Australia enhancing Bushmaster self-defense capability

Australia enhancing Bushmaster self-defense capability
by Richard Tomkins
Canberra, Australia (UPI) May 20, 2015

Smiths Detection gets Army okay for technology development
Edgewood, Md. (UPI) May 20, 2015 - Smiths Detection Inc. and sub-contractor 908 Devices are moving to the development and testing phase of a chemical detector air monitor for the U.S. Army.

The Option 1 award from the Joint Project Manager for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Contamination Avoidance follows initial concept demonstrations for the Army's Next Generation Chemical Detector Platform/Site Air Monitor Variant technology program.

"SDI provides our soldiers with the most advanced technologies available to protect them, and help them meet their missions," said Stephen Esposito, vice president and general manager of SDI's Defense Solutions Business Unit. "This contract will build on our highly successful chemical detection program, one of the largest in the world, and our partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense."

Smiths said the Army's Next-Generation Chemical Detector program is to develop and obtain technology to detect chemical warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and non-traditional agents. No information was disclosed, however, as to the technologies Smiths and its partner are developing.

Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles of the Australian military are to receive upgraded self-defense capabilities from Electro Optic Systems.

Under a $5.17 million award from the country's Defense Materiel Organization's Land Systems Division, EOS will refurbish and upgrade 45 EOS remote weapons systems used on the Bushmasters.

"Improvements include upgraded sensors, a new Australian-designed stabilization system that provides 'shoot on the move' capability, video tracking, video recording and enhanced C4I integration support," said said DLS PMV Sustainment Manager Luke Crampton.

"These enhancements will bring the PMV's upgraded RWS (remote weapon station) into line with EOS armored vehicle turrets, used on tanks and other heavy armored vehicles. Armored vehicles turrets are typically 10 times more capable than the RWS and more costly; however, this upgrade means we get a similar capability for the Bushmaster at a much lower cost."

The first 20 of the new systems will be delivered by EOS by this September for use in an evaluation program designed by Army to help determine future RWS requirements, the Australian Department of Defense said.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

.

Related Links
The latest in Military Technology for the 21st century at SpaceWar.com

Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks

Saab subsidiary to supply artillery training ammunition
Linkoping, Sweden (UPI) May 19, 2015
Saab reports that its Swiss subsidiary is to produce explosive training artillery ammunition for an unidentified customer. The ammunition order will be fulfilled by Saab Bofors Dynamics Switzerland, or SBDS. The order is worth about $13.86 million and the ammunition will be delivered this year and next. "This order is an endorsement of Saab's world-class munitions facility in Swi ... read more

Shunned by much of Asia, migrants welcomed in Aceh

Colombian family recounts 'miracle' baby's landslide survival

Servosila Introduces a Disaster Response Robot "Engineer"

Students develop mobile hybrid power system for disaster relief

Satellites make a load of difference to bridge safety

Advanced Navigation Releases Interface and Logging Unit

Raytheon delivers hardware for next-gen USAF GPS system

Russia, China Agree on Joint Exploitation of Glonass Navigation Systems

Social grooming can promote the spread of disease among monkeys

'Natural' sounds improve mood and productivity

Why modern hunter-gatherers live with so few kin

Burmese long-tailed macaque stone-tool use catalogued

Do flies have fear or something like it

Reshaping mountains in the human mind to save species facing climate change

Valuable Massachusetts ecosystems shrinking, doing more with less

A bucketful of new Eugenia plant species from Madagascar

AIDS expert flays Kremlin, says Russia's HIV epidemic worsening

Damming and damning hemorrhagic diseases

Engineering bacteria to design vaccines

Scientists aim to forecast West Nile outbreaks

Communist China's unlikely Catholic outpost: Tibetans

China releases video of scuffle before police killing

China police on trial for woman's beating death: report

Hong Kong street stalls hang on under the skyscrapers

Polish bootcamp trains security contractors for mission impossible

A blast and gunfire: Mexico's chopper battle

Cyber attacks a growing threat for US financial system

Few signs of life in 'China's Manhattan'

Two more Hong Kong stocks collapse after Hanergy crash

Moody's: Upstream defaults could double

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.