ARMY Forum goes well despite COVID

The 6th International ARMY Forum was run on schedule between August, 23-29 to

become the first large scale defense related exhibition and conference since Defexpo and

Singapore Airshow. The Forum Organizers applied unprecedented anti-epidemic measures

due to COVID-19. All the non-Russian visitors were enforced to pass tests to prove being

COVID-free, and all the visitors had had to follow the mask regime at the show grounds.

The Russian Armed Forces have been being substantially modernized and upgraded

thanks to the current State Armament Program (SAP 2018-2027) worth of 20 trillion rubles (over

USD 250 billion). From this sum 19 trillion rubles are to be spent on procurement, repairing and

developing of armaments, military and special hardware, and one trillion – on the corresponding

infrastructure construction.

Not surprisingly the Russian defence industries took an active part in the ARMY-2020

Forum being organized by the MoD to show their products in the best light for the major

Customer. Participants included 1457 enterprises and organizations to present over 28 thousand

samples of military and dual-use products. The Russian companies were teamed by the national

pavilions of Belarus, Brazil, India, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The main operators of the

Russian defense equipment including PR China, India and Vietnam were presented by the high-

ranking delegations.

As stated by the MoD officials, the exhibition continued to break its own records on key

indicators, including amount of contracts being signed. The show witnessed 40+ state contracts

with 27 enterprises of the military-industrial complex for a total amount of 1 trillion 160 billion

rubles. The details of many deals were not disclosed, however the Head of MoD General Sergei

Shoigu noted the fact that “procurement has moved from the single copies and small batches

purchasing for the large series contracts”.

The High-Precision Weapons (HPW) holding proved its reputation as the main

Forum newsmaker with a number of its latest technological novelties.

The Tula-based Shipunov KBP Instrument Design Bureau (HPW subsidiary) showcased

its new-generation Hermes missile system with over-the-horizon range of 100 km. Hermes has

an autonomous guidance of the fire-and-forget type. “The system features the salvo launch mode

at several (up to six) scattered targets and automated synchronisation of laser guidance for

striking targets with a high-precision projectile with deviation not exceeding 0.5 meters,” the

company spokesman said. The system includes a number of vehicles ranging from a command

one, which employs computers, panels and controls plus communication and data transmitting

equipment alongside several combat vehicles equipped with mobile launchers. Additionally, a

transport-loading vehicle has an on-board stock of missiles, a crane and a reloading mechanism

in addition to a reconnaissance device with a UAV to provide target detection and laser

illumination round-the-clock in all weather conditions. The missile itself is reported to have a

maximum flight velocity of 1300 m/s and is equipped with a HEF type warhead of 28 kg. The

missile caliber is 210 mm in the booster stage and 130 mm at the warhead area. It is transported

in a sealed container of 3500 mm length. The container weight is 130 kg with six being deployed

per vehicle. The manufacturer also announced that the HERMES missiles can be fired from land-based, naval and aerial platforms, including strike UAVs. KBP used Army-2020 to show

HERMES on a light trailer to demonstrate an extra variant of application.

Kurganmashzavod (part of HPW) presented a BMP-3 IFV family named Manul. The

vehicle’s prime novelty is a front-located engine compartment with UTD-32 engine of increased

power up to 660 hp. The revolutionary engine position significantly increased its protection

against frontal shelling. The Manul is fitted with the TKB-945 unmanned combat module being

in use on the medium tracked and wheeled platforms Kurganets-25 and Boomerang, as well as

on the heavy BMP T-15 Armata. The module is armed with 30mm automatic cannon, a 7.62mm

machine gun, and the Kornet anti-tank system capable of destroying all existing tanks. Due to the

engine front location the troop compartment can now accommodate eight soldiers. According to

the Producer, the new IFV is mainly focused on export, in particular on the users of BMP-3 as

the degree of unification of Manul with BMP-3 is 50%.

Another HPW subsidiary, the Research institute (VNII) Signal, disclosed a man-portable

automated artillery fire control system being titled Planshet-A. The brain of the system is a lap-

top size computer using the Russian national elementary base. The computer itself can be placed

in the breast pocket of the military field uniform. The batteries and charges can be carried and

transported in the attache-case size boxes. Planshet-A is intended to optimize the artillery fire to

diminish the time for preparation and extend precision and mission performance for any type of

self-propelled and towered artillery including howitzers, mortars and MLRS. The Planshet

system includes several computers and means of communication being distributed among the

battery/ battalion commanders and their sub-units including platoons and separate guns/vehicles.

