Modern Infantry Equipment Updates

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
Thales is introducing three new unmanned systems at Eurosatory 2010 – the Spy Arrow mini-UAV, an autonomous, affordable and backpackable surveillance system comprising a delta-winded miniature aircraft; The company is also displaying the μTrooper Unmanned Ground Vehicle - a multi-role six-wheeled platform carrying a small EO payload, that can operate independently or as part of a pack. Thales is also developing a larger, electrically powered UGV called R-Trooper, equipped with a full UGV sensor suite as well as deploy smaller robots on specific missions.


The μTrooper from Thales, can carry a small EO payload or a CBRN sensor operating in an open or built-up area, it can move through obstacles, and even climb stairs up to 18 cm high.

Thales is introducing three new unmanned systems at Eurosatory 2010 – the Spy Arrow mini-UAV, an autonomous, affordable and backpackable surveillance system comprising a delta-winded miniature aircraft, carrying an EO payload and associated avionics to perform a short, autonomous mission over a pre-planned or user guided path. The Spy Arrow transmits real-time video with geo-location points to provide the warfighter with ad-hoc surveillance and recce of an area of operation. Additional payloads considered for the robot are Chemical Biological, Radiological, Nuclear (CBRN) detectors.

The company is also displaying the μTrooper Unmanned Ground Vehicle - a multi-role six-wheeled platform that can operate independently or as part of a pack. The μTrooper is equipped with radio transmitters capable of sending real time video in an urban environment. It employs an open architecture to easily integrate new payloads or systems. The μTrooper uses articulated chassis a six-wheel drive moving it on rough terrain, and even climb steps of 18 cm high.

Thales is also developing a larger UGV caller R-Trooper, equipped with a full UGV sensor suite, including cameras, radar, 2D and 3D laser scanners etc.). The R-Trooper runs on an electric motor and is virtually noiseless. It can also carry smaller sub-robots for reconnaissance on emplacement of communication relays in an indoor setting. R-Trooper can be used for missions such as observation and reconnaissance, area control and perimeter surveillance, forward logistics, countermine and general force protection including counter IED operations.


The R-Trooper, electrically powered Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Source
 

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
US Army in 2020

U.S. technologists have revealed that the country's military has plans to have about 30 per cent of the Army comprised of robotic forces by approximately 2020.



Doug Few and Bill Smart of Washington University in St. Louis say that robots are increasingly taking over more soldier duties in Iraq and Afghanistan, and that the U. S. Army wants to make further additions to its robotic fleet. They, however, also point out that the machines still need the human touch.

"When the military says 'robot' they mean everything from self-driving trucks up to what you would conventionally think of as a robot. You would more accurately call them autonomous systems rather than robots," says Smart, assistant professor of computer science and engineering.



All of the Army's robots are teleoperated, meaning there is someone operating the robot from a remote location, perhaps often with a joystick and a computer screen.



While this may seem like a caveat in plans to add robots to the military, it is actually very important to keep humans involved in the robotic operations.

"It's a chain of command thing. You don't want to give autonomy to a weapons delivery system. You want to have a human hit the button. You don't want the robot to make the wrong decision. You want to have a human to make all of the important decisions," says Smart.



The technologist duo says that researchers are not necessarily looking for intelligent decision-making in their robots. Instead, they are working to develop an improved, "intelligent" functioning of the robot.

"It's oftentimes like the difference between the adverb and noun. You can act intelligently or you can be intelligent. I'm much more interested in the adverb for my robots," says Few, a Ph.D. student who is interested in the delicate relationship between robot and human.




He says that there are many issues that may require "a graceful intervention" by humans, and these need to be thought of from the ground up.




"When I envision the future of robots, I always think of the Jetsons. George Jetson never sat down at a computer to task Rosie to clean the house. Somehow, they had this local exchange of information. So what we've been working on is how we can use the local environment rather than a computer as a tasking medium to the robot," he says.

Few has incorporated a toy into robotic programming, and with the aid of a Wii controller, he capitalizes on natural human movements to communicate with the robot.



According to the researchers, focussing on a joystick and screen rather than carting around a heavy laptop would help soldiers in battle to stay alert, and engage in their surroundings while performing operations with the robot.



"We forget that when we're controlling robots in the lab it's really pretty safe and no one's trying to kill us. But if you are in a war zone and you're hunched over a laptop, that's not a good place to be. You want to be able to use your eyes in one place and use your hand to control the robot without tying up all of your attention," says Smart.


Source
 

nrj

Ambassador
Joined
Nov 16, 2009
Messages
9,658
Likes
3,911
Country flag
New 'Terminator' Robots Go in Harm's Way

IRobot, best known for their cute Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner, has teamed up with Metal Storm, purveyors of the million-rounds-per-minute electric gun, to create a slick, Terminator-like war robot for the U.S. military.

The as yet unnamed war bot is being marketed for "border patrol" and "crowd control" scenarios, although other military situations are also under consideration.

"We want our soldiers to have the option of controlling a robot that could go ahead and investigate, engage or deter an enemy and not put human soldiers at risk," said a spokesman for Metal Storm who wished to remain anonymous.

This new war bot will likely soon join the existing ranks of military robots deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The U.S. military has used various war bots, from both iRobot and its competitor Foster-Miller, for years, primarily to diffuse bombs and other unexploded ordinances.

