usmc contract, page-3

Tell on the surface it would appear to most that MST aren't doing that well, and yes while the SP isn't, there has been a lot happening that we haven't been told yet!

In the last release we have this "looking forward to the Market Research Demonstration. We believe the benefits of our technology when combined with that of our teaming partner Defense Technology, part of the BAE Systems Products Group, will provide significant improvements in range, area coverage and in particular, volume of fire over existing non-lethal weapon systems"

notice how it says partnering with Defense Technology (part of BAE)

and then this on the 27 june we get this!

BAE Systems Completes Acquisition of Tenix Defence27 Jun 2008 | Ref. 195
ADELAIDE - BAE Systems today completed its acquisition of Tenix Defence after receiving all required approvals. The company announced it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tenix Defence on 18 January 2008 for up to A$775 million in cash.

The acquisition of Tenix Defence is a significant step in the implementation of BAE Systems' strategy to develop as the premier global defence and aerospace company through a multi-home market business focus.

Commenting on the acquisition, Mike Turner, Chief Executive of BAE Systems, said: "The acquisition of Tenix Defence will transform our business in Australia, making it the largest in-country defence supplier to the Australian Defence Force. Australia is one of BAE Systems' six home markets and the company has a proud history of investing in Australian capability."

Tenix Defence will be integrated with the operations of BAE Systems Australia, headquartered in Adelaide. The acquisition grows the business significantly taking the number of employees to over 5,500 and current annual sales in excess of A$1.2 billion.

Jim McDowell, Chief Executive of BAE Systems Australia, said: "This transaction significantly enhances the depth and breadth of our capabilities in Australia. It adds a major naval business to our portfolio and significantly increases our land capability. We have restructured our organisation to reflect our presence in the new sectors and better to align with our customer. The combination of the two companies will enable us better to equip and support the Australian Defence Force for many years to come."

REMEMBER that Tennix was the one doing the development on the OICW, so now it's BAE who will get any spin off from that and also remember that the AICW will also be capable of firing the same Chemical rounds that Defense Technology (part of BAE) for the Crowd Control weapon!

AND BAE would also be very aware of whatb the DSTO are doing in the CTD program but also what they are doing with mach 5/50 technology.
www.dsto.defence.gov.au/news/5225/ - 10k

Getting back to the Crowd Control weapon, the US states that there is an urgent need for a tube launched non lethal weapon with scalable effects, that is one that can be lethal and non lethal depending on the circumstances.


The US are also very keen to use a chemical round that puts people to sleep for a short while, if you don't believe me then google a site called the Sunshine Project and look for yourself.

These chemical rounds require an air burst function to achieve the best distribution of the chemical gas,MST has a weapon that can tell the round exactly when to air burst using it's patented inductive programming of the rounds in the barrel from the information from the targeting system, and this happens just before firing takes place, alo a requirement of the desired weapon is that it needs to be able to engage a target at various ranges and in a very short timeframe, MST would have to be a front runner here in both instances, as they have both electronically fired stacked propellant technology which is both very fast and also has the ability to engage a target over a number of ranges, by firing up to four discrete propellant charges depending on the range required? and if they use the 12 barreled pod that has been shown in some PDF's I have seen, then they will have 48 rounds in each pod, as apart from the Venom which has 30 rounds in each pod, but can only effectively use 10 of them at any given range, before the driver of the vehicle needs to change the position of the vehicle in order to be able to use the next ten rounds and again if he needs to use the last ten.

MST are front runners here and if the tests prove conclusive? then I think we are a shoe in!
Remember that these same rounds "chemical" will also fit the (3GL 40mm) as well as the (Maul 18mm/12 gauge)IMHO and it isn't just the military that is looking at them, the US Homeland Security will be keenly watching as well, as will just about every police force in the united states, and not to forget the US DOE.