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50
is a Big
Number
In
June of this
year,the
single-seat
Eurofighter
SS003 was handed
over to the
Spanish Air
Force in a
ceremony that
marked the
delivery of
the 50th production
aircraft from
Eads Military
Aircraft. On
that same day
the 51st production
aeroplane was
handed over
to the German
AirForce. Firm
orders for
638 Eurofighters
and Typhoons
have been logged
in the Eads
order books.
All the remaining
aircraft from
Tranche 1 –148
in all – are
in the process
of construction.
Iridium
to the Fore
Again
The
US Marines
have been using
an Iridium
satellite-enabled
equipment identification
and tracing
system to provide
in-transit
visibility
and asset tracking
capability
to support
today's warfighter.
The system
has been trialled
at Camp Lejeune
and incorporates
radio-frequency
identification
tags and Internet-based
tracking software
to locate and
track the movement
of vital supplies
for fighters
on the front
lines. The
system relies
on Iridium's
net-work of
66 low-earth-orbit
satellites – the
only network
with complete
coverage of
the earth,including
oceans,air-ways
and polar regions – torelay
data in real-time
fromRF interrogators
and to track
vehicles and
other assets.
The RF tags
are low-power
radio transmitters
attached to
equipment pallets
and containers,and
contain up
to 128 kb of
information
on supply level
detail which
is read by
interrogator
devices set-up
near the entrances
to basesand
supply hubs.
Portable Iridium
terminals transmit
the data to
an Internet-based
tracking system.
General
Dynamics
in the Fast
Lane
The
US National
Security Agency
has recently
certified the
OC-192 version
of the Fastlane
Asynchronous
Transfer Module
(ATM) Encryptor
for encryption
and decryption
of information
ranging from
Unclassified
to Top Secret/Special
Compartmented
Information
(TS/SCI), or
Type 1, data.
Touted as the
world's fastest
ATM network
encryptor,the
Fastlane OC-192
can simultaneously
encrypt and
decrypt at
ten Gbits/sec,which
is the equivalent
of480,000 typewritten
pages per second.
New
IMS in-a-Box
Rohde & Schwarz
has produced
a compact Integrated
Measurement
System (IMS)
for measuring
electromagnetic
susceptibility
of radiating
products from
development
to certification.
The operating
system of the
R & S IMS
is test software
that performs
EMS and EMI
(Electromagnetic
Interference)
measurements
from nine kHz
to threeGHz
in accordance
with all common
commercial,
military and
automotive
standards.
The IMS conducts
power measurement
of three channels – forward
and reflected,as
well as interference
levels – and
provides system
calibration
and continuous
checking.
Chile
is Hot for
F-16
The
first F-16
produced
for the Chilean
Air Force underwent
its initial
production
acceptance
flight on 6
July in Texas –two
other flights
were accom-plished
two weeks later
with no discrepancies
reported on
either of them.
The Chilean
F-16 Peace
Puma programme
is a US government
Foreign Mil-itary
Sales programme
that includes
ten advanced
Block50 F-16s,six
single-seat
F-16Cs and
four two-seat
F-16Ds.The
next programme
milestone is
to be the acceptance
of thef irst
three aircraft
by the US government – which
should have
transpired
by the time
these lines
are read. One
F-16 will be
used for flight
testing with
the other two
used for hands-on
maintenance
training of
the Chilean
Air Force technicians.
ATLP
Gets Beamer
Top
As
a part of
the US Military's
Advanced Tactical
Laser(ATL)
programme,
L-3 Communications
Brashear has
delivered its
Beam Director
Turret Assembly
to the programme's
lead system
integrator
Boeing. The
ATL will permit
the US military
to direct ultra-precise
laser energy
from an aircraft
onto specific
targets with
little or no
collateral
damage. A C-130
transport is
scheduled to
be the test
platform onto
which Boeing
will integrate
the turret
assembly.