The first armed robots appeared in Iraq in 2007 as part of Foster-Miller's SWORDS program. They were armed with M249 light machine guns and received limited service in Iraq.

Since then robot armaments have increased. The Metal Storm/iRobot robot can be equipped with a variety of weapons, from non-lethal rubber bullets to grenade launchers. As many as 12 different Metal Storm weapons can be put onto the iRobot platform at the same time, said a Metal Storm spokesman.

The difference between Metal Storm weapons and other guns is the firing mechanism.

Traditional guns rely on a firing pin to physically strike the flat end of a round resting in the firing chamber, creating hot gases that propel the bullet down and out of the gun barrel.

A Metal Storm gun however, fires the bullets electrically, not physically. Pull the trigger and an electrical charge from a battery is sent down the barrel of the gun, triggering the chemical reaction that sends a bullet flying.




There are no moving parts (besides the bullet) and multiple bullets fit into a single gun barrel, letting the gunner fire much faster than traditional firearms. Metal Storm claims their weapons can fire (theoretically) up to a million rounds a minute.

While Foster-Miller might lack an exotic firing mechanism, their robots still pack plenty of fire power.

Their latest MAARS (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) robots can carry anything from pepper spray and laser dazzlers to 40-mm grenade launcher or a M240B medium machine gun. Foster-Miller delivered their 2,000th war bot to the military earlier this month.

Perhaps even more important than weaponry is durability.

"[The robots] can take a beating," said Robert Quinn, an engineer at Foster-Miller. "Some of our robots have been blown up 10, even 15 times, and they still work."

If a warrior robot is damaged in battle, the military has a system in place to repair them. A network of seven robot hospitals in Iraq and Afghanistan keeps wounded war bots healthy.

Robot warriors might be armed, sent into battle, and even wounded like humans, but they lack the most important aspect of a warrior (and for doomsday scenarios): intelligence.



All of the robots are controlled remotely by human soldiers to keep their comrades safe in threatening situations. There is no artificial intelligence on board.

"Our soldiers know when they are facing a threatening situation," said Quinn. "In those circumstances they would like to send a robot instead of a human so the humans can remain safe."

"This is trying to give a team of soldiers a 'tenth man' that is expendable to enemy fire," said Quinn.

Source
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
High-tech winter gear for soldiers

Two soldiers show off new winter clothing to be distributed to military personnel featuring new, digitally-rendered camouflage and extra insulation, at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul, Monday.


 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
Israeli CQB vest

Israeli CQB vest





The vest is designed on two major principles: (1) the right chest area, where the gun's butt-stock goes, must be as flat and clear of any pouches, buckles and what not. nothing comes in the way of the gun when you point and shoot. (2) The vest must be as low-key profile as possible. that's a major element when most of your action takes place in narrow alleyways, corridors, corners windows and thresholds. The numbers in the picture above indicates 1) the ceramic vest underneath, 2) the upper locking buckle (with the personal radio's PTT button attached to it, although sometimes I'll attach it to my left palm).












Left side view. the captions I added indicates pouches which are specific for one kind of equipment.











Right side view.














Back view, showing the ports in the integral upper back pouch, the nape pouch (good for small items like cellphone)



Last back view, showing 5 out of 6 adjustment points of the vest.












Front view again, showing the locking point of the vest.











The vest has its own 3 padding cushions, but they are usually removed when wearing a ceramic vest underneath.
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041

Aside from 6 M4 magazines, the vest has 4 9mm Glock/Sig Sauer magazine pouches, on on each side of the M4 mag pouches.






The Med-Kit pouch and communication package.






The vest also has a detachable backpack for carrying bigger equipment like tactical radio (for the team's radio guy), breaching equipment, extra water and ammo for longer operations, etc etc..






The detachable backpack locks into the vest in five points, and is very efficient in operation where the team is taking over a house and operates in short in-and-out mini operations from it. in that case you'd just leave the backpack behind and re-attach it only on extraction.





Now that is a vest!!!! :D


Originally extracted from MP.net..
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?180181-Israeli-CQB-vest
 

sayareakd

Mod
Joined
Feb 17, 2009
Messages
17,734
Likes
18,951
Country flag
My pleasure...
Btw in IDF its know as Warrior Vest, Hope to see such vest in F-INSAS..
wont be that difficult to make desi version of these type of vests, specially if some one can make as per the requirement of our guys.
 

neo29

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2009
Messages
1,284
Likes
30
This is an awesome vest. Soldiers can walk, run and duck easily during combat. Impressive technology that India must look into.
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
84mm Carl Gustav HEAT 751 Shaped Charge tamdem warhead

84mm Carl Gustav HEAT 751 Shaped Charge tamdem warhead



Looks like this is effective against personel hiding inside buildings or behind compound walls.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
Russian infantry combat system development programs

RUSSIAN INFANTRY COMBAT SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS




With development of technologies some kind of military equipment vanished from the usage, substituted by conceptually new (the bow to the rifle), other transformed without alteration of its primary purpose (the pioneer spade). In many cases decommissioned items re-entered service in a new look at the next turn of technologies development - one of these cases was the cuirass that transformed into the flak jacket.



