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The French excellence

The French
excellence
for defence and security
for defence and security

THE FRENCH LAND DEFENCE AND SECURITY

GICATGICAT
SECURITY
SECURITY
& DEFENCE
& DEFENCE

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Foreword
Find recent editions, white papers
and market analysis at:

General Knud Bartels, chairman,

NATO Military Committee

www.defence-and-security.com

Ready to respond

Defence & Security

Systems International
Vol. 1 2014
EDITORIAL
Editor Mark Brierley
[email protected]
Chief sub-editor Gemma Smelt
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he global security situation is

becoming increasingly
unpredictable, unstable and
interconnected, as demonstrated by the
unilateral change of borders under use of
force and the following unrest in Ukraine.
Recent events there, in Syria and the
Sahel region, to name but a few, have
reinforced the need for NATO to be
ready for a wide range of potential
threats near and far.
Whether these threats are conventional
or asymmetric, the days of binary and
traditional solutions are gone. We cannot
set the clock back; we are facing a new
security architecture that we need to
address. The challenges are global and
multifaceted, non-traditional, and we
must address them as such.
NATOs credibility and therefore its
capacity for deterrence, collective
defence and crisis management is
dependent on a demonstrable capability,
readiness and usability of its military
force. We need to ensure coherence
between the available forces and how
we deploy them. In other words, we
need to ensure that readiness translates
into responsiveness.
For this reason, NATO chiefs of
defence agree to reinforce the Education,
Training, Exercises and Evaluation
programme. They also agree that NATO

DEFENCE & SECURITY

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Excerpts taken from General Bartelss

address at the joint press point following
the 171st NATO chiefs of defence meeting,
22 May 2014.

Cover image courtesy of 5 Stones Intelligence.

In this issue
Page 17: The DGA is looking to new collaborations and
is working more closely than ever with its old ally, the UK.
Page 21: Find out how the Swedish Navy is stretching
its sea legs with its role in Operation Atalanta.

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Page 35: Elly Earls speaks with Brigadier Ian Rigden

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and its member nations need to address

capability shortfalls, training and
readiness through investment, activity
and cooperation. Certainly, investments
cost money, but, as the NATO secretarygeneral has said, the price for insecurity
is much more expensive, and we all
agree on that.
From a military perspective, partners
have a great deal to offer, and we
should continue to focus on
strengthening relationships and
interoperability, especially with those
partners who express their will to
operate alongside NATO.
Indeed, we have had extensive
discussions with our partners in
different formats with the
International Security Assistance Force
on Resolute Support and with Georgia
and Ukraine, and we all agreed on the
benefit of our military-to-military
cooperation in terms of interoperability
and mutual understanding.
Of course, we need to work hard on
maintaining these relationships in the
coming years, but I am confident we
will reach this goal.

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DSSI010_Zenatek.indd 1

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Contents

In this issue
35
17

The DGA is initiating new

collaborations on ambitious
R&D programmes.

21

As part of EU NAVFOR,
the Swedish Navy took
part in Operation Atalanta.

8 Intelligent solutions to
blended threats

development programmes. The

DGA, responsible for procuring
the forces hardware, is looking
to new collaborations to achieve
this goal including working
more closely than ever with its
old ally, the UK. Colonel Bruno
Bellier and Colonel Jean-Paul
Roves tell Defence & Security
Systems International what
lies ahead .

5 Stones Intelligence

The intelligence
10 Cyberattacks in numbers

Once rare and unexpected

occurrences, cyberattacks have
become increasingly common,
and defending against them now
forms a crucial part of any IT
infrastructure. Here, we take a
look at what that means in terms
of prevalence and costs.

12 News

Armoured vehicles, which will remain a vital part of the UKs armed forces,
must be able to operate in as many roles and environments as possible.

23 High-speed patrol
and intervention

25 Always safe

naval defence and maritime safety

and security, EURONAVAL returns
for its 24th event on 2731 October
2014 at ParisLe Bourget, France.

29 MOIS: a lightweight
alternative

30 Integrated logistic support

21 Out of the comfort zone

Visio Ingenii

17 The modernisation process

Tightened purse strings are not
holding the French military back
from ambitious research and

R-Systems

Tampa Yacht Manufacturing

The latest defence industry news.

15 A watchful eye on security

ECA Robotics

26 Showtime
As the worlds leading show for

Naval capabilities
19 Modern military vessels
designed for littoral navies

Norsafe

From the Baltic to the Indian

Ocean, Captain Edward Lundquist,
US Navy (Ret), discusses with
key military leaders how Sweden
is contributing to Operation
Atalanta, and the further strategic
developments of the campaign.

Delfi

Land operations
35 All terrain

In the future, as they take on new

roles and deal with emerging

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Contents
threats, the UKs armoured vehicles
will need to be more adaptable and
interoperable than ever before.
Elly Earls speaks to Brigadier Ian
Rigden OBE, the DCDCs head of
land and research, to find out more.

39 Wheeled and tracked

military suspension systems

Hemscheidt Fahrwerktechnik

40 Foreign aid

GICAT

61

41 Optimised winch technology

Warn Industries

With humanitarian abuses continuing in Syria despite international steps to protect citizens, could
the deployment of unarmed UAVs or drones offer a strategy for monitoring atrocities?

42 Multichannel FORJs

SPINNER

44 Slip rings to transmit

HD video signals

58 The right choice for your

military connectors

68 Steady as she goes

Fischer Connectors

RUAG Space

45 Metallic links for munitions

60 Detection systems for

a wide range of agents

Eurolinks

46 Meteorological
instruments

Proengin

Air systems

IRDAM

61 The drone saga

47 On the hunt

CEGELEC Dfense

Future soldier
49 The key to ignition

Davey Bickford

50 FELIN fine

Ensuring infantry troops have the very

best equipment is a constant struggle.
Colonel Michel Maury of the French
Armament Corps discusses the
French Armys investment in FELIN.

53 Durable seasonal
camouflage
Kermel

Two decades after the beginning

of the Rwandan genocide, history
is dangerously close to repeating
itself in Syria if the international
community doesnt act fast.
Dr David Whetham tells Elly Earls
why the deployment of unarmed
drones over the country to
monitor atrocities could provide
at least the start of a solution.

63 Customisable pan/tilt
systems

Dat-Con

65 Missions with one

version of the truth

MICCAVIONICS

Logistics

54 A good year
ODU

57 Get with the program

66 Cargo monitoring in
real time

MASA Group

Zenatek

From the outset, helicopters were

designed to lift heavy loads
externally and drop them off in
hard-to-reach areas. That remains
true to this day for helicopter
operations around the world. But
what is the importance of external
load operations and how are they
safely carried out? Grant Turnbull
finds out from RAF Squadron
Leader Paul Bolton.

Cyberwarfare
72 Days without incident

The world of cybersecurity is

locked in a vicious circle: the latest
protection suites hit the market,
threat actors develop malware
to bypass new defence features,
and software vendors break them
down to create more rigid systems.
Chris Godfrey speaks to John
Lyons, CEO of the International
Cyber Security Protection Alliance
(ICSPA), to discuss the incessant
plague of zero-day attacks
extracting sensitive information
from governments, businesses
and civilians worldwide.

Directory
74 Index

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight

Intelligent solutions
to blended threats
Embassy personnel and Western business executives are under increased threat of kidnapping
by terrorist organisations and affiliated criminal organisations. 5 Stones intelligence CEO
David Tinsley describes how heightened protective intelligence strategies can help ensure that
government officials and corporate leaders remain one step ahead of these new blended threats.

xecutives, and political and diplomatic staff from

the US and UK have long been viewed as prime
kidnapping targets by terrorist networks. However,
intelligence indicators reflect that terrorist networks, as well as
subfranchises and splinter groups of criminal and/or terrorist
organisations view kidnapped Westerners as prime chattel.
Kidnapping is a rational crime carried out by irrational
people. The threat it poses has grown exponentially through
what 5 Stones intelligence (5Si) refers to as the blended
threat, a logical result of terrorist networks, criminal
organisations and global money launderers enjoying the
benefits of collaboration and cross-communication.
For example, 5Si research and reporting indicates that
al-Qaeda, as well as subgroups such as the Imprisoned
Omar Abdel Rahman Brigades which is allied with the
Ansar al-Sharia in Benghazi, Libya may have been
attempting to kidnap US ambassador Christopher Stevens
on 9 September 2012, as opposed to killing him.

Kidnapping elements of terrorist

networks view corporate executives
as soft targets who retain their value
as if they represent a promising
stock acquisition.

Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was purported to praise the deadly

attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya on 11 September 2012.

subsequently drafted a cable describing and attributing

the attack to the Imprisoned Omar Abdel Rahamn
Brigades. Leaflets left at the consulate by the terrorist
subgroup promised more attacks on Americans.
In August 2012, the Imprisoned Omar Abdel Rahman
Brigades attacked the International Red Cross facility in
Benghazi. Intelligence indicators and reporting reflect
that the Red Cross and similar assistance services are
highly offensive to and are likened to crusaders.

Target acquisition
Additionally, intelligence indicators reflect the increased
desire of terrorist networks to kidnap Western assets such
as US and UK embassy personnel and business executives.
Kidnapping elements of terrorist networks view
corporate executives as soft targets who retain their value
as if they represent a promising stock acquisition.
Political and diplomatic staff are also viewed as prime
kidnapping targets by terrorist networks. The following
patterns speak to such models:
The attack on the British ambassador to Libya, Sir
Dominic Asquith, on 11 June 2012. 5 Stones intelligence
is reviewing accounts of the attack, related activity and
source reporting for indicators that it may have been an
attempt to kidnap the British ambassador.
The attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi on 25 June
2012. News reporting stated that US ambassador Stevens

The Government of Egypt in general, and President

Mohamed Morsi in particular, has vowed to work to free
convicted Egyptian Gama al Islamiya Emir Omar Abd al
Rahaman, who is imprisoned in the US for the 1993 World
Trade Center bombing.
5Si believes that the rescue of Rahman through the
kidnapping of Western assets was the catalyst for an
attempt to kidnap Ambassador Stephens and will be an
additional motivation for like-minded jihadists to target
Western political and corporate officials. A review of
various timelines, sources, indicators and radical khutbah
suggests that the demand and desire for Rahmans release
is fuelling frustration among terrorist networks.
In a speech given at his inauguration, Mohamed Morsi
stated: It is my duty and I will make all efforts to have
them free, including Omar Abdel Rahman.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight

Terrorist networks and splinter groups view kidnapped Westeners as

prime chattel.
This image from the SITE Intelligence Group shows three Spanish aid
workers alleged to have been kidnapped by al-Qaeda in 2009.

Sources and intelligence indicate that his failure to

do so is viewed by some jihadist groups as a betrayal
of Rahmans followers. The interpretation of such
patterns by jihadist networks has been used to
religiously motivate foreign fighters and 5Si believes this
may also be one of several principal causes of the terror
activities in Benghazi.
It is also a clear signal that efforts to kidnap American,
British or Israeli embassy personnel or corporate
executives for the purposes of pressuring the US
Government to release Rahman and as a funding method
for terrorist networks will continue.
Like many of the jihadist groups in North Africa, the
Imprisoned Omar Abdel Rahman Brigades is incorporated
into the Ansar al-Sharia group, which is the latest
manifestation of the al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM). As
its name implies, the Imprisoned Omar Abdel Rahman
Brigades has a particular orientation in addition to a
general jihadist set of goals.

Hasty and incongruent

attempts at security will not offer
the requisite protection for those
who are being targeted by
kidnapping organisations.
The jihadist alliance
The kidnapping of embassy staff and corporate executives
from said countries at present and in the future is without
question a goal of the jihadist alliance in Benghazi and
elsewhere. Hasty and incongruent attempts at security
will not offer the requisite protection for those who are
being targeted by kidnapping organisations. The world
continues to change rapidly and mitigating risk requires
carefully planned tactics, techniques and procedures
(TTP) in concert with 5Si intelligence that addresses all

Canadian diplomat Robert Fowler (centre) was held hostage for almost
five months by a West African affiliate of al-Qaeda.

phases of operational atmospherics, cultural acuity and

ground truth.
The effective work and tradecraft of todays protective
intelligence analysis must address past, present and future
events, but will continue to be incomplete if it fails to
incorporate considerations presented by the new blended
threats that are the motivation for kidnappings. These
motives incorporate complex thought, and narratives and
intentions based within irrational frameworks to enact
rational objectives.
Their motives are a toxic concoction of bent religious
beliefs, precursor terrorist objectives, greed and deeprooted cultural motivators. Whether one is forecasting
intelligence or the weather, all accounts and factors must
enter the analytical equation and nothing should escape
the lens of open perspective and cultural acuity.
The blended threat generated from multiple terrorist
networks and criminal organisations, and their leveraging
of negative political factors, false premises and enhanced
technology, present escalating concerns that require
heightened protective intelligence measures.

Further information

5 Stones intelligence
www.5stonesintelligence.com
[email protected]

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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The intelligence > Vital stats

Cyberattacks
in numbers
Once rare and unexpected occurrences, cyberattacks have become increasingly common,
and defending against them now forms a crucial part of any IT infrastructure. Here, we take
a look at what that means in terms of prevalence and costs.
The average cost of a cyber-breach for a large British company was between

600,000 and 1.2 million

in 2013.

Source: PwC

Verizon has found that, on average, just three methods

are responsible for the majority of cyberattacks in any
industry, allowing companies to more easily prioritise
their security investments.

75%

For example, in the financial services industry, web

application attacks, payment card duplication
(skimming) and denial-of-service attacks make up 75%
of all cybersecurity breaches. In the retail industry,
point-of-sale intrusions, web application attacks and denial-of-service attacks
were responsible for 76% of all breaches.

Even simple scams, such as phishing,

remain one of the most popular attack
vectors, accounting for 67% of all breaches.
Worries of Irans growing capabilities as a
cyber-aggressor have been confirmed by
security firm Mandiant, which recently
published a report claiming:

2007

Lockheed
Martin has
announced
that the number
of sophisticated
cyberattacks on its systems and
networks has more than quadrupled
since 2007. Chandra McMahon,
vice-president for commercial
markets at Lockheeds information
systems business, said the
organisation has identified 43 distinct
groups that are actively targeting its
networks this year, following a 20%
rise in activity in 2013 alone.

2014

Iran has long been considered a

second-tier actor behind China and
Russia [but] recent speculation has
focused on Irans interest in perpetrating
offensive network attacks against critical
infrastructure targets.
The report goes on to say that Irans attacks are becoming more focused and
industry specific, with the majority of targets in the energy sector.
Michael Hayden, former director of the CIA and the NSA, puts this growth
down to the countrys relatively weak military, which cannot hope to compete
in hard power terms, so instead uses cyberterrorism as a means of disrupting
enemys security infrastructure.

Ive grown to fear a nation state that would never go toe-totoe with us in conventional combat that now suddenly finds
they can arrest our attention with cyberattacks, he said.

10

$140bn
The amount cyberattacks are
draining from the US economy each
year, equivalent to half a million jobs,
according to the Center for Strategic
and International Studies.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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The intelligence > Vital stats

The biggest
weakness in
any network
is the user.
According to
Verizons Data Breach
Investigations Report
2014, the overwhelming
majority of data
breaches are still the
result of weak or
compromised passwords.
Even simple scams,
such as phishing,
remain one of
the most popular
attack vectors,
accounting for
of all breaches,
showing that even the
most sophisticated security
measures cannot always make
up for the habits of users.

While China is often considered

one of the worlds foremost
cyber-aggressors, it too is
increasingly falling victim to
cyberterrorism, with the
China Internet Development
Report 2014 finding that

Following the revelations of the NSA and GHCQs

widespread joint surveillance programmes, both are
currently on something of a public relations blitz.
The new head of the NSA, Admiral Mike
Rogers, has vowed to make the agency
more transparent. Speaking at a recent
Reuters Cybersecurity Summit in
Washington, he said:

It is by design that I
have tried to start a series
of engagements with a
broader and perhaps different range of groups than we
traditionally have done The dialogue that we have had
for much of the last nine months or so, from my
perspective, I wish was a little bit broader, had a little
more context to it and was a little bit more balanced.
GCHQ is also promoting its fifth Cyber Security Challenge, which seeks
members of the public to take part in a competition aimed at finding those
interested in pursuing a career in cybercrime investigations. Contestants will
be pitted against each other and a fictitious enemy, the Flag Day Associates,
throughout the year.

Following accusations of Chinese attempts to

gain competitive advantages by infiltrating
the systems of private businesses, US
authorities have charged five Chinese Army
officers with hacking. The first case of its
kind, US Attorney-General Eric Holder said:
This case should serve as a wake-up
call to the seriousness of the ongoing
cyberthreat. Chinese authorities
firmly rebuffed the claims and said
such action could damage US-China
relations.

Insurance against cyberinjury could be the way for

companies to protect
themselves in future from
any security breaches, with
AIG now offering a new
type of policy that will
compensate companies for
cyberattacks that damage
property or even people.

61,000
websites based in China
were hacked in 2013, an
increase of 62.1% over the
previous year, and 10.9 million
computers were now
controlled by overseas servers.

Biggest data breaches of 2013: LivingSocial and Evernote announced

cyberattacks that compromised their systems and the details of each of their

50 million users.

Names, email addresses, dates of birth and passwords were all stolen.

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The intelligence > News

News
naval

US Navy to test Northrop Grummans

MQ-8C Fire Scout aboard ships

Northrop Grummans MQ-8C Fire Scout.

The US Navy is planning to test the Northrop

Grumman-built MQ-8C Fire Scout aboard ships
in a bid to assess its operational ability in the
intense electromagnetic environment.
Conducted prior to its first ship-board flights
later this year, the initial flight tests are aimed
at validating the functions of the helicopters
autonomous control systems.
Based on a larger helicopter airframe, the
MQ-8C Fire Scout integrates specially designed
Faraday cages to guard sensitive electronic
equipment on the aircraft from signal interference.
Built by Summit Aviation in Somerset,
Kentucky, US, the Faraday cages are installed
Weapon systems

UK MoD receives
additional Babcock
Phalanx systems
The UK Ministry of Defence
(MoD) has taken delivery of four
additional Babcock Phalanx
1B kit modifications and two
conversions of the land-based
Phalanx weapon system in the
upgraded marinised configuration.
These systems form part
of a contract awarded in 2006
to manage and execute all
maintenance support activities,
such as a 24/7 helpdesk for
the Royal Navy, as well as
logistics support for spares
and repairable units.
12

during final assembly at Northrop Grummans

Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point,
Mississippi, US.
Naval Air Systems Command Fire Scout
programme manager Captain Patrick Smith
said all navy aircraft must go through
electromagnetic interference testing to
ensure that they can operate safely in
the ship environment.
Were confident that the design of the
Faraday cages and other engineering work
done on the MQ-8C Fire Scout will pass
these tests, Smith said.
Capable of flying for almost twice as
long as the MQ-8B variant, the MQ-8C can
also carry three times more intelligencegathering sensor payloads.
Northrop Grummans medium-range
tactical systems vice-president George
Vardoulakis said almost 95% of what makes
up the MQ-8B variant is reused in the
MQ-8C to save money and time.
However, we took advantage of lessons
learned to incorporate a more modern shielding
device in the new aircraft, Vardoulakis said.
The MQ-8C Fire Scout has flown 102 flights
since its first deployment on 31 October 2013.

Babcock has worked with

Phalanx 1B systems original
equipment manufacturer
Raytheon to convert the two
land-based systems using its
own support engineers.
Babcock weapons business
development manager Martin
Laity said We are pleased to
have been able to deliver this
further Phalanx capability upgrade
successfully and on time, in
partnership with Raytheon and the
MoD, to enable the MoD and Royal
Navy [to] build up the Phalanx
close-in weapon systems (CIWS)
capability it needs.
As part of an ongoing
programme in collaboration with

Raytheon and the MoDs

International Guns Missiles and
Rockets Project Team, Babcock
is also under contract to
modernise 16 Phalanx systems
to the 1B configuration.
Acting as the UKs primary
defence for ships against the
threat of anti-ship missiles,
Phalanx CIWS is a rapid-fire,
computer-controlled radar and
20mm Gatling gun system.
Incorporating a side-mounted
forward-looking infrared camera
(FLIR), the upgraded Phalanx 1B
weapon system enables the CIWS
to guard the ship against surface
targets, while slowing air targets
and anti-ship missiles.

