Light Vehicle Protection System: Instantaneous Protection by 40 Mm and 66 Mm Smoke Cartridges
20 September 2006 13:38
In addition to conventional smokescreen products, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition (RWM) supplies active concealment and decoy systems for protecting light vehicles from precision munitions operating in the infrared and laser spectrums.
RWM's unique Light Vehicle Protection System offers light military and civilian vehicles protection from unexpected attacks, for example during patrols or when travelling in convoys. The smoke cartridges create an instantaneous, dense wall of smoke, concealing the vehicle and its passengers.
It can fire single rounds as well as salvos, which makes it possible to fire both a single warning shot, and individual flash-bang rounds. RWM's range of 40mm ammunition currently encompasses RP smoke, flash-bang, practice and CS rounds.
Specially designed for light vehicles, this protection system provides spontaneous protection from attackers armed with conventional weapons. In the event of an attack, the system is manually triggered, immediately creating a 30m x 3m wall of smoke, effective in the visual and near-infrared spectrums as well as temporarily blinding systems that operate in the medium and distant IR-spectrums. The vehicle's occupants have at least 25 seconds to take evasive action, mount a counterattack or evacuate the vehicle.
An integrated auxiliary power supply makes sure the system remains functional for up to five minutes if the vehicle's power system goes down. This way, a stricken vehicle can still be safely evacuated.
An integrated auxiliary power-supply ensures the system remains functional for up to five minutes if the vehicle's power-system malfunctions. Consequently, a stricken vehicle can still be safely evacuated.
The Light Vehicle Protection System is simple to operate and easy to install in any light vehicle, including lightweight combat vehicles like the Wiesel and Fennek, troop carriers such as the Wolf, Dingo, Terrier and Mungo, transport vehicles like the 5-15 t truck, bridge-laying vehicles, and other combat support systems.
The system consists of a horizontally-trainable launcher with three magazines containing five rounds each. It can be installed using vehicle-specific mountings on the vehicle's roof or roll bar, or connected as a universal base-plate on magnetic feet by means of lashing straps on any vehicle roof. It can also be pegged to the ground.
Owing to the magazine principle, the system is multi-mission capable, and is especially suitable for patrol and convoy operations. The Light Vehicle Protection System can be equipped with a mixed-load of up to three magazines containing various non-lethal cartridges, enabling a proportionate response to a variety of threats.
The system is currently undergoing trials, and potential users include airmobile units, combat engineers and anti-terror units. Moreover, the Swedish Ministry of Defence has contracted with RWM's Protection Systems and Pyrotechnics unit for the development, qualification and serial production of an integrated Light Vehicle Protection System for equipping 23 command vehicles.
Featuring an integrated auxiliary power supply, the unique electronics concept selected for the Light Vehicle Protection System proved decisive. The Light Vehicle Protection System will be modified to fire the 66 mm MASKE-RP cartridges already in the Swedish inventory. The systems will be integrated into the vehicles in Sweden, verifiying that this new protection system can be installed in any vehicle, including tactical vehicles.
For more information on this company:
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH - Protection Systems and Pyrotechnics
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