Land Warfare Vol5 #5

Volume 5 Number 5
October/November 2014
Inside knowledge
Manned turret developments
COURSE
OF ACTION
SEEING
THE SIGHTS
HIGH
CALIBRE
US Army training
Night vision equipment
Artillery systems
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IN THE FIGHT
OUT OF HARMS WAY
Tough on the outside, tech on the inside.

Our highly mobile, lethal and combat-proven
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and infinitely innovative. Plus our field service
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2014 Textron Inc. All rights reserved.
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Client:
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Pub:
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2031-6139
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Warfare Int.
Contact: Meredith Chase
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5-19-2014
CONTENTS
Front cover: Denels LCT 20 turret is
a two-man model for installation on
IFVs, mounting a 20mm cannon.
(Image: Denel Land Systems)
Editor
Tim Fish.
tim.f@shephardmedia.com
Tel: +44 (0)1753 727036
North America Editor
Scott R Gourley.
scott.g@shephardmedia.com
Tel: +1 (707) 822 7204
European Editor
Ian Kemp. ian.k@shephardmedia.com
3 EDITORIAL COMMENT

Export experience
Contributors
Claire Apthorp, Gordon Arthur,
Mike Bryant, Anthony Hall, Liza Helps,
Helmoed-Rmer Heitman,
Neelam Mathews, Stephen Miller,
David Saw
Production Manager
David Hurst. david.h@shephardmedia.com
Tel: +44 (0)1753 727029
Sub-editor
Adam Wakeling
Advertising Sales Executive
Brian Millan. brian.m@shephardmedia.com
Tel: +44 (0)1753 727005
Editor-in-Chief
Tony Skinner
Managing Director
Darren Lake
Chairman
NEWS
UK finally signs 3.5 billion Scout SV contract
Belgium to retire Leopard 1 MBTs
Denel unveils new light turret
New Zealand pushes ahead with rifle replacement
8 HIGH CALIBRE

First widely used during the Second World War, selfpropelled guns maintain a core long-range precision
fire capability for many armies worldwide. David Saw
reviews the current market, and finds a broad mixture
of products old and new.
12 REBALANCING ACT

Following US President Barack Obamas announced
strategic shift to Asia-Pacific, the USMC has been
steadily returning to full strength in the region.
Gordon Arthur provides an update.
16
25 OCCUPANCY RATES

Despite the recent proliferation of remote-controlled
weapon stations, the manned turret still has a future,
finds Tim Fish.
Nick Prest
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16 IN SAFER HANDS

While grenades can provide lethal force at close
range, they also can cause significant collateral
damage. Anthony Hall examines efforts by industry
to lower the potential danger to friendly forces while
still creating a deadly weapon.
33 COURSE OF ACTION

Following a decade of counter-insurgency
operations, the US Army is now putting greater
emphasis on traditional direct action in its training
scenarios, discovers Scott R Gourley.

19 SEEING THE SIGHTS

The ability to see and engage targets effectively at
night is critical to modern military operations. Ian
Kemp examines recent night weapon sight
developments in the US.
PARTING SHOT
36 STRATEGIC SHIFTS

During a visit to the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry
Division of the US Army in South Korea at Uijeongbu,
Gordon Arthur spoke to the commander, Maj Gen
Thomas Vandal, about the challenges ahead.
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Volume 5 Number 5 | October/November 2014 | LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL
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EDITORIAL COMMENT
EXPORT
EXPERIENCE
E
very defence company claims to be

