45
e infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains e Cover A New Competitor in the Stealth Arena [ A Specialized Monthly Journal On Military & Strategic Affairs ] 40 th Year | Issue No. 481 | February 2012 English Cover 481.indd 1 1/30/12 5:43 PM

The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

  • Upload
    others

  • View
    5

  • Download
    0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

The infantry fighting vehicle

A CounterminingSystem with

Assured Safety

Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains

The Cover

A New Competitorin the Stealth

Arena

[ A Specialized Monthly Journal On Military & Strategic Affairs ] 40th Year | Issue No. 481 | February 2012

English Cover 481.indd 1 1/30/12 5:43 PM

Page 2: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

english add.indd 1 1/30/12 3:27 PM

Page 3: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

3| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

“Mother of the Nation”

By:Staff Major\ Yousef Juma AL HadadEditor in Chief

Editorial

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and the Ruler of Dubai (May God protect him), has offered, as usual, a new lesson to learn, a significant meaningful gesture and a great initiative that reflected mothers’ high position in His Highness’s heart when he awarded the Mohammed bin Rashid scarf to Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Un-ion (GWU), and of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), -popularly referred to as the “Mother of the Nation”- in recognition of her pioneering role in advancement and empowerment of the women in the UAE, her in-terest to open the door wide open for them to avail all opportunities and Her Highness’s relentless efforts to strengthen charity and deepen time-hon-ored social customs and traditions.

This honor is an honor to all residents of the UAE, considering Her High-ness’s varied, creative contribution to family and community-related and cultural issues which was met with world recognition at regional, Arab and international levels – a contribution aimed to raise the standard of Emarati women and to push them ahead toward positive contribution and more achievements in the UAE’s massive development plans. Her Highness also deserves this honor for her gratifying dedication and continuous efforts in support of women’s causes, child care, and attention to the handicapped, the elderly and orphans.

To honor Her Highness is to honor all UAE women, bearing in mind the fact that she went hand in hand with the unity-oriented thinking of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan (May God bless his soul) forming the General Women’s Union (GWU) in 1975 to include all feminist societies/as-sociations nationwide. From the outset, Her Highness has evolved an elabo-rate, clear-cut strategy for eradicating illiteracy, driven by a firm belief that education was a tool to transform the Emarati women into active members of the community. She ordered all obstacles in women education removed, thus opening the doors for them to serve in all fields, civil and military, indoors and outdoors.

The “Mother of the Nation” Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), and of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), deserves, by all accounts, this honor in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the master development plan. She is a true incarnation of motherhood and women leadership and a true model for all mothers whom she has encouraged to move forward •

English INRO.indd 3 1/30/12 7:58 AM

Page 4: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

4

30<

General SupervisorChairman of the Administrative Council

General \ Matar Salem Ali AL Dhaheri

Deputy - Chairman of the Administrative Council

Brigadier \ Hassan Abdel Wahab Al Hamadi

Editor in Chief

Staff Major \ Yousef Juma AL Hadad

Editorial Manager

Major \ Jassim Shaheen Al Bloushi

Art Director

Captain\ Mohamed Jumaan Ba Matref

Editorial Consultant

Mohamed Almusharaf Khalifa

Sub-Editors

Mariam Al Romaithi

Jameela Al Kaabi

Editorial Board

Hanan Aldahab Al Junaibi

Amal Salem Al Hosani

Nazli Nasser Al Bloushi

Ahmed Juma Al Kaabi

Layout & Design

Moza Al Ali

Suad Al neaimi

Aala Al Zaabi

Translation

Mohamed Sulaiman

Language Rectification

Awad Abdelraouf

Eisa Al Darmaki

Photos Archive

Fatima Al Naqbi

Advertisement & Distribution

1\Lt Khalil Mohammed Al Kaabi

Sakha Pramod

26<

Mohamed Bin Zayed Opens World Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi

‘We have com-mitment to Middle East’: Chief of the Aus-tralian Defence Forces

Solar Energy Gains

Tel: +971 (2) 4415999 FAX: +971 (2) 4415413 P.O.Box: 3231 Abu Dhabi

Marketing Fax :+971 (2) 4414888 E-Mail (Advertising):[email protected]

E-Mail (Edit):[email protected] www.nationshield.ae

A Specialized Monthly Journal on Military and Strategic Affairs

Issued By UAE Armed Forces.Established In August 1971.

06<

4 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Der3 alwaten index eng.indd 4 1/30/12 4:49 PM

Page 5: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

5

The infantry fighting vehicle

A CounterminingSystem with

Assured Safety

Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains

The Cover

A New Competitorin the Stealth

Arena

[ A Specialized Monthly Journal On Military & Strategic Affairs ] 40th | Issue No. 481 | February 2012

English Cover 481.indd 1 1/30/12 3:02 PM

COVER

481

42

42<

40 < Advertisements

34<

The PUMA infantry fighting vehicle

sets new international standards in

technology and design.

SOUVIM 2Countermining System

PAK FA - A New Competitor in the Stealth Arena

PUMAThe infantry fighting vehicle

Northrop Grumman IBCDefence Logistics 9Sofex 19Eurosatory 21Tetra World Congress 2012 23MP3 39

The views expressed in Nation Shield Journal are not necessarily shared by, nor should they be taken as the views of Nation Shield Journal.The publication of advertisements does not in any way imply endorsement by the Nation Shield Journal.All rights reserved.

5| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

Der3 alwaten index eng.indd 5 1/30/12 4:49 PM

Page 6: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

HH Gen. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Opens World Energy Summit in Abu DhabiUN Secretary General: Abu Dhabi is becoming renowned as a hub for progress

His Highness Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Com-mander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates has affirmed that the UAE, led by President HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, - God protect him -, is committed to retain-ing its leading role as a global energy provider through energy diversification including the adoption of renewable en-ergy technologies.

Inaugurating the fifth annual World Future Energy Summit (WFES) at Abu Dhabi recently, he stressed the impor-tance of the open discussions at the Summit - and their role in shaping the policies that foster cooperation in inter-national communities to ensure energy security, sustainable development and

to help mitigate climate change. He said improving the quality of life was one of the topmost goals of the UAE.

“Energy is a vital vein that nurtures all aspects of modern day civilization. In addressing the several challenges facing the world today, it is our responsibility to guarantee energy security, to exert every effort in developing clean technol-ogies and to take advantage of the vari-ous renewable natural sources of energy to achieve sustainable development,”he told the Summit held from January 16 to 19.

“Over five years ago, we began our work in building capacity in the renew-able energy sector. Today, we realize that this approach has gained increas-ing regional and global attention. We are continuously hearing of new solar

or other renewable energy projects be-ing launched. This is exactly what is re-quired – a collaborative effort and the multiplying of efforts to achieve energy security. We are staying the course in our objective and we are working in parallel streams towards developing lo-cal and international projects – and as such transferring knowledge and build-ing bridges with the international com-munity, ” He added.

Gen. Sheikh Mohamed commended Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, for hosting the World Future Energy Summit and for its role in en-hancing the image of the UAE in the international arena – specifically in the renewable energy and sustainable devel-opment sectors. Greeting the guests of the Summit including presidents, min-

[ Mohamed bin Zayed inaugurated the World Future Energy Summit 2012]

6 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Events

moha.indd 6 1/30/12 10:51 AM

Page 7: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

HH Gen. Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Opens World Energy Summit in Abu DhabiUN Secretary General: Abu Dhabi is becoming renowned as a hub for progress

isters, dignitaries, academics and entre-preneurs, he said the UAE had firm faith in the power of collaborative efforts in tackling global challenges.

The opening ceremony of the Sum-mit hosted by, Masdar was attended by Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland, Madam Atifete Jahjaga, Presi-dent of Republic of Kosovo, Wen Jiabao, Premier of People’s Republic of China, Kim Hwang-sik, the South Korean Prime Minister, Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations, Walde-mar Pawlak, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland and Nassir Abdul Aziz Al-Nas-sir, President of the 66th General As-sembly of the UN.

Among others present at the ceremo-ny were Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Moham-med Al Nahyan, Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region, Sheikh Sorour Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Lt. Gen-eral Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs,

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahy-an, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Public Works and Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority.

The ceremony commenced with the UAE’s National Anthem and a short video that highlighted the importance of innovation in finding cutting edge renewable energy solutions. Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar deliv-ered a welcome note that was followed by an address by the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, South Korean Prime Min-ister Kim Hwang-sik and the President of the 66th UN General Assembly, Nas-sir Abdul Aziz Al-Nassir followed by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, who launched the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All.

The second half of the opening cer-emony featured Bertrand Piccard, CEO of Solar Impulse, who designed a solar plane that achieved 26 hours of continu-

ous flying charged only by solar energy. Sharing his success story, Piccard re-called how HH Gen. Sheikh Moham-med Bin Zayed Al Nahyan encouraged him when he met him at one of the in-novation festivals. Piccard called upon the stakeholders to revolutionize con-ventional thinking, change the current production techniques, agree on a legal framework for production and work in an innovative manner to promote the use of clean technologies. Finally, a group of students, including Mariam Al Mazrouei, Abdul Rahman Al Mazrouei from the UAE and Aidan Dwyer, from the US, shared a glimpse of their inno-vations in the renewable energy and ex-plained how they invented a solar pow-ered suitcase for charging objects while travelling.

The Chinese Premier HE Wen Jiabao congratulated HH Gen Sheikh Moham-med Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the suc-cess of the Summit and commended the high-level participation that included politicians and industry experts. He

7| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

moha.indd 7 1/30/12 10:51 AM

Page 8: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

stressed the importance of working to develop future energy and achieving sus-tainable development to push forward the economic momentum. Lauding Masdar’s initiatives in renewable energy, he spoke of the evolution of the energy sector and its effects on the economy. He said developing renewable energy would fuel higher economic growth. Address-ing the Summit, the South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik noted that the UAE had achieved tremendous growth and prosperity under its leadership. “For the fifth consecutive year, WFES suc-ceeded in strengthening its position as a strategic platform for dialogue. We welcome sharing our experience in Ko-rea with our Green Growth strategy,” he added, highlighting the opening of the Global Green Growth Institute in Abu Dhabi, which is expected to play a ma-jor role in the Middle East and North Africa.

