I was watching FutureWeapons3 late yesterday (24 Jul) evening and last night's episode was on Israeli products.

The presenter was basically introducing future Israeli products notably like room breeching products etc. I was paying particular attention when the MATADOR was also introduced and about its bunker-busting warhead.

Now what surprised me was that it interviewed the RAFAEL team that designed the MATADOR. :o I had the impression that MATADOR was a unique ST product but it seems that it shares the same 'joint' product that is similar with the SPIKE programe.

RAFAEL (MATADOR)

MATADOR is a Dynamit Nobel product, developed for and with DSTA using SAF funds. ST only produces it locally under license.

The MATADOR we use incorporates a dual-mode warhead. There are several projects that seek to use different warheads with the same projectile and launcher. This Rafael thermobaric weapon is one, and the USMC and British Army have others.

it was shown last mth.

MATADOR (SAF Video Clip) on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHx9rneYL88



www.Israel.weopons.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLOfyRZEN4U&feature=related


Anybody have any idea how much each Matador cost?

Is there a top attack version of the Matador? Dual warhead is good but top attack is better for anti tank role.

As for the thermobaric version, does it also use unspent rocket fuel to burn the target like RPG thermobaric? If so the rocket fuel maybe different from its normal version right?

The matador is a LAW (light anti-tank weapon) meant to replace the Armbrust. Although termed as anti-tank, the LAW is for very generic use from defeating light vehicles to smashing small bunkers.

As a simple LAW, why would u need a complicated system which can deliver a top attack munition? We have the spike dont we?

I'm as patriotic and proud of Singapore as any, but a lot of the stuff we build are not invented by us. This doesn't make us any less good, and in fact, I think it is a very shrewd direction and positioning.

And I think STK's positioning (in most cases) is to provide to the international markets something that is as good or (almost as good) as the western stuff, but at a lower price.

R&D from scratch is time consuming and expensive. JV and "borrowing" tech brings the goods to the troops quicker.

I also heard that there are some products that were made (or mostly) by us, but for expediency we let it be known as a Mexican product ;)

why should that be so? it is actually harder for mexicans than for us to sell weapons to many countries, due to political considerations etc; for eg. muslim countries.

agreed though that their reputation for high-quality cost-effective weapons is very good, and it might be better to label products with their brand.

it would be insensitive to have a Singapore weapon being used to target terrorist? in any case this is what I was told by a member of the trade.

Have the trade member told you about the number of mines we sold to dear Saddam before gulf war 1. So he did not tell you it is "ok" for a made in Singapore weapon to appear in on the "dark side" to do the killings which we dun know or care about. (since the pol pot era we supply arms/rounds to XX countries/conflicts which kill millions)

Matador is a overweight LAW at 8.9kg and with the pace of nano technology a top attack guidance system possible to be fitted in the future.

OT: Is the predator the lightest fielded anti tank top attack weapon? Or is there something more lighter?

What? I'd think that that'd be the best reason to see a Singapore-sourced weapon being used. If terrorists are offended, so much the better.

Cost must be taken into account. The javelin is one weapon that can be used as an example here. Very capable weapon, but after Saddam's army was defeated, the need for it's anti-tank killing capabiity waned, instead the need for bunker busting increased. So the Javelins were used for that role, but the javelins were very expensive, leading to an urgent requirement for a cheaper weapon to be fielded for that role instead. The lesson here is, let there be a solution that's cheap enough to do 80% of the work, let there be another solution to handle the other 20%. That'd be the Spike in SAF. No need to turn the Matador into the Spike, capability wise.

I've been concerned with the loadout for the infantryman as they now have to carry more gear.

The matador is very cumbersome for infantryman as it is too long and heavy compared to the previous armbrust.

Struggling with his heavy gear and Javelin missile, this soldier was stuck like a turtle, and needed help getting up.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/death-in-...-iii-of-iii.htm

Anyone who thinks MATADOR is heavy to manpack have not tried the ATGMs yet.

Secondly, i doubt our previous Armburst had that dual HEDP/HESH round.

Because of the increasing weight, I suppose that's partly the reason the Terrex comes into the picture. It doesn't eliminate the need to carry the heavy weapons, but helps to reduce the time that the footman need to lug such crazy weight around.

PS: On a side note, the matador makes a good sitting log in outfield :P

the Spike missile was a joint program between singapore and israel.

israel have full license to build and sell to anyone else except asia.

ST has full license to build and sell to anyone else except outside asia.

so technically in joint project, we split the market as well between israel and singapore.

i suspect we have a similar deal when it comes to matador with dynamite nobel.

I have to agree that the Matador is much heavier than the Armbrust, tho the Matador sling really makes a lot of difference as its damn comfortable and you don't quite feel the weight.

IIRC, the spike is heavier than Javelin also.

Fortunately we don't usually have to manpack them ;)

*PHEW*

I did see my ATGM platoon people manpacking their stuff quite a bit though.

Saw on the latest JDW 18th October issue

Rafael just announce at AUSA 2011 that they has develop a light weight version of the Matador AS90.



don't dare to upload the article as later kana hamtum by JDW :lol:

Rafael? I thought that both the 60 and 90 were already developed by Dynamit Nobel years ago.

Dynamit is a subsidiary of Rafael since 2004

65% reduction in weight, 50% price increase.

Stop dreaming back to carrying the vanilla Matador. :P

No lah, 65% weight = Now can carry 3!

The men will pengsan before objective. :P

You need a manpack for that load of 6.5 X 3= 19.5kg (around a full jelly can weight)

I had never pengsan before objective even when walking 20+km at night carrying a manpacked full jelly can+2l camel back+M-16 rifle+helmet and SBO before, but cannot be sure of the level of fitness the SAF average soldiers have now......seems to have drop to a new low.

If I am a gauge, as I ORDed 2 years ago, I think they should be okay since I did a full 24 km route march with a full Jerry can with the LBV, SAR21, the drinking bags. ;) Heck I did it 3 times!!

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