A captain in the IDF Ground Forces Command's technology unit has led the development of an innovative system for analyzing data in the Gill missile of the Spike tactical missile system used by the infantry. The system is a kind of black box, which documents in real time the missile's trajectory to target. The system, called Revital (Hebrew initials for acquisition, video, and telemetry) will soon become operational in the IDF.
The Revital will revolutionize performance debriefing of the widely used Spike missile. Captain Idan Chen, who invented and developed the system, was awarded a medal a year ago. Revital will soon become Gill's best friend. The Spike family of tactical missiles, made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., includes the Gill medium-range anti-tank missile. The Spike, which is use by the IDF and several other armies, is one of the most widely used tactical missiles on the modern battlefield, thanks to its precision and easy deployment in the field.
"When I joined the Ground Forces Command's technology unit as the team leader for infantry missiles, I was asked to investigate a breakdown in a Gill missile fired during a military operation," says Chen. "The breakdown prevented the missile from reaching, let along hitting, its target. We began to investigate the reason for the breakdown, but we drew no conclusions. One reason for the difference was the fact that we lacked indications, such as what happened to the missile after it was fired. For the first time, we thought that, like in a plane, there should be a black box which documents and remembers all the missile's relevant performance data, which could be retrieved if needed to find out what went wrong."
Development took almost two years by a small team in the technology unit working closely with the missile's maker, Rafael. The finished product, made by Goldtec Technologies Ltd., resembles a tablet in size and weight. "We developed the hardware and software in the unit, while looking at missiles currently in use by the army, and with a view to the longer term, at future missile that will become operational," says Chen.
The black box is easily attached to the Spike launcher. The hook-up requires no special training or an additional person. When the Gill missile is fired, it collates all the relevant data: recording the video from the warhead camera during flight until the missile hits the target, under day and night conditions; documents the speed and height of the missile at any given moment; saves the data from sensors installed on the missile, and documenting the launcher's thermal sight. "When there is a breakdown, it is very easy to access the data to find out exactly what went wrong," says Chen. "Whereas before, months were needed to investigate a breakdown that caused a missile to miss its target, and even then it was not always possible to reach conclusions, it is now possible within a few hours to figure out the problem."
According to Revital's young developers, its light weight and small size make it operational in any combat situation. "There is an investigation system that examines a missile's performance, but it weighs 20 kilograms and is mainly used by the missile's developer during the testing stage. It's unreasonable to haul such a complex system on to the battlefield," says Chen.
Over the coming year, the IDF will complete deployment of the new Gill missile launcher with all combat units. The launcher is a container developed by Rafael to improve the missile's fire, extend its range, and greatly shorten deployment in the field. The new launcher is designed to easily interface with Revital.
The IDF Ground Forces Command says that all its infantry units are determined to be the first to acquire Revital. Chen says, "Revital will reach everyone, and most of all, it will be able to identify problems and prevent their recurrence. I believe that the test is only a matter of time."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 20, 2013
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