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik stressed his country’s will-ingness to cooperate with the UAE in promoting renewable energy solutions and contributing to the mitigation of climate change. He also shared South Korea’s target to become the world’s fifth largest country to adopt green and clean technologies by the year 2030.

The President of the 66th UN Assem-

bly, Nassir Abdul Aziz Al-Nasser he said the hosting of the Summit by the UAE was a reflection of its commitment to principles of sustainable development, and a clear indication of its commit-ment to the renewable energy and to the preservation and protection of the environment. This year’s WFES open-ing ceremony served as a platform for the launch of the UN Secretary General’s Year of Sustainability for All.

In his keynote address, the UN Sec-retary General Ban Ki-moon said: “I thank Masdar and the Government of Abu Dhabi for organizing this important summit and hosting the launch of the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All. Energy is central to everything we do – from powering our economies to achieving the Millennium Develop-ment Goals… from combating climate change to underpinning global security.”

He said the energy demand was grow-ing the fastest in the developing world and private sector partnerships were needed to meet that demand.

In his keynote speech, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar said the summit signified the success of the UAE’s vision under its wise leadership. He said that over the past 40 years, the UAE had managed to position itself as a primary provider of energy through the

oil and gas sector. The UAE had utilized its expertise in the field to develop new forms of energy. “Most importantly, we must create projects to demonstrate that renewable energy made strategic and commercial sense.”

He also highlighted the need to diver-sify the energy mix by investing in clean energy solutions to ensure sustainable development. He pointed out that the wind power capacity had increased by more than a factor of 10 to over 200 GW, solar PV installed capacity had grown by a factor of almost 30 to 35 GW. Globally, costs had significantly declined while technologies improved. Moreover, clean energy had grown from a one billion dollar industry to a 211 billion dollar market annually.

Two consecutive panels of ministers from across the world discussed a wide range of themes on the opening day of the Summit.

More than 26,000 delegates took part in this year’s Summit which discussed renewable and future energy solutions, innovations and investments as well as opportunities in wind energy, role of gas in future energy mix, energy and rural development and energy efficiency for carbon reduction •

8 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Events

moha.indd 8 1/30/12 10:51 AM

Page 9: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

moha.indd 9 1/30/12 10:51 AM

Page 10: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Boeing Marks Delivery of 1st C-130 AMP Aircraft Modified by Warner Robins Air Logistics Center

Boeing and Warner Robins Air Logis-tics Center on Jan. 3 marked delivery of

the first C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) aircraft modified by

Warner Robins. The aircraft is the fourth to be delivered to Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark.; the first three were modified by Boeing.

The C-130 AMP cockpit upgrade simplifies and standardizes the multiple C-130 configurations operated by the U.S. Air Force.

“This is the first of the U.S. Air Force C-130 AMP aircraft we will deliver to the warfighter, and we are proud of the prod-uct,” said John Adams, Chief, Tactical Airlift Division, Robins Air Force Base.

The aircraft is one of five that will par-ticipate in Initial Operational Testing and Evaluation (IOT&E) at Little Rock Air Force Base beginning later this month.

A-29 Super Tucano Wins Defense Contract in US

The U.S. Air Force announced that it has selected the A-29 Super Tucano, produced by Embraer Defense and Se-

curity, for the Light Air Support (LAS) program. The aircraft will be supplied in partnership with Sierra Nevada Cor-poration (SNC) as the prime contractor, and will be used to conduct advanced flight training, aerial reconnaissance and light air support operations.

“This opportunity to serve the US Gov-ernment with the best product for the LAS mission, under the leadership of the Sierra Nevada Corporation as the prime contractor, honors us,” said Luiz Carlos

Aguiar, CEO of Embraer Defense and Security. “We are committed to pursuing our U.S. investment strategy and to deliv-ering the A-29 Super Tucano on schedule and within the budget.

As specified by the Air Force, this is a firm-fixed price delivery order contract in the amount of $355 million for the Light Air Support (LAS) aircraft and associated support.

General Dynamics’ Certified to Support Government’s New ‘Leave-be-hind’ StrategiesGeneral Dynamics C4 Systems’ TACLANE®-C100 encryptor has been certified by the National Security Agen-cy (NSA) as a Suite B device to secure network communications at the Secret level and below. The certification makes the C100 a non-Controlled Crypto-

graphic Item (CCI), enabling users to operate the encryptor in environments where there is a high risk of equipment loss. General Dynamics C4 Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics.

“Equipment certified as CCI has very specific handling and logistics require-

ments that can be time-consuming and costly to follow. As a non-CCI encryptor, TACLANE-C100 users can focus on the mission rather than equipment handling and accounting procedures,” said Mike Guzelian, VP of Secure Voice and Data Products for General Dynamics C4 Systems.

10 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

News

com news English.indd 10 1/30/12 9:27 AM

Page 11: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

The U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Man-agement Command has awarded Gener-al Dynamics Land Systems $60 million under an existing contract to continue upgrading M1A1 tanks to the M1A2

Systems Enhancement Package (SEP) V2 configuration. General Dynamics Land Systems is a business unit of Gen-eral Dynamics.

The most technologically advanced

digital tank, the M1A2 SEP V2 includes improved color displays, day and night thermal sights, commander remote op-erated weapon station (CROWS II), a Thermal Management System (TMS) and a tank-infantry phone. The M1A2 SEP V2 maximizes the fighting ability of the tank on today’s battlefield while preparing the platform for tomorrow’s challenges.

The original order was made under a multi-year contract awarded in Febru-ary 2008, which authorized the upgrade of 435 M1A1 tanks that have been in the Army’s inventory for more than 20 years. General Dynamics is continuing the conversion of the tanks in the Ar-my’s active component to the M1A2 SEP V2 configuration.

Work is expected to be completed by June of 2013 and will be performed by existing employees in Anniston, Ala.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Sterling Heights, Mich.; Lima, Ohio; and Scranton, Pa.

Eurocopter’s EC175 exceeds its ambitious operational targets and offers 30 percent increased performance

The next-generation Eurocopter EC175 will incorporate significantly increased range and payload capacity when it en-ters service at the end of this year, and will be the first seven metric ton-catego-

ry helicopter delivered with such capa-bilities.

In releasing EC175 enhanced perfor-mance specifications today, Eurocopter announced a baseline payload/radius-

of-action capacity with 16 passengers at 135 nautical miles when configured for offshore oil and gas missions, out-performing any medium-lift helicopter on the market in terms of competitive-ness. This represents a 30 percent per-formance increase compared with the initial performance baseline. For longer-range missions, EC175 can transport 12 passengers to a radius of action of 190 nautical miles.

In addition, Eurocopter has launched the development of a 18 passengers configuration option, aiming at carrying those 18 passengers to a radius-of-action of 100 nautical miles.

General Dynamics Awarded USD 60M for Abrams Tank Upgrades

11| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

com news English.indd 11 1/30/12 9:27 AM

Page 12: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Boeing Awarded US Army Contract for 14 Additional CH-47F Chi-nook HelicoptersThe Boeing Company has received a U.S. Army contract valued at approxi-mately $370 million for 14 CH-47F Chinook helicopters to support Foreign Military Sales efforts. The aircraft will be delivered to the U.S. Army beginning in 2014.

“This new aircraft sale brings our Chi-nook backlog to more than 200 aircraft for both domestic and international cus-tomers worldwide,” said Leanne Caret, H-47 Programs vice president. “Boeing’s recent $130 million investment to create a world-class Chinook manufacturing facil-ity near Philadelphia means we are well positioned to respond to this demand.”

“This sale is indicative of the tremen-

dous interest from customers around the world who need best-in-class, multirole heavy-lift capabilities for military and hu-manitarian missions,” Caret added.

The H-47 program is at the midpoint of executing a multiyear contract for 191 CH-47F Chinook aircraft that was award-ed in August 2008 and originally valued at $4.3 billion. In November, Boeing sub-mitted a proposal to the U.S. government for a second multiyear contract for 155 Chinooks for the U.S. Army. This second five-year, firm fixed-price proposal would provide the Army with close to the full complement of 464 Chinooks outlined in the Department of Defense program of record and would yield double-digit

percentage savings over a single-year pro-curement strategy. A decision is expected early next year.

Raytheon Company received a $122.5 million contract from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for continued devel-opment of Standard Missile-3 Block IA and IB programs. Under this modifica-tion, Raytheon will provide SM-3 design and engineering, in service engineering support, production engineering, sur-veillance and flight test support, and transition to production.

The contract was announced Dec. 22 by the Department of Defense.

About SM-3- Raytheon’s SM-3s are designed to de-

fend against short- to intermediate-range ballistic missile threats in the ascent and midcourse phases of flight.

- SM-3 Block IA is Raytheon’s first vari-

ant in the SM-3 family; it is deployed to-day in support of the first phase of the ad-ministration’s Phased Adaptive Approach (PAA) for ballistic missile defense.

- Raytheon has delivered more than 130 SM-3 Block IAs ahead of schedule and under cost.

- The SM-3 Block IB is Raytheon’s sec-ond variant in the SM-3 family.

- The SM-3 Block IB has an enhanced kinetic warhead seeker, throttleable divert and attitude control system, and advanced signal processing.

- Raytheon’s SM-3 Block IB is the cor-nerstone of phase two of the administra-tion’s PAA and is on track for a 2015 de-ployment at sea and ashore.

Raytheon Awarded USD 122M for Standard Missile-3

Embraer Rolls Out Leg-acy 500 Executive Jet

Embraer rolled out its newest execu-tive jet, the midsize Legacy 500, last December 23, from the production hangar at the Sao Jose dos Campos headquarters, in Brazil. This mile-stone rollout will allow development and test engineers to perform impor-tant ground tests, prior to the aircraft’s first flight, which is scheduled for the third quarter of 2012.

