German Company Rheinmetall Defence at FIDAE 2010 Aerospace Defence Show in Chile 2902122.

The seismic shifts taking place in global geopolitics are confronting the rising medium-sized powers of South America with new challenges too. The countries that form the Unión de Naciones Suramericanas (UNASUR) are increasingly coordinating their foreign and security policies, and are shouldering greater international responsibility. Security policy has emerged as a matter of common concern. Combatready armed forces with modern equipment form a core element here – whether the mission is defending territorial integrity, protecting the population from political oppression, or taking part in international peacekeeping and peace-enforcement operations.

Retrofit programmes deliver excellent protection and enhanced performance for combat vehicles

Main battle tanks combine protection, mobility and firepower, and the same is true of infantry fighting vehicles, with the added benefit of additional troop-carrying capacity. Together they form the core element of modern, high-mobility military operations, hard-hitting yet capable of reacting to threats in scalable fashion.

Even older legacy systems can be retrofitted to meet the latest operational requirements.

At FIDAE 2012, Rheinmetall Defence, one of the world’s most experienced system integrators, will be displaying some of its high-tech solutions for upgrade programmes. On show will be an infantry fight vehicle whose modernized protection features are specifically designed to counter today’s battlefield threats.

The configuration showcased here includes add-on armour, a spall liner and antimine seats decoupled from the floor of the vehicle, all designed and installed by Rheinmetall Chempro. These features provide crews with reliable protection from RPG attacks, APFDS-T rounds and antitank guided missiles with tandem shaped charges, and landmines. All of these force protection components can be quickly retrofitted into existing vehicles without impairing their mobility.

Advanced reconnaissance and sensor systems, C4I technology, fire control units, remote control weapon stations and digitized turret concepts all harbour further potential for performance-enhancing retrofits.

Protection systems at sea and on land

Rheinmetall’s “Multi-Ammunition Softkill System” (MASS) is a fully automatic means of protecting ships on the high seas and in coastal waters from symmetric and asymmetric threats.

When MASS detects an incoming threat, it takes into account the azimuth, altitude, distance, number and sequence of projectiles before launching appropriate countermeasures at precisely the right moment. The company’s new programmable omnispectral decoys – 32 per launcher – provide reliable protection in all relevant wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum (radar, infrared, laser, EO and UV).

There is thus no need for the vessel to take evasive action. Rheinmetall’s “Multi- Ammunition Softkill System” (MASS) is a fully automatic means of protecting ships on the high seas and in coastal waters from symmetric and asymmetric threats.

The system has proven highly effective in various international trials. The navies of 11 nations now deploy MASS, with some 186 launchers installed on board 22 different classes of vessel.

Besides MASS, Rheinmetall will be presenting the latest generation of Bullfighter decoys at FIDAE. These can be used in existing Super Rapid Bloom Offboard Countermeasures (SRBOC) and other 130mm systems. Moreover, visitors can view a variant of the company’s Rapid Obscuring System (ROSY) specifically designed for small naval vessels such as fast attack craft and rigid hull inflatable boats. It helps to protect sailors, coast guards and special operations forces units operating in coastal waters and on rivers.

Made by Rheinmetall Chempro, the innovative Mobile Modular Protection System, or MMS, rounds out the Group’s array of maritime force protection products. It provides fast, extremely flexible protection that can be quickly set up in all climate zones, including in rough terrain, in full accordance with STANAG 4569.