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2017-10-04

‏DSEI 2017 Makes ‏A Triumphant Return

The 2017 Defense and Security Equipment International achieved “unrivalled scale”, hosting more than 1,600 exhibitors from 54 countries, including government ministers and heads of the world’s largest military.

High profile visitors included British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, joining the world’s biggest arms manufacturers to showcase their wares, with a British Army Wildcat helicopter on display, a CV90 Battle Station in the BAE stand and the Royal Navy even mooring warships outside.

Naval defense innovations

One dominant theme was how terrorist attackers are diversifying their methods to necessitate new defense responses. Hence, DSEI’s Thames-side location enabled a program of live-action waterborne exercises from nine specialized vessels, focusing on a Royal Marines team identifying, surveilling and boarding a suspect vessel under the cover of fire-support.

In addition, the Naval Zone featured the latest maritime equipment including Liquid Robotics’ Wave Glider, an ocean robot platform that has revolutionized ocean exploration, providing persistent integrated, real-time surveillance from seafloor to outer-space.

International partnerships for skills development

This year, DSEI dedicated itself to the defense and security sector’s workforce. The People and Skills Day addressed a predicted shortfall of 20,000 UK engineering graduates and the reality of only one in eight female employees.

Government and industry are working together to attract and retain fresh expertise to safeguard communities and critical national infrastructure, particularly in Science Technology Engineering & Math subjects. The growing expertise in military healthcare was also in evidence at this edition of DSEI, primarily in the Medical Demonstration Area organised by the MOD’s Defence Medical Services (DMS).

This trend was also reflected elsewhere on the exhibition floor by companies such as B3 Blackbox Biometrics; Bodytrak; and Equivital which manufacture revolutionary sensors for monitoring soldiers’ cardiovascular and thermoregulatory responses during intense activity or training, and even brain activity following blast exposure.

Exhibitor Highlights

Among the wide range of product launches on the exhibition floor, Saab used DSEI to unveil its Gripen Aggressor, which is used to act as an opposing force in advanced military combat training.

Swarm Systems’ stand featured its Owl 4 “Nano UAV” which can be carried in soldiers› pockets and deployed to help them see around corners or over hills without exposing themselves to gunfire.

Dutch firm Delft Dynamics showcased its “DroneCatcher” counter UAS system for the first time at DSEI 2017. One of the only technologies of its type which can eliminate rogue drones by catching the threat in mid-air. Demonstrating the cross-sector appeal of DSEI, Dronecatcher is designed to support both military and commercial unmanned missions.

A key enabler for strategic cooperation across the international defence and security sector, DSEI welcomed senior visitors from around the globe. In addition, military representatives from across Europe, Australia, Middle East and Canada joined all four UK Service Chiefs to address the DSEI seminar audience.

The spirit of engagement and broad international collaboration that underpins DSEI is overarchingly reflected by the joint development of platforms such as the F35 Lightening II, which is produced by an international team of leading aerospace companies, the Ajax armoured fighting vehicle, and the Type 31E General Purpose Frigate.

Lockheed’s 40 mm Modular Turret

DSEI premiered the 40 mm Modular Turret from Lockheed Martin UK, designed initially to up-arm the Warrior infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) with several new capabilities for the international market. The addition of an externally launched Javelin missile provides an engagement envelope of 4 km and a credible firepower capability against main battle tanks.

Lockheed Martin showcased a virtual demonstrator of the mission systems to be fitted to the turret, including a complete set of cameras surrounding an LCD screen to provide a 360⁰ view of the vehicle’s surroundings. The fully stabilized 40 mm CTA cannon uses a controller resembling the Warrior’s, enabling proficiency in tracking and engaging targets rapidly.

SmartVis Tripwire at DSEI 2017

Digital Barriers debuted its SmartVis Tripwire non-consensual face recognition system, which provides a very narrowband live video stream of under 20 kbits/sec over a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) connection to be hosted on Windows, Android or iOS platforms.

