This article describes the digital connection of the IdZ-ES equipment mix with the infantry squad’s small arms and the Recce Equipment used in the platoon. The light infantry platoon’s squads are led by Sergeants and the squad can form a self-contained system of ten soldiers. The light infantry’s command- and squad vehicle is the battle proven armored 8×8 wheeled GTK BOXER. IdZ-ES is based on advanced technologies contributing to improve the five main capabilities of modern warfare: Lethality, Protection, Command and Control, as well as Mobility and Sustainment.

IdZ-ES is modular in which the individual system’s components are designed to achieve optimum overall performance of the infantry squad when performing various operational tasks. Hence reducing volume, weight and power consumption. It’s easy to use even under harsh conditions and in stressful combat situations when performance and low weight are paramount. That ensures greater operational flexibility and the ability to quickly adapt to new situations and mission requirements. It’s proven that well-protected soldiers, equipped with integrated weapons, with a clear picture of the tactical situation and reliable means of communication, have enhanced combat effectiveness.

Brown color equipment, first line from left: Binocular rangefinder VECTOR 21(Vectronix), Zeiss ZO 4x30 optical sight with a superimposed RSA-S reflex sight, Fire Control Unit (FN Herstal), Zeiss IRV 600 Thermal Sight (Hensoldt). Next and above: Observation unit monocular and (Hensoldt) NSV 600 medium range night vision sight “Clip On” device with day optics.

IdZ-ES improve performance in all five capability areas without over-burdening the individual rifleman. IdZ-ES is modular and consists of several subsystems. Each subsystem consists of several equipment components. The core system enables task oriented information from each individual squad member, communication and data exchange within the squad and connection to next command level. The system’s “artificial intelligence” is inside the so-called “Electronic back” which has:

– UHF – squad radio (data and voice simultaneously);
– Soldier Backbone Computer;
– Two Li-Ion batteries and GPS receiver and complemented by peripheral equipment such as A control and display grip, A digital magnetic compass, A helmet monocular VISION2ST, A Nacre’s In-Ear Communication Headset with noise protection function, Night image intensifier goggles with thermal imaging module and integrated position display.

Each squad has a VHF radio and a portable control computer for the squad leader and his 2nd in command. The base station unit in the squad’s vehicle allows the integration into networked operations, provided via the link in the squad’s vehicle. The “Electronic back” connects the electronic components of the system with one another and processes data etc. and radio link within the squad. The infantry squad soldier’s individual UHF radio has a fully IP-enabled communication processor with three interfaces to the soldier’s computer. Voice is transmitted in duplex mode, in which the squad members can talk and listen simultaneously. The data received from other members of the squad is also transmitted with this radio. Power is supplied via two lithium-ion batteries designed for a 24-hour combat day, and one battery lasts temporarily for the power supply.

A battery adapter makes it possible to use other conventional batteries (AA cells). The ability for soldiers to identify, process, and comprehend critical information, and to communicate clearly in their environment is key to the safety and success. Clear in-ear communication is essential for understanding and adapting to rapidly changing environments. The communication headset is connected to the core computer and consists of both an integrated miniature microphone and inner tube speakers. In-Ear system provides smart hearing protection and clear communication through a full range of deployment operations, especially in high noise. Both voice recording and audio playback mode come with the set. The audio system in the core computer analyzes the surrounding noise and adjusts the hearing protection continuously to ensure both hearing protection and acoustic perception. It can be replaced with a headset with a separate micro-phone. To view information, the infantryman has a hand control grip with cable connected to his soldier computer. The hand control is composed of an ergonomically optimized grip with an eight-way switch button for selection and ON/OFF, as well as buttons for operation of the radio. Furthermore, an OLED display with 800 x 600 pixels and a digital magnetic compass are installed in the hand control grip. The display presents the soldier situation information and messages.

(Photo: Ralph Zwilling) The leader uses his hand control grip with cable connected to his soldier computer to monitor the situation.

The direction of viewing- and the movement of Boots on Ground are displayed on the display. Digital situation information can be presented by tactical symbols on maps, sketches, aerial images and object photos. An automated Blue-Force-Tracking allows the marking of all squad members on the map. It thus supports control and interaction in the squad. Associated with the core computer is the navigation device with GPS – receiver and inertial navigation system which allows position determination with and without GPS – reception. In the absence of GPS signals, the position is determined by the moving direction and paces based on the last received GPS position data. All information that can be seen in the OLED display can alternatively be presented in the helmet mounted monocular or in the night vision image intensifier goggles. Tilted to the eye, the helmet monocular shows each individual soldier’s position of all squad members – even if no line of sight exists. The helmet compass allows the presentation of observation and direction of movement of the respective user in the helmet display. Lamps or helmet camera can easily be attached to the helmet.

The core system provides the individual squad member the following applications:

– Receiving and reading instructions;
– Receiving and reading other squad members’ messages;
– Becoming acquainted with difficult terrain and relay distances information;
– Determining own location and the squad members’/squad leader’s;
– Monitoring the environment in the visibility angle and out to the detection range;
– Planning and setting a march route or behavior;
– Monitoring and reporting by radio;
– Create notes and delivering written reports including reporting sketches, and activation of the radios without changing the grip on the weapon during a fire fight by just operating the buttons on the weapon.

The squad leaders can lead their subordinates via the core system’s radio applications by voice- or data transmission, day and night, and in all types of terrain and climate; especially in difficult terrain where there is no line of sight and it is not possible to lead the squad by hand signals. When dismounted, the squad leader has signal communication to his squad vehicle with the UHF radio. This radio allows transmission of voice and data on three channels with a range of up to 1.3 km and in built-up areas up to 700 m. The squad leader also has a portable, touchscreen operated computer and the hand-held VHF radio set, which connects to platoon net and platoon commander. This provides the squad leader with additional C2 features.

(Photo: Håland) The portable computer gives the squad leader access to necessary information.

The IdZ-ES program also has had a considerable impact on the squad’s “mothership” design. BOXER was introduced ten years ago and the seats had to be redesigned to allow IdZ-ES-equipped soldiers to properly fit in them to ensure maximum safety in case of mine or roadside bomb explosion. The network-enabled communication system on-board is upgraded, which ensures the integration of dismounted soldiers in the squad to the vehicle. The squad’s vehicle can serve as a network node. Executing commands either dismounted or from the vehicle can be done in an un-restricted manner via the squad leader’s portable computer. The squad commander gets access to the Army’s CI4 Network via the platoon. When the soldiers are mounted in the vehicle, they are integrated by the communications system in the “mothership’s” radio, and their own radio in the electronic back is switched off. Mounted inside the vehicle the squad soldiers use their headset to talk through the intercom, reload their batteries and update the C2 system from the vehicle C2. With the GPS position also being updated, the soldier will immediately know his own position upon debussing. An enemy’s position can be transmitted to the vehicle’s C2 system, and the vehicle gunner can then immediately provide fire support with the vehicle’s RWS.

Protection and clothing includes the “Fast Ballistic Helmet” (Ops-Core). It’s light and weighs 20 percent less than the old one. The helmet is composed of hybrid materials for complete superior protection and performance. The lightweight design encompasses raised ears for integration with communication headsets/hearing protection. The integrated holder for night vision goggles was introduced along with the VISION-2ST and a digital electronic compass. The helmet’s shape offers additional integration possibility of a capsule-ear protection. The soldier’s body protection against shrapnel and blast injuries as well as against rifle bullets can be increased by various protection layers/inserts depending on task and mission of the squad. The higher the threat level protection of the body armor is, the heavier the protection weighs. The clothing, including a functional, sweat and heat absorbing and flame retardant base layer, is adjustable for the most severe climatic conditions and cold and wet weather equipment in order to increase the survivability of the individual rifleman. The new items, the Fast helmet and the improved body armor, result in a 20-25% weight reduction over previous similar subsystems.

Night vision equipment gives capability to fight at night time which is a key factor for mission success, protection and effective engagement. Even in case of short ranges, the performance requirements for night vision equipment are therefore increasing.

(Photo: Ralph Zwilling) “Electronic back”: UHF – squad radio, SOLDIER BACKBONE COMPUTER, two Li-Ion batteries, a GPS receiver and power supply (two lithium-ion batteries)

To identify an opponent by means of a picture ID prior to engagement requires highest resolution. The mix of thermal and I2 night vision equipment provides the best compromise referring to performance, weight/power consumption and cost. I2 night vision are lightweight, can be helmet mounted and offer the soldier visibility and engagement capability for short ranges. Night vision goggles LUCIE II D and IR modules are considered as Bundeswehr’s standard NVG for IdZ-ES. The goggles features a modular design, an integrated organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology based data and video display, as well as operationally enhanced night vision component. With a 51° wide field of vision, the goggles improve the soldier’s reconnaissance performance and night-combat capabilities in the battlefield. With add-on, the Lucie II D can be used in modes for night vision only, image display only, showing terrain layouts or maps, or mixed-mode operation, overlaying tactical and status information in the upper or lower display area over night vision.

The G 36 assault rifle in caliber 5.56mmx45 was introduced in 1997. The newer version G36 A3 is modularly adapted to the requirements of the “IdZ-ES”. Picatinny rails (MIL-STD 1913 with integrated hinged mechanical emergencies sights) enable mounting of a variety of targeting and sighting devices for acquiring targets in daylight, at night or in poor visibility. All control elements (i.e. buttons) of the system are arranged in a simple, intuitive way, enabling the soldier to operate, for example, the system’s radio without lowering his weapon. G36 A3 has an ergonomic adjustment with the protection system for faster reaction and higher efficiency. The sighting devices are versatile on different weapons to meet the demands of day-and night combat. A thermal imaging target device and a fire control device for the 40 mm ammunition grenade launcher AG36 can be attached to the G36 A3 rifle. G36 A3 is a true modular weapon system made almost entirely of a tough, carbon-fiber reinforced-polymer and uses a simple, clean-shooting, self-regulating operating rod gas system. The assault rifle G36 use an 18.9 inch (480mm) chrome-plated specialty steel barrel, manufactured using HK’s proprietary cold hammer forging process for long service life and accuracy. The main weapon components (receiver, trigger group and buttstock) are made of corrosion-proof polymer with stainless steel inserts. This keeps weight low without sacrificing strength, durability, or robustness. Magazines are also made of translucent high-strength polymer and lock together without a magazine clamp. The G36 gas system does not direct fouling back into the weapon’s interior like earlier AR15 conventional gas operated rifles. This ensures reliable operation even after firing thousands rounds without cleaning. The polymer components can easily be cleaned with water-based cleaning solutions, or even water. The buttstock is foldable and adjustable in length and height for the adjustable cheek rest. Even when the buttstock is folded there are no restrictions when shooting the weapon. The H&K G36’s intended lifespan was 20 years and it shall be replaced with a new model. When the G 36 was intended for the infantry, H&K recognized the need for a light MG with the same caliber.