The system is to come in regular service with the Russian Army by the end of 2020 and will be

ready for export from early 2021

The Army-2020 Forum not only proved Russia's strong positions in traditional

areas such as air defense, smart weapons, armored vehicles, but also displayed

breakthroughs in a number of news technologies, drones in particular. This fact was

specially noticed by General Sergey Shoigu. He encouraged industries with a promise on

large contracts on UAVs to be concluded by the year end.

The Orion UAV became one of the Forum highlights. The Russian MoD signed the first

serial contract on the Orion supply. The completely domestic-made heavy drone has already

passed a significant part of the trials, including combat tests in Syria. Being initially designed as

the long-range aerial reconnaissance system, the UAV has been modified to perform strike

missions and was displayed at the Forum with a full range of payload including missiles and

bombs. Orion is a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned vehicle which has a

normal aerodynamic scheme with a 16-meter wing in the middle and V-shaped tail fins.

Maximum takeoff weight is 1200 kg. Orion can fly 24 hours at altitudes of 7500 meters with a

200-kg payload. The producers announced plans to occupy a niche of MALE-class UAV world

market and signed an agreement on cooperation with Rosoboronexport. The Russia’s major

exporter is intended to promote other advanced unmanned aerial vehicles, including Grom

(Thunder) high-speed striking UAV with a maximum take-off weight of 7 tons and 2 tons

payload.The latest counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) were also among the Forum

highlights.

They included Rubezh-Avtomatika, Bastion-Avtomatika and Kupol-PRO designs.

Rubezh-Avtomatika is a new design with an intelligent control to detect and neutralize drones

without human interference. It can be used in field and city conditions, installed in open sites and

on roofs. The complex comprises radio reconnaissance and adaptive electronic jamming. The

Kupol-PRO affects drones in a certain perimeter, that is, covers the territory with a kind of dome.

It has a shorter range (up to 2.5 km above the protected area), but it is maximally mobile.

Robotic anti-drone systems are capable of integrating with various weapons systems, for

example, with the Pantsir air defense missile system.

Another novelty was the Rat multifunctional mobile system. The system was developed

on the basis of a special armored vehicle and is equipped with a full range of drone detection and

suppression equipment to protect critical objects from unauthorized UAV intrusion. It includes a

radar station, equipment for automatic recognition and suppression of telecommunication

channels, a system of directed ultrahigh-frequency (microwave) suppression and a system of

directed laser destruction. The Rat system can detect drones up to 3.5 km away and destroy them

within a radius of up to 2.5 km.

More debutants

Almaz-Antey Concern unveiled the Antey-4000, export version of the S-300V4 anti-

aircraft missile system. The company displayed 9A83M-2E launcher, 9A84M-1E launcher-

loader vehicle; and surface-to-air missiles (9M83ME and 9M82ME) capable of hitting 24 aerial

targets simultaneously. The primary improvement of the Antey-4000 over the prior Antey-2500

and S-300VM systems is the enhanced engagement envelope for all targets engaged by the

system. Touted to be a “fully digital system, it is said to have a range of about 400 km.

The Ganichev Splav displayed the 9M544 300-mm high-precision guided rocket

projectile with HEAT-fragmentation warheads for the Tornado-S MRLS with a range of up to

120 km. The new projectile has the weight and size characteristics of the standard projectiles for

the Smerch MRLS, but at the same time it is significantly different in design. The classic rocket

has a pin at the base and the guide has a screw groove. This ensures the rotation of the projectile

when leaving the guide and stabilizes the flight. The stabilization of the new projectile is

provided by the tail unit, and it is controlled by four wings in the nose. The 9M544 projectile

features control system based on the SN398 inertial navigation system (INS) developed by the

Pilugin Scientific & production center of automation and device-building. The control system

includes high-tech devices that were originally created for the space industry. For example, the

unit for measuring the angular velocity with an accelerometer is designed to operate as part of

spacecraft motion control systems. Alexander Smirnov, the Splav CEO claimed the projectile

was the first in the range of guided ones to open absolute new opportunities for artillery units.

"The system allows guided projectiles to be fired in a single fire mode at various points distant

from each other and to hit targets with high accuracy," said the head of the enterprise.