Powered Picatinny Rail Coming To Beretta ARX-160
Beretta USA have signed a licensing agreement with Prototype Productions Incorporated (PPI) that will allow them to incorporate PPI’s powered picatinny rail system into the Beretta ARX-100 and Beretta ARX-160. It looks like powered rails are finally ready to go mainstream. This video explains the technology …
The full press release is below …
VIDEO
ASHBURN, VA, July 30, 2013– PPIVH, the venture division of specialty research manufacturing and technology development firm PPI based in Ashburn, VA, has announced that Beretta USA has agreed to integrate their ARX-100 and ARX-160 next generation polymer carbines with the Powered RailTM technology created by PPI through the US Army’s SBIR contract program. PPI is currently operating under the Commercialization Pilot Program (CPP) Phase II of that original contract awarded in 2008.This selection was the result of a multi-year, intense negotiation and assessment by Beretta on the Powered Rail program as they reviewed and monitored technologies world-wide for a powered rail capability. The powered rail is the next step or evolution for carbines and weapon manufacturers as they consolidate weapons, electronic accessories and EOIR devices. The PPI Powered RailTM will allow the ARX-100 and ARX-160 to consolidate power for accessories such as flashlights, lasers, night vision, thermal weapon sights, and other devices under development, while also providing data transfer and communications between devices and external resources.“This is an exciting opportunity for the Beretta Defense Technologies alliance of companies”, said Gabriele de Plano, VP of Military Marketing & Sales at Beretta USA, “PPIVH’s innovative technology will allow us to integrate Steiner optics and Laser Devices illuminators and pointers into a unique ARX system solution”.Joe V. Travez, Chairman of PPI’s venture subsidiary – PPIVH, and CEO of PPI, said, “We are honored to partner with Beretta, a 500 year old company that has a rich heritage of craftsmanship, innovation and tireless support for the warfighter. We share Beretta’s commitment to excellence and Beretta’s vision to revolutionize the arms industry with integrated power and data/communications. The resulting Powered Rail enabled ARX weapons will provide today’s warfighters with unmatched capability, combined with a lighter load and lower fielding and sustainment costs. Beretta has been very proactive in its approach towards weapon and accessory integration and innovation, and we believe this agreement clearly demonstrates the direction of the industry towards consolidation of power and communications on the weapon. Beretta recognizes the benefits of our Powered RailTM technology world-wide and the resulting applications for weapon manufacturers, accessory makers and integration firms developing the latest generation optic accessories. The core technology of the Powered RailTM is the lightweight, sealed bus board with its patented internal switching, which can be integrated into any weapon platform that utilizes the Picatinny Rail. This unprecedented technology acts like a durable, waterproof “power strip,” allowing accessories to be reduced in size and weight while adding an embedded, high-speed communications capability.”About PPISince 1991, PPI has developed over 200 operational, market-ready products for its clients in a diverse range of technology sectors. An award-winning company, PPI is a leader in design, engineering, and manufacturing unique products for the Federal government as well as commercial sectors. PPI is dedicated to ensuring a knowledgeable base of future engineers and technology experts and works through an active education outreach program to educate and inspire students. In 2010 PPI formed T Worx Ventures, charged with the commercialization of technologies created by PPI.