Furthermore, the 1B configuration

also plays a vital role in terms of
countering the threat from small
surface craft in littoral waters.
Aircraft

Czech Government
clears funding for Gripen
lease from Sweden
The Czech Republic Government
has approved funding for the
countrys lease of JAS 39 Gripen
C/D lightweight, multirole combat
aircraft from Sweden.
Czech Republic Human Rights
Minister Jiri Dienstbier was quoted
by ceskenoviny.cz as saying that
the government has authorised
CZK21.4 billion ($108.4 million),
including tax and VAT, for the
lease of the supersonic aircraft
for 201527.
The government initially
approved the countrys lease
renewal for 14 Gripen fighters from
the Swedish Defence and Security
Export Agency (FXM) until 2027.
The 14 airpcraft 12 single-seat
JAS 39C and two twin-seat JAS
39D fighters were leased under
a CZK19.6-billion ($1-billion) tenyear agreement signed in 2004,
according to IHS Janes. The
agreement made the Czech
Republic the first Nato member
to fly the Gripen.
Confirmed after two-year
negotiations between FXM
and the Czech defence ministry,
the lease contract also covers
training of Czech ground and
flying personnel, aircraft
modernisation, and all the
necessary logistical and operational
support required to use the aircraft.
The defence ministry said
that the contract will furnish
data transmission systems in
the Nato format, secret voice
connection systems, nightvision systems and unnecessary
ammunition, according to
the CTK news agency.

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The intelligence > News

MARITIME

Austal launches
third patrol boat for
Australias border force
Austal has launched the Cape
Nelson, the third of eight Capeclass patrol boats (CCPB) intended
for the Australian Customs and
Border Protection Service (ACBPS).
The Cape Nelsons launch,
held at the companys Henderson
facility in Western Australia,
marked its first lowering in
water, and paves the way for full
completion and sea trials. The final
delivery to the ACBPS is expected
in the third quarter of 2014.
Austal president and general
manager Graham Backhouse said
the vessel will play a vital role in
protecting Australias borders from
multiple maritime threats.
It has been designed to have
greater range, endurance and
flexibility, as well as enhanced
capability to operate in more
severe sea conditions and across
[a] longer range than the current
fleet of customs and border
protection vessels and indeed [the]
Royal Australian Navy Armidale
patrol boat fleet, Backhouse said.
Powered by two Caterpillar
3516C main engines, the 58m-long
patrol boat also integrates two ZF
9055A gearboxes and two fixedpitch propellers, in addition to a
HRP 2001 TT 160kW bow thruster
that boosts manoeuvrability. It
has a maximum speed of 25kt, and
a 4,000nm range at 12kt.
Designed for their role in
maritime law enforcement, the
CCPBs can also undertake 28-day
patrols, combat the full range of
maritime security threats and ferry
a larger crew. Furthermore, these
boats can also launch two tenderresponse vessels simultaneously,
as well as detect, track and
intercept a range of threats in
the maritime domain, and collect
intelligence and store data.
Accommodating a crew of 18,
the boats also incorporate two
electronic chart display and
information systems (ECDIS), a pair

of gyro compasses, two differential

global positioning systems (DGPS),
a secure marine-automatic
identification system (AIS-S), an
electro-optical sensor system
(EOSS), and radars and voyage
data recorder (VDR).

acquire an additional 58 fifthgeneration aircraft for $12.4 billion

last month.

AIR FORCE

Russia is planning to hand over

the first batch of Yakovlev Yak-130
advanced jet trainer aircraft to the
Syrian Air Force by the end of 2014.
A source close to Russian state
arms exporter Rosoboronexport
was quoted by Kommersant
newspaper as saying that a total
of nine aircraft will be delivered
to Damascus by the year end,
followed by 12 and 15, respectively,
in the next two years.
Thus, we will fulfil obligations
under a previously signed contract
for the supply of 36 Yak-130 jets,
the source added.
Syria had already made an
advanced payment of $100 million
to Moscow for the first batch of
six Yak-130 fighter jets under a
contract signed in December
2011, as reported earlier by the
newspaper. However, the delivery
schedule might be altered in
the wake of the worsening political
situation in Syria, and the US and
NATOs efforts to prevent arms
shipments to the war-torn country.
Russia has maintained that it
supplies only defensive weapons
to Syria, which has been facing
an internal armed conflict since
March 2011, without violating
international law, according to
RIA Novosti.
Developed by the Yakovlev
design bureau, the Yak-130 is
a subsonic, swept mid-wing
advanced jet trainer and light
attack aircraft, and is designed
to provide basic and advanced
training to pilots for flying fourth
and fifth-generation fighter aircraft,
such as the Sukhoi T-50.
Capable of carrying a combat
load of 3,000kg and operating
from unpaved runways and
airfields, the twin-engine aircraft
can also conduct light attack and

RAAF starts F-35A

operations build-up at
Luke Air Force Base
The Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) has started to build-up its
F-35 Lightning II joint-strike fighter
(JSF) aircraft operations at Luke Air
Force Base in Arizona, US.
Representing Lukes first
international F-35A training
partner, the RAAF aims to get
a complete working picture of
the US Air Force (USAF) F-35
operations, before returning to the
air base being set up for the fighter.
61st Aircraft Maintenance Unit
(AMU) participant maintenance
liaison officer and RAAF senior
officer Major Nathan Draper said
We have a really good, close
working relationship with our
colleagues in the [US] Air Force, and
we are looking forward to the next
few years of joint operations.
The RAAF plans to station a
total of 14 F-35 fighters at the air
base, with the first expected to
arrive by the end of 2014.
Luke AFB is scheduled to serve
as ground zero for international
partners to build their expertise
in F-35A operations, for increased
success in joint combat operations.
61st AMU officer in-charge
Captain Dan Langan said the move
represents a step towards making
the aircraft combat capable.
The idea behind this aircraft
was to make it easier to operate
with our multinational partners,
understand the same tactics, and
operate with the same logistics
base, and figuring out how to do
that starts right here, Langan said.
The RAAF, which received
approval from the federal
government to purchase 14 F-35s
in 2009, also confirmed plans to

TRANSACTION

Russia plans initial

Yak-130 deliveries to
Syria by year end

reconnaissance missions at
subsonic speeds of 600mph, in
all weather conditions.
Currently operational with the
Russian and Algerian Air Forces,
the aircraft has also been ordered
by Bangladesh, Libya and Vietnam.
AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

HMS Queen Elizabeth

prepares for launch
in July 2014
The UK Royal Navys new Queen
Elizabeth-class (QE) aircraft carrier,
HMS Queen Elizabeth, is set for
launch on 4 July. The ship will be
officially named and floated for the
first time in Rosyth, Fife, Scotland.
Sea trials are due to commence
in August 2016, and the ship is
due to be commissioned by the
navy in May 2017.
The vessel is 300m long and
73m across at its widest point, and
includes a ski-jump ramp, which
would assist in launching the
carriers future short take-off and
vertical landing (STOVL) F-35B
aircraft, in addition to Merlin
anti-submarine warfare and
Crows Nest airborne commandand-control helicopters.
Upon commissioning, the Queen
Elizabeth will boost sustained
operations with an on-board air
wing of up to 40 aircraft, as well
as the navys AgustaWestland,
AW101 Merlin HM2 multirole
rotorcraft and Merlin HC4
amphibious support helicopters.
With room for 12 fully equipped
aircraft servicing points, the aircraft
carrier can also accommodate up
to 24 F-35s on its flight deck.
Work on a second QE carrier,
the Prince of Wales, has already
started, with structural completion
expected by July 2016. Sea trials
are likely to start in January 2019,
followed by acceptance in August
of the same year.

News provided by

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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DSSI010_Visio Ingenii.indd 1

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Company insight

A watchful eye on security

Faced with complex machine vision and signal processing requirements, the defence sector
is welcoming recent leaps in technology. Dr Nagachetan Bangalore, CEO of Visio Ingenii,
explains how the companys innovative solutions can assist security professionals in tactical
scenarios, increasing the safety of troops.
Visio Ingenii arose from a passion for introducing next-generation
technology in machine vision.

How do these solutions increase the safety and

tactical advantage of troops?
We have robust and comprehensive solutions for civilian and
military crowd management systems. These solutions assist
security professionals in control rooms or on tactical
operations. They monitor, manage and analyse crowded
scenarios and situations.
Our crowd management suite is capable of analysing and
measuring density, velocity, direction and bearing. In addition to
the statistics, we also have modules that can cluster crowds
based on colour, groups or ambiguous activities. The tool has
been developed and stress-tested to be user-friendly and
accurate, thus acting to increase safety, security and tactical
advantage in mission critical situations.

Could you provide some background to Visio

Ingenii, and explain your involvement with the
defence and security sector?
Nagachetan Bangalore: Visio Ingenii (VI) arose from a
passion for introducing next-generation technology in
machine vision, signal processing, augmented reality, robotics
and self-learning systems. At VI, our scientists believe that
accuracy and robustness are the most critical aspects of
providing effective and comprehensive technology solutions.
We have undergone intensive research investigating and
testing the key vision challenges faced in several industries
today, including the defence and security sectors. As a result
of this endeavour, we have developed state-of-the-art
technologies that will provide cutting-edge solutions for
complex machine vision requirements.

What solutions do you provide for object

recognition, tracking, detection and monitoring?
After several years of intensive research in the field of
machine vision and signal processing, we have developed and
prototyped several solutions. These include:
object recognition: multiple complex object recognition,
invariant to lighting conditions and cluttered environments
dynamic tracking: tracking dynamic objects in static
and moving complex camera scenarios, tolerant to varying
lighting, clutter and weather conditions
augmented reality: technology that is all about
creating composite monumental virtual experiences
over normal reality.
We have an extended R&D team assisting in transforming
concepts to commercial prototypes and products. As well as the
products above, we also have robust facial recognition-based
matching, fire detection and crowd management solutions.

How do your solutions set themselves apart from

other similar systems on the market?
At Visio Ingenii, we believe in being different. We constantly
contemplate problems involving real-time situations, be it on the
battlefield or in various civilian environments, and design our
solutions and products appropriately to match niche customer
requirements. Our main focus has always been to prioritise
accuracy and reliability in our products and prototypes.

What kind of emphasis do you place on research

and development?
With Visio Ingenii being the brainchild of passionate innovators
from research and academic backgrounds, we place an
emphasis on research and development of the state-of-the-art
technology and solutions. Because our primary motivation lies
with solving major research problems in the industry, the
majority of our developers have a research background. This
enables us to tackle the most challenging problems in the
machine vision and signal processing industry.

What market trends are you noticing at present?

The machine vision and signal processing industries are
flourishing; they have substantially matured when it comes to
innovating products based on vast research and development
in the domain. Continuous improvements in cost, performance,
algorithmic robustness and the growing demand for machine
vision solutions in various domains are encouraging
motivating small and large-scale industries alike.

Further information
Visio Ingenii
www.visioingenii.com

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

DSSI010_Visio.indd 15

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28/05/2014 14:59

The Sound Solution

ComTac XPI
Introducing

Smart solutions, easy communication

3M Peltor ComTac XPI is a hearing protector with level dependent function
for ambient listening and available in multiple headset configurations and
microphone options. Menu navigation with a guiding ghost voice for easy
configuration of ambient listening, microphone/speaker levels etc.

Visit us at EuroSatory, Hall 6 J320

Go to www.3M.EU/CommunicationSolutions for more information.

3M 2014. All rights reserved. 3M is a trademark of 3M Company, used under license in Canada. Peltor is a trademark of 3M Svenska AB, used under license.

DSSI010_3M.indd 1

28/05/2014 13:06

The intelligence > World outlook

The modernisation

process

Tightened purse strings are not holding the French military back from ambitious research
and development programmes. The DGA, responsible for procuring the forces hardware,
is looking for new collaborations to achieve this goal, including working more closely than
ever with its old ally, the UK. Colonel Bruno Bellier and Colonel Jean-Paul Roves
tell Defence & Security Systems International what lies ahead.
Defence & Security Systems
International: What role does the
Direction gnrale de larmement
(DGA) play in the procurement of
the French militarys weapons
and equipment?
Colonel Bruno Bellier: The DGA is in
charge of procurement for all armament
systems used by French forces. Off-theshelf procurement comprises a small
number of cases, and even in these, some
adaptations for the French are required. So
in practical terms, procurement means the
ability to manage a full programme life
cycle, from need identification, through
assessment phases, development and
production. Except specific sensitive topics,

the industry is contracted to carry out the

development and production. However, the
DGA is employed at different levels to verify
that the product meets requirements, and
many tests are conducted in DGA facilities,
most of which have no equivalent in
Europe. After delivery, the DGA is in charge
of contracting initial support and a first
period of maintenance. Following this initial
support, renewal of maintenance contracts
will be performed by the armies, but the

DGA remains responsible during the

systems operational life for dealing with
all events potentially inducing necessary
improvements and all major evolutions.

How important is research and

development conducted by the
DGA in turning initial ideas into
mature products?
Colonel Jean-Paul Roves: France has
decided on an ambitious policy of

Colonel (Armament Corps) Bruno Bellier

Since March 2011, Colonel Bruno Bellier has served as Organisation Conjointe de
Coopration en Matire dArmement (Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation,
OCCAR) supervisor and deputy to the DGAs director of operations. He also supervises
the conduct of R&T studies by the operations directorate.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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The intelligence > World outlook

investment in research and innovation to
maintain a world-class defence ecosystem.
The last livre blanc (white paper) on
defence and national security, and its
related 201419 military implementation
planning, confirmed the effort dedicated to
defence research and technology (R&T).
Taking into account the national strategic
ambition, the DGA organises its R&T
procurement and cooperation to:
ensure the long-term availability of the
full set of critical defence technologies,
such as those necessary for deterrence
or strategic situation assessment
preserve or develop the key defenceenabling technologies and industrial
skills required to upgrade armament
systems in order to maintain
operational superiority
survey and anticipate the development
of high-value emerging and
breakthrough technologies for future
armament systems
preserve or develop the required skills
to manage complex programmes, such
as system engineering, which is
essential to build up competitive
products and services.

Can you give us any examples

of current R&D work?
JPR: An example of the R&D process led
by the DGA can be given through the
development of the AESA (active
electronically scanned array) radar now in
operational use on the Rafale. This major
technological milestone has been achieved
after a ten-year effort in R&D, conducted by
the DGA in order to improve range, power
and versatility of the sensor while reducing
its maintenance. The result of such a policy
is that the Rafale is the only European
combat aircraft using operational
AESA radar in service.
This kind of work is undertaken in many
fields such as future-combat aircraft
system (FCAS); naval countermines
detection with surface and underwater
unmanned systems (ESPADON); smart and
precision-guided ammunitions for the next
generation of artillery systems; and
electronic intelligence and communication
intelligence payloads for airborne and
satellites systems.
Part of these works directly contributed
to the decision to start the development of

18

Colonel Jean-Paul Roves

Colonel Jean-Paul Roves became deputy head of the DGA cooperation and European
development division in June 2013. He is in charge of bilateral armament relations with
Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden,
the UK, the US, and multilateral relations with NATO and UE.

future armament systems in 2013, including

CERES (spatial intelligence systems) and
MMP (medium range missile system).
The DGA also strengthens its support
towards innovative SMEs and research
laboratories through different mechanisms,
in particular the Support system for dual
innovation (Rgime dappui pour
linnovation duale RAPID). In 2013, 64
RAPID projects were awarded to innovative
SMEs for a total amount of 40 million, as
well as 150 PhDs to innovative laboratories.

How do you expect the DGAs role

to change given the wind down of
recent overseas commitments?
BB: Recent overseas commitments have
provided a wide spectrum of lessons,
covering purely operational aspects (being
able to fight IED in Afghanistan; need to
react on short time cycle in Mali in spite of
considerable distances, for example) and
environmental aspects such as behaviour of
helicopters engines when heavily used in
specific sandy environments or extreme
temperature effects).
To face this reality, DGA is organised to
obtain direct feedback from the operations.
This also confirms that alongside the
classical cycle for armaments programmes,
we need more reactive processes in order
to adapt our defence tool in a quasi realtime manner. Such processes are now well
implemented in DGA methods.

The UK and France have had a

long and successful partnership
in defence procurement; what
are both countries currently
collaborating on?
JPR: The Franco-British Summit dated
31 January 2014 confirmed the robustness
of defence bilateral cooperation in the field
of equipment since it has been boosted by
the Lancaster House treaty in 2010. The
last summit emphasised the concrete
results that the two countries are in
position to deliver strategic sectors such as
defence/aerospace industries where the
UK and France have decided to launch a

two-year 120-million feasibility phase for

an FCAS; and missiles, where France and
the UK have signed a contract for the
development and manufacture of the
FASGW/ANL missile, with the contract
valued at more than 500 million. This is an
important step towards the implementation
of the global one complex weapon strategy
that aims for securing significant
efficiencies of missile industries for the
future programmes.
France and the UK will continue to
deepen potential collaboration in all other
fields of defence equipment to deliver
savings, capability and interoperability for
the benefits of the forces.

Given the recent pressure on

government finances following
the global economic downturn,
do you foresee more international
cooperation of this type in future
procurement programmes?
JPR: On a bilateral and multilateral basis,
France is determined to develop
cooperation with foreign partners, in
particular European ones, in order to launch
future R&D projects and armament
programmes that will structure the
European Defence Technological and
Industrial Base (EDTIB). Several examples
of unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAV),
missiles, or software-defined radio (SDR)
fields could be mentioned here.
Given the current budgetary pressures
on European finances, new balances can
and should be built under cooperation,
partnerships, industrial restructuring on the
basis of technical and excellence criteria,
rather than based on return of national
financial participation. The increasing level
of cooperation that we should observe in
the coming years will lead to industrial
consolidation and enhanced
competitiveness of the EDTIB: when
looking at this trend on the FR-UK bilateral
armament relationship, the convergence of
MBDA UK and MBDA FR into a single
integrated company, is, one way of
consolidation we should keep in mind.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight > Naval capabilities

Modern military vessels

designed for littoral navies
Robert Stevens, CEO of Tampa Yacht Manufacturing, explains why he believes
that terrorism, piracy and regime change in the Middle East are increasing the need
for small-craft coastal defence, and how his company can help.

he worlds littoral areas have become porous entry and

exit points for criminals, smugglers, pirates and terrorists.
Every nation with a coastline, and even those with lakes
and rivers, is struggling to secure these areas.
The use of small craft by terrorist organisations and domestic
cells is a worldwide threat and, as demonstrated by the bombing
of the USNS Cole in 2000, large vessels with limited mobility have
become sitting ducks for motivated terrorists with small boats.
Along with the attack on Mumbai, India, in November 2008, this
brought the danger to the forefront, and nations realised that, in
order to combat this asymmetrical small-craft threat, a similar
small-craft defence is required.
Countries at risk are becoming more concerned about the
possibility of these asymmetric threats. The current thinking is that
the best countermeasure to an asymmetric threat is to create
symmetry, and so many are considering fielding fleets of their own.
Tampa Yacht Manufacturing (TYM) offers the ability to rapidly
supply a large number of small craft to accomplish this equanimity
of forces. Likewise, similar manufacturers worldwide are filling the
void in small boat navies.

Effective defence
The demand for coastal and littoral defence is increasing daily.
Rogue states continue to build vast fleets of asymmetrical-threat,
small high-speed craft and export these threats to other hotspots
in the world. Piracy is on the rise; last year a record number of
piratical boardings were made in the Gulf of Aden. The ability to
anticipate threat assets and move quickly to design, outfit and
supply craft to neutralise those assets is the very tip of the spear.
Tampa Yacht Manufacturing is currently supporting
governments bordering the Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, Gulf of
Aden, Yellow Sea and inland border lakes, among others. Our small
high-speed craft are uniquely suited to secure, defend and protect
these areas. By employing the use of water-jet and surface drive
propulsion, for shallow draft, high-speed and low-signature
applications, these fast interceptor craft now being deployed are
more agile and significantly faster than their predecessors, and are
equipped with sophisticated electronics and communications
suites, ballistic armour and infrared night-vision cameras.
Couple this with recent worldwide economic events that have
caused the tightening of defence budgets and the result has been
large international navies reallocating resources closer to home.
This means that smaller nations that previously benefitted from
the presence of these navies are rethinking the defence situation.
They are now making serious plans for their own defence and
these plans include a significant coastal element.

Tampa Yacht Manufacturing

offers the ability to rapidly
supply small craft to accomplish
equanimity of forces.

In fact, we are observing a rise in unmanned craft for use in

reconnaissance and direct action. We are working with several
firms to offer our low-cost, proven craft, as unmanned autonomous
or semi-autonomous surface vessel (ASV) platforms for intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance sensor platforms, as well as
direct-acting weapons platforms. The same high-performance
characteristics that make TYM manned defence craft effective,
help them in the unmanned role, including low procurement and
life-cycle cost, mature, proven hulls, systems and machinery, and
highly reliable service.

