The mission: DT&E of un-guided and laser-guided rockets
The design, development and production of rockets to be integrated into different weapon carrying platforms is a complex process, requiring extreme safety during production. It also demands a firing range large enough to handle the live firing scenarios necessary for the proper development test and evaluation (DT&E), so qualification and verification can be performed.
The test and evaluation (T&E) of different weapon systems, including rockets, is in our DNA at FMV T&E. When a customer came to us with the task of performing DT&E of their 70mm unguided and laser-guided rockets, we could offer a one-stop shop solution. The rockets needed to be integrated in a range of different weapon platforms, such as helicopters, armoured fighting vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles.
Ready to get started on your next DT&E project?
The solution: Älvdalen Firing and Exercise Range
After analysing the customer’s requirements for their DT&E and qualification project, FMV T&E offered a tailored solution at our large, 540 km² Älvdalen Firing and Exercise Range. This included custom-made soft, hard and realistic targets and a number of different firing distances. The package also included tracking radar and optical systems to track and document the trials.
Älvdalen Firing and Exercise Range is suitable for the firing of live un-guided and laser-guided rockets, including a 700m x 1000m hardened area for the placement of targets. Throughout the peak summer and winter seasons, conditions frequently reach +/-25°C, so customers can really push their platforms, weapon systems and personnel to their limits.
Our realistic target inventory includes sport utility vehicles, armoured personnel carriers, armoured fighting vehicles and main battle tanks.
Find out more about the facilities at our FMV Land Test Centres
The result: Continuous steps towards full operational capability
Since the customer’s first experience at Älvdalen, the collaboration has progressed, with a number of projects performed with firings from ground-based rocket launchers, helicopters, AFV and UGV. At the beginning, it was pure technical firings which then grew into demonstration firings for customers and potential end users.
Our longstanding collaboration has been beneficial for both parties and has enabled challenging test scenarios to be performed during harsh weather conditions. The mutual trust has contributed to flexible solutions for unforeseen problems and enabled short term ad-hoc planning.
After each campaign, the customer gained new knowledge and has been able to verify that the introduced improvements achieved their desired effect – improvements which will, in the end, benefit the operator.
Learn more about our airborne weapon systems and electronic warfare capabilities
Services delivered
- Project- and test management
- Large, 540 km² firing range
- Custom made soft and hard targets
- Realistic targets such as SUV and APCs
- Tracking radars, high-speed video cameras and optical tracking