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Softkill protection systems by Rheinmetall: Growing customer base for state-of-the-art protection

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NAVDEX 2013 Daily News - Rheinmetall at IDEX 2013
 
 
 
Softkill protection systems by Rheinmetall: Growing customer base for state-of-the-art protection
 
Rapid technological advances are making intelligent weapon systems smarter and deadlier than ever. Rheinmetall has specialized for many years in developing and producing high-quality components and innovative systems for protecting people, vehicles, aircraft, ships and installations, and offers a wide range of highly effective active, passive and softkill protection solutions. A growing customer base underlines Rheinmetall’s experience and competence in this field. Visitors to IDEX 2013 can view three of the company’s advanced passive protection systems: Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS), Bullfighter and the Rapid Obscurant System (ROSY).
     
Rapid technological advances are making intelligent weapon systems smarter and deadlier than ever. Rheinmetall has specialized for many years in developing and producing high-quality components and innovative systems for protecting people, vehicles, aircraft, ships and installations, and offers a wide range of highly effective active, passive and softkill protection solutions. A growing customer base underlines Rheinmetall’s experience and competence in this field. Visitors to IDEX 2013 can view three of the company’s advanced passive protection systems: Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS), Bullfighter and the Rapid Obscurant System (ROSY).
Rheinmetall MASS_DUERAS at IDEX 2013
     
Rheinmetall MASS: piggyback naval countermeasure system for added punch

Rheinmetall’s Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS) protects ships from attacks with modern, sensor-guided anti-ship missiles on the high seas and littoral zones as well as from asymmetric, terrorist-type threats by firing decoy rounds which diverts incoming missiles from their intended target.

MASS has proven highly effective in various international trials. The system’s innovative, programmable omnispectral rounds – 32 per launcher – assure protection in all relevant wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum (radar, infrared, laser, electro-optic, ultraviolet). MASS can be installed on board any type of ship, and operates either in standalone mode or as an integral part of the ship’s networked C4I and weapon engagement systems.

In addition to the standard MASS configuration, Rheinmetall offers two optional versions, MASS_DUERAS and MASS_ISS.

The MASS_DUERAS is a piggyback solution. It features launching tubes for distraction rockets mounted on top of the MASS launcher. Anti-torpedo distraction rockets will also be available soon. In 2009 Canada chose the MASS_DUERAS as standard equipment for the upgrade program of its Halifax-class frigates.

Featuring built-in sensors for detecting radar, laser and electro-optical threats, the MASS Integrated Sensor Suite (ISS) configuration has now been extended to include “NavGuard”, an active missile approach warning device. It is capable of detecting small incoming guided missiles such as MILAN, Sagger or Fagott, and thus closes a vulnerability gap when it comes to protecting vessels in littoral zones.

MASS offers a whole host of tactical, operational and logistical advantages, and is specifically designed to meet the changing requirements of modern navies, with abundant scope for future technological growth.

The procurement statistics bear this out. Since its market launch in 2002, thirteen nations have ordered a total of 200 MASS launcher systems for no fewer than 25 different types of vessels. One of the latest customers is the Algerian navy which has procured two MASS_4L for the Meko A200 frigates, each with a four launcher configuration and the long range firing and distraction capability MASS_DUERAS.
     
Rapid technological advances are making intelligent weapon systems smarter and deadlier than ever. Rheinmetall has specialized for many years in developing and producing high-quality components and innovative systems for protecting people, vehicles, aircraft, ships and installations, and offers a wide range of highly effective active, passive and softkill protection solutions. A growing customer base underlines Rheinmetall’s experience and competence in this field. Visitors to IDEX 2013 can view three of the company’s advanced passive protection systems: Multi Ammunition Softkill System (MASS), Bullfighter and the Rapid Obscurant System (ROSY).
Rheinmetall's ROSY_N naval countermeasure system
     
Rheinmetall Rosy: State-of-the-art protection at sea and on land

Rheinmetall’s 40mm Rapid Obscurant System (ROSY) is a countermeasure system designed for both naval and land applications.

The land version – the ROSY_L system – provides light military and civilian vehicles with 360° protection from unexpected attacks by countering conventional weapons, weapons with optical devices and laser rangefinders (TV-, EO-, IR-, IIR-, laser- and SACLOS-guided weapons). Unlike conventional smoke protection systems, ROSY not only produces an instantaneous, large-area, multispectral interruption of the line of sight in a fraction of a second, but also generates a dynamic smoke screen, capable of providing vehicles on the move with sustained protection from multiple attacks.

The naval version ROSY_N is optimized for protecting small vessels such as fast attack craft, patrol vessels and rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIB). ROSY_N creates a 1,000 square-metre multispectral smoke screen in just 0.4 seconds and can counter multiple threats without reloading. This helps to protect sailors, coast guards and special operations forces units operating in coastal waters and on rivers to defend themselves from sudden flat trajectory fire, such as small arms fire, RPGs and missiles.

Just recently the Peruvian Navy has equipped six of its Griffon GH-2000 TD(M) hovercrafts with ROSY_N to protect them during operations in the Amazon region to suppress drug trafficking.