Kwesst (KWE.V) 81mm mortar tech integrates into “ATAK” for key U.S. military customer – live-fire trials next

On March 16, 2021 Kwesst Micro Systems (KWE.V) announced that it has achieved an important milestone under the contract announced in December 2020 for a key military customer.

KWE has a diversified product line, based on a single core technology, called Micro Integrated Sensor Systems Technology (MISST), which involves miniaturized sensors, optics, ballistics and software.

Its products include:

Tactical Awareness and Situational Control System
Drone Threat & Counter Solution
Tactical Laser Defeat System
Shot Counter
Electronic Decoys

Under normal rules of business engagement, when a technology company signs a development contract, they will name the company they are partnered with.

Because KWE develops military applications, there is cloak of secrecy protecting the identity of the “key military customer” (no battle commander wants enemy combatants to know what hardware – or software – it is using).

A mortar is an artillery weapon that fires explosive shells called mortar bombs,” explained Equity Guru’s Joseph Morton on December 14, 2020, “They’re best deployed at close range targets, such as an entrenched position on a hill.”

“It comes typically with a short tube-shaped barrel which fires the bomb at a low speed high into the air, arcs over the ground and lands at coordinates predetermined by a mix of mathematics and eyeballs”.

“Normally, this involves a mortar team of five men, including a squad leader, gunner, assistant gunner and three men to handle the ammunition,” added Morton, “The introduction of smart technology reduces that number while providing continuous feedback based on data received during the action. The math? Let the computers handle it”.

On March 16, 2021, KWE announced that it has “integrated its TASCS (Tactical Awareness Situational Control System) IFM (Integrated Fires Module) for the 81mm Mortar Fire Control System into the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), the preeminent battlefield management system for NATO countries.”

TASCS uses real-time awareness and targeting information from any source (including drones) streamed directly to users’ smart devices and weapons.

“TASCS is designed to integrate into any battlefield management application,” stated Jeff MacLeod, KWESST Founder, President and CEO. “However, ATAK is the foremost and ubiquitous NATO battlefield management application.”

This video produced by DHS Science and Technology Directorate explains the wide ranging applications of ATAK from a military theatre of operations, to border control, to hurricane relief efforts.

“In the past, we’d sit in a room amongst all the players in the room, multi agencies, and we have to pass information back and forth”.

“ATAK has helped save countless lives during the flooding and devastation of Hurricane Harvey. And it has also given the first responders a platform to share information that is real time and necessary for them to perform their duties”.

“We view the successful integration of TASCS applications into ATAK as key to widespread adoption of our TASCS system,” added MacLeod, “and are pleased to have achieved this milestone event.”

TASCS is not Kwesst’s only iron in the fire.

Kwesst’s entire development pipeline has been flowing forward with low viscosity.

Equity Guru has covered Kwesst’s progress in some detail.

On January 18, 2021 KWE announced that is has entered into a technology purchase agreement with DEFSEC Corp to acquire “proprietary non-lethal munitions technology system referred to as the low-energy cartridge technology (LEC technology)”.

“We see the LEC Technology as having universal application across four market segments that currently use a variety of dated “non-lethal” or “less-lethal” products, each having a vast global market,” stated Jeff MacLeod, Kwesst Founder and CEO.

LEC technology applications:

public order (riots and control of dangerous subjects)
military and law enforcement training (realistic force-on-force training)
personal defence (home, car, boat, RV, camping, hiking)
high-action gaming

LEC technology fits snugly into Kwesst’s niche of modern military solutions.

Kwesst isn’t interested in blowing up Naval Destroyers or carpet-bombing villages. KWE’s thing is to scramble enemy communications, or shoot an armed drone out of the sky.

On December 30, 2020 KWE announced that it has been granted a second U.S. patent covering KWESST’s “Phantom” electronic decoy system.

Phantom is the electronic decoy KWESST is bringing to market in 2021 in response to specific military interest in a next-generation system that is ultra-miniaturized for expedient deployment in theaters of operation by ground personnel or on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

Phantom mimics all relevant NATO military electronic signal emissions in order to deceive adversaries attempting to locate them based on those waveforms.

Key Electronic Decoy Features:

Deflects, masks friendly force Electro Magnetic (EM) signature with numerous false phantom signatures
Spoofs adversaries to draw them out, slow their targeting of friendly forces, and commit and waste assets on phantom targets
Authentic emulation of voice, video, data and text signatures of NATO forces.
Addresses next-generation NATO requirements.
Simultaneous waveform generation across all communications systems

The TASCS IFM Fire Control System for the 81mm mortar is a world-first in digitizing the function of a mortar team, from the identification of the target to the aiming of the mortar.

It reduces the time it takes to engage adversaries and greatly increases the precision of mortar fire.

TASCS has similar application across many other firing platforms beyond just the 81mm mortar, with a world market estimated by the Company at several hundred million dollars.

TASCS’ ability to integrate tactical applications into ATAK has attracted attention from other military customers and OEMs.

“We’re discovering that many potential customers require ATAK integration help,” stated MacLeod, “We have already begun assisting some, and we are currently processing about a dozen other inbound enquiries for assistance, both domestic and international.”

“It appears that this has the potential to become a separate business line unto itself, with recurring revenue,” added MacLeod.

As a result of the integration into the 81mm mortar announced on March 16, 2021, Kwesst will proceed to the next phase of the contract, involving live-fire trials at various U.S. military bases.