Armada - Compendium by Armada Vol.36 Iss.6 - Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment

7/17/2019 Armada - Compendium by Armada Vol.36 Iss.6 - Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment

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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 thereforededicated to some categories of equipment that might help the warfighterunder such conditions. Other specific situations that a soldier might encounterin his missions are desert, arctic and jungle. Not many types of equipment arespecifically devoted to those scenarios, except for clothing. We have, however,added a few items dedicated to desert warfare, especially water productionsystems, since most recent operations have had a tendency to take place underrather dry latitudes. Air operations are described in the second part of thisCompendium.

URBAN WARFARE AND AIR OPS

Paolo Valpolini

There are two things thatrecent conlicts have taughtcommanders. One is toreduce collateral damages

and the other to reduce own soldiersexposure to enemy ire. In both cases,robotics plays an increasing role bothor intelligence gathering and or

emplacing warheads in a disciplinewhere the line between drones andmissiles is slowly disappearing.

ThrowablesInserting sensors in a building to

provide better situational awareness toinantry advancing in a built-up area

can be done in dierent ways. heastest, without any doubt, is to toss asystem through an opening, a windowor a door. Numerous robots can climbstairs and move through rooms, butthese generally are large and heavy, atleast or inantry teams. Miniaturisationhas allowed to develop new types o

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 andIntelligence System – Iris in short – wasdeveloped by Israeli Roboteam and canbe thrown at long distance using a sling.(Roboteam)

install a greater number and variety osensors. “We can oresee in the next ewyears the appearance o micro-UGVswith plug-and-play capabilities similarto those available nowadays in biggersystems,” Bignall adds.

Oddly enough, urther sizereduction is not necessarily a viableoption: micro-vehicles still have to

cope with uneven ground when usedin military missions, and thus stillneed to overcome “sizeable” obstaclescompared to their current dimensions.Power sources will still maintain ainite dimension, an added actor thatimposes intrinsic limits to urther sizeshrinking. he weight department,however, appears to oer shrinkingopportunities, mostly through theadoption o new materials, althoughcost remains a main consideration.Weight reduction, however, will alsohave a positive impact on another

option that is coming closer to reality:“In the next ive years we will see theadvent o micro-UGVs capable oclimbing walls,” says Bignall, althoughno details were unveiled on whattechnology seems most promising.

eamwork between ground and airrobots will also improve, or instancewith drones capable o deployingmultiple micro-ground robots,

although the swarm option does notclimb very high on the list o “musthave” as indeed micro-UGVs producerspreer to stick to the KISS principle –

Keep It Stupid Simple – in view o theact that their systems are be operatedby rontline personnel working understress.

urning to artiicial intelligence,how long will it be beore we see a ullyautonomous robot that simultaneouslylocates and maps an unknown buildingis still an open question, a majorive-year research initiative havingbeen unded in 2011 by the US ArmyResearch Lab and led by BAE Systems.

Returning to the ‘throwables’, inthe all o 2012 – and ollowing threeweeks o robotics testing as a part othe organization’s eorts to improverobot capabilities or dismountedtroops in Aghanistan – the Joint IEDDeeat Organization selected threethrowables, namely the MacroUSAArmadillo V2, the Irobot 110 FirstLookand the QinetiQ Dragon Runner-10.Jieddo, as the organisation is known as,

The Throwbot XT featured in our titlepicture is the latest development of

ReconRobotics’ latest development inthrowable 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 capableo carrying electro-optical and acousticsensors as well as data-links to sendback real-time ino to the team. Evenbetter: ‘throwables’ have recently beendeveloped to add jamming systems todisrupt enemy communication and C2.

Beore we dive into the technicalitieso robotics, let’s see what might be the

trends in this discipline and what theuture potentially holds.

Urban warighters need systems thatenable them to acquire the best possiblesituational picture – thus small, lightand simple robots o the “throwable”category are certainly among the mostuseul items in the so-called UGV world,although some bigger robots might alsobe used. “Finding the right balancebetween weight, size, power and radiorange remains the key actor in themicro-UGV world,” said Alan Bignall,

CEO o ReconRobotics, one o the mostsuccessul companies in this nichesegment. Looking into the medium-term uture, some technologies willcertainly have a positive impact onmicro-systems; the land robotic worldwill certainly exploit the advancesin the battery ield that are mostlygenerated by consumer demand, butalso used , in the robotic scenario, bydrones. Miniaturization will allow to







acquired around a hundred o robotso each type, that were then deployeddownrange.

MacroUSA developed a trio o

throwables – all eaturing an automaticimage inversion system, which exploitthe same control station and videolink – though the robots themselveshave dierent dimensions, weightsand architectures. he link employedis based on the Coded OrthogonalFrequency Division Multiplexing(COFDM), a orm o modulationparticularly well-suited to the needs oterrestrial broadcasting and especiallyor linking elements in a compartmentedterrain such as an urban scenario. heCOFDM subdivides the high speedinormation packages in a number olow speed parallel luxes using FMD

on orthogonal carriers that do notinterere among them. he COFDMlink used by MacroUSA robot eatures50 channels and operates in the 1.2-1.4 or 2.2-2.4 GHz requency bands.hey also use a tablet-like (75 x 200 x200 mm) body-worn common controldisplay system weighing 1.57, with theantenna incorporated into the tabletcover. hanks to the link adopted thecontrol can operate multiple robots,one system being active and the othersin sleep mode. he 5.6 inch colourdisplay allows one to see up to our

images simultaneously, while two

proportional joysticks provide or

simultaneous control o the vehicle andits payload.

he biggest o the three throwablesis the Armadillo. In act the Armadillois not a single product but a amily orobots o similar size and increasingweight that can withstand multipledrops rom heights o 2.5 metres orhorizontal launches to eight metres.In their basic coniguration the robotsare symmetrical in shape. Poweredby electric motors they can climb a45° slope but to urther increase their

mobility they can be equipped with astair/obstacle kit made o lippers withrubber tracks installed in place o thewheels, a composite articulated trackkit being also available. heir sensorsuite provide a ull 360° vision whilethe data link ensures a 300 metre line-o-sight range (dropping to 200 metresotherwise, but exceeding that o othersystems). A GPS, a digital accelerometerand a digital magnetic compass arepart o the robots. he Armadillosare equipped with a Picatinny rail thatallows them to carry payloads such as

disruptors, manipulators or uncooledrotating thermal cameras, but thenobviously lose their “throwability”.Maximum payload capacity is threekilos, although the company tested thesystem at much higher loads. Followingthe selection by Jieddo, MacroUSA isexpecting beore year end a new orderthat might encompass or a muchhigher number o systems. he irstinternational success took place in

2009 when the Singaporean Army

acquired a considerable number oArmadillos, ollowed by a derivative othe V2 version. Since numerous robotso the various versions have been soldin America worldwide.

Te latest Armadillo versions orm thecore o the kit on which Oto Melara RP3robot is based, that will be soon deliveredto the Italian Army as part o the ForzaNEC programme. Numerous elementshave been developed in Italy, while the

vehicular control station was whollydesigned by Oto Melara and the portable

control station was also deeply modified.

MacroUSA is currently bidding ortwo major US Deence lightweight robotscontracts, the Engineer Squad Robot(ESR) and the Ultra Light Recon Robot(ULRR), the ormer aiming at US MarineCorps requirements while the latter isbased on the needs o the Jieddo, theMarine Corps and the Rapid EquippingForce programme.

Second by weight comes the Beetle,another throwable with dimensions o

75 x 175 x 206 mm. A tilt mechanismallowing ±60° tilt and a 185° FoVequips the ront o this nano-UGVcarrying a day/night colour camera,an audio microphone and IR and whitediode lighting. he Beetle has a weighto 1.0 kg and can carry a 0.7 kg externalpayload on a Picatinny rail. In non-lineo sight operations the COFDM linkensures a range o 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 lightestthrowables. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini).

The original Armadillo (left) has evolved into a family of robots with improvingperformances. 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 areusually out of reach for non-tracked robots. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini - MarcoUSA)




panels. he Beetle can withstand 2.5metre drops on concrete, while itsendurance stretches rom 1 to 2 hoursin ull operations or 12 hours in sleepmode. he latest development romMacroUSA, the Beetle is availablesince Spring 2012 and is being activelymarketed, several dozens havingalready been sold to dierent customersor operational evaluation.

he smallest o the trio in terms oweight at 0.650kg, is the actical hrowCamera - or C. Believing that theball-type systems that remain mostlystatic once launched in a room provideonly limited intelligence, MacroUSAdeveloped a system o similardimensions, the C being 135 mmlong and 148 mm wide, but its wheelsbeing 68 mm high, it can easily move

ater landing. Its shock-resistant bodyis made o injected plastic reinorcedwith ibreglass, and thus has the samethrowing capability as the Armadillo.Each motor is controlled independentlyby a microprocessor and when the twowheels counter-rotate the C’s day/

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

Frequency Division Multiplexing.(MacroUSA)

Smaller than the Armadillo, MacroUSABeetle is the latest product of the companyand a new version is already in advanceddevelopment stage. (MacroUSA)




Armadillo V3 (discontinued) Armadillo 3.5 Armadillo 3.5

Tracksorb polyurethanerubber

2 front, 1 rear and 2 sidecolour day/night cameras

IR LED lights on front andback

Audio microphone

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

High resistance impactplastic

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.

IR LED lights on front andback

Audio microphone

3.5 hours continuous opera-tions without payloads & 12hours 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/nightcameras with 2x digital zoom.Front camera with ± 60° tilt.

IR LED lights on front and back

Audio microphone

3.5 hours continuous operationswithout payloads & 12 hours insleep 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 Camerais not much heavier than a ball-type

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

night camera provides a 360° panoramic

view. ransmission range is 250meters in line-o-sight and 175 metersotherwise. It was initially developed orthe Singaporean Army, which acquired aconsiderable number in 2009. Since, theC has been urther developed and hassold in numbers in the US and Europe,mostly to police special units.

Looking into the uture, MacroUSAis working on adding some degree oartificial intelligence to its robots inorder to endow them with autonomousor semi-autonomous capabilities,

“ollower” being one o those. In June2012 the company demonstrated someo these capacities with the Armadillo.During the 2012 Robotics Rodeo atFort Benning, Georgia, the companycooperated with 5D Robotics, a roboticssofware company specialised in reactiverobotic behaviours such as obstacleavoidance, shared control, humantracking, and dynamic ollow.