pushing hard to secure exports, but what
does this mean in practice?
North American and European firms will
firstly have to come to grips with the fact that
business in other parts of the world is done
very differently than on home shores, where
democracy and the law are relatively strong,
and there are serious cultural considerations
that need to be taken into account.
Speaking at Rheinmetalls Berlin Defence
Talks in August, Michael Kerwin, programme
manager for the Leopard 2 sale to Indonesia,
highlighted some key issues about how the
company secured that export order, the lessons
learned and the continuing uncertainty.
He said that from a cultural perspective, it was
harder to read people, because seeing someone
with a friendly and positive demeanour could
mean very little. There would be lots of
steps backwards and forwards and it was not
uncommon to make progress in contractual
negotiations before the Indonesians would take a
step back and start all over again. Furthermore,
there were in-depth discussions about relatively
minor issues that could take days.
MORE POWER
Kerwin cited an issue with power packs, which are

surplus materials: Two days before finalising the
negotiations, they said they wanted new power
packs. We had just started two-day marathon
negotiations it was not necessary to have new
power packs and finally they accepted it. But they
were excellent fighters and negotiators.
Undoubtedly, this is a strong negotiating
tactic and Kerwin said that it was something
that the German team needed to take account
LWI_OctNov14_p03_Comment.indd 3
of. The streamlined and process-driven

acquisition timeline that they were used to with
formal steps and focused negotiations were a
different ball game to the one they were in.
For the users point of view, they did an
excellent job, Kerwin continued. We had to
suffer, but we stayed in the negotiations.
Recent changes in the country meant that
there were also some new experiences for the
Indonesians. There was regular coverage in the
local press and the deal faced a lot of criticism that
Rheinmetall had to manage neutrally. In addition,
the company found that large contracts needed
financing through loan agreements. We learned
that this could take up to one year, noted Kerwin.
MOD DECISIONS
One major change was that for the first time

the Indonesian MoD was making the
procurement investment decisions and not
the army. As a result, there were internal
disputes between the organisations involved
in the decision-making process. This has
created continuing uncertainty.
In October 2014, for the first time the
country will have an elected civilian president.
Joko Widodo has no military background, and
a cabinet re-structure is expected. To date, all
Indonesian decision-makers have been two- or
three-star generals. The Chief of the Army had
been the prime decision-maker, but this role is
shifting to the MoD.
In countries such as Indonesia, which has a
growing economy and a government looking to
become a more significant regional power, there
are requirements to involve state industries. Some
already have infrastructure and capability, but
these are not the decision-makers and operate
under their own state ministry. Kerwin said this

will be critical over the next few years.
There was also a need for large military
parades. This may be difficult for the West to
understand, but in a country like Indonesia the
population needs to be able to see and touch
the vehicles to appreciate the value.
This was a problem for Rheinmetall because
it needs export licences to take two vehicles to
Indonesia in order to display them at the Indo
Defence exhibition in Jakarta later this year.
The company has to negotiate stringent
German export regulations that are also
liable to change, particularly where non-NATO
countries are concerned.
There is a significant amount of risk involved
in dealing with regions of the world that are
unfamiliar. Companies with experience in
this area will recognise some of the hurdles
that Kerwin has highlighted and will now be
better prepared to manage them.
However, exporting further overseas will be
new for some firms and it remains to be seen
how they will take to this challenge. It certainly
requires an open mind and flexibility as well
as the patience and determination to stay the
course. Unfortunately it seems there is little
substitution for experience, and most the
lessons will be learned by doing.
Tim Fish, Editor
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
l Sniper rifles
l Training equipment
l Future wheeled fleets
l Vehicle-mounted AGLs
24/09/2014 09:42:41
NEWS
The army expects

an in-service date for
Scout SV in Q2 2020
five years later than
originally planned.
UK FINALLY SIGNS 3.5 BILLION