INFANTRY COMBAT SYSTEM
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
At the end of the 20th century in the Armed Forces of developed countries they came to understanding that segmental set of infantry combat equipment should be systematised, unified and reduced. Thus the infantry found itself in the most unpleasant state. Chief Designers of planes and tanks defined strict requirements to the contractors who supplyed assemblies and units for their hardware. But the infantry did not possess such "Chief Designer", thus an individual designer of combat equipment was at his own disposal in defining what and how an infantryman shall and is able to do, his demands. Besides, the compatibility with other combat equipment was often neglected. The infantry combat equipment widened to zillions and caused a negative impact on the mission efficiency.
Upon facing obstacles in providing infantry with combat equipment, the military gradually developed Infantry Combat System (ICS). In Russia such activities are being carried out by the 3rd Central Research Institute of MoD, which released the R&D report in 1994 - Conceptual Study of Russian Infantry Combat System Development. The Central Research Institute of Precision Engineering (TSNII TOCHMASH) became the main designer of Infantry Combat System for Russian Armed Forces. The Coordinator of all activities has been Interagency Committee on Coordination in Development f man-portable Infantry Combat System for complements of MoD, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Federal Border Guard Service, Federal Security Service of Russia, Federal Protective Service and EMERCOM, chaired by Chief of Armaments of Russian Armed Forces.

In order to ensure a graded funding and coordination in efforts of various agencies and services, the Departmental Special-
Purpose Program for Man-Portable Combat and Special Equipment of Russian Armed Forces and other Enforcement Services to 2010 (Boets-XXI) was adopted, which approved by Russian Government and included into State Arms Program (SAP) for the period until 2010.
The milestones of the Special-Purpose Program within SAP reflected accomplishments on provisions of advanced kits (components) of Infantry Combat System for various enforcement services:

â–  I milestone - completion on development and serial production adoption of I generation basic Infantry Combat System - Barmitsa (Camail);

â–  II milestone - development and serial production adoption of II generation Infantry Combat System - Barmitsa-2 (Camail-2);

â–  III milestone - development and serial production adoption of III generation Infantry Combat System - Ratnik (Warrior);

The pre-arrangements of largescale manufacturing of the Barmitsa Infantry Combat System for Army, Airborne troops and Special Task Force units started in 2000. Barmitsa has been fielded in the units since 2006.



In the following years this Infantry Combat System (Barmitsa-M RE) had several enhancements based on implementation of design features particularly suited for different occupations and implementation of new materials and technologies. The technological advance, achieved during Ekipirovka-21 R&D, made it possible to switch to Barmitsa-2 development project. In the framework of this development project the II generation basic infantry combat system kit was developed.
The infantry combat system includes personal weapon, some elements of data-sighting system as well as command and control systems.
The Prevoskhodstvo R&D provided the technological advance to carry out several full-scale activities on further development of infantry combat system. When drafting the State Arms Program-2015 the Federal Special-Purpose Program (FSPP) for Man-Portable Infantry and Special Combat System of Russian Armed Forces and other Law Enforcement Services and Military Formations was adopted. The FSPP was developed on request of Main Missile and Artillery Directorate of Russian Ministry of Defence with cooperation of 11th Directorate of Chief of Armaments of Russian Armed Forces, 3rd Central Research and Development Establishment of MoD, Central Research and Development Establishement TOCHMASH, Speztekh nika i Svayz Research and Produc tion Association of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Operational Control Directorate of Federal Border Guard Service HQ, Directorate of Scientific and Technical Logistics of Federal Security Service of Russia, Material Department of EMERCOM, Armament Service of Federal Protective Service.
The Program had four stages:

â–  I stage (1999-2000) - arrangement of large-scale manufacturing of the Barmitsa Infantry Combat System;

â–  II stage (2001-2005) - development and arrangement of largescale manufacturing of Barmitsa-2, II generation Infantry Combat System;

â–  III stage (2006-2010) - development and arrangement of largescale manufacturing of Ratnik, III generation Infantry Combat System;

â–  IV stage (2010-2015) - largescale manufacturing of Ratnik Infantry Combat System and R&D activities on its further enhancement based on technological advance that was achieved during pilot and basic studies carried out at previous stages.

Based on the results of Barmitsa-2 R&E in 2004, the Permyachka-O Infantry Combat System was included into the supply inventory under designation 6B21 (6B22). It is designed for protection of vitalses against small arms, all-round ballistic protection against fragments of projectiles, mines, grenades. It also protects from beyond-armour local blast injury, thermal effects, atmospheric exposure, mechanical damages.
Additionally, R&E and R&D on individual approaches are in progress. For example, 6B44 military assault flak jacket, included into MoD supply inventory in July 2010, was developed within Zabralo-Sh R&E. The similar works are being carried out for other components of PCG. According to the representative of 3rd Central Research and Development Establishment of Russian MoD, the completion of activities on Boets-XXI Program, which would include exoskeleton features, is scheduled by 2015. New Infantry Combat System is planned to weight 22 kilograms. It will be 14 kilograms lighter than later version.
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041




At the present time the limit weight of Infantry Combat System counts 36 kilograms, that significantly overweights a permissible value for military personnel.
Modern Infantry Combat System of military personnel is a complex of five essential systems: weapons, protection, command and control, survival and power supply. These systems are interconnected by both functions and design. The priority objectives in ICS development are assumed as follows:

â–  automatic target detection and acquisition, preparation of initial firing data (all day and weather);
â–  improvement of fire accuracy from both stable and unstable firing positions, improvement of projectile kill performance;
â–  possibility of multi-mode firing without alignment of line of sight with eye when stationary ore mobile as well as from the cover;
â–  tactical communication support, receipt and transmission of voice, digital and video data;
â–  tactical command and control, target designation, personal situational awareness;
â–  health monitoring of personal physical and mental state.