MG4 5.56mmx45 is the standard-issued light machine gun of the German Army. Increased ability to act is achieved by using the light machine gun MG4, and in particular through improved fighting capability at night, effectively supported with the help of a high-resolution objective lense with a larger field of view and clip-on night sights. The light machine gun MG4 has been used since February 2005 and replaced the one machine gun 7.62x51mm MG3 in the infantry at dismounted squad level. Now the squad has two MG4Es, one for each maneuver element within the squad. MG4 is a gas operated, belt fed, air cooled automatic weapon. The gas group is located under the barrel and uses a conventional gas piston to operate the bolt group. The barrel is locked using a typical rotating bolt design. MG4’s barrel is quick detachable, and has a folding carrying handle to assist replacement of the hot barrels. The two-pawl belt feed is operated by the roller on the top of the bolt carrier. Belt is fed from separate or clamp-on plastic boxes, from left to right. Spent belt links are ejected to the right, spent cartridge cases are ejected down from the window on the bottom of the receiver. The folding bipod is integral to the fore end, and has a standard interface for M2-type infantry tripods or vehicle mount. The plastic buttstock can be folded to the left side to save space, and gun can be fired with the butt folded. The front sight is mounted on the barrel and can be folded down when not in use. Rear sight is graduated up to1000 meters, and is mounted on the Picatinny rail and can be easily detached if not required. The foldable charging handle is located at the right side of the receiver. Ambidextrous safety switch is located on the pistol grip, and allows only for full automatic fire mode.

(Photo: Ralph Zwilling) LUCIE II D has a modular design, with an integrated organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology based data and video display, as well as operationally enhanced night vision component.

Weapon Accessory Equipment make small arms into a system. The hand guards on G 36 A3 and MG4 have a keypad with Push-To-Talk capability. The flip-down iron sights are for emergency use, the assault rifle and machine gun are used with a laser light module Vario Ray and a Zeiss ZO 4×30 optical sight with a superimposed RSA-S reflex sight (red dot) to aim very quickly in close combat situations or to use it as a quick aiming support. The RSA-S is designed for use with both eyes, allowing shooters to survey their surroundings when they are sighting a target. The target dot brightness automatically adjusts depending on the ambient brightness, but can also be manually set to the brightness in the target area. With use of the 40mm grenade launcher AG36, a Fire Control Unit (FN Herstal) can be used to give a high first shot hit probability (90%). The FCU has a laser range finder – laser beam, visible laser pointer and infrared laser pointer. The night vision devices are:

– A compact and lightweight Night-Vision Attachment NSV 600, intended for assault rifles, lightweight machine guns and sniper’s weapons, can be put on without that this residual light amplifier must be specially zeroed in on the weapon;
– An ultra-lightweight (390 g) multipurpose thermal short range weapon/Surveillance sight, DRAGON COMPACT that provides all round capability for the dismounted close combat user;
– A Thermal Targeting Sight to meet the requirements for IdZ – HuntIR/RangIR. It combines day/night surveillance and targeting. With two fields of view, 2.3° x 3.0° for range performance and 6.8° x 9.1° for panoramic view it provides an identification range of 1,700 meters as required for long-range sniper rifles or crew served support weapons.

A force enhancer besides other weapons in the platoon is the Recce Equipment which includes:

NYXUS BIRD Long Range Target Detection and Measurement at Day and Night. NYXUS use for target acquisition allows for reliable observation and long range object measurement during day and night. Its uncooled thermal imager (forward looking infrared, FLIR) offers noiseless operation and long autonomous battery operation time. The direct view glass optics (monocular) requires no energy and extends the detection range of night vision goggles due to its optical 7-fold magnification. It features many inbuilt functions, such as object measurement, fall-of-shot correction, guide-me-home, and more.

Spotter 20-60 x 72- for observing, spotting and target hit monitoring. It is distinguished by coveted features and specifications that are inclusive of 20x to 60x range of magnification; 72mm lens; and MIL-DOT reticle pattern, the size of which changes congruent with the level of magnification and the illumination of which can be progressively adjusted. Its high-performing optical system is coupled with a first focal plane reticle, photo tripod adaptability, compatibility with up to five Picatinny rails. In addition to that, it comes with a residual light attachment which makes it apt for use at night.

Binocular rangefinder VECTOR 21with outstanding day optics, an integrated 3-dimensional 360° digital compass, and a precise Class I eye-safe laser rangefinder. It increases the range for distance measurements up to 12 km.  It also has a 1550 nm laser invisible to image intensification devices.

MOSKITO Compact Day and Night Observation and Location Unit for measuring range, azimuth and vertical angle with capability of range measurement up to 10 000 meters with DMC, GPS and BT optionally. It gives the possibility to transfer data results from the laser rangefinder by pressing a button via Bluetooth to the computer core. The data can be transmitted to all squad members to be seen in the control grip and on the helmet display. This data can also be passed on to the next command level, or as a target message to artillery or mortars as request for fire support.

Here seen in first line from left (brown color equipment): Zeiss ZO 4x30 optical sight with a superimposed RSA-S reflex sight, Laser Light Module (LLM) Vario Ray. Next the thermal sight AIM long range, DRAGON Compact thermal weapon sight (Qioptiq). MOSKITO Day & Night Observation and Location Unit. Second line from left: NSV 600 night vision device (Hensoldt), on tri-pod: Spotter 60 Compact 20 – 60 x 72 spotting scope (Hensoldt). It is designed for concealed observation. It has rubber armoring and it can also be used handheld. Next: Zeiss IRV 600 Thermal Sight and Binocular rangefinder VECTOR 21 (Vectronix).

For ranges up to 1,500 m, the (3 kg) cooled thermal sight AIM (AIM INFRAROT-MODULE GmbH).

The industry does have its share of “ghost guns”, or guns they get a slight glimpse at but never much info at all. Some of these guns are the industry’s best kept secrets. The Colt CK901 fits right into that role. One picture leaked out on the internet of a writer shooting a strange looking rifle with an AK-type magazine at the Colt research and development range. The groups on the web speculated what it was.

The CK901 or the Colt Kalashnikov 901 was designed specifically for one customer, which was the Yemeni Republican guard. They have large existing stocks of AK47/AKM rifles and wanted a better rifle, one that they could use their existing ammo and magazines in. In the 1990’s, Colt introduced a Colt Sporter rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. This was to offer a rifle capable of hunting medium game such as deer but also to take advantage of the large influx of inexpensive 7.62x39mm ammunition. All good in theory and from a marketing standpoint but there was one giant hiccup; the magazine.

The Colt CK901 is the newest development by Colt. Notice the AK magazine as well as the Colt monolithic receiver. The rifle uses the VLTOR Modstock.

The AR magazine well is straight for several inches. The 7.62x39mm cartridge case has a severe taper compared to that of the 5.56x45mm cartridge. This caused severe stacking issues in the magazines. Colt sold the rifle and conversion uppers with straight magazines based off of their 20 round 5.56mm magazine. Put 5 rounds in and the rifle was moderately reliable. The aftermarket companies started making 30 round magazines. At this time in the early to mid 1990’s, it was a disaster. The larger capacity magazines were horribly unreliable. Colt discontinued this rifle due to these issues. Another problem was the bolt itself. This was not as much of a problem for Colt as it was for several other companies. The breechface was opened up to accept the larger 7.62x39mm cartridge. This left the locking lug support wall rather thin. Bolts would fracture, locking lugs would break off. Sort of a consequence for trying to make something do a job it was never designed to do.

Colt having this experience, realized that to make a proper AR rifle to fire the 7.62x39mm cartridge they would have to overcome these issues they struggled with two decades ago. Right around this time Colt had introduced their CM901/LE901 series of rifles. This was their new modular 7.62x51mm rifle. The modularity consisted of being able to fire the 7.62x51mm round and then by way of switching to a M16/M4 upper via magazine well adapter the rifle will fire 5.56mm. Two guns in one. They chose the 7.62x51mm configuration to be the host weapon. The most critical reason being the bolt was designed around the 7.62x51mm cartridge case, not the 5.56mm. This also enabled them to make a proper bolt that would fully support the 7.62x39mm cartridge. With the 7.62x51mm magazine well, it gave them much more room to work with to design it to accept a AK magazine. This would solve the reliability issues caused by trying to use an AR-type magazine well.

The CK901 weighs 9.4 pounds and utilizes AK-type magazines. During testing by Colt, they were most impressed by the durability and reliability of the US Palm magazine but the rifle was designed to take almost any AK-type magazine. According to Colt’s testing, the US Palm magazines worked the best out of all the magazines tested and is the preferred manufacturer. The barrel length is 16.1 inches which is ideal for the 7.62x39mm cartridge.

Notice the modified 7.62x51mm bolt to fire the 7.62x39mm cartridge case. Unlike usual AR bolts in this caliber based on the 5.56mm round, the CK901 bolt properly supports the 7.62x39mm cartridge case.

The overall length with the stock fully closed is 34.24 inches and with it extended is 37.5 inches. The cyclic rate of fire is similar to the M4 at 700 to 950 rounds per minute. Maximum effective range is roughly 600 meters. This stretched the effective range of the 7.62x39mm cartridge beyond anything seen before in this caliber on the battlefield. In all reality with an average AKM, many times 100 to 200 meters would be considered normal. The CK901 far exceeds this standard making it one of the most accurate rifles in this caliber class.

Starting with the lower receiver, the lower is based on the CM901 rifle. The stock is the VLTOR Modstock with the standard 6-position receiver extension. The buffer chosen is specifically designed and marked “7.62x39mm.” It is made up of several proprietary weights and dampeners and is a prodigy of the CM901 system. The standard M4 pistol grip is used with the traditional winter trigger guard. The fire control group is the select-fire SAFE, SEMI and AUTO positions but can be had in BURST or SEMI only. The selector lever is ambidextrous and positions are marked on both sides of the rifle. Due to the use of the AK-type magazines, there is no bolt catch on this rifle. The AK magazines do not permit the use of an AR-type bolt catch. The magazine release is similar to that of an AK but much smoother. It would also be considered ambidextrous. According to Colt, the magazine catch is a complex system and more difficult to assemble for mass production. As previously stated, Colt test engineers tested numerous magazines and found the US Palm to be the finest they tested. All CK901 rifles were supplied with US Palm magazines but were compatible with the magazines in the Yemeni arsenal.

The lower receiver is manufactured from 7075 T6 aircraft grade aluminum like all Colt AR-type rifles. Due to the low number of rifles bought by the Yemeni forces, all of the upper and lower receivers were manufactured in the Colt model shop.

The charging handle is the new Colt ambidextrous charging handle. Much consideration was put into the design of this rifle to make it as fully ambidextrous as possible. In looking at the design of this rifle, the charging handle was the only issue this author had with this incredible rifle. Due to there being no bolt catch, the shooter is forced to unshoulder the rifle each time the magazine is changed. The shooter would hear the “Click”, drop the rifle down and release and remove the magazine. Now rock the new magazine into place. The charging handle now must be fully retracted to load and then the rifle goes back up to the shooters shoulder. If the charging handle would have been mounted to the right side of the front of the bolt carrier, the shooter could maintain the rifle in the shouldered position, change out the magazine and charge the rifle without the butt of the rifle leaving his shoulder. All actions could be made with his right or left arm. Also clearing malfunctions would be much faster as well with a side charging handle. But there are many ways to accomplish the same task. Colt had planned on designing a bolt catch into the CK901 for US use and possibility for the commercial market. As of this writing the CK901 has yet to be introduced into the LE and commercial market.