The high water line

The worlds oceans, and green and brown water regions continue
to increase in significance, when seen in the perspective of the
current geopolitical environment. The operators of the worlds
major bluewater navies are under incredible financial pressure
today to scale back international operations and return to waters
closer to home, and thus opening the avenue for new naval
hegemony in areas like the Arabian Gulf. Furthermore, there is
continued political instability in the Middle East that began with
the Arab Spring.
This has laid bare the meagre or non-existent coastal defences
in the region. Radical elements of such nations in transition may
attempt to take hold, and import or export terrorism, piracy or
other illegal influences by way of littoral or coastal waters. This
instability could also cause mass exodus of people via water.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight > Naval capabilities

Continued world financial instability could lead to future political
instability for nations throughout the world. All of these factors
contribute to the increasing need for global coastal defence.
TYM is working with customers to help develop requirements,
offering off-the-shelf solutions, including larger interceptor craft,
medium size coastal craft and smaller port security vessels, that
enable them to rapidly deploy coastal defence solutions
We continue to develop new craft, with higher speed, greater
crew comfort, improved mission endurance and capability,
expanded sensor suites for greater domain awareness, reduced
craft signature, and greater lethality (and non-lethal deterrence
aids) when required, to support the governments, protectors and
defenders of the worlds waterways and waterborne commerce.

Major targets
Mission performance, robust construction, durability, sustainability
and survivability are TYMs primary goals. Man-machine
interfaces, quality finish, and endurance enhancing features,
combined with low-cost commercial off-the-shelf materials and
equipment, are key factors driving the success of TYM craft.
Design and engineering are requirement and performance focused,
delivering products that exceed customers requirements and
expectations. This approach has enabled TYM to maintain a highly
competitive stance against world competition and, by bringing the
most highly skilled labour to the equation, has allowed the
company to reduce boat construction time and eliminate rework
while, at the same time, sourcing materials, equipment and custom
outfitting from the largest pool of suppliers in the world.
TYM, along with other international builders, has responded to
demand with state-of-the-art technological advancements in
asymmetric warfare. Beyond the capabilities and available
technologies of many international yards, TYM and other key
builders feature advancements in domain awareness, navionics,
long-range communications, remotely operated weapons
platforms and high-performance, low-observable craft. TYM is
working closely with many governments and indigenous yards to
level the playing field through transfer of technology, by providing
the technological tools and know-how to successfully combat
terrorist threats with innovative engineering solutions while, at the
same time, providing in-country economic benefits.
Like many of its counterparts, TYM is working with domestic
and worldwide defence and homeland ministries and agencies to
help design and engineer unique solutions to the requirements of a
broad range of user groups including law enforcement agencies,
and forces such as special operations command, coast guard, navy,
border security forces, army, and customs and border protection in
Central and Southern Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the US.

Quick response
TYMs new 50 fast attack craft features versatile bow door
deployment. The boat is 53ft in length overall by 15ft beam and 3ft
draught, with R6-800 MAN engines, waterjet propulsion, seating
for four crew and 12 troops, including head and galley facilities.
The prototype is fitted with a forward cockpit and one-metre-wide
bow door for troop deployment and retrieval, enabling access to
piers, beaches and open water with this universal fitment. Also

20

featured on this vessel is an open aft deck with folding seating for
ten and space for raiding craft launch and retrieval. The prototype
vessel is fitted with telescopic mooring spurs, which facilitate
ground support or support-level docking in a graving dock. A
stainless steel clutched winch on the aft deck controls a stern
kedging anchor for beaching the boat in surf.
The TYM 50 is built and classed to International Association
of Classification Society Standards (IACS) for coastal regions. It
also has ballistic protection throughout the cabin and a remoteoperated small arms mount for a 50-calibre heavy machine gun on
the housetop. The weapon control system includes gyro-stabilised
aiming control and day/night camera monitoring in the
wheelhouse. Also included are forward and aft stowable gun
mounts for medium machine gun or grenade machine gun
armament. Engineered features include shipboard and aerial
transport, shallow water and beaching operations and high-speed
close-quarters manoeuvring at speeds exceeding 40kt.

Mission performance, robust

construction, durability,
sustainability and survivability
are TYMs primary goals.
For the new 36 rigid hull inflatable/hybrid collar boat, TYM chose
a Wing collar assembly for its quality and versatility. As a universal
and adaptable hybrid collar this assembly offers many of the
advantages of fully inflated collars without some of the
disadvantages. The shape and size of the collar are established
primarily by the closed-cell polyethylene foam core that makes it
robust, shock absorbing and non-collapsible. Its polyurethane skin
and neoprene rub guard provide excellent abrasion resistance yet
soft interface for shouldering other craft. And the contained inner
bladder ensures a drum-tight fit to the final assembly.
A necessary feature of the 36 RHIB was field repair and
replacement of the collar. The deck ring receiver incorporates boltrope extrusions at the top and bottom, which provide attachment
points for sliding the collar assembly on and off the boat. The foam
core and sheathing can be installed relatively easily from bow or
stern. Final insertion and inflation of the entrained bladder
complete the installation and provide the final tightness for service.
All parts are standardised and interchangeable among sister-craft.
Also built to IACS standards, the 36 includes provision for the
addition of storable and deployable crew ballistic protection panels
as well as a manually activated self-righting bag fixed to the aftmounted arch mast. Shock-mitigating seating for 16 crew, splithelm consoles, fore and aft lifting strongpoints and weapon
foundations forward are some of our customer-requested features.
The boat is Ultrajet-propelled by twin Fiat Powertrain 560 diesel
engines to operate at over 40kt in Sea State 3 and above.

Further information

Tampa Yacht Manufacturing

www.tampa-yacht.com

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Insight > Naval capabilities

Out of the
comfort zone
From the Baltic to the Indian Ocean, Captain Edward Lundquist, US Navy (retired),
discusses with key military leaders how Sweden is contributing to Operation Atalanta,
and the further strategic developments of the campaign.

he Swedish Navy exists to protect

Sweden. But, in recent years,
the neutral, non-aligned nation
has participated in United Nations and
European Union deployments far from
the home waters of the Baltic for which it
was designed to operate. This required an
innovative and adaptive approach.
As part of the European Union Naval
Force (EU NAVFOR), we participated
in Operation Atalanta, protecting World
Food Programme shipments to the people
of Somalia, and patrolling in the Gulf of
Aden, says captain Magnus Jnsson, Royal
Swedish Navy, commander, Third Naval
Flotilla. If the shipping in the Gulf of Aden
were shut down, or the Suez Canal, it would
have a huge impact on the global economy.
We have had some international
experiences with our corvettes and with
HMS Tross as a support ship, and later
with HMS Carlskrona, which is actually
an old mine-layer that we used as
a supply vessel, and command and
control vessel, says Jnsson.
Operation Atalanta was an operation
that had, up to that point, been conducted
by frigates or destroyers. We arrived with
two small fast patrol boat (FPB)-sized
corvettes. I think we filled the gap quite
well because we took care of escorting
ships along the coastline, doing operations
close to the coastline of Somalia, in this
case, which made it possible for the frigates
to operate further out to sea.
Weve made one deployment in the
Gulf of Aden with Tross as the command
ship. I was in command of that first
operation in 2009, with two corvettes, the
Stockholm and Malmo, and Tross as my
command ship. Tross is a former survey
vessel that we use as a supply ship. Its

Gulf of Aden: a joint replenishment at sea (RAS) with the

American logistics ship USNS Pecos from Task Force 53.

actually a former Soviet vessel, built in

Finland for the Soviets, used by Estonia,
and bought by the Swedish Navy. We had
a small staff working on Tross, but there
was no way of using helicopters on
her, which is something we can do with
Carlskrona, even though she can only
carry smaller helicopters, says Jnsson.

biggest issue was that our only possible

port in the area was Djibouti. We couldnt
go to Aden, and there were no ports in
Somalia. So the area of operation was too
big for the small units. We would have
preferred to have at least one safe port
somewhere else should we need it. We
fulfilled our task, but when we shifted and

To communicate with other units in other

task forces or operating independently,
Swedish ships used a communications
network called Mercury.
Carlskrona is bigger than Tross. We
adapted Carlskrona to use her as a support
ship, and command and control unit, as well
as an OPV [offshore patrol vessel] at sea.
Jnsson says it was a successful
operation; the corvettes proved themselves.
We found out they are quite capable
of operating for quite a long time at sea,
and we had the Tross for refuelling
and support, he states. I think that the

sent Carlskrona the next time, I think she

was a better unit for the mission.
When Jnsson was deployed as
commander of the Swedish task unit
on Tross, along with the two corvettes,
he reported to the commander of the
task force.
All the rest of Operation Atalanta
was single ships, but we were there
with a task unit, he says.

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Insight > Naval capabilities

According to Jnsson, Carlskrona
served as the flagship FHQA, or force
head quarters afloat the first time she
was there. She subsequently deployed
as a single unit, like the other frigates.
The coordination of units working in the
area was conducted from the Maritime
Security Centre Horn of Africa
(MCSHOA) staff in Bahrain. Overall
direction of Atalanta came from EU
NAVFOR HQ in Northwood in the UK.

Communication and coordination

Multinational and coalition operations
have become the norm, but have also
underscored the need for coordination
and sharing of information.
To communicate with other units
in the other task forces or operating
independently, Jnsson says the Swedish
ships used a communications network
called Mercury.
Its like chat. We could pass our
intentions, and contacts we had, or
forward reports from a merchant ship,
he points out.
Mercury provides shipping with the
ability to report real-time details of piracy
attacks or suspected piracy events over
great distances to the counter-piracy
forces in the region so that a quick military
response can be provided to ensure the
safe transit of all shipping through the
region, says Captain Craig Powell, Royal
Australian Navy, Combined Maritime
Forces director of operations in Bahrain.
The web-based Mercury network is run
by the EU NAVFOR through MSCHOA,
and provides near-real-time chat between
participants in any of the counter-piracy
missions to share threat notifications and
declare intentions.
In addition to the European Union
Operation Atalanta (CTF 465) task force, the
US leads the Combined Maritime Forces
(CMF) and its three task forces comprised
ships, aircraft and personnel from more
than 30 nations. There is also NATOs
Operation Ocean Shield (CTF 508).
CTF 150 is the counter-terrorism task
force seeking to stop terrorist acts and
related illegal activities that can fund
illegal activities, or enable or conceal their
movements. CTF 151 supports the counterpiracy mission to disrupt piracy and armed
robbery at sea, and build and improve

22

Edward Lundquist

Edward Lundquist is a retired US Navy captain, and currently principal

science writer for MCR Federal LLC in Arlington, Virginia, where he
supports the Office of Naval Research and other clients. He writes
about naval, maritime, defence and security issues.

Offboard solutions
One of the ships currently serving in Operation Atalanta is the Spanish Offshore
Patrol Vessel ESPS Relmpago. This ship was used for integration trials of a Saab
Skeldar V-200 in the Canary Islands before deploying the system operationally.
After testing, the Spanish Navy took the system to the Indian Ocean aboard sister
ship Meteoro, as part of its participation in the EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta.
The Skeldar V-200 vehicle can lift a 40kg (88lb) payload. It has a ceiling of about
12,000ft and a maximum speed of approximately 75kt. Depending on payload
and fuel, missions can take 1.56.0 hours. The datalink has a range of about
150km, or approximately 80nm.
During the deployment, the system showed its flexibility when the mission
changed from watching for boats leaving the pirate lairs on the beach to gathering
intelligence about the pattern of life in those villages.

EU naval force frigate ITS Libeccio comes to the assistance of a Yemini fishing dhow that
was sailing along the Somali coast.

partner capacity and capabilities in order

to protect global maritime commerce and
freedom of navigation. CTF 152, the third
task force operated by CMF, enhances
regional naval cooperation and coordinates
theatre-security cooperation (TSC) activities
among regional partners in the Arabian Gulf.
Operation Ocean Shield is NATOs
counter-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden
and off the Horn of Africa, helping to deter
and disrupt pirate attacks, protecting
shipping and providing maritime security
in the region.
Asymmetrical threats, now increasing
and spanning from the West African

coastline across to central Asia, coupled

with diminishing naval capabilities,
particularly those of EU member states and
the US military due to sequestration and
repivoting towards Asia, emphasise the
need to move from military cooperation to
military collaboration, says colonel Martin
Cauchi Inglott of the Armed Forces of
Malta, currently assigned to the European
Union military staff in Brussels. Key to
this shift would be the ability to exchange
information on the basis of responsibility
to share rather than one based on need
to know, not only nationally amongst
agencies, but across borders as well.

Atalanta command
Rear-admiral Jurgenzur Muhlen of the German Navy assumed overall command of
Operation Atalanta from French Navy Rear-Admiral Herve Blejean in Djibouti aboard
outgoing flagship FS Siroco. The new Atalanta flagship is FGS Brandenburg.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight > Naval capabilities

High-speed patrol and intervention

Norsafes new Munin high-speed patrol and interceptor boat

model, the S1200, is built and tested according to CE Class B
requirements. This fast patrol vessel offers excellent reliability,
is capable of maintaining high speed in heavy seas and is
equipped with seakeeping abilities that enable it to fulfil its
function. The boats design and construction meets the need
for reliable, low-maintenance standby and operation. It is
designed to operate away from port for extended periods,
with sufficient range for long-term operation.
A large walk-around cabin provides a protected and
comfortable environment for crew and passengers. Seats are
purpose-built with shock-absorbing capabilities to provide
comfort, and are equipped with four-point safety belts.

A heavy-duty polyethylene fender protects the hull.

Further information: Norsafe

The layout of the boat allows it to perform a broad range of

duties as ambulance transport, navy patrol, light combat,
police and security patrol, dive support, inspection, border
patrol, anti-drug intervention, and survey and work duties.
The Munin S1200 is built with multi-axial fibreglass,
reinforced vinylester and Divinycell sandwich materials.
Longitudinal box stiffeners and transverse bulkheads provide
structural strength. The hull is a two-stepped deep-V-type with
transom, providing optimum seakeeping ability at all speeds
and in all conditions. The boat can be delivered with optional
ballistic protection up to level 3+.
A heavy-duty polyethylene fender protects the hull by
absorbing impacts. The fender is in turn protected by a double
skin of reinforced PVC, secured with sail tracks at gunwale and
chine level. It also provides additional buoyancy. The deck has
an anti-slip surface, and lifelines and grab handles are fitted on
the gunwale and cabin sides.
Norsafes demonstration boat is fitted with twin Iveco N67
FTP 560hp engines with Arneson No.8 surface drives, capable
of speeds up to 65kt. Also featured are a remote-control seaprotector weapon station from Kongsberg defence and
optional bullet-resistant cabin, tank and engine room, certified
to NIJ Level 3+.

www.norsafe.com

MILITARY & PROFESSIONAL

mission specific

Defence & Security Systems-Dec13.indd 1

norsafe.com

02.05.2014 16:05:00

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Company insight > Naval capabilities

Always safe
Unmanned systems can greatly increase efficiency and reduce human exposure in hostile
and dangerous environments. Jean-Claude Alcouffe, marketing and communications
manager at ECA Robotics, speaks to Defence & Security Systems International about
additional benefits the technology can bring to the defence markets and the companys
new products.
Can you please give us a brief history
of ECA Robotics?

How can unmanned systems improve human

safety and increase efficiency?

Jean-Claude Alcouffe: ECA Robotics established its

notoriety in the 70s by developing a remotely operated
vehicle (ROV) for underwater mine disposal. Developed at
the request of the French Navy, it was the first time an
unmanned system was integrated into naval forces. Since
then, this ROV has been used by more than 20 navies in
the world. In 2000, ECA Robotics introduced a complete
range of UGVs (unmanned ground vehicles) and AUVs
(autonomous underwater vehicles), and, today, with the
acquisition of the French company INFOTRON, which
produces helicopter drones, we can say that our offering
covers operations in air, ground and sea (on the surface
and underwater) environments.
Unmanned systems create new opportunities and high
expectations on the defence and civil markets. They
provide new capabilities for numerous missions, such as
mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare, special operations,
asset protection and maritime route surveyance, as well
as for hydrography and oceanography.
In these markets, ECA Robotics aims to remain a key
player by offering effective solutions built on a deep
understanding of our customers businesses, to capture
their future capability requirements and truly reflect their
needs and budgets.

Unmanned systems provide great opportunities for armies

and navies, especially when life is at risk. It is better to
use unmanned systems instead of human when you
conduct dangerous operations such as neutralisation of
mines, inspection of the operational theatre and
intervention in a toxic chemical area.
Efficiency is greatly increased by using unmanned
systems. In fact, such systems can easily do things that
are complicated and expensive for people to do, such as
to intervene at 2,000m depth undersea, at 2,000m in the
air or in a chemical-aggressive environment.

Unmanned systems provide great

opportunities for armies and navies,
especially when life is at risk.
Our policy has been strongly driven by this vision, and
we learnt from experience that to continue making
progress, it is essential we continue to focus our energy
on developing innovative unmanned systems. That is why
R&D is an important aspect of our activities.
The company aims to deliver high-quality products and
services thanks to a certified ISO 9001 quality organisation
integrating all the processes from design to customer
support. We believe customer services are an important
part of the confidence we gain from our clients. That is
why services and products are closely linked within our
different processes and are treated at the same level in
our industrial organisation.

How do you think personnel tend to

view such systems?
Unmanned systems can be viewed differently by the
operators; usually they are welcome as they can do
the dangerous or the dull jobs. But, if you tell the
personnel that unmanned systems will replace them, that
they will take over their roles, their feelings can become
quite different. From our own experience, built over more
than 40 years, we can say that humans are at the core of
unmanned systems actions. They are very powerful tools
handled by professionals.

Can you talk us through some of your

newest products?
We are constantly improving our product range, but the
exciting part when you have unmanned systems operating
in air, land and sea is that you can combine them and
develop innovative solutions.
In this context, the recent acquisition of INFOTRON
provides a lot of new opportunities for our engineers.
Therefore, ECA Robotics invests a lot in R&D in order to
master new technologies and systems architecture, which
allows us to maintain the edge over our competitors and
better serve our clients.

Further information
ECA Robotics
www.eca-robotics.com

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Insight > Naval capabilities

SIRPA-Marine Nationale/Vincent Maupile

Showtime
As the worlds leading show for naval defence and maritime safety and security, EURONAVAL
returns for its 24th event on 2731 October 2014 at Paris-Le Bourget, France.

ponsored by the French

Government, EURONAVAL
is the only professional
international show exclusively
dedicated to naval defence and
maritime safety/security, covering
surface vessels, submarines and naval
aviation. The exhibition takes place
every second year in the French
capital, for five days, and covers all the
necessary means to carry out coastal
and offshore missions protection of
naval sovereignty, law enforcement
and peacekeeping at sea, protection
of assets and natural resources, and
control of migration flows. Each event

26

brings out a wealth of innovative and

high-tech products, and its proactive
policy attracts the major international
buyers who tour the exhibition looking
for answers to the great challenges of
21st-century naval defence.

A top-level global audience

Riding on the fame of a brand
known worldwide, the successive
EURONAVAL exhibitions have been
attracting a growing number of
decision-makers from the naval
sector. In 2012, 96 international
delegations from 67 countries
responded to the invitation of the

French Government. Among them

were 24 European delegations,
22 African, 19 from Central and
Eastern Asia, 11 from the near and
Middle East and 12 from the US.
Among the official buyers, one could
count 22 chiefs of staff of foreign
navies. EURONAVAL 2012 scored
a high satisfaction level among
exhibitors, delegates and trade
visitors from 115 countries.

A broad range of products

and services
EURONAVAL is spread over 14,500m2
of exhibition grounds. The 2012 event

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Insight > Naval capabilities

French Marine Industry Group

French Marine Industry Group (GICAN) is a long-time coordinator of many
French pavilions at major international defence exhibitions. GICAN includes
172 French companies (as of June 2013) from the shipping, civil and military
sectors. It promotes their high-technology know-how in France and abroad.
Its members represent a turnover of 8.5 billion in France and 40,000 jobs,
with export counting for a total of 45%.
GICAN also organises the biennial EURONAVAL event, the largest
international exhibition of naval defence and maritime safety.
SIRPA-Marine Nationale/Jacques Tonard

brought together 370 exhibitors

over 50% of them from abroad who
showcased their products and services
in one of the six sectors covered
naval defence, maritime environment,
transport and infrastructure, maritime
security and safety, services, and
research and engineering. The usual
world heavyweights of the shipbuilding
and maritime industry such as Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia,
the UK, and the US take part in the
exhibition, along with high-potential
countries such as Brazil, Chile and
Ukraine. In 2014, EURONAVAL will
welcome new exhibitors from Asia
and the Middle East.

A unique business platform

At each gathering, EURONAVAL confirms its

position as an industry-leading naval defence
and maritime safety and security event.
The worlds leading promoter of defence
innovation brings together decision-makers,
buyers and suppliers from across the globe.

