Digest.

A fascinating project from Northrop Grumman is the low cost interceptor -- or LCI -- which is a US Army programme aimed at modifying existing Air Force

missiles to make them `ground-launchable' to counter the emerging threat from cruise missiles, with an initial operational capability in 2005. In other words, the LCI, with a range of more than 250 km, can be regarded as an `anticruise missile cruise missile'. The vehicle is powered by a TJ-50 M-1 turbojet engine from Hamilton Sundstrand and uses a Hellfire booster for the launch phase. Launch, incidentally, is performed from four-cell Patriot launchers with the difference that each cell accommodates four LCIs. The missile carries a Raytheon infrared seeker but target acquisition is performed by the Army's Jlens joint land attack elevated netted sensor. The LCI also carries a data link, which enables it to be redirected and gives it the ability to send back images from the seeker, At the time of reporting the requirement was still being defined.

Cougar Story Take Five

Eurocopter president Jean-Francois Bigay recently presented the first EC 725 helicopter to the Chief of Staff of the French Air Force to fulfil its combat Sar mission support requirements. The EC 725, which performed its maiden flight in November 2000 whilst still known as the Cougar Mk 2+, enjoys the benefit of new rotor blades with a state-of-the-art airfoil design (note the berp-like blade tip). The five main rotor blades (a configuration that ensures a much lower vibration level) have a composite spar with parabolic blade tips boasting an anhedral profile. The new blade design, a reinforced gear box, new engines and an enhanced integrated cockpit display help distinguish the EC 725 from its predecessor, the Super Puma/ Cougar Mk 2. The French Air Force has planned to retain a total of four EC 725s in its stables by 2004.

M82A1 M Series .50 calibre

Barrett Firearms produces a .50 calibre semi-automatic rifle, the M82A1, that operates on the Browning short recoil cycle to reduce recoil loads to the level of a 12-gauge shotgun. The M82A1 (M series) was recently adopted for military special operations applications and Explosive Ordnance Disposal purposes. The -A1 configuration boasts a few improments, including a rear grip, an angled M1913 optical rail, a quick-removable muzzle brake and a short barrel stroke to improve reliability. The M82A1 features a ten-round magazine, a 74 cm-long barrel and weighs-in quietly at 14 kg. Many Nato nations are currently on the purchaser list, including the US Marine Corps with the M82A3 model.

RGB 4View Full-Rez

Higher visual quality for a display screen is the nirvana for both display and processor developers, not to mention users, and RGB Spectrum has come one step closer to achieving this goal. The 4View display processor takes four separate video inputs and displays them in quadrants on a monitor, flat panel or projection screen, and does so in full resolution on a 1280 x 1024 pixel screen. The 4View system features include titling, borders and both front panel and RS-232 control -- with options to include an auxiliary video rate output and DVI digital output as well as the primary high resolution RGB display capability.

Korea F-X Team Tests Typhoon

The Republic of Korea Air Force (Rokaf) F-X programme Test & Evaluation Team spent four weeks in the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany and Spain to fly and evaluate the Eurofighter Typhoon. Before the tour the pilots were trained in the Typhoon simulator and spent time gathering information about the main elements of the aircraft specifications for both the operational and support aspects. The twelve-member Rokaf team witnessed a gun firing demonstration in Germany as well as an engine removal and re-installation (performed in exactly 45 minutes) in Caselle, flew twelve test flights in Madrid and visited a variety of manufacturing and training facilities (including Rolls Royce) during the tour.

Avenger Strikes Right in Awe

The recent digital warfighting exercise at Fort Polk, Louisiana saw Boeing's Avenger STC (Slew-to-Cue) short range air defence system finish, what Boeing calls the `test of its life'. During the Joint Contingency Force Advanced Warfighting Experiment (Awe) the Avenger was a key player, along with the Sentinel radar which sent the cue signals to Avengers concealed in protected positions. With the Slew-to-Cue feature the Avengers moved rapidly from their concealed positions, slew to and engaged the targets then returned to their protected positions. The STC system uses the digital link from the command and control unit to slew the Avenger turret, placing the target in the gunner's field-of-view reducing engagement time to mere seconds. Boeing and the US Army Shorad programme office are currently fielding the Avenger STC to another unit, the 1st Battalion, 44th ADA at Fort Hood, Texas.

EW Market On the Rise

As predicted some time earlier by Armada International's Editor in Chief, the production of Electronic Warfare (EW) systems is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. Forecast International envisages a 57 per cent increase in the next ten years and sees the potential value of the market during this time frame to grow to $11.2 billion. Forecast mentions that an ever-changing threat environment has accelerated a worldwide requirement for EW systems (not mentioned but also of note are the situations that had arisen during the Kosovo conflict). A recent Pentagon report -- EW Programs Management Study -- noted that the American EW aircraft fleet, in particular, was rapidly ageing and in short supply, while new generations of aircraft-mounted jammers and self-defence systems appear to be bogged down in endless development cycles. Forecast International believes EW developmental funding will receive a significant boost in future defence budgets as a result. The market segments with the largest growth potential are jamming systems, infrared countermeasures and laser warning receivers. More information may be obtained from their website at www.forecast1.com.

US Army Buys Mofa

KDI Precision Products will be delivering 210 500 Multi Option Fuze for Artillery (Mofa) fuzes to the US Army under a contract from Tacom-Ardec, Picatinny Arsenal. The M782 Mofa is an inductively-set proximity fuze with proximity, point detonating, precision time and delay operational modes. KDI will begin deliveries in the 4th quarter 2001.