The bolt carrier group itself is also modified for the 7.62x39mm cartridge. The bolt carrier is similar to the CM901 with a couple changes. Due to the much lower pressure of the 7.62x39mm cartridge than the 7.62x51mm cartridge there were changes in the exhaust ports on the bolt carrier. The CK901 has only one exhaust port and one small weep hole. None of the CK901 integral parts are interchangeable with the CM901 or LE901 rifles. Like any Colt rifle, the bolt carrier and key are manganese phosphate finished with the inside of the bolt carrier and carrier key being chrome plated. There are forward assist notches on the bolt carrier which functions extremely well if the mechanism needs to be used. The bolt is obviously modified for the 7.62x39mm cartridge case. The bolt is test fired with a proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected (Magnaflux) to ensure against stress fractures. The extractor is highly modified and well executed. The extractor claw is enlarged over any previous designs and grabs more material of the cartridge case rim.

The heavier extractor spring and buffer are used as well as a rubber “O” ring to enhance extraction. The firing pin has a robustly modified shape as well as a spring. The 7.62x39mm cartridge offers some additional challenges over NATO ammunition. First is primer hardness. Most Warsaw Pact ammunition uses a much harder primer due to the weight of the AK firing pin (without spring). If the primer was normal, the gun would be at risk for slamfire from the inertia of the firing pin alone. Second is much of the ammunition produced in this caliber use corrosive primers and or propellant. Chrome plating of the bore, chamber, carrier key and bolt carrier are critical to ensure the rifle does not rust due to this condition.

The Colt CK901 lower receiver uses a proprietary buffer for the 7.62x39mm cartridge. Notice the grooves on the front of the magazine release lever. The VOLTOR Modstock is one of the finest and most durable stocks in the industry.

The upper receiver is of Colt designed monolithic upper receiver. It should be noted that the lower handguard is removable so I guess that would be a 2-piece receiver! The main upper is manufactured from a single solid aluminum forging (7075 T6 aircraft grade aluminum). Top rail is a continuous Mil-Std-1913 rail. There are four QD sockets on the handguard area for insertion of a QD sling swivel. The handguard accepts removable Mil-Std-1913 rail segments. This is a good system because the shooter only has rail where it is needed. The upper is equipped with a forward assist, fired cartridge case deflector as well as ejection port dust cover. The cartridge case deflector is machined with a slot cut in it to catch and deflect the 7.62x39mm cartridge case.

The 16.1 inch barrel uses a midlength gas system. The muzzle device is a Smith Enterprises Vortex flash hider. This is perhaps one of the best flash hiders in the industry. This author has tested these in the night and little-to-no flash signature is visible. The crude Warsaw Pact propellants prove a challenge for the Vortex flash hider but it for the most part overcomes it. The front sight base is a Colt folding front sight with a sliding lock. There is a bayonet lug. Due to the midlength gas system the bayonet lug is in the proper location to accept a bayonet slid over the Vortex flash suppressor. The barrel is test fired with a 7.62x39mm proof cartridge and then magnetic particle inspected to ensure against stress fractures. The barrel has a chrome plated bore and chamber, and a 1 turn in 12 inch twist with 6 lands and grooves right twist to optimally stabilize the projectile. Barrel life on this rifle will not be the same as the standard M4 due to the ammunition. Much of the Warsaw Pact made 7.62x39mm ammunition use a steel jacketed projectile which will wear a barrel faster than the NATO copper jacketed projectiles. If not properly maintained, the corrosive salts from primers and propellants could pre maturely wear and or corrode the rifle as well. The rear sight is manufactured by Troy Industries.

SAR had the opportunity to get a firsthand look and test fire the CK901 at the King Abdullah Special Operations Training Center in Amman, Jordan. In looking at the rifle it was exactly the quality one would expect from Colt. Fit, finish and balance were impeccable. This rifle was used for demonstrations for the multiple special operations soldiers there from across the world. Originally the rifle was tested using the US Palm magazine. During some rough handling (slam loaded repeatedly by several of operators) one of the feed lips on the magazine broke. They obtained some Russian magazines from the base armory to continue shooting. The ammunition available was oddly enough the Remington UMC 7.62x39mm 123gr FMJ. The cyclic rate of the CK901 is set to be 700 to 950 rounds per minute. When firing this rifle on full auto, the cyclic rate was most certainly on the real low end of this. Perhaps even below 700 rounds per minute. It appears as though the UMC ammunition has a much lower port pressure than that of Warsaw Pact/Soviet specification 7.62x39mm ammo. The rifle functioned without issue. The low rate of fire was very noteworthy and again this is not a reflection on the rifle. Traditionally UMC ammunition is lower on port pressure, this author has noticed this when firing 5.56mm on fully automatic comparing it to NATO specification ammunition. The recoil of the CK901 was certainly less than that of the AK47 and to someone of my large frame, the CK901 was much more comfortable to shoot.

Shown is the modified LE901 bolt carrier group to fire the 7.62x39mm cartridge. Notice only one exhaust port and one small weep hole in the bolt carrier.

We were shooting off hand at 50 yards, the opportunity did not exist to do any precision shooting. All rounds hit right in the center of the target, the rifle was equipped with a Trijicon Gen 2 Compact ACOG. This premium optic complimented the rifle. It featured a red fiber optic. The combination of platform design, optics and caliber gave this weapon system a very user friendly character.

Colt showed the CK901 at SHOT Show 2016 along with a 7.62x39mm rifle based on the LE6940 which utilized the AR-pattern 7.62x39mm magazine. They received many inquires as to if and when the CK901 may be offered on the civilian market. Colt has yet to give a final answer as to when or if the CK901 will become offered to this market but does say the other rifle with the AR-based magazine will be. The CK901 is perhaps one of the most significant rifles to come out of the West Hartford plant in many years. It is a true new design that took a demand for a military grade AR-type rifle in the 7.62x39mm along with the requirement to use standard AK magazines and put it in the field.

According to sources, the CK901 was extremely well received. According to Colt sources, within the first 24 hours of the rifle being put into service in Yemen, the Yemeni Republican Guard dispatched more than 200 insurgents. Its main attribute was the accuracy upon targeting.

Colt has come to market with some new weapons platforms. The LE901 has been expanded into the M.A.R.C. 901 Series which expands upon the LE901-16S providing the flexibility of the 7.62 to 5.56mm barrel interchange with a more cost effective 7.62mm upper receiver putting the MSRP between $1399 and $1999 compared to $2599 of the LE901-16S. This puts Colt in a competitive pricing with other industry options for 7.62x51mm (.308 Win) caliber semi-automatic rifles. The industry would certainly be hot on the CK901, we just have to wait and see if Colt releases it to the market.

Shown is a picture of an early prototype CK901 with the US Palm magazine which Colt equipped each rifle that went to Yemen.

Close up of the left side of the Colt CK901 receivers. Notice no bolt catch lever and the magazine release lever in front of the trigger guard.

Close view of the right side of the receivers of the CK901. Notice the ambidextrous selector as well as the newly designed bolt carrier for the 7.62x39mm cartridge. Notice there is no magazine release button in the traditional location but in front of the trigger guard.

After Yugoslavia disintegrated in the 1990’s, Croatia became an independent country. The result was also an internal conflict against various peoples and regions up until 1995 and again in 1999.

The lack of war material quickly became apparent, at the same time, the United Nations pronounced an embargo for military and strategic furnishing of all the belligerents.
The result was the development of local small arms factories, the most ingenious and dynamic of them evolving later into today’s Croatian armament industry.

The main producer of small arms in Croatia is HS Produkt, established in the city of Karlovac, located 35 miles South-West of Zagreb. It is a fully private company, with a modern factory and many CNC machines. They employ 1,850 people and the work is organized with 4) 6-hour shifts each day. During our visit, all of the small arms we saw were manufactured inside the factory, including cold hammering barrels and molding plastic components.

As stated by Mr. Zeljko Pavlin, the factory manager, the small arms production began in 1991 with ITM pistol’s so-called PHP (Prvi Hrvatski Pistol). The enterprise at this date was known as IM Metal and was established in Ozalj. Approx 10,000 pistols were made with milled frames. It looks like the Beretta 92, with a slide very close to
the Walther.

P 38. The pistol had a double action trigger mechanism and a bolt stop latch. Two variations did exist with short or long barrel.

Later the HS 95 pistol was developed, with a molded steel frame. It was designed like the SIG P226 pistol, with a square trigger guard, external hammer and single or double action and a de-cocking lever. It was used by the Army and police force (15,000 guns were produced).

In 2000, the HS 2000 was made with a polymer frame. It includes many characteristics inspired from both the Glock and P 226 pistols. In 2001, it became the HS 9 and was also sold in the U.S.A. by Springfield Armory.

MV 9-G

HS-9. The frame and grip are made of molded polymer with metallic inserts, square trigger guards and a front rail permitting the mounting of various accessories. The grip is textured on both sides. The frame can be furnished in black, khaki or tan. The barrel has a square rear section which acts as the lock, located just inside the ejection port. The recoil spring is located under the barrel. Surrounding square slide is made of alloy steel (Inox steel), with the ejection port at top-right and wide grooves both at rear and front. The magazine is made of Inox steel and has a polymer base plate. The ambidextrous lock is located at the rear trigger guard base.
HS 9 uses several safety devices:

– Trigger safety;
– Grip safety grip;
– Bolt open latch located on left face;
– Cocking indicator;
– The extractor acts as a “loaded” indicator.

VHS 95-G

The rear “U” type sight and front sight can be adjusted. Both have painted white dots. The pistol functions using a barrel-recoil action, it is on an oblique ramp. The firing pin is automatically cocked when the slide is closed.

MV 17-D

XDM Series 4.5. This is the new generation HS 9, slightly enlarged, with a trapezoidal rear sight protector and various colored inserts for the front sight. The pistol grips have a new shape. Several back grips are included for various shooters’ hand comfort.

VHS-9

VHS-1 assault rifle. The Visenamjenska Hrvatska Stojnica (multi-purpose Croatian automatic rifle) was designed by Marko Vucovik. It looks similar to the French FAMAS, but it works with a gas action short-stroke piston and has a multi lugs locking bolt like the M16. It was premiered in 2005 and tested by the Croatian Army in 2007 then adopted later. This is a compact bullpup style rifle. The frame is covered by a three part sheath, having a carrying handle, a handguard and the pistol grip. The cocking lever is centrally located in the axis and can be charged from the right or the left side. The ejection port is on the right hand side. The frame is made of steel; the barrel and bolt are made of machined steel and the sheath is polymer.

The firing selector is located above the trigger, it has single shot (right position), safety (center) or burst (left position). The bolt stop lever is located just above the pistol grip on the left side.

Sights are:

– Conventional rear and front sight mounted on the carrying handle;
– Collimator installed on the side of the carrying handle;
– Any other optic on a Picatinny rail.

VHS 07-XDM-9 Compact 3.8

VHS-1 is loaded using a standard M16 curved box-magazine but there is a variant for the G36 magazine. The VHS system is a gas action with a short stroke piston and a gas port above the chamber to reduce recoil. The system is able to launch NATO Standard 22 mm rifle grenades.
The bayonet is a knife-bayonet-shears combination made in Germany by Borkott & Eickhorn in Solingen. The VHS has several accessories:

– Bipod;
– Laser sight;
– Flashlight;
– 40x46mm grenade launcher.

This is the description of the standard version, but a short barrel rifle designed VHS-K also exists. 15,000 VHS are used by the Croatian Army and some others are in service in Iraq and Kurdistan.

