Military Technology 06/2020

Editorial Zero-SumThinking................................................................................... 3 TimMahon Comment COVID-19 and Defence Spending........................................................... 4 Ezio Bonsignore Israel’s Defence Industry in the Service of the National Health System................................................................. 5 Eugene Kogan Topic – Armoured Vehicle Evolutions Wheels of Fortune: Armoured Vehicle Evolution................................... 6 Massimo Annati Masking, Convergence andMulti-Domain Operations Fusion.......... 12 An Internet of Weapons on the Battlefield by 2040 John Antal Topping and Tailing Armoured Vehicles............................................... 16 TimMahon Impressum.............................................................................................. 18 Direct Assault Support of Expeditionary Interventions....................... 19 Stephen WMiller Letter fromAmerica Gently Tap the Brakes on AI ................................................................ 32 Marty Kauchak Letter fromBrussels NewNATO Initiatives in the Black Sea Area ....................................... 33 Caterina Tani Feature Polish Land Forces – 2020 and Beyond................................................ 23 Robert Czulda Battlefield Disruptors............................................................................. 30 USAF Bomber Fleet Modernisation Marty Kauchak Night Vision Developments – Platforms and Headgear...................... 38 Brian Kindamo Technology Guerrilla.............................................................................. 43 Walk a Mile in These Boots…. Marco Giulio Barone Calming Turbulent Waters..................................................................... 46 Marty Kauchak EU Progress in Defence and Space...................................................... 52 Caterina Tani Special Features A Tale of Three Nations: Russian and Israeli Relations with India...... 56 Eugene Kogan To HEL and Back – Directed Energy on the Battlefield........................ 59 Massimo Annati C4I Forum Talk Radio: Mobile Tactical Communications Within NATO.............. 62 Thomas Withington HLS News and Views ................................................................. 66 Industry news and views ....................................................... 69 Rear Echelon Are Flying Cars the NewBattleground? ............................................... 72 Philip Butterworth-Hayes ERRATUM Gremlins interfere in the best-regulated publishing systems and in MilTech 5/2020 they inserted a headline in error in the article starting on page 17. The headline should, of course, have read “An Israeli View.” Cover The ARTEC BOXER Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV), shown here with the Rheinmetall StrikeShield active protection system (APS), seems to be going from strength to strength, with over 1,400 vehicles ordered to date. The US Army is currently evaluating StrikeShield through its Vehicle Protective Systems Program Office. Massimo Annati examines BOXER‘s progress in the context of current developments in 8x8 AFVs in this issue. (Photo: Rheinmetall) Small inserts on cover depict - A PC-21 of the Swiss Air Force flying in company with a Swiss F/A-18 HORNET. In late January, Pilatus Aircraft announced that the Spanish Air Force had inked a € 200+ million contract for an integrated pilot training system based on the PC-21, calling for 24 aircraft. Spain thus becomes the third European nation to select a PC-21-based training solution. (Photo: Pilatus Aircraft) - A USN Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) firing a Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile (NSM), which has been selected for the service’s Over-the- Horizon Weapon Systems programme. Raytheon is prime contractor. (Photo: Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace) - Pittsburgh-based Near Earth Autonomy has developed unmanned aerial contingency management systems for a technology capability demonstration under the US Army/USMC Unmanned Logistics Systems – Aerial (ULS-A) programme. (Photo: Near Earth Autonomy) Photo on Contents page Hungary has become the third NATO nation (after Canada and Norway) to order the WiSENT 2 armoured recovery vehicle (ARV), based on the LEOPARD 2 chassis. Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft mbH (FFG) announced the order for five ARVs in February, bringing to 45 the total number of WiSENT 2 contracted since 2015. (Photo: FFG) Index of Advertisers Abeking Abeking & Rasmussen Schiffs- und Yachtwerft SE.................. 49 Aeronautics Defense Systems Ltd........................................................... 57 ASELSAN Inc............................................................................... 2nd cover ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik GmbH............................................ 63 FLIR Systems, Inc..................................................................................... 41 General Dynamics European Land Systems S.L....................................... 7 Indodefence.............................................................................................. 35 I/ITSEC...................................................................................................... 27 Kärcher Futuretech GmbH....................................................................... 25 Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG............................................... 9 Lemo S.A................................................................................................... 17 Leonardo................................................................................................... 15 L3Harris WESCAM........................................................................ 4th cover MSPO........................................................................................................ 26 Nexter........................................................................................................ 11 Northrop Grumman................................................................................... 29 RUAG AG.................................................................................................. 65 SMM............................................................................................................ 2 SYKO Gesellschaft für Leistungselektronik mbH.................................... 21 Vected GmbH............................................................................................ 39 Contents MT 6/2020 · 1