The Blue Team (General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin) has announced some specifics regarding the design of the US Navy's newest destroyer-to-be, the land attack Zumwalt class DD 21. The ship is the first vessel designed from the keel up to provide for an enhanced quality of life for the sailors, as opposed to focusing on the ship's mission and providing whatever space is leftover for the crew. The crew are to live in staterooms designed for privacy (maximum occupancy: three). Modern recreational and exercise facilities are to be complemented by an innovative food service, which will be effected by a crew of 7 -- a long shot from the usual 18 to 80 on conventional ships. A ship-to-shore electronic interface will provide for direct online maintenance, administrative and medical support. But the ship is not without advanced weaponry, with United Defense developing its Advanced Gun System 155 mm which sports a 750-round magazine and provides a sustained firing rate of twelve rounds per minute. An integrated electric drive is proposed, to enhance survivability of the Blue Team DD 21. The ship will be operated by a fifteen-member watch team working in a highly automated bridge and advanced Mission Control Center -- designed to replace today's CIC, Sonar Control, Engineering Control and Damage Control Centers. The DD 21 will employ a four-section watch to provide eight hours of uninterrupted sleep underway.

Base-X Mobile Shelters

Advanced tactical mobility is the watch-word when shelters are the subject, and Base-X has the solutions. The Base-X family of general purpose, soft-wall shelters, designed to complement today's digitised forces, are constructed from 2.54-cm diameter struts and 3.81-cm leg tubes covered by a completely removable 198.50-gram PVC coated fabric, vinyl heat sealed to minimise stitch holes. A 312-gram, water-tight fabric floor is integrated with the design, and all removable liners -- NBC, EMI, cold weather insulation, etc -- are included. Base-X shelter liners are pre-constructed with air distribution ducts and electrical outlets. No part of the shelter is over five feet long, which allows for ease of packaging and transport. Constructed from T6061 aluminium, the shelters' tension members are cables, rather than tubes, which substantially reduces overall weight.

Testing the Tempest from HydraStorm

Field tested by the author, the Tempest from HydraStorm keeps the juices flowing when the hills get steep (even in the Swiss Alps!). One quickly understands why the HydraStorm line is labelled "the most advanced hydration system on Earth" when, after slipping on the Tempest system (pictured) and donning a light ski jacket over the unit, the only noticeable (yet barely visible) change was the weight of the water, which is distributed perfectly by correctly adjusting the harness' shoulder and belly straps. The user-friendly V-shaped pack holds the three-litre, baffled reservoir that boasts a large-mouthed exterior fill port for easy access. The extremely low profile pack is manufactured from 1000D NyTaneon tactical assault fabric, which somehow managed to resist absorbing the author's perspiration during the gruelling three-hour uphill climb. Access to the water was a breeze, or should one say `bite' -- the patented bite valve, which includes a second non-drip, locking security system, resisted my most enthusiastic attempts to disfigure it and should withstand almost any treatment a thirsty soldier can inflict. Also on test was the Tsunami version -- a completely fool-proof combination of cargo carrying capacity and hydration system. Its three-litre reservoir is complemented by two large gear pockets as well as Blackhawk Industries' famous BTS (Blackhawk Tactical System) for attaching a variety of pouches, field accessories or duty gear. One special feature of the Tsunami is its friendly intercooler ventilation system that boasts a compression moulded foam back panel which adds comfort and support to the user.

SAIC Installs Upgraded DEB

SAIC, Science Applications International Corporation, is busy installing the Digital European Backbone (DEB), which provides communication capabilities for the US Department of Defense in the European Theatre. This microwave-linked system currently operates via eighteen relay stations positioned atop some of the most remote sites in the highest elevations around Europe, and it is planned to include a further fourteen sites spanning the width and breadth of Britain, Belgium, Germany and Italy. SAIC, an employee-owned company, provides breakthrough communications solutions and IT products and services to a variety of industries and markets, as well as OSS and consulting services for the telecom industry worldwide.

Storm Shadow Scalps Building

The first guided firing of Matra BAe Dynamics' Storm Shadow/Scalp EG was completed successfully, with the missile hitting a specially constructed target more than 250 km downrange. The weapon was launched at 20 000 ft from a French Air Force Mirage 2000 flying at Mach 0.9, flew a very low altitude course at Mach 0.8 and struck the target well within the CEP (circular error probable). A full-production representative, the missile contained all guidance systems required to conduct an operational mission, including:

* a controlled and stealthy airframe equipped with a turbojet propulsion system

* guidance and navigation equipment for high accuracy performance (inertial measuring unit, GPS, radar altimeter)

* an autonomous target recognition system.

The target, which was purposely built for the test, was representative of an ordinary infrastructure building and helped demonstrate the benefits of a missile's autonomous terminal guidance by imaging.

Bid Going in For Rosetta

Rosetta Global Communications, born through a partnership of Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems and British Telecom, is poised to submit its bid to the British Ministry of Defence for the Skynet 5 requirement, which provides for the information and communication needs of the British military and other Allied military forces. The fifteen-year programme is a direct result of Britain's approach to the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), which many other countries are now beginning to embrace as a cost-effective method for contracting and outsourcing an ever-growing collection of required military/ defence services. Rosetta will be bidding to provide the Ministry with access to information anytime and anywhere in the world plus a full range of Information Communication Technology services that support military capabilities across a complex set of operational roles and scenarios. The relative timeline for the Skynet 5 selection process will see the Ministry making its selection of preferred bidder around November 2001 with a possible contract award by May 2002.