Armada-Modern-Soldier-Compendium-AUGSEPT-2013

The Swiss Army assault rifle in its Imess
configuration, with Sagem sight, laser pointer
and forward handgrip. (Armasuisse)
IMESS
The Swiss Imess (Integriertes Modulares
Einsatzsystem Schweizer Soldat) or
Integrated and Modular Engagement System
for the Swiss Soldier is aimed at improving the
Swiss Army soldier C4I, lethality, mobility,
survivability and sustainability. Principle
trials with the IdZ-BS (Basis System) on loan
from Germany were carried out in the mid-
2000s. For the subsequent steps, Switzerland
established an Integrated Project Team of
specialists from Armasuisse, Armed Forces
Staff, Land Forces as well as from the Armed
Forces Command Support Organisation and
the Armed Forces Logistics Organisation. In
2007 Eads Defence & Security (now
Cassidian), the producer of the IdZ-BS, was
chosen as prime contractor and system house
for the Imess overall integration, the Imess
being thus based on the company’s Warrior
21. The team also included a number of
subcontractors among which were Sagem of
France for the optronics, Kongsberg of
Norway for the radio, and SSZ of Switzerland
for textile components, while General
Dynamics-Mowag and Ascom Security
Solutions (now Ruag Defence) were
responsible for the integration of the Imess
into the Radschützenpanzer 93 (Piranha 8x8)
armoured personnel carrier and in the Duro I.
Combining the experience of the
different subcontractors an ad-hoc system
was designed for the Swiss needs and, in
2007, the Confederation acquired 25 Imess
prototypes and five vehicle sets from the
prime contractor. These systems were
thoroughly field tested by the Swiss Army.
On the basis of the results thus obtained the
Swiss Armed Forces Command decided to
continue the project step by step. This led to
a CHF20 million contract signed on 31
January 2011 covering modifications to the
existing systems and the acquisition of
further systems to reach a total of 43 soldiers
and 10 vehicles sets – in other words a
complete Imess infantry platoon.
The upgrade mostly aims at reducing the
number of components, improve power
consumption and toughen the harness and
cabling of the system. The C2 has been
The back of the Imess e-vest; the vest carries
two batteries, the computer that coordinates
all electronic components, and the radio.
(Armasuisse)
developed to cope with the functions
needed from the individual soldier up to
company level, and support both
dismounted and mounted operations.
The C4I suite communications asset is
the Kongsberg SR600 inter-squad UHF
software defined radio. It can provide
different network capabilities based on
selected waveforms and bandwidths. This
radio can handle a number of parallel voice
networks and IP multi-hop data network in
one network. The SR600 operates in the
225-400 MHz frequency range with an
output power of between 10 mW and 1 W.
The bandwidth is up to 5 MHz and provides
a data rate of up to 2500 kbps, allowing
video and image transmission. The SR600
weighs 0.7 kg and can be powered by a 9
to18-Volt source.
The Imess adopts the Esterline – Racal
Acoustics RA6000 Talon push-to-talk
system. This is a four-channel system that
can operate up to two soldier radios, one
platform intercom and one platform radio,
and features an Integral Active Noise
Reduction (ANR) hearing, supporting
circumaural, in-the-ear, low noise and
covert headsets types. It operates on one 1.5-
Volt AA battery, from radio/intercom
power, as well as without power (fai-safe
mode). The RA600 Talon has a weight of
242 grams with battery and is linked to an
RA5500 Frontier In-The-Ear headset.
Attached to the vest is the portable PC,
the choice having favoured the Roda Mildef
Panther DB6, a 690-gram device with a
magnesium alloy case that includes most
20 Compendium Modern Soldier Programme 2013