SIRPA-Marine Nationale/Daniel Ferellec

As a unique B2B naval defence

show, EURONAVAL creates unique
business opportunities between
buyers and exhibitors.
When acquisition programmes are
scrutinised for budget optimisation,
the availability of wide-ranging
expertise under one roof and the
focus on the naval theme, create
the right conditions for an efficient
shopping opportunity, while insuring
access to the latest technologies
available in the international market,
says Jean-Marie Carnet, CEO of
EURONAVAL. Among the leveraging
business opportunities, the exhibition
offers technology workshops.
Lets not forget the opportunities
for collaborative projects between
countries, as well as between
large groups and small businesses
organised by exhibitors to present
their latest work or projects.
Created in 2008, the EURONAVAL
B2B rendez-vous bespoke meetings
(1,200 organised in 2012) allows small
businesses and large companies to
make the best of their presence by
identifying and meeting with targeted
stakeholders to develop new technical
and business partnerships. The new
innovation tours organised by
themes, can also aid EURONAVAL
2014 visitors to rationalise their
presence on the site with an easy
access to products and projects
sought for future industrial

cooperation. Last but not least, the

three EURONAVAL trophies for
innovation, export and growth also
contribute to highlight the most
innovative companies in the world,
thus opening up new potential
markets to them.

Maritime security and safety

EURONAVAL is historically positioned
on naval defence. However, the show
is now open to civilian activities,
supporting missions at sea for maritime

countries, especially for security/safety

issues. A dedicated MSS (maritime
security and safety) space at the centre
of the exhibition displays the exhibitors
answers to issues related to the security
of maritime transport for goods and
people, rescue at sea, humanitarian
missions, migration control, fight against
illicit trafficking, or to secure resources
linked to energy, mining or fisheries.
For further information, visit
www.euronaval.fr.

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Company insight > Naval capabilities

MOIS: a lightweight alternative

Lieutenant (naval reserve) Risto Saimla, an adviser to Estonian naval staff, discusses how the
MOIS developed by R-Systems has played a vital part in locating, documenting and disposing
of approximately 850 unexploded underwater ordnances within Estonian maritime areas.
(Linux) from the beginning. This is a significant advantage in cost
and flexibility.

How has MOIS proved itself?

Adoption of MOIS solved the issue of outdated data handling
system on board Lindau-class and introduced some unique and
innovative solutions. Development of MOIS has always been
a straight forward and flexible process. Despite being a small
company with limited human resources, additional functionality
requests by end-user, and interfacing with additional sensors and
systems, have been solved in a rapid and practical manner.

Lindau-class ships have now been decommissioned.

What about MOIS?
Minehunting Operations and Information System (MOIS) from R-Systems.

What is the story behind MOIS?

Risto Saimla: At the turn of the 21st century, when we received
our first minehunters of former German Navy Lindau-class, the
data system used for mine warfare data handling on board was
outdated. There was no support available and, due to a limited
budget, we didnt envisage a major upgrade, so we started to
look for an affordable replacement.
We knew that R-Systems had done work for a national
Hydrographic Office (HO) so we approached them and, as a
consequence, the concept of Minehunting Operations and
Information System (MOIS) was developed in 2001. Basic
functionality to support minehunting was achieved within a year.
All aspects related to the execution of the track plan generated,
and reporting functions were supported. MOIS was adopted as the
primary minehunting information-management tool on Estonian
Lindau-class in 2003. In 2006, the Lithuanian Navy adopted MOIS
on its Lindau-class minehunters. MOIS has been under continuous
development, and additional functionality has been added through
the years (the ability to capture video from remotely operated
vehicles, support to side-scan sonars and data exchange with
ECDIS, for example).

What is innovative about MOIS?

The most innovative part of MOIS is the early adoption of
additional military layers small bottom objects (AML SBO) at
the core of contact-management solutions in a rather unique way.
Instead of providing simple read functionality of the AML SBO,
R-Systems has developed a database of objects and attributes
capable of managing a range of versions of AML SBO. This enables
end users to handle AML SBO data independent of the version of
product specification and functionality to import/export contact
data directly from a database. One of the obvious benefits of MOIS,
is that it has been designed to work on open-source software

Lindau-class ships were decommissioned in 200708, when we

acquired Sandown-class single-role minehunters from the UK.
Nautis-M mine countermeasures command and control
system (MCM C2) on board Estonian Sandown-class has the
functionality required but is outdated, so, in essence, we have the
same problem we ran into on Lindau-class. Given the challenges,
an interim pragmatic choice to retain MOIS as a secondary, backup system has been made, and this solution has so far justified
itself. R-Systems has put significant effort into interfacing MOIS
with the ships sensors, and as we also use side-scan sonar, MOIS
is the main application to support side-scan sonar operations.

Are there other options you are considering?

The Estonian Navy is currently in the process of preparing a major
upgrade for the Sandown class. Hence, we are in negotiations with
multiple global actors in the naval mine warfare market segment.
Despite this, it has to be highlighted that in the lightweight
category, MOIS is a strong alternative that should not be
neglected. With additional effort, the full potential of MOIS as
a functional MCM C2, could be realised within a short time.

Speaking of IT solutions, we often hear of

misunderstandings between the client and the
service provider. What do you think of this?
In many cases, this is one of the most challenging areas, and
compromises are hard to find. But, one could argue that the
problem becomes a constructive dialogue once there is trust
between the parties. Based on our long experience working
with R-Systems, we are confident that they live up to the
commitment, and deliver a working solution in a proactive
and flexible manner.
Further information
R-Systems
www.r-systems.ee

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight > Naval capabilities

Integrated logistic support

Defence & Security Systems International speaks to
Enrico Belli, Delfi CEO, to discover how integrated logistic
support can optimise the life-cycle cost in the naval sector.

shareable and reusable, avoiding duplications

and misalignments.

What is the role of standardisation?

What is Delfis approach to integrated
logistic support?
Enrico Belli: It is possible to think of integrated logistic
support, or ILS, as the set of products and services
aiding the management of a complex system, such
as a warship, from the initial project phases throughout
its whole service life, while achieving the best operational
availability with a cost-effectiveness approach.
Modern naval vessels are complex and costly, and
require periodic refits. One of the key factors to reduce
the impact of this complexity in their life-cycle cost is
focusing on the quality and reliability of the logistic
data, which has to be timely updated and made promptly
available to all the elements of the logistic support, such
as technical publications, maintenance plans, spare-parts
procurement and training.
Our philosophy can be summarised with the write
once and read many concept logistical data is made

Adoption of integrated databases and international

standards, such as S1000D for technical publications
or SCORM for e-learning, simplifies the product life-cycle
management and the exchange of information between
the different actors being part of large-scale projects.

How does the human role influence the support?

Another key factor with regard to retaining a high level of
efficiency with a warship is the human role. We take care
of the skills of maintainers; supporting our customers with
professional teachers and training activities for on-board/
ashore operators and maintainers.

ILS: a cost or a saving?

A proper establishment of logistic support protects the
customer investment on large projects, reducing the lifecycle cost by optimising the maintenance plans and the
spare parts procurement process.

Further information: Delfi www.delfi-ils.it

Leading the excellence

for your best ILS Solution
www.delfi-ils.it

30

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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GURKHA
MPV

LAPV

RPV

TERRADYNE ARMORED VEHICLES INC.

e
l

ed

i
Veh

DSSI010_Terradyne.indd 2

402 Mulock Drive

Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 9B9
CANADA

Telephone: +1(905)726-7400
www.terradyneinc.com
[email protected]

da

Ar

5/27/14

date

Made in Canada

2014 Terradyne Armored Vehicles Inc.

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COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM FOR MOUNTED TROOPS

MISSION-PROOF FOR FUTURE

The design brief for the new Savox IMP command and control system was simple: Create a versatile, easy-to-use system that
is battle damage resilient, technologically upgradeable and has reduced through life costs. IMP is now ready to be deployed.

For more information, visit savox.com

or contact: [email protected]

DSSI010_Savox.indd 1

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Insight > Land operations

All
terrain
In the future, as they take on new roles and deal with
emerging threats, the UKs armoured vehicles will need
to be more adaptable and interoperable than ever before.
Elly Earls speaks to Brigadier Ian Rigden OBE,
the DCDCs head of land and research, to find out more.

he UK is at a strategic moment; as an era dominated by enduring land campaigns in Iraq and

Afghanistan slowly draws to a close, globalisation brings new security challenges to the fore, and
the ubiquity of the internet and other advancements in technology make security in the cyberrealm just as important as it is in the real world. When it comes to the combat environment on land,
adaptability and interoperability are going to be more key than ever for military vehicles, as will be the
need to respond to a growing number of threats physical and digital.

The heavily armoured Mastiff vehicle

has seen use in Afghanistan.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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MPV

LAPV

RPV

TERRADYNE ARMORED VEHICLES INC.

5/27/14

date

Ar

GURKHA

ed

Ve

DSSI010_Terradyne.indd 3

c
hi

402 Mulock Drive

Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 9B9
CANADA

Telephone: +1(905)726-7400
www.terradyneinc.com
[email protected]

Made in Canada

2014 Terradyne Armored Vehicles Inc.

28/05/2014 13:09

Insight > Land operations

Looking to the years leading up to
2030, the role of the UKs armed forces
is set to become wider. Not only will it
continue to demonstrate its ability to
conduct demanding, decisive combat
operations to deter or defeat its
adversaries, but it will also contribute
significantly to defence engagement.
This could involve military intervention
to deal with emerging crises, developing
an understanding of emerging threats or
providing broad humanitarian assistance,
as the UK seeks to build long-term
stability overseas.
Crucially, as is laid down in the
Defence Concept and Doctrine Centre
(DCDCs) Future Land Operating
Concept (FLOC) of 2012, both are
necessary, as credible hard power
provides the foundation of soft power;
defence engagement makes a key
military contribution to this, and the
capability to wield both requires an
adaptable and integrated approach.

Brigadier Ian Rigden OBE

Ian Rigden is head of land warfare and research at the Developing Concepts and Doctrine
Centre, Defence Academy of the UK and colonel commandant of the Brigade of Gurkhas.
He was awarded the OBE for his time as commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion of the
Royal Gurkha Rifles in Brunei and Afghanistan.

cannot be ignored); and, finally, being

capable of responding to more and more
complex and unknown threats.
The armoured vehicles used by the
future land force must therefore be
able to operate in as many roles and
environments as possible, says Rigden.
Armoured vehicles will remain a
vital asset to our armed forces. While
we can never fully anticipate all
eventualities, maintaining fully
adaptable platforms will be key to
meeting emerging threats, he states.
We cannot design a vehicle that
is suitable on all terrains, but we can
design vehicles that can adapt to
most. The jungle, for example, is
terrain where armoured vehicles have

Future vehicles must be resilient and able

to operate when digital IT systems cannot.
We are now resetting our focus to
contingency and forward engagement,
with our armed forces still delivering
their traditional role while taking on
wider utility, confirms Brigadier Ian
Rigden, head of land and research at
DCDC, a centre that does not set
policy, but that produces concepts
and doctrines that underpin and
inform decisions in defence strategy,
and provides vital research and
experimentation in future capability
development and operations.

Adaptability: essential
Adaptability will be required from three
different standpoints: being capable of
taking on three distinct roles (contingent
capability for defence and deterrence,
defence engagement and overseas
capacity building, and UK engagement
and homeland resilience); being capable
of adapting to many different terrains
(increasingly, conflicts are likely to centre
around complex urban environments,
but other settings, such as the jungle,

limited utility, except on major routes

and roads where standard vehicles
can operate. We design vehicles
around the most likely scenarios we
might face in combat, while paying
particular attention to potential
emerging threats that may force us
to change our approach radically.

While the asymmetric threat is

nothing new, the ability of actors to
use asymmetric techniques has
increased. This is why we have
refocused resources to ensure our
armed forces are best placed to adapt
to meet these kinds of threats,
including cyberattacks.
Indeed, cyberpower is increasingly
central to the operations of
adversaries, just as the UKs armed
forces, as well as its government,
power and water supply, food
distribution, emergency services and
transport systems, are depending
more and more heavily on advanced
computer networks. Along with its
advantages, this increasing reliance
on IT has introduced significant
vulnerabilities into the UKs
infrastructure, making it essential for
the countrys armed forces to learn
how to defend themselves and
manoeuvre in cyberspace, just as they
do on land or in the air.
When it comes to combat on land,
vehicles must not only be able to
protect their systems and information
from cyberattack, but they must also
be ready for the worst-case scenario.
Future vehicles must be resilient
and able to operate when digital IT
systems cannot, Rigden explains.

Emerging threats
The battle space is undeniably
growing in complexity, particularly as
the UK looks to operate more and
more overseas, where, according to
FLOC 2012, adversaries will
increasingly be equipped with a range
of capabilities from unsophisticated,
low-end weapons to comprehensive,
layered and integrated defences.
The UK must be able to defend
itself from all future emerging threats,
Rigden emphasises. Our requirement
to retain professional armed forces as
the nations insurance policy remains,
but we are also investing more in
forward engagement overseas.

Better together
Moving forward, collaboration and
cooperation are set to be more important
than they ever have been on the worlds
military stage, with different armed
forces, government departments and
agencies, as well as other key partners,
increasingly leveraging each others
resources and expertise to succeed in
operations. This could take the form of
engaging with already established
partners, such as France or NATO, or
ad-hoc coalitions, but, whichever form
cooperation takes, interoperability and
interdependence will be a key priority
for modern militaries.

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Insight > Land operations

For Rigden, this is an incredibly
important point when it comes to the
development of armoured vehicles.
[Working with outsourced partners
and allies] remains an important tool
available to us.
We will most likely operate in one
form of coalition or another in the
future, and we will need to be as
interoperable as we possibly can
with our most likely allies, particularly
the US, France and NATO, he
explains. Collaboration and sharing
is our preferred way of strengthening
our alliances.

The future of the UKs armoured vehicles

will lie in their adaptability across all types of
terrain, not just for the desert environments
encountered in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The MoDs future

armoured vehicles
The MoD is moving forward on the
acquisition of four different armoured
vehicles as well as bringing 2,000
protected mobility vehicles that were
purchased for the war in Afghanistan
into the armys core equipment
programme to meet future
requirements. The four new vehicle
types currently being investigated are
as follows:
Multirole vehicle protected
(MRV-P): a lightweight protected
support vehicle that will fill a
number of command, control,
administrative and logistics roles
at unit and sub-unit level.
Protected battlefield ambulance:
a broad project seeking to deliver a
clinical white-space for the
ambulance variants of a number of
armoured and protected vehicles.
Lightweight (air-portable)
recovery capability: a very-highreadiness deployable recovery
capability in support of the Air
Assault Task Force and the Lead
Commando Group.
Non-articulated vehicle
protected (NAV-P): a protected
large goods vehicle able to carry a 15t
load using a palletised load system.
The decision to develop these
vehicle types has been based on
the requirements to meet envisaged
threats and potential military tasks
in future operating environments,
Rigden notes, while a spokesperson

38

for the MoDs Defence Equipment

and Support (DE&S) organisation
adds that the new support vehicles
will include improved levels of
survivability, including protection,

and still have great utility, he says.

The C-IED threat will not go away
when we leave Afghanistan, and they
have broad utility in the UN and
NATO peacekeeping roles.

Moving forward, collaboration and cooperation

are set to be more important than they ever have
been on the worlds military stage.
and fill capability gaps within the
support fleet that are not being filled
by the protected mobility vehicles
that are currently being brought into
the core programme.
The work being carried out
currently will define the concepts of
employment and user requirements
for each vehicle, identify the numbers
required and establish if there are any
vehicles that are on the market that
could meet each requirement, the
MoD spokesperson says.
On top of these four new vehicles,
the fleet of serviceable, protected
mobility vehicles, which will be
brought into the MoDs core
programme on their return from
Afghanistan, includes 400 Mastiff
vehicles, 160 Ridgebacks and 125
Wolfhounds. Rigden stresses that the
drivers behind the decision to press
these vehicles back into service are
in no way budget related.
These vehicles have a proven
record on operations in Afghanistan

As the programme moves forward,

Rigden is equally keen to emphasise
that budgetary restraints will not
impact future decisions related to
armoured vehicles.
Our armed forces are backed
by the fourth-largest defence budget
in the world; we have a fully funded
equipment plan worth 160 billion
over the next ten years, which will
ensure we have agile, adaptable
forces ready to meet future threats,
says Rigden.The decisions on
how and when to spend this
money will be taken on the basis
of operational requirements.
As emerging threats increase in
number and complexity, multination
and multi-agency activities become
more widespread, and the UKs policy
of defence engagement continues,
adaptability and interoperability
will only become more important
for the vehicles that will eventually
be deployed in the operating
environment of the future.

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Company insight > Land operations

Wheeled and tracked military

suspension systems
Hemscheidt Fahrwerktechnik is a highly specialised supplier
of chassis components for the military and commercial vehicle
industries. The company is renowned for designing, engineering
and manufacturing suspension systems for special vehicles.
Hemscheidt has developed and produced shock absorbers since
1929, and has successfully concentrated on chassis components
that can handle high loads and extreme operating conditions.
Hemscheidt develops hydropneumatic suspension systems for
all types of off-road wheeled and tracked vehicles. The company
provides an extensive range of damping systems that meet the
highest demands, and delivers customised products that create an
extraordinary driving experience for virtually all vehicle concepts.

Cutting-edge solutions
The companys toughest lightweight construction to date is the
new state-of-the-art product range called HydroPneumatic Strut.
This is where Hemscheidt has combined its expertise in chassis
engineering with the benefits of cutting-edge hydropneumatic
systems. HydroPneumatic Strut excels through its multimaterial
concept, its single or double-stage suspension system and its
Further information: Hemscheidt Fahrwerktechnik

particular adaptability. With its new HydroPneumatic Strut product

range, Hemscheidt is able to provide perfect solutions for not only
wheeled but also tracked vehicles.
We develop and produce shock absorbers for tanks, and have a
huge amount of experience within the field. We have incorporated
a great amount of our tank know-how into the new system, says
Dr Mark Whrmann, MD of Hemscheidt.
HydroPneumatic Strut excels through its one or two-stage
suspension systems with integrated dampening and temperature
compensation, which can be used in construction as well as
refurbishment projects. Hemscheidt is constantly working to
fulfil today and tomorrows specific requirements.
Demand for highly sophisticated suspension systems will
increase in future as new-generation vehicles enter the market.
High comfort levels, excellent off-road behaviour and, above all,
the need for excellent stability, have to be combined.
Hemscheidt delivers suspension systems that can resolve
these sometimes conflicting requirements with robust design,
well-proven components and maintenance-free systems,
concludes Whrmann.

www.hemscheidt.de

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Company insight > Land operations

Foreign aid
With government defence and security departments now working much closer, industry
manufacturers no longer have to rely solely on domestic demand. General (retired)
Jean-Albert Epitalon, director for land and air-land defence of French organisation
GICAT, discusses the importance of collaboration between defence companies, and
the work that is being done to open up foreign markets to domestic suppliers.

n 1970, five defence sector professionals recognised

the need for better representation among policymakers.
Not content with the communication structures in
place, they set about creating an organisation capable of
protecting the interests of the industry. They established
what was later titled the French Land Defence and Security
Industry Association (GICAT). Its dual role as a think
tank to officials, and as a gateway between government
departments and GICAT affiliates, has seen it become an
integral part of the French defence landscape.
Decades later, its influence hasnt dwindled. Many defence
manufacturers have outgrown their reliance upon the French
Army and domestic buyers, and are now operating in lucrative
foreign markets. As a result, GICATs relationship with
governments, its members and foreign investors has seen
its value as a partner skyrocket.
Headquartered in Paris, the group consists of roughly
40,000 employees and 230 member companies (28 of which
sit upon the board of directors). Multinationals, SMEs and
subcontractors are all part of the community, and together
they generate in excess of 5 billion worldwide 2 billion of
which is made up of exports to countries outside of France.

Swiss precision
It is a service that provides networking, economic intelligence,
financial advice and critical information about the sector,
says Jean-Albert Epitalon, who has been in charge of
international development in defence for GICAT since 2007.
Our main areas of activity cover everything from ammunition,
armoured vehicles, electronic systems, helicopters and UAVs
for the army. Were also expanding in the training field with
the likes of simulations.
Epitalons 34-year career as an officer in the French Army
apexed with his ascension to brigadier general, residing in
the international branch for bilateral relations between the
French Army and its allies. Its precious experience that he
has been channelling in his mission to cement GICATs
intercontinental presence.
Outside of Europe, GICAT is working with the Association
of the US Army (AUSA), a link that is helping to bring
together the French and US forces, says Epitalon. Weve
also got strong ties with the Confederation of Indian
Industry, which we have been consulting with on how to
improve their sector.
GICAT is organised into six committees, each tasked with
supporting and promoting their respective areas. The SME

40

DSSI010_Gicat.indd 40

committee is charged with helping channel information to

its members, improving relationships between them and
facilitating the burgeoning export market.
We take care of SMEs in the national market by informing
government offices of the problems that our members are
facing, and gauging from them the conditions of the export
market, says Epitalon. For example, at the moment, we are
campaigning for wheeled armoured vehicle exportation as the
French national programmes are nearly finished, and new
ones wont begin for a few years.