Another well known Americancompany, iRobot, also developeda ‘throwable’. Leveraging experienceacquired with the 510 PackBot andthe Sugv (Small Unmanned Ground

Vehicle), iRobot developed the 110FirstLook, entrusted as its namesuggests with the investigation ohard-access places in urban scenariosas well as typical bomb caches such astunnels, ditches and culverts. Light (2.4kg), small (102 mm high, 254 mm longand 229 mm wide), the FirstLook can

withstand a drop on concrete rom aheight o nearly five metrest. It movesat a maximum speed o 1.5 m/s andthanks to its tracks can climb obstacleso up to 178 mm; two flippers allow toturn the robot in place in case it turtlesover during a manoeuvre. Te FirstLookeatures our built-in cameras (ront,rear and one on each side); and eatures apayload accessory port while an optionalPicatinny rail can accommodate systemssuch as thermal cameras or chem-biosensors. Te radio data-link allows tousing the 110 FirstLook at a range o upto 200 metres. Te deault requencyis 2.4 GHz, but an optional requencyalternative is available at 4.9 GHz. Te800-gramruggedized and water resistantOperator Control Unit has a game-stylelayout and includes a five-inch, 800x480resolution display and eatures an

integrated radio. With a single set obatteries the 110 FirstLook is able tooperate or more than six hours.

QinetiQ North America developed inthe past a amily o EOD robots, the alon,and leveraging this experience it producedthe Dragon Runner amily whose smaller




member, the Dragon Runner 10, fits inthe throwable category and is designedor reconnaissance and surveillancemissions. Easily portable, it weighs 5 kgand its dimensions are 394 x 350 x 147mm. It is equipped with ront and rearday/night cameras and a microphone. Inits basic orm the Dragon Runner 10 is

After falling on its back the 110 Firstlookgets to the upside position using itsflippers to roll over; this iRobot productis in service in numbers in Afghanistan.

Tracks help the 110 Firstlook to overcomedifficult obstacles such as this stonyground. It can be dropped from a heightof around 5 meters. (Armada/PaoloValpolini)

invertible, as it is symmetrical, and canthus enter into action immediately aferbeing thrown over a distance o two toour metres. Propulsion is provided bymultiple electric motors that sallow itto reach a speed o 6.4 km/h on a 45°slope. Te robot can be equipped withwheels or tracks depending on the type

o “playground” state.

he change rom wheels to tracksis done without speciic tools. herobot remain throwable in bothconigurations and its 50 mm groundclearance allows it to operate on uneventerrain. It is equipped with a compassand a GPS that provide the operatorwith vehicle heading and preciselocation. Compatible with all existingQinetiQ controllers, the Dragon

Runner’s operational range is 500 to650 metres depending on the radio linkused, while endurance ranges rom twoto three hours endurance depending onmission proile. he Dragon Runner10 is compatible with the payloadsdeveloped or the DR 20 model, buto course impair its throwability. he




DR10 has been sold to the US militaryand is being used in Aghanistan, but inJanuary 2012 QinetiQ North Americareceived an urgent order rom theJieddo or more than 100 to the tuneo around $5.3 million including spare,with deliveries due one month later. Aurther order worth $4.3 million or

“several dozens” DR10 was chalked upin June 2012, ollowed by a urther

order o similar value in August 2012,but with the DR10s this time destinedto the US Marine Corps. he DR10 isconsidered to strike a good balancebetween dimensions and mobility, israted among the most mobile o itscategory, but is considered a bit heavyand QinetiQ has already identiiedways to reduce its weight.

At Eurosatory 2012 ReconRoboticsintroduced the latest o its hrowBots,the hrowBot X. he originalhrowbot was born out o a Darpa

competition or police duties. heirst model had a day camera, theollowing Recon Scout IR addinga night capability. Following theacquisition o about 200 by themilitary, the lattercame up with speciicrequirements, one o them being theminimum climbing capacity needed toovercome the rame o a typical Aghandoor. his led to the Recon Scout X.Although similar in appearance, this

its noise at 6 meters distance is oonly 22 dB that is the equivalent o a

very silent an or that o the humanbreathing at 20 cm, its data link cantransmit signals acquired by the sensorsuite to a range o up to 30 metres in abuilding or 90 metres in open terrain(better indoor perormances beingensured by adopting lower requenciescompared to most other robots, thatbetter penetrate dense materiel). hesensor is a low-light sensitivity camerawith a 60° ield o view that operates at30 rames per second. Autogain adaptsthe sensitivity to the light, while an IRsource switches on automatically in

very dark condit ions allowing visionin total darkness at over 7.6 metres.Sporting a lat-terrain endurance oabout one hour, the hrowbot X canbe dropped rom a height o more than

nine metres or thrown out to a distanceo 36. In operation the hrowbot X is209 mm long, 193 mm wide and 114 mmhigh, and can be easily be transportedin a rucksack once the antennae havebeen removed. he Operator ControlUnit II (OCU II) eatures a new 3.5-inch display where video images aredisplayed. It can be equipped with aheadset to catch the sound inormationprovided by the hrowbot X. A single

joystick allows the operator to controlthe robot and simultaneously keep ahand on his weapon. he 730-gram

control unit is 241 mm high withantennae down (510mm with antennaerotated upwards) and 142 mm wide. Aseach robot may be operated on any othree pre-determined transmittingrequencies, users can operate up tothree robots in the same environmentat the same time, the OCU II havingan endurance o over two hours. Inact up to six requencies are available,but no reason arose to use more thanthree hrowbots in the same area ooperation.

o silently deploy the hrowbotX without throwing it in places thatcannot be reached by the operatorReconRobotics, stimulated by Europeanmilitary customers, developed theSearchStick, a telescopic aluminiumpole with a button-activated clampto release the device. he pole has astowed length o 520 mm (the heighto the British Army rucksack) andan extended length o 1,830 mm, or

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

robot represents a quantum jumpcompared to its predecessors as itadopts new brushless electric motorswith a much higher torque, while lappypaddle wheels replace the original set.hese patented wheels provide shockabsorption rom every direction,enabling the robot to survive drops andthrows onto hard suraces in a broadrange o temperatures and maximize

manoeuvrability and climbingperormance. When in light the clutcho the powertrain is disengaged in orderto avoid any damage to the axles onlanding (a gyroscope then gives clutchengagement signals). he latest model,the hrowbot X, uses the originalsel-explanatory designation, butincorporates a ew reinements, suchas an omnidirectional microphone andimproved waterprooing characteristics.Unveiled at Eurosatory 2012, thehrowbot X is one o the lightestsystems o the kind - its weight o only

540 grams roughly being that o a handgrenade. he robot comes in the ormo a central tubular structure that hoststhe motors, batteries and electronics.he wheels, ar onto the our corners,allow it to move on uneven ground upto a speed o 0.46 m/s. A rear “tail” isused or balance and orientation, whilea small hook at its extremity allowsclipping a cord to lower the robot inwells and other cavities. Super-silent,




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a weight o 1.36 kg. It allows also toretrieve the robot, or use it as a pole-mounted camera.

he most recent success or Recon

Robotics has been the US Army’sRapid Equipping Force rameworkcontract worth up to US$ 13.9 million.his Indeinite Delivery, IndeiniteQuantity contract could lead to theacquisition o up to 1,000 miniature,

throwable, mobile robots that will beissued US Army and US Marine Corpsunits. he irst order or 84 hrowbotX is already underway, with initialdeliveries carried out in late June2012. he systems is already used inAghanistan.

o improve its international marketpenetration, ReconRobotics createdRRI Global SAGL, a new wholly ownedoverseas sales, marketing and customerservice subsidiary Lugano, Switzerland.ReconRobotics throwable systems are

in service with the armed orces oDenmark, Italy, Britain, Australia andundisclosed Middle East countries.

Another mini-robot, the CobraMk2 irst shown at Milipol 2011, wasdeveloped by ECA Robotics o Franceto assist military and paramilitaryorces. Although not developed as areal throwable object, it can howeverbe dropped lat rom a height o one

A ball in one’s hand…

Lef to right: ODF Optronics o Israel is awaiting a decision by the Bundeswehr onthe possible acquisition o its EyeBall. (ODF Optronics). Te ball rotates to providea 360° image o the room. As seen in this picture rom the author, the ball houses acolour or B&W camera, IR and white light diode illumination and a microphone. ocomplement its Eyeball ODF Optronics developed the Eyedrive, that can be tossedinto a room and then move through the building. It is in service in Israel and in anundisclosed country. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

Lef to right: Te latestdevelopment by ODF Op-tronics is the OWLink,a ruggedized COFDMpoint-to-point bidirec-tional data link that al-lows to link up to eightstandard definition or onehigh definition plus ourstandard definition cam-eras. Te ODF Optronics

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

The control station and two of theiSnoop robots developed by Optimess ofGermany, one with road wheels and one with bigger cross-country wheels. TheiSnoop can also be equipped with stair-climbing “wheels”. Currently at prototypestage, the system will be available by late

2013. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

metre, without problems. One o theCobra Mk2’s orte is its high payload –ive kilos, which is one kilo short o itsown weight. Shod with our 160 mmdiameter low-pressure tyres the robot is360 mm long, 390 mm wide and 170 mm

high, and has a ground clearance o 50mm that provide it with good mobility

over uneven ground. he Cobra Mk2can run on both sides and has a 2.5-hour endurance and a radio link rangeo about 250 metres (a 100-metre cableis also available when radio link is notsuitable). A two-speed transmissionallows it to operate at speeds between0 and 2 km/h or between 0 and 4 km/h,although an optional transmissionratio may increase top speed to 7.5km/h. Its geometry allows it to climbdown stairs, to cope with a 90 mm wideditch and climb a 40 per cent gradientand run down a 30 per slope (sansmission module, though). he CobraMk2 mobile base is equipped with a+/- 90° tilting ront camera and witha ixed rear camera. Apart rom thetilting mechanism the two camerasare identical and are equipped witha 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 600V lines providing good quality imagesunder 0.012-0.0014 lux. Both camerasare lanked with two rows o whiteand IR diode lights. he ront onehas eight on each side, the rear three.An automatic day/night ilter withautomatic switching allows to have theoptimal view in every light condition.he Cobra Mk2 is also equipped withan omnidirectional microphone withautomatic gain control that allows itto capture ambient sounds, which arethen provided to the operator via theloudspeaker incorporated into thecontrol station or via plug-in earphones.he Cobra Mk2 is ully compatible withthe control station used by its largerCameleon stablemate, (although alighter PC tablet-based system has beenpurposely developed. It has a 7-inch

high-luminosity screen that allows itto work in ull sunshine. wo batteriesprovide a two hour endurance, but ahot-swap capability ensures continuousoperation. Equipped with a three-axis joystick that provides ull control, thecontrol is 230x170x50 mm in size ora weight o 1.9 kilos. Video and still

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

Te system automatically recognises itson-board modules. In the reconnaissancerole, ECA Robotics provides three payloadmodules. Obviously once a module isinstalled the Cobra Mk2 is no longerable to run on both sides and thereorecannot be thrown. Te two-kilo improved

vision module comes in the orm o asmall gimbal equipped with a colourcamera carrying a x10 optical and a x12electronic zoom lens. Some 24 diodesprovide additional illumination whilethe head has a 360° pan and a +90°/-55°tilt capability. Zone marking and objectlaying modules are also available or NBCrecce or explosives disposal missions – arole or which it has been acquired bythe French Army as part o the French

Route Clearance Package deployed inAghanistan where it is transported andoperated rom the Nexter Aravis (calledVBHP – or Véhicule Blindé HautementProtégé - by the Armée). wenty-ninesuch robots dubbed Minirogen (MiniRobot du Génie) were actually orderedin three batches, the last one having

been delivered in late August 2012. Someextra payload modules have also beenordered. Te first batch was deployed toAghanistan in the first hal o 2012 andthe company is awaiting eedback. TeCobra Mk2 was also acquired by two otherundisclosed countries, and urther ordersare expected beore the end o 2012.