Fusion’s multi-usage hybrid UUV

Strategic Robotic Systems’ Fusion hybrid unmanned underwater vehicle system has applications in mine countermeasures, port and harbor security, and ship inspection tasks.

Using computational fluid dynamics, the underwater vehicle weighs 27.5 kg in air and has neutral buoyancy in fresh water. Constructed from composites with minimal use of stainless steel to reduce magnetic signature, this UUV is 686 mm in length, 477 mm wide and 285 mm in height with a depth rating of 300m.

Jankel’s Fox Rapid Reaction Vehicle

The RRV-x is a modified Toyota Hilux-based platform now under contract for the Belgian Ministry of Defense. It retains proven OEM base chassis’ reliability alongside customized Jankel upgrades .

The RRV-x’s composite design is fully militarized to maximize payload, mobility and stowage space with a purpose-designed composite ‘pod’ re-profiling the internal envelope to maximize user space and ergonomics for 5th-95th percentile operators.

BAE presents Challenger 2 bid

BAE has upgraded the Challenger 2 Mark 2 Life Extension Project (LEP) via Leonardo’s new thermal imaging system, enabling targets to be acquired at night as quickly as daylight would be provided by.

The new bid also includes a Paseo commander’s sight made by Safran, while General Dynamics UK will install the same digital architecture as the Ajax armored reconnaissance vehicle of the Scout SV program.

IDE launches innovative Hybrid GENAIRCON

INTRACOM Defense Electronics’ (IDE) new Hybrid system GENAIRCON is an integrated hybrid auxiliary electrical power and environmental control system.

It is currently integrated into M109 howitzers as a capability upgrade subsystem and provides the embedded functionality of “True Silent Watch” valuable to forward-operating platforms with crucial control of thermal and noise trace.

New Barrett high-frequency radio transmitter

Barrett’s new HF transmitter 4075 has high-power software-defined radio (SDR) coupling 500 W and 1 kW liquid-cooled linear amplifiers with Barrett’s existing 4050 SDR HF transmitter, with a transmit frequency range of 1.6-30 MHz and a receive range of 250 kHz-30 MHz and a seven-band low pass filter.

The liquid-cooled solid-state design uses a unique water propylene glycol mixture to reduce the requirement for forced air cooling, providing greater power efficiency, improved reliability and service life and elimination of fan noise.

Upgraded Spynel V-LRF detection

HGH Infrared Systems’ Spynel V-LRF is a visible channel and laser rangefinder upgrade package for the company’s Spynel-S panoramic detection and Spynel-X InfraRed Search and Track (IRST) systems, providing wide area surveillance and long-range target detection capabilities for land and maritime applications.

They are equipped with cooled medium wave infrared (MWIR) detectors, rotating at a frequency of up to 2 Hz, enabling the company’s Cyclops automatic intrusion detection and tracking software to capture panoramic images for onboard processing.

HIPPO-X all-terrain vehicle

Pardus Defence & Security unveiled the HIPPO-X all-terrain vehicle developed by Missouri based HIPPO Multipower as an eight-wheeled light tactical mobility platform (LTMP) designed for combat equipment carriage with power generation capabilities.

To reduce the loads carried by dismounted soldiers, HIPPO-X’s UK Army Warfighting Experiment field trials and test evaluation demonstrates cross-country mobility capabilities and load transport performance.

Modified MRZR-D4 tactical vehicle

Polaris Defense’s MRZR-D4 high-mobility tactical vehicle now enables rear seats to be removed to accommodate an extended, two-level cargo bed and increased payload capacity.

The two-level design is also intended to provide personnel with better access to equipment and improved loading and stowing.

BAE’s new Bridging concept

The British Army’s Bridging System for the 90s (BR90) are built to MLC 70 standards sufficient to support a Challenger 2 without additional armor. However, the changes necessary for main battle tank deployments have severely limited its ability to cross temporary bridges.