“This is a significant day for the Lega-cy 500 program,” said Mauricio Almei-da, Vice President, Programs - Embraer Executive Jets. “Releasing the aircraft from production to the test team will allow us to gather vital information during ground tests, which will be used to shorten the flight test campaign.”

Following the rollout, the aircraft will undergo initial systems evaluations leading to the first engine run, and then to the ground vibration tests (GVT), and the full regimen of ground tests.

News

12 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

com news English.indd 12 1/30/12 9:27 AM

Page 13: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Etihad airways named world’s leading airline at world travel awards

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has enjoyed stunning success at the World Travel Awards, taking the top honour for the third year in a row.

It was named the World’s Leading Air-line last night at a black-tie gala event in Doha, Qatar. The judges also presented Etihad Airways with awards for the World’s Leading First Class and World’s Leading Airline to the Middle East.

These three awards cap an extraordi-nary 12 months for the airline. Highlights included the launch of seven new inter-national routes, a move into operating

profitability and the purchase of a 29.2 percent stake in airberlin, a landmark deal that enables access to 33 million new pas-sengers in Europe.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ Presi-dent and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to have been named World’s Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards for the third successive year.

“2011 was a fantastic year for Etihad Airways, during which we began to reap the full benefits of financial and opera-tional strategies developed over the last five years.

USD 1.2B missile deal for MBDAIndia has cleared a $1.2 billion deal to buy 500 air-to-air missiles from Europe-an firm MBDA as it undergoes a major programme to modernise its military, defence ministry officials confirmed.

The cabinet committee on security, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, passed the deal as part of a pre-viously-announced package to upgrade India’s 51 Mirage 2000 planes, a senior ministry source told AFP.

The overall $2.4-billion Mirage package

was approved in July last year, with the French firms Thales and Dassault Avia-tion signed up for work expected to last 10 years.

Two aircraft have already been flown to France for upgrades and the rest will be modernised at state-run Hindustan Aero-nautics facilities in India.

India is also expected to decide shortly between rival bids from France’s Dassault and the Eurofighter consortium for a $12 billion fighter jet deal .

SAAB Announces Transactions for Civil AircraftDefence and security company Saab’s subsidiary Saab Aircraft Leasing (SAL) announces five transactions of Saab aircraft with a total value of approximately MUSD 60 (approxi-mately MSEK 400). The transactions will generate a capital gain of approx-imately MSEK 100, of which MSEK 40 will be recorded in the fourth quarter of 2011 and MSEK 60 in the first half of 2012.

The transactions include the sale of aircraft from SAL’s European portfolio to Rockton Aviation (Sweden), Silver Airways (U.S.), AeroCentury (U.S.) and Alandia Air (Finland). Some de-liveries took place in the fourth quar-ter of 2011 and the remainder will take place in first half of 2012.

SAL has also entered into an agree-ment to a long term lease of a third air-craft to Siam General Aviation Com-pany, Ltd in Thailand, an aircraft that was recently delivered.

”The intention to divest the leasing portfolio has been ongoing for a num-ber of years. This is a natural step and the sale of these aircraft will make Saab focus on core business issues,” says Mi-chael Magnusson, President of Saab Aircraft Leasing.

A total of 71 operators in 38 coun-tries around the globe operate over 450 Saab 340 and Saab 2000 aircraft.

The Sukhoi Company delivered 12 new multi-purpose Su-27SM(3) fighters to the Russian Air Force. The last batch of air-craft was sent to the place of deployment. They were released under a state contract, signed between the Sukhoi Company and the Ministry of Defence at the MAKS-2009 air show. The production was or-ganized at the Sukhoi’s KnAAPO aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Sukhoi completed contract for new Su-27SM(3)

13| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

com news English.indd 13 1/30/12 9:27 AM

Page 14: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

As Middle Eastern militaries upgrade or replace their aging military vehicle fleets, the modern battlefield is shaping their priorities.

Off-road landscapes and heavier ve-hicle armor are requiring advanced sus-pension technologies to be used. Hid-den, deadly and evolving threats are forcing militaries to examine new ways to keep troops safe. In addition, increas-ingly dangerous logistics operations mean fuel is extremely precious in the battlefield.

Decades-old vehicles lack the sophis-ticated mobility and technological so-lutions needed for modern operations. Oshkosh Defense continues to design a wide range of world-class technologies to support international military fleet modernization.

Unprecedented MobilityThe Oshkosh Defense TAK-4® inde-pendent suspension system has been at the forefront of taking vehicles off-road. Advanced platforms such as the Osh-kosh Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) use the TAK-4 system to achieve 40 centimeters of independent wheel travel and a 70 percent off-road profile capa-bility – allowing the vehicle to overcome rugged off-road terrain. The TAK-4 sys-tem also allows vehicles to retain their full payload capacity while accepting add-on armor for additional protection.

The TAK-4 system has been used on more than 20,000 military-class vehicles to date for extensive use in rugged and mountainous terrain. In addition to in-tegrating the TAK-4 system onto new vehicles at the design stage, Oshkosh has

provided nearly 3,400 TAK-4 suspension kits for “legacy” MRAP vehicles. This delivers improved mobility on MRAP vehicles that were designed originally to operate on paved roads.

Autonomous TravelEven as advanced suspension solutions give troops a mobility edge, there will re-main times when militaries would prefer to send a vehicle into perilous territory without any human beings. The Oshkosh Defense TerraMax™ un-manned ground vehicle (UGV) system makes autonomous missions a possibili-ty. The TerraMax UGV technology com-bines state-of-the-art perception and in-dependent, high-power, military-grade computers and drive-by-wire technol-ogy. This has the potential to reduce pas-sengers’ exposure to threats and, when

Innovative Solutions for New Challenges on the Battlefield

[ The Oshkosh M-ATV uses the Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension system]

14 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Report

Report.indd 14 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 15: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

drivers are required, increase their situ-ational awareness.

Oshkosh equipped its TerraMax UGV technology on a Medium Tactical Vehi-cle Replacement (MTVR) for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Cargo UGV initiative. The unmanned vehicle completed suc-cessfully a limited technical assessment for the project. Oshkosh has trained U.S. Marines to use and deploy the proven autonomous vehicle for the first time.

Energy EvolutionAnother challenge burdening militar-ies and increasingly putting troops at risk is the reliance on power for bases, equipment and vehicles. Fleets travel through treacherous terrain and com-prising environments to deliver fuel and generators. Oftentimes, the convoys bringing the power to the battlefield are at the most risk for encountering enemy threats. By reducing reliance on fuel and generators, militaries can expose fewer people to the perils of these missions

and save lives.The Oshkosh Defense ProPulse® hybrid diesel-electric technology delivers up to 120 kW of exportable military-grade energy – enough to power an airfield, hospital or command center. This is a completely dif-ferent approach to a standard chassis, with

[The TerraMax-equipped Oshkosh MTVR, above, is undergoing evaluation for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Cargo UGV project]

[The Oshkosh HEMTT A3 uses the Oshkosh ProPulse hybrid-diesel electric system]

ultra-capacitors that store energy created by regenerative braking and then deliver power to the wheels during acceleration. This increases fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent, reduces a vehicle’s logistics footprint and ultimately helps save lives •

15| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

Report.indd 15 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 16: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

LONGBOW LLC Awarded $181 Million ContractContract for Apache LONGBOW Block III Radar and Data Link Systems

The LONGBOW Limited Liability Company, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Cor-poration , received a $181 million con-tract from the U.S. Army for AH-64D Apache Block III LONGBOW systems.

The contract includes the first in-ternational purchase of the Block III LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) by Taiwan, which will receive 15 Block III LONGBOW FCR systems.

LONGBOW LLC will also produce 18 Radar Electronic Units (REU), 14 Unmanned Aerial System Tactical Common Data Link Assembly (UTA) systems and spares to equip the U.S. Army’s new fleet of Block III Apaches.

“The Army’s investment in the FCR enhancements with the Block III Fire Control Radar REU illustrates our commitment to face the challenges of the ever-adapting threats around the

world,” said Col. Shane Openshaw, U.S. Army project manager for Apache He-licopters. “The Longbow Apache is the world’s premier attack helicopter, and the FCR is one of the key elements that make it that way.”

For more than a decade, the LONG-BOW FCR has provided Apache air-crews with target detection, location, classification and prioritization. In all weather, over multiple terrains and through any battlefield obscurant, the radar allows automatic and rapid multi-target engagement. The LONG-BOW FCR integrates with the LONG-BOW HELLFIRE missile, enhancing the Apache’s lethality fourfold and in-creasing survivability sevenfold.

The new LONGBOW Block III FCR REU provides reduced size, weight, maintenance and power requirements of the radar system. The LONGBOW

Block III UTA provides a two-way, high-bandwidth data link, enabling aircrews to control Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ (UAS) flight path, sensors and lasers at long ranges. The system also provides the ability to receive high-quality UAS imagery on displays.

Prime mission equipment and spares production, as well as engineering services and integrated logistics, will be performed at Lockheed Martin fa-cilities in Ocala and Orlando, Fla., and Northrop Grumman facilities in Balti-more, Md. Deliveries will begin in fall 2011. The contract includes options to extend the period of performance from 2015 to 2017 •

[The LONGBOW system uses millimeter wave seeker in the nose of the LONGBOW HELLFIRE missile]

16 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Report

Report.indd 16 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 17: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Yahlive And Etisalat Collaborate on Satellite TV Uplink ServicesPartnership offers High Definition uplink service

YahLive, the UAE based satellite broad-casting company, signed a partnership agreement with Etisalat (Emirates Tele-communications Corporation) to col-laborate on satellite broadcasting services. Under the new agreement, Etisalat will establish uplink services to YahLive’s Y1A satellite which broadcasts at 52.5ºE. News of the agreement was welcomed by UAE based companies as it will allow national channels to be broadcasted in HD format for the first time, and on the HD hot-spot in the region, through YahLive’s easily ac-cessible and growing HD satellite offer-ing.