Remaining in France, Nexterunveiled its Nerva micro-robotdemonstrator at Eurosatory in 20 12.Developed to meet requirementsexpressed by the French military inthe wake o recent missions, eaturesinclude ‘throwability’ rom the topo the Aravis armoured vehicle sothat it can be deployed withoutexposing on board personnel andthereore, ull controllability romwithin the vehicle. he Nerva

standard coniguration is thato a 4x4 robot, with each wheeldriven by an electric motor. hewheels, however, can be replacedin less than two minutes by twotracks without using any tool, asthe track kits are instal led directlyon the axles thus reducing the




ve hi cl e di me ns io ns , al lo win g it tooperate in culverts with diametersas small as 250 mm. In the wheeledconiguration the Nerva is 350 mmlong , 2 80 mm wid e and 140 mm high,the demonstrator operational weightbeing around 4.5 kg. Powered by a 120Wmotor it has a top speed o 15 km/h.

he industrialisation process willhowever allow to lower the weight “well

under the our-kilo mark” according tocompany sources. he Nerva carries arear-mounted handle that allows one toproperly throw the tough polyurethanebodied vehicle. In the ront section aday/night 5 MP V camera with whiteand IR illumination is installed; this canbe oriented in elevation, downwards tohave a better view o the terrain in ronto the vehicle and upwards to scan theunderside o a vehicle. A robotic armis integral to the system and can bedeployed on the upper and lower sides,the Nerva being able to understand its

position in order to deploy it on theupper side. A pan and tilt camera canbe installed on that arm. he Nerva iswatertight and loats, and can thus copewith ponds and small streams. Builtwith well-proven components in orderto give it the highest possible reliability,the Nerva control system is based on anopen architecture system, which meansthat the man-machine interace can bechosen 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, tabletsand PCs, its operational range being o200-300 metres in the open and 20-30metres in buildings. A 150 x 130 x 50mm, 700-gram dedicated man-machineinterace is however available, ittedwith a touch screen that can be used bya gloved hand. Nexter Systems plans tomake the irst serial production Nervaavailable within 2013.

Queen o miniaturisation, Switzerlandalso has its throwable robot, the Scorpdeveloped by Novatiq or reconnaissanceand surveillance missions. A 330 mm

long, 260 mm wide and 110 mm hightracked device, the Scorp weighs 4.8 kgand its electric motors allow it to reach7.5 km/h. Its 200-metre line-o-sightrange datalink operates at 433 MHzor data link and 5.8 GHz or video-link.Equipped with our cameras, ront, rearand side-acing - all surrounded byinrared illuminating diodes ensuringgood viewing up to eight metres, theScorp can provide a 360° view. Teront motorised tiltable camera isinstalled in a pod that can be easilyremoved and replaced with anothersensor, or instance a thermal imager,in a plug-and-play mode, the systembeing wholly integrated. In addition tothe x1 colour camera module, Novatiqoffers numerous thermal modules withdifferent lenses, rom 13 to 35 mm.

Te robot also eatures a waterproomicrophone with five-metre range.Moreover the Scorp can carry a payloado up to eight kilos, although this willimpair its throwability. Te Scorp bodyis machined rom a single aluminiumblock and allows it to be dropped onconcrete rom an over our-metreheight. o increase its mobility the Scorpis equipped with flippers that help itovercome difficult obstacles such as stairs.Long-lie batteries ensure an enduranceo about three hours in reconnaissancemode and ten in surveillance mode

(when movements are reduced to aminimum). Te operator runs the robotthrough 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 developmentand aims at a target weight of less than 4 kg. Serial production is expected by the end of

2013. (Nexter)




kg eaturing a seven-inch touch-screen.Overall dimensions are 330 x 180 x 70mm. Production started in mid-August2012, the robot being under evaluationin the USA, Canada, India, Singapore

and some other undisclosed countries.Deliveries have just started and, in thecoming months, some customers shoulddeploy the Scorp to Aghanistan orevaluation.

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 foroperational evaluation. (Novatiq)

Electronic WarfareSo ar, this survey examined the

robotic aspect o the throwable categoryo robots. Netline o Israel, specialisedin jamming systems, developed orthe Israeli Deence Forces the PortableJammer Pack (PJP), aimed at disruptingenemy communications in the VHF,UHF and mobile phone bands, especiallyin urban areas. Te system has a weighto 1.2 kg and is fitted in a 250x110x100mm rubber container that allows oneto toss it into a room or a building toneutralise enemy communicationsbeore entering the acility. Te PJPoperates on five bands within 25 and2,500 MHz and has a total output powero 5-6W, that is 1-2W per band. It is fittedwith omnidirectional antennae and itsLi-ion batteries ensure an operation timeo about hal an hour.

Direct Fire EffectorsWhile no specific effector has been

purposely built or urban operations,numerous weapon systems orammunition are better suited thanothers or use in built-up areas due totheir dimensions and/or terminal effects.




Small arms, antitank/antistructureweapons up to medium and large calibrescan be o interest or the urban warfighter.Tis chapter wants to be a short summaryo the latest developments in that field.

Starting with small arms, one othe newcomers in the shotguns ieldis the SRM semi-automatic tacticalamily. hree models are available,the lesser the number o rounds

the shorter the barrel, all having adistinctive detachable magazine madeo our separate tubes; each tubecontains our, three or two rounds, ora total o 16, 12 and 8 rounds, whichactually give the three models theirdesignation, respectively 1216, 1212and 1208, where 12 stands or 12 gauge.While the majority o semi-automaticshotguns exploit the gas or reloading,the SRM 1216 amily operates on aroller-delayed blowback principle. heshooting orce o the shell carries boltand carrier rearwards, this movement

being delayed by a mechanical systemuntil the pressure has dropped to a saelimit. ravelling rearwards the boltextracts the spent shell and a new one isreleased rom the magazine and loadedwhen the bolt moves orward. When allthe rounds in a tube have been iredthe bolt remains locked in the rearmostposition; the operator then pressesorward the magazine index lever withhis thumb and rotates the magazine 90°

clockwise or counter clockwise, thenreleases the index lever, the magazinebeing thus locked in place. At this point,the bolt automatically travels orwardchambering the next ammunition. heour-tube solution not only allows tohouse a high number o rounds but alsoallows to load each tube with a dierenttype o ammunition, namely slugs,buckshot, door breaching or othertypes o 12-gauge ammo, allowing the

operator to switch types according tohis needs. A noteworthy point is thatthe magazine also acts as a orearm,while an extra round can be chamberedbeore inserting a loaded magazine,thus urther increasing the numbero ammunition available. o 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 isinserted into the magazine well o thestock, then the ront o the magazineis pressed up into the magazine hanger.SRMs’ shotgun amily is equipped witha ixed stock and eatures a Picatinnyrail to install various types o sights.he 1216 is 825 mm long and has a457 mm long barrel (18 inch),or anempty weight o 3.29 kg. he shorter1212 and 1208 models respectivelyhave a length o 698 and 622 mm,with 330 mm (13 inch) and 254 mm(10 inch) barrels, and weights o 3.06and 2.83 kg. All models can ire anytype o 12 gauge ammo, both 70 and76 mm shells. SRMs’ shotguns receiverand controls can be reversed or let-handed shooters, and their disassemblymimics that o the AR-15 assault rile,ield stripping being based on a single

push pin break-apart design. his alsoallows the shotgun to be quickly turnedinto a less lethal weapon by removingthe lethal bolt, dropping in the less-lethal bolt immediately visible due toits orange colour, and by replacing themagazine with the orange magazineloaded with less-lethal ammunition.Marketed since July 2011 the 1216 andhis smaller brothers have attracted theinterest o numerous services and lawenorcement agencies. Currently the1216 is in use with Socom units and hasbeen thoroughly tested by the French

1er RPIMa, the Army special orcesregiment. As SRM does not sell directlyits products these are sold through anetwork o dealers in the United States,Gibraltar-Arms being the internationaldealer or SRMs shotguns. he ullautomatic version o the SRM amily

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




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o shotguns, known as MLE-1216, MLE-1212 and MLE-1208,will be available rom November2012; these weapons will be nearlyidentical to the 1216, 1212 and1208, but will allow both semi-automatic and ull automatic ire.

Saab is actively marketingits recoilless gun and grenadelauncher solutions or use inurban scenarios. he M 756multi-target 84 mm round or theCarl Gusta weapon system, orinstance, is now ready and has beenielded by some customers. he M 756is a tandem warhead round in whicha irst charge opens a hole in the wallor the second charge to travel through;this is a derivative o the warhead usedin the HE 441D anti-personnel roundand its detonation is delayed so that it

occurs inside the room.

he ASM 509 anti-structuremunition is also in service and is basedon the enhanced blast technology. Whenused with impact detonation it allowsone to open breaches in walls, but whenaimed at windows or doors a kineticenergy sensor ensures its penetrationin the room beore explosion in orderto maximise the eect.

As or the A4, the CS-AS modelis undergoing testing against Aghan-

like mud walls. his version o the wellknown Saab weapon system adoptsan enhanced blast munition withprecursor that is similar to the M 765’s.By deault it is set on long delay mode,which allows the charge to detonateinside the building. However, when seton short delay it creates entrance pointor inantry as the explosion generatesa larger opening in the wall.

