July 8, 2024 | International, Aerospace
September 29, 2020 | International, C4ISR
Britain’s new Protector drone completes maiden flight
LONDON — British efforts to introduce a new family of long-endurance, medium-altitude drones has moved a step closer with an announcement by the Ministry of Defence Sept. 28 that the first General Atomics Protector RG Mk1 off the production had made its maiden flight.
The MoD said the first production version of the drone flew in California on Sept. 25.
The flight comes just over two months after the British announced they had inked a £65 million (U.S. $83 million) deal with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to supply the first three of an expected fleet of at least 16 drones.
Three ground control stations and other associated support equipment were also included in the deal.
The contract contains options for a further 13 air vehicles and supporting equipment valued at around £180 million.
A commitment for the additional drones could come in April next year.
Progress with the Protector test schedule follows a two-year delay imposed on the program by the MoD in 2017 after the British ran into wider defense budget problems.
The delay was primarily responsible for a 40 percent hike in Protector program costs, top MoD official Stephen Lovegrove said in a letter to the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee published earlier this year.
The Protector vehicles will replace General Atomics Reaper drones widely used by the Royal Air Force in operations in Afghanistan and the Middle East, most recently providing reconnaissance, surveillance and strike capabilities in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
Protector is the British version of General Atomics latest Predator variant, the MQ-9B Sky Guardian.
The RAF drone will fly longer and, armed with Brimstone and Paveway IV precision weapons, hit harder than the Reaper.
Crucially, the machine is also in line to be approved to fly in non-segregated airspace in places like the U.K.
British Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said the inaugural flight of the production drone was a welcome step in development.
“With increased range and endurance, greater ISR and weapons capacity and improved weather resilience, Protector will play a vital intelligence and deterrent role in countering future threats,” he was quoted as saying in a statement.
For the moment the first Protector will stay in the United States to support systems testing as part of an MoD, U.S. Air Force and General Atomics team.
Following completion of the work the drone will be delivered to the MoD in the summer of 2021.
The platform will continue to be based in the United States to allow the RAF to complete its test and evaluation program.
Operating from its base at RAF Waddington, eastern England, Protector is scheduled to enter service by mid-2024.
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December 7, 2024 | International, Land
Embraer signs a contract with the Brazilian Army for one SABER M200 Vigilante radar
The contract also includes continuing the technical and operational evaluation of the equipment and its future use in the Brazilian Army's anti-aircraft artillery units.
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January 28, 2021 | International, Land
Kenya orders 118 armored vehicles from Turkey
By: Burak Ege Bekdil ANKARA, Turkey — Kenya's military has ordered 118 four-wheel drive personnel carriers from Turkish armored vehicles manufacturer Katmerciler. Kenya Defence Forces spokesperson Col. Zipporah Kioko told local press that the Ministry of Defence is finalizing the deal for the mine-resistant, ambush-protected Hizir vehicles through Turkey's Export Credit Agency. “The Hizirs will provide the Kenyan troops protective mobility wherever they are deployed,” a Katmerciler official said. Kenya's military will primarily deploy the Hizir vehicles for counterterror operations against the al-Shabab militant group. The company official declined to comment on how soon the contract would be finalized, but a Turkish procurement source said the deal should be inked in a matter of weeks, if not days. The procurement source put the price of the contract at “nearly €60 million” (U.S. $73 million). Last month, Turkey and Tunisia signed a $150 million deal for the sale of scores of Turkish-made defense equipment, including BMC's Kirpi MRAP vehicles and Nurol's Ejder Yalcin four-wheel drive armored combat vehicles. “The deal augments the penetration into the African market of Turkish armored vehicles,” the Turkish procurement official said. Sources said Katmerciler defeated South African and North American rivals for the Kenyan contract. The Katmerciler official said the Hizir has a proven track record in Syria, where Turkish forces operate and face similar threats as Kenyan troops face along the border with Somalia. Tested in the Netherlands and certified by NATO, the Hizir can be used in various configurations, such as combat; command and control; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense; weapon carrier; ambulance; border security; and reconnaissance. The vehicle is fitted with Turkish company Aselsan's Stabilized Advanced Remote Weapon Platform, which can be installed on tactical vehicles, fixed surveillance posts, towers and critical infrastructure. Depending on the operational requirements, remote weapon platform can be equipped with a 12.7mm machine gun, a 40mm automatic grenade launcher or a 7.62mm machine gun. The turret has advanced capabilities and options such as a fire-on-the-move capability, day and night imaging, automatic target tracking, laser range finder for accurate ballistics, last-round warning, and manual backup. The vehicle, which can carry up to nine personnel, is also equipped with a smoke grenade launcher on the top of the vehicle. It is designed on a V-hull monocoque chassis to increase vehicle and crew survivability by deflecting an upward directed blast — such as from a landmine or improvised explosive device — away from the vehicle. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/01/27/kenya-orders-118-armored-vehicles-from-turkey