Defense Technology International - October 2007 - (Page 60) THE CUTTING EDGE TECH REVIEW CATHERINE MACRAE HOCKMUTH Roid Rover The U.K. Defense Ministry announced in September that it will procure a 4-ton, weapon-carrying patrol vehicle with high mobility and top speed of 80 mph. for use in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Mobility Weapons Mounted Installation Kit is a 4 X 4 that one officer compares to a “Land Rover on steroids.” The ministry is purchasing 130 vehicles; deliveries are slated to run through 2008. DML of Plymouth, England, signed a £30-million ( $61-million) contract with the Defense Ministry to produce the vehicles based on a design from Supacat Ltd., a company that develops specialty vehicles. The MWMIK carries three soldiers and their weapons, plus a machine gun or an automatic grenade launcher. I 1 U.S. NAVAL RESEARCH LABORATORY Space Tow The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory has successfully tested guidance and control algorithms for the Front-End Robotics-Enabling Near-Term Demonstration, a program that’s developing a space robot to dock with orbiting satellites for servicing and upgrade operations. The NRL is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to demonstrate the capability. Darpa recently completed its own on-orbit demonstration of satellite-servicing technology with the Orbital Express program. Orbital Express used a next-generation satellite, but the NRL program will use existing satellites. Darpa seeks companies or organizations to volunteer satellites for demonstrations. Project leaders expect one day to offer tow-truck-like services to “nearly every satellite currently, or soon to be, in space.” Spacecraft could be hauled to new positions or moved to graveyard orbits to reduce debris. I 2 ON THE EDGE Soldier Protector One way to protect soldiers in combat is by keeping gunners inside armored vehicles rather than exposed in turrets. But that requires a remote weapon system. Enter the U.S. Army’s Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (Crows), which keeps soldiers safely tucked away and “armed” with a joystick and screen. Norway’s Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace just signed a $1-billion contract to supply the Army with a variation of its Protector M151 Remote Weapon Station to meet the Crows requirement. Kongsberg will deliver up to 6,500 modified Protectors by 2012. The M151 is already on the Army’s Stryker vehicle, and Kongsberg says the Protector system can be installed on any vehicle. Crows supports the Mk19 grenade machine gun, 50-cal. M2 machine gun, M240B medium machine gun and M249 squad automatic weapon. Any situational awareness that might be lost by having gunners’ eyes and ears inside vehicles is regained in reduced casualties, increased range and first-round-hit probability and response time, says the Army. I 60 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2007 U.K. DEFENSE MINISTRY 3 U.S. ARMY PEO SOLDIER www.aviationweek.com/dti http://www.aviationweek.com/dti
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