Bombardier
29-03-05, 21:38
A direct lift from the MOD site
It may be brand spanking new but already the Royal Artillery’s futuristic Mamba radar system has saved the lives of countless British troops based at Camp Abu Naji, Iraq. The system, which is mounted on a Alvis Hagglunds BV206 tracked vehicle,can detect virtually any airborne missile launched within a 20km radius and provide an early warning of exactly where and when it will impact.
This is good news for the battle-weary soldiers of Abu Naji, near Al Amarah, who have been mortared on an almost daily basis. Sitting in the cool, air-conditioned cab of his Mamba, Sgt Patrick Murray, K Battery, 5 Regiment RA, heaped praise on the vehicle. He said: “Make no mistake this is the future of warfare. Not only can we give our men on the ground a warning of incoming fire but the Mamba will also tell us exactly where the missile or round was fired from and where it will land.“In normal circumstances that would allow us to strike back at the enemy firing party almost immediately. “But because of the risk of civilian casualties in Iraq we have to pass on the map coordinates to a patrol who will deal with the attackers.”
Mamba (the name is an acronym for Mobile Artillery Monitoring Battlefield Radar) can go virtually anywhere thanks to its tracks. It is also amphibious and can easily be transported by C-130 or underslung by Chinook. It takes just minutes to deploy and can be operated by a single soldier although its full team is six-strong. Mamba can also make mincemeat of multiple attacks as its powerful computer can handle eight incoming projectiles simultaneously. While a single Mamba has a tactical range of around 20km, several networked together can cover an area in excess of 2,000 sq km.
Built by Swedish electronics giant Ericsson, Mamba can also operate as a fire-control system, tracking Army shells to their point of impact. The system works by scanning the area to its front, dividing each sweep into 16 sectors. Individual sectors can be switched off to save power or avoid detection. Mamba operators are now awaiting the installation of a digital mapping package which will further boost the system’s capabilities. The Army boasts four Mambas at present, with three saving British lives in and around the town of Al Amarah in Iraq’s Maysan Province.
Sgt Murray said: "In practice Mamba can detect projectiles as small as rocket-propelled grenades and even heavy machine-gun fire. Using Mamba we often monitor opposing tribes as they fight in nearby Al Amarah. They fire rockets and mortars at each other and every now and then fire one at us. Thanks to Mamba we can raise the alarm and everyone can run for cover. Mamba is an awesome piece of kit and the lads are very glad to have it out here in Iraq. "
It may be brand spanking new but already the Royal Artillery’s futuristic Mamba radar system has saved the lives of countless British troops based at Camp Abu Naji, Iraq. The system, which is mounted on a Alvis Hagglunds BV206 tracked vehicle,can detect virtually any airborne missile launched within a 20km radius and provide an early warning of exactly where and when it will impact.
This is good news for the battle-weary soldiers of Abu Naji, near Al Amarah, who have been mortared on an almost daily basis. Sitting in the cool, air-conditioned cab of his Mamba, Sgt Patrick Murray, K Battery, 5 Regiment RA, heaped praise on the vehicle. He said: “Make no mistake this is the future of warfare. Not only can we give our men on the ground a warning of incoming fire but the Mamba will also tell us exactly where the missile or round was fired from and where it will land.“In normal circumstances that would allow us to strike back at the enemy firing party almost immediately. “But because of the risk of civilian casualties in Iraq we have to pass on the map coordinates to a patrol who will deal with the attackers.”
Mamba (the name is an acronym for Mobile Artillery Monitoring Battlefield Radar) can go virtually anywhere thanks to its tracks. It is also amphibious and can easily be transported by C-130 or underslung by Chinook. It takes just minutes to deploy and can be operated by a single soldier although its full team is six-strong. Mamba can also make mincemeat of multiple attacks as its powerful computer can handle eight incoming projectiles simultaneously. While a single Mamba has a tactical range of around 20km, several networked together can cover an area in excess of 2,000 sq km.
Built by Swedish electronics giant Ericsson, Mamba can also operate as a fire-control system, tracking Army shells to their point of impact. The system works by scanning the area to its front, dividing each sweep into 16 sectors. Individual sectors can be switched off to save power or avoid detection. Mamba operators are now awaiting the installation of a digital mapping package which will further boost the system’s capabilities. The Army boasts four Mambas at present, with three saving British lives in and around the town of Al Amarah in Iraq’s Maysan Province.
Sgt Murray said: "In practice Mamba can detect projectiles as small as rocket-propelled grenades and even heavy machine-gun fire. Using Mamba we often monitor opposing tribes as they fight in nearby Al Amarah. They fire rockets and mortars at each other and every now and then fire one at us. Thanks to Mamba we can raise the alarm and everyone can run for cover. Mamba is an awesome piece of kit and the lads are very glad to have it out here in Iraq. "