Weaponry & Defensive Systems

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

As if military helicopters were not exposed to sufficient danger from shoulder-mounted arms, Russia adds new threat to its helicopter warfare arsenal

Russia has tested a new weapon the anti–helicopter mine, which self launches itself towards a target and explodes in mid air when it detects a high speed flight.

As per interfax, the mine can pierce armor of up to “12 mms thick from a 100-meter distance.”

The Russian Ministry of Defense is considering the possibility of ordering 200 such mines.

The mine has been in development since 1998 by the State Governmental Scientific-Testing Area for Aircraft Systems, Russia as a countermeasure against US and NATO helicopters in the event of war.

Prototypes and mock-ups underwent preliminary testing in 1999.

Since then the development and testing of prototypes using real helicopters has been carried out and it is reported that Russian defense experts were “very impressed” with those tests.

Russia describes it as an “autonomous air-defense” weapon that can counter helicopter gunship attacks and spoil approaches to landing zones (LZs).

Russia said that it has “anti-UAV applications and is optimized to respond to hostile UAV signatures.”

Anti-helicopter mines have been describes “as an asymmetric threat” to the US Apache helicopter .

One soldier stationed at Ft. Riley, who declined to be named in this report said that he is “aware of such weapons and the possible threat they pose to Army helicopter pilots”.

“Such a weapon would be hard to defend against”, he said.

http://groundreport.com/russian-mini...icopter-mines/

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

MoD to Acquire Third-Generation Common Missile Warning System

Britain is buying a BAE Systems third-generation (Gen 3) common missile warning system (CMWS) that helps protect helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft against small arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades, as well as missiles.

The Ministry of Defence is spending $28 million acquiring the latest version of the missile warning system from the US arm of BAE, having previously acquired a second-generation version of the company’s technology.

The military will replace some second-generation systems and outfit new aircraft. Platforms, including Apache, Chinook, Wildcat and Merlin helicopters, will receive the equipment, the company said in a statement.

Philip Dunne, the MoD procurement minister, said in a statement that the CMWS “provides proven detection of missile, rocket and small arms threats for tactical, fixed and rotary-wing aircraft. This contract will ensure our armed forces will have around 300 systems in total.”

A spokeswoman for the MoD said the system would be used predominantly on rotor-wing aircraft, but one fixed-wing platform would also be outfitted.

She declined to name the fixed-wing aircraft for operational and security reasons.

Small arms and rocket-propelled grenades have been a constant threat to air crews in Afghanistan.

Bill Staib, BAE’s director of threat management solutions, says the new system will offer better protection by enhancing detection.

“Our engineers have now enhanced the system with third-generation technology, integrating hostile fire indication, missile warning and data recording into a single unit,” Staib said.

Core Components of the CMWS

http://www.defensenews.com/article/2...xed-Wing-Craft

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Iran Launches Anti-Helicopter Weapon

Arash, a shoulder-launched anti-helicopter weapon (AHW), was unveiled at a weapons and equipment expo of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Ground Force on Wednesday and is intended to be used against ground and armored targets and enemy trenches.

Arash weighs between 18 to 20 kilograms, fires 20mm bullets and can be used to target hostile helicopters in a range of 2,000 to 2,200 meters. The 180cm-long weapon is also equipped with optical cameras.


Iran's new anti-helicopter weapon the 'Arash' has been showcased at an arms expo in Tehran

Iran has made major breakthroughs in arms production in the last three decades. Tehran launched an arms development program during the 1980-88 Iraqi imposed war on Iran to compensate for a US weapons embargo. Since 1992, Iran has produced its own tanks, armored personnel carriers, missiles and fighter planes. Yet, Iranian officials have always stressed that the country's military and arms programs serve defensive purposes and should not be perceived as a threat to any other countries.

In February, the IRGC test-fired a shoulder-launched weapon with the capability of shooting down helicopters in its massive exercise, codenamed "Payambar-e Azam 8" (The Great Prophet 8), in Southern Iran. The gun could have been the new Arash but military officials did not confirm this.

Elaborating on the exercise, spokesman General Hamid Sarkheili told reporters that the new shoulder-launched anti-helicopter weapon has been designed and produced by the IRGC's local experts and would be delivered to the operating units in the exercise. "The 20-mm shoulder-launched missile is an anti-helicopter weapon which can hit targets from a distance of 1,400 meters," Sarkheili stated. The commander noted that “the new missile launcher is unique and has no foreign rival”.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps exercise is aimed at maintaining and improving the combat preparedness of the IRGC Ground Forces, testing the latest combat systems of the IRGC Ground Force and exercising different asymmetric warfare tactics.

http://english.farsnews.com/newstext...30803001287

[Aviafora Newsdesk]

Sagem to Upgrade Ukrainian Mi-24's

France's Sagem has reached an agreement with Ukraine's state-run Ukroboronprom for the upgrade of an undisclosed number of Mi-24 helicopters.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the upgrade will involve new FLIR systems as well as a helmet-integrated information display.

The aircraft will also be fitted with Ukraine's 'Alta' anti-tank missile system.


Ukraine's Mi-24's are to be upgraded by France's Sagem


The Mi-24's will be fitted with the Alta anti-tank missile system


The Alta missile has a range in excess of 12 kms

AN.