+contracts +upgrades +launches
in brief
Marines lock into new mortar system
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It was in 1952 that Fer- ranti - one of the cor- porate antecedents to Selex Galileo - began work on the airborne intercept radar that would eventually equip the RAF’s Lightning interceptor- fighter. Now, 60 years later at the company’s anniversary ceremony, Fabrizio Giulianini (above), CEO of Selex Galileo, declared: “For many years armed forces around the world have relied on our radar to support airborne missions and come home safe.” Alastair Morrison, SVP Radar and Advanced Target- ing, added: “Italy and the UK have created a world-class operation meeting the needs of a diverse and demanding global customer base.” Selex Galileo is part of the multina- tional Euro radar consortium developing the next-gener- ation CAPTOR-E radar for the Eurofighter Typhoon.
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Pratt & Whitney has completed assembly of its first engine to test (FETT) for its Pure Power PW1100G- JM engine – the first engine to power the Airbus A320neo aircraft. The engine, rated at 33,000 pounds of thrust, is the third member of the Pure Power PW1000G family of engines to begin testing. The PW1100G-JM engine test pro- gram will run a total of eight test engines over the next 24 months. Entry into service is scheduled for October 2015. The Pure Power engine’s advanced gear system and core delivers fuel efficiency and testing recently exceeded 3,700 hours and 11,000 cycles.
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Marines with 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, got their first taste of the new M224A1 mortar weapon system – an updated version of the M224 Legacy, the main tool employed by the division’s mortar-men. At the Division Training
Centre, Marines fired mortars onto a range from different positions at targets of varying difficulties. “The first thing we noticed when we saw the (M224) A1 was the spread cable was gone,” said Sgt. Justin
and you need to get rounds down range you can’t afford to be fighting your weapon. The (M224) A1 now has a locking mechanism for the bipod instead which makes the weapon incredibly steady and accurate.” The M224A1 also has a new
type of alloy, barrel lining, allowing it to perform better under intense heat, so the weapon is less likely to break down – which also reduces overall maintenance. The system is also nine pounds lighter than its predecessor.
comparison, this 35-pound model feels like a feather weight.” The M224A1 is light and
gives the unit carrying it more mobility, which gives them the ability to control a larger area more efficiently. Additionally, the updated weapon will make it easier for the division’s mortar-men to teach their riflemen counterparts the basics of using a mortar system. “Marines in an infantry
platoon are always training on all the weapons their unit uses,” said Cpl. Seth Desplinter.
Vandertang, a mortar-man, Company G, 2nd Battalion. The spread cable is a piece on the M224 Legacy that was meant to keep the bipod in position when the weapon was fired. Vandertang explained that while the cable did its job, a Marine would have to readjust the weapon system every few rounds because it would still move out of place. “It was probably one of the most time-consuming things about the (M224) Legacy. When you’re in an active combat zone
Cpl. David Dias, a mortar-man with Company E, 2nd Battalion, added: “The (M224) Legacy was a heavy 44 pounds and each 60 millimetre round was about four pounds. It was never easy to lug it around on deployment and it would slow down the unit that was using it because it was just too heavy to deploy quickly. “Most of the time, we wouldn’t
be able to fire it from the conventional position with the bipod. Instead, we would have to use it in hand-held mode, stabilising it with our bodies. By
“Even though they won’t be on a professional level like us, if a worst case scenario occurs and we need to get mortars down range and all the mortar-men have been taken out, then our (riflemen) can still accomplish the mission. “The (M224) A1 is lighter and
considerably more accurate than the (M224) Legacy – which makes it very easy to teach. Marines who have fired the (M224) A1 get a lot of confidence in their abilities because they don’t have to fight the weapon. ”
globaldefencemedia.com | winter 2012_13
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