WEAPON SYSTEMS
The weapon systems combine small arms, cutting weapon, hand grenades, close-range grenade launchers, man-portable assault flamers, ammunitions and sighting devices.
The small arms of Barmitsa Infantry Combat System consists of:
â–  9 mm pistols: PM, PYa, GSh-18, SPS
â–  12.7 mm heavy machine gun: Kord State trials were conducted and introduction was recommended for 7.62 mm, 9 mm, and 12.7 sniping systems as a part of new sniper rifles, sniper ammunition and new day and night sights developed based
on the results of Vzlomshchik R&D. The modernisation was conducted for all types and kinds of small arms ammunition focusing on penetration and kill performance improvement in order to ensure personnel engagement.
Modern sighting devices ensure an effective application of small arms under various weather conditions, day and night.

 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
Small arms instrumentation includes iron sight as well as scope sight and electro-optical sights being developed within Tyulpan, Giperon, Zapev, Magnus REs Russian collimating sight is designed for aimed firing by AK74, AK74M, AK101, AK102, AK105, AK107, AK108, AN-94 assault rifles. The aiming is performed by using one or both eyes. The luminous element is designed for aiming mark bias in order to ensure twilight and night firing. The sight is equipped with height and direction alignment unit. The sight is serviceable at air temperatures from -50°С to + 50°С and air relative humidity 98% at temperature +25°С. The sight weights 0.3 kg. Modern night sights for Russian small arms are generally based on electro-optical image intensifiers of 2,2+ and 3 generation. For personal automatic small arms UT-1M XD4 night vision monocular is provided, which is designed for observation (hand-portable, mask or helmet-mounted), detection, night photo and video survey and night firing. It is designed as a part of sighting system. The usage of UT-1M with collimating sight provides a suitable, lightweight, day-night sighting system, which has a wide lookout angle, easy aiming, no parallax, light weight, endurance, all-weather and all-day capabilities. The design features of UT-1M allow (without any changes) using modern and advanced electro-optical converters of Russian and foreign origin. The monocular is developed for operation even in the most severe weather conditions: working temperature range -40 to +50°С, sealed, withstands a dip at up to 2 m depth for 2 hours. The device has special coated high-aperture optics, removable lens of 2.4, 3.0, and 5 magnification. Moreover, the standard lens (1x) can be improved by attaching extensions enlarging its range up to 3 and 5 magnifications.



The device has built-in LED bias, invisible for unaided eye (wavelength is 950 nm), which allows a discreet application of the device for close combat at intense darkness. With bias enabled a light indication, informing that the device is in active mode, appears in operator's field of vision. The device design incorporates lens overfocusing for observation of both distance and near objects.
The UT-1M is compact with suitable rubber eye guard. It is possible to equip the monocular with special eye guard of "cat's eye" type, which keeps the operator to be hardly detected. The device can be mounted to face mask or helmet and used as night vision goggles. Additionally, the mounting principle of the monocular provides quick and safe installation of monocular and its adoption to anthropological peculiarities of an operator, which is facilitated by a sufficient number of adjusters.
It also provides fast (3-5 sec) change of eyes without using any tools, quick and safe switching of monocular to off (upper) position, possibility to use for night firing with mounted collimating sight. All functions of device control (on-off and bias) are performed by a single button via a special algorithm.



PROTECTION SYSTEM
The protection system combines personal protective equipment, protective equipment against NBC effects and NLWs, alert warning devices. The development and production of body armour gear (BAG) is one of few sectors in Russian military-industrial complex, where the private business is playing a key role. It is pleasant to see that noticeable success in development of personal combat gear components is achieved within this stream. The private business invests its own assets
into study and development, has put its products of personal ballistic protection to the level of the best global counterparts while some of their items are dramatically excelling the global level.
The trials of foreign BAGs captured in South Ossetia in August 2008, which were conducted on the Rzhev firing range in the Leningrad Region, demonstrated that none of these gears of USA, RSA, Israel, Ukraine origins possessed advantages over
Russian aramid-composite flak jackets (FJ) and helmets.