Dynamit Nobel DefenceA leading company in shoulder-

launched antitank weapons or

inantry, Dynamit Nobel Deence(a subsidiary o Israel’s Raael since2004) has continued to develop itssystems to enable them to match theneeds imposed by today’s conlicts andthereby meet the requirements o someo its principal customers, includingthe German Bundeswehr. Numerousproducts have been devised to improvethe ighting perormance o soldiers inurban terrain. Some have already been

ired in anger in Aghanistan, whileothers are in inal development. In theormer category is the Bunkeraust,with a warhead developed by

Diehl Deence. Developed under aBundeswher requirement, it leveragesDynamit Nobel Deence experienceacquired with the Panzeraust 3, owhich it adopts the launcher (amongstother things). he warhead is howevertotally new, as it includes a penetratingcharge activated by a percussion uselocated on the stando rod that opensa path with a suicient diameter orthe ollow-through 47 mm grenadethat will explode inside the structure.According to company data the 110 mmleading charge can penetrate up to 250

mm o masonry, brickwork, limestoneor reinorced concrete, up to 300 mmo aerated concrete and up to one metreo sandbag walls. he ollow-on charge,or its part, detonates 1.2 to 2.7 metresbehind the wall thanks to a delayed use.Its detonation generates about 1,200ragments and 900 ball-type ragmentsare ejected and evenly distributed undera orce o over 80 Joules. Minimumoperational distance is a key actor inurban terrain, the Bunkeraust rangebeing comprised between 11 and 400metres. he range against stationary

targets can however be considerablyincreased when using the Dynarange,which is a 3.9kg ire control systemthat includes a laser rangeinder anda ballistic computer. his was usedin some occasions by Dutch troopsin Aghanistan to hit targets at rangeso nearly one kilometre. Among newcustomers or this system, Italy willsupply the new round to its inantryunits, particularly those deployed in

Dynamit Nobel Defence Bunkerfaust has been used with success by German troops inAfghanistan 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 grenadethat explodes inside the building. (Dynamit Nobel Defence)

Aghanistan as o late 2012 or early 2013.At 13.3 kg in its standard coniguration,however, the Bunkeraust had a weightproblem, which is the reason why

Dynamit Nobel Deence developed aspecialised version o its RGW 90 orurban warare, which oers the sameperormance, but at only 8.9 kilos. hisdisposable weapon has a range o 400metres. he specialised weapon is theRGW 90 AS (Anti Structure), whichalso eatures a two-stage warhead witha penetrator charge. It can open a paththrough a 0.8-metre thick mud wallor its ollow-through grenade. helatter has a time use than can be set intwo positions or short or long delaytriggering. In the irst one the ollow-

through grenade detonation takes placewithin the wall to generate a largehole o up to 0.8 metre in diameter.he eect behind the wall is howeverlimited. When a strong behind-walleect is needed the long delay modeis selected, the main dierence withthe Bunkeraust being that eects aremostly produced by blast rather thanby ragments. Known as DM22 in theBundeswehr, Germany acquired a totalo 1,000 such systems in two batches.he irst included 100 systems, owhich 10 were used or acceptance

tests. he remaining 90 have beendelivered and immediately deployedto Aghanistan in the irst hal o 2012.he second batch consisting o 900systems is currently under production.he launch customer or the RGW 90AS was the Israeli Deence Force, soonollowed by the British Army and nowby Germany.

o answer special orces demands or




longer range multirole weapons the RGW90 Dynahawk is being developed with a

new optronic sight and programmablewarhead. Tis new system has an effectiverange o 1,200 metres and is equippedwith the Zeiss Optronics Dynahawk firecontrol system. Much lighter than theprevious Dynarange at only 2.2 kilos, iteatures a x5.5 optical magnification, alaser rangefinder providing an accuracyo less than ± 1 metre at maximum range,a ballistic computer with environmentalsensors, an electronic crosshair thatmoves automatically and allows toengage both stationary and movingtargets, an electronic interace to the

weapon allowing to set the mode andto programme the use and a clip-onnight vision device. Initially aimed at thenew long range weapon, the Dynahawkwill also be made available to the othermembers o the RGW 90 amily. TeDynahawk development is completedand production should start in 2013.Te aim o having a multi-unctionalwarhead is to avoid the need o carryingdifferent types o effectors, thus the newwarhead has been optimised to engagefield positions, shelters, masonry, lightarmoured vehicles and specific rooms

in buildings. Tereore upon impact itgenerates a ragmentation and blast effector it acts as a HESH round, according tothe type o target engaged. Te RGW 90Dynahawk warhead can also be used inthe air burst mode, detonating over thetarget (the use delay is set accordingto target distance). Te explosivecharge is coated by tungsten steelragments, mostly located in the ront

o the warhead, generating a shower oragments. Besides the airburst mode,

our other modes can be set, two othem based on blast effect and two onHESH. Te blast is used in impact-longdelay mode against dugouts and bunkers,and in impact-short or long delay modeagainst rooms, according to the deptho the room and its distance romthe wall. Te warhead automaticallydetects the kind o target it is dealingwith: against walls and armour thewarhead works in the HESH mode while

against windows and wooden doorsthe warhead penetrates the target anddetonates in the blast mode. DynamitNobel Deence and Carl Zeiss Optronicshave developed prototypes that are nowbeing tested.

Production is expected to start in2014, with German KSK special orcesbeing the launch customer, ollowed byregular German units.

Developed to provide the longer range needed by special forces, the RGW90 1200 has a1,200- metre range and its fuse detects the type of target hit, switching automatically toimpact or delay mode. (Dynamit Nobel Defense)

The Anti Structure version of the RGW90features a warhead that works on the

same principle as that of the Bunkerfaustto ensure maximum lethality inside the

targeted room. (Dynamit Nobel Defense)

The long range accuracy of the new

RGW90 Dynahwak 1200 produced byDynamit Nobel Defence is also due to the

adoption of the Dynahawk fire controlsystem provided by Zeiss Optronics.

(Zeiss Optronics)




Although not speciically developedor urban operations, the two mostrecent developments unveiled by Raaelo Israel in the inantry missile ieldcan certainly ind applications in sucha scenario, when pinpoint accuracy isrequired. Because the Spike Medium/Long Range missiles are deinitely toocumbersome to be carried in a built-up area, and due to the act that theirrange deinitely exceeds any need insuch scenarios, the company launchedtwo new models with reduced rangeand weight that might well it into theweaponry used by orces engaged inurban scenarios. he irst developmentis known as Mini-Spike and eaturesmodes similar to those availablein its bigger brothers. Its guidancesystem includes a V and an uncooledinrared sensor; the latter or lock-on-

beore-launch engagements while theV sensor provides target imagery tothe operator via radio link, allowinghim to correct the trajectory shitonto another target, the Mini-Spikeneeding about ten seconds to reachits maximum range o 1,500 metres.Its warhead is o the Pressure-Blast-Fragmentation (PFB) type, optimisedor neutralising inantry troops in theopen and lightly armoured vehicles.he missile’s maximum angle o attackis pretty high, which is a useul eatureor urban area use. he Mini-Spike

comes in a sealed container. Overallweight is our kilos while the missile is70cm long and has a diameter o 75mm.he launcher also weighs our kilos, butthe new missile can also be used withthe standard Spike MR/LR launcher.his smaller, lighter and cheaperround option (Raael estimates its costat about hal that o the MR/LR type)can be useul to current Spike operatorswhen the tactical situation does notrequire the range and destructive powero a ull-size Spike. Unveiled in 2009at Eurosatory 2012, the new missile

should be ready or production in twoyears time.

he second missile maintains the

Spike brand name however it is o awholly dierent type, being a disposableire-and-orget weapon. Known asSpike-SR, or Short Range, the weaponis a true antitank system its shapedcharge warhead being designed ordeeating heavily protected vehicles. Itscalibre is bigger than that o the Mini-Spike, this wooden round weighingabout 9 kg its range being o roughly1,000 meters. he Spike-SR eatures

an IR uncooled seeker that locks onthe intended target and ensures thetracking once the operator has launchedthe missile. he Spike-SR cost shouldbe in line with that o the Mini-Spike.According to Raael dierent warheads,

such as ragmentation or anti-bunker,

might be developed at customers request,the company leveraging its research anddevelopment work carried out or its othersimilar weapon systems. Unveiled at theSingapore 2012 Air Show in February 2012and subsequently at Eurosatory, the Spike-

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

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

warfare. (Rafael) The two new products underdevelopment by Rafael, the MiniSpikeand the disposable Spike Short Range.An antibunker version might bedeveloped on a customer’s request. Afire-and-forget system, the Spike SRfeatures an uncooled seeker that locksonto the target providing missile after-launch guidance. It can be used fromenclosed spaces making it a weaponof 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 Rafaelsystem should be available in 2014.

(Rafael)

Although not an infantry item, the BCBInternational 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 aretypical booby-trap homes. he systemcan be reloaded and ired within 10to15 seconds. A vehicle-mounted

version has been provide d to somecustomers. Owing to the sensitivenature o the work o the end usersBCB does not unveil the identity o itscustomers, the company conirminghowever that the Wall Breaker hasbeen sold in the United States, EasternEurope and Asia. Although developedor homeland security purposes, theBCB system has been adopted bymilitary special orces units. hecompany is currently developing alighter version or maritime purposes,the development o which m ight havean impact in reducing the Wall Busterweight should some customer ask orsuch an improvement.

Indirect Fire Effectorshe pressure put on the military to

reduce collateral damages to a bareminimum has led manuacturers todevelop new indirect ire weapons.Units engaged in urban operationsoten need indirect ire support,which must be delivered with pinpointaccuracy and just suicient terminaleect to avoid injuring innocentpeople and riendly personnel.Conventional 155 mm artilleryremains 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 o explosive.BCB International in Britain developeda amily o non-explosive methods oentry normally reerred to as KineticImpact Systems (KIS).

At the top o the range is the WallBreaker, a cannon using compressedair to ire plastic water drums that canknock a large access hole in walls, gatesand doors. he projectiles are illed withwater or sand, and lack o explosivesmeans that collateral damage is reducedto a bare minimum. he system, whichis equipped with a recoil mitigationsystem, is operated by an air bottlethat provides the energy that shootsthe “ammunition” against the wall.Kinetic energy is the key destructor

here, with the projectile weighingsome 22 kilos. he compressed airgenerates a pressure o 70 kg/cm- thatpropels the ammo through the 800mm-long barrel, which has a 274 mmdiameter. he drawback o the systemis its weight – 160 kg – but according toBCB it allows to open holes in double-skin breeze block cavity walls thatare wide enough to enable soldiers topass through. o get through speciicelements such as metal doors, BCBdeveloped projectiles that are ittedwith a serrated blade at the ront. he

Wall Buster can be operated at stand-o distance, normally some tens o

General Dynamics Ordnanceand actical Systems, together withRaytheon Systems, has developed theM982 ER DPICM (Extended RangeDual Purpose Improved ConventionalMunitions), which is better knownas the Excalibur. A GPS/inertiallyguided device, it has, according tostatistics, landed 92 percent o the t imeless than metres rom the intendedtarget. Deployed since 2007 by theUS Army and the US Marine Corps,it is a relatively expensive systemand the above-mentioned precisionmight not be suicient under certaincircumstances. In these cases laser-guided rounds deinitely are a betteroption.

he 155 mm M-712, also known asthe Copperhead deployed by the US or

instance, and irst used in anger in 1991in Iraq, as well as the Russian 12 mmKitolov-2M and 152 mm Krasnopolall in this category.