On the Armada
Bookshelf
 Boy
Soldier
Ervin
V. Galantay
Military
Press - Hungary
What
could be labeled «the
rise and fall
of the Vannay
Battalion»,Boy
Soldier is
an in-depth
account of
the 1944–1945
Russian siege
of Budapest
written from
the author’s
day-to-day
diary. At the
age of 14 Ervin
Galantay was
thrown into
the role of
urban guerrilla
and assigned
to the ill-fated
battalion that
was created
and led by
Laszlo Vannay.The
author recounts
the politics
and tactics
of the battles
froma first-person
perspective
and pro-vides
insight into
what some historians
refer to as
a «must
read» for
any-one interested
in urban combat.
Lieutenant
General Daniel
Petrosky,Commander,Eighth
US Army,Korea
writes,«The
lessons learned
from the WWII
siege of Budapest
have great
applicability
today and demonstrate
what a well-led,motivated
and out-gunned
unit can do
in an urban
defense against
a superior
foe».
The almost
savagely innocent
description
of the events,scenes,sounds,smells
and the author’s
feelings combine
to make a gripping
read out of
this historic
reference.
Recognised
as one of the
foremost experts
on urban combat,Professor
Galantay has
compiled a
thought-provoking
account of
a 60-year-old
battle;one
that sheds
light upon
and answers
many questions
asked of the
current battlefield
scenario of
today’s
warfighter
(see The Vertical
Battlefield
Complete Guide
to Urban Warfare
Systems that
accompanies
this issue).
Harrier GR9
Paves the Way
Raytheon
and BAE Systems
have conducted
environmental
flight tests
with a view
to final integration
of the Pave-way
IV with the
Harrier GR9
aircraft. Flights
were conducted
with a Paveway
IV Environmental
Test Vehicle(ETV)
round – one
that measures
the environment
within which
the weapon
must operate
on the Harrier.
The ETV measures
vibration levels,pressures
and temperatures
encountered
whilst rid-ing
under the aircraft
duringf light.
Type
45 Takes
a Bow
The
Royal Navy’s
first-of-class
Type 45 destroyer
(HMS Daring)
underwent the
initial stage
in the movement
of a 1000-tonne
steel bow section
as it began
its journey
from Portsmouth
to Glasgow
in late May
2005. VT Shipbuilding
is constructing
the bow sections,funnels
and masts for
all six Type
45 vessels
under order
from the Royal
Navy,and is
working under
subcontract
from BAE Systems.
The ships are
undergoing
complete construction
at BAE Systems’ Naval
Ships facility
at Scotstoun
on the Clyde.
The funnels
and foremast
is scheduled
to be delivered
to Glasgow
later this
year.
Saving
the Boys'
Backs
New
European
Union legislation
that became
law on 6 July
2005 requires
vehicle manufacturers
to minimise
the occurrence
of driver and
passenger back
injury. the
rule will have
a pronounced
impact on military
off-road vehicles,
although it
will apply
to some air
and sea transport
as well. Qinetiq
has been working
for over thirty
years in testing
noise and whole
body vibration
(WBV) levels
and their effects,utilizing
its own laboratory
facilities
and mathematical
models for
spinal injury
to assess high-shock
seating systems
on behalf of
industry. WBV
test platforms
have included
the Viking
Armoured Fighting
Vehicle for
the Ministry's
Support Utility
Vehicles Integrated
Project Team.
Vehicles already
in service
will be allowed
a transition
period – until
2010 or 2014 – but
vehicles coming
into service
after July
2007 will have
to be readily
compliant with
the new regulations,which
also set limits
on certain
hand-held power
tools.
Hunter
Offers Safe
Heating
Hunter
Manufacturing
has released
a new multi-fuel
tent heater,the
MTH-150,which
can provide
120,000 British
Thermal Units
per hour of
safe,breathable
air for up
to 17 hours
of continuous
operation before
manual re-fuelling,
although the
unit can be
attached to
a remote bulk
fuel supply
to alleviate
this chore.
