[antoninho]

Para o Luso comentar....



M4, in Their Sights

Competitors See Opening To Challenge Colt For Billion-Dollar U.S. Army Carbine Market

25 February 2008


The U.S. Army says it's standing by its M4 carbine, but doubts about the weapon's reliability have energized the small-arms world, which is now painting a target on a billion-dollar market that has been seemingly locked up by M4 maker Colt Defense LLC.

The latest round of controversy surrounding the M4 came in late November, when the embattled carbine finished last in an Army reliability test against several peers.

The M4 suffered more stoppages than the combined number of jams by the three other competitors - Heckler & Koch XM8, FNH USA's Special Operations Forces Combat Assault Rifle (SCAR) and the H&K 416.

The Army downplayed the test results, maintaining that soldiers using the M4 in combat praised the weapon in a recent study by the Center for Naval Analysis.

"What we are hearing from the field is that we are not seeing any great amount of stoppages due to the conditions. What soldiers are doing is cleaning their weapons often," said Richard Audette, deputy program manager for soldier weapons, Picatinny Arsenal, N.J.

Nonetheless, service officials did acknowledge that changes could be made to the magazine to decrease the amount of stoppages. Now, the Army is redesigning the M4 carbine's magazine to help it feed rounds more consistently.

"The magazine spring is going to be made of thicker wire, will have a wider coil profile and flat end coils. The follower, or material on top of the spring that allows for consistent feeding of rounds into the weapon, is being improved as well," said Lt. Col. Tim Chyma, product manager for individual weapons. Audette added that testing of the improved magazine is slated for this summer.

But these recent test results aren't the first time the M4's performance has come under scrutiny.

The Army's Delta Force replaced its M4s with the HK416 in 2004 after tests revealed that a piston operating system reduces malfunctions while increasing the life of parts.

The M4, like its predecessor, the M16, uses a gas tube system, which relies on the gas created when a bullet is fired to cycle the weapon. Weapon experts say the M4's system of blowing gas directly into the receiver of the weapon spews carbon residue that can lead to fouling and heat that dries up lubrication and causes excessive wear on parts.

U.S. Special Operations Command has also revised its small-arms requirements. In November 2004, SOCom awarded a developmental contract to FN Herstal to develop another piston for its new SCAR, which is also piston-operated, to replace its weapons from the M16 family.

Officials with Colt declined to comment.

These moves to oust the M16 family have ignited enthusiasm and creativity in the small arms community. Many gun companies view the controversy surrounding the M4 as justification to plan ahead for the chance to produce the Army's next rifle.

Even small players like Magpul Industries are daring to dream big. The Boulder, Colo., company - best known for inventing a molded-plastic, magazine attachment that helps combat troops perform speedy magazine changes - just last year unveiled a new carbine system known as the Masada.

The weapon features a gas piston operating system, tool-less quick change barrels, multi-adjustable folding stock and is compatible with a number of

[antoninho]

Israel's Tavor Strengthens Grip on Global Market

25 February 2008

Tel Aviv - Having elbowed out the U.S. M16 as the weapon of choice for Israeli infantry, local producers of the TAR 21 Tavor are strengthening their grip on the global market with an extended family of high-powered assault rifles for battlefield and urban operations.

No longer an untested novelty of the Israeli defense industry, the Tavor's distinctive long-barreled design, one-armed handling abilities and built-in aiming aids are earning it an increasingly respectable share of export customers. Since its Israeli Army certification in 2002, the Tavor and various spinoffs have been selected to equip infantry, special forces and elite law enforcement teams in nearly a dozen nations, including India, Colombia, Georgia, Portugal and Thailand.

"It wasn't an easy decision for the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]," recalled David Marciano, a colonel in the IDF reserves who managed the Tavor's evaluation, certification and initial procurement contract on behalf of Ground Forces Command.

"The easy route would have been through the American option. With the M4, we had a proven, off-the-shelf, mass-produced commodity in service with the world's sole superpower," said Marciano, former head of the command's infantry branch who later directed all ground forces modernization programs.

According to Marciano, the IDF's embrace of the Tavor came only after "a grueling, three-year evaluation under the most extreme conditions we could think of."

The former IDF acquisition official credited Israel Military Industries (IMI), developers of the Tavor, and its current owners, Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), with working "hand in hand" with IDF users throughout the nearly decade-long development, testing, certification and initial production phases.

