IDEX 2013 - Day Three News from the Show from Andre Forkert

Two Products That Will save lives

ADS, a specialist for medical equipment, has invented two new products. With the Pacific Precision Products (PPP) O2PAK portable oxygen bottle it is possible for the first time to take oxygen right into the combat zone. Until now it was too dangerous to take gas bottle to the frontline attached to the body or in an unprotected vehicle. In case of a hit or an IED this bottle would explode and cause further damage and injuries. The O2PAK is a single-use/disposable emergency oxygen solution for use in extreme conditions at the point of injury. It is compact (23cm length), lightweight (1,3kg) that fits in every standard military bag. It is ready to use in seconds, delivering 99% of pure oxygen at a flow of 8 to 4 LPM for a minimum of 22 minutes in every position (horizontal or vertical). The shelf-life is 48 months. It requires no batteries, electricity, filling or mixing. And one of the most important thing, it is not pressurized so there is no need for maintenance and no risk of explosion under enemy fire or an IED detonation. So this oxygen solution can save the lives of the injured soldier and the medic.

Another life saving product is the INFRASCANNER 2000 from Infrascan Inc.. The Infrascanner is a portable screening device that uses Near-Infrared (NIR) technology to screen patients for intracranial bleeding in the head. So the most critical wounded can be identified even if you cannot see it and immediate referral them to a CT scan and neurosurgical intervention. The measurement is completed within 2-3 minutes and can detect hematomas greater than 3,5cc in volume. These hematomas can be up to 3.5 cm deep from the skin surface.

Partnering Between Boeing and Secure Tech

Boeing and Secure Tech will collaborate to jointly offer solutions that protect critical data and national infrastructure for customers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf Region. The cybersecurity agreement was signed today (19th of February 2013) at IDEX in Abu Dhabi.
The memorandum of understanding outlines a joint strategy for improving the cybersecurity capabilities of enterprise, government and defence customers in the region. Boeing will provide advanced data analytics, network security and cybersecurity simulation capabilities through its partner Secure Tech. Secure Tech is one of the largest UAE companies and 100% locally owned. They will contribute market expertise, local partnership and talented information technology professionals.

Signing ceremony at IDEX

Protected Glass Will Get Smaller and Lighter

CeramTech Etec presents at IDEX their solution to make protected glass smaller and lighter to give protected vehicles an extra payload. The call their solution PERCULAR a new era in transparency. PERLUCOR is a system component and cannot be used alone. It does not replace the windshield, but makes it less thick and lighter.
Larger areas can be assembled with multi tile layouts. The edges of the individual ceramic tiles are reworked by means of a special procedure to minimize the gaps to the greatest possible extent. Furthermore, the multi tile array increases the ballistic protection against multi hit threats.
The transparency is 5% less than glass but the glass ceramic combination has a hardness of 4-7 HV1 (glass: 3-6) and also offers the double bending strength. The thickness of the glass is reduced by 50% with the glass/PERLUCOR hybrid system and the weight is reduced by nearly 50%. That gives each user more payload, this point is especially critical with light tactical vehicles.

World Premier: New RPG Protection

Composhield is presenting their new RPG protection for the first time at IDEX. This 3D add-on armour can be fitted on every steel or ceramic protection. It is easy to install and every single segment can be replaced. The weight is 12 kg/sqm and so nearly the same than net solutions. It offers the same protection than flat solutions. But with the net solution you could have problems driving through poppy or corn fields, the net can get you stuck. With the closed 3D solution by Compshield this cannot happen. At the moment the door sections are still a problem, but Composhield is working on a overlapping solution that can fill that gap. Another possibility is the form the 3D solution in angles and have more space between the sections to open doors. Even single sections can be left out to allow a better outside view. The integration of that system is possible onto every vehicle, even on circular turrets. All kind of shapes are possible. There are several talks with interested customers going on.

UAS World Premier at IDEX

On 18 February, PIAGGIO Aero together with Selex ES presented their new P.1HH HAMMERHEAD UAV at IDEX. The P.1HH Hammerhead is the development of a multipurpose UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) designed to meet the need for a robust and high-tech solution for ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) missions. The system includes the UAV, specific mission equipment and a remote Ground Control Station (GCS), so PIAGGIO Aero.
On 14 February, the P.1HH has done the first tests (roll out & engine start) after a two year development phase. The first flight is scheduled for this year. It features automatic take-off and landing, max. flight level of 45,000ft and a 16 hours endurance. It will be compliant with STANAG USAR 4671 that should enable it to fly in restricted and unrestricted areas. The P.1HH is a derivate of the PIAGGIO Aero P.180 AVANTI II platform for a multi mission purpose such as aerial, land, costal, maritime and offshore security as well as COMINT/ELIT and EW (electronic warfare) missions.
The wing span is 15.5m and the wings can be removed for easy transport and storage. With SatCom it can be flown both: Lin of Sight (LOS) and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS). It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-66B with 950 hp.

BAE Launched New Manned Turret

BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa revealed its latest manned turret at IDEX. The Overhead Manned turret (OMT) is designed for vehicles such as Light Armoured Vehicles, VIP protection, Border Control, Para-Military, SOF and even APC. The OMT is operated by one crew member and provide protection for the operator and a 360 operation ability (36/sec) and had a wheel steering as a backup. It got an improved Electrical Drive (ED) for faster detection and engagement (with day/night sensors) with a recording option. The development is completed and production will start after the first order. Talks with customers are going on. The goal was to develop a turret for a low budget. The turret has a height of 590mm and need an inner ring of 666 mm. It can use 7.62mm to 12.7mm and 40mm weapons. An upgrade for 20mm is possible and planned. It can also be fitted with four 76/81mm smoke launchers. The systems also offer spotlights, IR, internal lighting and communication equipment. It can be adapted to customer needs and the space to the vehicle platform.

The OMT on a NIMR

Rheinmetall is Presenting a New BOXER Version

At IDEX, Rheinmetall presented a new idea for a BOXER version; integrating a LANCE remote turret onto the BOXER mission module. This combines high mobility, high protection and high fire power with the WOTAN 30 mm/ABM automatic cannon. At the side of the turret there also is a missile launcher, for example for the SPIKE missile.

                                                                                                                             Andre Forkert