Beretta presents "i-PROTECT". The first potential customer tells us ...

10/07/15

Last week, Beretta SpA and Intellitronika Srl presented a device that has been tested by the district police of the Provincial Command of Milan since XNUMX July. The system is called “i-PROTECT” and, since the first users in the world are the military of the weapon, we contacted the head of the Armament and Special Equipment Office of the General Command, Colonel Paolo Aceto.

Colonel, what is i-PROTECT?

It is a device integrated into the pistol and in the holster that allows raising the level of safety and protection of personnel, transmitting to the operations center the state of use of the weapon: or if it is in the holster, if it has been extracted, if it was armed and even if it exploded. This happens without the military having to make any communication via radio or telephone because it is all connected by sensors and a transmission system. The central, received the information, can reduce - if not zero! - the intervention times of a support crew when he sees, for example, that the carabiniere has removed the pistol from the holster.

And does everything interface through a smartphone?

Exact. The system consists of a gun (during the experimentation we are using a PX4-Storm and not the ordinance 92 but it can be adapted to any weapon), a holster type with rapid extraction, a smartphone and the operations center.

With the supplied telephone, you can also query databases and perform other checks.

The connection through a telephone surprises me. Is the dear old radio definitively outdated?

It is not entirely alternative. A smartphone is subject to network coverage while our radios - we are talking about the latest generation systems - guarantee capacity and type of communications under conditions where normally a mobile phone does not operate.

Surely, however, is a very good integration, when it is possible to transmit video streams, photos and sending text messages directly to patrols in the area of ​​intervention.

Can i-PROTECT replace some procedures? Knowing that with the pistol drawn or with the shot in the barrel a warning appears in the center, will the carabiniere be able to skip radio communications?

Yes and no. When the carabiniere takes out the weapon there is a geo-referenced signal, the central know that it is in this condition and - even automatically - can be reported to the nearest patrol to approach. Since the reasons why the weapon is pulled out can be disparate, it is normal that sooner or later you come into contact with the military. Then there is the possibility for the central to activate the camera of the phone to understand what is happening.

We remain in the order of ideas that the system helps in immediacy. As soon as possible you should always contact the plant for an update of the situation.

When you talk about the possibility of "activating the smartphone camera", do you mean that it will be carried in a front pocket?

It depends. Of course if it will be in an inside pocket I will not see anything but I can still receive a precious audio track. There are supports that allow you to activate the vision of the phone housed on the car or on the military belt.

Can you remember the black box of the planes?

Sure. Everything can be useful to document the procedures followed.

Basically it is a system of protection of an operator to eliminate immediately the need to contact the plant.

Who requested or proposed this product, the Arma or the companies?

It is a compromise. My office is in charge of evaluating what is on the market or what can be developed to help our institutional activities. We therefore have contacts with dozens of companies that supply exclusive equipment, others under development, others already marketed.

The goal is to provide the widest possible security framework for our military. Every day we look for technologies, from bulletproof vests to radio-protected devices, which allow us to reach the goal.

With Beretta we are constantly in touch because one of the main suppliers of armaments. They were already studying a similar system that was adapted to the needs of the weapon.

We will see the results of the tests. Useful for us but also for the company to modify the product. There are usually several requests at the end of each experiment to improve the apparatus.

Other aspects of i-PROTECT?

It is perfectly integrable with the systems we already use. Both as regards the communication devices on board the cars and those concerning the plants.

It could then be developed for other applications. The timing for handling the use of the weapon comes to my mind. Each gun has deadlines for maintenance, checks, etc. If we were able to automate these deadlines - which is already possible with this technology - we could have a great deal of help with maintenance management. With the count of the shots fired, for example.

We could then combine the intervention of the patrol closer to the extraction of the weapon from the holster.

We are evaluating. One step at a time we will understand what the best possibilities are.

How long will the experiment last?

Until the end of August. In case of development or updating of the system the period can be repeated.

If perfectly integrated with what is already supplied, it should benefit you in terms of costs.

The communication infrastructure is the same. The military already use analogous handhelds to interrogate databases or the operations center. It would not make sense to introduce new tools.

The PX4 Storm is also one of the candidates to succeed the 92 ...

It is a very very similar weapon. Obviously also much more modern, but as regards the use, the safe and the conformation stands as one of the possible candidates.

But this will happen in due course. At the moment the 92 meets the operational needs of the weapon.

Will we resend in a few months to know the outcome of the test?

Sure. I am an optimist. In this phase the initial objectives of the experimentation will almost certainly be reached. We will then see if and how to implement the apparatus.

Andrea Cucco