 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
The production of cutting-edge flak jackets and composite helmets is one of knowledge-intensive sectors in Russian industry, which involves many experts from chemists, supplied with high-molecular polymers and producing heavy-duty aramid fibres, to integrators and engineers, manufacturing equipment, outfit and protection devices themselves.
Each Russian BAG item is subject to prolonged firing, performance, range and service trials for exposure of various adverse factors and compatibility with other components of combat gear (CG). Sometimes the adjustment of CG components
takes several years. The Americans were the pioneers in development of new generation BAGs. The assessment of U.S.
Army causality has shown that 70-75% injuries were shrapnel wounds; the most of them being body ones.
During the Korean War GIs were provided with flak jackets of sandwich nylon. With these flak jackets the USA entered the Vietnam War while these BAG models did not protect against small arms bullets but only against small fragments. The birth of Kevlar, extra strong synthetic material developed in 1995 by DuPont (USA), and special ceramics let the USA to launch production of flak jackets capable to protect their soldiers against bullets more or less.
The USSR adoption of flak jackets was late a little, but the Afghanistan War became a drive for further development. The first development was Zh-81 military flak jacket introduced in 1981, which was made of 30 layers of SVM fabric (SVM is a Soviet counterpart of Kevlar) and sewed in armour plates of 1.25 mm thick. Unfortunately, it provided protection against fragments only; a rifle bullet could penetrate it from 400-600 meters even. That was why in 1985 it was substituted by Zh-85T and Zh- 85K flak jackets, in which thicker armour plates of titanium and boron carbide were implemented.
The unified flak jacket was included into supply inventory in 1986 and designated as 6B5 (Zh-86). The new flak jacket is a jacket which accommodated soft ballistic shields of TSVM-DZh fabric and so-called mounting pads, pouches of which accommodated armour plates. The protection design could utilise armour plates of ceramics, titanium and steel. Depending on type of protection design and, accordingly, protection class provided, the flak jacket had nine modifications.



Theoretically, a flak jacket can be reinforced by an armour plate even capable to withstand a bullet of heavy machine gun. But by no means can it safe a soldier's life. The armour, steel, Kevlar or composite, merely stops a bullet or fragment:
only a part of bullet/fragment kinetic energy is transformed into heat during plastic deformations of flak jacket and bullet itself. However, the impact is still present. And on impact into flak jacket the bullet causes a heavy strike, which often breaks ribs and hurts soldier's vitals. To absorb that impact, shock pads of sponge elastic materials are used. But they have limited energy consumption. That is why improving a bullet resistance of flak jacket is reasonable only for particular limits.

 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
Generally the development of Russian BAGs may be divided by the protective elements used in them: armoclad designs; laminar designs; monoblock armour plates for vitals. The evolution process of Russian BAGs shows a gradual shift of armature quality criteria - from strictly protective function to complexity of characteristics, amidst which ergonomic parameters become playing a key role. At the present time the up-todate flak jacket is 6B43 military assault flak jacket for Army, VDV, Marines and Spec Ops. In extended version the FJ provides body perimeter protection against fragments, cutting weapons and small arms bullets (including SVD B-32 and .338 Lapua Magnum) during any kind of mission including close combat.
To carry out a specific mission more efficiently, there is a possibility for adaptive configuration of fragment and bullet protection. The FJ is of modular design. Except conventional thoracic and dorsal sections it is equipped with the following
modules:
â–  bullet-proof, side
â–  ballistic-proof, inguinal with additional bullet-proof armour plate
â–  ballistic-proof, shoulder
â–  ventilated and shock-absorbing The ceramic-composite reinforced armour plates provide a perimeter protection at short ranges against SVD B-32 bullet from 10 m, against .338 Lapua Magnum bullet from 300 m. The 6B43 FJ is manufactured in three sizes. The adjusting system provides an easy fitting. The weight of FJ with extended configuration does not exceed 15 kg. For quick (no more than 3 seconds) removal in case of emergency the FJ is equipped with quick release device. On external surface there is a unified mounting system allowing arranging removable pouches of UMTBS gear (6Sh122 multi-purpose load-carrying jacket) or of any other personal combat gear kit equipped with modular mounting system of removable pouches, compatible with UMTBS design or its foreign counterparts MOLLE or PALS.
According to requirements of new flak jacket research engineering, the unified military flak jacket shall ensure personal protection (thoracic, dorsal) of class 5 as per Government Standard GOST R 50744-95. The flak jacket shall provide capability for insertion of armour plates ensuring protection (thoracic, dorsal) of class 6 (GOST R 50744-95) in the same projections
as of class 5 with using auxiliary equipage. Besides, quick-detachable armour plates ensuring protection class 6 shall be placed in the same inserts. The weight of unified flak jacket of protection class 5 of any size shall not exceed 7.6 kg and
of protection class 6 with full configuration shall not exceed 12 kg. Currently, Barmitsa PCGK utilizes helmets of 6B26 (lightweight), 6B27 (reinforced), 6B28 (airborne) and 6B7-1M (reinforced) designs. The modernization of helmets is on the go in the direction of enhancement of protective features, ergonomic parameters, integration with management and survival systems.



