Snake Head Cupola MK III

via Army Recognition.

At SOFEX 2018, the International Special Operations Forces Exhibition & Conference, the Jordanian Defense Company Jordan Amco presents a new version of its fully armoured turret Snake Head Cupola MK III fitted with optronics to perform combat operations during day and night conditions.

At DSEI 2017, a defense exhibition in London, Jordan AMCO has displayed its new upgraded Snake Head Cupola MK III, a fully closed armoured cupola fitted on a hybrid ring mount with 13 vision blocks, enabling the gunner to have wide surveillance angles of the perimeter around the vehicle.

The MKIIIA cupola is equipped with a front shield fitted on the weapon mount. The shield moves up and down providing the gunner full protection in the area around the gun barrel in addition to a curved vision block to enhance gunners’ vision.

At SOFEX 2018, Jordan Amco unveils a new version of its Snake Head Cupola MKIIIA fitted with day and night vision optronics and a laser range finder mounted at the front of the turret. With this new optics, Jordan Amco offers a new generation of fully armoured turret with high level of accuracy which can be used during day and night operations.

The Snake Head Cupola MK III can be easily integrated to any types of light wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles. The turret can offer ballistic protection up to Level 2 STANAG 4569. It can be armed with a variety of weapons, including machine gun up to 12.7mm caliber with manual traverse of 360° and manual elevation from -10° to +35°. According the request of customers, the turret can also be electrically powered.

I've been looking for low profile cupolas and/or turrets for awhile now.  The stuff we've been seeing is good but size and weight reductions are LONG overdue.

I don't know the tech behind this stuff but I would think they could push harder to deliver what I just described.

We need smaller.  We need lighter.  We need the capability to mount whatever weapon is desired...and we need under armor reloading, clearing and even light maintenance of the system.

Is that asking too much?

But back to this offering.  It's smaller than the offering that gained widespread use after the USAF Security guy got hit in Iraq (don't remember his name but I know the Air Force pushed out a new cupola with a quickness that was widely adopted). It provides overhead protection.  It's a step in the right direction.  Below is the version without the optics/day/night sights.  Jordan is making steps, not as big as others but steady forward progress.  I'm pleased.