YahLive, a partnership company be-tween Yahsat, the United Arab Emirates-based satellite communications com-pany and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mubadala Development Company and SES, a global DTH satellite operator, , provides multi-purpose satellite com-

munications services to commercial and governmental clients across the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South-West Asia. It has been specifically designed to offer broadcasters opportunities for HD TV distribution and to reach audiences that don’t have access to IPTV and cable networks.

Following the signing ceremony with Etisalat, Mohamed Youssif, CEO of YahLive, said: “The national channels in HD are the key attracting element to our satellite, so it was extremely impor-tant that we could offer an uplink service to those national channels, in addition to other channels based in UAE.

“This partnership with Etisalat comes within our mandate to enhance our offer-ings and our outstanding TV broadcast-ing services. We are delighted that Eti-salat has joined forces with us to extend the audience reach of its HD channels.

We will offer Etisalat with satellite based broadcast solutions that will bring highly targeted, reliable, effective coverage and high definition TV. YahLive will also have a dedicated service team to respond to changing requirements.” he concluded.

Commenting on this development, Ali Amiri, Executive Vice President Car-rier & Wholesale Services, Etisalat, said: “We very much value this collaboration with YahLive in using Etisalat’s state of the art HD uplinking facilities which will further enrich our bouquet of services and broadcast offerings, while enabling broadcasters to extend their reach both in the UAE and in the region.”.

With a wide portfolio of voice, data, video and internet connectivity solutions, Yahsat’s first satellite, Y1A, was success-fully launched last April while their sec-ond satellite, Y1B, is scheduled to launch in the first quarter of 2012 •

[Mohamed Youssif, CEO of YahLive]

17| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

Report.indd 17 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 18: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

On 1 January 2012 the new AleniaAer-macchi, a Finmeccanica company, took off as the merger of Alenia Aeronautica with its subsidiaries Alenia Aermacchi e Alenia SIA became effective.

With this, the company adopted a new “AleniaAermacchi” logo, combining the two pre-existing “Alenia” and “Aer-macchi” trademarks, which encapsulated a century of history, tradition, experi-ence and success of the Italian aeronau-tics industry.

Giuseppe Giordo, the Chief Execu-tive Officer of the new AleniaAermacchi and Head of Finmeccanica’s Aeronautics sector, said: “This merger has brought together an extraordinary wealth of knowledge and technology and prod-ucts ensuring that the Italian aeronautics industry will continue to play a leading role in an increasingly global market in the years to come”.

Attention was called to the new com-pany’s key features. Venegono Superiore (Varese), the traditional headquarters of Aermacchi, became the registered of-fice while Pomigliano d’Arco (Naples) and Torino Caselle were the operational headquarters for the civil and defence aircraft sectors, respectively. The opera-tional headquarters became the hub of the manufacturing activities performed by six different Integrated Manufactur-ing Centres (training systems, defence aircraft, military transportation aircraft, civil aircraft, composite materials, metal structures) distributed over nine sites located throughout Italy, with a total of 12,000 employees.

The integration between Alenia Aero-nautica and Alenia Aermacchi triggered off industrial synergies, with significant

The birth of AleniaAermacchiA new logo and a new name that reflect all the tradition and experience of

the Italian aeronautics industry

[Giuseppe Giordo, CEO, AleniaAermacchi and Head of Finmeccanica’s Aeronautics sector]

economies of scale, in terms of both processes and products, through the strengthening of engineering, the re-definition of production systems and the related supply chain in view of the specialisation of each site by technology/product.

AleniaAermacchi is Italy’s largest aero-nautics company, engaging in the design, development, manufacture, maintenance and inspection of civil and military air-craft, trainer, unmanned aircraft and aerostructures. A century-long tradi-tion, where the company has acquired such prestigious national trademarks as IMAM, Romeo, Fiat, Aerfer and Ae-ritalia and has followed a growth and success path on an international scale,

thanks to the experience gained with the design and manufacture of over 12,000 aircraft to-date. In its long history the company has manufactured over 7,000 aircraft, including 2,000 trainers sold to more than 40 countries and designed and developed electronic systems and sub-systems and related software, both for on-board installation and as opera-tional and design support.

Starting 1 January 2012 the new web-site came alive through the link www.aleniaaermacchi.it •

18 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Report

Report.indd 18 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 19: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Report.indd 19 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 20: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

The Boeing Company and industry partner Northrop Grumman Corpora-tion have received the development and sustainment contract (DSC) from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency for future work on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) element of the United States’ ballistic missile defense system.

“The award is the culmination of a two-year proposal process that brought together a broad industry group com-mitted to delivering innovative solu-tions and a cost-effective approach to program management and execution,” said Dennis Muilenburg, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Se-curity. “We are privileged to have been partners with the Missile Defense Agen-cy through development and deploy-ment of the GMD system, and now with Northrop Grumman, we are honored to continue that partnership in this next phase of the program.”

Under the DSC, Boeing will continue to lead the industry team for GMD de-velopment, integration, testing, opera-tions and sustainment activities, build-ing on the company’s experience of supporting the Missile Defense Agency as prime contractor for the program since 2001. As strategic partner, North-rop Grumman will oversee the ground system elements, as well as provide key support in operations and sustainment, system engineering and system test.

“The DSC ushers in a new era for the GMD program, and our partner-ship with Boeing brings together the very best minds in the industry for this national security capability,” said Wes Bush, chairman, CEO and president, Northrop Grumman. “By combining Northrop Grumman’s 50-year experi-ence and success on the nation’s Minute-man ICBM program with Boeing’s her-

DSC on GMD awarded to Boeing and Northrop Grumman

Ground-based Midcourse Defense team to continue unprecedented system support

[GMD is an element of US’ ballistic missile defense system]

itage GMD leadership, we provide the optimum mix of integrated develop-ment and sustainment capabilities for a system that demands nothing less.”

The Boeing-led team currently oper-ates and sustains the deployed GMD weapon system while developing and testing new technologies to provide

increased reliability and to meet evolv-ing customer needs and requirements. Northrop Grumman has been part of the team since 1998, responsible for designing and deploying the command-and-control systems that form the back-bone of the GMD ground system.

“In selecting the Boeing and North-rop Grumman GMD team, the Missile Defense Agency retains the knowledge, skill and expertise of the world-class men and women who developed this one-of-a-kind system -- the only indus-try team capable of affordable innova-tion for GMD’s future,” said Norm Tew, Boeing vice president and program di-rector of GMD. “We believe the govern-ment conducted a fair and open compe-tition, making the right decision for the future of the program.”

An integral element of the Global Ballistic Missile Defense System, GMD uses radars, other sensors, command-and-control facilities, communications terminals and a 20,000-mile fiber optic communications network. There are more than 20 operational interceptors at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., and Fort Greely, Alaska, to defend the United States against long-range ballis-tic missile threats •

NS220par285gb secu 12/01/12 15:29 Page 1

20 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Report

Report.indd 20 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 21: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

NS220par285gb secu 12/01/12 15:29 Page 1

Report.indd 21 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 22: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Pratt & Whitney an undefini-tized contract award (UCA) not to ex-ceed $1,122,306,649 for F135 produc-tion engines to power the F-35 Lightning II. Pratt & Whitney and the DoD have reached a tentative agreement on key terms for the low rate initial produc-tion (LRIP) 5 contract which contains fixed-price and cost-plus incentive fee elements. A total of $358,597,078 is be-ing obligated at time of award, in ad-dition to the $138,800,000 obligated in 2011 for advanced acquisition materials. This LRIP contract includes production engines, spare parts, program manage-ment, engineering support for produc-tion, sustainment and field support for the F135 engines.

“This UCA is a vital step to allow Pratt & Whitney and our STOVL lift system partner, Rolls-Royce, to con-tinue meeting key milestones toward LRIP 5 production deliveries,” said Bennett Croswell, president of Military Engines, Pratt & Whitney. “We antici-pate contract negotiations with the F-35 Joint Program Office that will reflect the great progress being made on F135 af-fordability.”

The fifth lot of engines includes 21 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) engines for the U.S. Air Force; six carrier variant (CV) engines for the U.S. Navy; and three short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) propulsion systems for the U.S. Marine Corps. The engines in LRIP 5 will support the U.S. Services with main engine deliveries slated to begin in late-2012.

Pratt & Whitney has designed, devel-oped and tested the F135 to deliver the most advanced fifth-generation fighter engine for the United States and its al-

Pratt & Whitney Awarded USD 1.12B For F135 EngineThe engines to Power F-35 Lightning II.

lies around the world.

USD 194M awarded for F135 Long-Lead Production Contract

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded a $194,097,296 long-lead pro-duction contract for F135 engines to power the F-35 Lightning II. The low

rate initial production (LRIP) contract covers long-lead materials for the sixth lot of F135 engines, and provides Pratt & Whitney the ability to start procuring long-lead items for production engines. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technolo-gies Corp. company •

[F135 to deliver the most advanced fifth-generation fighter engine]

[USD 194M awarded for F135 Long-Lead Production Contract]

14th – 17th May 2012Dubai International Convention and

Exhibition Centre, Dubai, UAE

Official Media Partners

www.tetraworldcongress.com

The World’s Largest TETRA-Focused Event. Join 3000 TETRA Users, Manufacturers, Operators, Application Developers And

Integrators To Learn, Network And Do Business

100+Exhibitors • 150+ High Level Speakers • 15+ Masterclasses and Seminars

Gold Sponsors: Silver Sponsor:

Researched and Produced by: In Association with:

FREE

To Attend Exhibition

38077 TETRA 2012 AD 220x285_TETRA 2012 AD 220x285 13/01/2012 12:31 Page 1

22 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Report

Report.indd 22 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 23: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

14th – 17th May 2012Dubai International Convention and

Exhibition Centre, Dubai, UAE

Official Media Partners

www.tetraworldcongress.com

The World’s Largest TETRA-Focused Event. Join 3000 TETRA Users, Manufacturers, Operators, Application Developers And

Integrators To Learn, Network And Do Business

100+Exhibitors • 150+ High Level Speakers • 15+ Masterclasses and Seminars

Gold Sponsors: Silver Sponsor:

Researched and Produced by: In Association with:

FREE

To Attend Exhibition

38077 TETRA 2012 AD 220x285_TETRA 2012 AD 220x285 13/01/2012 12:31 Page 1

Report.indd 23 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 24: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Bayanat highlights the importance of deploying geospatial data and services Mapping & Surveying services play a vital role in defense & security

Bayanat for Mapping & Surveying Services, a leading nation-al provider of geospatial services and a wholly-owned sub-sidiary of Mubadala, participated in the 3rd edition of the Crisis and Emergency Management Conference (CEMC), an initiative by the UAE National Emergency Crisis and Di-sasters Management Authority (NCEMA), which took place from January 16 to January 17, 2012 at the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr Hotel in Abu Dhabi. Bayanat’s conference focus was to highlight and demonstrate the role and value of utilizing geospatial data and services in the area of crisis management at a national level.