VHS-2 assault rifle. VHS-2 was developed in 2013 to replace the VHS, of which production has stopped. Several points were improved:

– Stock is adjustable in length and cheek rest in high;
– The mechanism can be easily reversed for use by a right- or left-handed shooter. Ejection ports are located on both sides, the one not in use is closed by the flap cover; – The selector is now ambidextrous, it is located above the pistol grip and can be moved with the thumb for either type shooter. It has safety, single shot, and full auto positions. The bolt stop latch is now located behind the magazine well;
– The trigger guard is enlarged to permit shooting with gloves;
– This rifle uses its own polymer magazines but M16-style magazines can be used with an adapter. VHS-2 can launch NATO Standard rifle grenades with 22 mm receptacle, but it can also mount a 40x46mm grenade launcher which can be mounted under the handguard.

XDM-9-3.8

Several variations were also developed:

– VHS-D 2, with upper carrying handle and Picatinny rail allowing installation of conventional sights or a sighting device;
– VHS-K 2, a shorter barrel version;
– VHS-D 2-CT-1,5 X, the upper carrying handle has a red dot optical sight;
– VHS-K 2-CT-1,5 X, same as above but with short barrel.

The Croatian Minister of Defense has stated his intention of ordering 20,000 VHS-2 rifles for 10 700 Kunas each (approximately $1,380).

The VHS-2 was also actually tested by the French Army in the FAMAS replacement program (AIF or Future Infantry Weapon program). Four other guns are also in the competition.

VHS-BG grenade launcher. This is a single shot 40x46mm grenade launcher. It has a rifled barrel, mounted on an operating mechanism that includes a ring trigger and a safety. It also has a folding sight graduated up to 350 meters, and a front sight that matches.

To load, the tube turns to the side. This grenade launcher can be fitted on the VHS or VHS-2 rifle or on a standalone device with stock and pistol grip.

Our factory visit was completed with live firing both HS-9 pistols and VHS-2 rifles, and we could appreciate both performance and ergonomic design of each. HS-Produkt can produce 600,000 pistols and 30,000 assault rifles each year, with impressive quality and standardization.

XDM-40

VHSV-D

VHS-D2-CT

VHS-BG

Prominent shows is Defence & Security in Bangkok, Thailand every two years. SADJ has attended every show in recent memory, and we devote a lot of time to meeting with the exhibitors and attendees. This is a “Must do” show for anyone who wants to approach the ASEAN market. At the 2015 show, there were 14,000 visitors from 59 countries and exhibitors will back me up when I say that the official delegations and attendees are of the type of buyers and decision makers we want to meet. The show management has done an excellent job of presenting and promoting the show.

Some Items seen at the show:

– A Thai made MP5K- the Army development groups have been active in everything from drones to tripods for “Ma Deuce” but there is a recycling program going on to take the excess stores of HK33 rifles and convert them downward to the 9x19mm MP5K form. There is a lot of work to doing this, and this is a prototype, shown at this event.

– An SVDM with a Schmidt & Bender PMII 10×42 scope was a draw for the shooters in attendance. While there are some who wrongfully assume the SVD series of rifles are inaccurate, usually due to using improper ammunition, with the new SVDM (Modernized) Kalashnikov Concern of Russia has solved most concerns. The Picatinny rail built onto a well-engineered top cover, and thickened barrel certainly add to the stability. For purists, the existing side scope mounting style is still there. www.kalashnikov.com

– Indian Ordnance Factories had a thorough presentation of their 68mm rockets, 120mm mortar bombs, and center to the picture 84mm Carl Gustav rounds that are designed for the M3 MAAWS but will function perfectly in the older M2 variants. Not in evidence were the INSAS series of Kalashnikov style weapons in 5.56x45mm that were being produced in India. We were unable to learn anything new on the 65,000 rifle procurement contest that has been ongoing. http://Ofbindia.gov.in

– S&T Motiv from South Korea presented most of their weapons including the integrally suppressed K7 9x19mm submachine gun and the K14 7.62x51mm sniper rifle. The K12 7.62x51mm beltfed machine gun was on display as well. While the sniper is very accurate (SADJ has tested this at the factory and presented features on our website) the K12 has some very innovative features. The spade grips are removable, revealing a collapsible stock underneath for dismount from vehicle. www.sntmotiv.com

ST Engineering of Singapore’s CPW (Compact Personal Weapon) has been in SADJ’s pages in the past; we’ve tested it at the factory. The design is now mature. While ST has been showing their rifles and machine guns including the CIS50 and most excellent Ultimax 100 5th generation, the CPW was definitely a show-stopper. Designed to be multi-caliber, 9x19mm, 5.7x28mm, or 4.6x30mm, it can compete with almost any PDW design on the market. www.stengg.com

The Aimpoint® Electronic debuted in 1975, a year or so after a small group of Swedish investor/hunters got together and tried to find better solutions for target acquisition. It was a devoted group, and they had a mission; they wanted to make the best possible targeting aid and in the process, discovered a method of swift aiming that massively increased the shooter’s situational awareness- the “Red Dot.” While the initial program was for hunters, the possibility to enhance the same for police and military was quickly realized.

Many people’s first exposure to Aimpoint’s products as a military option were when a famous photo was taken during the First Gulf War, of General Norman Schwarzkopf descending a stairway and his guards had the Aimpoint 3000 series on their M4s. For Aimpoint’s military use ambitions, this photo was as defining a moment as the SAS hostage rescue in 1980 at the Iranian Embassy in London was for HK’s MP5 submachine gun.

The current M68CCO subsequently purchased by the US Military has exceeded 1.2 million units so far. Aimpoint had been awarded the first military contract for a red dot sight in 1997.

The FCS is intuitive by nature, and relatively easy to teach; not requiring a two year school in a new computer MOS in order to operate. Skilled operators can be trained quickly as long as they have the basics of their weapon system. Full information can be found online, but suffice it to say that if you’re a user of any of the above mentioned weapon systems, the Aimpoint FCS is worth a serious testing.

A “Dynamic Universal Reflex Sight;” the DURS. That’s a mouthful of words for “a sight for making a heavy projectile hit a moving target.” Contrary to popular myth, this author’s introduction to heavier squad weapons was not with Ballistas and Catapults- no, it was the M67 recoilless, and the M72 LAW with a sprinkling of M79 and M203 40x46mm launchers. All of these used either iron sights or rudimentary optics and accuracy was related entirely to the skill and experience of the operator. Kentucky Windage on a large scale. That means less hits per rounds expended, which is a “Bad Thing.” A “Good Thing” in the eyes of both soldiers and commanders is taking out the bad guys every time. Many of the manufacturers of weapons have created modern sighting systems with which to address the myriad of environmental factors involved. Oddly and frustratingly enough, many have been bulky and very complex to operate.

Aimpoint’s scientists and engineers have a 40-year history of taking a working concept in target acquisition, distilling it to its most simple and ergonomic form, then building a robust yet lightweight casing. Building a better mousetrap. When the DURS concept was formulated, the idea was to have an onboard ballistic computer capability of quickly taking all of the environmental factors and applying these to calculations that would enable the operator to fire a variety of heavier weapons with their various ammunitions.

Sometimes, a one-size-fits-all approach is not workable. Aimpoint’s designers have successfully overcome the obstacles and built a system that will handle everything from basic 40x53mm HEDP rounds from a MK19 Mod 3 to a Tandem 84mm Carl Gustav round, and an airburst programmed projectile from an HK GMG. There are over 50 ballistic calculations present in the Aimpoint FCS; the operator simply prepares the FCS for which base firearm will be used- MK19, GMG, M3 MAAWS 84mm, AT4, etc, and selects the ammunition to be used. The 1500nm laser range finder lases the distance to target, and the chosen ballistic algorithm will automatically “sight in” using spin drift, propellant temperature and terrain angle. Some models can work with moving target calculations as well, but all FCS are set up so that the aiming reticule location is changed electronically inside the optical channel- no motors or mechanics involved.

Aimpoint’s MPS3 weapon sight is shown below on a US Ordnance M2A2 QCB .50 caliber machine gun. The MPS3 (Multi Purpose Sight, 3rd generation) is a reflex collimator sight that is designed for use on medium or heavy weapons. It was introduced 8 years ago, and has been in the field ever since. This author has extensively tested and fired .50 caliber machine guns of various styles with the MPS3, and it is extremely fast for target acquisition, as well as robust enough to handle the incumbent man-handling on “Ma Deuce.” MPS3 is compatible with all night vision devices that can be used on medium or heavy weapons, it has 7 NV settings and 9 daytime settings. It will work with any AA battery, and at worst the battery has an 80,000 hour life; at best in NV settings, 500,000 hours. It is set up for convenience; one rotary switch for all light intensities, and the Picatinny rails for lasers are unobtrusive and accessible. Since this is a 1x optic and the aiming dot only covers 2 MOA, the field of view allows for situational awareness downrange that other optics can block out. A .50 caliber machine gun is an area weapon; and while they have been tuned into a “Sniper” use weapon occasionally, the mission is engaging an enemy in a beaten zone as quickly and accurately as possible. Aimpoint’s MPS3 does this and does it well. MPS3 is not a sniper scope; it is an excellent, robust target acquisition tool that works equally well from tripod, vehicle, boat or air mounting. (M2A2 QCB www.usord.com )

We were given a presentation of the new products which were coming out, including the Magnifiers in 3x and 6x. SADJ routinely announces Aimpoint’s new products as they come out, and these are online as well. We have shown a few of the newest military application products in these pages, and thought that perhaps a more personal look at Aimpoint itself might be appropriate.

All Aimpoint products are handmade in Sweden, utilizing their two facilities: the main offices in Malmö in the south by the sea, and the other in Galliväre in the far north in the mountains. The company Aimpoint AB is certified in compliance with ISO 9001:2008 and this is taken very seriously. What we observed was a series of clean rooms, with security protocols and quality control checks at various stages of the manufacturing process. This was not “Pull one out of a hundred and test it.” The QC testing was on every unit. We were told, and observed it in fact, that every component was ultrasound cleaned and kept in the clean environment all through the manufacturing process. Every unit and its parts were tracked and recorded at every stage of manufacture. This ensures that if a problem shows up in final testing, then it is quickly trackable to the point where the issue occurred and all other products can be tracked and tested. Aimpoint’s production has a very low problem rate due to this, and they can afford to have a generous return policy- as returns are rare.

Throughout our visit at Aimpoint, Lennart referred to a special training system that Aimpoint had been partnering with internationally. It is a Swedish made unit called the “Marksman ST-2.” www.marksman.se

Aimpoint MPS3 on a US Ordnance M2A2 QCB

Aimpoint has the system in their Malmö facility for use with the special laser rifles, not live fire. All of our shooting of course used variations of the Aimpoint products. The system allows the instructor to track and observe where the shooter’s point of aim is all throughout the exercise and to provide instruction on how to become a better shooter. The system we used was for hunting, and I have since tried the military version. That one will give you chills as it is extremely well done and the combat simulations are accurate engagements allowing stress and point of aim observations from the trainers. Lennart showed us how the tracking worked, and it mapped point of aim. He tracked my 50 years of technique- watching the scene, rifle aimed slightly down, raising the rifle and meeting the target in motion and firing. Perfect hit every time with a laser line path that simply came straight up and fired. Lennart explained that the method taught with the system was to follow the animal with the optic then lead slightly ahead and fire as the animal entered the sight. It was intriguing to map the methods of fire and very educational.

