The adaptation of military systems to Homeland Security missions – a real...

The adaptation of military systems to Homeland Security missions – a real trend?

egozi2Israeli experts say that in the coming years anti terror units will improve their capabilities mainly in heavily populated areas, by deploying systems that were originally designed for an army’s fighting units.

I-HLS will try to investigate the trend and determine whether is is a solid one. We have recently tested the multi-purpose rifle system (MPRS) developed by Israel military industries (IMI).This systems is generating interest from security bodies that deal with terror situations.

IMI has used the same technology used in fire control systems of advanced tanks like the Merkava MK4, to develop a system that makes any assault rifle a much diversified weapon system.

The problem has been known for years- the standard M-203 rifle grenade launcher is not accurate and forces the soldier to carry a great number of grenades of different types to be able to address any operational situation.

The MPRS is a personal fire control system that first measures the range to the target. The correct red dot aiming point is displayed on the system’s eye piece in the right elevation necessary for an accurate fire, and automatically sets the time delay fuse in the grenade to activate the grenade just before impact, at a preset altitude over the target. The fuse of the advanced 40 mm grenade can also be set to explode at a preset delay after an impact, to enable penetration of a soft target like a window.

IMI is planning an upgrade of the current version . The company says that by adding a small transmitter the range of the target will be transmitted to other soldiers or commanders and become part of the network centric approach that is gaining popularity among advanced armed forces.

We tested the MPRS in an IMI range. An inert grenade was put through a window target some 100 meters from us, without any problem.

The test proved that the system is very user friendly. A soldier selects the mode of action – air burst, time delay, and point of detonation – based on the type of target, measures the range, feeds the data into the armament, aims precisely at the target and shoots.

The MPRS replaces existing sights. A controller on the clip allows the user to operate the system, without having to interrupt the weapon’s operation. A communications unit handles the interface between the sight and the armament, allowing operational data to be transmitted. The recoil absorption mechanism is designed in order to support high-momentum firing to increase maximum range.

The system determines the delay time of the grenade and tests proved that the delay is very accurate and achieves the best results.

We were shown videos of recent tests and they show a very precise detonation.

The MPRS adds 750 grams to the weight of the assault rifle but IMI says that it replaces the currently used “red dot” sight so that the real weight addition is less.