SCOUT SV CONTRACT
Image: UK MoD
Some thought it would never happen, but

General Dynamics UK (GDUK) has been awarded
a 3.5 billion ($5.72 billion) contact to deliver 589
Scout Specialist Vehicle AFVs to the British Army.
The company announced the deal on
3 September after a considerable effort by the
army, which has been trying to get Scout
approved before the lead-up to the UK general
election in May 2015 when purdah hits and all
decisions are pushed back.
Deliveries are due from 2017 to 2026 but
there is still some way to go before all the
different variants are developed, tested and
approved. This is due to take place in 2014-15.
An MoD spokesperson told Land Warfare
International that about half the fleet will
be based on the turreted Scout SV platform
with: 198 used for reconnaissance and strike
missions; 23 conducting joint fire control for
artillery forward observers; and 24 variants doing
ground-based surveillance.
Each of these medium-weight vehicles
when fully loaded are approximately 30-40t in
both Major Combat Operation configuration
and Peace Support Operation configuration.
They have a crew of three drawn from 15 units,
have a top speed of 70kph and a range of
approximately 500km, the spokesperson said.
The remainder of the fleet will be based

on the Protected Mobility Reconnaissance
Support (PMRS) variant. Of these, 59 will be
APCs carrying two crew and four passengers
(illustrated above), while there will also be: 51
engineer reconnaissance vehicles; 34 formation
reconnaissance overwatch vehicles; and 112
command and control variants.
These vehicles will all have a crew of two
plus four passengers (except for engineer recce,
which only has two crew), and the same speed
and range as the Scout.
Support for the fleet will be provided by
specialised variants, including 38 Scout SV
Recovery vehicles for towing damaged units
and 50 Scout SV Repair vehicles. The latter have
a crew of four with the Recovery model hosting
three (plus one spare seat).
The vehicles will become the mainstay of
the British Armys armoured infantry brigades as
envisaged in the Army 2020 reforms. The first
unit to get the vehicles will be the Royal Lancers.
Col Nick Hunter, deputy programme leader
on Scout SV, said at the DVD exhibition in June
that the army expects an in-service date in Q2
2020 five years later than originally planned.
The Scout is based on GDs ASCOD 2 chassis
and will be built and tested in Spain by General
LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL | October/November 2014 | Volume 5 Number 5
LWI_OctNov14_p04-06_News.indd 4
Dynamics European Land Systems before being

delivered to the UK for final fit-out. The vehicles
will replace the ageing CVR(T) fleet that came
into service in 1972-73.
GDUK said the contract will underpin 1,300
jobs, which is significantly down on the 10,600
British workers that the company initially said
Scout would support in a press release in 2010.
GDUK is working under an existing
demonstration phase contract awarded in
2010 worth 500 million beating BAE Systems
CV90 proposal that will see seven prototypes
built with testing expected to begin in 2015.
The first pre-production example of the
Scout PMRS an APC variant was displayed at
the DVD exhibition in June.
A test readiness review is expected by the
end of the year to prepare it for army tests in
2015. Three Scout SVs fitted with turrets will be
followed by an equipment support and recovery
vehicle, an equipment support and repair
vehicle, and a command and control vehicle.
Attempts by the army to acquire a
medium-weight tracked armoured capability
have taken a long and tortuous route that
goes back to initial efforts in the 1980s under
the Future Family of Light Armoured
Vehicles programme, followed by the MultiRole Armoured Vehicle and the Tactical
Reconnaissance Armoured Combat Equipment
Requirement in the 1990s that were cancelled in
the early 2000s.
The latest iteration was the Future Rapid
Effects System (FRES) programme, which saw
the SV launched in 2009 with an in-service date
slated for 2015.
FRES-SV, as it was then, was supposed to
be a family of 1,200-1,300 vehicles, with the
procurement of 589 Scouts to be the first of five
recce blocks. FRES never made, it but the Scout
SV element was retained.
By Tim Fish, London
24/09/2014 09:58:20
NEWS
BELGIUM TO RETIRE
LEOPARD 1 MBTS
The Belgian militarys land component
conducted a final live-fire exercise with the
KMW Leopard 1 MBT on 10 September, it has
emerged. One of the last NATO members
to operate the 43t tank model, Belgium
purchased 334 Leopard 1A1s in the late
1960s, 132 of which were upgraded to 1A5 (BE)
standards in the 1990s by installing a new fire
control system and thermal sight.
Being surplus to requirements after the Cold
War, most Leopard 1s that were not upgraded
were sold to Brazil. While the Belgian military
officially still has an inventory of 112 Leopard
1A5 (BE)s, only a handful of vehicles were
operational by the time the tanks 105mm L7A3
gun fired its last round at the Bergen-Hohne
Training Area in Germany, and the last are
to bow out in 2015. In August, the Belgian MoD
announced that it would sell off 56 tanks with
the remainder to be used for target practice on