In a Feb. 11 interview, Marciano attributed the Tavor's so-called bullpup design - which effectively creates a longer barrel through its placement of the magazine behind the trigger - for the higher-powered performance and greater range demonstrated in IDF testing. Another distinct advantage, he said, was the Tavor's integral optical sight that allows soldiers to aim with open eyes.

"No doubt, the bullpup concept and the man-machine interface provide enormous added value, particularly in close-in urban war-fighting scenarios," he said. "Soldiers can operate this weapon easily with one hand without ever having to take their eyes off the target."

Aspiring to Uzi Status

By the start of the next decade, IWI executives expect the Tavor family and its newest member, the MTAR 21 Micro Tavor, to become almost as ubiquitous as its forebear, the Uzi. Like the venerable submachine gun produced by the millions since its circa-1950 debut, Tavor was a product of IMI until the state-owned firm sold its Magen Small Arms Division to IWI in 2005.

"In the next few years, we aim to become one of the world's most influential providers of small arms," said Mark Shachar, IWI's vice president for marketing and business development.

Shachar, a 25-year executive with IMI before moving to the new, privately held firm, declined to specify IWI's targeted sales or market projections. However, he insisted that in the three years since the acquisition, IWI has more than doubled its global presence.

Beyond intensified marketing and a companywide commitment to training and customer service, Shachar said, IWI aims to increase sales through local partnerships, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions. He acknowledged that IWI sales to date have been primarily in the developing world, but with customers who aspire to First World capabilities.

"We're not competing with the Kalashnikov. We view our peers as the best that American, German, Belgian providers can offer," he said.

The IWI executive said the firm "is just now beginning to realize the enormous market potential" for Tavor and its variants. According to the former IDF Golani infantryman, the weapon is designed to be exceedingly precise.

"Ideally, the soldier has to hit his target on the first shot, because he may not have the chance for a second shot," he said.

Similarly, Tavor is designed to provide longer ranges in accordance with the IDF's so-called "see-first, understand-first, act-first" concept of operations.

"Three-quarters of this tool is all barrel, which means higher-powered trajectory and longer range," Shachar said. "We're talking 800 meters or more. Obviously, that exceeds operational ranges of close-in combat, but the enemy can often surprise us from much farther away."

The Tavor family consists of the standard TAR 21; a slightly shorter CTAR 21 for commanders and paratroopers; and the STAR 21 sharpshooter models, all of which fire 5.56mm ammunition. Night vision sights are designed to snap into the flat-topped barrel casing without so-called zeroing preparation.

"This system transitions from day to night operations literally in a heartbeat," Shachar said. "Even while running, the soldier merely has to reach into his pouch and click it in place. The red dot from the integral sight becomes green, and the soldier is fully prepared for nighttime operations."

Twin-Caliber Option

Later this year, IWI will begin accepting production orders for its newest Tavor spin-off for special forces, secret service details and elite law enforcement teams. Designated the MTAR 21 Micro Tavor, the new weapon combines 5.56mm assault and 9mm submachine gun capabilities on a single compact rifle.

According to IWI data, a three-piece conversion kit allows special mission users to transform their compact 5.56mm assault rifles into submachine guns in less than five minutes. Moreover, the weapon can be further tailored for specialized missions through a variety of accessories, including integral silencer and high-intensity flashlight with laser pointer.

"There's no other dual-caliber system on the market. It's an entirely new animal designed specifically for the multimission requirements of the special forces community," Shachar said. "The Micro Tavor offers a small, clever and versatile system. For the price of a rifle and a half, users actually receive two parallel high-performance personal weapons."

He said IWI is finalizing evaluation and field testing of the Micro Tavor and has prepared production facilities to accommodate initial orders

[antoninho]

Canada Eyes European Markets, Export Law Hurdles

Published: 25 February 2008

VICTORIA, British Columbia - Canada's main small-arms manufacturer is working to drum up new business in Portugal and the Netherlands but is being prevented by Canadian export laws from pursuing deals in the Czech and Slovak republics.

Colt Canada, considered by the Canadian government to be the nation's small-arms center of excellence, has been trying to convince the country's Foreign Affairs Department to include both republics on a list of nations to which it can sell small arms.

Under the Automatic Firearms Country Control List (AFCCL), Colt Canada and other Canadian defense firms can sell weapons to 20 specific nations, most of which are allied with NATO or Western interests.

