- Title: FRANCE: BIANNUAL INTERNATIONAL DEFENCE EXHIBITION "EUROSATORY" OPENS
- Date: 16th June 2004
- Summary: (U7)PARIS, FRANCE (14 JUNE 2004) (REUTERS) 1. MILITARY EUROCOPTERS ON EXHIBIT; SIGN OF EUROCOPTER BY EADS 0.09 2. MV CHINESE MILITARY MAN EXAMINING HELICOPTERS (VARIOUS) 0.25 3. MV JERNAS ADVANCED AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM USING RAPIER MK2 MISSILES, MADE BY mbdq (VARIOUS) 0.31 4. VCBI VEHICLE; MV SOLDIERS EXAMINING INSIDE OF VCBI 0.48 5. (SOUNDBITE) (French) PIERRE ROUX, DIRECTOR OF INFANTRY SECTOR AT GIAT INDUSTRIES, SAYING "This material is characterised by the fact that it was developed around the needs of the crew. The VCBI can carry the soldiers plus their combat leader, thus twelve people in total, and thinking about the crews the engineers considered the comfort and layout of the vehicle. They have lots of room inside and it's very comfortable. It is built in a protective material that doesnt have any equivalent elsewhere in the world. It is of very high level". 1.31 6. MV AMERICAN SOLDIER USING IMPROVED TARGET ACQUISITION SYSTEM; CLOSEUP SCREEN OF IMPROVED TARGET ACQUISITION SYSTEM (6 SHOTS) 2.09 7. MV RICHARD RAY, LOGISTICS TEAL LEADER FOR THE IMPROVED TARGET ACQUISITION SYSTEM, TALKING TO COLLEAGUE; MV AMERICAN SOLDIER LOOKING AT AMERICAN MISSILE 2.16 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) RICHARD RAY SAYING: "The latest technology that the US Army has is a lot of the times using second generation flare capability to detect people moving or vehicles that are not supposed to be in a certain area. This technology can detect vehicles out to extended ranges in daylight or nightvision sight. Detection is a great way of spotting people who are not supposed to be in a certain area." 2.48 9. SCU MAN PLAYING MISSILE TARGETS ON COMPUTER TYPE SIMULATOR; SCU MINE BOOT 3.07 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERGE PIAT FROM ANONYMATE SAYING: "How it works? These [sole sectors] are here so you can walk because you cannot walk on the sides, and so as soon as your feet searches the mine, those pieces goes away and the boot goes on its side. This is why the boot is so high, so that it reaches on to the other leg and you don't get burned so badly. If someone touches a mine, the temperature is up to 4,000 degrees so you have to be careful and this is long time researched. It's made in kevlar, it can resist very high temperatures and very high pressure. " 3.46 11. SCU MINE BOOT 3.54 12. WIDE VIEW OF OPEN AIR EXHIBIT 4.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 1st July 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Reuters ID: LVABSYFOLDNFB1MNZTCRMBNGEK0C
- Story Text: Eurosatory, the biannual international defence exhibition, has
opened in Paris.
The international land and land-air defence exhibition
Eurosatory 2004 opened in Paris on Monday (June 14, 2004). The
five-day event is expected to attract about 40,000 decision-makers
and professional visitors from the sector, coming from 120
countries.
The expo of land and land-air defence equipment manufacturers
presents 830 exhibitors. Along with large defence industries
operators, such as Thales, EADS, Dassault Aviation, Sagem and
many others, the Eurosatory show presents a range of small and
medium-sized companies, active in the field, accounting for
75 pct of the 2004 overall exhibitors.
The bi-annual event is organised by the General Commission for GICAT
Events and Exhibitions (COGES), part of French air and land defence
association Groupement des Industries Concernees par les materiels
de Defense Terrestre (GICAT).
One of the highlights of the display was the VCBI Satory Military
Vehicle, which the French Army has selected 8 infantry fighting vehicle
as a successor to the AMX10P. The VBCI (Vehicule de Combat d'Infanterie)
is a wheeled 8 x 8 infantry fighting vehicle with modular protection
that can be adapted to the threat. Conditional orders have been placed
to cover the supply of 700 vehicles to the French Army in two versions.
The Ministry of Defence awarded the VBCI contract to Giat Industries
and Renault VI in November 2000.