firing ranges or handed over to museums.
For the time being, Belgium will continue to
operate the armoured recovery and armoured
engineer vehicle versions of the Leopard 1. In
recent years, the Belgian land component has
moved away from operating tracked vehicles
which included the British-made CVR(T) series.
Instead, it has fielded an all-wheeled force that
now consists of Iveco LMV, KMW Dingo 2 and
GDELS-Steyr Pandur and GDELS-MOWAG
Piranha III vehicles. Having been procured
in seven different versions, most of the new
Piranhas have replaced the tracked M113s and
AIFVs, all of which have now been withdrawn
from service. Belgium is replacing its Leopard 1s
with Piranha DF90s which are equipped with a
90mm Cockerill LCTS 90 turret.
By Pieter Bastiaans, Breda
DENEL UNVEILS NEW LIGHT TURRET

Denel Land Systems (DLS) launched its new LCT
MC (Light Combat Turret Medium Calibre) at
the AAD exhibition in Pretoria on 17 September.
Stefan Burger, CEO of DLS, told reporters
that the company saw a gap in its portfolio for
an affordable one-man turret that has good
protection and sighting systems.
He said that the LCT MC is not stabilised or
automated in order to reduce cost, but the
company has retained the day and night camera
with narrow, intermediate and wide field of view
and a thermal sighting system.
The thermal imager has a range of 1km at
night and the spotlight has a range of 1-1.5km.
The turret has windows covering a 360 field of
view and a top hatch for the gunner to look out
of when conditions are safe. The weapon can
depress to -12 and elevate to +45.
With a base weight of 650kg, the turret is
designed to be light. The version on display had
6+4mm armour but this can be increased if

required. The turret will fit on any 6x6 APC.
It also has a drop-in weapon system. The
12.7mm gun shown can be taken out easily,
along with its magazine, and a smaller calibre
weapon can be fitted instead. According to
Denel, the mounting can accept a 7.62mm SS77,
12.7mm heavy MG, 20mm GA1 low-recoil
cannon or GLI40 automatic grenade launcher.
Burger said he had a launch customer in
Southeast Asia but DLS is present in 11 African
countries, and this is where the potential lies.
He added that many armies there need
additional capability, particularly as regards
sights and night operations, and the LCT MC
provides this without additional costs. The
turret can fire from a stationary position by day
or night at much greater ranges than existing
unstabilised guns.
By Tim Fish, Pretoria
NEWS ON THE WEB

Norway set to upgrade night/day
soldier systems
19 September 2014
Rippel showcases upgraded

grenade launcher
19 September 2014
DCD unveils new Oribi truck

19 September 2014
Badger missile variant displayed

at AAD 2014
18 September 2014
Countdown begins for

Rheinmetalls VingPos
18 September 2014
Chaiseri approaches African

market with flats
18 September 2014
BAE launches new RG-21

series APC
17 September 2014
Saab wins first LEDS-50

Mk 2 contract
17 September 2014
Brazil details armoured

recce requirement
17 September 2014
DongFeng unveils new 6x6

16 September 2014
First CV90 engineering vehicle

delivered to Norway
15 September 2014
All these stories can be found

at www.landwarfareintl.com
24/09/2014 09:58:21
NEWS
The NZDF is open to

bullpup and traditional
rifle designs, but they
must be capable of
engaging a static target
out to 600m by day.
NEW ZEALAND PUSHES AHEAD