Our group then traveled to a local Swedish gun store and shooting range; Jakt & Skytte (in English: Hunting & Shooting) which is located in Staffanstorp, just outside of Malmö. We were able to meet with numerous local friendly shooters, and embarrass ourselves on the Marksman ST-2 shooting range with .308 caliber live fire at running wild boar. It was an amazing experience, with the full wall target system appearing almost exactly as it would while hunting in a forest. A herd of wild boar run across a woods path, and with a live rifle round, the “Hunter” engages the boar. Exact location of the hit on target is immediately shown via computer. This may be one of the best integrations of training simulation and live fire that I’ve ever experienced. Unfortunately, never having hunted wild boar, I was unfamiliar with the wily creatures’ tactics and failed to have the one-shot one-kill “Bringing home dinner” shot. Eventually, the baby boars stopped in the path so I shot one of them in the head as it stood glaring and mocking me, and then took the jesting of all the Swedish hunters. Lennart pointed out that I did, in fact, have supper so it wasn’t a total loss. www.jaktoskytte.com

The only comparable range to Jakt & Skytt currently in the US, is the American Sportsman Shooting Center located in Grapevine, TX (just north of the Dallas Airport). If you want to experience the Marksman system, give them a try. www.sportsmanshootingcenter.com

Aimpoint AB
Jägershillgatan 15
SE-213 75 Malmö, Sweden
Phone: +46 40 671 50 20
Fax: +46 40 21 92 38
www.aimpoint.com

What’s so special about a “Red Dot Sight?”

Red dot sights use a light emitting diode (LED) that is completely safe for the human eye, as opposed to a laser which creates a reticle with a laser emission and can be harmful. A red dot sight allows the shooter to keep their eyes focused on the target, there is no need to change focal plane to acquire aim.

The reflection of the red dot is always in the sight’s optical axis, due to the Aimpoint design of the double lens- meaning that wherever your eye is, if the red dot is on the target, that’s the projectile point of impact if the operator had properly sighted the rifle and optic to begin with.

Brazil announced in September 2015 its intent to purchase seven antiaircraft batteries from Russia. The order is for five Pantsir-S1, and two Igla-S Man-Portable-Missile-Systems (MANPADS) batteries. The South Americans have been so eager to acquire more MANPADS that during the negotiations in March 2014 it was indicated that the country was ready to engage in the local-production of the 9K338 missile.

The first Igla arrived to Brazil in 1994, when 56 launchers were acquired, along 112 missiles. These early Iglas were of the SA-18 type. In 2011, Brazil indicated that was looking for another 250 missiles and 56 launchers of the Igla-S/SA-24, and two years later, Brazilian representatives had concluded a MOU with Rosoboronexport, looking into purchasing additional systems. This appeared to culminate in 2015 when it was announced the purchase of the Pantsir and Igla-S; however, the following October, the government indicated that it was still reviewing finances to conclude the deal.

In any case, the Igla is the most important MANPADS in the hands of the Brazilian military. The missile can be fired by one gunner from the shoulder, in either a standing or kneeling position. The PAMS-Igla automatically produces information on elevation and lead angles, and is able to operate in cold, arid and humid tropical climates. The Super Igla (code name SA-24 “Grinch”) depends on the 9K338 missile, a weapon developed in 2008, with a reach of 6 km. It can be operated at night, and has a 2.5kg warhead with proximity fuse. The missile can reach a target at altitudes of 3500 meters, 5.2 Km away, travelling at 1,440 km / h. It is known that a sub-unit of the 3GDAAE (Nu3rd AAA Group), at the Anápolis Air Base (BAAN) at Goiás, Brasilia, was equipped with the Igla 9K338 while other units use the Igla/SA-18 based on the 9K38 missile, which like the more advanced SA-24, it is designed to defeat low flying targets. The missile’s IR-seeker is specifically designed to distinguish between countermeasures (such as flares) and the targeted aircraft.

Chilean A-29 Super Tucano (J. Montes).

The Air Defense Strategic Project (PEE DAAe) envisioned the Igla MANPADS for field protection, and the Swedish RBS-70 man-portable very-short-range air defense system (VSHORAD) for point defense. The RBS-70 can reach targets up to 8Km away, flying as high as 5000 meters. Moreover, it depends on a laser guidance system, to make it immune to jamming. This means that it fires a laser beam missile, so the gunner must maintain visual tracking of the target. The operator receives information on the target from a local laptop combat control terminal (denominated SLT), sent from a defense radar station or C4IR. Once the target is acquired, and the laser is switched on, an IFF signal is sent. Once the target is confirmed and the gunner is tracking it, the firing of the missile is made possible.

The Brazilian Army ordered sixteen RBS-70 firing posts in 2014. The systems were acquired from Saab Dynamics under a $12.3 million contract, and included Mk II missiles (the most advanced variant), simulators, night vision equipment, test sets, maintenance tools, spares, associated equipment, technical documentation, and training. The RBS-70 was acquired specifically to protect Brazil’s strategic infrastructure, and the major sporting events in the country. Indeed, a few RBS-70 firing units deployed to the 2014 FIFA World Cup; it is also scheduled to deploy to protect the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The RBS-70 equip the 1st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade and Anti-Aircraft and Coastal Artillery School.

Until recently, the Brazilian air defenses depended on four Roland II Surface to air missile systems, mounted on a modified Marder chassis, thirty-eight Oerlikon GDF-001 35mm antiaircraft cannons, twenty-four 40mm Bofors L/70 and one hundred and three Bofors L/60. The Roland II system were retired, but the Bofors continue to provide basic air defense around Brazil. There were also a number of M45/M55 machine gun mounts. It is understood that several M55 turrets were actually modernized and repowered in the 1980s and some even upgraded with surplus 20mm to bring them to IAI TCM-20 standards.

The deFNder™ is capable of integrating any FN Herstal machine gun up to .50 cal, including the M3R machine gun, with a rate of fire of 1,100 rounds per minute. The weapon can be elevated between -42° and +73°. The weapon weighs around 120kg, and the turret has a CCD and thermal uncooled camera as standard, and can also accommodate IR thermal cooled camera, Laser Range Finder (LRF) and ballistic computer, ballistic protection, target tracking. (J. Montes).

The RBS-70 pedestal mount examined in September 2015 was mounted on a flat bed of a Marruá jeep type vehicle. We think that the upgraded M55/TCM turret can easily be accommodated in similar manner than the M55 on the same type of vehicle. Better yet, an armored Marruá M27 chassis can be used. The Marruá AM200CD 4×4 vehicle is manufactured by Agrale S.A in Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil. Recently, the South African company OTT Technologies from Pretoria designed and manufactured the M27 ballistic cab and integrated it to the AM200CD 4×4 chassis, and this resulted in the M27 protected pickup LAPV (lightly armored protected – or police – vehicle). The vehicle has a crew of up to 5, and is powered by an MWM Euro 3 engine or Cummins Euro 5 engine. OTT is a well-known South African company experienced in the design, development and manufacture of mine protected vehicles and cash in transit armored vehicles. It is noted that the RBS 70 batteries are integrated to a COAAe equipped with an S-788BR-RF electronic hardware already mounted on a modified and armored Marruá.

Between May 2013 and July 2015, Brazil took delivery of 13 German surplus Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) Gepard 1A2 self-propelled 35 mm twin gun system. These vehicles have been distributed among the 11th Self-Propelled AAA Battery (SPAAAB) from Paraná, and the 6th (SPAAAB) at Rio Grande do Sul. The acquisition of the hardware and systems has been made possible through the Brazilian Army Project Acquisition Office (EPEx). This includes the deployment of the SABER M60 (60 km range) man-portable low-altitude radar and Mobile Anti-Aircraft Operations Center (Centro de Operação de Artilharia Antiaérea – COAAe) developed in cooperation by BRADAR (Embraer Defesa & Segurança) and the army’s Technological Center (CTEx). It is also in the process of acquiring the SABER M200 (20 km range) mobile long-range medium altitude air defense radar system.

Several COAAe were operational in 2010, and they are now tasked to provide information to the RBS 70 and Gepards. With this equipment, the Army established the 12th AAA Group (GDAAE) in Manaus (Amazonas State) and the Supply and Maintenance AAA Battalion in Osasco (São Paulo). The equipment has been distributed among the 1st AAA Brigade (1ª Bda AAAe), with HQ at Guarujá, with its GDAAE distributed as follow: 1st (Rio de Janeiro), 2nd (Praia Grande), 3rd (Caxias do Sul), 4th (Sete Lagoas), and the 11th (Brasilia). In addition, MANPADS have been provided to the 12th Light Infantry Brigade, the Parachutist Brigade, and the 9th Infantry Brigade.

Camero wall-through radar (J. Montes).

Between 1994 and 1997, the Brazilian Navy also took delivery of 160 Mistral MANPADS for installation as point defense on its vessels and for use by the Brazilian Marines. These are mounted in the SADRAL (6-cell) and SIMBAD (2 cell) configurations.

In October 2015, the contract for the seven Russian AAA Batteries appeared to fall apart when the Brazilian political and economic crisis had brought negotiations to a halt.

P140-4 from Combined Solutions (J. Montes).

CGM3 & CGM4 (J. Montes).

eLog is a revolutionary solution for digitizing weapon management. Every weapon equipped with an embedded Concealed Sensor Module records real-time operation and performance. The sensor communicates with the terminal reader (with a unique active RFID technology) up to 40 m, providing for weapon serial number, user details, number of shots fired and last shooting record; and last rate of fire (for automatic weapon). (Photo Courtesy of I.W.I.)

Colt SMG (J. Montes).

SCTV (Textron).

The Scorpion jet developed as a potential replacement of the A-37B and similar aircraft. (J. Montes)

The Raptor F-22 in Chile (J. Montes).

The M16/M4 weapon system entered a new era in 2003 and would redefine the term “modular rifle”. In 2003, Lewis Machine & Tool introduced their MRP or Monolithic Rail Platform. This one piece receiver has user level interchangeable barrels. By removing two bolts, the barrel was pulled from the receiver and the user could swap out barrel lengths, operating systems and different calibers. In 2005 another modular carbine was introduced by MGI’s Mack Gwinn, called the Hydra rifle. In concept it was similar to the MRP in the fact you have removable barrels but where it departs is in the lower receiver.

The new weapon system Mack came up with was one unlike ever seen before in the history of the AR family of weapons. Up until the 2002/2003 time period the AR was basically 5.56mm only. None of the wonder calibers really made their premier until much later. The other calibers that did gain traction at the time were the 7.62x39mm and 9x19mm. The platforms were the basic dedicated AR-type upper receiver put on with a conventional barrel nut. The 7.62x39mm variation was problematic. The reason being is the magazine well. The heavy taper on the 7.62x39mm cartridge case caused the cartridges in the stack to form the ever popular “banana” shape. This is why the AK magazine has such a curve to it. When you try to stack a tapered case as such in a straight line as what is required with the straight AR magazine well, there are failures to feed. Several companies tackled not only building an AR rifle chambered in the popular Soviet caliber but they also tried to develop a magazine which would work as well. It really was not successful in releasing a reliable feeding platform. This was not due to the functioning but due to feeding problems caused by the magazine. In the early 1990’s, Colt introduced their Sporter Target rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. They introduced this as a potential hunting rifle for medium sized game. They had modified 20 round magazines that only fed 5 or 6 rounds reliably. Some aftermarket companies introduced 30 round mags but they suffered from reliability issues. Colt would later take this rifle off the market due to reliability issues. The first company to successfully combat this feeding issue only produced 6 rifles for Special Operations as proof of concept. Knight’s Armament developed the SR47 on 2001 at request of Special Operations. It was an M4-type rifle that used an AK magazine. Unfortunately they never went into production. This would be on the mind of Mack in designing the Hydra.

The 9mm AR was first introduced by Colt in the 1980’s. To make everything work as reliably as it did required a two part magazine well insert. The front insert provided the feed ramp and the rear had the modified fixed ejector and modified bolt catch to work with the UZI pattern magazine. In fact the magazines were originally modified UZI mags. This required drilling holes to pin the inserts in place. One would not want to remove these adapters to convert back to 5.56mm. The constant removal and reinstallation would damage the receiver. This was a robust system. In the 1990’s, Colt’s Arthur Daigle designed a one piece mag well adapter. It was removable. By rotating a hexbolt, two arms would extend out of the assembly and lock it inside the magazine well.

Unfortunately, people could not grasp how tight to torque the bolt, they would over torque and the arms would bend the magazine well outward damaging the mag well. So Colt modified the one piece magazine well adapter and pinned it in place. The lower became a dedicated lower receiver. This would also be on the mind of Mack during his development of the Hydra.

Mack thought, what if I had a modular lower receiver that would correct the issues with making a reliable 7.62x39mm AR platform rifle as well as an easily convertible 9mm? Thus came the Hydra. The Hydra lower receiver has removable magazine wells enabling a single lower receiver to accept different magazines. By disengaging the trigger guard and pressing the magazine release button the magazine well is lifted off of the lower receiver. What does this do? Well it enables a 9mm mag well to be installed permitting use of Colt Pattern 9mm magazines. By having this modified 9mm magazine well, this was all the lower needed to accept a 9mm barrel to reliably fire 9x19mm ammo. This magazine well was tested with ASC, CProducts Defense as well as Metalform magazines with 100% compatibility.

Without doubt, the most impressive of all, there is a magazine which accepts AK-pattern magazines. Mack knew the only way to make the 7.62x39mm reliable was to use the proper tried and true magazine. This magazine well adapter lacks the bolt catch due to the AK magazine not having a provision to actuate it. The magazine release is also rather ingenious. There is no latch in front of the trigger like an AK. It is a button just like the standard AR. There is an angled bolt/magazine catch that engages the locking tab on the rear of the magazine. As the magazine is inserted the tab engages that angled part and pushes the mag catch outward allowing the magazine to be fully inserted. Once fully inserted the mag catch engages holding the magazine in place. This works very well with steel AK magazines. However the inconsistence of the latch on the polymer magazines makes polymer magazines hit and miss if they will work/seat. The Soviet and Chinese Bakelite magazines have steel locking tabs so they work perfectly. The polymer tabs often can be too thick. With a file they can be taken down just enough so they will engage the magazine release. The steel angled bolt can also wear the polymer tab prematurely. Stick with military grade steel and Bakelite magazines you will never go wrong. However, the Magpul MOE/ Gen 3, US Palm and Bulgarian magazines work perfectly. The bolt carrier group for the 7.62x39mm has been modified as well by Windham Weaponry. The bolt carrier is stamped 7.62 on the left side. The bottom of the carrier has had some extra relief cuts on the bottom to accept the slightly higher AK magazine. However, if one should decide to use the AR15 magazine well adapter and use AR-pattern 7.62x39mm magazines, these relief cuts will not affect reliability. The bolt is modified for the 7.62x39mm cartridge case and is identified by 3 rings just behind the locking lugs by Windham Weaponry to differentiate quickly between the 5.56mm bolt. The firing pin is slightly heavier as well to be able to reliably fire the harder military primers of the Russian and foreign military ammunition.

Of course Mack designed a standard AR magwell as well. This would accept any 5.56mm magazine. Just around the time the Hydra premiered, two new calibers were to hit the market. These were the 6.5 Grendel as well as the 6.8mm Rem SPC cartridge. These would use a modified version of the standard 5.56mm magazine. So this immediately made the Hydra compatible. It also enabled the rifle to take the not so reliable 7.62x39mm AR-pattern magazines if the user was so inclined to venture in that direction. During testing of this Windham Weaponry MCS rifle, numerous magazines were tested for compatibility. These included GI aluminum, Magpul PMag, Lancer AWM, Ultimag, Hera Arms, Amend 2, H&K steel and polymer, Surefire 60 round, Hexmag and X-Products 50 round drum to name a few were tested for compatibility. There were no issues at all.

So now Mack had the lower receiver squared away for the three most popular calibers for the black rifle. Now how to make the upper just as modular as the lower? The upper receiver is also extremely unique. Unlike other models, the Hydra does not require a proprietary barrel for its removable barrel system. The Hydra uses a standard barrel with a standard barrel extension minus the delta ring, spring weld and snap ring. The barrel has the gas block installed with the standard carbine length gas tube pinned in place. The barrel slides into the upper receiver and indexes off of the pin on the receiver extension. Once in place there are two locking levers that rotate and lock the barrel nut into the upper receiver. Once the two locking arms are in the locked position a retaining block slides up the Mil-Std-1913 rail covering the locking arms holding them in place. Then a safety bail snaps in place to hold it in position. Now to be able to use the AK magazines, some modifications had to be made to the inside of the upper receiver that would not affect the function of the other calibers. The upper has the forward assist, fired cartridge case deflector as well as the ejection port dust cover.

In late 2015, Mack (MGI) had decided two things. First they did not have the distribution network to meet the potential of their Hydra Rifle. Second, they are a small company and have never been able to ramp up production to meet the demand of the Hydra rifle. It would make sense for them to partner up with an established AR manufacturer who had both a large distribution network, marketing resources as well as a production capacity to move the weapon system forward to meet the demand. They came to a licensing agreement with Windham Weaponry for them use the technology under the Windham Weaponry MCS designation. At SHOT Show 2016, Windham Weaponry introduced their MCS or Modular Carbine System. They offer four different configurations. They offer 5.56mm (.223 Rem), 300 Blackout, 7.62x39mm and 9x19mm calibers. They offer three packages. The first is the RMCS2 which is the MCS rifle with the AR15 magazine well and two barrels. One chambered in 5.56x45mm and the other in 300 Blackout. Each kit comes with a Plano Gun Guard case. The next is the RMCS3 which is MCS rifle with the AR15 magazine well adapter as well as the AK magazine well adapter. There are three barrels chambered in 5.56x45mm, 300 Blackout as well as 7.62x39mm. The RMCS4 which is a MCS rifle with the AR15 magazine well adapter , AK magazine well adapter and 9mm magazine well adapter. There are four barrels chambered in 5.56x45mm, 300 Blackout, 7.62x39mm and 9x19mm.

The kit was provided with a Windham Weaponry 30 round 5.56mm/300 Blackout magazine, a 30 round Magpul MOE AK polymer magazine and a ASC 20 round 9mm magazine. With the kit was also a sling and a SafeTech SAFE-T-ROUND chamber plug which comes in the chamber of the MCS rifle. There are three supplied modular magazine wells provided which are the standard AR15, AK magazine 7.62x39mm and 9x19mm. Fit and finish of all the components was top rate. Added by the author are the ARMS #40L rear sight to the receiver and the three barrels (5.56x45mm, 7.62x39mm barrel and 300 Blackout) had the ARMS #40-LF front sight bases added to the gas blocks.

The Windham Weaponry MCS RMCS4 test and evaluation kit was provided with four barrels. The barrels chambered in 5.56x45mm, 300 Blackout and 7.62x39mm barrels are standard manganese phosphate and chrome plated barrels. All barrels have the barrel extension and A2-compensators. The front sight base has a bayonet lug and sling swivel. Top of the gas tube has a Mil-Std-1913 rail which is aligned with the rail on the upper receiver/handguard. The front sight base is drilled and pinned in place which is preferred by this author. They all have carbine length gas tubes installed. The 5.56x45mm barrel has 1/9 inch twist, the 300 Blackout has a 1/7 and the 7.62x39mm has a 1/9.5 inch twist. The 9x19mm is Melonite coated with a 1/10 inch twist and birdcage flash suppressor. There is no gas block on the 9mm barrel.

The first barrel tested was the 7.62x39mm. Ammunition tested was Federal American Eagle 124gr ammunition (100 rounds) , Hornady 123gr SST (50 rounds) and Wolf 122gr full metal jacket (200 rounds). There were no malfunctions of any sort. The magazines used were Russian and Eastern European steel AK mags, Magpul MOE and Gen 3, US Palm and Soviet Bakelite. The best group was obtained with the Hornady SST ammo with 1.75 inch group at 100 yards.

The second barrel tested was the 300 Blackout. The standard AR modular magazine well was used. Ammunition was Black Hills 300 Whisper 125gr OTM (200 rounds), Barnes 110gr TAC-TX (100 rounds) and Hornady 110gr VMAX (100). The magazine tested were the Windham Weaponry aluminum, PMag Gen 3, Lancer AWM, Ultimag and Amend 2. No malfunctions of any sort. Also Remington 220 grain OTM (20 rounds) was tested. Numerous short strokes were experienced but this is to be expected when a sound suppressor is not being used. The best group was with the Black Hills 125gr OTM with 1.35 inches at 100 yards.

The third barrel tested was the 5.56x45mm. The standard AR modular magazine well was used. Ammunition tested was Black Hills .223 Rem 55gr FMJ (100 rounds), Black Hills 5.56x45mm 69gr OTM (20 rounds), ZQI 5.56mm 62gr full metal jacket (100 rounds) and HSM 5.56mm 62gr full metal jacket (100 rounds). The magazines tested were the Windham Weaponry aluminum, PMag Gen 3, Lancer AWM, Ultimag and Amend 2. No malfunctions of any sort. The best group was obtained with the Black Hills Match 69gr with a just over 1.25 inch group at 100 yards.

Lastly the 9x19mm barrel was tested. The modular 9mm magazine well was used. The ammunition was Black Hills 9mm Luger 115gr full metal jacket (200 rounds) and Federal American Eagle 9mm 147gr full metal jacket flat point (100 rounds). The magazines uses was the 20 round ASC magazine that came with the kit as well as two of the Metalform 32 round Colt magazines. There were no malfunctions of any sort. This set up was fired at 25 yards. Best group was with the Black Hills 115gr full metal jacket at 1 and 1/2 inches. It was hard to pick the best group between the Black Hills and Federal ammo since they were nearly identical. For someone who chooses to fire a significant amount of 9mm through the MCS, it would be advisable to put a 9mm SMG buffer and to change out the hammer pin with a stainless steel one. These are two improvements that would benefit you for long term use of this caliber. For occasional the standard buffer will work just fine. MGI also offers a Heavy Rate and Recoil Reducing Buffer which also work well to alleviate the stress on the rifle from the 9mm operating dynamics.

The Windham Weaponry MCS is truly in a class of its own. With this industry growing as rapidly as it is the licensing agreements between MGI and Windham Weaponry will surely increase the demand and popularity of this weapon system and be able to meet this demand with production efforts. Many companies have gone the interchangeable barrel rout over these intervening years. But nobody uses standard barrels. They use proprietary systems. Also, nobody has come up with the modularity of interchangeable magazine wells. There is a lot to be said about using factory standard components. For the manufacturers of these weapons, it makes production much simpler. Looking at the MCS, really the only proprietary components are the barrel locking mechanism and the lower receiver/ magazine wells themselves. All the components that go into the magazine well assemblies (minus the 7.62x39mm) are all industry standard, the fire control group and recoil system and stock assemblies are factory standard. The charging handle and bolt carrier groups are factory standard (minus 7.62x39mm carrier and firing pin). The barrel assemblies are completely standard. As more calibers come out the MCS will be able to adapt. This is a true one rifle can do it all. Now is this a military grade weapon? That has yet to be seen. For a gun enthusiast and shooter it is certainly adequate for that and according to Windham Weaponry the components wear on this rifle at the same rate as a standard M4. MGI still continues to sell their Hydra and design and manufacturing new upgrades and barrel kits. Only time will tell how successful this will be but it is certainly moving in the right direction to see the rifle live up to its potential.

Expodefensa will be held next on 4-6 December, 2017, because COGES took over this show and wants to get the show into a 2-year cycle opposite their flagship Eurosatory show in Paris, which occurred in June of 2016 and is next 11-15 June of 2018.

Indumil is a large Colombian defense manufacturing company, and they have a license agreement with Israel to build the Galil and Galil Ace weapon systems. A variety of styles were offered at the show. www.indumil.gov.co

Stated purpose from the show promoters:

The Expodefensa Concept

Expodefensa 2017 is an international exhibition of specialized nature and point of reference for Latin America in terms of technological development and innovation for Defense and Security Forces (in air, land and naval domains).

Presenting solutions:

• To create a space for interaction between both national and international Military and Police forces and their suppliers, which will present the latest and most innovative developments in the national and international Defense and Security industry;

• To present and strengthen technological development in the fields of Defense and Security, and Colombian and Regional military self-sufficiency;

• To be a place allowing clients and suppliers to make contacts and strengthen existing relationships;

• To position Colombia as a major player in this field, being the focus of large-scale cooperative projects that bring about the development of both the Defense and Security sector and national industry;

• To strengthen and increase the participation of national industry, especially of the Colombian SMEs (Small and Medium Size Enterprises), contributing to self-sufficiency and strategic independence.

The best way to judge whether to exhibit or attend a show, is in the numbers, along with the “Buzz” among attendees and trade show personnel. Expodefensa certainly has been growing, and has a lot of momentum. There were 232 Exhibitors from a total of 26 countries, with 66% of the exhibitors being internationals:

List of Exhibiting Countries 2015:

Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay.

Other interesting statistics:

• 10,390 professional visitors from 35 countries;
• 86 Colombian VIPs;
• 55 Official Delegations from the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Russia, Santa Lucia, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Uruguay.

The VRC Cobra is a light reconnaissance vehicle that has come out of the workshops of the Maintenance Battalion of the Colombian Army. It is well designed and well-armed- in this case with an M60 7.62x51mm Machine Gun from US Ordnance, the MK19 40x53mm, and “Ma Duece” (M2HB .50 caliber) on the pedestal behind the ATGL at center top. SADJ had the pleasure of discussing this vehicle concept with the Colombian designers- and the Spike ATGL at center with two reloads per side of the

Thor presented the Drakon 70-24-2H-T 2.75 inch Rocket “Artillery” station. The concept here from Thor in Colombia, is a twin pod of 12 each 2.75 inch rocket launchers, mounted on a trailer, and with a new sighting system these can be used for ground-to-air or more focused, ground-to-ground. This adds a new dimension to a fast reaction ground force. The system is enhanced by the sighting/ranging system making it effective for area fire

US Ordnance’s M60E4 and E6 machine guns were very popular. The Colombian military has used the M60 series for many years, and these lightweight, dependable offerings from US Ordnance fit right into the program. US Ordnance has donea lot of work in Colombia, and is quite popular there. The new MK19 Mod 3 program and upgrades from US Ordnance were under review during our last discussions.

Indumil has recently made numerous innovations in their Galil based designs, including the buttstock, and the Colombian Army was testing it. The use of the MeproLight Mepro 21M Reflex sightwas a crowd pleaser as well. www.indumil.gov.co

The DesertTech booth was quite popular. Their distinctive, high quality bullpup style sniper systems are visually exciting, and once the customers have entered the booth, the quality becomes clear. The new DT MDR bullpup rifle is drawing a lot ofattention as well.

Colombia’s Commandos Jungla had a display in the Army area- most units of the Colombian military have very high esprit de corps, and Expodefensa gives them a place to put it on display. Here the attendees could see the MK19 Mod 3 40x53mm, a variety of sniper rifles and belt feds, mortars, and mix with the Jungle Commandos themselves,who were very professional and helpful in discussing their kit.

Brazil announced in September 2015 its intent to purchase seven antiaircraft batteries from Russia. The call is for five Pantsir-S1, and two Igla-S Man-Portable-Missile-Systems (MANPADS) batteries. The South Americans have been so eager to acquire more MANPADS that during the negotiations in March 2014 it was indicated that the country was ready to engage in the local-production of the 9K338 missile. The first Igla arrived to Brazil in 1994, when 56 launchers were acquired, along 112 missiles. These early Iglas were of the SA-18 type. In 2011, Brazil indicated that was looking for another 250 missiles and 56 launchers of the Igla-S/SA-24, and two years later, Brazilian representatives had concluded a MOU with Rosoboronexport, looking into purchasing additional systems. This appeared to culminate in 2015 when it was announced the purchase of the Pantsir and Igla-S; however, the following October, the government indicated that it was still reviewing finances to conclude the deal.

In any case, the Igla is the most important MANPADS in the hands of the Brazilian military. The missile can be fired by one gunner from the shoulder, in either a standing or kneeling position. The PAMS-Igla automatically produces information on elevation and lead angles, and is able to operate in cold, arid and humid tropical climates. The Super Igla (code name SA-24 Grinch) depends on the 9K338 missile, a weapon developed in 2008, with a reach of 6 km. It can be operated at night, and has a 2.5kg warhead with proximity fuse. The missile can reach a target at altitudes of 3500 meters, 5.2 Km away, travelling at 1,440 km / h. It is known that a sub-unit of the 3GDAAE (Nu3rd AAA Group), at the Anápolis Air Base (BAAN) at Goiás, Brasilia, was equipped with the Igla 9K338 while other units use the Igla/SA-18 based on the 9K38 missile, which like the more advanced SA-24, it is designed to defeat low flying targets. The missile’s IR-seeker is specifically designed to distinguish between countermeasures (such as flares) and the targeted aircraft.

Soldiuers armed with Igla MANPADS during an excercise (Brazilian Ministry of Defense - Gilberto Alves)

The Air Defense Strategic Project (PEE DAAe) envisioned the Igla MANPADS for field protection, and the Swedish RBS-70 man-portable very-short-range air defense system (VSHORAD) for point defense. The RBS-70 can reach targets up to 8Km away, flying as high as 5000 meters. Moreover, it depends of a laser guidance system, to make it immune to jamming. This means that it fires a laser beam missile, so the gunner must maintain visual tracking of the target. The operator receives information on the target from a local laptop combat control terminal (denominated SLT), sent from a defense radar station or C4IR. Once the target is acquired, and the laser is switched on, an IFF signal is sent. Once the target is confirmed and the gunner is tracking it, the firing of the missile is made possible.

The Brazilian Army ordered sixteen RBS-70 firing post in 2014. The systems were acquired from Saab Dynamics under a $12.3 million contract, and included Mk II missiles (the most advanced variant), simulators, night vision equipment, test sets, maintenance tools, spares, associated equipment, a technical documentation, and training. The RBS-70 was acquired specifically to protect Brazil’s strategic infrastructure, and the major sporting events in the country. Indeed, a few RBS-70 firing units deployed to the 2014 FIFA World Cup; it is also scheduled to deploy to protect the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The RBS-70 equip the 1st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade and Anti-Aircraft and Coastal Artillery School.

Until recently, the Brazilian air defenses depended on four Roland II Surface to air missile systems, mounted on a modified Marder chassis, thirty-eight Oerlikon GDF-001 35mm antiaircraft cannons, twenty-four 40mm Bofors L/70 and one hundred and three Bofors L/60. The Roland II system were retired, but the Bofors continue to provide basic air defense around Brazil. There were also a number of M45/M55 machine gun mounts. It is understood that several M55 turrets were actually modernized and repowered in the 1980s and some even upgraded with surplus 20mm to bring them to IAI TCM-20 standards.

Brazilian Roland II mobile missile system deactivated in 2001 (J. Montes)

The RBS-70 pedestal mount examined in September 2015 was mounted on a flat bed of a Marruá jeep type vehicle. We think that the upgraded M55/TCM turret can easily be accommodated in similar manner than the M55 on the same type of vehicle. Better yet, an armored Marruá M27 chassis can be used. The Marruá AM200CD 4×4 vehicle is manufactured by Agrale S.A in Caxias do Sul, RS, Brazil. Recently, the South African company OTT Technologies from Pretoria designed and manufactured the M27 ballistic cab and integrated it to the AM200CD 4×4 chassis, and this resulted in the M27 protected pickup LAPV (lightly armored protected – or police – vehicle). The vehicle has a crew of up to 5, and is powered by a MWM Euro 3 engine or Cummins Euro 5 engine. OTT is a well-known South African company experienced in the design, development and manufacture of mine protected vehicles and cash in transit armored vehicles. It is noted that the RBS 70 batteries are integrated to a COAAe equipped with an S-788BR-RF electronic hardware already mounted on a modified and armored Marruá.

Between May 2013 and July 2015, Brazil took delivery of 13 German surplus Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) Gepard 1A2 self-propelled 35 mm twin gun system. These vehicles have been distributed among the 11th Self-Propelled AAA Battery (SPAAAB) from Paraná, and the 6th (SPAAAB) at Rio Grande do Sul. The acquisition of the hardware and systems has been made possible through the Brazilian Army Project Acquisition Office (EPEx). This includes the deployment of the SABER M60 (60 km range) man-portable low-altitude radar and Mobile Anti-Aircraft Operations Center (Centro de Operação de Artilharia Antiaérea – COAAe) developed in cooperation by BRADAR (Embraer Defesa & Segurança) and the army’s Technological Center (CTEx). It is also in the process of acquiring the SABER M200 (20 km range) mobile long-range medium altitude air defense radar system.

Several COAAe were operational in 2010, and they are now tasked to provide information to the RBS 70 and Gepards. With these equipment, the Army established the 12th AAA Group (GDAAE) in Manaus (Amazonas State) and the Supply and Maintenance AAA Battalion in Osasco (São Paulo). The equipment has been distributed among the 1st AAA Brigade (1ª Bda AAAe), with HQ at Guarujá, with its GDAAE distributed as follow: 1st (Rio de Janeiro), 2nd (Praia Grande), 3rd (Caxias do Sul), 4th (Sete Lagoas), and the 11th (Brasilia). In addition, MANPADS have been provided to the 12th Light Infantry Brigade, the Parachutist Brigade, and the 9th Infantry Brigade.

