Remote Control Turrets:Armada
1/22/15
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Remote Control Turrets
Developed by Pro-Optica of Romania the Anubis is designed for western, left ammo feed machine guns. (Pro-Optica)
Soviet-era turrets or with similar-era weapons. A ready solution is the NSW-Utios chambered for 12.7x107 mm rounds. Up to six 81 mm smoke grenade launchers can be added. The ZSMU-1276 development started in 2005, the latest success being the selection of the UKM-2000 C-armed A3 by the Polish Army to equip the engineer version of the Rosomak 8x8. Unveiled at DSEI in 2013, the Romanian Pro-Optica Anubis has since been certified by the Romanian Ministry of Defence. Designed for 12.7 and 7.62 Western left-fed weapons it has a maximum elevation of 60° depression of 20°. Gyrostabilised on two axes, the Anubis weighs 135 kg sans weapon or ammunition. The Anubis also serves as an observation tool, equipped as it is with a good sensor package that includes a 400,000-pixel day camera with a x30 zoom, a thermal imager with a 17-µm pitch 640x480-pixel array thermal camera fitted with a twolens system or a x6 zoom and a 5 km range laser rangefinder. Options include ballistic protection, autotracking, round counter, image stabilisation, target grid calculator, and battle management system integration. A 40 mm automatic grenade launcher can also be added, Pro-Optica being in the very last phase of negotiations with an undisclosed customer that should soon order 50 units to be delivered in 2015. I ISRAEL
Israel Military Industries has two light stations known as Wave in its portfolio, but a third at prototype level is awaiting a launch customer. Both models are designed for 7.62 or 12.7 mm machine guns, but the Wave 200
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is made for western left-feed weapons, while the Wave 300 is fed from the opposite side to cater to eastern-type machine guns such as the PKT 7.62 mm or the NSVT 12.7 mm. One of the IMI Waves has been selected by an unspecified country for border protection (according to IMI the contract includes “a conspicuous number” of units for command and border control posts). Although the use of such weapon stations has been promoted by numerous companies in the past few years for such purposes, this might well be a first border security application. IMI has also chalked up a second order, but this time related to a new naval version dedicated to right-feed weapons known as the Wave 300N; here again the customer remains undisclosed,
Israel Military Industries did not disclose which of its Wave models was selected for a border security project. (IMI)
The Wave 300 is designed for rightfeed machine guns, the typical Soviet-era layout, this turret having recently won a contract from an undisclosed country. (IMI)