WITH RIFLE REPLACEMENT
Photo: NZDF
New Zealand released a request for tender

(RfT) for the countrys Individual Weapon
Replacement Programme (IWRP) on 14 August.
The IWRP was officially initiated in March,
following cancellation of the IW Steyr Upgrade
Project, and will instead replace the ageing Steyr
rifle that was first introduced in 1987.
Fourteen companies responded to the initial
RfI, and those bidding for the contract have until
16 October to respond to the RfT.
Once the RfT has closed, a downselection
for physical evaluation will take place in
December 2014, with trials following in February
and March 2015 and a contract is expected to
be signed in June. Deliveries of the new rifle to
the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) will take
place from the end of 2016 through to 2017.
The original Steyr upgrade programme was
cancelled because the tendered responses
were out of scope for the project the details of
this are still commercially confidential.
The plan is to deliver a stock of 8,800 rifles
fitted with 7,000 individual weapon sights (IWS),
bayonet lug and suppressor. The breakdown
for rifles across the NZDF is: 4,000 for the New
Zealand Army; 700 for the Royal New Zealand

Navy; and 1,000 for the Royal New Zealand Air
Force, with the remainder divided across various
reserve stocks.
The contract will include logistics and spares
to support the rifle for two years plus technical
training and support. The selected weapon is
expected to remain in service out to 2035.
Maj Shane Ruane, programme manager for
IWRP, told Land Warfare International that the
current rifle is reaching the end of its lifespan
and that the main issue (apart from its age and
associated service/repair considerations) with
the Steyr is its closed architectural design.
This precluded the use of in-line night
sights or more powerful day optics and the
fitting of other accessories/ancillaries to the
standard weapon, allowing it to be configured to
suit the mission profile, he said.
The NZDF is open to bullpup and traditional
rifle designs, but they must be capable of
engaging a static target out to 600m by day and
300m by night.
Ruane said that the generic requirements for
the new rifle are that it must be military-off-the-
shelf; chambered for 5.56x45mm 45 NATO (and

capable of firing all current in-service 5.56mm
natures); open architecture in design with top,
side and bottom rail configurations to accept a
variety of mission-specific accessories/ancillaries;
and able to fit an underbarrel, detachable 40mm
low-velocity grenade launcher and associated
sighting system.
The RfT stated that Trijicons Advanced
Combat Optic Gunsight (ACOG) 4x32
TA31NZ-5.56 will continue to be the standard
IWS.
According to the RfT, the weapon must be
capable of accepting the following accessories:
the IWS; an AN/PVS-22 inline weapon sight;
an AN/PEQ-15 night aiming device; a WMX-200
illuminator; iron sights; and a folding foregrip, as
well as the grenade launcher.
The rifle should be capable of semi-automatic,
automatic and burst modes. Barrel length must
not exceed 521mm or be less than 356mm and
it must have a service life of over 10,000 rounds.
The current in-service 40mm grenade
launcher will not be retained and 500 new
models will be procured in conjunction with
the IWRP. The original Grenade Launcher
Replacement (GLR) was initially conceived as a
separate project.
Requirements in the RfT state that the GLR
must be capable of firing the following lowvelocity 40mm grenades: HEDP M433I; Illum
M583A1; Prac M781; Smoke; 60Cal Stinger LL;
and CS RP707. It should also be capable of being
operated as a standalone launcher and have its
own sighting system.
As part of the IWRP, there are plans for
procurement of a number of accessories, these
include: 1,000 suppressors; 7,000 blank firing
attachments; 35,000 magazines; 7,000 slings;
7,000 cleaning kits; 200 bulk transit cases; and
2,000 blue weapons for training purposes.
By Tim Fish, London
24/09/2014 09:58:22
24/09/2014 09:59:10
ARTILLERY SYSTEMS
First widely used during the

