Aspis

Aspis(GreektermfortheSpartanShield,Lit.ToolofWar)isagunfirelocatordevelopedand manufacturedbyGeminiSecurityServices(ScantronicDefenceTechnologies),primarilyforuse againstsnipers.Aspisisintendedtobemountedon mobilevehiclessuchastheJLTV,GAZseries armoredtrucks,BTRSeriesIFV,StrykerIFV,and otherinfantrytransporters.TheAspishasbeen integratedsuccessfullyintoHarmsonsArend combatnetworkintheformoftheBSL1(Beweeglik SkietwondLakaetor,MobileGunshotLocator).

HistoryandDevelopment
AspiswasdevelopedattherequestofGeminiPrivate SecurityforcesoperatingintheCentralAfricanareas. Often,securityforcesfoundthemselvesunderfire fromcoveredpositionsandhadnoabilitytorespond tothreatsaccordingly,or,insomecases,nothearthe gunfireatalluntilanoccupantofthevehiclewashit.In 2001,Scantronic,Geminisdefencetechnologycenter,begandevelopmentusingacoustic locationdevices,intendingthemtobeonlyatemporarysolutiontotheissue.Thefirstprototype wasdevelopedin186days,andwasdeployedwithGeminis5thPrivateSecurityCompany operatinginthecountryofAstal.AninitialdeploymentofsixprototypesmountedonSoviet BTR60IFVs,theAspissawitsfirstuseinafirefightsixweeksafterfirstdeployment,ableto pinpointtheshootersatadistanceof433meters.Afterareportontheacousticsystemwas publishedinDefenceMonthly(March2002),thesystemgainedafairamountofpositivepress, nettingGeminiacontractwithHarmsonsDefenceforceinMay,2002. Byusinganarrayofsevenmicrophones,theAspisdetectsthemuzzlereportandsupersonic shockwaveofarifleanditsprojectile.Thevariationsbetweentime,soundandlocationeach

microphonepicksupisrecordedand,usingsophisticatedalgorithms,thesystemdetermines thepositionoftheshooter.TheAspisisabletodeterminedthedistancewithanaccuracyof1.1 meters,theheightoftheshooterandthedirectionthe shothasbeenfiredfrom.Itdeliversthisviaverbal syntax,aswellasabuiltinoperatingsystemthat workswithmostmodernGPSsystems.Whenpaired withmostmodernGPSsystems,Aspisisableto displaythelocationoftheshotasareddotonthe GPSdisplay. TheAspisisunabletodeterminethefiringlocationof subsonicammunition,however,isabletolocatethe positionofsupersonicammunitionfiredfroma suppressedfirearmatdistanceslessthan50meters. ScantronicdoesnotclaimAspishastheabilitytotrackshooterswithantitankweapons,though ithasbeenreportedtheAspiscantrackshootersusingantitankweapons. TheAspisisabletolocatetargetsuptoadistanceof1000metersaccurately.However, ScantronicnotestheAspisissuitedmoresofordistancesoflessthan600metersinrealworld applications.Multipleshotsfromthesameshooteraresaidtoimprovethesystemsaccuracy. Dependingonthesystem,Aspiscanidentifyandtrackupto18targetsatonce,thoughsoftware issueshavebeenreportedwhentrackingmorethan12sources.

Aspis2andtheBSL1
In2007,amoreadvancedandmoreprecisevariationofAspis,Aspis2,waspubliclyshownat DEFCON07inParis.Usingasetofmore sensitiveacousticarrays,alighterbodyandan improvedsoftwaresystem,Aspis2delivered significantlymoreaccurateresultsthanits previousversion,whileweighinginat17.4 kilograms:6.45kilogramslighterthantheoriginal Aspis.LiketheoriginalAspis,ithassome resiliencytosmallarmsfire.However,aslightly smallerconstrictionmakestheAspis2more difficulttohit,makingitalesslikelytobehit componentofavehicle.Comprisedofthesame components,theAspis2runsoffthestandard batterypowerofthemountingvehicle,orcanbe runindependentlythroughasolarkit.TheAspis2 isoutfittedwithamorepowerfulprocessorthanthe modernizedAspisA1,andisabletomoreaccuratelydetectandtracktargets.TheAspis2can trackuptotentargetsindividually.

Withtheadventofthesolarkit,themilitaryofHarmsonrequestedaninfantrydeployed,infantry mobileversionoftheAspis.Scantronicdeliveredtheversionintwentyfourdays.Weighing15 kilogramsinthreecomponents,theBSL1(BeweeglikSkietwondLakaetor,MobileGunshot Locator)wasacceptedforserviceinNovember,2008.AsanintegratedpartofHarmon'sArend combatsystem,theBSL1canbecarriedanddeployedbyatwomanteam,andmayoperate indefinitely.Withanadditionalantenna(weighingthreekilograms),theBSL1isableto broadcastinformationondetectedthreatstoarangeofupto8kilometers.Harmsoncurrently usestheBSL1A,whichistotheAspis2+Standard.

