
Four packed business days drew visitors from across UK and all over world to the event held in London
The world’s largest fully integrated defence and security exhibi-tion, Defence Systems and Equipment International (DSEi) 2009 served as an ideal platform for senior inter-national trade and military experts from across the supply chain to interact in an optimal business environment. It provided one-on-one opportunities to share ideas, discuss industry developments, conduct business and network for future growth.
Visitors came from UK and all over the world to experience first-hand the latest land, air and sea capabilities of more than 1,350 companies from 40 countries over four packed business days. This year, SP Guide Publications was represented at the event held in London from September 8 to 11 by Editor-in-Chief Jayant Baranwal and Director Sales and Marketing Neetu Dhulia.
Naval Equipment on Display
Thales: Thales launched the I-Mast 100, the integrated mast small, littoral combatants. I-Mast 100 is a central mast structure that houses all of a ship’s radar and optronic sensors, most of the communication anten-nas and all associated cabinets and periph-erals. The advantages of this sensor con-cept are numerous: improved operational performance, higher operational availability, reduced ship-building time, reduced main-tenance requirements and substantial sav-ings in below-deck space. The I-Mast 100 concept has been validated before its for-mal introduction with numerous navies and shipyards around the world. I-Mast 100 is the second member of Thales’s I-Mast fam-ily. At present, the I-Mast 400 is being built at Thales’s Hengelo facility. The first system is scheduled to be installed on the Royal Dutch Navy’s Holland class Patrol Ship at the end of 2010.
Northrop Grumman: Northrop Grumman has displayed a cross-section of the com-pany’s defence and security solutions with equipment, displays and presentations of technologies from across the UK, Europe and the US. Using a coastal protection scenario, the company demonstrated the integration of naval systems and shipboard sensors, the creation of a common operating picture for defence and civil command and control systems.
Eagle Close Combat Radio (CCR): Cobham demonstrated its new Eagle CCR which is a third generation, full duplex, ad-hoc networked radio specifically designed as a short range Infantry Section/Squad radio. It allows up to five talkers to speak simultaneously in a conference mode, and provides a simultaneous encrypted voice and data capability, allowing complete flex-ibility of use. Eagle incorporates an automat-ic rebroadcast facility which both extends its range and provides excellent coverage in urban areas. In recent months, Cobham Defence Communications has secured sev-eral orders of undisclosed value for nearly 10,000 Eagle CCRs from customers in the Middle East, the Far East and Africa, with further orders expected imminently. Eagle has also been incorporated within Cobham’s Marine Interdiction Operations System, also on display at DSEi, to provide improved communications and situational awareness for Boarding Party operations.
BAE’s Helmet-mounted displays: The UK Ministry of Defence has placed the first order for a new generation of hel-met-mounted displays developed by BAE Systems. The Royal Navy will purchase 12 remote sighting systems incorporating BAE Systems’ Q-Sight display, for its Lynx Mk8 helicopters. “Q-Sight makes aviators more effective in many situations, includ-ing degraded visual environments such as brown-out conditions,” said Jim Garceau, Vice President of Defense Avionics for BAE Systems. “Its lightweight design increases pilot comfort, and its wide field of view enables pilots to keep their heads up and eyes out of the cockpit while performing their missions. Q-Sight also provides impor-tant capabilities to other crew members, including door gunners and loadmasters.” BAE Systems announced the inaugural order at a media briefing at DSEi 2009.
Elbit’s Micro Multi-Purpose Advanced Stabilised System: The Micro-CoMPASSTM is an 8” lightweight and compact payload system for small UAVs, airborne, marine and ground applications. It features excellent stabilisation performance and high quality day and night sensors. Sensors onboard include a Third Generation 3-5 µm FPA zoom FLIR camera, a zoom colour CCD camera and a laser pointer.
Operation Vision-Anti-Piracy System Demonstration: Systematic and its team comprising ITT Defence UK Ltd, Tactronics Group Europe and Ultra Electronics gave an excellent re-enactment of the anti-piracy operation conducted by HMDS Absalon (flagship of the Danish Navy) off the coast of Somalia earlier this year. The Thames set the scene for a simulation of that boarding operation made by Systematic and other selected companies.
Systematic’s maritime security tech-nology, SitaWare Maritime Boarding, has already been tested and assessed by the Royal Danish Navy. It has been used on the Danish battleship Absalon which led Task Force 150 (a multinational coalition naval task force responsible for the maritime security operations in the Middle East and the North Indian Ocean) from September 2008 until April 2009. According to a Danish Newspaper, Absalon has been the most successful warship in the Gulf of Aden, by stopping 88 out of 250 pirates stopped, while the Danish Warship has been chas-ing pirates This area, which constitutes an important passageway for international ship-ping, is severely plagued by piracy attacks and the smuggling of arms, goods and people and therefore depends on efficient patrolling. Furthermore, this technology was in use on board the command ship Thetis when it was in action off the coast of Somalia
Atlantic Inertial Systems delivers 1000th Imu02 for Excalibur: AIS was selected to supply the Excalibur Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) following excellent performance on the Raytheon-led ERGM US Navy course-corrected projectile project, since cancelled. AIS recently delivered the thousandth IMU02 and enters high rate production for Excalibur. This unit was part of the first high rate production batch of 200 per month for Raytheon Missile Systems Excalibur preci-sion guided missile system from a total requirement for 2000 a year. The AIS IMU02 replaces the Honeywell system originally chosen for the requirement, but dropped due to technical problems. The SiIMU02R is in service on a range of programmes includ-ing the A Darter,(Air-Air Missile), APKWS - 70mm (2.75 inch) Guided Rocket, and Roketsan,2.75 inch Guided Rocket. It is also currently under consideration for a number of international programmes