The AFCCL is a means to prevent Canadian automatic firearms from being shipped to nations in conflict. The countries on the list are those with which Canada has military and defense production relationships.

"Unfortunately, the Czech Republic as well as the Slovak Republic are not on the AFCCL yet," said Francis Bleeker, Colt Canada's director of sales and marketing.

Getting on the List

He said he has been trying to convince Foreign Affairs officials to allow those NATO nations to receive exports. Both countries intend to switch their AK-47 type weaponry to firearms capable of shooting the NATO 5.56mm caliber, and Colt Canada wants to bid on those programs.

States are added to the AFCCL by the Canadian government as potential new defense contracts or markets emerge. Greece and New Zealand were added six years ago at a time when the Canadian government and industry were looking to sell fighter aircraft and light armored vehicles to those nations. Both the aircraft and armored vehicles were equipped with automatic cannons.

Botswana was added in 2001 to pave the way for the Canadian sale of surplus CF-5 fighter aircraft, also equipped with automatic cannons. In 2005, Poland, Portugal, Finland and Latvia were added to the list in recognition of the potential for defense sales to those nations.

Small arms export specialist Alistair Edgar said it doesn't make sense that the Canadian government has not updated the AFCCL to include the Czech and Slovak republics, but the reason for the problem is likely bureaucratic inertia.

"Foreign Affairs has had a lot on its plate lately with Afghanistan, so this isn't likely a priority for them," said Edgar, a political science professor at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. "But I don't know of any reason why those two countries shouldn't be on the list."

Foreign Affairs officials did not respond to a request for comment on the issue.

In the meantime, Colt Canada, based in Kitchener, Ontario, is turning its sights to potential markets in the Netherlands and Portugal.

The Dutch military purchased Colt Canada's C-7 rifle in the mid-1990s but intends to do a midlife upgrade on the weapons. The C-7 is a version of Colt's M-16 rifle.

The Dutch are requiring various changes to the C-7s, including outfitting the rifles with extendable butt stocks as well as rails so various pieces of equipment, such as laser pointers and flashlights, can be installed on the weapons. The Dutch also want the rifles to be ambidextrous.

"We would have to bid against other suppliers, but as the original contractor, we think we stand a good chance" of winning, Bleeker said.

Portugal also recently issued a request for proposals for a small-arms replacement program. Bleeker said Portugal intends to buy 26,900 assault rifles, 1,600 belt-feed light machine guns and 4,100 9mm pistols.

"That is definitely an opportunity that we are pursuing in regards to the rifles," Bleeker said.

There is also the potential that some security agencies in Poland, such as the country's border guards, will switch to 5.56mm caliber from their existing AK-47 variants.

New Power Supplies

Work is also being done at Colt Canada to provide small arms with a power supply to operate the various accessories, such as flashlights and laser pointers, which have been outfitted on the weapons. One method, Bleeker said, is to install long-lasting batteries into the body of the rifles.

"There are still some cavities in the rifle where you can put a battery," he said.

Bleeker acknowledged that will add weight to the weapon, but he pointed out that weight is also being reduced in other areas. For instance, Colt Canada's C-7A2 rifle is now outfitted with an extendable butt stock, removing the heavier solid stock previously on the C-7.

The Canadian military has also done some initial work on its future small arms replacement program, estimated to cost at least 800 million Canadian dollars ($793.5 million).

The Canadian Forces currently uses the C-7 family of rifles, and Colt Canada has the inside track on any replacement contract.

But Bleeker said that program is still years off. It would eventually replace the Canadian Forces inventory of rifles, pistols, shotguns and machine guns. As many as 90,000 weapons would be procured, but the program doesn't envision the new firearms being acquired until at least 2013.

[Luso]

Não há muito para comentar, antoninho.
O pessoal de topo de lá (como de cá) entende que as coisas que fazem parte da realidade suja e violenta são elemetos que estão abaixo da sua  dignidade. Decidir o contrário é colocar em causa os lugares para onde os mesmos poderão ir trabalhar logo que abandonem a estrutura militar.
Depois, a Colt é uma instituição que é quase como o nosso pastel de Belém. É património.
Há também a ideia que quem decide quer substituir (ou diz que quer) a M16/M4 por algo que seja efectivamente revolucionário ou então mais eficiente em várias ordens de grandeza. Caso contrário não vale a pena (a não ser para aqueles que arriscam efectivamente o pescoço).
Fala-se que estão a desenvolver uma munição que permitirá ganhos de eficiência sobretudo no peso, mas não em letalidade ou balística. Mas quanto a isto apenas sei aquilo que toda a gente pode saber ou ler por aí.
As armas ligeiras são coisas onde os lucros não são muitos em comparação com outros sistemas e onde não se pode ir roub... facturar em pesquisa e desenvolvimento.

