The production of the Turkish Kirpi MRAP machine is increasing
After a pause, the Turkish company BMC Otomotiv Sanayi ve Ticaret resumed production of its Kirpi 4x4 MRAP mine-protected vehicle, which was shown at IDEX 2015 with an installed remotely controlled weapon station.
According to the results of the competition, the Turkish ground forces command selected Kirpi to meet their need for the first MRAP machine. The initial contract was placed for 468 vehicles, but after the production of 278 units, production was temporarily stopped. Machine production has now resumed and the company said that "about 600 machines have already been delivered and they are currently in successful operation."
Kirpi MRAP has been offered for export for several years and Tunisia became the first buyer, which received about 40 vehicles.
The Kirpi MRAP features an all-welded, single-volume armored steel body with a V-shaped bottom section, which provides a high level of protection against IED mines, small arms and projectile fragments.
In the configuration of an armored vehicle, in addition to a crew of three, the Kirpi MRAP can accommodate up to 10 paratroopers. Standard equipment includes air conditioning and suspended seats with five-point harnesses for increased crew survivability.
Further work by the company led to the Kirpi 6x6 variant, which has many components in common with the production 4x4 vehicle, but has a larger internal volume and payload and can perform a wide range of combat missions. The development of the Kirpi 6x6 has been completed and after receiving orders, its serial production can begin.
BMC has supplied approximately 5,000 wheeled vehicles to the Turkish Armed Forces, including variants of 2.5 tonnes and 5 tonnes (4x4), 10 tonnes (6x6) and 20 tonnes (8x8).
In addition to the Kirpi 4x4 MRAP, the company presented at IDEX 2015 its BMC 380-26-P 6x6 tactical off-road truck weighing 10 tons with a cargo platform; and this is just one of many options currently available to consumers.
The BMC Kirpi (4x4) MRAP is equipped with a remotely controlled weapon station armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun
First Win. Armored superiority from Thailand
The leading Thai specialist in the field of military vehicles, Chaiseri Defense has been engaged in the modernization and repair of armored vehicles for more than fifty years. The company has now leveraged its wealth of experience plus all of its high-tech manufacturing capabilities to create a new family of First Win 4x4 vehicles that meet the needs of many armies and security forces for an affordable yet reliable vehicle.
First Win was conceived as a family of variants with different levels of protection and mobility in order to meet all kinds of customer requirements. The vehicle can be easily configured for a variety of tasks of the army and security forces, for example, it can be an ambulance or reconnaissance option, a command post or an armored personnel carrier. The car can be transported without any problems by air, sea, rail or road. It is equipped with various outboard weapons, for example, 7, 62-mm or 12, 7-mm machine guns or 40-mm grenade launchers. Various internal layout schemes can be implemented, and with one driver, First Win can accommodate 10 infantrymen.
Protection of the crew and troops is provided by an all-welded single-volume supporting V-shaped body made of armored steel. Not only the crew compartment is protected, but also the engine compartment.
The First Win armored personnel carrier is equipped with a 300 hp Cummins diesel engine; the machine has a high level of protection against mines and improvised explosive devices. As standard, the ballistic protection level corresponds to the STANAG Level 2 standard, but optionally it can be raised to STANAG Level 3, while the vehicle has full mine protection corresponding to STANAG Level 3. This means that it can withstand an explosion of 8 kg of TNT under the bottom and an explosion of 10 kg of TNT under any wheel.
The smaller version of the First Win-E is equipped with a 250 hp engine. and an independent suspension that is optimized for dynamic reconnaissance operations. This variant has a Level 2 mine protection level, but slightly less weight compared to the standard First Win machine with a corresponding increase in mobility. Chaiseri also offers a light First Win-L variant with a 200 hp engine. and standard protection corresponding to Level 1. Its main field of application is the internal security forces, for which the threat of mines is not so urgent.
More than 30 First Win machines are already in service with the Thai army and the Ministry of the Interior. The Chaiseri company is currently offering its versatile and efficient vehicle for export, with an emphasis on a high level of protection for the crew and troops and an affordable price.
An improved version of the AMRAAM rocket
An AMRAAM rocket is fired from a NASAMS launcher. AMRAAM-ER will fly faster and further
Raytheon Missile Systems said it is developing a variant of its Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which will have an increased range. The goal of this development is to expand the coverage area of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). The first test launch of AMRAAM-ER is scheduled for the end of 2015.
Designed specifically for ground-based air defense (GBAD) missions, the AMRAAM-ER missile will have a new propeller that will improve kinematics, allowing it to intercept targets at long distances and high altitudes.
“The new missile will fly at a faster speed and will be more maneuverable than the current AMRAAM,” said Mike Jarett, vice president of Air Combat Systems Division at Raytheon. "Using many of AMRAAM's existing components, Raytheon can get the AMRAAM-ER to its destination quickly, at an affordable cost and with very little risk."
Raytheon is integrating an extended-range missile into a NASAMS launcher. NASAMS was developed in collaboration with Kongsberg Defense Systems. This is a short- and medium-range GBAD complex, in which an AMRAAM ground launch missile is used as an actuator. NASAMS has been sold to seven customers and has delivered more than 70 launchers to date. For more than a decade, the system has been in service with Norway, NASAMS has also been deployed in the metropolitan area of Columbia, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands and another unnamed country. It is also manufactured in Oman under a contract issued last year.
The NASAMS complex includes a multifunctional information and control system module that integrates various sensors and launchers. Targets are identified and tracked by a high-resolution 3D sharp beam radar. In order to obtain real-time complete information about the air situation, several radars and the corresponding fire control centers can be networked via a radio channel.
AMRAAM rocket at IDEX 2015
Precision missiles from Korea
22 Korean defense companies took part in IDEX 2015. One of them, LIG Nex1, presented its line of rockets at one of the stands.
First of all, among the exhibits of this company, it is worth noting the Chiron surface-to-air missile with an infrared homing head, which is in service with the Korean army and received the Korean National Defense Award in 2004. The missile has a two-color seeker, which distinguishes the target well from modern infrared decoys. The small mass and compact dimensions of the missile make it possible to class it as portable and rapidly deployable.
Raybolt shoulder anti-tank complex
Also on display at IDEX 2015 was the Raybolt portable anti-tank guided missile. It is also quite compact and has a relatively small mass, which makes it possible to classify the complex in which it belongs to the class of portable.
This weapon can be used in direct attack or top attack modes, which allows it to aim at the upper surfaces of armored vehicles, which are most vulnerable. This rocket is smokeless, self-guided, which reduces the likelihood of operator detection and allows the rocket to be launched inside the building.
LIG Nex1 also unveiled the KM-SAM surface-to-air missile and the new K-SAAM surface-to-air shipborne missile. Both missiles are vertical launch, the KM-SAM uses a radar guidance system. In K-SAAM, inertial guidance is used on the cruising leg of the trajectory, and a dual microwave and infrared homing head works in the final leg of the trajectory.
The company also displayed its maritime perimeter security system in service with the Korean Navy. It uses a combination of distributed sensor elements: passive sensors for target detection in the outer perimeter, magnetic and acoustic sensors for medium ranges and active sonar, optoelectronic tracking equipment and radar for detecting threats within the perimeter.
The CEO of LIG Nex1 announced the company's intention to expand its presence in the UAE market, which is of particular importance to LIG Nex1.
