15 June 2022
by Olivia Savage
Camero has launched a new through-the-wall system capable of discerning between individuals, animals, and static objects (Janes/Olivia Savage)
Camero unveiled its latest through-the-wall system, the Xaver 1000, at the Eurosatory 2022 defence exhibition in Paris.
The Xaver 1000, intended for tactical and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, has an HD 3D ‘sense-through-the-wall' capability, IIan Abramovich, vice president of business development, sales, and marketing at Camero, told Janes on 15 June.
This gives the user much-improved situational awareness compared to previous systems, enabling the operator to detect static and moving individuals, as well as specific body parts, animals, and objects, he said.
The Xaver family of systems are radar-based and use ultra-wide-band radio signals between 3–10 GHz. All systems (including the latest Xaver 1000) can see through drywall, concrete, and various structures, though not solid metal.
Metal drywall studs or concrete reinforced with rebar can block the signal as well, but the system can still function if a non-metal through-spot can be found, Ilan Abramovich, Camero senior vice-president of sales and marketing for defence, said in a separate announcement.
18 April 2024
by Gareth Jennings
The chiefs of the RAF and RAAF reconstituting their respective 80 Squadrons during a joint ceremony at Eglin AFB in the US. (Crown Copyright)
The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) stood up their respective 80 Squadrons on 17 April to serve as US-based data units for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
Announced by the RAF, the two separate but linked squadrons were reconstituted during a joint ceremony at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida.
“At the event, the [UK] Chief of the Air Staff, [Air Chief Marshal] Sir Richard Knighton, and [Australian] Chief of the Air Force Air Marshal Robert Chipman, formally awarded the dormant 80 Squadron number plates for each service to their respective teams within the Australia, Canada, and United Kingdom Reprogramming Laboratory [ACURL],” the RAF said.
18 April 2024
by Kapil Kajal
The ITCM (pictured above from its test on 18 April) is a technology demonstrator programme to validate the capability of small turbofan engines. (Indian Ministry of Defence)
India's state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) test-fired its ‘Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM)' from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the northeastern coast of Odisha, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a press release on 18 April.
“During the test, all subsystems performed as per expectation and the missile performance was monitored by several range sensors like radar, electro optical tracking system (EOTS), and telemetry deployed by [the] ITR at different locations to ensure complete coverage of the flightpath,” the MoD said.
The flight of the missile was also monitored from the Su-30-MKI aircraft of the Indian Air Force, the MoD added.
The missile followed the desired path using “waypoint navigation and demonstrated very-low-altitude sea-skimming flight”, according to the MoD.
“This successful flight test has also established the reliable performance of the indigenous propulsion system developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Bengaluru,” the MoD said.
17 April 2024
by Jeremy Binnie
One of the new Z-9WE helicopters at Malabo airbase. (Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial)
The Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea (FAGE) is now operating two new Harbin Z-9 helicopters, the country's ruling Democratic Party (Partido Democrático de Guinea Ecuatorial: PDGE) revealed on 9 April when it reported that Vice-President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue had inspected the aircraft.
The PDGE released photographs showing the vice-president with at least one of the new helicopters at a location that could be identified as the airbase at Malabo International Airport. It was fitted with a gimballed electro-optical system under its nose and pylons for weapons that can include guns, rockets, and anti-tank missiles.
The Z-9 is the Chinese-made version of the Airbus AS365 Dauphin. The PDGE identified the new helicopters as the Z-9WE variant. It added that Equatorial Guinea is considering acquiring additional combat helicopters.
The FAGE was not previously known to have any Chinese aircraft in its fleet, which consists almost entirely of Soviet-era types.
For more information on the Z-9, seeHAIG (Airbus Helicopters) Z-9 Haitun .
Camero unveiled its latest through-the-wall system, the Xaver 1000, at the Eurosatory 2022 defence e...
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