[pedro]

So uma pergunta eles falam em 26,900 assault rifles isso nao é pouco??
Cumprimentos

[Luso]

So uma pergunta eles falam em 26,900 assault rifles isso nao é pouco??
Cumprimentos

Considerando a população adulta - e com idade inferior a quê, uns 55 anos? - creio que é pouco.

[lurker]

Fala-se que estão a desenvolver uma munição que permitirá ganhos de eficiência sobretudo no peso, mas não em letalidade ou balística. Mas quanto a isto apenas sei aquilo que toda a gente pode saber ou ler por aí.

A meu ver, o peso do cartucho + propulsor + ignitor são os únicos aspectos onde de momento há espaço para evoluções significativas à tecnologia actualmente disponivel.

A forma dos projecteis está bastante optimizada, a construção dos projectéis está limitada pela convenção de Genebra e o momento/energia do projéctil está limitado pela 3ª Lei de Newton.

[Janus]

Iraqi Army to Ditch AK-47s for M-16s

Military.com  |  By Christian Lowe  |  February 27, 2008

In a move that could be the most enduring imprint of U.S. influence in the Arab world, American military officials in Baghdad have begun a crash program to outfit the entire Iraqi army with M-16 rifles.

The initiative marks a sharp break for a culture steeped in the traditions of the Soviet-era AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle, a symbol of revolutionary zeal and third-world simplicity that is ubiquitous among the militaries of the Middle East.

 "We in the U.S. know that the M-16 is superior to the AK ... it's more durable," said Army Col. Stephen Scott, who's in charge of helping the Iraqi army get all the equipment it needs to outfit its forces.

"The Iraqis have embraced that ... and the fact that it is U.S. manufactured and supplied. They are very big on U.S.-produced [foreign military sales] materials," he said in an interview with military bloggers this month.

So far, the U.S. military has helped the Iraqi army purchase 43,000 rifles - a mix of full-stock M-16A2s and compact M-4 carbines. Another 50,000 rifles are currently on order, and the objective is to outfit the entire Iraqi army with 165,000 American rifles in a one-for-one replacement of the AK-47.

"Our goal is to give every Iraqi soldier an M-16A2 or an M-4," Scott said. "And as the Iraqi army grows, we will adjust."

Scott added the mass of AK-47s from various manufacturers floating through the Iraqi army's inventory could cause maintenance and reliability problems. Getting both U.S. and Iraqi forces on the same page when it comes to basic weaponry is part of the argument for M-16 outfitting.

"I'm also a fan of AKs," Scott said. "But keep in mind most of these AKs have been sitting around in bunkers or whatnot for 30 or 40 years [and] are in various stages of disrepair."

A variety of U.S. troops, including SEALs, Marines and Soldiers - and even civilian contractors - are training Iraqis on the M-16 and M-4 throughout the country. One civilian trainer told Military.com during a brief interview in Iraq that the Iraqi soldiers are a little behind the average American trooper when it comes to learning the various parts and breakdown of the M-16, but they're enthusiastic and quick learners on the range.

After seeing some of the firing range training himself, Scott added that he "asked the Iraqis how they liked the weapon and they said it was far superior, it was more accurate ... and more reliable."

"I think the transition is almost transparent from those older AKs," he said.

A system that registers each rifle with the individual who receives it using biometric data such as thumb prints and eye scans is meant to address concerns over U.S. weapons winding up in enemy hands. A July 2007 Government Accountability Office report concluded that as many as 190,000 weapons delivered to the Iraqi army were not accounted for and could've wound up in terrorist caches.

That's something Scott isn't going to allow on his watch.

"These Iraqi soldiers know that this weapon becomes part of their person," he said. "And they also know that they are responsible and accountable for that weapon."

And from the looks of it, Iraqi soldiers aren't willing to hand them over to the bad guys.

"Most of the soldiers think they will be just like the Americans, and that is making them very happy," said Capt. Rafaat Mejal Ahmed, the Iraqi 1st Division weapons and ammunition officer, in a Marine Corps release. "They think the modern technology will make them more powerful."