GICAT is heavily involved in

numerous security exhibitions,
which grant its members a platform
for international exposure.
Between 30 and 40% of Frances defence sector is already
built upon exports. GICAT is heavily involved in numerous
security exhibitions, which grant its members a platform for
international exposure and the opportunity to see the latest
developments in equipment, an essential prospect for the
industrys many SMEs and subcontractors.
The organisations next rendezvous will be at the
Eurosatory exhibition, organised by a subsidiary, which
takes place 1620 June in Paris. As the worlds largest
defence and security expo, more than 1,400 exhibitors
will be in attendance from more than 50 countries.
Only 440 of these are French, so it has great international
coverage. Weve also invited a lot of official delegates; in the
last two years, we have seen roughly 20 ministers of defence
and 20 national chiefs of staff attending, as well as hundreds
of journalists covering the show, says Epitalon.
Its an event that will see the presentation of the GICAT
export trophy to the most noteworthy defence company in
this field. As well as granting the winner the use of prestigious
GICAT label, it is an opportunity to increase visibility among
the Eurosatorys influential clientele. As the association
continues to open up untapped foreign markets, its an award
and partnership that could transform the export potential of
the champion.

Further information
GICAT
www.gicat.com

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

28/05/2014 14:54

Company insight > Land operations

Optimised winch technology

In keeping with the very latest technology, winches today need to be

lightweight and durable, and use limited mounting space.

Founded in 1948, Warn Industries is the worlds most recognised

brand in vehicle-recovery products. Warn continually pushes the
boundaries of winch technology with its innovative designs.
As technology evolves, so does the equipment used in
vehicle recovery. New user demands place an emphasis
on optimised use of available mounting space on a vehicle.
Also, making accessories as lightweight as possible without
compromising performance is now a must.
For winches, this means putting as much pulling capacity
as possible into a relatively compact housing.
Further information: Warn Industries

Warn Industries, a US winch manufacturing firm, continues

to design and optimise hydraulic and DC-powered winches
that deliver the best balance between installation space and
performance. An example is the powerful Olympus electrical
winch. Its lightweight yet extremely durable construction
makes it 65% lighter than a comparable winch, and it is much
more versatile.
Using hydraulics is one option, but an electrical-driven
winch has advantages that are not met by a hydraulic system.
The need for an auxiliary hydraulics system can be avoided,
electrics can be maintained or changed in dusty or moist
environments, and the system can be designed so that when
the main engine of the vehicle fails, winch operation is
still possible.
Traditionally, steel-wire rope is used for winching. As more
advanced chemical compounds have become available, Warn
has developed and now introduced Spydura Pro and Spydura
ProMax synthetic ropes. These optional synthetic ropes allow
further ease of handling and weight savings. Proprietary
combinations of Nomex, Dyneema, urethane coatings, hightensile fibres, as well as braiding and special sleeves, allow use
in applications of up to 25,000lb pulling capacity.

www.warn.com

ON ACTIVE DUTY: WARN WINCHES

60+ years of service and still leading by design

Warn Industries (NYSE:DOV) offers a variety of field
proven hydraulic and electric winches and hoists,
with capacities as varied as the terrain our troops
encounter: 2,000 lbs. to 30,000 lbs.
Severe Duty winches optimized for use in theater.

Learn more: www.warn.com

Contact your Warn partner or
Hugo Burgers, Director EMEA,
Warn Industries, Inc.
Email: [email protected]

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Company insight > Land operations

Multichannel FORJs
Spinner, a world leader in high-frequency technology parts that are used in the
broadcast, mobile communication and radar sectors, has developed a sustainable
portfolio of fibre-optic rotary joints for a variety of industrial and military applications.

otary joints (RJs) are units

that allow the transmission
of signals, power and media
between a static and a rotating part.
They are installed in radar systems,
remotely operated vehicles, control and
sensing systems, and many other fields.
Due to constantly increasing data rates,
fibre-optic rotary joints (FORJs) are
becoming more popular for data and
signal transfer.
Spinner offers a variety of different
FORJs for single-mode (SM) and
multimode (MM) fibre optics, beginning
with a single-channel FORJ and moving
up to a 20-channel version. The compact
single-channel FORJs BN549397 (SM)
Insertion loss of a six-channel FORJ BN549599 versus the rotary position. It exhibits a low absolute
and BN529013 (MM) are used if a high
value of the insertion loss and only small variations over rotation.
rotation speed and a long life time is
of -55dB are specified. Second, the insertion loss
needed. If more than one physical channel is necessary,
absolute value of the transmitted light power is
multichannel FORJs, such as the small-sized BN549561
crucial for a high signal-to-noise ratio. For analogue
(the only dual-channel SM FORJ on the market), BN549599
signal processing, insertion loss values lower than 2dB
(up to six SM channels), and the BN549758 (up to 20
are desirable. This minimises influences from the noise
SM channels), are available. For all types, a MM version
originated by the detector diode. Measurements on
exists as well, while its worth noting that the set-up of
BN549599 show insertion loss values between 0.9dB
multichannel FORJs is more complex than single-channel
and 1.6dB (see graph, above). Third, typically, the
varieties and requires precise components and an
insertion loss varies slightly over rotation of the
adjustment in the regime of some 0.01.
interface due to small imperfections of the components
and their adjustment. This variation over rotation
disturbs the transmitted signal. In the above graph, a
typical insertion loss measurement on BN549599 versus
the rotation angle is presented. In this case, the variation
over rotation across two full rotations due to the
symmetry of the internal design stays within 0.4dB,
and the variation over rotation across any 6 doesnt
exceed 0.06dB.
Spinner multichannel FORJs have the unique
possibility of adjusting the insertion loss of each channel
so that several paths have exactly the same physical
Work with the best
value, meaning that external measures can be avoided.
Spinner has gained expertise in design, manufacturing and
For the processing of analogue signals, the passive
maintenance of complex multichannel rotary joints over the
transmission components have to fulfil challenging
past 40 years. Meanwhile, it has also developed more than
requirements, which are met by the six-channel FORJ
20,000 different rotary joint assemblies. These are not limited to
BN549599. First, light is scattered at discontinuities
its core competence in optic and RF rotary joint solutions. The
in the transmission path, which is measured as the
company provides complex hybrid solutions that qualify it as an
return loss. For analogue signal processing, the return
excellent partner for modern civil and military radar systems.
loss has to be as low as -50dB. Reflected optical power
The groups of transmission technologies and encoders
causes frequency jitter of the laser source and thus
listed opposite are known as hybrid rotary joints with
disturbs the signal at the detector. In BN549599, values
slip rings. These main components are designed and

Spinner has gained expertise

in design, manufacturing and
maintenance of complex multichannel
rotary joints over the past 40 years.

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Company insight > Land operations

The six-channel FORJ BN549599.

manufactured
by Spinner at its
production facility in
Westerham, Germany:
single or multichannel coaxial rotary joints
waveguide single or multichannel rotary joints
fibre-optic single, dual or multichannel rotary joints
contactless fast Ethernet and gigabit Ethernet
media joints for fluids and air
contactless power transmission
power and signal-slip rings.

Spinner delivers a large variety of rotary joint

combinations according to customer specifications in all
varieties, frequency bands and sizes. The integration of
media joints and contactless gigabit Ethernet ensure that
the companys solutions are able to provide all the
requirements of any radar system.

Further information
Spinner
www.spinner-group.com

Superior RF Rotary Joints and Slip rings

Fiber Optic Single, Dual & Multichannel up to 20

Fast Ethernet Transmission and Media Joints

RF Rotary Joints up to 95 GHz for

Air Trac Control Radars

Defence and Civil Applications Air, Sea, Land

SPINNER GmbH || Germany || [email protected]

www.spinner-group.com

MEDIA MODULE

ROTARY JOINTS
FIBER OPTIC
ETHERNET

High Frequency Performance Worldwide

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Company insight > Land operations

Slip rings to
transmit HD
video signals
Todays battlefield is evolving rapidly, incorporating stateof-the-art technologies into new-generation systems such
as video surveillance, optronic sensors and telemetry.
These new technologies give rise to the challenge of
transmitting very complex signals from stationary to
rotating parts.
The need for high-definition video (HD-SDI and 3G-SDI)
and very high-bit data-rate signals (such as CoaXPress,
gigabit Ethernet, PCI express or Rocket I/O) represent
major design constraints for components that have to
meet increasingly demanding requirements.
RUAG has developed a simple technology to meet
complex signal transmission needs: the high data-rate
transmission Slip Ring (HDRT Slip Ring). This novel
technology fully meets market needs, while preserving the
traditional reliability associated with RUAG slip rings. New
materials, new manufacturing methods, high-precision
Further information: RUAG Space

RUAG has developed

a simple technology to
meet complex signal
transmission needs.

engineering and a high degree of signal simulation add

up to slip ring optimisation by pushing the boundaries
of traditional sliding-contact designs.
HDRT Slip Rings will give end users the capability
to transmit complex signals and data through a simple
architecture. HDRT Slip Rings enable you to avoid
live electronics, such as electric-to-optical conversion
or multiplexing boards, without affecting the reliability
of the system.
The design works with raw signal data (coaxial or
differential), without any compression, and with the
advantage of having multiple channels available for
such demanding performances.
RUAGs aim is to bring this proven HDRT Slip Ring
technology to all potential users at an attractive price and
performance ratio. The company provides solutions that
are customised to your specific applications.

www.ruag.com/space/ch/nyon_site

Turn our heritage into your advantage.

Slip Rings from RUAG.
Slip Rings for defence
applications
Optimized for signal quality and
bit error rate RUAG slip rings
provide cost effective solutions
for portable units and small
surveillance and weapon stations.

RUAG Schweiz AG
RUAG Space
Ch. de la Vuarpillire 29
1260 Nyon | Switzerland
Phone +41 22 361 77 33
[email protected]
www.ruag.com/sliprings

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Company insight > Land operations

Metallic links for munitions

Tightened armed-forces budgets mean ammunition-procurement costs must be reduced.
Jean-Luc Bonelli from Eurolinks reveals the technological solutions his company
is exploring to address such a challenge while maintaining a superior link product.
Can you give us a brief history of Eurolinks,
and talk us through its services?
Jean-Luc Bonelli: Eurolinks has been making ammunition
links for almost 60 years. It all started with our French
7.50/7.72mm links for AA52, before we added new types of
links as our customers, who were satisfied by the high quality
of our supplies, progressively asked us to do so. We now offer
more than 35 types of links, suiting small and medium-calibre
ammunitions from 5.56 to 40.00mm to be used in the most
diffused weapons systems of German/Swiss, French, UK, and
US origins and designs.
We also produce an increasing range of links for
Russian-designed ammo and weapons systems, notably
in medium calibre. We can offer technical and testing
assistance for the development of new types of links
or improvement of existing designs. We can also team
up with engineering companies that specialise in
machinery and set up of ammunitions production lines
in order to handle the part of the project that regards links
making installations, should links manufacture be a part
of the ammo production line project.

Which countries can benefit from your products?

How do you remain a dynamic business?

We always look for new outlets and customers for our
products, and invest in the latest production technologies to
maintain our position in the market, while ensuring quality.
We are currently implementing a new ERP system,
applying lean management throughout our production
workshops, and will be audited for ISO 14001 certification
by the end of the year.

How do you ensure quality control?

Through our ISO 9001-2008 and NATO AQAP
2120-certified processes. These frame the ways we
monitor and control the procurement of our materials, and
ensure performance of our supply chain, from controlling
the phases of link production, to using digital inspection
methods for early detection of defects.

We have an in-depth knowledge

of the products we make, and their
use in weapons systems.

Our customers are the ammunition makers, and the

integrators and suppliers of our products. We provide
links to ammo makers anywhere on the five continents.

Aside from being ISO 9001/AQAP 2120-certified, our

company is also audited by most of our customers on
a regular basis, and proudly holds many certifications
granted by consumers or awarded by armed forces.

What are the biggest challenges facing the

sector at the moment?

What is it that makes you stand out from

your competitors?

Given current budget constraints in many parts of the world,

we must support our manufacturers customers in the challenge
for cost reduction on ammo procurement and management.
As a strategic supplier, we must also increase productivity.
Some projects of a technological nature are also under
consideration, such as reducing the burden of soldiers. This
has led the industry to look for technical solutions for reducing
the weight of ammo and links. We must also bear in mind the
increasingly complex regulations impacting all aspects of our
business. These can include issues relating to the environmental,
politics, law or even usage restriction on materials or chemicals
we use in our production process.

The vast and extensive culture of our products. We hold

a complete technical library with archived specifications
and drawings. Consequently, we can offer a design service
while assisting in the engineering and testing of the
modification of existing link designs.
Because we offer a complete suite of links, customers are
able to find a large range of desirable products under the
same roof, which ensures quality control consistency and
reduced costs. Our location in Europe, which is next to a
major harbour, is an asset too. Most of our customers are
settled in Europe, but were also an equal distance from
our US and Asian customers, with excellent ability to serve
those in the Middle East too. We also offer a simplified,
quicker online system for export licensing offered by
French authorities, which is a key success factor.

What advantages do you think over 60 years

experience in the business gives you?
We have an in-depth knowledge of the products we
make, and their use in weapons systems. We know the
technical reasons for the design features of a particular
link. For many of the links we are currently producing,
we have been the first makers.

Further information
Eurolinks
www.eurolinks.fr

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Company insight > Land operations

Meteorological instruments
Since 1984, Swiss company IRDAM has manufactured
high-end meteorological instruments developed to satisfy
the highest constraints of military usage, as well as various
civilian business needs.
IRDAM is a self-financed company that gives high
priority to its research and development. Thanks to
this innovative technology without any mobile parts for
wind speed and direction measurement IRDAM offers
its customers a compact weather station, immune to
vibrations, sand and dust.

Swiss precision
In line with the traditional Swiss values of quality and
precision, IRDAM prides itself on designing the most resistant
weather stations in the world; answering the military standard
requirements (MIL, VG and GAM); and being recognised by its
customers for product reliability and accuracy.
As a result of high product quality and best-in-class
pre-sales technical support with some deployed IRDAM
equipment running for over 20 years IRDAM weather
stations and meteorological instruments are systematically
the first choice for armies and businesses worldwide.
Further information: IRDAM

46

Compact and robust, with a measurement capacity

not affected by the vibration of vehicle tracks, IRDAM
weather stations have always been preferred by mainbattle-tank manufacturers for decades. IRDAM weather
sensors have become the indispensable element to analyse
the external environment requested for a most accurate
ballistic correction.

All the right moves

IRDAM meteorological product offerings also answer
the specific needs of CBRN applications. With over 3,000
vehicles equipped around the world, and an MTBF up to
45,000 hours, IRDAM weather stations are the essential and
undisputable peripheral for mobile military applications.
The strong relationships built-up with customers and
scientific partners in Switzerland and across the world,
contribute to the evolution and continuous improvement of
the companys products. Dynamic and looking to the future,
IRDAMs roadmap is to apply its know-how of the military
applications pool to all incoming businesses and customers
with evolving needs, where meteorological information
becomes a necessity for the mission.

www.irdam.ch

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight > Land operations

On the hunt
Defence-sector companies are always seeking new ways to diversify, and foreign
partnerships are proving to be a valuable resource. Defence & Security Systems International
speaks with Olivier Richard, CEGELEC Dfenses marketing and business manager, to
see where the focus for future development lies, and what products are driving new demand.
How has CEGELEC Dfenses business strategy
changed in recent times?
Olivier Richard: For the past few years, CEGELEC Dfense,
the main provider for the integration of command and
control capabilities into deployable and autonomous shelters
for the French armed forces and Gendarmerie, has had a lot
of success on the national ground, but in a highly
competitive industry, it has become essential for us to turn to
new markets. Though we have good international visibility,
its an area we have earmarked for growth. Since the start of
2014, weve begun to apply this new development strategy.
Were looking to build relations and integrate with local
content through sponsorships, joint ventures, technology
transfers, production contracts and other partnerships. As we
are currently taking our first steps into export markets, there
are a number of challenges to overcome. These potential new
markets are a catalyst for the company, but there is no clear
view yet on how it will modify the kinetics of development.
It is unknown just how considerably it will change the face
of CEGELEC Dfense. We are at the initial stages, and there
are a few ingredients missing before we have a better idea
of what to expect and how to control it.

Whats driving the demand is the

high quality and comfort provided
by these shelters for the operator
and for the equipment.
What are your customers looking for at present,
and are there any areas of heightened demand?
Our prospects attach a lot of importance to the quality of
the product and the references we can provide. CEGELEC
Dfense easily fulfils these needs; our main products
bi-expandable and multi-expandable shelters have been
in use for many years within the French Air Force and the
French Gendarmerie, in various configurations; command
posts, crisis-management centre, air-traffic control, medical
applications and CBRN solutions, for example.
The French Air Force uses this equipment when operating
outside of national boundaries, in Afghanistan and Mali
for example, while the French Gendarmerie uses it as a
planification and crisis-management centre deployed for
major events, such as G7 and the public celebrations of the
80th anniversary of the allied invasion in Normandy.
The main products that have experienced heightened
demand are the air-transportable deployable command post
and crises-management centres; medical applications as

mobile field hospitals; air-transportable large-capability water

potabilisation solutions up to 400m3 a day per unit and
CBRN applications in air transportable bideployable shelters.

Are there any new markets that you have

recently broken into, and what is driving
demand in these areas?
The market CEGELEC Dfense is focusing on is the GCC
market and countries close to it, like Morocco, Egypt and Jordan
though it would be premature, and possibly counterproductive,
to communicate which countries are interested in our products.
Demand is driven by our multi-expandable shelter, which,
at present, has no equivalent worldwide. It offers, from a 20in
ISO-standard container, a deployed surface of 80m2 in which
almost anything can be integrated into and customised to the
clients final specifications. The product is not new, though,
and is combat proven, as demonstrated by the French Air
Force in Afghanistan.
Whats also driving the demand is the high quality and
comfort provided by these shelters for the operator and for the
equipment, added to the fact that they are extremely tactical
and quickly deployed it would typically take an hour for four
people to deploy the multi-expandable product.

What future developments do you expect to

see in the industry and your company?
The future developments we are expecting would be the
increase in local representation through distributors, selected
sponsors and workshops for local assembly. We hope what
we do see will be largely linked to all the actions were
carrying out in export markets. Weve selectively planted a
lot of seeds in fertilised ground; we just need a bit of rain
before they germinate.

What areas for growth have you targeted

in the future?
We will keep the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) as a
major target since we want to establish long-term relations
and a presence there. Prospective new areas are defined yearly,
and we could start to look at some countries in Africa and
Central Asia. Were careful to follow a structured strategy
though, rather than chasing all possible opportunities. We hunt,
were not hunted.

Further information

CEGELEC Dfense
www.defense.cegelec.com

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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PRESERVING PEACE AS YOUR PARTNER,

ANYWHERE, ANYTIME

CUSTOMISED PYROTECHNIC SOLUTIONS FOR THE MOST DEMANDING AIR, MARINE & LAND MISSIONS

- Initiators et pyrotechnic initiation systems for launchers, rockets, artillery fuses

- Specialist detonators and detonating cords for demolition / destruction and counter terror
- Pyrotechnic cartridges and igniters for countermeasures, decoys and aircraft release systems

Davey Bickford, a socially responsible company, endorses The Global Compact policy. The strategic
orientations, the governance and the operations of the company are thought and conducted in
strict conformance with the Global Compact principles : protection of human rights and ght
against discriminations, respect of work legislation, environment care and preservation of natural
resources, ght against corruption.

DAVEY BICKFORD SAS Le Moulin Gaspard, HERY 89550 France

Tel.:+33 (0) 386 473 000 | courriel: [email protected] | www.daveybickford-specialtyproducts.com
Photo credentials : with kind permission of SIRPA - MBDA France
DSSI010_Davey Bickford.indd 1

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Company insight > Future soldier

The key to ignition

Cuts to national security budgets and the latest European directives are forcing changes in the
way defence companies operate. Stphane Phelep, head of the speciality products division at
Davey Bickford, considers the importance of flexibility in todays business environment.
Can you outline what the company does?
Stphane Phelep: We are specialists in pyrotechnic initiators
and initiation systems. William Bickford, one of our ancestors,
invented the famous Bickford safety fuse in 1831. Our unrivalled
understanding of the chemistry of primary explosives, combined
with the new technologies of electronics and communication,
allows us to offer the most complete product portfolio to our
customers. We cover a wide range of markets, such as mines
and quarries, civil works, seismic exploration, defence and
aeronautics, safety and security, and entertainment.