Second World War, self-propelled
guns maintain a core long-range
precision fire capability for many
armies worldwide. David Saw
reviews the current market,
and finds a broad mixture of
products old and new.
The KMW PzH 2000 was designed to meet

the needs of the German Army for an M109
replacement. (Photo: KMW)
HIGH CALIBRE
T
here is no better place to start an analysis of

the self-propelled artillery market than by
looking at the M109 a system that has defined
the sector as far as the West is concerned for
more than 50 years.
Dissatisfaction with existing equipment in
the early 1950s led the US Army to sponsor
the development of new systems. The process
started in 1952, and by the middle of 1954 two
gun designs had emerged and it was decided

that both would feature common elements.
This resulted in the T195, a self-propelled 105mm
system, and the 155mm T196.
The T195 later became the M108 and the T196
became the M109. The former entered US Army
service in the early 1960s but did not stand the
test of time and was withdrawn in the 1970s. The
M109, by contrast, entered service in 1962 and is
France deployed the Nexter

Caesar to Afghanistan in
2009. One is shown here
during a firing exercise at
Bagram. (Photo: US Army)
LWI_OctNov14_p08-11_Artillery.indd 8
still there some 52 years later, with the latest

version, the M109A7, making its debut in May
2014 with the US Army.
NO SUBSTITUTES
As far as the army was concerned, the longevity

of the M109 was never planned. At the end of the
1980s it started working on a successor to the
weapon and its attendant M992 Field Artillery
Ammunition Support Vehicle (FAASV) in the
shape of the XM2001 Crusader.
Crusader offered long-range precision fires,
automatic ammunition loading and handling
for high rates of fire, increased survivability and
mobility compared to the M109. The system
would be supported by dedicated resupply
vehicles, providing automated delivery of
ammunition and fuel.
In terms of performance, the XM2001 had
much to offer, so when the programme got into
difficulties the US Army was quick to point out
that three Crusaders offered more firepower
than six M109A5/M109A6s. The problem was
that Crusader was very expensive and at 40t in
weight was considered too heavy to deploy in
many operational contingencies. Eventually,
in May 2002 the DoD announced that it was
terminating the programme.
This was not the end of the M109
replacement effort. The next challenger to the
venerable weapon was the XM1203 Non-line-ofSight Cannon (NLOS-C), part of the US Armys
24/09/2014 10:21:47
ARTILLERY SYSTEMS
While tracked systems

dominated the selfpropelled artillery scene
for many years, wheeled
options are becoming
more popular.
Future Combat Systems Manned Ground
Vehicle (FCS-MGV) programme. NLOS-C had
a crew of two, with automation being
incorporated into the vehicle to provide high
rates of fire, and as with Crusader great emphasis
was put on precision fires.
The XM1203 was an 18t air-transportable
tracked vehicle that would fit into the networked
ground forces structure envisaged by the army.
The first prototype was rolled out in May 2008,
and more followed to allow for an extensive
testing programme. Then, in 2009 the overall FCS
effort was cancelled and NLOS-C was dead.
With both successor systems having fallen by
the wayside, the standard US Army self-propelled
gun is now the M109A6 Paladin. This was a
major upgrade of earlier systems, featuring

automotive, reliability and maintainability
enhancements, better protection, increased
onboard ammunition capacity, digital fire control
and improved communications and navigation
systems. All of this translated into a significant
improvement over earlier variants, but yet more
performance was needed, hence the Paladin
Integrated Management (PIM) programme that
has led to the latest M109A7.
For the latter, prime contractor BAE Systems
will be providing a new chassis, engine,
transmission and steering system derived from
the M2/M3 Bradley. The same upgrades will be
applied to the M992A2 FAASV, turning it into the
M992A3 Carrier, Ammunition Tracked.
Both the M109A7 and M992A3 have increased

protection compared to earlier variants. The
former has greater on-board power generation
capability and a new electric gun drive derived
from that used in the NLOS-C. The fire control
system is further enhanced and the M109A7 will
be able to utilise Raytheons M982 Excalibur and
ATKs M1156 PGK rounds. The M109A7/M992A3
represents a significant enhancement to early
models of both systems, and will be in US Army
service for many years to come.
FOLLOWING THROUGH
Other countries looked elsewhere for solutions. In

