Drone wars: countries are looking for answers but do companies have the solutions?
Manufacturers are speeding up their counter-drone development efforts as countries increasingly focus on procurements to provide battlefield and national protection.
Electro Optic Systems sells further R600 RWSs in south-east Asia
The EOS R600 has already in service with Singaporean forces. (Photo: EOS)
The R600, a remote weapon station designed to accommodate heavier weapons than the original R400 RWS, has been designed for installation on armoured vehicles.
Australian company Electro Optic Systems Holdings (EOS) will deliver a number of R600 remote weapon stations (RWSs) into south-east Asia with the announcement of an A$28 million (US$16.5 million) order.
The customer has not yet been disclosed but some of the systems have already been in service with the Singaporean Army onboard the country’s Terrex 1 8x8 armoured vehicles, Kodiak armoured engineer vehicles which were ordered between 2014 and 2015, and MaxxPro mine-resistant ambush protected vehicles.
Deliveries under the contract have been scheduled to commence in late-2024 and continue into 2025 and 2026. Products under the contract will primarily be manufactured in EOS facilities in the US.
The R600 has a dual weapon configuration, enabling operators to choose from a range of firepower options including combinations of 7.62mm, 12.7mm and 40mm automatic grenade launcher.
Shephard Defence Insight noted that EOS has been pitching the R600 Missile Carrier (R600MC) variant to the US Army as a potential option for integration into the BAE Systems Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle and future Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle platforms, although there has been no formal US requirement for the capability.
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