What key trends are currently impacting the

pyrotechnic sector?
Several countries in the eurozone, including France, have been
facing difficult times for several years now: defence budgets are
lower and local players who have benefitted from important
recurrent sources of revenues for decades on preserved domestic
playgrounds must now work harder than ever at exporting to
ensure development. They are facing significant pressures, not
only on costs of products and services but also on adequacy and
the responsiveness of their organisations.
Development in such a shifting environment is made even
more complex by each countrys import/export regulations for
defence material. Organisations must conform to the applicable
export rules in their country of origin and also adhere to the
import rules of each destination country. The REACH European
Directive for the control of chemical substances puts some
pressure on European firms. Local restrictions on certain
chemical substances also tend to make the obsolescencemanagement process even more complex and difficult to control.

Products combine a deep knowledge of chemistry with new technology.

of the systems our devices are mounted on directly depends on

our components.
Successfully used for many years by the mining industry, our
Daveytronic system is the perfect illustration of Davey Bickfords
ability to combine and associate the companys knowledge of
primary explosives and energetic materials with embedded
electronics and smart communication technologies.

Tell us a little about your other services.

Over recent years, customer service expectations have changed
continuously. Davey Bickford has always paid the highest
attention to those needs.
The wide range of competencies, and the abilities of
professional and devoted employees, along with the competitive
advantage offered by the French technical and production centre
at Hry, allows Davey Bickford to offer a range of services to
customers, including pyrotechnics training, storage, dismantling,
destruction, aging studies and obsolescence management.

How are firms reacting to these regulatory and

financial challenges?

Do you have any interesting new products

in the pipeline?

Obviously, companies have no choice but to adapt to this

changing environment and meet the applicable regulations.
That said, individual factors such as a firms structure, history
and size will impact the effort required.
As a small and independent player, Davey Bickford has
the twin advantages of flexibility and reactiveness. Because
pyrotechnic activity is dangerous, the company is used to
strictly conforming to the applicable security and safety
regulations, as well as anticipating regulatory changes. Our
light and agile organisation, combined with the expertise of
highly skilled professionals, allows us to respond in the best
and most efficient manner.

Unsurprisingly, our short and mid-term focus is on the

qualification and implementation of environmentally friendly
energetic materials as advantageous replacements of substances
to which REACH restrictions apply.
In parallel, we will double our efforts to help defence customers
benefit from the wide array of functionality permitted by the
combination of pyrotechnics with the advanced technologies of
embedded electronics and smart communication.
Essentially, our priority for tomorrow is roughly the same as
it has always been: support our customers with the safest and
most reliable pyrotechnic initiators and initiation systems.

What sort of products does Davey Bickford offer?

Acting as energy amplifiers, pyrotechnic initiators are key
components for successful missions. The reliability and security

Further information
Davey Bickford
www.daveybickford.com

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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smarter simulations
Automated, high-level simulation
for efficient training & analysis

Intelligent life for

your simulations

Stunning A.I. to train decision makers and staff

with large military and public safety scenarios

Enhance your existing simulations with autonomous

characters and units

Advanced interoperability features allowing highly

realistic joint-forces and interagency exercises

Start right away and save time by using LIFEs out-ofthe-box content (infantry, soldiers and squad leaders)

Enables a consistent and realistic validation of

military operational plans as well as contingency
plans for natural disaster situations

Empower non-technical users such as doctrine experts

to create new tactical behaviours with a visual and
intuitive user interface

Easy to deploy and scale, from one station to a

cloud, and easy to use

Easily integrate with your simulation (pre-integrated

with VBS2, Unity3D,...)

learn more on www.masagroup.net

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Insight > Future soldier

FELIN fine
With dismounted soldiers forming the backbone of every modern army, ensuring infantry
troops have the very best equipment is a constant struggle for todays military forces.
Colonel Michel Maury of the French Armament Corps discusses the French Armys
investment in FELIN, including its performance to date and planned upgrades.

n May 2010, the first FELIN systems

from a total order of 22,588 were
delivered to the French military by
SAGEM. An integrated infantry system
that enhances close-combat mobility,
lethality, survivability and C4I (command,
control, computers, communications and
information), Frances dismounted soldiers
are now among the best-equipped ground
forces in the world. In total, the FELIN
programme including development,
production, engineering and initial
support is worth around 1 billion.
While it provides infantry forces with
enhanced combat abilities, FELINs
design also focuses on flexibility and
human centricity. Ergonomics and
intuitiveness are vital if the soldiers work
is to be made easier by new equipment.
In JanuaryJune 2012, Frances
1st Infantry Regiment was the first FELIN
unit deployed to Afghanistan. In May
that year, the 16th Chasseurs Battalion
became the second. The new equipment
received high praise from officers, along
with stories of US soldiers being so
impressed by the technology when they
borrowed it from the French that they
wanted to keep it for themselves.
Now, four years on from when the
FELIN systems were first received by
the French military, Colonel Michel
Maury of the French Armament Corps
reflects on how the equipment has
performed so far, and where the French
Army will take it from here.

What were the key ideas behind

the creation of FELIN?
Colonel Michel Maury: FELIN is
an armament system dedicated to
the dismounted soldier. Its creation
came from three main ideas:

Frances dismounted soldiers are now among the best-equipped ground forces in the world thanks to
the cutting-edge FELIN system.

An integrated and global system

should increase the capacity of

dismounted soldiers to incorporate
the technical performances of each
device they use, and rationalising the
whole equipment in terms of mass
and power supply.
Before FELIN, dismounted soldier
equipment had some gaps in
observation, communication or
protection fields. Moreover, that
equipment was not consistent
enough and lacked integrated
thought, leading to a possible lack of
combat efficiency. It was necessary to
stop the incremental equipment logic
that had endured through decades.
The need to connect the soldiers in
inside the platoon, as well as the
dismounted platoon, with upper level
of commandment (C4I) in real time.
The equipment must be thought of as
a whole as a human-centric system that

is global, modular, integrated and flexible

according to the missions, while keeping
the soldier at the heart of the system.
In addition to better sharing the
information offered by C4I, FELIN gives
new possibilities for dismounted
combat, such as around the corner
observation and firing, combat in a
CBRN environment and making combat
by night similar to combat by day.

What is FELINs key technology

and why is it significant?
The key technology is the batteries, night
observation and vision means (low-light
imaging and infrared), radio link for voice,
data and blue force tracking, protection
solutions, and also wiring and clothing
issues. The logic was to increase the
collective performance of dismounted
squads and platoons by improving the
performances of individual soldiers.
The solution, in terms of equipment
being operated and carried, must not

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29/05/2014 08:30

Insight > Future soldier

increase weight or burden for the
soldier. Consequently, the human
factors, such as ergonomics and
intuitiveness, are key drivers.
Moreover, the six core functions
(observation, communication,
mobility, lethality, survivability and
sustainability) of armament equipment
are not independent; they are linked.
Only a system-based approach allows
optimisation of these functions in a
coherent way, which was a key
approach for FELIN design.

Colonel Michel Maury

Colonel Michel Maury, French Armament Corps, became the director of the FELIN
programme in October 2011. He also supervises the combatants and aeromobility
management sector in the Direction gnrale de larmement (DGA)s land armament
operations management unit.

FELIN opens up new possibilities for

dismounted soldiers, such as around
the corner observation and firing.

Which aspects of the FELIN

system have proved most
useful in combat?
The FELIN system has been deployed
since the end of 2011 in different
foreign theatres, such as Afghanistan,
Mali and the Central African Republic.
The operational feedback notes special
added value in: communication and
observation devices; allowing shared

soldiers. Eventually, about 18,000 will

be equipped in total.

For the time being, FELIN is the only system

of this kind that has been mass produced and
widely deployed.
and discreet cover of a controlled area;
observation in large desert areas,
especially by night essentially, the
early detection of operatives, allowing
the driving back of attacks at FOB Tora
in Afghanistan; level-4 ballistic
protection for soldiers; robustness of
parts; and increased clothing quality.

Are US or other NATO forces

also purchasing FELIN systems?
For the time being, FELIN is the only
system of this kind that has been mass
produced and widely deployed. The
prospecting of potential exports is
ongoing, and some FELIN devices or
related products, such as binoculars,
are sold by SAGEM to other countries.
In any case, the sale of FELIN systems
or parts has to comply with
exportation regulations.

How many soldiers are currently

equipped with FELIN?
There are 13 infantry regiments
equipped so far, which is about 10,000

52

A FELIN database management

system (DBMS) software evolution

for the first step of Project Scorpion.
In the coming years, new assault rifles,
such as a FAMAS replacement, will also
be integrated with the FELIN system.

Do you envisage any future

changes to the FELIN system?

How does FELIN fit into the

wider Scorpion programme?

The FELIN system is managed as a

standard that allows evolution and
modification in a consistent way. The
main changes in the short term relate to:
For 2016, there will be a new design
for the portable structure in order to
reduce weight and allow better
weight transfer between the
shoulders and waist. The goal is
to increase the tactical mobility of
soldiers, especially in the offensive
phase. This change will increase
the performance-to-mass ratio
according to the mission.
For 2014, there will be a new radio
subsystem allowing major
capacities. This will include
dynamic relays inside radio sets
and relays mounted on infantry
vehicles (VBCI and VAB), allowing
robust and secure radio links and
networks despite natural screens,
such as those found in urban
environments, for instance.

Through DBMS evolution and new

tactical radio, FELIN will be fully
integrated into the Scorpion battle
groups. Step two of Project Scorpion will
address the future evolution of FELIN.

What directions do you see

dismounted soldier equipment
taking in the future?
French infantry forces are up to date
thanks to the FELIN system and its
planned evolutions. DGA is working
on the next soldier system specifically
within the Project Scorpion framework.
The major issue is, and will continue to
be, the ongoing search to reduce the
mass of dismounted forces.
Nevertheless, various other topics are
addressed as well: individual protection,
new power supplies, augmented reality,
soldier navigation in areas not covered
by GPS, integration of mini robots or
drone control all within a systembased approach.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight > Future soldier

Durable seasonal camouflage

Fotolia

Kermel offers different fire-resistant combat suit camouflage

solutions for use in varied surrounds such as desert and woodland.

Kermel fabrics are essential components of the FELIN modular

infantry suite used to equip the French Army. They have been
chosen as the fabric solutions for durable combat suits.
Summer and winter solutions of the camouflage fabrics offer
excellent durability and fire resistance, as well as a high level
of comfort, delivering improved performance for the combat
suit. After extensive laboratory and field tests, the fabrics
achieved the highest standard of colour fastness for a fire-

resistant fabric, ensuring that the camouflage will withstand

long-term use in tough conditions.
Kermel fabrics are used in garments worn in summer or
warm conditions, delivering a natural softness combined with
effective moisture absorption.
The solution for winter operations incorporates Kermel
fabrics, which have been designed to protect in cold, wet
weather and retain the natural, soft feel of all Kermel fabrics.
In Mali and Afghanistan, soldiers have been wearing the
FELIN infantry solution in warfare for more than three years.
Kermel fabrics were chosen for their high performance
standards and their ability to meet all the criteria of comfort,
durability, fire resistance and colour fastness.
All Kermel fabrics have unique properties that ensure they
deliver an unbeatable level of performance for the wearer.
They are smooth-surfaced and therefore very comfortable.
They retain good levels of elasticity and a high resistance to
abrasion, which explains the excellent durability of the fabrics.
There is very little risk of shrinkage during washing or drying,
even at very high temperatures, and the fabrics retain a natural
resistance to detergents, making them easier to care for.
Kermel will exhibit its latest high-tech solutions at
Eurosatory (France) and Future Soldier (Czech Republic).

Further information: Kermel www.kermel.com

EUROSATORY
16-20 June 2014
PARiS (F)

on our booth G393 in Hall 6

Discover our flame resistant multi-purpose
solutions in Kermel for the military,
law and order professionals:

KERMEL - 20, rue Ampre - F - 68027 COLMAR Cedex

Tl. +33 (0)3 89 20 36 90 - Mail : [email protected]
www.kermel.com

FR pilot coveralls and anti-G suits

Bomber jackets, coveralls for tank crew
Protective clothing for commandos and elite corps
Sweat absorbent FR knits for T-shirts and underwear
Kermel camouflage combat suit solutions
Different FR camouflage types such as desert, woodland...
Plus other developments...
Kermel is a registered trademark of KERMEL company.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight > Future soldier

A good year
Dr Joachim Belz, managing director of ODU, explains why 2013 helped the company
cement its position as one of the worlds leading connector systems suppliers.

We are continually expanding our

product lines, and place importance
on new technological challenges.
Electrical connection technology expertise
The medium-sized company operates on a national
and international level through high quality, creative
innovation and flexible customised solutions. Besides
expanding in the European market, ODU plans to continue
its growth in China. The priorities in China include the

Source: Rohde & Schwarz

esides the company headquarters at Mhldorf

am Inn, Germany, the ODU Group also has an
international production and distribution network
that includes Sibiu in Romania, Camarillo in the US, and
Shanghai. The company combines all relevant areas of
competence and key technologies relating to design
and development, machine tool and special machine
construction, injection, stamping, turning, surface
technology, assembly and cable assembly. Its connectors
are used worldwide in numerous areas and ensure
a reliable transfer of power, signals, data and media.
Growth in 2013 was up 14% on the previous financial
year, while worldwide the industry recorded growth of
about 3%. Sales turnover for the specialist in electrical
connectors is currently 130 million.
We are proud of the healthy growth recorded
worldwide in our standard connectors and our customised
connectors for specific applications. Sales turnover nearly
doubled to the end of 2013 since the economic crisis year
of 2009, states Dr Joachim Belz, managing director of
ODU. Our ability in implementing customer requirements,
and our flexibility, has proven effective even in a European
market rated as weak by economic experts. ODU recorded
double-digit growth, and is pleased about achieving a
record year.
ODUs success applies to a broad area of application
from medical through measurement and testing, to
military and security technology.

ODU connectors are used in software-defined radios like the new R&S SDTR.

Advanced tactical communication and hearing protection systems

also feature the companys products.

expansion of essential production technology, as well as

the development of local products produced in the country.
The proven ODU principle that all expertise and key
technologies are kept in-house is a substantial
competitive advantage. The result: growth rates markedly
above the industry average. In the US, the company has
created the conditions for further development by
substantially strengthening sales activities and expanding
cable assemblies for the local market.
We are continually expanding our existing product
lines, and place importance on new technological
challenges such as the demands for increased data rates
or advanced miniaturisation, says Belz. By focusing on
our core markets and being prepared for opportunities in
local niche markets, we are building on previous
successful years.
The ODU connector experts are making a double-digit
investment in state-of-the art production technologies.
This includes increasing the production areas in Mhldorf
and Sibiu. In combination with the expansion of research
and development, the investments ensure that the coming
years will be successful ones for ODU and for innovative
connector solutions worldwide.

Quality for deployment situations

The ODU AMC Break-Away.

54

DSSI010_ODU.indd 54

ODU connections ensure a fast information flow with

no malfunctions or interruptions in communication
systems. With robust and reliable high-tech products,

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

28/05/2014 14:55

Company insight > Future soldier

its element even under the most
ODU provides connections in places
extreme field conditions, being
where the highest security level is
tough, watertight and easy to clean
the standard.
even in the field. The low-weight,
The company is involved in
low-reflection surface, excellent
soldier modernisation programmes
EMC properties and compact
worldwide. In this field, connectors
construction make these
must meet a number of rigorous
connections ideal elements for
conditions, including ease of use
military and security technology.
and reliability under the most
The
ODU
AMC
Easy-Clean
connector
ODU can also offer solutions for
extreme conditions. ODU
special requirements such as hot
connectors meet and often exceed
plugging, hybrid combinations or
these by providing a reliable
high-speed data rates up to 10GB.
connection under the harshest of
The secure transfer of as much
conditions. If you are looking for an
data as possible in as short a
innovative, robust, secure and
time as possible is becoming
reliable connector solution in the
increasingly important in military
military/defence area, ODU is your
and security technology. The goal
partner of choice.
is the comprehensive and up-toTo meet all requirements of the

and
the
firms
ODU
AMC
Push-Pull.
date provision of data anywhere at
future, ODU developed the military
any time.
connector ODU AMC (advanced
military connector). Designed
especially for military and security technology, this
Further information
extremely robust metal circular connector series
ODU
satisfies every demand when it comes to loading
www.odu.de
capacity and transfer reliability. The ODU AMC is in

ODU Connector Systems

for Military and Security Technology
A connection you can count on.

CAT 5E: 1 GBit/s

CAT 6A: 10 GBit/s

ODU AMC
Advanced Military Connector

Low weight
Compact design
Easy to handle

Watertight
Easy-Clean or Break-Away
Robust and MIL approved

www.odu.de

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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29/05/2014 11:56

Company insight > Future soldier

AI for smart cuts

As funding for defence projects continues to fall, armies are increasingly looking to simulation
software for economically viable training solutions. Juan-Pablo Torres, CEO of MASA Group,
discusses how artificial intelligence (AI)-based computer programs can save forces time and money.
Could you brief describe
what your company does?

Who is currently using your

AI-based software?

Juan-Pablo Torres: Founded as a

One of our largest and most recent
spin-off of a bio-computing
deployments was to the Brazilian
laboratory, MASA is a leading
Army, who signed a major contract
developer of artificial intelligence
for our software last year. It involves
(AI)-based COTS (commercially
equipping the training centres of
available off-the-shelf) software for
command staff at division level with
modelling and simulation within the
a customised version of our SWORD
defence, emergency management
wargame. It will be used to train
and games-related markets.
command staff of up to 100 people
Headquartered in Paris, MASA is a
and is reducing the number of
SWORD executes orders according to a doctrine pre-modelled with
LIFE
by
experts,
adding
an
additional
layer
of
realism
to
training.
global firm with a worldwide
operators needed by around 30%.
network of partners and resellers. We have very close contact with
Also, MASA LIFE, our AI middleware for smarter simulations and
end users, who are typically an army or the equivalent emergencygame engines, was commercially released earlier this year for the
management agency.
games development and M&S industries. Since then, several tens
of licenses have been deployed.

What key trends are currently impacting the

modelling and simulation (M&S) market?
One major trend is budget cuts to defence projects. As a result,
training has to become more efficient you must do more with
fewer people and resources. The other key issue is interoperability
with other simulations joint operational training. Analysis is also
important: generals and colonels using the software need to be
able to see what happens if different strategies or equipment are
used for a situation.

How can AI make training more efficient?

Usually, the training undertaken by generals and colonels for
decision-making is particularly costly and time consuming. They
are taught how to analyse a complex situation, make a decision
and convey it back to their subordinates.
For the training to be good, the general and his staff should pass
that order on to all their subordinates, often consisting of four or
five different levels below them. In total, between two and ten
thousand people can be required.
However, with MASA SWORD, our automated wargame, the
general only has to give his orders to one level of staff below. The
subordinates can then give these orders to the simulation software,
rather down all the ranks.

Is AI-based training as effective as

real-life scenarios?
SWORD actually adds an element of realism to the training. When
the orders are given to the virtual entities, they will be executed
according to a doctrine pre-modelled by experts. Also, since most
of the virtual entities are autonomous, far fewer controllers are
required to actually operate the system. The result is more efficient
training that costs less.

Could you describe your software in more detail?

SWORD, our flagship product, is an automated wargame (highlevel constructive simulation). It is mainly used for training and
analysis. It has a state-of-the-art AI engine unique in todays
market, and possesses fully defined interoperability features that
very few other systems have. It also has a double-use case for
defence and public safety applications when it comes to emergency
management, further distinguishing it from most of its competitors.
LIFE, our most recent product, is middleware that allows the
easy creation of behaviours and autonomous characters within a
virtual battlefield. It was designed, like SWORD, to populate other
simulations with AI-driven armed forces, civilians and other virtual
objects, all of which cannot be driven by human operators. LIFE
can be integrated with existing simulations or game engines, and
is easy to use, even for non-technical users. It also provides a
library of ready-to-use behaviours.

How will the AI-based M&S market develop?

Low cost and easy interoperability will still be a key differentiator
over the years to come. Also, an increasing number of armies are
needed for population-related missions, such as anti-terrorism
operations or disaster management. This is another type of
training, and forces must be prepared for that. Cutting-edge AI
technologies such as MASAs will enable smarter simulations that
can deliver more realist and efficient training solutions to better
deal with these challenges.

