns in the wings. In the SNC-led Las bid, it is now also supported by Boeing, which feels that the US Air Force adopting the AT-6 would eliminate the F/A-18E/F from Brazil’s long-running fighter contest.

The HBC AT-6 has the advantage of being seen as the “domestic” contender, although royalties would be due to Switzerland’s Pilatus for the PC-9 design from which it was derived, and despite the Super-T being built (if selected) in the US. In addition, the AT-6 is based on the T-6A/B basic trainer used by the US Air Force and Navy, and is thus familiar to Las evaluation pilots. In developing the dual-role AT-6, it has been given the same PT6A-68D engine as the Super T, an EO/IR sensor turret, 150 kg of extra fuel in the wings, and a

Developed from the Air Tractor AT-802 agricultural and firefighting aircraft, the two-seat, armed AT-802U has dual controls and is intended for counter-insurgency operations from rough dirt strips. The first of ten reportedly ordered by Abu Dhabi was delivered in early

2011. (Air Tractor).

variety of weapons options.

A very different light attack turboprop is the Air Tractor AT-802U, a derivative of the widely-used cropduster. A batch of 10 has been ordered by Abu Dhabi. The AT-802U offers outstanding (ten-hour) endurance and dirt strip capability, but its lack of pressurisation

and unsuitability for pilot training limit its prospects.

ISR UtilitiesThe last decade has witnessed a

massive escalation in drone use, but it has also brought realisation of the problems that drones involve, in terms of deployment, download bandwidth demands and supporting manpower. One result has been a fuller appreciation of the merits of manned utility aircraft, which can not only move cargo and personnel discreetly, but also serve as sensor platforms with onboard operators to selectively record significant imagery.

The leading single-engine examples are the Cessna C208B (U-27A), Pacific Aerospace PAC-750 and Pilatus PC-12NG (U-28A). Afsoc U-28As are reportedly based at Entebbe in Uganda and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to monitor terrorist activities across a swathe of African countries.

Northrop Grumman has teamed with Quest Aircraft in developing an ISR version of the latter’s 10-seat Kodiak under the name Air Claw, which is expected to sell for half the price of twin-engine utilities.

The most prolific of the twins is the Beechcraft King Air series, exemplified by the US Army RC-12X Guardrail


and US Air Force MC-12W Liberty. Saudi Arabia has recently requested ISR suites for four of its existing King Air 350ER aircraft. The equipment will be provided by L-3 Communications, which is flying its own Spydr demonstrator, based on the King Air 350, with a modular system that allows cross-cueing between sensors.

Italy’s Piaggio Aero Industries is developing an increased-range special missions version of its P180 Avanti II, with extensions to the aerofoil surfaces and fuel tanks in the rear of the cabin. Integration of the ISR system will be performed either by Saab or Selex Galileo.

Rotary WingMost rotary-wing aircraft used in US special operations

are conceptually aged. The exception is the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, which is in service with Afsoc (CV-22B) and US Marine Corps (MV-22B). The 50th and final CV-22B will be purchased in FY14 for delivery in FY16. The US Marine Corps is receiving 360 M Lockheed Martin MV-22Bs, and a further 48 are planned for the US Navy.

The US Army’s Special Operations Aviation Command (Arsoac) is to transition by FY15 to a fleet of 69 Boeing MH-

Equipped with skis for snow operation, this Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk is operated by the 212th Rescue Squadron of the

176th Wing of the Alaska Air National Guard, based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. (US Air Force).

The Kamov Ka-52 Alligator two-seat attack helicopter will be used by Russian Army Aviation to support special operations. The marinised Ka-52K has been selected by Russian Naval Aviation to serve on the nation’s new Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. (Russian Helicopters).


ON THE COVER: The SRM series marketed by Gibraltar-Arms are not only relatively newcomers in the fi eld of shotguns, but also innovative in a number of aspects, to make them easier to manipulate and handle in critical situations. (Gibraltar Arms)

Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment 2013Supplement to armada Issue 6/2012Volume 36, Issue No. 6, December 2012/ January 2013 armada INTERNATIONALis published bi-monthly by Media Transasia Ltd.Copyright 2012 by Media Transasia Ltd.Publishing Offi ce: Media Transasia Ltd,Room No. 1205-1206, Hollywood Centre 233, Hollywood Road, Central, Hong Kong.Tel: (852) 2815 9111, Fax: (852) 2815 1933Editor-in-Chief: Eric H. Biass

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47Gs, 72 Sikorsky MH-60Ms and 51 Boeing MH-6Ms. Illustrating current modernisation efforts, the MH-60M introduces uprated GE T706 engines, a Raytheon Silent Knight LPI terrain-following radar and a Rockwell Collins glass cockpit. The US Army’s MH-6 armed reconnaissance helicopter is not to be modernised.

The US Navy’s principal special operations support helicopter is the Sikorsky HH-60H. Plans call for it to be replaced in the 2020s, using a further development of the MH-60S until the MH-XX or some option from the Army-led joint FVL (Future Vertical Lift) effort becomes available in the 2030s. Reports indicate that the FVL projects will be required to cruise at 315 km/hr, but that the special operations community is looking for 370 km/hr.

The US Air Force’s ageing fleet of 98 Sikorsky HH-60G Csar aircraft is being supplemented as a stop-gap by 25 “operational loss replacement” UH-60Ms, but the service still hopes to

procure at least 112 (out of a perceived need for 148) replacements under its Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) programme, with a planned initial operational capability in 2018.

Turning to Europe, several countries are acquiring helicopters for special operations and Csar, led by the French Air Force and Army, with a combined total of 20 Eurocopter EC715 Caracals. Export orders for the EC725 include 50 for Brazil, 12 for Malaysia and at least six for Mexico.

Some twelve AgustaWestland AW101s have been ordered for Csar duties with the Italian Air Force, and some British Royal Air Force Merlin HC3/3As are scheduled to become part of the Royal Navy’s Commando Helicopter Force. Sweden has purchased 15 UH-60Ms for the Csar mission. Germany has postponed its purchase of eight Csar aircraft, a programme expected to be competed by the AW101, Boeing HH-47, NHIndustries NH90 and Sikorsky S-92.

Through its various iterations, from Super Puma, Cougar and lately Caracal, the Eurocopter workhorse, here seen in French special forces guise, has proved its worth in the four

corners of the world. (Eurocopter)

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Armada Dec 2012 Compendium - Urban Warfare and Air Ops Equipment

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