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Responding to a British requirement for deployable
heavy artillery, BAE Systems unveiled a new modified truck, called
Portee, designed to carry and support the M777 lightweight
artillery. Giat will be competing with their gun carrier –
Ceasar.
Both companies are also eyeing other opportunities primarily down under in
Australia, where other companies such as Soltam and Denel and SWS
are competing for a mobile artillery program. Soltam also promoted
its new mortar carrier system
Cardom, which is already in
production for the US Army Stryker brigades, mounted on the
Stryker APC. A different version of Cardom is also under final
evaluation for the Israeli Defense Forces.
Precision artillery projectiles were also on
display, including Excalibur and
SMART.
Advanced mortar munitions
on display included the
PGMM under development at ATK and the
laser guided Israeli Fireball,
developed by IAI/MBT – both
120mm
mortar shells.
New details about the British MOD
Loitering Munition Capability Demonstration (LMCD) program surfaced here, as
several exhibitors, including Ultra Electronics, Lockheed Martin,
Diehl and MBDA unveiled precision guided loitering munitions
proposed for a forthcoming MOD evaluation and demonstration. Such
loitering weapons are required to provide persistent coverage,
deterrence and kill of enemy targets over a wide area and extended
period of time. The loitering weapon will be able to deliver rapid
effects over a wide area, with pin-point accuracy. A more
conventional concept of a loitering weapon is the armed UAV. While
no such UAV platforms were on display, Northrop Grumman were open
to discuss the capabilities of its
Viper Strike weapon, designed
for deployment from endurance platforms such as UAVs of the
Heron,
Hermes and
Predator class, as well as the AC-130 gunship. EDO
displayed its newly released lightweight weapon's carrier,
developed especially for UAVs, while Lockheed Martin brought a
model of the SMACM, currently under development in the US. |
