31 August 2010
Thales Australia and the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) are boosting soldier safety with a contract to supply over 35,000 Bullet Trap Blank Firing Attachments (BTBFAs) for Austeyr F88 rifles.
The innovative, patented BTBFA technology was created by Thales Australia’s specialist weapons technicians and engineers, and the units will be manufactured at the Australian Soldier Systems Development and Support Centre in Lithgow, NSW.
The BTBFA is attached to the end of the rifle barrel and enables the weapon to function when firing blank ammunition. If a live round is inadvertently fired, the bullet is retained within the BTBFA, preventing injury to bystanders or the soldier firing the weapon.
“Soldier safety is of paramount importance in training as well as on operations,” said Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO.
“Our team has designed and produced a cost-effective system to achieve this critical safety function for the Australian Defence Force. It meets the highest levels of safety standards while being easy to use. This is a fine example of local Australian innovation providing a very practical benefit to servicemen and women across the ADF.”
BTBFAs will be used on training ranges and are coloured red, enabling easy identification of their use during exercises. They require no modifications to existing weapons and can be maintained for most purposes in the field by the operator, utilising existing equipment. The units are about half the weight of the current in-service bayonet, and are optimised for the new Thales F3A1 blank round.
Thales Australia has also designed BTBFAs for use with other in-service weapons.
About Thales
Thales is a global technology leader for the Defence & Security and the Aerospace & Transport markets. In 2009, the company generated revenues of €12.9 billion (equivalent of AUD 22.7 billion) with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 22,500 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales has an exceptional international footprint, with operations around the world working with customers as local partners. www.thalesgroup.com
Thales Australia is a trusted partner of the Australian Defence Force and is also present in commercial sectors ranging from air traffic management to security systems and services. Employing around 3,500 people in over 35 sites across the country, Thales Australia recorded revenues of more than AUD1 billion in 2009.
Press contact
Julian Elliott
Thales Australia
+61 (0)2 9562 3716
+61 (0)401 134 415
julian.elliott@thalesgroup.com.au