اشارة لاحتمال كون الصواريخ التي اطلقتها المروحيات الاماراتية من نوع تالون الموجه بالليزر
UAE Apache seen launching Hellfire and (most likely) APKWS, which is also seen in Black Hawk 70mm rocket pod. Filmed 13.522295 43.261780 in Yemen's Taiz province
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On second thoughts: they are more likely to be Raytheon Talon 'guided rockets' (ie missiles), which are known to be in UAE service, than APKWS.
شيء رائع بالنظر لكون الامارات شريكة في انتاج الصاروخ ..
Talon ready to show its claws around the world
Posted 23 January 2012 ·
In September Raytheon and Emirates Advanced Investments (EAI) conducted testing for their jointly developed Talon Laser Guided Rocket (LGR) system on the AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter, bringing the flight test programme to a successful close. The system is now fully qualified for the AH-64D and ready for production contracts. Claire Apthorp reports.
The Talon LGR completed a first guided test flight in September 2009, which saw the system hit a 1.5m (4.9ft) square target during both tests, exceeding accuracy requirements at ranges of 3.7km and 5km (2.3 and 3.1 statute miles).
Ground-based guided flight tests were conducted in April 2010 – and during the most recent AH-64D testing the system “met or exceeded all Raytheon test objectives”, which included firing from hovering and moving platforms and engaging targets from short (1.2 km/ .74 miles) to long (6.0km/ 3.7 miles) ranges.
Seven direct hits were achieved during testing, including the first ever air-launched direct hit on a short-range 1,200m target by a laser-guided rocket munition of its type.
Talon LGR is a semi-active laser guidance and control kit that connects directly to the front of a 2.75inch unguided rocket, bringing almost pinpoint precision to a weapons class that Raytheon believes has been largely overlooked until now.
The Talon LGR is fully compatible with existing airborne and ground laser designators and requires no modifications to the rocket launcher, and has been designed to fill the critical operational capability gap between unguided rockets and guided heavy anti-tank missiles.
“Together with EAI we collaboratively identified a gap within the capabilities portfolio, especially for rotary wing platforms,” said Patrick Mate, capture manager at Raytheon Missile Systems.
“Between the Hellfire class weapons and unguided rockets currently employed on aviation platforms today, you’re either looking at much bigger weapons with weapon-to-target overmatch – which is very costly – or less precision. We developed Talon LGR to fill this gap and deliver close to pinpoint precision with a little less bang than Hellfire. It gives warfighters extended capabilities when it comes to close-engagement weapons.”
The lightweight and rapidly deployable Talon LGR system is designed to minimise collateral damage within dense and urban environment warfare, providing warfighters with a lethal weapon effective against ‘soft to lightly armoured’ targets, with a manoeuvrable guidance system compatible with existing 2.75 inch unguided rockets currently in use around the world.
The system also offers a high stand-off range to improve platform survivability.
Having grown out of the now defunct US Department of Defense (DOD) advanced precision kill weapon system II (APKWS II) programme, Raytheon has worked closely with the US DOD and the army to help shape requirements for a precision 2.75in rocket over the past 15 years, as recognised during Operation Desert Storm.
Following the cancellation of APKWS II, Raytheon and EAI further developed and qualified the Talon LGR in order to bring it to the US domestic and international market.
Mate said the co-operative had responded to a number of requests for information (RFIs) and requests for pricing data from potential customers, and that it is currently looking at expanding the Talon LGR to other platforms, both rotary and fixed-wing, including the Hawker Beechcraft AT-6.
During the APKWS II programme the system exceeded accuracy requirements when tested from the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior for the US Army.
Being certified on the AH-64D Apache will potentially open doors within the growing Middle East operator market, including the UAE, Kuwait and Egypt.
“We believe there is a large worldwide market for this weapon system,” Mate said. “There are lots of weapons in this class but we believe Talon is the only one that can be quickly integrated into existing platforms with no hardware or software modifications needed.”
Low integration and acquisition costs will also appeal to armed forces feeling the pressure of defence budget contraction, something that Raytheon is keen to address.
“I think all of us can see the writing on the wall with global economic crisis and declining budgets,” Mate said. “Warfighters have become much smarter about choosing their weapon prior to engaging and also taking into account the future of what their potential needs are, and Talon LGR matches up well with these requirements.”
Raytheon and EAI are now focused on developing the details of full-rate production for the system and finalising production contracts. According to Raytheon the system will be available for direct commercial sales to international allies around the world.