1993, the British Army brought the VSEL AS90
into service, ordering 179 units to replace its
TopGun - transforming cannon fire

into precision strike
TopGun from IAI: A revolutionary

add-on fuze that converts standard
artillery ammunition into a high
precision weapon
Suitable for all Standard 155mm artillery

projectiles and complies with Zone 6
firing
Better than 10m CEP hit accuracy
at any range
Fire for effect from 1st round preserving the element of
surprise
Minimal collateral
damage
www.iai.co.il
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AUSA 2014
Booth 2039
24/09/2014 10:21:48
ARTILLERY SYSTEMS
M109 fleet. It has been a successful weapon that

is still in service, but no export orders were
secured. However, its turret system, mounting
155/52 ordnance, was acquired by Poland
for integration with an indigenous chassis to
become part of the Krab self-propelled gun
system manufactured locally by HSW. A total
of 72 systems are being acquired initially by
the Polish Army.
Germany was another major M109 user, and
it replaced its fleet with the KMW PzH 2000,
ordering 185 in 1996. The vehicle mounts a
Rheinmetall 155/52 turret and was first used
in combat by the Royal Netherlands Army in
Afghanistan in 2006, with the Germans also
deploying the gun to this theatre four years later.
Currently, Germany has 185 systems, Greece
has 24, Italy 70 and the Netherlands 57. Croatia
plans to acquire 12 surplus PzH 2000s, which
could be sourced from German or Dutch stocks,
while KMW is expected to supply Qatar with 24
as part of a larger defence contract.
Another self-propelled solution from Germany
is KMWs Artillery Gun Module (AGM). Utilising
PzH 2000 components, this is a 155/52 system
mounted in a 12.5t remote turret containing 30
projectiles and 145 charges. At Eurosatory 2014 a
version of the AGM mounted on a Boxer wheeled
AFV was displayed. Previously the AGM was
the centrepiece of KMWs Donar system, initially
mounted on an MLRS rocket launcher chassis,
but more recently a variant using the General
Dynamics ASCOD 2 chassis has been proposed.
Samsung Techwin has built over 1,000 155/52
calibre K9 Thunder systems for the Republic
of Korea Army since the award of a production
contract in 1998. In addition, the T-155 Frtna
built by MKEK for the Turkish Army is essentially
a licence-produced K9 with locally specified
elements attached. Turkey has an eventual
requirement for 350 T-155s and Azerbaijan
intends to buy 36.
Both Russia and China field an extensive range
of tracked self-propelled systems. The 2S19
Msta is in service with the Russian Army in large
numbers, and also with Belarus and Ukraine.
Export customers include Ethiopia, Morocco and
10
The M109A7 features a new chassis, engine,

transmission and steering system derived
from the M2/M3 Bradley plus enhanced fire
control and protection. (Photo: US Army)
Venezuela. The Chinese PLZ45 has 155/45