Among the latest developments inthis ield is the Oto Melara Vulcanosubcalibre 155 mm ammunition,the laser version o which is beingdeveloped together with DiehlDeence. A subcalibre round, itcontains less explosive than o a ull-bore ammunition (155 mm roundscarry around 7 kg o explosive), which

helps reduce collateral damage. Laserguided mortars are also available, and

With its carbon fibre wings folded, the Textron BattleHawk is launched from atube and can loiter for 30 to 45 minutesat 500 ft above ground before hittingthe designated target with its 40 mmgrenade. The whole system weighs lessthan 4.5 kilos (Textron DS)




the US Army has ielded the 120 mm

smoothbore M395 Precision GuidedMortar Munition produced by AKand ired its irst shot in Aghanistan inMarch 2011. AK, General DynamicsOrdnance and actical Systems arealso developing a similar round or120 mm riled mortars.

A 120 mm mortar round has anaverage o 2.3 kg o explosive, whichurther reduces the risk o collateraldamage, but the mortar typicallyalso allows more vertical terminaltrajectories, which are oten needed

in urban terrain. However, to urtherreduce damage as well as to allow thewarighter on oot to deal with thethreat using its own indirect ire, anew breed o systems is appearing inthe orm o micro loitering munitionscarrying a small warhead as well as asimple optronic system.

In 2010 the US Air Force startedlooking or lethal mini-drones orits special operations units. herequirements or this so-calledLMAMS (Lethal Miniature Aerial

Munition System) called or a 1.4 kgsystem with a ground control stationo similar weight. Deployment timewas to be less than hal a minute witha 30-minute loitering endurance at100 metres above the ground. hemain role being attack, the irstmission was to acquire a target within20 seconds rom launch and hit itwithin one meter, the aim being tokill or incapacitate personnel in the

open or in a sot skinned vehicle

within two meters o the point oexplosion. Maximum speed was setbetween 70 and 85 knots. A shortlistwas issued in December 2010 askingthree companies to provide theirsystems or ield testing in April2011: these were AeroVironmentwith its “Switchblade”, IAech with it s

“Point and oss” and extron De enseSystems with its BattleHawk.

Ater testing the US militaryeventually chose the AeroVironmentoer. he Switchblade is an

electrically powered micro-drone witha 1.3-metre wingspan and a weight o1.36 kg, the whole system includinglauncher and transport bag reaching2.5 kg. It its into an Alice pack andcan be launched and operated by asingle man, who is equipped withthe same control unit as those usedor the other Aerovironment micro-drone like the Raven. he Switchbladecarries a warhead developed by AKand typically lies at less than 150metres above the ground, with aceiling o over 15,000 eet above sealevel that allows it to be operatedin the Aghan highlands. It has anendurance o 10 minutes and reachesa speed o between 55 and 85 knots.Launched rom a tube equippedwith a light bipod, which lookslike a light mortar, it provides the

operator with real-time colour video.GPS grids allows to continuouslymonitor its position while it loitersover the area o interest, and oncethe target has been conirmed theoperator sends the lock-on signalto the air vehicle that lies at highspeed against that spot. Small andquiet, the Switchblade is diicult tolocate while its small warhead allowscollateral damage to be reduced toa bare minimum. Additional AirForce contracts soon ollowed: inJune 2011 AeroVironment received

According to US Army sources by mid-October threeSwitchblade had been fired 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 unconventionalinflatable wings and carried two 40 mm grenades. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)




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a irst US$ 4.9 million contract orthe Switchblade agile munition romthe US Army Close Combat WeaponsSystems, ollowed by a US Force US$4.2 million extension contract. InMay 2012 a urther US Army US$ 5.1million was iled. Some Switchbladeswere tested by special orces unitsin Aghanistan in 2011, while over50 were deployed downrange by theArmy during Summer 2012.

IAech unveiled its Point and ossmicro-system in mid 2009, initiallyaimed at providing reconnaissanceand capability to the warighteron oot. he air vehicle is 356 mmlong, with a 910 mm wingspan anda standard weight o 750 grams,although it can carry an additional450-gram payload, namely a small

warhead. Propulsion is provided by abrushless DC electric motor activatinga pushing propeller, ed by two 2.3 AhLithium Ion batteries providing 30minutes o light time. Cruise speedis o about 26 knots, ceiling 5,000 tand range one kilometre. he bird is

equipped with autopilot, SmartIMUGPS/inertial suite, and embedded

vis ion system. he standard optronicsuite includes a camera or daylightoperations, an IR camera option beingavailable or night operations. Allaerial photographs are geo-reerencedand stored to a secure digital cardonboard the aircrat which can berecovered by deep stall skid landingwhen not used in attack mode. Handlaunched, setup takes two minutesto assemble the wings on the uselage,activate the heading vector lock, startthe motor and toss the aircraf in the air.

extron Deense Systems’BattleHawk perormed successullyin late May 2012 in New Mexicoduring the US Army’s RapidEquipping Force demonstration.

he system lown in that eventincorporated all the enhancementsintroduced by extron ollowingthe irst round o tests o thethen-called actical Remote AerialMunition, or -RAM, in 2011; thoseincluded improved manoeuvrability

in mountainous terrain, upgradeddual high-resolution digital camerasand moving target tracking duringterminal guidance manoeuvres.Powered by an electric motor and apusher propeller the Batt leHawk canly or over 30 minutes at a rangeo more than ive kilometres, has amaximum speed o around 100 knots.Its typical operational height is 500eet above the ground although it canly at altitudes o 10,000 eet above sealevel. he launcher tube is 560 mmlong and the system i n launcher hasa weight o 2,5 kg, and while the air

vehicle i s 457 mm long, its wingspanis still classiied. he payloadconsists o a 400mm ragmentationgrenade with a multimode sens or orheight-o-burst or point detonationor maximum eectiveness against

sot targets such as light vehicles andpersonnel, but no more details areavailable on the warhead.

According to Henry Finneral,extron Deense Systems VicePresident, Advanced Weapons &Sensors, the company’s answer to the

FUTURE AIR-DELIVERED WEAPONRY FOR URBAN WARFARE

Many air-delivered weapons are being used in an urban context, although almost none was purposely developed or that role. All o

them are guided, collateral damage reduction being one o the main constraints. However very ew o them can dive in a near-vertical path

or eature 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 o range, all-weather perormance, timeliness and attack path. Te Vigilus is made up o

three sub-systems, the “Armatus”, that is the interace between the carrier aircraf and the releasable sub-systems, the swing-wing “Caelus”

and the flip-out wing “Gladius” all seen here photographed by the author. Te ormer is a 100-kilo, 1.8 metre-long missile with a two-metre

span olding 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 o between 70 and 130 m/sec it is inherently stealthy and sae)

providing reconnaissance and target identification or about two hours (endurance is evaluated on the basis o a linear battery developmenttrend 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 eeds them into the Vigilus

actuator, the “Gladius”. Tis 800 mm long minimissile with a 440 mm wingspan weighs seven kilos including the one-kilo warhead, which

can either generate an explosively ormed projectile or act as a ragmentation device. Te Gladius is launched at a maximum altitude o

40,000 eet and at a speed o 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 o 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 o its flight, adding its

own kinetic energy or use against hardened targets.




XAVER SEES THROUGH WALLS

Unveiled in October 2011 atMilipol, the 1-D model o the Israelithrough-the-wall Xaver sensor amilyhas been completely revised and atEurosatory 2012 was shown in its newconfiguration, based on eedbacks othe users o the first version. Tis camein the orm o a 196 x 81 x 50 mm

rectangular case that included a smallcolour screen in the upper portion owhich the operator sees the presenceo a human being and its distance ormthe wall, while the central portionshow the symbol o a person that iseither static or on the move, a graphindicating i the person’s distancerom the system is changing, rangebeing given on an axis graduatedrom 0 to 8 metres. Tis man-machineinterace was considered not intuitiveenough, and the system had proveddifficult to be held against the wall.Camero-Tech designers wentback on to the drawing boards. Tenew system looks totally different,although it retains the same technicaleatures with the use o a micropower,ultra-wideband pulsed radar signals

working in the 3 to 10 GHz requencyrange that allows to detect a humanbeing behind concrete, plaster, brick,drywall or other types o obstacles atdistances o eight metres with a rangeresolution o less than 0.15 meterscovering a 120° field o view bothin azimuth and elevation. Te newdisplay shows in the top lef corneran icon that indicates the detection oan individual is in the room scannedby the system, the lower lef cornershowing battery status and the lower

orward-looking V camera and aside-looking camera. he warheadis obtained by coupling two 40mm ragmentation grenades withthe arming unit between them.Ater take-o the iger can circlearound the target, sending imagesrom its side-looking camera, andonce a target is decided upon, theoperator switches to the orwardcamera to reine aiming and divepoint. he control unit comes inthe orm o a l aptop equipped with

a crypto WiFi. Attach range is 3.2km while endurance hovers overthe 15-minute mark. he s ystem iscarried in a 0.4 metre long, 0.1 metrediameter and has an overall weighto 1.8 kg (the package containingthe wing inlation bottle). he igerwas not short listed or the LMAM Sprogramme, but is currently beingmarketed by MBDA although nourther developments were carried

LMAMS program me is a system that“delivers a unique blend o long stand-o, advanced ISR and precisioneects to empower the dismountedsoldier with critical protection andinterdiction capabilities” providingthe US Army with a system eaturing

“eectiv e perormance, aordability,simple operation, minimal trainingand immediate applicability towarighter needs”.

At the 2010 edition o the

Farnborough Air Show MBDAunveiled its propos al or the LMAMSprogramme. Known as the iger (oractical Grenade Extended R ange),it came in the orm o a hand-launched microdrone carryingtwo 40 mm grenades. Powered byan electric motor the iger has arectangular inlatable wing with a610 mm span, and a weight o 1.6 kg.he carbon ibre uselage houses a

out.Although Raael o Israel answered

to the latest US Army Requestor Inormation or LMAMS, thecompany does not have an actualproduct in itsel and is exploring a

variety o bus iness opportunities inthis ield, studying customers’ needsto igure out possible uture solutions.

hat last LMAMS Request orInormation was issued by theDepartment o the Army on August

15 2012 and shows the increasinginterest or such systems amongthe US military. his is urtherunderlined by the announcement thatthe Army is also looking to less-than-lethal warheads to be installed inLMAMS. According to Army iguresthis “LL” warhead should weigh lessthan 96 grams, should be smaller than30 x 30 x 54 mm and cost less than 500US$ apiece.

right signal strength. Te central parto the screen shows a path graduatedrom 0 to 20 metres at intervals o ourmetres that gives the perspective odistance, making it more intuitive; theicon o the individual is highlightedin yellow, an arrow showing i he/sheis moving towards or away rom thewall. Te 20-metre range indicated isreal, Camero having urther improvedits signal processing and sofware thatnow allows to accurately detect livingmovement up to that distance.