The annually held conference discussed the systems and measures that need to be employed by the UAE and the broader GCC region in the face of crisis. For the first time, this year’s conference was organized by the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis and once again brought together the key decision-makers from major UAE government organizations such as the Ministry of Presiden-tial Affairs, the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority, the Ministry of Interior, the Min-istry of Health, the Armed Forces, and Abu Dhabi’s Critical National Infrastructure Authority.

Bayanat, a main exhibitor and supporter of the event, dem-onstrated how its mapping, surveying and geospatial servic-es are critical to the advanced planning and preparation of defense and national security initiatives and activities.

“The increasing number of man-made and natural threats require more effective strategies in the field of crisis and emergency planning, preparedness and response. CEMC forms an important showcase for Bayanat to emphasize the importance of continuously developing crisis and emer-gency management capabilities in the UAE and across the Arab World and to show how our products and services can contribute and support this crucial area. We are equipped with distinctive qualifications and resources and state-of-the-art technology to support the national defense and secu-rity measures given our extensive experience in serving the needs of the UAE Armed Forces in this field over the last 35

years,” said Khaled Al Melhi, Chief Operating Officer, Baya-nat for Mapping & Surveying Services.

Bayanat deploys the latest technologies and equipment like Light Detection & Ranging (LiDAR), aerial digital cameras and multi-beam surveying equipment to provide world class surveying, mapping, geospatial consulting and GIS develop-ment and customization services •

The increasing number of man-made and natural threats require more effective strategies in the field of crisis and emergency planning, preparedness and response

24 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Report

Report.indd 24 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 25: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

The French defence ministry’s integrat-ed structure for through-life support of aeronautical equipment (SIMMAD) has awarded Thales the contract to sup-port its equipment on board the Rafale aircraft in service with the French Air Force and French Navy. The ten-year contract, known as MAESTRO, is a re-newal of the current through-life sup-port contract and broadens the scope of responsibility to ensure that Thales works more closely with operational personnel to guarantee fleet availability.

Under the terms of the contract, Thales is responsible for supporting the Rafale’s phased array radar, electronic warfare system, avionics (displays, on-board computers, etc.), optronics (OSF front-sector optronics, cameras, etc.)

Contract for Thales equipment on board Rafale fleetThe French defence ministry contract, a sign of renewed confidence in a trusted partner

and communication systems.To guarantee fleet availability, Thales

will optimise replacement parts man-agement, logistics management and in-formation flows between government agencies and Thales services, streamline equipment repair processes and deploy technical and logistics advisers to work directly with users on French military bases.

The fixed-price availability contract represents a major innovation in through-life support delivery and coincides with an increase in Rafale flight hours and the need to comply with tougher military airworthiness standards.

Merry Michaux, Vice-President, Mili-tary Aerospace Customer Support and Services Managing Director at Thales

said: “Thales is particularly proud to have been awarded this new contract, which we see as a sign of renewed confidence in a trusted partner and an endorsement of our continuing commitment to drive efficiency gains in aeronautical equip-ment support. The innovative concepts and collaborative working methods that we are putting in place on military bases and shared platforms will make a signif-icant contribution to optimising avail-ability of the Rafale fleet and bringing down the aircraft’s cost per flying hour.”

The Smart Care concept implemented in the MAESTRO programme is the ba-sis of a modular approach to availability contracting that Thales also proposes for other equipment types and other air-craft•

[Rafale @ French Navy]

25| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

Report.indd 25 1/29/12 1:55 PM

Page 26: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

‘We have commitment to Middle East’: Chief of the Australian Defence Forces We have a strong, positive relationship with UAE established on good will

In an exclusive interview

with Nation Shield, the Chief

of the Australian Defence

Force Gen. David Hurley

says there is no question of

Australian forces pulling

out of Afghanistan. Excerpts

from the wide-ranging inter-

view:

By: Major Jasem Shaheen AlbelooshiPhoto: Abdul Rahman bin

Abbad

There are reports of Australian troops pulling out of Afghanistan. What is the current status?

The reports of Australian troops pulling out of Afghanistan are misleading. In fact, like the rest of the International Security Assis-tance Force (ISAF) countries, and in con-junction with the Government of Afghani-stan, we are in the process of transitioning the responsibility for security from NATO ISAF to the Government of Afghanistan. So the countries involved in ISAF are re-viewing the needs of the transition process. From a strategic perspective, our Prime Minister has committed Australia to work with Afghanistan for the next decade. So we will have commitments of the military for developmental support for at least this decade and into the next. From a military perspective, we are operating in the Uruz-gan province, working with the 4th brigade of the Afghanistan Army. Once the transi-tion is complete we will know how the new force will look. After transition, our role will be more of a supportive nature with institutional training, perhaps with Special Forces and with more assistance to the Gov-ernment toward community and national development. So there is no question of Australian Forces pulling out of Afghani-stan.

Is Australia on the threshold of playing a more important military role in the region, apart from South East Asia?

Australia has been involved in the Middle

Interview

26 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

interview English.indd 26 1/30/12 11:02 AM

Page 27: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

‘We have commitment to Middle East’: Chief of the Australian Defence Forces We have a strong, positive relationship with UAE established on good will

[Chief of the Australian Defence Forces Gen. David Hurley in an exclusive interview with Nation Shield ]

27| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

interview English.indd 27 1/30/12 11:02 AM

Page 28: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

East region in modern times since the first Gulf War in 1991. We have had a continuous commitment to this region since that time; in fact we have had our frigates here for 20 years on invitation, supporting maritime security in the re-gion. At present we also have P-3 aircraft supporting maritime security. During the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, we played a significant role in the Middle East. The base here is where we bring our troops to move in and out of our other locations. The Middle East is of significant interest to Australia and the development of this region is of mutual interest. We are exploring other oppor-tunities of mutual benefit with countries in the region including the UAE.

Australia and US have recently strengthened strategic ties. Is that to counter the increasing influence of China?

In November, 2011, the US President Barack Obama came to Australia. Dur-ing that visit he announced with our Prime Minister that we would increase the size and frequency of training inter-action with the US ground forces, Navy and Air Force. The fact is that the United States is increasing Marine Corps train-ing exercises with Australia. This is not anything new. What we are aiming over 4-6 years is to build on this relationship in a phased manner to develop a full force of around 2,500 personnel that is a full Marine air-ground task force. This is not unusual for us.

Every two years we have increased the scale of training with the US troops. Some 30,000 American troops and Ma-rines come and train in Australia. The Air Forces of the US and Australia co-operate regularly and we are just increas-ing the frequency of this. The expanded US air presence in western Pacific re-gion and South East Asia will undoubt-edly increase the economic perspective

of the region and lift productivity. We have an alliance with the US – the AN-ZUS alliance, which is 60 years old. The agreement can be termed as two nations teaming up for each other’s defence and security. This is another step strength-ening the ties with countries having mutual interest. China has just as much interest as Australia or any other coun-try in the Western Pacific in the secu-rity and economical stability of the re-gion, particularly with shipping having freedom of navigation. We are support-ing US presence into the region, but this ongoing development is not targeted against any country. This is more about the US-Australian relationship and our involvement in the region.

Would Australia build a stronger blue water navy as domination of the seas will be key to any meaningful strategic role in the South East and South Asia?

The freedom of navigation for trade, to move through the region through various straits in the Indonesian Archi-pelago to West Pacific is very important to all nations. Australia has always had a strong Navy because we are an island country. Our security strategy these days can be described as a maritime strategy. So we look for the ways we can work by ourselves and with our neighbours to provide security. If you look at our 2009 Defence policy White Paper, then it is very clear that having a maritime strat-egy looking out from Australia into the region and providing a maritime force capable of assisting in any crisis, is im-portant to us. We will have a mix of frigates, destroyers, submarines and air capability from the shores of Australia.

In what way can the countries in the Middle East, particularly the UAE collaborate with Australia to ensure peace and security globally and in

Australia has been involved in the Middle East region in modern times since the first Gulf War in 1991

We have an alliance with the US – the ANZUS alliance, which is 60 years old

Interview

28 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

interview English.indd 28 1/30/12 11:02 AM

Page 29: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

the region? Australia has particular interest in the region and it is very important for us economically and just being a good in-ternational citizen to help around the world when necessary. We have played a constructive role in the Middle East par-ticularly with GCC countries to bring dialogue and to address some other is-sues. Doing all that, we feel, is the best way to bring stability. It is a long way from the Middle East to Australia, but our interests in the region are significant and we are committed to contributing to security in this region.

How do you evaluate the coopera-tion between Australia and UAE in the military field?

It is a solid relationship, we have been here for a number of years and as we have got to know each other, we are looking at ways to support and interact with each other. We work together with Special Forces, Navy and Air Force on a planned basis and sometimes on an opportunity basis. If we can help out in any way, particularly through any joint effort, then we are more than happy. We are not a large Armed Force but we are a busy armed Armed Force, and there is a big distance between our two countries. So there are logistic constraints to hold-ing training exercises. What we have is a strong relationship, a positive relation-ship, established on goodwill.

