GTD participated in The Armed Forces Exhibition for Diversity of Requirements and Capabilities (AFED) in the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Centre on Feb 25. Organized by the Saudi Ministry of Defence, it aims to provide industrial opportunities for materials and spare parts through its exhibitors. This strengthens communication with national factories and promotes the usage of local manufacturing resources. Al-Maliki, spokesman of the exhibition, said the event is unique because it presents requirements for the beneficiaries, whether military or otherwise. Covering various areas in the field of industry that contribute to the development of the business, GTD presented, together with its local partner, the Mobile Mortar System (MMS). The mobile mortar system is a kit being able to be mounted in any vehicle, as a highly mobile 4×4 platform, allowing the integration of up to 120mm mortar plus 32+ units of ready-use ammunition. The main features of the system are its singular mobility and easy integrability. The deployment and launch procedure of the system can be completed within 45 seconds. Time for retraction – 45 s. The new mobile mortar system can operate in day or night conditions. It boasts fire capabilities with high accuracy (pointing and positioning) and it allows for the integration of command and control systems for autonomous operation. It is also suitable for installation on a range of lightweight vehicles to achieve high agility and mobility and it has a weight of 370kg without the vehicle. The system can be mounted on jeeps and other rapidly deployed wheeled vehicles. The mortar system can be operated in autonomous or manual modes by just two or three crew members. The mortar bombs are loaded into the system. It can operate independently with frontline observers or deployed troops. It can conduct independent missions as a standalone platform or can be part of an artillery battery or a platoon. The processor of MMS analyses the ballistic data and commands the electric drive system to point the mortar barrel to the particular azimuth and elevation angles. So in this development, ERAF has put the platform, in this case a Toyota pick-up and has manufactured the model itself. GTD have been responsible for mechanical and hydraulic design, sensor integration and SW development. From GTD Cádiz we have been working hard, but the in-situ intervention of Anuar Raduan, who has been supervising and participating actively in the model manufacturing, has been fundamental.
