Rheinmetall German Industry at Milipol 2011: A multifaceted partner for multifaceted operations

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MILIPOL 2011
Worldwide Exhibition of Internal State Security
Paris, France

18 - 21 October 2011
 
Rheinmetall at Milipol 2011
 
 

Tuesday, October 18, 2011, 09:19 PM

 
Rheinmetall German Industry at Milipol 2011: A multifaceted partner for multifaceted operations
At Milipol 2011, the prestigious Paris tradeshow for military and law enforcement agencies, leading system supplier Rheinmetall Defence of Germany will be on hand from 18 to 21 October at Stand 1H-092, displaying an extensive range of product for police forces, security services and the armed forces, with the accent on the Group’s numerous capabilities categories.
     
At Milipol 2011, the prestigious Paris tradeshow for military and law enforcement agencies, leading system supplier Rheinmetall Defence of Germany will be on hand from 18 to 21 October at Stand 1H-092, displaying an extensive range of product for police forces, security services and the armed forces, with the accent on the Group’s numerous capabilities categories.
FeLVis fire control unit
     

In contemporary peacekeeping and peace-enforcement operations, where asymmetric threats are omnipresent, it can be hard to draw a hard and fast distinction between internal and external security. The duties of armed forces and internal security agencies often overlap, meaning that both require a multifaceted array of equipment and capabilities.

Reconnaissance: The newly established division Rheinmetall Electro-Optics, consisting of the companies Vinghøg, Vingtech, Rheinmetall Soldier Electronics, I.L.E.E. and some units of Rheinmetall Defence Electornics, is presenting (among other things) night observation devices for many different applications – ranging from GN night vision goggles and the KN night vision visor to KDN night vision binoculars.

     
Also on display are the Group’s FeLVis fire control unit for 40mm low-velocity ammunition and the ZEFF dismounted soldier identification device (DSID). Another Rheinmetall Electro-Optics product on show is the Vingmate advanced sight and fire control system. Besides the aiming device and fire control unit, it consists of a combined tripod and softmount, capable of receiving various 40mm automatic grenade launchers or .50 calibre heavy machine guns. Because the fire control unit can store up to ten ballistic firing tables, the effector of the Vingmate system can be quickly changed without having to readjust the weapon being used.
Vingmate advanced sight and fire control system
     
Weapons and weapon-related systems: Further, Rheinmetall Electro-Optics is presenting its tried-and tested laser light modules, among them the brand-new Vario Ray (LLM-VR) and the LLM01, already in service with many armed forces and law enforcement organizations. The LLM01 has also been mounted on the German Bundeswehr’s newest infantry weapon, the Designated Marksman Rifle G28 by Heckler & Koch.

Also on display are the Group’s FeLVis fire control unit for 40mm low-velocity ammunition and the ZEFF dismounted soldier identification device (DSID). Another Rheinmetall Electro-Optics product on show is the Vingmate advanced sight and fire control system. Besides the aiming device and fire control unit, it consists of a combined tripod and softmount, capable of receiving various 40mm automatic grenade launchers or .50 calibre heavy machine guns. Because the fire control unit can store up to ten ballistic firing tables, the effector of the Vingmate system can be quickly changed without having to readjust the weapon being used.

The Canadian armed forces have procured a variant of the Vingmate system to serve as a close area support weapon, or CASW. Moreover, at Milipol Rheinmetall also provides proof of its leading position in the field of 40mm ammunition, with an extensive array of 40mm x 46 (low velocity/LV and medium velocity/MV) and 40 mm x 53 high velocity (HV) rounds. These range from training and non-lethal cartridges to highly effective service ammunition.

At its Test Centre in Unterlüß, the company recently conducted an impressive demonstration of its 40mm x 46 MV und 40mm x 53 HV time-delay airburst cartridges on behalf of the international ground forces community. Rheinmetall is developing the Cerberus grenade launcher and the Hydra automatic grenade launcher, specially designed for firing medium-velocity ammunition. Both weapon systems feature hydraulic shock absorbers that reduce the resulting recoil to the level of low velocity ammuntion.

Rheinmetall has also developed a quick-mounting digital aiming device for the Fly-K mortar, a system successfully deployed by the French armed forces in Afghanistan. The device measures the incline and elevation angle of the tube, while showing the range of the cartridges on a display. Light, compact, quiet and with a very low operational signature, this indirect fire weapon can of course also be used without an aiming device to engage targets at distances of up to 800 metres.

In the ordnance field, Rheinmetall is displaying its new generation flash-bang grenade, which features bottom-top venting (BTV) technology. Its new chamber system is designed for different decibel levels: 180 dB for military applications and 170 dB for law enforcement operations. For added flexibility, the new generation can be used either with a conventional flash-bang charge or with a newly developed perchlorate-free one, which also produces less smoke.

Rheinmetall has also improved the performance of the classic Spirco rapid smoke/obscurant grenade. In addition, its new red phosphorous smoke/obscurant grenade, known as ISIS (standing for “Infrared Smoke Instantaneous Spread”), creates a smokescreen in the space of a second that is impenetrable to optical, night vision and infrared devices. Designed for illumination and signalling, the Group’s handheld Mithras rockets make it possible to engage hostile forces around the clock. They feature ranges of 300, 600 and 1,000 metres, and come in normal and IR versions. The British armed forces have already introduced this innovative signalling rocket.
     
Rheinmetall has also developed a quick-mounting digital aiming device for the Fly-K mortar, a system successfully deployed by the French armed forces in Afghanistan. The device measures the incline and elevation angle of the tube, while showing the range of the cartridges on a display. Light, compact, quiet and with a very low operational signature, this indirect fire weapon can of course also be used without an aiming device to engage targets at distances of up to 800 metres.
Quick-mounting digital aiming device for the Fly-K mortar
     
Mobility: The Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles division makes numerous vehicles that substantially enhance the mobility and operational effectiveness of miltary and law enforcement units. For example, the German Military Police use a water cannon version of the Yak protected command and mission-specific vehicle.

A joint development of Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the Armoured Multi Purpose Vehicle, or AMPV, is currently undergoing Bundeswehr trials. Finally, the robust all-terrain vehicles of the HX/SX family and the TGM model series assure first-class mobility. Scale models of the Yak, AMPV and TGM are all on display at the Rheinmetall stand.
     
A joint development of Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, the Armoured Multi Purpose Vehicle, or AMPV, is currently undergoing Bundeswehr trials. Finally, the robust all-terrain vehicles of the HX/SX family and the TGM model series assure first-class mobility. Scale models of the Yak, AMPV and TGM are all on display at the Rheinmetall stand.
Yak multi-purpose wheeled armoured vehicle
     
Protection: Rheinmetall is also a many-sided partner in the field of ballistic protection. On show at Milipol is the VERhA-product range by Rheinmetall Verseidag Protection Systems, consisting of high-performance, lightweight materials which are installed in special vehicles, helicopters and ships to protect their occupants. Inserts for bullet-resistant vests can also be inspected at the company’s stand. In addition, Rheinmetall Chempro is presenting its practical Mobile Modular Protection System, or MMS. Whether it is used for reinforcing mobile checkpoints, for hardening shelters in forward operating bases or protecting portholes and machine gun positions on board ships, the MMS assures maximum flexibility in all climate zones, meeting the need for swiftly deployable protection in accordance with STANAG 4569, even in difficult terrain.

Rheinmetall’s major presence at Milipol 2011 underscores yet again the Group’s multifaceted role as a leading supplier of systems and equipment for the world’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies.