Defense Review

Elbit Systems and ATK Developing Laser-Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket (GATR-L)

by David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com

July 17, 2008

Elbit Systems Ltd. (Nasdaq: ESLT) and Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK) announced on July 09, 2008 that they'll be teaming up on the development of a laser-guided 2.75"/70mm Hydra rocket called the Guided Advanced Tactical Rocket-Laser (GATR-L).

GATR-L is being designed and developed to provide an affordable and cost-effective precision-strike/precision-kill capability for fixed-wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft (i.e. helicopters), and unmanned aircraft system (UAS) a.k.a. unmanned aerial system a.k.a. unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platforms.

The GATR-L 70mm rocket (2.75" rocket) utilizes...

Sabre Defence Industries Awarded M16 Rifle Contract (M16A3 & M16A4 Rifles)

The following is a Saber Defence Industries press release:

NASHVILLE, TN (July 15, 2008)- Sabre Defence Industries, LLC (SDI), a government contractor for the manufacture of machine gun parts and accessories and commercial XR15 rifles, is proud to announce that Sabre Defence has been awarded an IDIQ contract for a minimum of 4,952 M16A3 and 702 M16A4 rifles to support the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and foreign military customers. Nine bids were received with Sabre being only the third company in the 45-year M16 history, besides Colt and FN, to be awarded a contract to supply a Mil-Spec M16 to the U.S. government.

The M16 project will take place at Sabre Defence’s Nashville, Tennessee facility and is expected to be completed by end of December, 2010. Sabre’s growing reputation as a top quality manufacturer of XR model rifles in the commercial market will not be affected by the military contract. Production continues to meet demand of the highly accurate XR15A3 series rifles and new models are...

The 6.8 Remington SPC as an Animal Control or Patrol Rifle Cartridge...

By Captain D.

July 15, 2008

Usually, a police agency does not spend a lot of time utilizing unusual calibers or cartridges in its rifles for animal control. My town, which is a first ring suburb of a major mid-west city, is in an area known for record class whitetail deer. To protect my administration, I will not identify myself or the location. My department has allowed me to cull three problem whitetail deer with my 6.8 Remington SPC (6.8x43mm Remington SPC a.k.a. 6.8 SPC) chambered custom bolt gun. From that brief experience, I have been able to formulate a few opinions on its suitability as a patrol cartridge. In addition to being an avid prairie dog shooter, I have also hunted big game in several states from New York to Montana to Texas and have taken over thirty-five head of big game in South Africa and Namibia.

The 6.8 Rem. SPC bullets used to date on all three deer have been Hornady’s factory loaded 110gr V-max load that measured right at 2600fps from my 20” barreled custom rifle. The unique thing about this bullet is that it is designed for varmints and a starting velocity of over 3000fps. By starting out much slower than its original design, it performs much like a standard Sierra GameKing or Hornady Interlock bullet and gave through and through penetration on all three animals.

The first deer, a 140 pound yearling buck, was shot at...

Baghdad: Improvised Rocket-Assisted Munitions (IRAMs) Arrays Can Kill over Walls

By David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com

July 11, 2008

U.S. troops are having to contend with new improvised weapons known as Improvised Rocket-Assisted Munitions a.k.a. Improvised Rocket Assisted Mortars, or IRAMs for short. IRAMs a.k.a. "aerial IEDs" are configured in linear arrays in the backs of tractor-trailer trucks and are comprised of metal cannisters that contain the 107mm rocket-assisted munitions, and from which they're launched. IRAMs are launched via remote control.

Since an IRAM is ground-launched in an arced trajectory, it can be launched over barrier walls that surround security zones and U.S. military bases. This aspect, combined with the relatively large explosion and barrage capability, make IRAMs...

DefRev Request: Looking for Info on Operational/Combat Performance of 6.8 SPC

By David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com

DefenseReview would like to get some operational/combat data, including anecdotal information, about the terminal ballistic performance of the 6.8 SPC (6.8x43mm SPC a.k.a. 6.8mm SPC) in combat. So we'd like to request the assitance of any/all U.S. military Special Operations and law enforcement SWAT/SRT personnel in this endeavor.

If you or anyone you know can provide information on this, please email us at defrev at gmail dot com. Defense Review will keep your identity confidential, unless you instruct us otherwise.

DefenseReview is requesting this information, because we...

IWI Negev Commando LMG/SAW and Micro-Tavor MTAR-21 Bullpup Assault Rifle Demo

By David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com

July 05, 2008

DefenseReview got the chance to test-fire two Israeli combat weapons during the firing demonstration portion of NDIA International Infantry & Joint Services Small Arms Systems Symposium 2008, which was held at the Tac-Pro Shooting Center. The two weapons we fired were the IMI-developed select-fire Negev Commando Version LMG/SAW 5.56mm NATO (5.56x45mm NATO) and Micro-Tavor M.T.A.R. 21 5.56mm NATO (5.56x45mm NATO) bullpup assault subcarbine/SBR, both of which are being manufactured and marketed in Israel by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) Ltd., formerly a division of IMI (Israel Military Industries Ltd.). The IWI Negev Commando LMG/SAW is the compact Special Operations (SPECOPS) version of the IWI Negev LMG/SAW Standard Version, and the IWI Micro-Tavor is the compact subcarbine version of the standard IWI Tavor T.A.R. 21 5.56mm NATO assault rifle.

We should inform our readers right off the bat that we didn't get to put nearly as many rounds through either weapon as we would have liked. We did, however, enjoy firing them, and were generally impressed with their performance. We believe these weapons will...

Happy 4th of July from DefenseReview!

DefenseReview would like to wish all of our readers a very Happy and Safe 4th of July. This is a particularly special one, due to the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in D.C. vs. Heller that the Second Amendment (2nd Amendment) enumerates and protects an individual right to bear arms for the purpose of self defense. While there was no discussion of the Second Amendment's true core purpose of ensuring the ability of citizens (i.e. individuals) to protect their liberty from oppressive and/or tyrannical government forces, we'll take it.

We here at Defense Review are...

Aimpoint BR8 Fire Control System (FCS) for Tactical Small Arms and Light Weapons

By David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com

We here at DefenseReview are big fans of Aimpoint products, particularly the CompM2 - M68/CCO (Close Combat Optic), CompM4 and Micro T-1 red dot combat sights, and the 3XMag magnifying optic. Aimpoint combat optics (optical sights) are combat proven and highly trusted by professional trigger pullers the world over, and for good reason. As the aforementioned products have demonstrated, the company isn't content to rest on its laurels, but rather is constantly innovating and developing new products that can assist the warfighter, LE professional, and civilian shooter.

That's why when Aimpoint's president, Lennart Ljungfelt, presented the Aimpoint BR8 Fire Control System (FCS) for infantry small arms and light weapons on May 22, 2008 during the Fire Control session at NDIA International Infantry & Joint Services Small Arms Systems Symposium 2008, it wasn't much of a surprise to Defense Review. Actually, DefRev missed Mr. Ljungfelt's lecture, but that doesn't mean we can't report on it. So, what's the BR8 FCS' purpose and how does it work?

The Aimpoint BR8 FCS is a...

Fury and CAMCOPTER S-100 UAS/UAVs Armed with Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM)

By David Crane

defrev at gmail dot com

Speaking of sub-Hellfire-yield laser-guided missiles, Thales UK Air Systems Division (ASD) has introduced a new low-cost, lightweight multi-role missile called, appropirately enough, the Lightweight Multirole Missile (a.k.a. Lightweight Multi-role Missile)--or LMM for short--as a follow-on to the Starstreak Self-Propelled High-Velocity Missile (SP HVM) a.k.a. Starstreak Multi-role Missile (surface-to-air/surface-to-surface missile) and Starburst surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, leveraging technology from both platforms. The LMM can be deployed from/employed by both manned and unmanned fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter/rotorcraft systems.

According to Thales UK ASD officials, the LMM laser-guided multirole missile will be able to...

Raytheon/EAI Laser-Guided 2.75-inch/70mm Hydra Rocket

by David Crane
defrev at gmail dot com

Back in May, DefenseReview learned that Raytheon is teaming with an Abu-Dhabi, UAE-based company called Emirates Advanced Investments (EAI) to create an advanced semi-active-laser-guided 2.75"/70mm Hydra rocket under the moniker "Laser Guided Rocket" (LGR).

The concept, of course, is nothing new. Back in September of last year, DefenseReview reported on the sudden demise of the BAE Systems Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) guided 2.75"/70mm Hydra rocket a.k.a. HELLFIRE Jr." a.k.a. "Mini-HELLFIRE" program, which followed the APKWS (no "II") program.

The goal of APKWS/APKWS II was to...