Te new version also has a handlethat is raised when the system is inuse, allowing the operator to carryout all operations with a single hand,the three command buttons beingeasily reachable with the thumb. Tis

caused a slight increase in dimensionsto 218 x 97 x 65 mm, while the weightgrew rom 550 to 630 grams with twoAA batteries (660 grams with ourA123 batteries), operating time beingrespectively 2 and 4 hours accordingto the batteries chosen. End o testingand qualification were finished in latesummer 2012, the new Xaver 100 beingavailable to customers beore the endo 2012. Camero-ech is also workingon adding a wireless capacity to its see-through-the-wall systems.




Desert warfareAmongst the key consumables used

by a military orce whatever its strength,water and ammunition are at the top othe list (probably joined by batteries now).Desert areas are by definition those where

water is a rarity, and this is true whateverthe location: a main base, a orward base,a combat outpost or a patrolled area.Adding to this the high temperaturesthat considerably increase the dailywater consumption o each individual, itis clear how much the water supply hasan impact on the logistic ootprint, as wellas on operational endurance. Te need totransport water to rontline troops’ basesas well as to elements deployed in the fieldgenerates considerable risks whether thisentails increasing the number o trucksin a convoy or increasing the number o

convoys.

Reducing that burden has thusbecome a priority, and the possibilityto obtain water rom the humiditypresent in the air has become a reality,numerous companies having developedsystems able to produce useul quantitieso water rom relatively compact plants.Some o those are specifically targetingthe military market.

16°C. Maintenance is kept to a minimum,the unit needing sterilisation and filterreplacement every six months whilethe UV bulb and the air filter are to bereplaced every year.

In April 2012 Water-Gen was awardeda British Ministry o Deence contract or

“Atmospheric Water Generation Deviceor an Operating Base CCD.”

A smaller system known as GEN-150G, capable o producing 150 litresper day, was thoroughly tested aroundOctober-November 2011 during theArmy Expeditionary Warare ExperimentSpiral G that took place at Fort Benning.Vehicle mounted, thus dubbed GEN-150V (or Vehicular) the system wasmounted on a Humvee known as theEssential Services Vehicle (ESV) that

besides generating and dispensing cooldrinking water also provided electricalpower or lighting, power outlets, andensuring cellular and tactical batterycharging. Te ESV supported the FOB24 hours a day or our days a week orthree weeks, while the soldiers lived inthe base. Water-Gen has already installedsmaller systems on combat vehicles.For instance, the GEN-30V capable odelivering between 20 and 40 litres perday with an energy consumption o 0.8to 1.0 kWh equips the Merkava tankso the Israeli Deence Forces, as well as

some US Army and US Marine Corps vehicles like the LAV and MRAP. InAugust 2012 the company launched itslatest vehicular product, the GEN-35V,whose output reaches 30 to 60 litres perday (35 litres at 25° C and 55% RH), tothe cost o a slight increase in energyconsumption, 0.9-1.2kWh, which showsthe improvements in efficiency obtainedin the last ew years.

In hot climate areas both

accommodation and vehicles are ofenequipped with air conditioning systems.

Tese naturally produce large amountso water, thus Water-Gen developeda water treatment unit control systemthat optimises an air conditioner’swater production without affectingits effectiveness, the water being thenpurified and mineralized.

Another company involved inwater generation rom atmospherichumidity or the military is Veragon

Having developed various modelso atmospheric water generation unitscapable o producing pure and resh water,Water-Gen o Israel is constantly aiming atimproving energy efficiency. Consumptionhas already been reduced rom 1.2 kW/l to

800 W/l then to 500 W/l and the currenttarget is 300 W/l. Water production canbe carried out even in arid environmentalconditions, obviously with variable results.Dimensioned to produce enough wateror a platoon-sized unit is the Water-GenGEN-250G. Tis produces between 200and 500 litres o pure, resh, and colddrinking water per day. At 25° C and 55percent relative humidity production is at290 litres per day, the average consumptiono a soldier being estimated at 10 litresper day. Te system includes a 120-litreintegral tank where water is continuously

circulated in order to keep it resh and sae.Ultraviolets are used to reduce the growthand development o bacteria, algae, and

viruses, while minerals are added or tasteand health. With a power consumptiono 5.8kWh, the GEN-250G is relativelycompact, at 1.54 metre length, 1.4 metrewidth and 1.0 m height. A dispensing unitis available to allow troops to get reshwater at a rate o two litres per minuteand at a temperature o between 12 and

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




Italia headquartered in Perugia, with asubsidiary based in New York City. Itsequipments generate both mineral anddistilled water, respectively or drinkingand or medical purposes. Currentlybeing offered to the military market is theV12 machine, developed or FOB-sizedcamps. Te V12 Magnum is availableas a water generation system or as awater generation plus water purificationsystem. Tis “all in one” solution also

processes rain water as well as waterspumped rom unverified water layers.Te V12 Magnum comes in two moduleso identical sizes (1.26 m high, 1.15 mwide and 2.11 m long) stacked one on topo the other. Te 450-kilo AtmosphericWater Generator is stacked over the350kilo mineralisation unit. Te filteredair goes through the generator wherewater is produced by condensation andthen accumulated in a 500-litre tank thatreceives ozone disinection cycles every45 minutes. At this stage the water caneither be used as distilled water, being

microbiologically purified, or sent throughthe mineralisation unit in which it is notonly mineralised but also urther sterilisedthrough a UV-based process and cooledat 8°C. Te mineralisation process variesaccording to customers needs. Overallpower consumption is 5.8 kWh andconsidering the production o around1,200 litres per day in optimal conditions(80 percent humidity and 28°C) the costper litre is evaluated at 3 eurocent. Te V12

Magnum can operate between 18 and 40°C

with a relative humidity o between 20 and100 percent. A small add-on purificationmodule can also treat 12,000 litres o rainor ground water per day. According todata provided by the company three oits V12 systems were deployed or ourmonths in an undisclosed north-Aricancountry where they provided six litres persoldier per day to a 600-soldier contingent,

In optimal conditions Veragon V12Magnum can produce around 1,200 litres water per day. Obtained by condensationand sterilized, the water produced locallyallows to considerably reduce the logistic

impact of water supply. (Veragon)

25armada Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment 6 2012

producing a total o 432,000 litres.Considering the acquisition cost o bottledwater this meant a nearly 100,000 Eurosaving, not to mention the logistic cost otransporting 572 pallets o bottled waterweighing 636 tonnes, compared to the 2.5tonnes o the three machines. Veragon iscurrently starting the development o a

vehicle-mounted unit capable o providingmost o the water needed by the crew.




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

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

AIR EXTRACTION

Roy BraybrookInputs rom Eric H. Biass

Otto Skorzeny’s 1943 ‘Unternehmen

Eiche’, the rescue o Italy’s ormer dic tatorBenito Mussolini rom detention on theGran Sasso massi, made use o rocket-retarded DFS 230C-1 assault gliders toinsert a combined orce o LutwaeFallschirmjaeger and Waen-SS troops,and subsequently a Fieseler Fi-156C-3/rop Storch stol aircrat or subjectextraction. Some later special missionshave eatured equally special aircrat,operating at much greater range.

Extracting Al Qaeda terrorist leader

Osama bin Laden rom his compound atAbbotabad in Pakistan in May 2011 (USSpecial Operations Command’s NeptuneSpear) is destined to become the classic air-launched mission. Although originating atBagram airfield near Kabul, the Aghanistancapital, the infiltrating Sikorsky MH-60so the US Army’s 160th Soar (SpecialOperations Aviation Regiment) were ableto reuel at Jalalabad, just 300 km rom theirobjective across the border.

Ater a ‘boots-on-soil’ time o only

38 minutes, a Boeing MH-47G lew binLaden’s corpse and intelligence materialback to Bagram. A US Marine CorpsBell Boeing MV-22B then perormedthe inal leg, to land vertically aboardthe USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), some1400 km away in the Arabian Sea.

he high speed, tilt-rotor MV-22Bwas one o several types o specialequipment used in Neptune Spear.




Another was the modiied MH-60, withreduced radar and inrared signaturesand a tail rotor redesigned to lessennoise output. he stealthy Lockheed

Martin RQ-170 Sentinel drone wasreportedly employed to provide targetimagery prior to the operation.

A recent book (SEAL argetGeronimo by Chuck Parrer) allegesthat it was originally planned to usethe highly classiied “Ghost Hawk”

This Sikorsky MH-60S, informally knownas Knighthawk, is operated by the USNavy’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 o MH-60 (also known as “Jedirides”), but that the risk o one allinginto unriendly hands led to the olderand less stealthy “Stealth Hawk” beingsubstituted.

Operation ThunderboltAnother long-range special mission

was Israel’s Operation hunderbolt,to rescue hostages rom an Air FranceAirbus A300 that was hijacked in 1976while carrying 248 passengers, includingover 100 Israelis. Members o the PFLP(Popular Front or the Liberation oPalestine) had taken control o AF139,while lying rom Athens to Paris. Itwas diverted to Benghazi in Libya, andthen to Entebbe in Uganda, over 3500km rom Israel.

At Entebbe, where non-Israeli

passengers were released, the terroristscame under the protection o dictatorField Marshal Idi Amin. he hijackersthreatened to kill the remaininghostages unless 53 prisoners (mainlyin Israeli jails) were released. Whatmade release o the hostages easiblewas that Kenya gave Israel access to its

airspace and reuelling acilities at JomoKenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.his was a courageous decision, whichlater led to reprisals by Uganda in whichKenyans were killed.

Another important actor was thatthe released hostages provided detailedintelligence on the number o terroristsinvolved and the situation inside theold control tower at Entebbe, where theremaining passengers were being held.

‘Operation hunderbolt’ involved ourIsraeli Deence Force Lockheed MartinC-130s, supported by two Boeing 707swith C&C and medical acilities. helead C-130 landed at Entebbe at night,and oloaded a Mercedes to simulatethe limousine o a VIP, escorted by LandRovers with the 29-man assault team.

In the subsequent attack on the airportterminal, all the hijackers, our hostages,45 Ugandan soldiers and the leader othe Israeli assault team lost their lives,but 102 hostages were saved.

he other three C-130s oloadedAPCs, which destroyed all the Ugandan




Air Force MiG-17/21s at the airport toprevent them ollowing the returningC-130s.

Herculeshe C-130, able to oload vehicles

without ground support acilities, wasthe star o the Israeli raid on Entebbe,and is now also employed by the specialorces o many other nations. he C-130entered service in 1957, and over 2400C-130s have already been delivered.

Replacing the Allison 56 turbopropseries with more powerul Rolls-RoyceAE2100s turning six-blade GE Aviation/Dowty R391 propellers, the C-130JSuper Hercules lew in 1996 and enteredservice in 1999. Production o theC-130J is currently running at over 30per month.

