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Page 1 Daily News
by Gail Helmer
Wednesday, March 21, 2001
Jane's News Briefs
Jane's News From IDEX 2001 Day 2.
The 5th International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX 2001) is happening at the Abu Dhabi International Exhibition Centre, United Arab Emirates, from March 18th to March 22nd 2001. See Show Daily for full stories.
Headlines from the IDEX Show Day 2:
Slack demand in the region last year will not deter French industry from competing for future business. "France will stay in the Gulf, no matter what the level of demand," explained IGA Phillippe Roger from France's armaments directorate.
Lt General Ugo de Carolis talks to Paul Beaver Italy believes in partnership - governmental and industrial - and we have a number of important memoranda of understanding with countries in the region," said General Ugo de Carolis, Italy's deputy national armaments director.
Otobreda has developed a new lightweight naval gun turret for 127mm/54 calibre weapons. It is about 10 tonnes lighter than the current design, freeing up top-weight for sensor and weapon system updates.
French government defence support agency, Défense Conseil International (DCI), has recently completed a number of helicopter-related contracts.
Spain's defence industry has been a regular exhibitor at IDEX exhibitions, but the shape of the industry exhibiting is changing. The industry is changing, not least because of state-owned CASA aerospace company joining EADS and Santa Barbara's probable sale to General Dynamics. The armaments company is currently still a division of SEPI, the Spanish Ministry of Industry.
Taking part in the daily mobility demonstration at IDEX 2001 is the 2T Stalker combat reconnaissance vehicle, which is claimed to have a number of advanced features.
The Terrier (4 x 4) Light Armoured Unit (LAU) is now operational with the Sharjah Auxiliary Unit, which has taken delivery of 12 units.
Alvis Vehicles will soon start work on the second batch of Piranha 8 x 8 armoured personnel carriers and variants for Oman, which was placed late last year with first vehicles expected to be delivered in 2002.
Being shown for the first time on the LIW Division of Denel (South Africa) outside stand is a M109 155mm/47 self-propelled howitzer as used locally, upgradedwith a new laying and navigation system/integral gun fire control system.
The German Navy has dispatched two of its latest mine hunters to Abu Dhabi supported by one supply vessel. The ships left Olpenitz Naval Base in northern Germany early in February on a four-month tour covering about 26,000km and 11 ports of call.
Produced by the Kentron division of Denel, the Seeker unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been operational in South Africa for more than 15 years and a number have been exported to overseas customers. Now, with the development of a new electronic surveillance payload (ESP), the Seeker II has been given a considerably enhanced performance.
The increasing efforts of Pakistan to develop an indigenous capability in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology is evident on two stands in Hall 10. Some of those displayed have not been seen before outside Pakistan and the variety of designs is impressive.
Late last week, the UK Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) awarded Vickers Defence Systems a £250 million contract for 66 Engineer Tank Systems (ETSs) based on the Challenger 2 tank chassis. These will replace current vehicles used by the Royal Engineers that are based on the obsolete Chieftain tank chassis.
With production of the Alenia Marconi Systems' Brimstone anti-armour missile underway, the past few months have seen a number of successful trials, including the first two air-launched firings. Conducted from a BAE Systems' Tornado trials aircraft, the air-launched firings demonstrated the safe separation of the missile from the launch aircraft and subsequent mid-course navigation following 'fly-out'.
Confidence in the effectiveness of a unique protection system is being demonstrated today and Wednesday at the Maqatra Firing Range. The product, which converts normal glass into security glass that also stops bullets, is the invention of an Australian, Peter Stephinson.
Making its international debut at IDEX 2001, the Tagger 2 device developed by NAPCO International is a fully integrated, lightweight target location system. It combines a GPS receiver, laser rangefinder, inclinometer and compass in one hand-held system that directly outputs observer and target location. Weighing 4.9kg, it can memorise up to 50 observer and target positions.
The Thales optronics group has been awarded a contract to supply the British Army with the LF28A lightweight laser rangefinder designator. Quiet in operation and compact, the new device utilises solid-state slab laser geometry, which requires no fluid cooling.
Exhibiting for the third time at IDEX, Slovenia's Fotona company specialises in the design and production of optronic, fire control and other systems for AFVs. These are intended for installation in series-production vehicles such as the Al Fahd 8x8 APC produced in Saudi Arabia and to upgrade MBTs of mostly former Soviet origin.
The latest in helicopter protection technology is being promoted by BAE Systems to meet a perceived need to equip combat aircraft in the Gulf region. Comprising the HIDAS and TERPROM systems, they are both mature and in service with a growing number of forces.
UK NBC specialist Graseby Dynamics has been awarded an order for an undisclosed quantity of Lightweight Chemical Agent Detectors (LCADs) to be issued to all three UK Armed Forces on a wide scale.
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