One of the greatest challenges for combat vehicles operating on the battlefield is identifying that they have been targeted by an enemy.
Recognizing that one is about to be or has been engaged and have an accurate indication of the location of the threat offers the opportunity to take action to quickly respond to effectively counter the attack.
Recognizing a combat vehicle’s crew difficulty in detecting and locating threats, the Australian Army, as an element of its LAND program, is acquiring threat detection systems for its armoured vehicles. The system will enable a combat vehicle to immediately detect incoming rounds an take self-defense actions. These could include rapid obscurants, returning fire, and electronic counter-measures.
Key to the system capability is the Israeli developed Othello series that combines optical and acoustic sensors to provide reliable and accurate passive detection, classification and direction of hostile fires. The complete detection and counter-masures system is being supplied to the Australian military through a teaming between L3 Harris Micreo in Brisbane and Elta Systems.
The system, as Sarah Earey L3 Harris APAC Managing Director shared, “Not only rapidly detects live fires, but will be intuitive for operators to employ”. The system will incorporate the Othello Optical Threat Locator, the Othello-P Opto-Acoustic Hostile Fire Location System, and the StormGuard Tactical Multi-mission Radar.
Othello’s electro-optic sensors detect the firing of guns, mortars, rockets, and missiles rapidly providing azimuth and elevation to the threat. The last is a 360-degree self-protection system for use against anti-tank rockets and missiles, drones and UASs. The Army’s objective is to outfit the system to all combat vehicles to enhance both their effectiveness and survivability.
by Stephen W. Miller