The MTH-150
burns a variety
of standard
liquid fuels
including DF1,DF2,DFA
and JP8. Supplied
with a remote
thermostat
to allow temperature
control from
within the
shelter,the
unit includes
two 40-cm duct
sections which
can be attached
to the inlet
and outlet
of the heater
for 100 per
cent re-circulation
or it can be
outfit-ted
with a fresh
air collar
to allow for
300 cubic feet
per minute
of fresh or
make-up air
to be introduced
into the heated
air stream.
The MTH-150
is designed
with the combustion
chamber completely
isolated from
the heated
air by a sealed
heat exchanger.
This eliminates
the possibility
of deadly carbon
monoxide and
combustion
gases from
entering the
shelter,but
for added protection
the MTH-150
also comes
standard with
a carbon monoxide
detector.
Sea
Trials for
ScanEagle
In
July the
Boeing/Insitu
Group's ScanEagle
long-endurance
drone completed
successful
sea trials
from the USS
Cleveland as
part of the
US Navy-sponsored
2005 Joint
Task Force
Exercise. The
trials verified
the drone's
launch and
recovery capabilities
in four missions
during the
two-week exercise,and
included 68
test approaches.
Throughout
the exercise
the ScanEagle
provided real-time
video to the
participating
ships. Although
the drone had
already been
deployed operationally
in Iraq this
exercise marked
its first use
(launch and
recovery) from
a US Navy ship.
Forrest
Sherman’s
Super Trial
The
Aegis guided
missile destroyer
USS Forrest
Sherman (DDG
98) recently
passed its
third super
trial in the
Gulf of Mexico – a
benchmark that
signifies its
readiness for
delivery to
the US Navy.
The super trial
concept was
developed by
industry and
the Navy and
combines three
separate sea
trial voyages
into one extended
exercise. The
Forrest Sherman
is Northrop
Grumman’s
23rd Aegis
destroyer.
The entire
range of ship
systems – from
propulsion
to communications– was
tested and
all systems
received high
passing marks.
The super trial
sequence was
first implemented
in 2004 with
the USS James
E.Williams
and continued
with the USS
Halsey in November.
One
Million and
Counting
The
one millionth
M762A1/M767A1
electronic
time (ET)artillery
fuze was delivered
to the US military(Army/Marine
Corps) by BT
Fuze Products
in March of
this year.
BT Fuze,a division
of L-3 Communications,designed
and qualified
the ET fuze
under a 1998
to 2001 Materiel
Change Program
and has been
the sole provider
of the system.
The ET fuze,noted
for its 99.86
per cent reliability,is
used on all
artillery cargo
and air burst
155 and 105
mm projectiles
and is currently
under evaluation
for rifled
mortar use
and is being
considered
for export
to several
US allies.
New
Kit for Awacs
The
first batch
of 32 US
Air Force
Awacs aircraft
being retrofitted
with the Global
Air Traffic
Management
upgrade are
in the process
of having new
satellite communication
and air traffic
management
equipment installed
by Boeing in
Seattle,Washington.
The upgrade
will permit
the Awacs to
operate in
congested airspace
by allow-ing
it to fly in
closer proximity
to other aircraft;this
is particularly
important in
Europe and
the east coast
corridor o
the USA. Further
enhancements
include a traffic
collision avoidance
system that
sends an audible
message – to
climb or descend – to
the flight
crew in order
to prevent
a collision.
Finnish
Maiden is
an NH90
The
maiden flight
of the first
Patria-assembled
NH90 was conducted
in mid-July
by a test flight
crew from Eurocopter.
The helicopter
was flown for
just over one
hour, up to
4000 ft and
at its maximum
speed, with
the crew reporting
that the bird
operated to
their expectations.
As a subcontractor
to Eurocopter
in Marignane,
France, Patria
will assemble
50 helicopters,this
first – KH-202 – will
be delivered
to the Finnish
Defence Forces.
The main modules
of the aircraft
were supplied
by the NHI
partner companies
of Eurocopter
France,Euro-copter
Germany, Agusta
Italy and Fokker
in the Netherlands.The
NH90 is the
world’s
first production
helicopter
with a full
fly-by-wire
control system
and a crash-resistant
all-composite
airframe. The
assembly agreement
calls for deliveries
scheduled between
2005 and 2011.
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