Following are first impressions from today’s exhibition at Latrun, Israel.

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May 2008

• Elbit Systems to Supply Mortar Fire Control Solution to the U.S. Army

December 2008

• Palestinians Deploy Chinese Extended Range 122mm Rockets

September 2008

• Future Combat Systems’ NLOS-Cannon Tested at Yuma

June 2008

• Rafael Expands Air and Missile Defense Family of Weapons
• First FCS’s All-Automatic, Ultra-lightweight 155mm Howitzer unveiled
• KMW, GD Introduce an Autonomous, Air-deployable Self Propelled Artillery

May 2008

• SAMP/T Air defense Missile Tested During Operational Capability Evaluation
• First Battery of THAAD Weapon System Activated at Fort Bliss
• Army C-RAM Intercepts 100th Mortar Bomb in Iraq

March 2008

• Excalibur GPS Artillery Projectile Debuts in Afghanistan

February 2008

• U.S., Israel Pursue Counter Rocket, Artillery & Mortar (CRAM) Weapons

January 2008

• ATK, ADG (Mecar) team to Modernize Stocks of Aging Tank Ammo
• US Sells TOW Missiles, Guided Weapons for Persian Gulf States
• Israeli Infantry Battalions to Improve Fire Support

December 2007

• Saab Scores Two Export Contracts, for Arthur & BILL-2

November 2007

• Modernizing Fire Support
• Air Defense Modernization
• British MoD Orders German Smart Munitions for 155mm AS-90 Guns
• KVH Develops Compact, Low-Cost Northfinding Module for Portable Applications

October 2007

• Artillery & Missile Systems at DSEi 2007

July 2007

• US Army Launches a Solid-State, Mobile, High Energy Laser Weapon Technology Demonstrator
• FCS Team Gets Green Light for NLOS-Cannon Production

June 2007

• Russian Iskander M Hits “within a meter” from its target

May 2007

• Excalibur Retains High Precision at Maximum Range

April 2007

• Army Orders Excalibur Guided Artillery Projectiles
• British Royal Artillery to Deploy GMLRS to Afghanistan
• Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) Improves Artillery Fire Accuracy
• US Marines’s Forward Observers Gear up For Excalibur
• India Floats Self Propelled Artillery Tenders
• Russia’s Almaz Antei Expands, Pursuing New Air Defense System
• THAAD Scores 2nd Kill In An Endo-Atmospheric Intercept
• 18 Additional Longbow Apaches For the US Army
• New Gunships for Russian Special Forces
• BAE Systems To Build 57mm Turrets for the Fourth LCS

March 2007

• US Army Enhances, Standardize Patriot Units
• US Army to Evaluate C-RAM Gun System
• Army, BAE Systems Unveil the Future Mortar Firing Platform

January 2007

• 60 Additional HIMARS Ordered for U.S. Army, Marines
• Archer Program Receives Funding for Continued Development
• Lockheed Martin Gets 240 Million for HIMARS, GMLRS

Dec 20, 2006

• Spain Orders ARTHUR Artillery Locating Radars

Dec 19, 2006

• Slovenia Orders AMV, SP Mortars from Patria

Dec 10, 2006

• Pakistan to order RF TOW2

Dec 8, 2006

• Dutch Army to Modernize Air Defense System

Nov 28, 2006

• Spain Approves €324 million SPIKE LR Acquisition

Nov 24, 2006

• Russia Begins Deliveries of Tor M1 SAM to Iran

Nov 17, 2006

• EUROSAM Conducts Final Missile Qualification Test

Nov 10, 2006

• ATK’s Booster for Raytheon/RAFAEL Stunner Interceptor

Oct 26, 2006

• DRS Equips ASVs with Knight Target Acquisition kits

Oct 18, 2006

• Raytheon Completes Upgrades for SL-AMRAAM
• ASV Armored Knight to Assume Artillery Support Role

Oct 17, 2006

• Army Orders $47 Million for ATACMS Replenishment
• Laser Armed C-130 Gunship Begins Flight Testing
• US Army Converts TOW 2B Into a Wireless Weapon

Oct 7, 2006

• Affordable Weapon in Progress
• USAF Awards AMRAAM Production Orders

Sept. 29, 2006

• NLOS-Cannon, a Key segment for FCS Unveiled

Sept. 28, 2006

• EQ-36 Counter-Artillery Radar Program

Spet. 7, 2006

• Israel’s Army Fields First Advanced Mortar Unit

Sept. 6, 2006

• BAE Systems Bofors Wins Swedish Artillery Order

Defense Update 3-2006

• Toward a Cleaner Battlefield?
• Missiles for Precision attack
• Urban assault weapons at AUSA 2006
• Artillery and Mortars at Defendory 2006

Defense Update 2-2006

• Combat Engineer Systems
• Large caliber artillery ammunition
• Extending the reach of the Long Range Artillery