Further information
MASA Group
www.masagroup.net

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Company insight > Future soldier

The right choice for your

military connectors
Fischer Connectors has been designing, manufacturing and distributing high-performance
connectors and cable assembly solutions for 60 years. Its connectors are known for their
reliability and precision, and resistance to demanding and harsh environments.

hen it comes to connectors for defence and

military applications, making the right choice
is essential. Found in all shapes and sizes,
these connectors assist armed forces worldwide. Defence
connectors can be used in all sorts of applications, such
as communication, navigation, radar, airborne and marine
guidance control, electronic warfare and many others.
Military connectors have become smaller and lighter,
their bandwidth and security have been increased, and
their energy consumption reduced. Theyve even become
stronger, more durable, battling harsh weather conditions
and brute force. New trends are appearing quickly and the
technology improvements are progressing faster and faster.
Soldiers need safe and reliable material wherever they
operate, even in harsh environments. Fischer Connectors
specially designed defence connectors are used in most
soldier modernisation programmes. Tested to MIL and
IEC standards, and RoHS and REACH compliance, the
companys vast range of interconnection solutions can
withstand severe operating and environmental conditions.
When first looking at a connector solution, it is
necessary to determine the right level of sealing; number
of mating cycles; and temperature rating that you need
for your unique application. When you fully understand
the end-use application environment, you can select
properties that will protect your solution from abrasion,
corrosion and chemicals.
If the connectors will be used in harsh operating
environments, like most military connectors will be,
check the manufacturers IP (ingress protection) rating
for sealing to dust and water at various depths, and
operating time frames. Most of the IP designations
have specific conditions, but the IP68 rating should
be defined by each manufacturer differently.

Get yourself connected

Another requirement to have a look at is whether your
connector will be able to stay stable in harsh and extreme
environments. Many connectors work well indoors,
for example, but they will lose their performance when
they are used under extreme outdoor conditions.
There are some great things going on with
miniaturisation today, and you should take advantage of
it where you can. It is possible to design one connector
today for an application that would have needed two
or three connectors only a year ago, but you have to be

58

careful. Look closely at the details in each connector,

since those details become more important as the voltage
and current increases. Compare models for pin size,
number of pins, and functionality. Miniature connectors
are nice packages that fit in small places, but only a few
can carry power and signal.

A completely new technology

A new trend in military connectors is the use of fibreoptic connectors for all types of communication devices.
As increased bandwidth, more data and better quality
audio/video is demanded, the use of fibre optics in
defence applications has grown rapidly.

Fibre and electrical contacts are

now offered in a single rugged
connecting solution, enabling power
and data to be transmitted flawlessly
through one connector.
Fibre-optic connectors require more attention than
traditional electrical connectors because they can be
damaged more easily. If you have a rugged, sealed
connector like the Fischer FiberOptic Series, field cleaning
is simplified by rinsing with any clean, available water
source, and drying the ferrules with clean canned air.
This approach only applies to connectors sealed to
IP67/68 standards where water intrusion is eliminated.
A completely new technology for Fischer Connectors
is the hybrid fibre-optic connector, featuring two fibre
channels and two electrical contacts (FOH 2-2) in one,
small, high-performance connector. The unique aspect
of the brand new Fischer FiberOptic Series hybrid
connector is that fibre and electrical contacts are now
offered in a single rugged connecting solution, enabling
power and data to be transmitted flawlessly through
one connector.

Further information

Fischer Connectors
www.fischerconnectors.com

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Lighten the load

Proven, reliable connectors and cable assemblies are here

www.fischerconnectors.com

Headquarters
Fischer Connectors SA
Saint-Prex - Switzerland
Phone +41 21 800 95 95
[email protected]

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Company insight > Future soldier

Detection systems for

a wide range of agents
Founded in 1972, and with an international presence across
40 countries, Proengin has developed biological and chemicalwarfare-agent field detectors using flame spectrometry.
The handheld AP4C chemical detector is able to
simultaneously detect all dangerous compounds containing
arsenic, phosphorus, sulphur and/or the HNO compound.
It has the capacity to work in severe environmental conditions.
The gases it detects include:
all nerve, blister, blood and vomiting agents
impure agents or chemicals manufactured by
terrorists that would not fit into the traditional libraries
of other detectors
precursors and derivative non-traditional agents (NTA),
as well as new agents that will be developed in the future,
with no need for an upgrade.
The response time is among the shortest on the market
as is the recovery time after a positive detection.
Two other detectors based on the AP4C, with the same
detection performance, have also been developed the

AP4C-V, to be operated on wheeled and tracked

reconnaissance vehicles; and the AP4C-F, to be
operated on critical buildings and ships (requiring
24/7 monitoring).

The response time is among

the shortest on the market as
is the recovery time after a
positive detection.
The MAB biological detector has the unique capacity
of detecting and categorising biological particles with a
proven extremely low false-alarm rate. It is designed to
trigger sampling and analysing devices.
Further to this capability, Proengin has recently
developed combined-chemical detectors and biological
alarm monitors the AP4C-FB for the protection of critical
buildings and the AP4C-VB for use in vehicles.

Further information: Proengin www.proengin.com

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Insight > Air systems

The

drone

saga

Two decades after the beginning of the Rwandan genocide, history is dangerously close to
repeating itself in Syria if the international community doesnt act fast. Dr David Whetham
tells Elly Earls why the deployment of unarmed drones over the country to monitor atrocities
could provide at least the start of a solution.

pril 2014 marked the 20th

anniversary of the beginning of
the genocide in Rwanda that
claimed the lives of more than 800,000
innocent men, women and children, and
has been described by UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-moon as an epic failure of the
international community. But, 20 years on,
mass atrocities continue unabated in Syria,
and few lessons seem to have been learned.
Indeed, said Senator John McCain,
as the world commemorated the
anniversary of the Rwanda genocide in
April: The United States, along with
the international community, failed to
take the necessary action to prevent a
tragedy in Rwanda. We chose to ignore
the death of hundreds of thousands of
people, and, in so doing, we forsook our
humanity. And now, we are dangerously
close to doing the same in Syria.
So far, an estimated 150,000 people have
died over the course of the three-year civil
war, nine million people have been forced to
leave their homes and 2.5 million refugees
have escaped the violence by fleeing to
neighbouring countries.
However, steps that have been taken
by the international community to protect
Syrian civilians such as the passing of
Resolution 2139 through the UN Security
Council in February, which ordered
President Bashar al-Assads regime to allow
unhindered humanitarian access and
threatened further consequences for noncompliance have been ineffective. Indeed,

UN Humanitarian Coordinator Valeria Amos

has said that the war of starvation has
actually worsened since the resolution was
passed, with the Syrian Government
continuing to prevent supplies of food from
entering opposition held areas in direct
contravention of the UN resolution.
Moreover, economic, military and political
support from states such as Russia, China
and Iran, has continued to enable the
perpetration of humanitarian abuses in
Syria. For example, between October 2011
and July 2012, Russia and China vetoed
three UN Security Council resolutions
aimed at holding the Syrian Government
accountable for mass atrocity crimes, and
both governments continue to support
Assads regime.
Inarguably, the international community
has not yet committed to taking the hard
political action necessary to put a stop to
the atrocities that continue to occur right
in front of its eyes.
Rather, as McCain puts it: One fact is
clear the world is watching genocide in
slow motion.

Unarmed UAVs: low political and

economic cost
According to Dr David Whetham, senior
lecturer in the defence studies department
of Kings College London and author of
Eyes over Syria: Using Drones to Monitor
Atrocities, though, there is one option,
which hasnt been considered by the
international community and, he believes,

could even be sold to the Russians and

the Chinese; the deployment of unarmed
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or
drones to monitor and therefore deter
atrocities in Syria.
Were not saying it would be possible
to catch everything, but what we would be
doing by deploying drones in this way is
sending a clear message that we might not
be able to stop you now, but we can cross
reference the accounts on the ground with
very detailed footage from the air; we will
find you accountable at some point, he
says. At the end of every conflict, there
will be a reckoning. Weve seen with the
Balkans that it might take a decade or
longer, but the perpetrators of war crimes
can be brought to justice.
What wed be sending out is a deterrent
planting the seed of doubt in the minds of
the commanders on the ground that they
may be being watched and, if they are
being, they need to control their units,
emphasises Whetham.
This option would provide an
opportunity for the international
community to scrutinise the areas in
which atrocities are alleged to be taking
place at a relatively low political and
material cost the political, of course,
being the most problematic.
The key political issue is that it will be
seen as an infringement of sovereignty,
he explains. The UN can authorise an
infringement of sovereignty, but there are
certain members of the UN who are not

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Insight > Air systems

likely to look favourably on this. Namely,
Russia and China.
However, Whetham believes that doesnt
rule it out as an option.
Its a matter of convincing those states
that the benefits outweigh the costs, he
says. And a lot of it will be to do with the
way it is implemented. Its clear that there
is a lot of pressure to act, and it would
appear to me that if it could be sold as
a compromise between an international
mission that is imposed upon a country
and a well-controlled UN observation force
from the air I think it can be sold.
There are many different ways this
could be done, Whetham continues: For
example, the UAV feeds could go through
to an independent UN team, or you could
have members of the national government
of the country that the UAVs are being
flown over involved with the feeds if
necessary, who could raise objections
to certain information being put into the
public domain. Alternatively, you could
have a 24-hour delay on releasing the
material. The real challenge is how to
control that information.

Military practicalities:
not a problem
If the political issues and, of course, this
is still a long shot could be overcome,
Whetham sees few other significant barriers
to the solution being implemented.

Dr David Whetham

Dr David Whetham is a senior lecturer in the defence studies department of Kings

College London, based at the Joint Services Command and Staff College at the
UK Defence Academy where he coordinates/delivers the military ethics component
of courses for between two and three thousand UK and international officers a year.

It becomes counterproductive
to shoot the UAVs down as well,
Whetham explains.
Of course, its impossible to get around
the fact that deploying drones could force
human rights violators underground.
But, says Whetham, this is not a problem
exclusive to UAVs.
UN observers have exactly the same
issue; the activity moves aware from the
UN observers on the round, he notes.
The advantage with UAVs is that a UN
observer team is a very obvious thing
moving around, whereas drones are not.

We might not be able to

stop you now
Military practicalities are certainly not
the biggest barrier to the deployment
of unarmed drones; its the human and
political issues that really need to be
addressed and not just in terms of
getting the go-ahead from the UN.
One of the problems would be,
once the international community is
provided with categorical evidence of
an atrocity, the pressure to actually do
something about it increases

Inarguably, the international community has not

yet committed to taking the hard political action
necessary to put a stop to the atrocities that
continue to occur right in front of its eyes.
When it comes to financials, he suggests
using the cheapest possible platforms.
If you lose them, you lose them,
he says. It would be the equivalent
of using military off the shelf stuff.
In fact, you could actually use civilian
equipment. You could afford to lose
100 unarmed UAVs before you got to
the cost of one high-end missile.
Moreover, if drones were being
targeted and shot down in a particular
area, surely that would be the area the
perpetrators of war crimes didnt want
them to be looking.

62

substantially, Whetham observes.

Then, what are you going to do
about it? Its a big practical question
from a political point of view.
In answer to this, Whetham stresses
that the discovery of atrocities would
not necessarily have to result in
immediate military action.
The practicalities of each situation are
going to be very different, he says. It may
well be that the harm of intervening might
be even greater than not intervening. But,
the point of this is that wed be making a
public statement that we might not be able

to stop you now, but we will hold you to

account as soon as it is possible to do so.
Indeed, while ideally all footage showing
violations of human rights would be
passed to the International Criminal Court
for individuals to be identified, prosecution
cases be built and indictments handed out,
this may prove too difficult immediately,
in which case the archive data obtained
by the drones would make future
identification and eventual prosecution
of individuals far easier.
What youre saying is that theres
at least a chance that if youre doing
something you shouldnt be, its going to
be watched, Whetham emphasises. And
thats enough.

Drones: politically toxic

Yet, in this day and age, simply
uttering the word drone brings to
mind something far more chilling than
the relatively simple flying cameras
Whetham is advocating the use of.
Drones are politically toxic, he
acknowledges. Theyre associated
with targeted killing. But this really is
a wasted opportunity.
This equipment can be used for traffic
management, spotting wildfires in the
bush or tracking oil spills. In fact, there
are so many things that drones can do
that simply couldnt be done otherwise,
and it seems to be that monitoring
atrocities is only one of those.
Of course, the benefits of drone
deployment would not be limited to Syria.
In fact, Whetham admits, it will not be easy
to stop the mass humanitarian suffering
in Syria immediately, or even in the near
future, given the current geopolitical issues
and ideological deadlock. However, in
the near term, this low-cost solution does
have the potential to let the people on
the ground in Syria know they are
being watched, while, looking forward,
if observation drones were deployed as
a first response when war crimes are
reported in other war-torn countries, the
impact could be significantly greater.

Defence & Security Systems International | www.defence-and-security.com

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Company insight > Air systems

Customisable pan/tilt systems

The high power-to-weight ratio
makes them stand out from the
competition. Positioning accuracy in
high-precision models is better than
0.2mrad with mowing speeds up to
200 a second. All systems are IP67approved to withstand all weather
conditions. Mechanical assembly kits
Pan/tilt DC PT is a gyro-stabilised pan/tilt system capable of carrying loads up to 100kg of weight.
and software packages can be fully
customised to meet customer specifications. A special version,
Dat-Con has developed exceptional systems for use
suitable for a combination of cameras and radar, has three
in the law enforcement, crime prevention and control
platforms, all integrated in one telescopic mast so as not to have
industry, that are widely used by the police and state
any dead zones on the observation area. Different versions have
security services.
been in 24/7 use on the Schengen border for more than ten years.
The company made a significant contribution to the
The systems feature:
achievement of Schengen accession standards for Slovenia
and Slovakia, among others, with its remarkably efficient
high accuracy
border-control systems.
continuous 360 rotation
Dat-Cons pan/tilt (DC PT) systems are suitable for
gyro stabilisation
a variety of uses and can be adapted to customers
inputs for IP and analogue cameras and communication
needs. DC PT systems deliver high performance and gyro
control by RS 232/422/485, ethernet (Pelco D, Quickset, OEM)
stabilisation for loads up to 100kg, and their light weight
integrated wireless (communication and video)
and compact size make them ideal for mobile solutions.
OEM versions available.
Further information: Dat-Con www.dat-con.com

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Company insight > Air systems

Missions with one

version of the truth
Critical mission awareness management is vital to making the right decision at the right time.
MICCAVIONICS solutions ensure excellent communication among everyone involved in the
mission by providing the same information in real time with complete transparency.

MICCAVIONICS software and hardware keep mission members up to date

with developments on the ground.

The companys task management and navigation systems for helicopters

can be stand-alone or integrated into an existing avionics suite.

he success of todays operations is strongly

dependent on the ability to take the advantage
in an operation by providing and receiving
information faster and with more accuracy, thus providing a
solid basis for making the right decision at the right time.

The high integrability allows the following interfaces, among

others: flight management system (FMS), electronic flight
instrument system (EFIS), personal locator system (PLS) and
multifunction display (MFD). MICCAVIONICS concentrates all its
know-how in an optimised information communication system.

Complete transparency

All information is transmitted in

real time with minimal delay, and
all decisions and operations are
based on the same information.

Critical mission awareness management requires 100%

transparency for successful missions. MICCAVIONICS
solutions add another dimension to critical mission
awareness management, providing an overview of all the
necessary information for decision-making and a simple way
to report on it, transparently, all the time, in real time. All
operational team members receive one overview of the
necessary information required for decision-making each
and every time, allowing for the steering and execution of
missions with only one version of the truth in joined
and/or coalition operations.

Core competencies: experience and quality

MICCAVIONICS is a manufacturer of highly innovative
integrated time-critical solutions for information mission
management, and command and control systems for use in
multilevel, airborne, networked defence and civil environments.
The company offers top-level, customer-specific development
software and hardware according to international aviation or
military standards, certified quality-compliant with ISO 9001 and
EN 9100 and with efficient project management according to
V-Modell XT. Its GPS-based task management and navigation
systems for helicopters can be used as stand-alone systems or
as integrated parts of existing avionics suites.

The tactical steps of navigation, command and control are

digitally connected by multistage control loops and can be used
by all forces involved, either on the ground and/or in the air. All
information is transmitted in real time with minimal delay, and all
decisions and operations are based on the same information. All
mission members, including the leaders, are kept permanently
up to date with the situation and development of the battlefield.

Multiple applications
Networked connections with the command platform guarantee
optimised concentrated operations within the group. The
system can be used in military missions as well as in civil and/
or paramilitary missions with multistaged groups.

Further information
MICCAVIONICS
www.miccavionics.com

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Company insight > Logistics

Cargo monitoring in real time

When personnel are deployed to distant theatres of operation, a target of the utmost
importance is to establish a supply line. Here, the unsung heroes of military logistics all
pursue one single objective: to give the soldiers some comfort while serving abroad by
doing their best to schedule regular deliveries. Zenatek investigates.

erishables, medical supplies, high-value electronics and

confidential military cargo, shipped in containers, arrive
promptly in thousands to their point of destination,
starting a sequence of periodic shipments: the supply chain.
Like any other, this military supply chain needs constant
monitoring and tracking. In the non-military world, there are
three ways of container tracking online: using the container
reference number, the bill of lading number and the booking
number from the shipping lines, before relying on the
professional ability of the transporters chain.
However, not all shipping lines or logistic transport
companies offer to their customers, via their website, some sort
of container tracking by routing or voyage finders. Routing
finders allow you to type in the code or location of loading as
well as the code for the location of unloading. They require the
voyage reference number to get this information.
Other websites, for trucking, shipping or freight forwarding
companies, offer the possibility of entering the vessel name that
your container is being sent on and as a result will give you
information on the next ten ports of call. However, most of this
information is generic and after the fact, and none of it tells you
anything about the actual physical state of the containers, such
as whether the doors are being tampered with and the goods
inside stolen, or whether there has been temperature variation
inside the container.

With the Zenatek Tracking

System, the exact time of the
containers return to the shipping
line yard is irrefutable.
Moreover, some transporters have been known to hide their
problems, such as missing shipments in certain ports or
containers missing for a certain time in a shipyard, and are
therefore not always happy for clients to directly monitor and
analyse the transport process. Beside that, one must consider
the frequent overcharging of demurrage to clients.
However, with a real-time monitoring application such as the
Zenatek Tracking System (ZTS), the exact time of the containers
return to the shipping line yard is irrefutable. Logistic transport
companies, who are confident in their organisations superiority,
understand that this is the future of the transport business, and
some of them already offer this direct service to clients.
The past trend has been to fit the shipment with an RFID tag
but these do not provide a full service. If the container is fitted

66

With a Zenatek tracking system, you can easily monitor everything

you need on your computer, from anywhere in the world.

with an RFID tag, this can only be read once the container
reaches its destination and, as such, is a history of the voyage,
whereas what is needed in todays market is information
provided in real time. Even services with temperature recording
capabilities do not offer a solution for this.
If there has been a high-temperature excursion to the
extent that the merchandise has been spoiled, the load will be
rejected. All the RFID tag does in this process is record the
time of temperature fluctuation. This is helpful for insurance
purposes but it is of little use in actually saving the goods
because we discover this data after the fact when the
container is unloaded and there is no time left for the damage
control that would have been possible in transit. A tracking
device with real-time notification, such as one that Zenatek
provides, notifies the supplier at the time of fluctuation, when
intervention can be meaningful to save the shipment and, if
the damage is considered to be total, a further shipment of the
spoiled goods can be sent at once if necessary.

Safety and security

The threat of a terrorist attack can never be eliminated, but it can
certainly be reduced. Unchecked and unmonitored containers,
trailers or rail cars, combined with current business procedures in
many ports and points of origin, represent a hidden danger that
we are all aware of. How this danger is mitigated has a direct
impact on the bottom line of shippers, companies and economies
at large. Doing so in a fashion that is convenient and affordable
for the vast, intermodal supply chain of international commerce is
the real challenge. New regulations will require even greater
information to be provided about ships, crews and cargo, even
before a vessel is loaded or leaves its port of origin.

