At the very start of the event, the German and French joint venture KNDS (which stands for Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Nexter Defence Systems) made their mark with the “Euro Main Battle Tank (EMBT)”. The “Euro battle tank” combines a German Leopard 2A7 body from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann with the turret from the French Leclerc battle tank made produced by Nexter.
Whilst the EMBT can certainly be seen primarily as a political statement at a time when new platforms and arms are being developed, several countries are taking more concrete approaches to modernizing their armed forces. The host country of the Eurosatory is currently planning to create better links between its various armed forces as part of a project named “Scorpion”.
In order to get the most detailed possible common overview of the situation during military operations, the various sensors on each individual vehicle and other platforms communicate with one another. One of these is the new Jaguar scout tank, which was being shown by both Nexter and the French armed forces.
Eurosatory 2018: modularity and networking as a new standard
Modularity is no longer the trend for personal equipment nor large machinery, it is now the standard. The new medium Lynx KF41 combat vehicle (KF being a German abbreviation for “tracked vehicle”, 41 = the weight class in tons) from Rheinmetall celebrates a double premiere. On Tuesday, the company presented the Lynx KF41 as an armored personnel carrier.
On the Wednesday after the trade show, it was rebuilt and presented in its Lynx KF41 Command variant. Reconfiguring the vehicle took just under four hours.
Both versions include radio equipment from Rohde & Schwarz and the “Tactical Vehicle Switch” from RUAG. This device is connected to the radio equipment to allow reliable voice and data communications between available strategic public networks.
Mercedes-Benz attracted the attention of more than just the commandos present. The multi-purpose “Multi Role Vehicle” from the G-class was among the lightweight vehicles that really stood out.
There was more on offer at Eurosatory than just large equipment. The Swedish pioneer of red dot sights, Aimpoint, presented their new ACRO sight developed for use with pistols.
Spectacular live demonstrations at the Eurosatory 2018
Also popular were the numerous live demonstrations around the fringes of the large equipment exhibition. Highly noticeable was the level of skill demonstrated by several French special forces from the military (1 RPIMA) and the police RAID, BRI, GIGN). A clear signal for the protection of society as a whole!
The demonstration carried out by the BRI was particularly impressive. Police, fire and rescue services demonstrated a hostage situation on a city bus where the use of chemical weapons could not be ruled out.
Further background information on the fair can be found in our Eurosatory's overview.
Further information about EUROSATORY 2018 can be found on the website of the organizer.