Defense Update 1 – 2006

• Guided MLRS Unitary Rocket Passes Warhead Demonstrates Capabilities of Multi-Function Fuze
• PGMM passes PDR
• Effects Based Fires in Urban Combat

DUpdate 3 – 2005:

• DSEI-2005 review – artillery & Fire Support

Defense Update 4 – 2004:

• CAESAR self propelled artillery
• Eurosatory 2004 Review – Artillery
• APKWS / APKWS II

Defense Update 2 – 2004:

• Precision guided artillery munitions
• Defexpo-2004 – Artillery Review
• SHORAD air defense modernization

Defense Update 1 – 2004:

• Mobile Mortar Systems
• Advanced Mortar Munitions

2002-3

• Harpy Air Defense Suppression Killer Drone

2002-3

• Advanced Artillery Munitions

2002-3

• New Fuel Air Explosive Mine Clearing System

2002-3

• Weaponized Hunter UAV tests Viper Strike

2002-3

• Tactical Laser System intercepts rockets

2002-3

• Scaterrable Bomblets with Self Destruct Fuses

The US Army Communications & Electronics Command in Washington awarded Liteye Systems a contract valued up to $22.6 million, for the delivery of monocular displays for the LRAS3 target acquisition system. Deliveries will begin immediately and span over five years. The total quantity to be delivered has not been determined yet but could exceed 4,000 units.

The U.S. Army is fielding the new Monocular Display augmenting  the Long-Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3), multi-sensor target acquisition systems that detect, recognize, identify, and geo-locate targets at long distances. The monocular displays selected for the program were developed by Liteye Systems. The display consists of Liteye’s Military Off the Shelf  (MOTS) LE-600 miniature display, that can be used in helmet mounted or hand held viewer modes of operation. The handheld system comprises a high-resolution OLED microdisplay, energy efficient electronics and optics, all packaged in a compact form factor, built to meet military-standard.

The LRAS3 is deployed with scout platoons at infantry and armor the battalions, providing the scouts autonomous, long range, line-of-sight reconnaissance and surveillance capability. The system automatically determines Far Target Location (FTL) coordinates for any target ranged to by the operator. The system is currently mounted on US High-Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) and the Stryker Armored vehicles, M707 Knight, and M1200 Armored Knight Support Vehicle. The system can also be dismounted, using a tripod and battery pack.

The Army evaluated different alternatives for the display, and determined that the a small monocular viewer is preferred, because of its small package and flexibility while maintaining high performance required to accurately display the LRAS3 video. The new display will greatly reduce the weight of the dismounted package, enabling systems operators to maintain good orientation and situational awareness, while operating the system on or off the vehicle.

Related links:

Military Applications Using OLED Microdisplays

The Air Tractor AT-802U today completed its Trans-Atlantic flight, from Newfoundland to the Azores to England, to display its new capabilities at the 2010 Farnborough Air Show. Air Tractor and Air Tractor Military Dealer CAV (Combined Air Ventures LLC) will display the aircraft and demonstrate its new electronics, sensors and weapons. The AT-802U prototype made its international debut last year at the Paris Air Show. This year at Farnborough the aircraft is displayed with a militarized cockpit, Wescam MX15Di stabilized EO sensor turret, integrated with large HD displays and the all-new glass cockpit. Real-time video can be transmitted directly to ground units using the L3 Rover datalink.

Unlike other surveillance aircraft, the Air Tractor was built to be operated from farm fields and dirt roads, and maintained out of the back of a truck. It has the capability to reduce the cost and footprint of military operations while bringing state-of-the-art sensors and weapons to remote and austere locations. The exceptional 10-hour time on station of the Air Tractor and the massive 8,000-pound useful load allow the aircraft to carry a wide range of sensors and weapons. Five optional weapons load out configurations, including four 500 or 1,000 pounds laser guided bombs and two GAU-19 multi-barrel 12.7mm guns with over 2,900 rounds, six Mini-Talon GPS-INS guided precision standoff attack weapons, four rocket pods loaded with 28 rockets, eight Hellfire missiles or a mixed load of four Hellfire and 16 DAGR laser guided rockets. CAV specializes in creating customized, low-cost, turnkey utility aircraft solutions for border and coastal patrol, surveillance, counter-insurgency, oil spill clean up, and a wide variety of other applications.

The Air Tractor 802 – the largest agricultural aircraft in production and the most successful single-engine firefighting aircraft offered an excellent starting point for the modification The Air Tractor 802 “U” version at Farnborough displays military capabilities previously only available in aircraft that cost 5-10 times more.

The U.S. Air Force specified a requirement for 100 Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance (LAAR) for which the AT-802U, AT -6 and Tuccano were considered, along with remanufactured vintage aircraft such as the OV-10. Back in 2009 LAAR was considered  for rapid  fielding by 2013; however at present no formal request for proposal emerged.   AT-802 are currently used by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs for counter-narcotics operations.