Aspis2+andAspis3
ThreemonthsaftertherevealoftheAspis2,ScantronicdevelopedasoftwarefortheAspis2, whichatthetimewasrunningusingoutdatedsoftwarerepurposed fortheAspis2asacostsavingmeasure.Thesoftware,called Warhorse,iscompatiblewiththeAspis2.ThisgivestheAspis2 (whichwasunderpoweredusingprevioussoftware)theabilityto track12targetsindividually,andamorepreciseareaofaccuracy. TheupdatebringstheAspis2tothestandardsoftheAspis2, Block2,or,morecommonly,theAspis2+.TheAspis2+isthe mostprolificoftheAspisfamily,with62,698unitssoldtodate. In2011,ScantronicrevealedtheAspis3atDESI.Using lighterweightmetals,asignificantlymorepowerful(bysome sources,threetimesmorepowerfulthanthe2+)computer,andan upgradetothemicrophonearray,theAspis3weighs15kilograms andissaidtobeabletotracktargetsatadistanceof1400meters inidealconditions,thoughexpertsstateinrealisticconditionsitis morelikely800meters.TheAspis3hasbeendeployedbyGemini securityoperatinginvarioushotzones,andhasbeenpurchasedin smallquantitiesbyseveral,undisclosedmilitaries.In2013,a PuzakkBTR902wasphotographedinCostaMejiswithwhatappearedtobeanAspis3 mountedontotheturretofthevehicle.Thephotohasnotbeen authenticated,butwouldbelikelyduetojointCostaMejianand Puzakkmilitaryfocusoncounterterrorismandinsurgency, especiallyinthenorthernregion.

RemoteWeaponSystems
In2008,theAspis2waslinkedwiththeXiphosLTargetingsystem (alsoaScantronicproduct)andtheKopisGrenadeMachineGun, creatingtheHopliteARemoteWeaponsystem.TheHopliteisable totrackuptonineindividualtargets(UsingtheAspis2),andcanbe taskedtoengagebythevehiclesgunner.TheHoplightmayalsobewiredtoanynumberofother remotetargetingsystemsandweapons,includingtheSovietDShK,KORD,KPV,NSV,

EmmerianM2Browning,MAGMachineGun,SpreewekenPA45,andanumberofGrenade MachineGuns.TheAspis2canbechangedoutforthemorepowerfulAspis2+andAspis3 systems,allowingtheHoplitetotrack12and16+targets,respectively. In2011,aversionusingtheAspis2+andAspis3integratedtotheDory2Autocannon,inboth theKandL(280cmand200cm)versionswascreated,knownasthePeltastWeaponSystem. ThesystemisthoughttohavebeeninspiredbythePuzakkmountingof23and30mm autocannonstotheRemotesystemswithmoderate success.

VersionsandVariations
Aspis:Firstforsaleversion.6,456made.Maximumrange of800meters,effectiveto500.Weightof23.85kilograms. Nolongerinusebyprimarycontracts. AspisE:Prototypeversion.15made.Oneondisplay inGeminislobby AspisA1:Modernizedversionreleasedin2003. 16,214made.Effectiverangeof550meters,weight of20kilograms.Lighter,improvedmountingbracket andimprovednoisefiltration. Aspis2:GenerationtwoAspissystemwithimprovedrange,noisefiltration,lighterweightand greaterprocessingability.84,624made.Inservice. AspisE2:PrototypedesignationoftheAspis2.162built. Sentital:Staticsecurityversionforpolice. Ajax:VersionusingDirectedSoundPassiveDenialsystem,aimedusingSentital. HopliteA:RemoteWeaponSystemusingAspis2 BSL1:Infantrymobileversion Aspis2+:UpdatedAspis2,morepowerfulprocessoranddedicatedsoftware. BSL1A:InfantrymobileversionoftheAspis2+ HopliteA2:RemoteWeaponSystemusingAspis2+ Peltast:Versionusing26mmDory2Autocannon Aspis3:GenerationthreeAspissystemwithimprovedrangeandaccuracy,lighter,more durableconstruction.Fewerthan500thoughttobebuilt.Inservice. AspisE3:PrototypedesignationofAspis3.Sixbuilt,allonstaticdisplay. Hoplite3:RemoteWeaponSystemmountingAspis3 PeltastX:Versionmounting26mmDory2autocannonandAspis3 Centurion:UnknownversionmountingAspis3.BelievedtobeevolutionofActiveDenial system. PlistarchE:Artilleryspottingversion.Significantlylargerthanstandard.

Ability
TheAspishasbeentestedfrequentlyinitsservice.ThefollowingtablesaretheresultofGeminis testingoftheAspis,usingtheAKM7.62x39mmcombatrifleinidealconditions.Eachresultwas determinedafterasingleshot.
ChartshowingtheaccuracyofAspis1systeminidealconditions

Range,meters 50 100 150 200 300 400 500 600 700 800

AreaofAccuracy(sqmeters) Responsetime(seconds) .005 .02 .035 .08 .26 .8 1.55 2.2 2.8 4.5 .0002 .004 .09 .28 .69 .82 1.03 1.16 1.68

ChartshowingtheaccuracyofAspis2systeminidealconditions

Range,meters 50 100 150 200 300 400 500 600

AreaofAccuracy(sqmeters) Responsetime(seconds) .005 .01 .02 .035 .07 .5 1.25 1.5 .0002 .004 .061 .32 .5 .76

700 800 900 1000

2.0 2.5 3 3.6

.85 .90 1.1 1.25

ChartshowingtheaccuracyofAspis2+systeminidealconditions

Range,meters 50 100 150 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000

AreaofAccuracy(sqmeters) Responsetime(seconds) .005 .01 .02 .035 .07 .32 .85 1.18 1.86 2.12 2.77 3.12 .0002 .004 .061 .32 .42 .58 .62 .76 1.02 1.18

Pricing
Forpurchasing,pricinganddeliveryinformation,contact: ScantronicsDefenceTechnologies GeminiSecuritySolutions GemimiBuilding 1182HoppesmaidSquare Birmingham,Voorruit,Harmson,3682 Phone:273318665120 Fax:273318665240 Email:Santronicsails@Gemimipsc.com