RBS-70 on a flat platform (J. Montes)

Between 1994 and 1997, the Brazilian Navy also took delivery of 160 Mistral MANPADS for installation as point defense on its vessels and for use by the Brazilian Marines. These are mounted in the SADRAL (6-cell) and SIMBAD (2 cell) configurations.

In October 2015, the contract for the seven Russian AAA Batteries appeared to fall apart when the Brazilian political and economic crisis had brought to a halt negotiations.

Advancing technology shrank red dot sights small enough to be used in conjunction with scopes, providing users with magnification on distant targets as well as rapid transitions on close-range targets. This article samples some mini red dot sights and their mounting methods.

Background

Until recently, a rifleman must choose either magnifying or non-magnifying sights that are mutually exclusive. The Soviet SVD tried to meld the two by having iron sights under a quick-detach scope mount. More recent solutions include red dot / holographic sights with magnifiers and 1-X variable magnification scopes (e.g. Trijicon TR24 1-4x24mm, Vortex Razor HD II 1-6x24mm, Leupold MK8 CQBSS 1-8x24mm). However, the former options lack range finding reticles and are typically limited to 3x magnification, while the latter options have small front objectives which hinder resolving and light gathering abilities as well as limiting the “eye box”. These solutions augment a close-range oriented rifleman at distance, but leave the precision rifleman wanting.

By attaching a mini red dot sight (MRDS) in conjunction with a scope, the primary function of a precision rifleman is unhampered while enhancing close-range capabilities with a shift in head position. To this end, three MRDS candidates were evaluated: Leupold DeltaPoint Pro (Product # 119687, $6001), Vortex Razor (Product # RZR-2003, $400*), and Trijicon RMR (Product # RM07, $600*). All are offered with different size reticles, and the RMR is offered in battery powered and fiber optic / tritium powered versions. In addition, three mounting methods were also explored: 12 o’clock directly atop a scope using a Larue LT788-2 mount, slightly offset between the turrets of the scope using a Larue LT742 mount, and 45deg offset on the receiver with a Vortex RT-45 mount.

MRDS Candidates

Red Dot Sights work by projecting a reticle into the user’s eye similar to head-up-displays used in aircraft. A light emitting diode (LED) placed at the focal point projects light forward into a collimator with reflective coating in the rear, producing a parallax-free reticle at infinity. This can be verified by moving one’s eye relative to the sight while observing that the dot stays on target. All three MRDS have their collimators tilted downwards in order to place the LED outside the field-of-view.

The collimator lens represents the sole contributor to the optical distortions observed. The RMR displayed a fisheye effect which was conspicuous when panning but was inconsequential in actual use when transitioning targets. This is due to it being preferable to first shift the eyes then the firearm, instead of shifting targets while focusing on the sights2. The Razor displayed minimal distortion in the center but some fisheye near the edges. In contrast, the DeltaPoint was distortion free edge-to-edge. However, the author noted diffraction (similar to that from scratched glass) which turned the triangular reticle into a blob when the LED is adjusted unreasonably bright and one is looking into a dark background (e.g. indoors). This is not a problem when the brightness is adjusted sensibly such as dimmed for indoors or turned up for full-sun.

The coatings on the collimator affect color cast, with the RMR having a noticeably bluish-green tint throughout, the Razor having the same tint at the edges but a clear center, and the DeltaPoint having a nearly imperceptible blue tint. The bluish-green tint of the RMR decreased the target image contrast but accentuated the reticle due to it being a complementary color. The DeltaPoint faithfully rendered colors, and the Razor was in between the two. When the reticle brightness was adjusted to be barely acceptable in full sunlight, the DeltaPoint and Vortex reticles bloomed indoors from being too bright and were marginally usable while the RMR reticle remained sharp. The author surmised the red-green contrast of the RMR allowed a dimmer reticle to be usable outdoors.

The brightness of all three MRDS is manually adjustable while the RMR offers an automatic option. The author found this nearly instantaneous self-adjustment useful when transitioning indoors / outdoors and when activating a flashlight in small rooms. However, the reticle can washout if insufficient light was reflected back to the sensor such as when shining a light down a long hallway.

Mechanically, all units are solidly constructed. The RMR has the smallest view window and thickest housing; view window of the Razor is just slightly shorter than the DeltaPoint with both having similarly width. The housing still casted a faint shadow even with both eyes opened.

The RMR mounts lower than the others, reducing its sight-height-over-bore and offset at close-range (further discussed below). It achieves this by having the mount form the bottom seal, thus necessitating a dismount to replace batteries. The DeltaPoint battery door is at the top and also hosts the brightness adjustment button. The Razor features a horizontal battery tray on the side. While LEDs typically draw very little battery, DeltaPoint includes a motion sensor that turns off the illumination after five minutes of inactivity and reactivates when moved. The automatic brightness adjustment should minimize the RMR illumination when placed in dark areas such as a safe. All three MRDS can be manually turned off.

Mounting Considerations

Three popular ways to mount an MRDS in conjunction with a scope are: 12 o’clock over the elevation turret, offset between the elevation and windage turrets, and 45deg offset on the receiver rail. The 12 o’clock mount allows easy ambidextrous use albeit with a tall sight-height-over-bore. The receiver-offset mount trades ambidextrous ease for a more reasonable sight-height-over-bore. Between-turrets mount forms a compromise and allows easier ambidextrous use with turrets too tall to mount an MRDS at 12 o’clock.

Peripheral vision and situational awareness are paramount for MRDS because they are likely used at “bad breath distance”. While it is beyond the scope of this article to discuss shooting with one- versus both-eyes opened34, it is important to note that binocular vision enables the brain to merge both views and render obstructions only seen in one eye as faint shadows. The 12 o’clock mount provided the least obstruction laterally or vertically and matched the intuition to pick up one’s head when alert. The between-turrets mount had faint shadows from the turrets, but they did not detract much. However, small parts of vision were blocked when used on weak side (e.g. shooting right-handed with MRDS on left side). Receiver-offset mount proved the most distracting when the scope generated large shadows if not outright blind spots in the middle-left for right-handed users (vice-versa for southpaws). However, the exceptional view of the 12 o’clock mount is obtained at the expense of cheek weld and sight-height-over-bore.

The tall sight-height-over-bore of the 12 o’clock mount necessitated a chin weld for the author. A smaller statured tester could not even obtain that while she managed a chin weld for the between-turrets mount. In contrast, a firm cheek weld can be maintained with a receiver-offset mount. As an aside, it is interesting to note the western emphasis on cheek weld as seen with cheek-risers on scoped M-14s and G3s, while Soviet influenced small arms seemingly accept chin weld as seen on SVDs.

Mounting an MRDS either directly over the scope or between the turrets creates a large distance between the bore and the sight plane. This complicates shooting from behind barricades as well as necessitating considerable hold-over or -under. When shooting from behind cover, a tall sight-height-over-bore can lead to the rifleman seeing an unobstructed sight plane while the bore is masked. The same problem can make a 12 o’clock mounted MRDS difficult to use from an embrasure (such as that found on VTAC barricades), and force the use of scopes on close-range targets.

A tall sight-height-over-bore can complicate precision shooting at close-range. The 12 o’clock mount as tested positioned the MRDS about 4.5in over the bore, and it was estimated5 to have doubled the elevation variation when compared to the standard iron sights at approximately 2.6in over the bore. The variation is significant and changes swiftly with distance. This requires memorization as well as rapid and precise range estimation for a precision shot (e.g. hostage target).

Shooting Impressions

In order to measure the ease of sight picture acquisition and target transition, two USPSA cardboard torso targets were placed 50yds distant and 15yds apart. Each tester made a reasonable effort for a torso A-zone hit, but a hit anywhere on target was acceptable. From low-ready, the tester engaged the first target with one shot then transitioned to the second target for another shot. Each tester alternated between transitioning left-to-right and right-to-left in order to investigate if the view obstructions discussed above had any effects. The alternation was designed to minimize the inevitable effect that repetition improves performance. Time from low-ready to first shot measured sight picture acquisition, and time from first to second shot measured transition speed. Ten strings of fire comprised a data point, and each mounting method was shot from both left- and right- shoulders. The author (mostly a service rifle shooter) is left-handed and another tester (experienced cowboy action shooter) is right-handed. 12 o’clock and between-turrets mounts used an RMR while the receiver-offset mount used a Razor; this is due to mounting constraints and the author did not feel this affected the data in any way. The MRDS was mounted on the strong side of the tester for between-turrets and receiver-offset mounts.

Data is tabulated below with first number being the mean (x¯) and second number in parenthesis being the standard deviation (s). Data is also graphically presented sans error bars to reduce clutter. The difference between transitioning left-to-right and right-to-left was insignificant, and is not presented for brevity. The difference in x¯ was marginal and well within one s.

The acquisition time data matched observations made in the previous section: the 12 o’clock mount was likely the fastest to use ambidextrously. The right-handed, left-shoulder time was markedly long because the tester could not find a chin weld at all. The between-turrets mount was very likely to be just as fast as the 12 o’clock mount on the strong side, but lagged behind on the weak side. It is a good candidate if weak side use is not required because of its lower sight-height-over-bore. The receiver-offset mount took the most time likely because of the rotation involved. As expected, weak side use showed increased s thus lowered consistency. While the left-handed tester experienced less repeatable performance when progressing from the 12 o’clock mount to the receiver-offset mount, the right-handed tester had roughly equal s for all mounting methods. This is likely due to the right-handed tester being heavily right eye dominant which had to be closed when shooting from the left shoulder, and the left-handed tester being comfortably ambidextrous. The author surmised that left-handed weak side data was likely more representative of the population and inferred that it illustrated the short comings of the receiver-offset mount.

The transition time data was more difficult to interpret. While x¯ follows the trend that 12 o’clock was likely equal to the between-turrets mount while both were faster than the receiver-offset mount, the differences were less than one s and too small to draw meaningful conclusions. The s proved more interesting: both testers were more consistent with the between-turrets mount than other mounting methods. This is likely due to the better cheek weld than the 12 o’clock mount, and less rotation required than the receiver-offset mount.

This analysis showed that the 12 o’clock mount is likely the best for ambidextrous use, but the between-turrets mount may be a slightly better method if weak side use is not required. It should be noted that the sample size in this study was small, and that both testers did not have extensive experience with any of the mounting methods. Training and individual aptitude may change the results.

Conclusion

Mounting an MRDS in conjunction with a tactical scope allows a precision rifleman to have his cake (identify and engage distant targets) and eat it too (rapid transitions on close-range targets). Trijicon RMR, Leupold Deltapoint, and Vortex Razor all provide excellent sighting solutions to the close-range facet. The automatic brightness adjustment of the RMR worked brilliantly for indoor/outdoor transitions although its optical performance left something to be desired. Deltapoint excels optically if the user can accept the manual brightness adjustment. Razor is optically in-between the others, has manual brightness adjustment, but is not as costly.

Acquisition time and transition time data showed that the 12 o’clock mount is likely the fastest for ambidextrous use, and the between-turrets mount is likely to be just as fast if weak side use is not required. However, the sight-height-over-bore of the 12 o’clock and between turret mounts exaggerates the point-of-impact shift at close range and can hinder use from an embrasure.