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2020-06-07

Diehl Defence – Partnering With the German Army

For decades, Diehl Defence has been the foremost supplier of modern equipment and requirement-oriented services to the Bundeswehr and other international armed forces. As a key German security and defence company, Diehl Defence’s core business is the development and production of guided missiles, ammunition, reconnaissance and protection systems to fulfil the requirements of the German Army.

However, international crisis management and the growing centrality of national and allied defence place a growing burden on personnel and materials. During operations, soldiers must rely on equipment appropriate to the operation to perform their services with a high level of personal commitment. Moreover, new threats are emerging, with cyberwar and hyperwar providing both a challenge and an incentive for engineers, technicians and skilled personnel.

The cutting-edge technologies employed by new weapons push the limits of what was previously thought feasible.

Precise and Powerful Ammunition

As a long-standing supplier of conventional ammunition in the medium- to large-calibre range, Diehl maintains a principle of transparent and traceable ammunition stockpiling for armed forces. Their reputation for timely and performance-oriented equipment includes 20 mm practice ammunition for the Marder armoured infantry combat vehicle and 40 mm infantry ammunition in low, medium and high velocity ranges, including airburst functionality.

In the large-calibre range, Diehl’s intelligent high-tech solutions centre upon the VULCANO guided ammunition developed jointly with Italy to provide high-precision extended range for tube artillery. With 127 mm calibre for the navy and 155 mm calibre for the army, final targets and small artillery point targets can be engaged at distances of up to 100 kilometres, while VULCANO is the only guided ammunition in the world reportedly to offer pure GPS control and a combination of high-precision laser or infrared sensors suitable for moving targets.

Developed jointly with Rheinmetall and first introduced in Australia, Diehl’s submunition artillery SMArt 155 has recently made a wider impact on national and allied defence in Germany, Greece and Switzerland. Effective day or night in almost all climatic and weather conditions and in difficult terrain, SMArt 155 is now the ammunition of choice for hard-point target engagement, such as tanks with indirect fire.

Where wide area effectiveness was once a priority, the emphasis is now on precise point targeting and development of guided ammunition for the United States’ MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) artillery rocket system, meaning various payloads can be used in different scenarios in the guided system, including SMArt submunitions against battle tanks. A further area of application for far-reaching artillery rockets is in the field of anti-access/area denial (A2AD), which is designed to prevent enemy units from reaching the area of operations and could become particularly vital for joint missions.

Infantry and Armoured Infantry

Diehl supplies the MELLS anti-tank system (Multi-Role-Capable Lightweight Guided Missile System) via EUROSPIKE GmbH, a company founded with partners Rafael and Rheinmetall. With more than 7,000 LR (long range) guided missiles manufactured so far, Diehl’s MELLS/Spike production line ensures Europe has a high level of supply security.

More than 30 nations worldwide now use Spike missiles and their integration into a sensor-to-shooter network demonstrates how Diehl is continuously expanding digitisation in land-based operations. Regardless of how the Tiger fighter helicopter is modernised, Diehl’s Spike family provides precise, far-reaching armament for its planned mid-life upgrade.

Diehl can now equip the Tiger helicopter with new 70 mm GILA (Guided Intelligent Light Armament) missile for precise fire support of ground troops. With its long-range ‘lock-on before launch’ programmable warhead, it offers a unique combination of capabilities against a wide range of targets.

Counter-IED / Counter-UAS

Diehl’s High Power Electromagnetics (HPEM) systems provide ongoing individual and in-convoy mine protection for land vehicles. Early triggering or elimination of these invisible threats further increases the security of soldiers in the field.

HPEM effectors have also proven their effectiveness in the field of counter-UAS technologies because small drones can be countered reliably, either individually or in a swarm. These effectors have been jointly developed with industrial partners ESG and Rhode & Schwarz to form part of the modular GUARDION drone defence system, used to secure major events like G7/G20 summits.

Diehl products protect soldiers both in the air and on the ground through future-oriented systems flying platforms, such as the laser-based DIRCM (Directed Infrared Counter Measure) system, to protect the Bundeswehr’s new A400M military transporter against rocket attacks during take-off and landing, including 360° protection now available for helicopters.

Diehl deploys sensors and effectors currently available on the market to save federal government the cost of expensive in-house developments.

Diehl is proposing vital short-range and very short-range air attack protection for the Bundeswehr’s combat units, most notably with the planned deployment of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) in three years’ time. Such solutions are available at short notice, based on technical solutions already selected and implemented by other international armed forces.

Distance-active Protection Systems

Diehl Defence is focused on developing solutions to combat the bombardment of military vehicles by rocket-propelled grenades. The launcher based AVePS (Active Vehicle Protection System) deals with a wide threat spectrum, from hand-held anti-tank weapons to modern missiles, and even warheads with tandem-shaped charge and large-calibre KE penetrators.

For the modernisation of Leopard tanks and the future Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), Diehl also offers the integration of proven 76 mm fast-acting smoke projectiles. Here, AVePS may be supplemented by multispectral smoke for protection across all frequency ranges.

Key German Army Partnership

Diehl’s solutions serve the security of Germany, her allies and partner nations in a close exchange with all agencies involved in the procurement process. Protecting soldiers and securing their ability to assert themselves is Diehl’s priority in supporting the ongoing modernisation of the Bundeswehr.

Whether managing ‘Trendwende Material (Trend Reversal Materials)’ or ‘Initiative Einsatzbereitschaft (Operational Readiness Initiative)’, Diehl’s support has enabled the German Army to regain a full capacity for national and allied defence. With these enduring principles, Diehl’s mission is to provide necessary equipment at the right time and at the agreed cost.

Reference Text/Photo:

www.diehl.com

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