MOWAG PIRANHA

The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG (since April 2010 the name has changed to General Dynamics European Land Systems - Mowag GmbH), corporation.

Five generations of vehicles have been produced, manufactured by MOWAG or under licence by other companies, and variants are in service with military forces throughout the world.

Piranhas are available in 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, and 10x10 wheel versions. There are several variants within these versions, giving different degrees of armour protection and several kinds of turret, for use in a variety of roles. Piranha derivatives have been assigned roles as troop transports, command vehicles,fire support vehicles, tank trainers, and police vehicles.

BTR-90 Armoured Personnel Carrier

BTR-90 (GAZ-5923) is an 8×8 wheeled armoured personnel carrier developed inRussia, designed in 1993 and first shown publicly in 1994.It is a larger version of the BTR-80 vehicle, fitted with a BMP-2 turret. Armour protection is improved compared with the BTR-80, giving protection from 14.5 mm projectiles over the frontal arc. A small number of the BTR-90s is in service with Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is offered for export customers, however no orders were placed to date.It is armed with a 2A42 30 mm auto cannon, coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun, AT-5 Spandrel ATGM, as well as a AGS-17 30 mm automatic grenade launcher.

The BTR-90 has a standard internal arrangement of the BTR family. It has engine compartment located in the hull rear. Driver is seated at the front of the hull, turret controls and troop compartment are located in the middle. Vehicle has increased external dimensions, as well as internal volume. It can carry loads up to 7 000 kg in place of the troops.

Smerch 9K58 MLRS Multiple Launch Rocket System, Russia

The BM-30 Smerch (tornado) is the most powerful multiple launch rocket system in the world. It was developed in the early 1980s and was accepted to service with the Soviet Army in 1987. The system is designed to defeat personnel, armored, and soft-skinned targets in concentration areas, artillery batteries, command posts and ammunition depots.  When first observed by the West in 1983, it received the code MRL 280mm M1983. It is expected to be superseded by the 9A52-4 Tornado. Currently Russian Army operates just over 100 of these artillery rocket systems.

Picador VTOL UAV,Israel

Picador is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) designed and manufactured by Aeronautics Defence Systems (ADS) for the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to perform intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance missions. Based on the two-seat Dynali H2S kit helicopter, it is being built at ADS's Yavne facility in Central Israel.

Absalon Class Combat / Flexible Support Ship, Denmark

HDMS Absalon (L16) and her sister ship HDMS Esbern Snare (L17) are the biggest ships ever to serve in the Royal Danish Navy (RDN), and are the two members of the Absalon class flexible support ships. The two ships in the Absalon class, named after Danish archbishop and statesman Absalon, received full operational status in 2007. The ships can be equipped for naval warfare, land attack, strategic sealift missions or as a command platform. They can also be configured as hospital ships or for emergency disaster relief.

19DD Akizuki Class Destroyers, Japan

The Akizuki Class destroyers, also known as 19DD, are being built by the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence. The Akizuki Class is intended to escort the Hyuga, 22DDH helicopter destroyers, and  designed partly to "guard" Aegisdestroyers in the Missile defense (MD) missions. This class was used to be called "19DD", derived from the Japanese calendar, specifically the 19th fiscal year of the Heisei period (2007).Force (JMSDF).

US Army testing FOB missile defence system

The United States Armed Forces has teamed with Raytheon to begin testing on a new integrated missile system specifically designed to protect Afghan Forward Operating Bases.

Networking the Griffin B Missile with an ISTAR sensor payload, the plan is to provide round-the-clock 360-degree surface to air protection for troops nestled on the frontline through the use of a long endurance surveillance aerostat and ground launchers.

Testing and evaluation occurred at Eglin Air Force Base at which a stationary target at a 4km distant was targeted with global positioning, before being volleyed. The second round of tests is scheduled to be carried out in March.

Dassault first past the post with European AESA radar

The French defence procurement agency, DGA, officially took delivery of the Rafale C137 last week in a move that signals the first time a European fighter has been equipped with an active electronically scanned array, or AESA, radar.

With the unveiling Dassault, together with its partner Thales, have brought an AESA radar to market before its big rivals the Eurofighter consortium and Saab with its Gripen fighter. The company is also looking to export the technology to Brazil and India although news this week also filtered out that India’s Defence Research and Development Organization was working on its own AESA system for the indigenous LCA (Light Combat Aircraft).