C4I SYSTEM
The C4I system combines automated process-control system; command, control, communications, computers and intelligence means. In 2007 Strelets KRUS C4I system was introduced, designed to carry out the main scope of data-information activities (tactical control, communications and data transfer, individual and group navigation, detection,
coordinate measuring and target acquisition, target designa tion, data output for engagement of small arms and close combat means). The interface of the system with unmanned aerial vehicle has been achieved. The integration of this system into the unified C4I sys tem of tactical group is also envisaged.
Personal multi-purpose data system includes improved personal radio set with video data feed features, central computer, audible and optic means for information presentation, components of personal and group means for target designation, friendorfoe system, situational awareness and navigation.
Communication range inside the group (unit) is 1.5 km; VHFbased communication range to command is up to 10 km, satellitebased - 5,000 km. Data transfer rate is up to 11 Mbit/sec. Continuous run time of management and communication means is not less than 7 hours. Positioning error with use of satellite global positioning systems (GLONASS, GPS) is not more
than 20 metres.
Different devices and equipment can be interfaced with Strelets system including: angle-distance measuring device, laser range finder, laser designator pod, ground reconnaissance radars, tactical UAVs, directional antennas, satellite communication sets, NBC gauges, IR and TV scanners, sights, friend-or-foe components, mine detector.
The advanced multi-purpose management system including communication, designation, positioning, navigation and data exchange means (integrated into integrated C4I Sozvezdie-M at the Tactical Level) in combination with reconnaissance
and engagement systems provides as follows:
â–  Robust encrypted voice communication and data transactions (target designation and management commands, data on tactical situation, etc.)
â–  Positioning with respect to location and orientation of personnel with display indication
â–  Personnel natural perception of real-time environment in audio-frequency range and automatic protection of acoustic apparatus against high power blast wave impact caused by firing and explosions
â–  Automatic secure fake-resistant friend-or-foe identification
â–  Survey of environment within predetermined sector, reconnaissance of enemy personnel and materiel, IFF, target type designation
â–  Control of firing from various small arms against personnel, ground and air assets including mobile individual, group and area targets
â–  Display of survey information, aiming marks, alerts and other data received via communication and data links with ensuring eye protection against laser systems and the like
â–  Conversion and processing of data received from alert warning and health monitoring systems, its preparation and transfer via communication links and generation of executive signals
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
SURVIVAL SYSTEM




The survival system includes personal combat gear, engineering aids, clothing, rations, drugs and personal functional state monitoring aids. One of key components of personal combat gear is so-called tactical vest, a system ensuring a suitable wearing of weapons, ammunitions and equipment. The shoulder straps and belt, which were supplied for Soviet Army soldiers, were hard to be regarded as suitable for daily usage in combat. The operations of Armed Forces within Afghanistan War did not impel our industry to develop a suitable infantry tactical vest, thus soldiers began crafting, sewing designs in one's own way. Such bandoleer was slang denoted as military bra.
The most advanced designs at that date were craftworks sewed from two pouches of RD-54 airborne packs, thankfully that RD-54 packs were supplied to airborne assault brigades, GRU and KGB special forces in great numbers. That bra could accommodate 4 AKM magazines and 4 grenades. More rowdy, purely infantry design was achieved by sewing two regular pouches for AKM and AK74, to which rucksack straps or canvas rifle belts were sewed.
Only in 1988 well-known POYAS-A, first industrial tactical vest, was introduced to service. The designers tried to incorporate all remarks of soldiers: pouches for assault rifle magazines to store two magazines in each (including bundle of magazines pair), grenade pouches to be arranged by one above other, which would facilitate access to them and grenade removal under combat conditions, sewed semi-rings for rockets were added. The POYAS-B tactical vest could be additionally attached
to this vest by using two canvas straps and stow 10 VOG-25 grenades for GP-25 under-barrel grenade launcher.
The multi-purpose modular loadcarrying assault equipment (UMTBS) was developed under Barmitsa RE. It was designed for mounting and carrying personal combat and march load of any service person of the Russian Armed Forces.
Due to its modular design the UMTBS (designated as 6Sh112) provides a rational arrangement of gear components into removable attached pouches in accordance with individual needs and mission objectives. It is a Russian alternative
for STRIKE and MOLLE gears, de facto standard foreign equipment.
â–  Vest support - 1 pc.;
â–  Pouches for 2 AK74 magazines and flares (left, right) - 2 pcs;
â–  Pouch for 2 AK74 magazines - 2 pcs;
â–  Pouch for RGO, RGN, RGD-5 and F-1 hand grenades - 4 pcs;
â–  Pouch, multi-purpose - 2 pcs;
â–  Pouch for radio set - 1 pc.;
â–  Pouch for small infantry shovel (fold entrenching shovel) - 1 pc.;
â–  Holster, multi-purpose - 1 pc.;
â–  Pouch for 2/4 pistol magazines -2 pcs;
â–  Holster extension - 1 pc.;
â–  Pack-pouch, combat (ratio bag) - 1 pc.;

The equipment can be additionally extended by assault pack or patrol pack, or backpack; all pouches are compatible with M.O.L.L.E. components. The 6Sh112 UMTBS weights 2.6 kg.
The survival system is being continuously improved in terms of new materials development for BDU, underwear, boots and personnel property with its ergonomic characteristics being enhanced. It is planned to improve the system by implementing
gear components corresponding to different roles of personnel, electronic medical records and health monitoring features (including group health recording and processing means), personnel remote search systems in case of injury or KIA (custodial system). The separate components incorporated into medical means group are being improved almost annually (disposal injectors for automatic injection of fluid drugs and antidotes, personal first aid dressing); new technologies for production of modern hemostatic agents and dressing, rations have been developed and adopted. There is a development of advanced individual meals ready to eat and survival rations based on new approaches towards their composition in accordance with findings of integrated experimental studies on impact of their composition to personnel health. Kit and personal property development (advanced kit and personal property meeting requirements to advanced system) keeps running. The survival system of advanced infantry combat gear will be generally integrated into combat gear kit and provide an automatic internal environment control, health monitoring of personal physical and mental state under mission conditions.
In general the realisation of Special-Purpose Program allows ensuring infantry mission completion duringboth peacetime and war.