In its heaviest configuration (75 tons), the Challenger 2 can cross a BR90 era bridge at 8 km/h one tank guided at a time, yet tanks crossing a scissor bridge are vulnerable to opposing artillery, necessitating a rapid and efficient crossing.

Designed to a Military Load Classification (MLC) 100 standard, the new bridges are currently undergoing tests and certification due to enter a competition in 2018 and intended to provide the heaviest Challenger 2 with an unrestricted bridging capability.

THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle (UGV)

Estonia’s MILREM is developing a fourth-generation version of its THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), maintaining current design principles while being larger and more stable in maintaining its payload capacity.

The new vehicle will shift from the incumbent Kubota diesel engine to a Caterpillar unit with a smaller engine offering greater power and several remote weapon stations, including ST Kinetics’ ADDER, Kongsberg’s Protector, Aselsan’s SARP and FN Herstal’s deFNder.

Hawkeye electro-optical surveillance system

Chess Dynamics’ enhancements to its Hawkeye electro-optical surveillance system provide a rapidly installed system for light reconnaissance vehicles with a persistent surveillance and observation capability. A stabilized gimbal platform houses a Gen 4 cooled thermal imager, long-range day/low light level camera and laser rangefinder (LRF), along with optional payload sensors.

Hawkeye’s quick-fit design installs to a platform of choice in less than an hour, while a dismounted system provides operating capability on a tripod and connected to an external power supply.

High-performance thermal camera range

Qioptiq Limited showcased its JaguIR family of new thermal cameras designed for land and maritime applications, including surveillance and integration in weapon stations.

The JaguIR-L long range variant, JaguIR-C compact system and JaguIR rugged solution each deploy high operating temperature (HOT) mercury, cadmium and telluride (MCT) medium wave infrared (MWIR) detector operating at a spectral range of 3–5 µm with electronic zoom functionality.

Orbital ATK new 120 mm mortar

Orbital ATK is developing its 120 mm Accelerated Precision Mortar Initiative (APMI) to achieve increased mortar precision and range for the US Army in an initial 15-month development program.

The High Explosive Guided Mortar (HEGM) round will meet ranges of up to 12 km while delivering an increased ability to hit moving targets and allowing future technology insertion.

EXPAL increased air and naval presence

The Spanish munitions manufacturer seeks new air and naval systems opportunities with improvements to the integration opportunities for its 70 mm CAT-70 rocket family, ranging from rotary-wing Tiger platforms to a forthcoming Airbus C295W gunship variant.

EXPAL is currently working on an armed C295W gunship for an undisclosed customer and is considering the proposal of a weaponized upgrade to existing C295 military users.

NEMO container mortar system

In collaboration with the UAE Navy, Finland’s Patria has completed test firings of its 120mm deployable NEMO Container mortar mounted on a Sisu ETP E13TP 8×8 tactical transporter and dismounted on land, with potential for expeditionary operations.

The system can be fired from and transported by truck, but also placed on a naval vessel using standard securing brackets. The use of a standard-sized 20 ft ISO container allows for increased flexibility in the transportation and mounting of the system on maritime platforms.

Inzpire launches Jordan partnership

The UK aviation training firm has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jordan’s Golden Eagle Aviation Academy (GEAA) to provide military and civilian helicopter flight training.

The MoU signing will see the company provide Raven II simulator training to cover elementary, advanced operational and tactical flight training. The initial package will comprise of three simulators and 20 aircraft based at Jordan’s King Hussein Air Base.

Spy’Ranger extends market penetration

Thales is competing to secure sales of its small unmanned aircraft system additional to the units delivered in France this year. The electrically powered fixed-wing Spy’Ranger is a man-portable autonomous system flying via pre-determined but updatable waypoints.

With a stated endurance of three hours, a service ceiling of about 16,500 ft and the ability to operate in all weather conditions and environments, this sUAS is equipped with a single Thales Spy’Ball electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensor turret and fitted with a laser designator and range finder.

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