Allen-Vanguard, a producer of Electronic Countermeasures (ECM), announced on 5 February that it has received a multi-million-dollar order for its Equinox NG and Scorpion 2 ECM systems. The client is an undisclosed South American military. Zona Militar had an exclusive interview with Bobby Strawbridge, President of Allen-Vanguard, to discuss this sale and the future.
The company has not released the customer’s identity. However, Strawbridge confirmed to Zona Militar that “preliminary units will be delivered within the next 10 weeks,” and deliveries for the “full order” will continue throughout “Q2 into mid Q3.”
The number of systems sold has not been disclosed, but Allen-Vanguard confirmed to ZM that this order involves “several dozen units that are planned to be part of a larger capability uplift within the nation in question.”
Scorpion 2 was designed for dismounted troops, such as front-line infantry units, reconnaissance units, and special forces, while the Equinox NG (Next Generation) is designed for vehicles. ZM asked Strawbridge whether Equinox NG can be mounted aboard riverine vessels, as South American militaries operate the region’s vast rivers, such as the Amazon. The president of Allen-Vanguard confirmed that Equinox NG “can be platform or static mounted.”
With its first sale to the region secured, Strawbridge is confident that other South American armed forces will be interested in Allen-Vanguard’s systems. In its press release, the company explained that Equinox NG and Scorpion 2 will “help mitigate the threat posed by the increasing use of drones to deliver lethal effects.”
The famous narco-drones have become a very popular tool in the arsenal of Latin American criminals, insurgents, and terrorists. In countries like Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico, criminal networks are utilizing narco-drones that can carry lethal payloads, namely explosives, to attack the civilian population, law enforcement, and militaries, as well as each other.
Strawbridge explained that, because of the continual ‘cat and mouse’ game of Countermeasure-Counter Countermeasure in war zones across the world, “militaries need adaptive and programmable systems” otherwise these “key protective capabilities can become obsolete before they finish being fielded.”
The good news is that Allen-Vanguard’s solutions “offer the highest level of programmability to adapt,” which can “thwart the wide range of radio frequency-based threats,” such as drones or improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which are also, unfortunately, very popular in South America, particularly in Colombia nowadays.
While this purchase opens a new market for Allen-Vanguard, the company already has a proven track record. The systems acquired for a South American military are already in service “with major NATO countries,” Strawbridge added.
Equinox NG is a “highly sophisticated” vehicle-based ECM system designed for Electronic Warfare (EW) missions. The system can be configured for armored vehicles in operational theaters and VIP convoy protection, or it can be installed in static, vulnerable fixed-site locations. The system weighs 51 kg (112 pounds), is cooled by air (though a liquid-cooled option is available), and operates over a wide frequency range. The Equinox NG can also be upgraded to counter drones.
Meanwhile, Scorpion 2 “has all the same technical heritage and similar capabilities as Equinox NG,” but the system is “specifically designed to be portable using a backpack for patrol-based operations,” the company explains, such as military foot patrols. The system provides a “hybrid, full-spectrum system and threat band coverage protection.” Scorpion 2 weighs around 6.5 kg (14.5 pounds), with an integrated antenna/receiver to provide synchronization to 1PPS (Pulse per second), and can operate for around 20 hours depending on the mission. The graphic user interface is described as “simple and intuitive.”
Allen-Vanguard’s systems are independently tested to Mil Std 810G, a US Department of Defense military standard, to determine whether the equipment is suitable for the conditions in which it is expected to operate throughout its operational life.
You may also like GDLS and AeroVironment develop PERCH launcher, Argentina should take notice