Many US Air Force HC/MC-130s aredecidedly old. he ACC (Air CombatCommand) HC-130N entered service in1965 and the HC-130P in 1966 (the HC-

130H ollowing in 1990). he Asoc (AirForce Special Operations Command)MC-130E entered service in 1963, andthe MC-130P in 1965 (the MC-130Hollowing in 1985 and the MC-130W in2006). he AC-130H Spectre gunshipentered service in 1969 (the AC-130USpooky ollowing in 1994.

he HC/MC-130 FleetRecapitalization Program will replace

all existing US Air Force HC-130s andMC-130s, and also provide airrames toreplace AC-130 gunships. Air MobilityCommand has standardised on theextended-uselage C-130J-30, but ACC’sHC-130J personnel recovery aircratand Asoc’s MC-130J special operations

variant (which also serves as the basisor the AC-130J) are both based on theshort-uselage US Marine Corps KC-130J Block 6.5 tanker.

Aside rom providing the abilityto operate rom airstrips o less than900 metres, only this short Hercules iscompatible with the hose-and-drogue

reuelling system needed to supporthelicopters such as the MH-60G.

he HC-130J and MC-130J arebasically the same aircrat. Like theKC-130J, the range o the HC/MC-130Jbeneits rom the use o two underwingtanks, and a removable 13,500-litre tank

that can be itted in the cabin. However,the HC/MC-130J diers rom the KC-130J in various respects, notably inhaving a receptacle in the upper uselageto accept reuelling rom a tanker boom,and a chin-mounted Raytheon AAS-52EO/IR sensor turret.

Key HC/MC-130J eatures include

ballistic protection, an enhancedservice lie (ELS) wing, an enhancedcargo handling system (ECHS) andthe ability to open the rear ramp andcargo door at airspeeds up to 465 km/

hr, compared to 335 km/hr or oldmodels. he light deck has a third crewstation or the combat systems operator,and a ourth station is planned or laterapplication. he HC/MC-130J hasINS/GPS navigation, NVG-compatiblelighting, dual ARC-231 satellite anddata-burst communications, radar andmissile warning receivers, and cha/lare dispensers.

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

a devastating firepower to the close

support mission, with a side-firing 40mm Bofors and a 105 mm howitzer, plus

a 25 mm Gatling gun in the case of theAC-130U. (AFSOC).

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







Combat King IIReplacing the ACC fleet o 34 HC-

130P/N Combat Kings, the HC-130JCombat King II will become the onlydedicated fixed-wing personnel recoveryaircraf in the US Air Force inventory. Itwill equip rescue units in ACC, AEC

(Air Education and raining Command),AFRC and ANG (Air National Guard).

Te US Air Force plans to acquire 37HC-130Js, o which eleven are alreadyunder contract. Te first had its maidenflight on 29 July 2010, and was deliveredto ACC at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizonaon 24 September 2011.

Te primary role o the HC-130J isto execute all-weather, night-time, low/medium level recovery operations intodenied territory, perorming aerial

reuelling o helicopters rom its outboard-mounted Sargent Fletcher pods, airdrops,and landings at austere airfields, whereit may be employed to perorm groundreuelling. It will also be employed inhumanitarian assistance operations.

Commando IITe MC-130J was originally named

Combat Shadow II, but this was changedto Commando II to reflect a wider rangeo duties. Te first flew on 22 April 2011and was delivered on 29 November.

Te MC-130J is equipped or low

level night-time operations to reuelspecial operations helicopters and tilt-rotor aircraf, insert and extract specialoperations orces, and resupply such orcesin politically sensitive or hostile territoriesby airdrop or landings. Te MC-130J canoffload 20,400 kg o uel at 370 km radius.Secondary missions include leafleting.

A batch o 37 MC-130Js (o which 20are already under contract) was initiallyplanned to replace Asoc’s ten MC-130ECombat alon Is (operated by AFRC) and27 active duty MC-130P Combat Shadows.

In May 2011 plans were announced ora urther batch o 48, to replace 20 MC-130H Combat alon IIs and twelve MC-130W Dragon Spears (now AC-130WStingers), and to provide 16 airrames thatwill undergo post-production conversioninto AC-130J gunships.

his plan will result in 85 MC-130Js(the currently stated requirement), thisnumber reducing to 69 as a result o

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,Asoc leadership is already talking o 57MC-130Js and 37 AC-130Js, implyingthat 12 more o the ‘existing’ MC-130Jswould be converted and nine additionalairrames procured to boost gunshipnumbers.

Herc Gunshipshe basic Asoc ixed-wing gunship

leet consists o eight active duty AC-130H (Pave) Spectres, which enteredservice in 1969, and 17 AFRC AC-130USpooky IIs, which were added rom 1994.

he AC-130H is armed with side-iring40 mm L/60 Boors gun and a 105 mmM102 howitzer, and the AC-130U adds a25 mm GDAP GAU-12/U Gatling gun(a ive-barrel version o the our-barrelGAU-22/A o the Lockheed MartinF-35). he AC-130U is currently beingupgraded with a new wing box and theLockheed Martin AAQ-39 GunshipMultispectral Sensor System.

Recent operations have highlightedthe need to reduce collateral damage.his has led to specia l ammunition being

developed or the 105 mm gun, using ahighly rangible lightweight plastic casecontaining a mixture o high explosiveand powdered high-density metal.

Pending availability o the AC-130J,the gunship leet is being augmentedby twelve AC-130W Stingers (ormerlynamed Dragon Spears), converted romMC-130Ws by L-3 Communications.he Precision Strike Package o the

AC-130W includes a chin-mountedsensor turret, a side-iring 30-mm AKBushmaster II GAU-23 Chain Gun iringPGU-46/B 30x173 HEI ammunitionrom a 500-round magazine, and wingmountings or our Lockheed MartinAGM-114P Hellire or 16 Dagr 70 mmlaser-guided rockets.

he AC-130W also has provisionson the rear loading ramp or a 10 roundGunslinger launch system or lightweightunpowered air-ground missiles such asthe MBDA GBU-44/B Viper Strike and

Raytheon Griin-A. It is also clearedto use the 130-kg Boeing GBU-39 SmallDiameter Bomb, although no urtherdetails are available.

he irst AC-130J is to ly in early2014. he initial batch o 16 will allowretirement o both the AC-130H andAC-130W. It is generally expected toollow the orm o the AC-130W, whichmight be regarded as a third-generationgunship.

he irst-generation Douglas AC-

47 Spooky, introduced in 1964, wasarmed with three 7.62 mm GE GAU-2Miniguns, and could provide a cone oprotective ire around a Vietnam villageor hours on end. he succeeding AC-130E/H/U turned the concept intoa lying battleship. he AC-130W/Jrepresents a change in direction, to acargo aircrat that can (when required)be used as an ISR platorm, with a ro-roacility or air-ground strikes with a 30




mm gun and/or small guided munitions,operating above the reach o lightweightSams.

Te successul employment o AC-130s clearly requires a relatively benignair deence environment. Reportssuggest that in a uture war with a near-peer adversary, the role o the gunshipin special operations would be takenover by the US Air Force’s stealthy NextGeneration Bomber or Long-RangeStrike-B.

Other special Hercules variants flownby the US Air Force include 14 activeduty EC-130H Compass Call and threeANG-operated EC-130J Commando Soloelectronic warare aircraf. Te EC-130His used primarily as a jamming platormin the suppression o enemy air deences,

and the EC-130J or psychologicalwarare, broadcasting on radio and Vrequencies. Four ANG-operated EC-130SJ ‘Super-J’ aircraf are dedicatedto the airdrop o personnel, cargo andleaflets. Te service is expected eventuallyto replace its EC-130Hs, which enteredservice in 1983, with EC-130Js

Harvest Hawk Following Asoc’s development o a

guided weapon capability on the AC-130W, Naval Air Systems Command(Navair) produced the Harvest Hawk(Hercules Airborne Weapons Kit) oruse on some o the 79 KC-130Js planned,to provide ire suppression (i necessary)rom altitudes above 17,000 t. All KC-130Js will eventually be wired to acceptthe kit, but at present only six kits areplanned.

Harvest Hawk is being developedin a series o stages, starting with theinstallation o the Lockheed MartinAAQ-30 arget Sight System on theport external tank, a Sierra Nevada firecontrol station, and an M299 rack on theport outer pylon or our Hellfire missiles.

Te first operational use o HarvestHawk occurred in Aghanistan inNovember 2010, when a Hellfire wasfired rom a KC-130J o Marine Aerial

The Cessna 208B Grand Caravan is an economical means to deploy personnel withoutattracting attention. A Hellfire-armed version has been developed for Iraq. Illustrated is the

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




Reueler ransport Squadron VMGR-352‘Raiders’, operating rom Kandahar.

Plans to add a side-firing 30 mmGAU-23 cannon in the port ront troopdoorway appear to have been deerred dueto installation problems, but a 10-round

launcher or Griffin-A has been developedor the rear cargo ramp.

However, this cargo ramp missileinstallation provides a slow reaction totargets o opportunity, since the cabin hasto be depressurised and the ramp loweredbeore a missile can be launched. Inaddition, the installation must be removedor cargo operations.

Navair has consequently developedthe “Derringer Door”, a modificationto the (port side) paratroop door that

allows two missiles to be fired and thesystem reloaded rom a storage rack o 10,without depressurising the cabin. Flighttesting began in late 2011. Te conceptis reportedly based on Asoc’s Gunslinger,details o which have not been released.

Recent weapon tests with HarvestHawk’s Derringer Door have includedthe new GBU-44/E version o ViperStrike, with upgraded sofware to provideimproved accuracy against moving targets.

It is believed that the US Air Force has

operated a single Shadow Harvest Herculesin Aghanistan as an ISR platorm, one oits sensors being tank-mounted, like thato Harvest Hawk. Arising out o HarvestHawk, Lockheed Martin has proposed theVigilant Watch kit, which would turn anyC-130E/H/J into an ISR platorm.

In its baseline orm, Vigilant Watchwould replace the standard portunderwing tank with a pod carrying a 51-cm EO/IR sensor ball and containing 3174kg o uel, and introduce a ro-ro operatorstation and additional communications

equipment. Optional modules couldtake the orm o synthetic apertureradar, underwing Hellfire mounts, andpressurised cabin installations or a 30mm cannon and lightweight air-groundmissiles.

Lighter GunshipsTe development o lightweight air-

ground missiles allows much smaller

aircraf than the C-130 to become useulgunships. It may be noted that in 2008 aretired US Air Force Alenia C-27A Spartan(G.222) was moved to Eglin AFB, Floridaor ground tests with various 30 and 40mm gun installations, to pave the way oran AC-27J. Asoc planned to start undinga total o 16 AC-27Js in FY2011, but the

“restructuring” o the US Army/Air ForceC-27J Joint Cargo Aircraf programme in2009 orced this plan to be abandoned inavour o developing the AC-130J.

Te Italian Air Force had no requirementor a dedicated gunship, although itreportedly had a “Pretorian” paper studyor a multi-role version o the C-27J, withro-ro modules to provide ISR, intelligence-gathering, C&C and other capabilities.