UAE plays vital role in humanitar-ian assistance globally. What is your opinion about these efforts?

UAE should be very strongly com-mended for its vision, particularly the support it extends to humanitarian dis-asters. Sometimes it is difficult for coun-tries like UAE and Australia to move with military or civilian forces on a large scale, but the UAE contributes much financially in addition to what military

and civilian support it extends. The UAE donated generously in the aftermath of the Queensland floods. This shows the great generosity of spirit of UAE rul-ers and its people.

UAE is one of the key players in the global exhibition industry, as the host of IDEX and Dubai Airshow. What do you think of these exhibi-tions?

Unfortunately I have not been to IDEX or the Dubai Airshow. Our Navy pro-vided a ship to NAVDEX and our Chief of Air force was here for the Dubai Air-show. As we consider these exhibitions very important , we send our representa-tives and ships They are not just about displaying military hardware but a great opportunity to meet the leadership, to meet our counterparts and discuss bi-lateral issues. Some years ago I was the Chief of Capability Development in Australia and used to attend Farnbor-ough and Paris Airshows. Exhibitions like IDEX and Dubai Airshow are op-portunities to know what people are thinking and see the latest technologies and to discuss issues with our counter-parts. I hope to attend the next IDEX.

Any special message to Nation Shield readers?

The relationship with UAE is very im-portant to Australia. My main purpose of this visit is to have the opportunity to visit the leadership, to call upon my counterparts and discuss issues of mutu-al interest. We have a strong relationship with UAE and look forward to having a lasting relationship with this distin-guished country and its people •

Biography

General David Hurley AC,

DSC/Chief of the Australian

Defence Force (CDF)General David Hurley was born in Wollongong, NSW in 1953. He grad-uated from the Royal Military Col-lege, Duntroon in December 1975 into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. General Hurley served in the Royal Australian Regiment and early in his career as the exchange officer with the 1st Battalion Irish Guards (British Army). Upon his return to Australia General Hurley served with the 5th/7th Battalion.Following his command appoint-ment General Hurley attended the United States Army War College, returning to a posting as Military Secretary to the Chief of Army. General Hurley was appointed to the position of the Vice Chief of De-fence Force in July 2008. He was promoted to General and assumed his current appointment as the Chief of the Defence Force on 4 July 2011. In 2010 General Hurley became a Companion of the Order of Australia for eminent service to the Australian Defence Force.

29| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

interview English.indd 29 1/30/12 11:02 AM

Page 30: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains

Due to increasing costs of

production, a slowed de-

mand for electricity, and

fresh memories of disaster in

Japan, production of nuclear

power fell in 2011.

Countries are turning to other energy sources as a result of nuclear power’s high costs, low demand, and recent disasters.

[Solar-Energy is a continuous source that enhances Nuclear-Energy concept]

30 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Strategic

ads English.indd 30 1/31/12 8:17 AM

Page 31: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains

Despite reaching record levels the previous year, global installed nu-clear capacity -- the potential power generation from all existing plants -- declined to 366.5 gigawatts (GW) in 2011, from 375.5 GW at the end of 2010. Not surprisingly, this drop in in-stalled capacity corresponds with a decline in global consumption of nuclear energy. Nuclear power’s share in world commercial primary energy usage fell to around 5 per-cent in 2010, having peaked at about 6 percent in 2001 and 2002. Only four countries; the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, and the United Kingdom increased their share of nuclear power by over 1 percentage point between 2009 and 2010.

Much of the decline in installed capacity is the result of halted reac-tor construction around the world. Although construction on 16 new reactors began in 2010, the highest number in over two decades, that number fell to just two in 2011, with India and Pakistan each starting construction on a plant. In addition to this dramatically slowed rate of construction, the first 10 months of 2011 saw the closing of 13 nuclear reactors.

Safety risks On March 11, 2011, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale struck Japan, which set off one of

the most destructive tsunami in hu-man history. One of the sites most affected by the horrible devastation was the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which experienced a partial meltdown two days after the quake. The incident is considered as the worst nuclear catastrophe after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Histo-ry seems to be repeating in the case of Nuclear disasters. This has made many nations wary of pursuing their nuclear energy plans.

It is too early to conclude that nuclear energy is beginning a long-term decline, but these numbers can hardly encourage the industry. The high cost of nuclear electric-ity generation and the unacceptable safety risks it poses make it unlikely that nuclear power will help slow human-caused climate change or of-fer an attractive alternative to rising fossil-fuel consumption.

Negative GrowthThe current global decline in in-stalled nuclear power capacity stands in stark contrast to nuclear power’s surge in popularity throughout the 2000s. Although many factors are behind the decline, it is largely the result of high costs, slowed electric-ity demand, and lower natural gas prices in recent months.

The reactor meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima plant seven months ago also added to the severity of the de-

31| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

ads English.indd 31 1/31/12 8:17 AM

Page 32: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

cline. Only 10 of Japan’s 54 reactors are currently connected to the grid, China froze construction on 25 reactors imme-diately after the Fukushima explosions, and both Germany and Switzerland announced plans to phase out nuclear power following the disaster.

Together, China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and South Korea have contrib-uted around 5 GW of new installed ca-pacity since the beginning of 2010. Dur-ing this same period, nearly 11.5 GW of installed capacity has been shut down in France, Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. Germany alone has taken around 8 GW of installed nuclear capac-ity offline this year.

Currently, 65 reactors are under con-struction around the world; however, 20 of these have been under construction for more than 20 years. Construction on the first nuclear power plant to be built in France in 15 years has been delayed until 2016, and its projected cost has grown from €3.3 billion (Approximately USD 4.4 billion) to €6 billion (Approxi-mately USD 8 billion). The average age of decommissioned reactors worldwide has risen to 23 years. In 2009, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission re-ceived 26 nuclear reactor permit appli-cations, but only four of those sites have plans for construction.

Renewable energy sources are grow-ing at rates of up to 70 percent and more on an annual basis. Nuclear energy is the only major energy technology expe-riencing negative growth. Nuclear pow-er too risky from a health and security point of view and it is also expensive.

Although nuclear power remains an important energy source for many coun-tries, including Russia and France, it is likely that its prominence will continue to decrease. To maintain current genera-tion levels, the world would need to in-stall an additional 18 GW by 2015 and another 175 GW by 2025. In the after-math of Fukushima and in the context of a fragile global economy, an increase that sharp is improbable.

Exceptions - China and US China and the United States are excep-tions to the global slump in nuclear electricity generation, in terms of both the number of plants being built and in-stalment capacity levels. China currently is home to 27 reactors and has some 27 GW of capacity under construc-tion. Though it has halted construction of some Nuclear power plants after the Fukushima plant disaster, the likelihood of China significantly reducing its ag-gressive growth in nuclear generation remains low; as the country seeks to meet its rapidly growing energy demand and ambitious carbon dioxide reduction targets.

The United States, too, does not ap-pear to be abandoning nuclear power just yet. In 2010, the Obama admin-istration approved $8.3 billion in loan guarantees for construction of nuclear reactors; in February of 2011, the ad-ministration’s budget proposal upped that amount by an additional $36 billion.

Renewable Energy The US Department of Defense has set a goal to provide 25% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, according to a recent report in National Defense magazine. Analysts forecast that military bases will increasingly be in the market

[Tsuruga Nuclear Power Plant in Japan] [The abandoned city of Prypiat, Ukraine]

NanotechnologyResearch is going on in the nano-technology field that can capture a wider band of the solar radia-tion falling on the cell. The na-nostructured surface of the cell reduces the amount of light that reflects off it, essentially trapping more light so that a greater per-centage of photons are available for conversion into electricity.

32 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Strategic

ads English.indd 32 1/30/12 4:14 PM

Page 33: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

for more reliable and secure energy so-lutions, and some of the largest Defense Department suppliers have already re-sponded to the drive for green technol-ogy by aiming to develop electric “smart grids” to be used on military bases.

UAE - Masdar The United Arab Emirates is taking the initiative in the renewable energy arena with its Masdar Power. Masdar Power is the result of the futuristic vi-sion of the wise leadership of UAE. It is one of the five integrated units of Abu Dhabi’s clean energy initiative - Masdar.

Its aim is to build and operate a portfo-lio of large scale renewable energy power projects that will enable Abu Dhabi, the capital of UAE to achieve 7% of its total generation capacity from clean energy sources by 2020. The major projects un-der it are the Shams-1 and Nour-1 so-lar power plants and Sir Bani Yas wind farm in the UAE, as well as international projects including the London Array, Torresol Energy’s Gemasolar, Valle 1& 2 solar power plants in Spain and a wind farm in Seychelles. Masdar Power aims to spearhead breakthroughs in the field of solar PV, concentrated solar power, as well as onshore and offshore wind power.

Masdar Power is currently construct-

ing the 100MW Shams One, one of the largest concentrated solar power plants of its kind in the world and the largest in the Middle East. The plant, which is one of five projects in the UAE registered for carbon credits under the United Na-tion’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), entered its third year of op-erations this month. Since operations began, the plant has saved 24,000 tons in CO2 emissions, which is the equiva-lent of taking 3,300 cars off Abu Dhabi’s roads.

Inexhaustible and Clean Solar Energy The International Energy Agency has said that solar energy can make consid-erable contributions to solving some of the most urgent problems the world now faces.

The development of affordable, inex-haustible and clean solar energy tech-nologies will have huge longer-term benefits. It will increase countries’ en-ergy security through reliance on an indigenous, inexhaustible and mostly import-independent resource, enhance sustainability, reduce pollution, lower the costs of mitigating climate change, and keep fossil fuel prices lower than otherwise. These advantages are global. Hence the additional costs of the incen-

tives for early deployment should be considered learning investments; they must be wisely spent and need to be widely shared.

