Israel develops non-lethal and surveillance ammunition for Refa'im rifle system
Date Posted: 05-Aug-2004
ALON BEN-DAVID JDW Correspondent
Tel Aviv
Israel Military Industry (IMI) has developed non-lethal and intelligence gathering ammunition for its Refa'im Multi-Purpose Rifle System (MPRS).
The MPRS combines a fire-control system (FCS) with a new family of ammunition that can either be fired as a bullet trap rifle grenade from a 5.56mm assault rifle or from a grenade launcher fitted to the rifle's foregrip. The ammunition can be programmed for three modes of operation: airburst, point detonation and time-delayed detonation. IMI claims the advanced optic sight coupled with a laser rangefinder provides accuracy of 1m at ranges of up to 600m.
The Refa'im was developed as a principal element of the Israel Defence Force's (IDF's) Future Infantry Soldier programme for integration with IMI's 5.56mm Tavor assault rifle. It can also be adapted to the UK L85A2 5.56mm Individual Weapon, the US M4 5.56mm carbine and other assault rifles. The IDF has recently received a few Refa'im systems for evaluation.
IMI has now developed a non-lethal munition and a surveillance round. "The two new configurations incorporate experience gained by the IDF in fighting insurgents in densely populated areas and are designed to meet the growing requirement for non-lethal ammunitions," Yossi Aviram, Marketing Director for IMI told JDW. "Up until now, only rubber bullets and other close-range solutions were available."
IMI's non-lethal solution is based on the Air Burst Ammunition (ABA) configuration, replacing the warhead with teargas or other non-lethal substances chosen to disperse a riot scene. The FCS calculates a trajectory to enable the round to burst 2m above the target.
The surveillance ammunition is designed to provide real-time intelligence on targets beyond line-of-sight without exposing the user. The ABA is fitted with a digital camera and wireless communications. The camera begins operation immediately after firing and the images are received on a hand-held computer. The user can fast-forward or reverse the film, as well as receive co-ordinates of the target on view.
