IAI's TAMAM Division and Agusta Successfully Demonstrate Firing Missiles from A129 Helicopter
Dec 29, 1999
The Tamam Division of Israel Aircraft Industries, Ltd. (IAI) and Agusta, the Italian helicopter company have concluded successfully a joint demonstration of firings of laser guided "hellfire" missiles from the A129 International helicopter in a firing range in Israel. The missiles were fired at a tank target by the advanced night targeting system (NTS-A), targeting and weapon control system of Tamam. Precision hits were scored with the missiles fired in both the "day" mode and in the "night" mode of the NTS-A, using its advanced second generation Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) sight.
Tamam, a division of the Electronics Group of IAI has been cooperating with Agusta for the past several years in joint marketing of the A129 International to customers, providing the helicopter with an advanced, diversified Israeli combat suite.
The A129 International is a new generation, modern multi-mission helicopter easily configured to perform anti tank, escort, scout, close support and other missions. A crew of two, in a tandem seat arrangement, operates the helicopter with the pilot in the upper rear seat and the weapon operator in the front.
The Tamam NTS-A advanced targeting & weapon control system installed in the helicopter, presents the operator with a highly stabilized, sharp image of the target, utilizing stae of the art sighting and tracking sensors. The NTS-A allows the full day/night operation of all available weapons which include a 20mm gun turret, rockets and several families of missiles. In addition to the existing "TOW" missile capability, the A129 International has demonstrated capability with the advanced laser guided "hellfire" missiles, a modern NATO standard weapon. Furthermore, the NTS-A is also fully compatible with the new generation, long range advanced NTD/Spike missiles of Rafael, Israel Armament Development Authority, with their unique "Fire & Forget/Fire & Update" capability. This flexibility, in deploying three anti tank missile families from the helicopter, is unique in the ability to optimize the weapon configuration to meet any mission requirement.
The NTS-A is the follow on advanced generation to the NTS developed by Tamam and installed on hundreds of Cobra attack helicopters in the US, Israel and with additional users. Sales of the NTS have reached $500 million, with additional supplies in progress.
The combat suite offered by Tamam for the A129 International also includes a modular Self Protection Suite produced by ELTA Electronics Industries, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd.,
Tamam sales for 1999 reached $95 million compared to $83 million in 1998. Tamam's management estimates those sales figures for the year 2000 will reach $112 million.
For more information, contact:
Doron Suslik
Deputy Corp VP for Communications
Tel: 972 (3) 93 5-8509
Fax: 972 (3) 935-8512
Email: hpaz@hdq.iai.co.il
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