In 2011, the International Energy Agency said that solar energy technolo-gies such as photovoltaic panels, solar water heaters and power stations built with mirrors could provide a third of the world’s energy by 2060 if politicians commit to limiting climate change. The energy from the sun could play a key role in de-carbonizing the global econ-omy alongside improvements in energy efficiency and imposing costs on green-house gas emitters. “The strength of so-lar is the incredible variety and flexibility of applications, from small scale to big scale” •

Photo credit / Reference: www.worldwatch.orgwww.masdar.ae www.wikipedia.org

[A view of the solar array at the Masdar city]

Solar power by Country

Rwanda

China, India, Israel, Japan, South Asia, South Korea

Australia

Belgium, Greece, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, UK

United States, Canada, Mexico

Africa

Asia

Australia

Europe

America

33| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

ads English.indd 33 1/30/12 4:14 PM

Page 34: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

PAK FA - A New Competitor in the Stealth ArenaA market for 1,000 PAK FA is projected over the next four decades

F22 Raptor –the 5th

generation aircraft

from America thwarted

the supremacy Russia

and India had on the

sky for almost a decade

with Sukhoi 30 MKI.

To reclaim the stature

Russia is working on

its own 5th generation

stealth aircraft PAK FA

[ Perspektivnyi Avi-

atsionnyi Kompleks

Frontovoi Aviatsyi -

Future Air Complex

for Tactical Air Forces].

Raptor’s ability to penetrate the en-emy skies without being detected made it a dominating stealth fighter on the skies. In addition to being America’s most prominent air-superiority fighter, the F-22 evolved from its original con-cept to become a lethal, survivable and flexible multimission fighter. By taking advantage of emerging technologies the F-22 has emerged as a superior platform for many diverse missions including in-telligence gathering, surveillance, recon-naissance and electronic attack.

Russia started to work on its own 5th generation stealth aircraft to counter the F-22. American F-22 is already serving the US Air Force, while Russian plane is in the flight test stage.

Development In early 2002 Sukhoi was chosen as prime contractor for the planned Rus-sian fifth-generation fighter called the PAK FA. It was decided that this inter-mediate class twin-engine fighter will be larger than a MiG-29 and smaller than a Su-27. The first flight of the PAK FA was held on January 29, 2010 in Komsomol-sk-on-Amur. In early March 2011 the second flight model too took off. The first public demonstration of the PAK FA fighter was held on August 17 at the International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS-2011 in Zhukovsky near Mos-cow. More than 100 flights have been made on the flight test program until now.

The first flight of the 3rd prototype of PAK FA with AESA radar, took place in Sukhoi’s KNAAPO aircraft plant in

Researches

34 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Try.indd 34 1/30/12 9:28 AM

Page 35: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

PAK FA - A New Competitor in the Stealth ArenaA market for 1,000 PAK FA is projected over the next four decades

[ The 1st flight of PAK- FA 3rd prototype on November 22, 2011 ]

35| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

Try.indd 35 1/30/12 9:28 AM

Page 36: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

Komsomolsk-on-Amur on November 2011. The plane was piloted by distin-guished test pilot of the Russian Federa-tion, Sergey Bogdan.

According to the received reports, the flight was successful, in full accord-ance with the flight plan. Stability of the aircraft test was conducted during the flight as well as evaluation of the power plant systems’ performance. The aircraft proved itself in all phases of the planned flight program and the pilot confirmed reliable operation of all systems and components.

Technology Compared with previous generations of

fighters, the PAK FA has several unique features, combining the functions of an attack aircraft and fighter. In accordance with the technical requirements, the PAK FA boasts a normal takeoff weight of 20 tons, which is close to the average normal takeoff weight of the two Ameri-can airplanes, the F-35 JSF (17.2 tons) and the F-22 (24 tons). The PAK-FA is made of composite materials with in-novative technologies. Its aerodynamic design and measures to reduce the en-gine’s visibility provide very low level of radar, optical and infrared visibility while significantly improving combat effectiveness on air and ground targets, at any time, in both visible and adverse

weather. The observed prototype design em-

ploys an interim supercruising and thrust vectoring engine, common to the production Su-35S Flanker. A new 35 - 40 klbf class 3D TVC supercruising en-gine for the PAK-FA is currently being developed by NPO Saturn.

Design Technical analysis of PAK-FA proto-type airframe shows a design which has forward fuselage, inlet, upper fuselage, wing and tail surface airframe and Very Low Observable (VLO/stealth) shaping which is highly competitive. Airframe aerodynamic features shows a design

•Alt (m): 20000

•Weight (kg):

- max 37000- normal 26000- empty 18500

•Dimensions (m):- Wing14,2;S=78,8m2- length 22- height 6,05

•Combat load (kg):

- max 7500 - AA max 2260 conformal

Estimated Performance

Researches

36 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Try.indd 36 1/30/12 9:28 AM

Page 37: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

which is superior to most current West-ern equivalents, providing ‘extreme agility’, superior to that of the Su-35S, through much of the flight envelope. This is accomplished by the combined use of 3D thrust vector control of the engine nozzles, all moving tail surfaces, and refined aerodynamic design with relaxed directional static stability and careful mass distribution to control in-ertial effects. The PAK-FA is fitted with unusually robust high sink rate under-carriage, intended for STOL (Short Take Off and Landing) operations.

Analysis shows that the aircraft’s VLO shaping permits the existing pro-totype configuration to achieve similar

stealth performance to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and with lower and rear fuselage VLO shaping design improve-ments, potentially competitive stealth performance against the F-22A Raptor. The jet can use a take-off strip of just 300-400 meters, and perform sustained supersonic flight at speeds over 2,000 km/h, including repeated in-flight re-fueling. The highly-maneuverable plane has a range of about 5,500 kilometers.

Armament Since the PAK FA specifications remain classified, speculations are rife about its armament. Revealed prototypes are de-signed in a way that it can carry either

eight next-generation air-to-air R-77 missiles, or two large controllable anti-ship bombs weighing 1,500 kg each. The most recent Russian R-77 medium-range missiles (AA-12 “AMRAAMSKI”) is similar to and in some respects equal to the American AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles. The R-77 missile has an active radar finder and a maximum range of 90-100 kilometers (50 km more than AMRAAM) and flies at four times the speed of sound.

The new jet can also carry two long-range missiles developed by the Novator Bureau which can hit targets within a 400 kilometer range.

Avionic suite

Disclosures indicate that the fifth-generation fighter is equipped with advanced avionics to combine an au-tomatic flight control system and a radar locator with a phased array antenna. The automatic flight control sys-tem reduces the pilot’s work-load and helps him concen-trate on tactical objectives. The on-board equipment of the new aircraft allows the exchange of data in real time with ground control systems and other aircraft. Five AESA apertures are intended for production of PAK-FA air-craft. The highly integrated avionic suite is intended to provide similar data fusion and networking capabilities to the F-22A Raptor.

•Electronics:N050, BRLS IRBIS AFAR/

AESA

•Engine: AL -41F (117C on first pro-

toypes)

•Compressor: diameter

932mm, 3 steps

- weight 1350 kg

- pressure increase 4,2-4,5

- life time 4000 hours

•Fuel (kg): 10300

•Flight range (km):4000/5500 (2x2000kg)- Supersonic 2500

•Armament: 2x30mm

gun Hardpoints: 10 , pos-

sible 2*4 external

•Armament

37| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

Try.indd 37 1/30/12 9:28 AM

Page 38: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

A rival to F-22Evidence available presently demon-strates that a mature production PAK-FA has the potential to compete with the F-22A Raptor in stealth performance, and will be a threat to the F-22A Rap-tor aerodynamically and kinematically. Therefore, from a technological strategy perspective, the PAK-FA will be a threat to all legacy US fighter aircraft, and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, af-ter it achieves IOC (Initial Operational Capability) in 2015.

At the tactical level this will produce a large impact in Beyond Visual Range and Within Visual Range air combat. An important qualification is that most recent analyses of relative air combat capabilities performed in the United States assume that BVR combat will arise much more frequently than WVR combat. The basis of this assumption is that opposing air combat capabilities are easily detected and tracked by ISR sys-tems, permitting United States fighter aircraft to choose the time, place and

type of engagements to an advantage. This assumption collapses if the oppos-ing fighter has significant VLO capabil-ity, as a mature PAK-FA will. The result is that attacking PAK-FAs will have to be engaged at much closer ranges than existing non-stealthy threats, as they en-ter predictable geometries, when attack-ing high value targets such as AWACS/AEW&C platforms, tankers, or defend-ed surface assets.

Another important qualification is that the extreme agility of the PAK-FA design may significantly degrade the probability of all current Air to Air Mis-siles, (AAM). Like the F-22A Raptor, the PAK-FA will provide a significant capability for the kinematic defeat of in-bound missile shots.

Destiny of PAK FA ?A requirement for 1,000 PAK FA is pro-jected over the next four decades, which will be produced in a joint venture with India, 250 each for Russia and India and 500 for other countries. It is stated that

the Indian contribution would be in the form of joint work under the current agreement rather than as a joint ven-ture. The Indian Air Force will “acquire 50 single-seater fighters of the Russian version” before the two seat FGFA (Indo Russian Fifth Gen Fighter Aircraft) is developed. The Russian Defense Minis-try will purchase the first 10 aircraft after 2012 and the rest after 2016. The first batch of fighters will be delivered with current technology engines.

After 20 years of design and produc-tion, what began as an effort to buy 650 fighters capable of evading former So-viet radar defenses to escort bombers to targets came to an end with the 195th Raptor rolling out of the final assembly facility on December 13,2011. While US itself is having problem in keeping and maintaining F-22 in the air force due to the huge financial concerns, it is not clear to what extent Russia and India will be able to continue with their costly fighter.

