According to foreign sources, the Spanish technology company Arquimea presented its QLM-40 barrage ammunition to an international audience for the first time at the Eurosatory 2022 exhibition in Paris. According to the comments of Jechu Sanchez Loureiro, Director of development and sales in the field of defense and security of Arquimea, the main distinguishing feature of the QLM-40 is a special detonator mechanism.
QLM-40 barrage ammunition. General view
According to him, when developing the system, the operational safety of the product was the focus. Both the platform, avionics, and the QLM-40 electromechanical detonator are completely proprietary developments of the manufacturer. As a result, the detonator supports several security protocols that are designed to significantly improve operator safety. In particular, one of the protocols guarantees that the product is put into a combat state only after launch (start). Another protocol provides automatic transfer of the QLM-40 to a safe state within a certain radius around the starting point.
But a programmable detonator also has tactical advantages. It allows you to undermine the warhead (warhead) of the drone from impact, using the mechanism of approaching the target or, if desired, at the touch of a button.
Scheme of combat use of the Arquimea QLM-40 BB
According to the manager of Arquimea, the QLM-40 system has a high maturity, thanks to which, the company won a contract from the Spanish Ministry of Defense for the development of barrage ammunition. For its implementation, in September 2022, it is planned to conduct the first destructive tests of the entire system. Later, in October, a demonstration will be organized in front of representatives of the Spanish Armed Forces.
Start BB QLM-40. Portable launch container
The QLM-40 is a compact weapon with a classic folding wing design. The length of the body is 72 cm, the wingspan in the unfolded state is 140 cm. Depending on the power of the warhead, the maximum flight weight can reach 4.2 kg. The QLM-40 is launched from a pipe, which also serves as a portable container, and can be carried by a soldier in a backpack. The option of mounting several launch containers on vehicles is also provided.
The search for the target is carried out using a digital day vision camera, the image of which is transmitted to the operator in real time. An infrared video camera is also available at the request of the customer. According to S. Loreiro's statements, the flight time is 12 minutes, which, under good weather conditions, gives a combat range of up to 11 km.
The entire platform has a modular design, which makes it possible to take into account and relatively easily implement individual wishes at the software and hardware level. With the exception of the warhead, which is easily interchangeable, almost all other components of the barrage ammunition are Arquimea's own developments. In addition, the technologies are scalable. According to the manufacturer, if there are appropriate requests from customers, larger versions of QLM can also be implemented very quickly.
According to the materials of the resource soldat-und-technik.de