It was consequently lef to

AleniaAermacchi to team with AK andstart developing a baseline multi-missionMC-27J with a palletised, trainable 30mm GAU-23 Bushmaster cannon. Tisinstallation was exhibited in an Italian AirForce C-27J at Farnborough in July. Teteam plans to add provisions or Hellfiresand 70 mm rocket pods at a later stage.

However, Italy’s recently releasedDeence Ministry budget or 2012 reersto the launch o development o “onboardsystems to equip the MC-27J destinedto support Special Forces”. Coming at a

time o deence cuts, this announcement

The first three production A400Ms are in their final stages of preparation in their Sevilleassembly 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 ogovernment support in the longer term.

In early 2011 AK announced theaward o a contract by the King Abdullah IIDesign & Development Bureau (KADBB)to modiy two Royal Jordanian Air Force

Airbus Military CN-235s to armed specialmissions aircraf. Te modificationsreportedly include the installation o a side-firing 30 mm M230LF chain gun, an EOtargeting system with laser designator, theAK AAR-47 missile warning system, andBAE Systems ALE-47 chaff/flare dispensers.

AK is prime contractor or this “LightGunship”. Illustrations show two sponson-mounted pylons, each with our Hellfiremissiles and a 70 mm rocket pod. Teaircraf are being modified at AK’s acilityin Fort Worth, exas, and deliveries to

Jordan are due in August/September 2013.

Airbus Military has since stated thatit is in discussion with AK and othercontractors over both permanent and ro-roarmament and sensor fits or the CN-235and C-295.

Lightweight missiles such as Hellfireallow carriage on even smaller aircrat,such as the Cessna C208B (U-27A). AKhas been contracted to supply elevenC208Bs to the Iraqi Air Force, includingthree armed AC-208B Combat Caravans

with Hellires and an EO targeting




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

Illustrated is one of eight employed by the Dominican Republic for duties that include theinterdiction of narcotics flights. (Embraer).

system with laser designator. heLebanese Air Force has three AC-208Bswith Wescam MX-15Di sensor turretsand Hellire provisions.

A400M AtlasIt might be too early to anticipate the

exact roles that the new European aircratwill play in the uture in terms o specialwarare, since the irst productionaircrat still need to be delivered andput through their paces by their irstmilitary owners beore they can actuallybe declared ully operational. Much hasbeen said above about the Hercules, andthere is little doubt that the ar morecapable Atlas will be able to easily takeover some o its roles, particularly interms o deployability, since it is not onlyair-reuellable, but it also lies at near jet speeds (780km/h cruise), and lands

and takes o on unprepared short ieldsas besets a true turboprop transportaircrat. With such eathers in its cap,together with hety capabilities in termso cargo volumes and weight – andparticularly with the growing politicalinstability o certain areas o the world

– there is every reason to expect that theA400M will be sent out to battle muchearlier than the pulling out o Europeanorces rom Aghanistan could haveled one to believe. At its maximumtake-o weight, the aircrat has anunreuelled range o 3, 290km. Its our-

metre wide and 17-metre long hold canaccommodate 116 ully equipped troops,or an NH90 helicopter, or two igers,and is wide enough to carry a Piranha8x8 with all its “birdcage” anti-RPGparaphernalia.

Light Attackhe insurgents’ lack o shoulder-

launched Sams in Iraq and Aghanistanhas encouraged consideration oturboprop aircrat or the light attackrole, although there are growingears that such missiles will reach the

black market rom “liberated” stocksin Libya and Syria. Such ears mayhave inluenced the US Air Forcedecision to omit rom its FY2013budget request its Light Attack ArmedReconnaissance (Laar) programme, toield 15 turboprops to train pilots oriendly nations. However, in its placeappeared the Light Air Support (Las)programme to acquire 20 o-the-shelaircrat or the Aghan National Army

Air Force, with an option on 50 more or

Aghanistan and other countries.

On 22nd December 2011 the US AirForce, having ruled out as “technicallyunacceptable” the Lockheed Martin/Hawker Beechcrat (HBC) A-6,awarded the 15 aircrat, $ 355 million

Las contract to prime Sierra Nevada

(SNC), sponsoring the Embraer A-29Super ucano. he irst ‘Super ’ wasto be delivered to Aghanistan in April2013.

However, ollowing HBC protestsand the service’s admission o botched

3armada Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment 6 2012




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

documentation, a stop-work order wasissued in the ollowing month. A newrequest or proposals was issued on 4thMay 2012 or response by 4th June. Adecision is due early in calendar 2013,leading to irst delivery in the thirdquarter o 2014.

he ‘Super-’ was designed romthe outset or the light attack role,standard it including cockpit armour,sel-sealing tanks, and two 12.7 mmFN Herstal machine guns in the wings.In the SNC-led Las bid, it is now alsosupported by Boeing, which eels thatthe US Air Force adopting the A-6would eliminate the F/A-18E/F romBrazil’s long-running ighter contest.

he HBC A-6 has the advantage obeing seen as the “domestic” contender,although royalties would be due to

Switzerland’s Pilatus or the PC-9 designrom which it was derived, and despitethe Super- being built (i selected) inthe US. In addition, the A-6 is basedon the -6A/B basic trainer used bythe US Air Force and Navy, and is thusamiliar to Las evaluation pilots. Indeveloping the dual-role A-6, it hasbeen given the same P6A-68D engineas the Super , an EO/IR sensor turret,150 kg o extra uel 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 fromrough dirt strips. The first of ten reportedly ordered by Abu Dhabi was delivered in early

2011. (Air Tractor).

variety o weapons options.

A very dierent light attackturboprop is the Air ractor A-802U, aderivative o the widely-used cropduster.A batch o 10 has been ordered by AbuDhabi. he A-802U oers outstanding(ten-hour) endurance and dirt strip

capability, but its lack o pressurisation

and unsuitability or pilot training limitits prospects.

ISR Utilitieshe last decade has witnessed a

massive escalation in drone use, butit has also brought realisation o theproblems that drones involve, in termso deployment, download bandwidthdemands and supporting manpower.One result has been a uller appreciationo the merits o manned utility aircrat,which can not only move cargo andpersonnel discreetly, but also serve assensor platorms with onboard operatorsto selectively record signiicant imagery.

he leading single-engine examplesare the Cessna C208B (U-27A), PaciicAerospace PAC-750 and Pilatus PC-12NG (U-28A). Asoc U-28As arereportedly based at Entebbe in Ugandaand Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso tomonitor terrorist activities across aswathe o Arican countries.

Northrop Grumman has teamed withQuest Aircrat in developing an ISR

version o the latter’s 10-seat Kodiakunder the name Air Claw, which isexpected to sell or hal the price otwin-engine utilities.

he most proliic o the twins is theBeechcrat King Air series, exempliied

by the US Army RC-12X Guardrail




and US Air Force MC-12W Liberty. Saudi Arabia has

recently requested ISR suites or our o its existing KingAir 350ER aircrat. he equipment will be provided by L-3Communications, which is ly ing its own Spydr demonstrator,based on the King Air 350, with a modular system that allowscross-cueing between sensors.

Italy’s Piaggio Aero Industries is developing an increased-range special missions version o its P180 Avanti II, withextensions to the aerooil suraces and uel tanks in the rearo the cabin. Integration o the ISR system will be perormedeither by Saab or Selex Galileo.

Rotary Wing Most rotary-wing aircrat used in US special operations

are conceptually aged. he exception is the Bell Boeing V-22Osprey, which is in service with Asoc (CV-22B) and USMarine Corps (MV-22B). he 50th and inal CV-22B willbe purchased in FY14 or delivery in FY16. he US MarineCorps is receiving 360 M Lockheed Martin MV-22Bs, and aurther 48 are planned or the US Navy.

he US Army’s Special Operations Aviation Command(Arsoac) is to transition by FY15 to a leet o 69 Boeing MH-

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

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

The Kamov Ka-52 Alligator two-seat attack helicopter will beused by Russian Army Aviation to support special operations.

The marinised Ka-52K has been selected by Russian NavalAviation to serve on the nation’s new Mistral-class amphibiousassault ships. (Russian Helicopters).




ON THE COVER: The SRM series marketed byGibraltar-Arms are not only relatively newcomers in thfield of shotguns, but also innovative in a number ofaspects, to make them easier to manipulate and handin critical situations. (Gibraltar Arms)

Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment 2013Supplement to armada Issue 6/2012 Volume 36, Issue No. 6, December 2012/ January 20

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47Gs, 72 Sikorsky MH-60Ms and 51Boeing MH-6Ms. Illustrating currentmodernisation eorts, the MH-60Mintroduces uprated GE 706 engines,a Raytheon Silent Knight LPI terrain-ollowing radar and a Rockwell C ollinsglass cockpit. he US Army’s MH-6armed reconnaissance helicopter is notto be modernised.

he US Navy’s principal specialoperations support helicopter is theSikorsky HH-60H. Plans call or it tobe replaced in the 2020s, using a urther

development o the MH-60S untilthe MH-XX or some option rom theArmy-led joint FVL (Future VerticalLit) eort becomes available in the2030s. Reports indicate that the FVLprojects will be required to cruise at 315km/hr, but that the special operationscommunity is looking or 370 km/hr.

he US Air Force’s ageing leet o98 Sikorsky HH-60G Csar aircrat isbeing supplemented as a stop-gap by25 “operational loss replacement” UH-60Ms, but the service still hopes to

procure at least 112 (out o a perceivedneed or 148) replacements under itsCombat Rescue Helicopter (CRH)programme, with a planned initialoperational capability in 2018.

urning to Europe, several countriesare acquiring helicopters or specialoperations and Csar, led by the FrenchAir Force and Army, with a combinedtotal o 20 Eurocopter EC715 Caracals.Export orders or the EC725 include 50or Brazil, 12 or Malaysia and at leastsix or Mexico.

Some twelve AgustaWestlandAW101s have been ordered or Csarduties with the Italian Air Force, andsome British Royal Air Force MerlinHC3/3As are scheduled to becomepart o the Royal Navy’s CommandoHelicopter Force. Sweden has purchased15 UH-60Ms or the Csar mission.Germany has postponed its purchaseo eight Csar aircrat, a programmeexpected to be competed by the AW101,Boeing HH-47, NHIndustries NH90and 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)

I INDEX TO ADVERTISERS

ADVENTURE LIGHTS 33

BERETTA 29

CERADYNE 31

COLT 11

ELBIT SYSTEMS 3

FISCHER 35

GDC4S 21

INVISIO 15

L3 COMUNICATIONS C3

LEUPOLD 25

PHOTONIS 5

SCHUTT 27

TEXTRON C4

THALES 9

TRIJICON 13

ULTRALIFE C2




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Armada - Compendium by Armada Vol.36 Iss.6 - Urban Warfare & Air Ops Equipment