The prices and sources of funding will determine the destiny of the PAK

[ NIIP’s AESA Radar for the PAK FA on display at MAKS-2009 ] [ PAK FA Front view ]

1/2 Page Horizontal AdBleed Size : 230 X147.5 mmTrim Size: 220 x 142.5 mm

[ The F-22 Raptor performed precision aerobatics at the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show ]

Researches

38 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Try.indd 38 1/30/12 9:28 AM

Page 39: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

FA program. To date officials agree that the program will cost $1.5 billion. Ac-cording to present reports, PAK FA and FGFA will be used mainly by India and Russia, with Vietnam and South Korea projected as probable export customers for the fighter. The PAK-FA is expect-ed to have a service life of about 30–35 years •

Reference / Photo credit:www.sukhoi.orgwww.ausairpower.netwww.knaapo.comwww.warfare.ruwww.lmco.com

1/2 Page Horizontal AdBleed Size : 230 X147.5 mmTrim Size: 220 x 142.5 mm

[ The F-22 Raptor performed precision aerobatics at the Fort Worth Alliance Air Show ]

Try.indd 39 1/30/12 9:28 AM

Page 40: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

The mine threat appeared between the two World Wars and was de-signed to restrict the mobility of armoured units. Countermining made its appearance at the same time, progressing at the same tempo as the advances in mine capability. In the 1990s, military interventions gave rise to a new, and subsequently characteristic, modern phenomena with regard to modern conflicts: namely the absence of a distinguishable front line. The breaching countermin-ing methods deployed up to this point by forces having reached the limit of their advance are no long-er suitable for the new operational situation. In 1995, as a response to this new Système d’OUVerture d’Itinéraire Miné, or SOUVIM, requirement, the French armed forces bought five South African Meerkat/Husky “road trains “ from Armscor, and decided to launch

studies on how to modernise and adapt the system to counter the new threats being met during ex-tended theatre operations. MBDA was retained by the DGA (la Di-rection Générale de l’Armement) in 1999 to carry out the evolution of the system subsequently known as SOUVIM 2.

The solution SOUVIM 2 is a countermining system based on a combination of mine detection and decoy sub-sys-tems. It is made up of several vehi-cles, each with complimentary func-tions: the VDM (Véhicule Détecteur de Mines) to detect the mines, the VTR (Véhicule Tracteur de Remor-ques) to tow the various trailers and the trailers themselves referred to as the RDM (Remorques Déclen-cheuses de Mines) whose function is to trigger the mines.The VDM is capable of rolling over

A Countermining System with Assured Safety SOUVIM 2 based on a combination of mine detection and decoy sub-systems

The mine clearing sys-

tem, SOUVIM 2 (Système

d’OUVerture d’Itinéraire

Miné), has been developed

by MBDA for mobility sup-

port missions. These mis-

sions are served by carry-

ing out the rapid opening

of long stretches of mined

routes at the rear of opera-

tions. SOUVIM 2 has, as its

base concept, the ability to

“clean” about 150km of route

in a day. The system can pro-

ceed at speeds in excess of 10

km/h with the capability of

detecting and decoying the

full scope of mine threats.

[SOUVIM 2 can pass over a mine without triggering it]

40 | February 2012 | Issue 481 |

Researches

Researches 481.indd 40 1/30/12 11:16 AM

Page 41: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

A Countermining System with Assured Safety

pressure-sensitive mines without activat-ing them thanks to its series of tires spe-cially developed by Michelin to MBDA’s specifications.

The VDM carries out the decoying of mines and IEDs in front of its path thanks to a series of pushed decoys, the towing of an initial mine triggering trail-er to secure the path taken by the second vehicle and the marking out of the hith-erto secured route.

The VTR and its mine triggering trail-ers complete the mine clearance of the route. Equipped with fused wheels, the trailers’ weight triggers the mines. Their tracks, made by differing and progres-sively larger wheelbases, allow the whole width of the path taken by the vehicle to be covered.

Security SOUVIM 2 has been developed with the maximum security of the operator in mind. The first mine detecting vehi-cle is equipped with ultra low-pressure

tyres that provide it with a unique stealth property regarding the weight imparted. Thanks to this property it can pass over a mine without triggering it. Its architec-ture comprises a V-armoured bodywork base which not only protects the driver but also the key elements of the vehicle itself. Taking into consideration the size of the system elements needing to be protected and the constraints linked to the requirements of weight stealth, this structure has been specially conceived to resist blast impacts and to protect the driver from direct fire. Indeed, the ergo-nomics of the driver’s cabin have been studied to maximise the efficiency of the driver (grouping of the controls, con-figurable digital readouts). Additional command interfaces can be easily added.Following a partnership with Force Pro-tection Incorporated (FPI) in the USA, SOUVIM2 is now available in a sys-tem of systems combination together with FPI Buffalo MRAP vehicles which brings increased clearance efficiency and

survivability. This new capability known as Netted Route Clearance Capability (NRCC) relies on a new secure jam-re-sistant data-link between all the vehicles in the system. This allows the crew in the Buffalo to remotely control SOUVIM 2’s sensors, decoys and effectors, thereby enhancing its capabilities to manage the IED threat. During standard route clear-ance operations, this new NRCC capa-bility could open 150 km of route a day at an average speed of 20 km/h.

Current StatusA totally new concept, the SOUVIM 2 system for opening up mined routes was developed by MBDA following the notification of a definition study by the DGA in 1999. This first study phase was completed in 2005. Two years later, the French army ordered four SOUVIM 2 systems. The system is now in series pro-duction •

Ref/Photo: MBDA THIERRY WURTZ

[SOUVIM’s architecture comprises a V-armoured bodywork base]

41| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

Researches 481.indd 41 1/30/12 11:17 AM

Page 42: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

| February 2012 | Issue 481 |

The infantry fighting vehicleThe most modern system of its kind

[The PUMA vehicle provides an maximum protection as well as high firepower]

42

Techniques

tqnyat Eng.indd 42 1/30/12 11:21 AM

Page 43: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

The PUMA infantry fighting vehicle

sets new international standards in

technology and design. Under the

umbrella of “Projekt System und

Management GmbH” (PSM) head-

quartered in Kassel, KMW is devel-

oping this ambitious programme

along with Rheinmetall Landsysteme.

The infantry fighting vehicleThe most modern system of its kind

The PUMA unifies in an overall system the contrasting require-ments for strategic and tactical mobility on the one hand, and maximum protection as well as high firepower, on the other.

ArmamentMain armament: stabilized MK30-2/ABM. Secondary armament: coaxial MG4.

Mission oriented fire power Maximum fire power is a prereq-uisite for successful engagement in high-intensity conflicts and for adequate reactions in other mis-

sions with the option of escala-tion and de-escalation. The Puma achieves this fire power through the interaction of different inno-vative elements:

The main armament is the fully stabilized, automatic 30 mm MK30-2 ABM fitted to the remote-controlled turret. This weapon designed for target en-gagement on great distances also on the move. 200 rounds of two types of ammunition are available ready to use. Further 200 rounds are stowed in the chassis.

In addition to existing 30 mm full-calibre and sub-calibre fin-stabilized ammunition, it is also

43

tqnyat Eng.indd 43 1/30/12 11:21 AM

Page 44: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

| February 2012 | Issue 481 |

- Gross vehicle weight (GVW): 43,00 t.- Weight, level A (Air-transportable by A400M): 31,45 t.

- Main armament:MK30-2/ABM, cal. 30 mm.- Secondary armament: MG 4, cal. 5.56 mm.

Guided missile sys-tem: SPIKE LR (EuroSpike).

Guided missile system: SPIKE LR (EuroSpike).Protection (incl. MUSS): against mines, IED, medium calibre weapons, artillery fragments, guided missiles, NBC weapons.

Length: 7,4 m.

width:3,7 m.

Engine power: 800 kW (1088 HP).

Crew: 9 (3+6).

44

Techniques

tqnyat Eng.indd 44 1/30/12 11:21 AM

Page 45: The infantry fighting vehicle€¦ · The infantry fighting vehicle A Countermining System with Assured Safety Global Nuclear Power Requirement Falls, Solar Energy Gains r A New Competitor

| Issue 481 | February 2012 |

The PUMA uni-fies in an overall system the con-trasting require-ments for strate-gic and tactical mobility

possible to fire the newly developed air burst ammunition with time fuz-es. A variety of state of the art optical and optronic vision devices enables the whole crew 360° all-around sur-veillance, recognition and identifica-tion of targets on long distances.

The hunter-killer functionality, as available in the Leopard 2 main bat-tle tank, allows the rapid engagement of several targets within a very short time. PUMA receives an additional weapon system with the integration of the Anti Armour/Multi-Purpose Missile System SPIKE, provided by EuroSpike. The integration of SPIKE boosts the PUMA’s lethality signifi-cantly.

Due to the existing interfaces a gre-nade launcher can be mounted op-tionally.

MK30-2/ABM• Calibre: 30 mm.• Rate of fire: 200 rounds per minute

• Effective range up to 3000 m.• Envisioned standard ammunition: APFSDS-T and KETF (ABM).(other types of ammunition possi-ble).• Alternate firing of different types of ammunition without last shot accomplished by dual ammunition feeding.• Muzzle velocity measurement and fuze setting of air burst ammunition (ABM).• Ammunition: 200 rounds ready to fire, additional 200 rounds in storage.

MG 4The coaxial mounted MG 4 is

used as a secondary armament laid and operated analogue to the main weapon.• Calibre: 5.56 mm.• Rate of fire: appr. 850 rounds per minute.• Effective range up to 1000 m• Ammunition: 1000 rounds ready to

fire, additional 1000 rounds in stor-age

Missile Weapon System SPIKE• The integration of SPIKE allows the PUMA to fight enemy targets as well as helicopters and threats behind en-emy lines even more effectively. • The launcher for the two missiles (SPIKE LR) with multipurpose high lethality war heads will be mounted on the turret.• Fire & Observe Modus or / and• Fire & Forget Modus.• Min. Range 200m - Max. Range 4000m •

Photo credit / reference:http://www.psm-spz.com

- Maximum speed (road), for-ward/reverse: 70 / 30 km/h.- Engine power: 800 kW (1088 HP).- Turret:unmanned, remote-controlled.

height: 3,1 m.

45

tqnyat Eng.indd 45 1/30/12 11:21 AM