A new company, Satory Military Vehicles, has been set up by Giat and
Renault to manage the VBCI contract and a number of other vehicles
including the VAB series and the AMX-10RC.
Renault has responsibility for the mobility systems, including
the driver's station, engine, gearbox, suspension and axles and
on-board electrical networks. Giat is responsible for the armoured
hull, interior furnishing, assembly and integration of the turret
and vehicle, observation, command and control, weapons and
self-protection systems. Three prototypes are to be completed
by 2005 and the vehicle enters series production in 2006.
"This material is characterised by the fact that it was developed
around the needs of the crew. The VCBI can carry the soldiers plus
their combat leader, thus 12 people in total, and thinking about
the crews the engineers considered the comfort and layout of the vehicle.
They have lots of room inside and it's very comfortable. It is built
in a protective material that doesnt have any equivalent elsewhere
in the world. It is of very high level", Pierre Roux, from Giat,
told Reuters Television at the show.
The VCI infantry fighting vehicle version has a combat weight of 26t
and accommodates the two crew, the gunner, the driver and a combat
team of eight troops and a commander. The troops can rapidly embark
or disembark from the power operated ramp door at the rear of the vehicle.
The vehicle will operate in high intensity operations and with Leclerc
main battle tanks. The crew and troops are protected from a range of
threats, including 155mm shell shrapnel and small and medium calibre shells.
The welded steel and aluminium alloy hull is fitted with spall liners
and add-on titanium armour plate to protect against anti-tank weapons.
The box structure floor and running gear provide protection against
exploding mines.
General features include suspension, air conditioning, interior free
volume, storage space, NBC warfare protection and noise and vibration
protection. The vehicle can reach speeds over 100km/hr on metalled roads and
has an unrefuelled range of 750km. It has demonstrated manoeuvrability in
rough terrain over obstacles such as 60° forward slope, 30° side slope, 2m
trench and 0.7m steps. The vehicle can be driven with seven wheels if
a wheel is lost by mine explosion.
The theme for the US participation in this year was "How to win on
the war on terrorism with US technology". Sponsored by the US government
and officially certified by the US department of Commerce, the US stand
featured a wide range of missiles and ancillaries associated with them.
Among such items was the latest ITAS (improved target acquisition
system), used for increasing maintainability and reduced logitics
requirements. The article also features a machine interfase that
improves system engagement performance. It includes an integrated
(day/night sight with laser rangefinder) target acquisition system, fire
control subsystem and traversing unit.
The ITAS has no known direct foreign counterpart. It is currently being
fielded to airborne, air assault and light infantry forces throughout the
active and reserve components of the US army.
The French company Anonymate presented its latest anti-personal mines
boot, a successor of the model that won the Chicago Good Design Award
in 2000.
"As soon as your feet searches the mine, those pieces goes away and
the boot goes on its side. This is why the boot is so high, so that
it reaches on to the other leg and you don't get burned so badly.
If someone touches a mine, the temperature is up to 4,000 degrees so
you have to be careful and this is long time researched. It's made in
kevlar, it can resist very high temperatures and very high pressure",
Serge Piat from Anonymate told Reuters Television.
The French also unveiled a new 300 million-euro reconnaissance drone
project that will be run by Airbus parent EADS and complement an existing
French-led programme on unmanned combat planes. Dubbed EuroMale, for medium
altitude long endurance, the project aims to produce an unmanned observation
plane by 2008 that is capable of flying distances of up to 4,500 kilometres
and can stay in the air for up to 24 hours.
Israel and France are expected to sign the biggest weapons deal between
the two countries since the French embargo on weapons sales to Israel
prior to the 1967 Mideast war. The deal, worth 150 million to 200 million
US dollars, is to be signed during the Eurosatory show.
The deal will formally commission Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) to sell
expertise for the manufacture of drones for France's major defense industries.
According to the contract, IAI will supply expertise to manufacture the Eagle
1 drone, whose development is based on the strategic drone now in the service
of the Israel Defense Forces.
The Eurosatory trade show is a biennial event, held since 1992 by the
French Land Defense Manufacturers Association, under the patronage of
France's Defense Ministry. This year, Russia will be taking part in the
show for a fourth time.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