Victor Murakhovskiy

http://www.interarms.ru/arhiv/n6_2010/russian_infantry_combat_system_development_programs/
 

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
LSAT- the future of small arms

LSAT- the future of small arms




American Rifleman has a long history of showcasing the latest developments in military arms and ammunition. What follows is a close look at cutting-edge work that is well underway toward the goal of sharply reducing the infantry soldier's combat load. It could be the future of U.S. infantry weapons.

B
y Robert Bruce

The Lightweight Small Arms Technologies program (LSAT) has been on our radar screen since its inception in 2003. Plastic-cased cartridges are already performing well, and caseless ammunition—a concept dating back to the dawn of firearms—is said to offer the greatest potential. Today, these high-tech cartridges and the innovative lightweight small arms that fire them are showing great promise. What emerges from these experiments is likely to yield benefits not only to the military, but also to law enforcement and to the shooting sports.

It's real and right now: a dramatically different squad automatic weapon (SAW) that fires radically new ammunition. And this combination is half the combat weight of the M249, the current SAW. We asked the Army's program manager how soon it could be in the hands of Americas warfighters? That is a tough question, so lets go back a few years.

The Army-led Joint Services Small Arms Program (JSSAP) challenged the defense industry to develop and present innovative ideas for dramatically reducing the combined gun and ammunition weight in a family of small arms. These new arms are intended to bridge the gap between what is in use now and the directed energy "ray guns" or other radical armament that might be available to the American soldier of 2025.

In March 2005 it was publicly announced that the concept from well-respected defense contractor AAI—heading up a team of eight specialized companies—had been judged superior to that of rival General Dynamics, and was "downselected" by JSSAP for further development. At the time, AAI's proposed Squad Automatic Weapon and its radical ammunition existed only in "virtual reality"—animated 3-D models generated by astonishingly complex computer programs. With JSSAP's approval and selection of these digital designs came sufficient funding to begin fabrication of actual cartridges and the guns to send rounds downrange.




Live Fire Demonstration

By May 2007, things were moving along so well with the Cased Telescoped (CT) ammunition and prototype SAW that Kori Spiegel, JSSAP's LSAT project manager, took the calculated risk of authorizing the first public LSAT live-fire demonstration held in conjunction with the National Defense Industrial Association's annual Small Arms Symposium.

Tim Livelsberger pumped out nearly 50 rounds of CT in flawless semi- and full-automatic operation from the serial number 1 (SN1) light machine gun. This clearly showed that its theoretical potential had been turned into something very real. It seemed that the uncannily light gun and its distinctive plastic "lipstick tube" ammunition were on the fast track to fielding.

Invitation To AAI

Further inquiries were rewarded with an invitation for the author to visit AAI's Hunt Valley, Md., headquarters for an exclusive LSAT status briefing in December 2007. This also included the opportunity to formally interview Spiegel and the program's other top official, AAI's Paul Shipley, who heads the corporation's team of industry partners.

I was brought up to date on the series of successful demonstrations for senior officers and others in the military community that followed LSAT's public debut seven months earlier. All have included the opportunity to handle and shoot the CT serial number 1 prototype with "Spiral 2" (second generation) cased telescoped ammunition on military ranges with pop-up targets positioned from 100 to 800 meters.

These demonstrations allow decision makers to assess the system's combat potential. "Results have been very positive," Spiegel said, "particularly in favorable comments on the design's light weight, mild recoil and accuracy—all measurably superior to the current squad automatic weapon." Live fire video clips of this arm in action are available for viewing at www.americanrifleman.org.

Shipley told us that the test and demonstration prototype CT SN1 has received a pretty good workout along the way. "We've fired about 5,000 rounds in that weapon," he said, "in temperature conditions from very cold to very hot."

So, what's next? LSAT fact sheets predict the gun and ammunition being transitioned to Program Manager Soldier Weapons (PMSW) in 2010. Why two more years? Spiegel replied this date was a guideline and there are compelling reasons to keep it in "Technology Base" for a bit longer. "It's more about the best solution," she explained. "Cased Telescoped [ammunition] is out in front, time-wise—probably between six months to a year ahead of where we are with caseless. We could transition that package tomorrow and PMSW could continue to develop it and then field it in a few years. But we think there's more potential there and we should work more on the caseless, or in developing other types of weapons, and really find the right fit for our user before "¦ transition."

Indeed, as I saw a bit later that day in a visit to AAI's subterranean small-arms test range, engineers from ARES, the weapon design partner, were working with counterparts from AAI in conducting live-fire experiments with the updated CT SN2 weapon. I received a close look at ATK's latest caseless ammunition, but the test fixture that fires it—said to be significantly different in mechanical function from that of CT—was literally under wraps for security purposes.

I asked about "thermal management," the vexing problem of keeping the LSAT from prematurely overheating. Shipley corrected the misconception that this is particularly challenging in both CT and CL because there is no brass case that ejects along with most of the heat generated on firing. Brass transfers a lot of heat to the chamber, he said, but the CT's polymer case is an insulator.