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Company insight > Logistics

A container-tracking device or an asset-tracking device can be as

simple or as complex as the manufacturer decides.

system via email and SMS to any computer or mobile device

assigned by the client. Our container tracking solution works with
railroad containers, shipping containers, flatbed or any type trailers.
The advantages of ZTS include:
1. Operation:
prevent lost/damaged cargo costs
improve recovery of lost/misplaced containers
easily identify which containers are in the wrong place
increase asset use (for example, extra trips due to

tracking efficiencies).
2. Productivity:
There is also a growing concern surrounding the use of
containers by terrorists to deploy weapons of mass
destruction. Therefore, the intelligent container concept is
always growing. Now systems are capable of detecting holes
of only a few millimetres in diameter, physical breaches and
the presence of nuclear or toxic material. Motion sensors can
also be fitted to the device. The client has to consider what
types of sensors are really needed the more sensors, the
more costly the shipment.
Because of this, container-tracking needs well-recognised
international standards, within the industry, and from customs
and border protection. There is not a clear definition of what a
container-tracking device is, or should be, generating.
A container-tracking device, or an asset-tracking device,
can be as simple or as complex as the manufacturer decides.
However, cost implications are high.
With affordability in mind, the ZTS is capable of monitoring
containers while in transit around the world, providing real-time
information via GPS/GSM/internet to your computer. It provides
information on possible tampering, temperature variations,
location and tracing. It is a comprehensive service that includes
a container tracking device, which is a one-way, throw-away
unit, does not need necessarily to be retrieved at destination
because all the information on the trip being traced is already in
the system, at your fingertips, and at a very low cost impact per
trip. This eliminates all costs associated with these tasks, such
as employing recovery personnel, forwarding, reconfiguration
and restocking.
It is also possible to identify chokepoints in the supply chain, like
when containers or assets are lost or misplaced in terminals
spending too much time in port, while also allowing users to
reduce safety stocks, which are the inventories that exceed normal
needs and are used as a buffer against shipment delays. Real-time
information on what is happening with your shipment, informing
the user about the incident when it happens by triggering the
corresponding alarms, gives them control of the situation and the
possibility of an effective and prompt reaction for damage control,
like reshipping if necessary.
The ZTS has the capability to send an alert message when the
container doors are opened, providing geo-coded proof-of-delivery
information to the consignee, along with the peace of mind that
the shipment has reached its destination and that there have been
no unauthorised openings. These alerts are sent by the web-based

asset visibility and inventory management

simple tracking of shipments or equipment in real-time
efficient dispatching
better timeliness of cargo shipments and fewer

delayed/misrouted shipments.
3. Cost:
eliminate increased expenses from lack of

equipment availability
reduce theft and lower insurance costs (with many

insurance companies providing rebates if such a

monitoring service is in-place and habitually used)
reduce equipment inventories and increase asset use
reduce undelivered cargo
reduce customer allowances (late penalties)
potentially lower headcount (customer tracks their
own cargo, so calls to help desk are eliminated)
reduce the likelihood of losing an entire container load
of perishables or temperature sensitive items.

4. Customer satisfaction:
improve customer service and responsiveness
tell users where a shipment is supposed to be and if

delivery is ahead or behind schedule

lower cancellations due to late service delivery
improve customer retention
available 24/7 on the Zenatek web-platform
provide evidence to the end user that the supplier

cares about the shipment, increasing reputation as a

reliable supplier, caring about the quality of products
up to their arrival.
Whether we are talking about a military or commercial supply
chain, the systems value is not only the security it provides but
also the capability that translates into increased supply chain
knowledge and performance. While the cost impact may be
considered differently, the need for effective cargo, asset and
container monitoring and tracking is undeniable.

Further information

Zenatek
www.zenatek.com/logistic.htm

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Steady as
she goes
From the outset, helicopters were designed
to lift heavy loads externally and drop them
off in hard-to-reach areas. That remains true
to this day for helicopter operations around
the world. But what is the importance of
external load operations and how are they
safely carried out? Grant Turnbull finds out
from RAF Squadron Leader Paul Bolton.

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Insight > Logistics

or helicopter pilots, one of

the most challenging aspects
of the job is picking up,
carrying and dropping off an
underslung load. Also known as
external load operations, this type
of flying requires extensive training,
skill and a little bit of mettle thrown
in for good measure. Anything, from
vehicles, supplies and even boats,
can be lifted by an aircraft to assist
military and civilian operations.
This type of load-carrying also
presents significant challenges to
ground crew, who are responsible for
preparing the load, and hooking the
cargo onto the belly of the helicopter
using a series of straps and nets.
This often involves a 12t helicopter
hovering just inches above their heads
as they prepare the load for flight. A
sudden gust of wind could send a
helicopter crashing into the ground,
crushing the soldiers below.

Why undersling?
Since 2001, NATO forces in
Afghanistan have relied heavily on
this capability, especially as many
forward operating bases (FOBs)
across the country are in remote
areas. Underslinging loads avoids
sending large convoys of ground
vehicles to FOBs which often
takes days of planning and execution
and lessens the risk of soldiers
being killed in IED blasts.
The RAF currently uses the Chinook
and Merlin helicopters extensively for
underslung missions at home and
abroad. The Chinook alone is able to
lift around 10,000kg of equipment and
supplies, requiring personnel and
equipment to be as robust as possible.
If youre on operations in
Afghanistan, a lot of loads will be
flown to an airhead, and then they
need deploying to FOBs, says
Squadron Leader Paul Bolton, head

The load is prepared in a relatively safe

environment. It is then flown in, and as soon
as it is on the ground, it can be released and
the aircraft can be away.
Because of this, external load
operations require meticulous
teamwork and maximum discipline
from every crew member.
On board the helicopter, a
crewperson will be responsible for
monitoring the load from pick-up to
drop-off. In emergency situations, they
could even jettison the equipment so
as not to endanger the aircraft.
With their ability to hover,
helicopters can drop supplies and lift
equipment in hard-to-reach places
such as mountainous terrain or areas
with heavy vegetation.
This has been particularly useful
in disaster relief and humanitarian
work, when equipment needs to be
dropped and recovered in areas with
no road access. The flooding in
Cumbria and Gloucestershire during
the last decade is just one example
of this.

of the helicopter section at the Joint

Air Delivery Test and Evaluation Unit
(JADTEU) at RAF Brize Norton.
JADTEU is responsible for
developing procedures to safely carry
materiel and personnel by air in the
British armed forces.
It may be that we cannot drive
them there for whatever reason it
is too dangerous or it is inaccessible
therefore, if you fly it in as an
underslung load, the load is prepared
in a relatively safe environment. It is
then flown in, and as soon as it is on
the ground, it can be released and the
aircraft can be away.
Youve got minimum time either
in the hover or on the ground in a
potentially hostile area, so you can
be in and out very quickly delivering
whatever that load is, whether its
food, munitions, tents or vehicles,
explains Bolton, a former helicopter

navigator with experience of flying

external loads during the conflict
in Bosnia.
The other option is to load the
equipment or supplies internally,
which can take several minutes to
unload and thus increases the
possibility of a helicopter being hit
by enemy fire. In August 2009, it
was shown just how dangerous this
could be when an RAF Chinook was
hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in
Afghanistan shortly after dropping off
cargo. The helicopter crash-landed,
but, luckily, the crew escaped alive.

Tested and ready

Ground crews are responsible for
preparing a load on the ground that
then attaches via a strop a fabric
strap to the helicopter. Loads such
as artillery pieces, vehicles and other
helicopters can be lifted with leg
slings, by attaching them to hard
points on the equipment. Loose items
such as rations, ammunition and
soldiers backpacks can be placed
inside a cargo net and transported
with relative ease.
It is the responsibility of the
JADTEU and Bolton to develop the
most effective way to safely carry
these loads and in what configuration.
For new equipment to be cleared for
underslung operations in the British
armed forces, JADTEU will liaise with
manufacturers and advise them how
best their product can be lifted. Every
piece of equipment has to go through
strict ground-based testing before
any flight.
Bolton explains: We do an
engineering airworthiness assessment
of the load to make sure it is in
accordance with military standards and
also to make sure that it is fit to fly.
That means it has not got anything that
is going to fall off, all the doors should
have second locking devices on them,
and we make sure there is nothing on
the exterior where the airflow can get
underneath, so as the aircraft is in the
air, we dont get any loads peeling back
and becoming detached.
Then, if we are happy with that
from a static assessment on the

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Visit the
SKB Europe
booth at
Eurosatory!
Booth number:
K302 (HALL 6)
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Insight > Logistics

External lift operations require extreme discipline

and concentration from on-board and ground crew.

Crown copyright

ground, we bring it in and carry out a

static trial, Bolton continues. Weve
got a gantry in our unit where we
use instrumented sling sets, the same
spec as you get on an aircraft, but we
have strain gauges and load cells on
them. We then hang this load
underneath a gantry to make sure we
dont exceed any of the load limits on
any of the sling legs.
Boltons unit will produce a draft
scheme after the static trial. We
then fly the load and come up with
the flying characteristics, including
the maximum speed, angle of bank,
rates of climb and rates of descent
that load can achieve, he says.
Then, we produce that in a full
schematic diagram with text and
publish it in a digital air-publication
that all the squadrons have access to.

Exhaustive tests are carried out to ensure the

stability of an underslung load during flight.

Different load configurations mean

different flight characteristics for
the pilots. When loads are attached
by just one hook on the underbelly
of the aircraft, the loads can become
unstable at higher airspeeds, causing
it to spin on its vertical axis and
create an uncomfortable swinging
motion. On top of this, equipment like
aircraft and boats can even generate
their own lift, making them particular
unstable in flight.
Thanks to JADTEU and its stringent
testing, pilots rarely have any nasty
surprises when flying external loads.
In fact, recovering aircraft and moving
loads has become fairly routine for the
helicopter section at Brize Norton, and
is actually quite straightforward,
according to Bolton.

Source: LA (PHOT) Si Ethell.

How to sling your hook

only way it could be retrieved was

by helicopter. Those lucky enough
to be in Glencoe would have looked
skywards to see a navy-grey Sea King
helicopter dangling from an RAF
Chinook. The lift went as planned, and
the Sea King will eventually fly again.

Gazing into the crystal ball, it is even

possible to see a time in the future where
technology will remove the need for people
to be involved in underslung operations.
This was put to the test in October,
when a Royal Navy helicopter was
forced to make an emergency landing
in the Scottish Highlands, and the

In April this year, Boltons team

even helped move a Gloster Meteor
the RAFs first ever jet aircraft to a
museum in Gloucestershire by lifting

it with a Chinook. Gazing into the

crystal ball, it is even possible to see
a time in the future where technology
will remove the need for people to be
involved in underslung operations.
Unmanned helicopters, such as the
Kaman K-MAX and Lockheed Martins
MQ-8C, are specifically designed to
carry out external load missions. The
K-MAX is even fully autonomous,
meaning it does not require human
interaction, apart from starting-up.
The K-MAX carries out around five
or six missions a day to FOBs in
Afghanistan and represents the future
tactical direction of underslung load
operations. However, for the foreseeable
future, these types of operations will
still require highly trained crew using
old workhorses such as the Chinook.

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Insight > Cyberwarfare

The world of cybersecurity is locked in a vicious circle: the latest protection suites hit the market, threat
actors develop malware to bypass new defence features, and software vendors break them down
to create more rigid systems. Any data of value is a target for criminals, from corporate technology
patents to classified military documents. Chris Godfrey speaks to John Lyons, CEO of the
International Cyber Security Protection Alliance (ICSPA), to discuss the incessant plague of zero-day
attacks extracting sensitive information from governments, businesses and civilians worldwide.

Days without

incident

n what could prove to be the

landmark case in cyber-espionage,
the US has charged five Chinese
Army officers for significant breaches of
private sector systems and the theft of
sensitive information. Between 2006 and
2014, Unit 61398 of Chinas Peoples
Liberation Army reportedly stole terabytes
of corporate data and caused significant
monetary losses. Its a poignant reminder
of cyberwarfares prevalence and potency.
The modern cybersecurity market is a
smorgasbord of different suites tasked with
countering the latest virtual pandemics
from next-generation firewalls to intrusion
prevention systems and everything in
between. They work on the premise of
recognising malicious code upon entry and
purging it before it breaches the system. Its
a proven strategy against known threats,
but it is the meteoric rise of the unknown

72

that is rendering even the latest

mechanisms impotent.
Most modern day defence packages are
regularly updated to recognise the latest
malicious signatures, but they only identify
what theyve been programmed to
recognise. New strands can effortlessly
bypass fortifications, hide, then replicate,
making the infrastructure work against
itself. These zero-day attacks pose the
greatest threat to the bastions of
cybersecurity, and are reshaping the way
military warfare is conducted.
The objective is simple: information. Very
few cyber-threat actors are saboteurs, the
era of worms and destructive viruses has
subsided; the majority wish to preserve the
systems theyve penetrated. Data extraction
is most effective when networks are left
undisturbed by intrusions and criminals
have gotten very good at producing

dynamic Trojans and stealth bots that

leave miniscule footprints if at all. John
Lyons, CEO of the International Cyber
Security Protection Alliance (ICSPA),
cites a report that claims unidentified
malicious codes infect systems for an
average of 234 days ample time to
disable defences and route valuable
information back to the perpetrators.
The most common reasons for attack
are financially motivated, such as the theft
of intellectual property, sensitive data and
personal information [often auctioned
across the dark web], says Lyons. For
years now, weve also seen a lot of
espionage and counterintelligence
conducted by hostile actors around the
world, trying to access restricted
government information.
Advanced patents and cutting-edge
research programmes have seen

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Insight > Cyberwarfare

universities earmarked by criminals,
joining the list of primary targets made up
of, unsurprisingly, government institutions,
as well as financial, technology and
energy companies. Considering the scale
of these sectors in the UK and US, that
they were among the most targeted
countries is somewhat expected.
Governments and businesses have
invested billions into cybersecurity, but
as the old adage goes, a chain is only as
strong as its weakest link a maxim
criminals are exploiting to great effect.
Intentionally or not, it takes just one
employee to download malicious code
capable of infiltrating an entire network.

Go phish
Before deciding where to strike, threat
actors will amass intelligence and create
organograms of the most prolific figures
and vulnerable targets in a company, a
task made easier with the advent of
social media.
Nowadays, sophisticated attacks are
borne from email attachments and infected
web pages. Criminals are experts at
enticing employees to click on
compromised links. The magic is in the
way they present it, says Lyons.

John Lyons

John Lyons is CEO of the ICSPA, a not-for-profit organisation which provides

private sector funding and support globally to law enforcement agencies engaged
in the fight against cybercrime. He is a freeman of the Worshipful Company of
Information Technologists and a board adviser on risk and security to UC Group.

Microsoft was rapid at issuing fixes;

by January, an estimated 30% of
Windows PCs were left unpatched.
Discovered in December that year, a
more potent version of the bug was
able to propagate through removable
media, yet it took Microsoft a further
two months to form an international
industry collective capable of
responding. By April 2009, five versions
of Conficker had been discovered.
When an attack is made, someone
will eventually find it. A computer
emergency response team will pick it
up, dissect it, understand how it
operates, name it and then pass the
information around the world to
organisations like FIRST (Forum of
Incident Response and Security
Team). Hardware and software
manufacturers are then provided the
data; sometimes they may even make
their own discoveries. Its a virtuous
circle, says Lyons.

Targeted phishing emails can be

translated to the corporate world
whos not going to click on a link to the
company redundancy programme?
Theyll often exploit current
events. For example, with the recent
flooding in the UK, they may have
produced an attachment titled latest
flooding information, making for very
effective bait. Targeted phishing
emails can be translated to the
corporate world whos not going to
click on a link to the company
redundancy programme?
The 234-day average is partially due
to the significant time delay between
identifying malicious code, mobilising
the industry against it and releasing a
software patch to eradicate it. The
Conficker virus, the largest worm
infection this decade, was first
identified in November 2008. Though

Larger enterprises may have the

resources to employ the most robust
defences, but the scale of these
systems make the duration of
company-wide updates significantly
longer. It is why decisive and rapid
communication is critical, if a little
idealistic, between firms, hardware
manufacturers and software vendors,
as well as organisations like the ICSPA.

Modern warfare
Alongside China, Russia has long
been considered one of the state
front-runners in its capacity to wage
cyberwar, and the escalating crisis in
Ukraine has allowed it to, allegedly,
demonstrate its technical prowess.

The build up to the Crimean referendum

saw Ukraines Computer Emergency
Response Team stave off a surge in
distributed denial of service assaults,
as well as attacks designed to impede
military and government infrastructure.
In March 2014, a Russian state arms
group claimed that complex radioelectronic technology was used to
compromise the connection between a
US drone and the ground forces
controlling it, bringing the UAV down.
Though a discernible reflection of
how modern warfare is conducted,
these orchestrated attacks pale in
comparison with the potency of the
SNAKE virus that targeted Ukrainian
systems in early 2014. Lying dormant
for days, the cyber-espionage tool can
be extremely difficult to detect and has
the potential to grant complete remote
access to its architect. With the ability
to extract sensitive information, take
control of computer terminals and shut
down defence programmes, it is
believed to have been created by
Russian experts, though with such
sophisticated encryption its hard to tell.
Many corporations have proved
unforthcoming in revealing to
competitors their exposure to malware,
with pride, concerns over negligence and
repercussions with authorities all playing
their part. Creating an effective, virtuous
sharing programme requires total
anonymity. Lyons believes that the
ICSPA can fill the vacuum and perform
the role of honest broker.
If 400 banks, for example, are part
of this group and one is attacked, we
could log information they provide
and rapidly distribute it to the other
399, without having to identify them,
he says. Years ago, when I was part
of the law enforcement team in
Londons high-tech crime unit, I was
involved in a case where 11 UK banks
were attacked by the same malicious
code. They werent communicating
this to each other though, and we only

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Insight > Cyberwarfare

knew about it because we spoke with
our contacts in each organisation.
It emphasises the need for an
independent body who can respond
to these situations ASAP.

Conflicts of interest
Data providers already exist that offer
a similar service, albeit at a premium.
Its not in their interests for an NPO to
exist in this area and Lyons feels
these companies are blocking
attempts to set up such an entity.
Though governments have
encouraged data sharing, managing a
goliath programme like that envisaged
by Lyons is not their function and
presents a crucial conflict of interest.
The tension between corporations and
law enforcement over obligations to
comply with legislative requirements
mitigates the likelihood that those affected
by cybercriminals will come forward and
share sensitive information. The data they
share could highlight their own negligence,
and leave them liable for prosecution.

Company lawyers would advise the

board and security staff against
divulging certain information,
particularly that which could have
profound effects on share price, says
Lyons. Knowing the full extent of any
given virus strand would convince
companies to spend more money on
defence mechanisms but they dont
want to be legislated against while they
try and plug the gap.
An NPO with the capacity to fulfil
Lyons vision would become an integral
partner to SMEs. With relatively limited
resources, many are unable to fund a
team of security specialists, CISO or
state-of-the-art technical equipment. As
a fundamental part of supply chains,
their vulnerabilities could compromise
partners as well as themselves.
For this to work, we would need to
be at the centre of commerce, not just
protecting national boards, large
conglomerates and helping the likes of
GCHQ, says Lyons. At the moment,
were lucky to have the support of the

UK Government, and were in the

process of opening an ICSPA AsiaPacific office in Singapore, but the
support has often been sporadic. We
want to see a programme that is
sustainable over years to come,
without political motivations
one the industry trusts.
Whether it is the ICSPA or another
organisation that takes the mantle of
cybersecurity white knight remains to
be seen. From nation states targeting
classified government information to rival
corporations engaging in espionage, the
face of cyberwarfare is as pliant as the
codes it is fought with. An endless stream
of zero-day attacks shows no sign of
abating, their very nature means they will
continue to pervade and pilfer. Creating
an independent body tasked with
responding to new outbreaks may be
the surest way of reducing the 234-day
average in which they lie unnoticed.
Stealing information is often the ultimate
goal for cyber-threat actors; sharing it
could be the key to stopping them.

Index
3M..............................................................16

Hemscheidt Fahrwerktechnik...............39

R-Systems.................................................28

www.3m.eu/communicationsolutions

www.hemscheidt.de

www.r-systems.ee

5 Stones Intelligence.................................7

IDEX 2015.................................................33

www.5stonesintelligence.com

www.idexuae.ae

RUAG Space.............................................44

CEGELEC Dfense..................................47

IRDAM.......................................................46

www.defense.cegelec.com

www.irdam.ch

Dat-Con.....................................................63

Kermel.......................................................53

www.dat-con-defence.com

www.kermel.com

Davey Bickford.........................................48

MASA Group............................................50

www.daveybickford-specialtyproducts.com

www.masagroup.net

Delfi...........................................................30

MICCAVIONICS.......................................64

www.delfi-ils.it

www.miccavionics.com

ECA Robotics...........................................24

MTU.......................................................OBC

www.eca-robotics.com

www.mtu-online.com

Eurolinks...................................................45

NAVDEX 2015..........................................31

www.eurolinks.com

www.navdex.ae

Eurosatory 2014.................................... IBC

Norsafe......................................................23

www.eurosatory.com

www.norsafe.com

Fischer Connectors.................................59

ODU Connector Systems........................55

www.fischerconnectors.com

www.odu.de

www.warn.com

GICAT.....................................................IFC

Proengin....................................................60

Zenatek.......................................................4

www.gicat.com

www.proengin.com

www.zenatek.com

www.ruag.com/sliprings

Savox.........................................................34
www.savox.com

SKB Europe...............................................70
www.skb-europe.com

SPINNER...................................................43
www.spinner-group.com

Tampa Yacht Manufacturing.................28

www.tampa-yacht.com

Terradyne Armored Vehicles.......... 32, 36

74

www.terradyneinc.com

Visio Ingenii.............................................14
www.visioingenii.com

Warn Industries.......................................41

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