The CT's "combination of a separate chamber and polymer case results in considerable heat isolation," Shipley explained. "You can fire to the point where the barrel is too hot to touch yet the chamber is only slightly warm." And Spiegel said that the high-temperature steel used in the barrel was nothing unusual.

"There's no 'unobtanium' [miraculous metal] in the weapon itself," she said. "The only thing we haven't made a determination on yet is the chamber for the caseless weapon," she offered. "We are looking at everything including ceramics, approaching it from all angles. We want to find the optimum combination and that will probably be some kind of 'sandwich,' but we don't know yet."




Optimum Caliber

Proponents of various alternative calibers should take heart. Both Spiegel and Shipley were careful to point out that the conventional G.I. 5.56x45 mm ball and tracer bullets used in the program's experimental CT ammo serve primarily as a baseline standard since everyone can relate to their performance.

"There is some other work in the Army for what they're calling a 'green bullet' program which is not only lead-free, but probably has other improvements in it," Spiegel said. "We'd like to see if we could integrate that with our ammunition as well as look at calibers other than 5.56 millimeter. We would like an optimum caliber, we just don't know yet what that is."

Virtual Guns And Ammunition

LSAT information papers indicate that a lot of the most challenging obstacles in ammunition and firing mechanisms had been cleared ahead of time in super-smart computer models. Both Spiegel and Shipley were quick to credit partner firms for their expertise in this cutting-edge computer science. "They're bringing gun design into the 21st Century," Spiegel said. "We did some of it with the Objective Crew Served Weapon (circa 1995) but really the tools weren't there to do it back then."

Once a decision is made on CT vs. CL with a well-developed prototype weapon, the team would like to move the system into limited production stage before handing it off to PMSW. "Our plan is to bring a weapon producer on before that so we can get a little bit of the manufacturing experience," Spiegel said. "We have a lot of R&D experience on this team, we don't have a lot of weapon manufacturing experience. We'd like to get a little bit of feedback as far as designing parts, making parts, materials, that kind of thing."


LSAT's Future

JSSAP's winning LSAT team is uniquely structured to make the best use of the program's many and very different scientific, technical and soldier-interface disciplines. The lead contractor is defense giant Textron's AAI subsidiary, with more than a half-century of experience in armament and ammunition development. Its five main partners include ARES for weapon engineering, ATK and General Dynamics' St. Marks Powder for ammunition, Battelle for material investigation and Omega Training for human factors.

Cased Telescoped LMG Weapon Prototype serial number 2 is nearing finalization, making best use of important lessons learned along the way and optimized for the latest CT cartridges. A prototype Caseless Telescoped weapon is coming soon.

At this point, I've seen enough evidence on LSAT to convince me that the program is making meaningful progress. This leads to intriguing possibilities for some likely spin-offs and their benefits to military, law enforcement and shooting sports. Consider the deceptively modest phrase "family of weapons" in LSAT fact sheets. Might this family include pistols, rifles and machine guns?

I learned that AAI is already at work on a lightweight assault rifle to fire the same CT and CL ammunition for the LSAT SAW. This initiative is particularly timely given growing dissatisfaction with the U.S. military's currently issued M16 rifle and M4 carbine.

If caseless ammunition advances to the point where it is comparable to traditional, brass-cased cartridges in price, performance and durability, a number of practical reasons would invite change.

The Crystal Ball
A final try for an answer to the "when" question was once again met by Spiegel with the kind of cautious wisdom that comes from many years of experience. "We just don't know because both cartridge types hold so much promise and there's more work to be done," she advised. "My assumption for LSAT's transition to Program Manager Soldier Weapons is that it would not happen before 2010."

I didn't ask Spiegel to speculate on how long it will take after her team's finalized "best solution" gun and ammunition have been passed on to PMSW before the M249 is replaced. By this time I realized that it was just not a fair question. So I didn't ask about ray guns, either.

AAI's website has a downloadable LSAT brochure and more at www.aaicorp.com. Click Advanced Programs then Lightweight Small Arms Technologies. A formal briefing on LSAT was presented at National Defense Industrial Association's Small Arms Symposium.





Source: http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2007smallarms/5_9_07/Spiegel_820am.pdf
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Kunal Biswas

Member of the Year 2011
Ambassador
Joined
May 26, 2010
Messages
31,122
Likes
41,041
Lockheed Martin - MONAX Morph : Persistent Wireless Broadband Communications Network

[h=1]Lockheed Martin - MONAX Morph : Persistent Wireless Broadband Communications Network[/h]
3G Wireless to the Tactical Edge.

MONAX is a powerful, new communications system that combines the convenience of smartphone technology with the power and flexibility of a secure, highly portable infrastructure. MONAX gives our nation's warfighters the convenient and immediate communication capability they need to achieve mission success.

The 3G wireless system, consists of a unique portable MONAX Lynx sleeve that connects touch-screen Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) smartphones to the MONAX XG Base Station infrastructure on the ground or in airborne platforms, offering uninterrupted service to warfighters in the field.

This COTS based, smartphone enabling interface operates anywhere in theater. MONAX uses a secure RF Link, protected through strong exportable encryption enabling the transfer of pertinent and sensitive information with speed and ease. With improved, flexible range and penetration delivering superior link performance in voice, video and data transmission, MONAX ensures that the information soldiers need at "the first tactical mile" is only one click away.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Latest Replies

Global Defence

Articles

Top