ordnance and has been exported to Bangladesh,
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Singapore produced its
own gun system in the form of the ST Kinetics
SSPH-1 Primus.
ROUNDING UP
While tracked systems dominated the selfpropelled artillery scene for many years, wheeled
options are becoming more popular, driven by a
desire for reduced system weight and increased
deployability. Wheeled solutions are not new, as
in the late 1970s the then-Czechoslovakian Army
took the DANA system into service.
This was based on a rear-engined Tatra
815 8x8 chassis and included a fighting
compartment with an open turret mounting
a 152mm howitzer in the centre. The crew
compartment was situated at the front, with
the total system weighing around 29t. Some
450 were built in total.
The concept was further developed for the
Slovak Army by Kerametal, leading to the Zuzana,
mounting 155/45 NATO ordnance. This entered
Slovak service in 1998, with 16 being delivered,
and the Cypriot National Guard has acquired 12.
A version mounting 155/52 ordnance is available,
and Kerametal also offers the Zuzana A40
which is the same turret system mounted on a
T-72 tank chassis.
Serbia has designed and built the Nora B-52
wheeled system that has a configuration
reminiscent of the Zuzana. It fires 155/52 calibre
ordnance and is mounted on an FAP 2832 or
Kamaz truck chassis. The system entered service
with Serbia in 2007 and has been purchased by
Myanmar (30), Bangladesh (18) and reportedly
Kenya (30).
The South African Denel G6 gun system
mounting 155/45 ordnance entered service in
1987, making its combat debut in Angola the
same year. South Africa acquired 43 systems,

with Oman buying 24 and the United Arab
Emirates 78. It is a highly effective weapon that
evolved further in 2003 with the development
of a version mounting 52cal ordnance (the
G6-52), and the availability of effective long-range
ammunition is also a major plus.
INDIAN EPIC
Both the G6 and Zuzana played a part in

the frustrating saga of the Indian Armys
artillery modernisation plan, which called
for the acquisition of a new generation of
towed, wheeled self-propelled and tracked
self-propelled artillery.
The programme started in the early 2000s
with a requirement for 100 tracked and 180
wheeled guns. Denel looked to be winning the
tracked competition with its Bhim system (the
G6 turret mated with the Indian Arjun tank
chassis) and it was the only contender left in the
procurement contest. Unfortunately Denel was
blacklisted by India in 2005 after being accused
of corruption, charges which were thrown out
in 2014. But at the time the net effect was to kill
off the tracked competition.
In 2007, New Delhi attempted to reinvigorate
the tracked and wheeled procurements, inviting
bids from BAE Systems Bofors, BAE Systems Land
Systems, IMI, Kerametal, Nexter, Rheinmetall,
Rosoboronexport, Samsung Techwin and Soltam
(now Elbit Systems). The competition stumbled
on until only two contenders, Kerametals Zuzana
and Rheinmetalls RWS-52, were left, and was
then cancelled in November 2010.
Matters then took a new direction, with
the wheeled requirement being resurrected in
August 2012. At the end of that year, Tata Power
SED unveiled a truck-mounted 155/52 system
under the name of Mounted Gun Project, while
in February 2013 Elbit announced a joint venture
24/09/2014 10:21:49
ARTILLERY SYSTEMS
Mobile tube artillery

has the capability
to deliver precision
engagement at greater
ranges than ever before.
with local company Bharat Force covering guns

and mortars that includes Elbits ATMOS wheeled
artillery system.
June 2013 saw the Indian Army issue an RfI
for a programme known as the Mounted Gun
System (MGS). The next stage in the unfolding
saga saw a consortium led by Larsen & Toubro
offer Nexters Caesar system mounted on
the Ashok Leyland Super Stallion truck. Other
contenders for MGS will likely be Bharat Forge
and Mahindra.
ON THE TRUCK
Nexters Caesar has really come to define truckmounted 155mm artillery. Developed in the
1990s, it received its first order from the French
Army, who went on to acquire 72. In 2006 the

Royal Thai Army ordered six systems and later
that year the Saudi Arabian National Guard
ordered 80, although these were mounted on
Mercedes-Benz Unimog chassis rather than the
standard Renault Trucks Defense Sherpa.
The next export order came in 2012 from
Indonesia, which ordered 37 systems with
deliveries commencing at the end of the year.
French Army Caesars have seen combat in
Afghanistan, with the Thailand using its guns in
border fighting against Cambodia.
The BAE Bofors Archer system uses the
FH77 BO5 155/52 ordnance mounted on a Volvo
A30E truck. It initially started as a Swedish
programme before Norway decided to join in
May 2007. Both were to purchase 24 systems

each, but this was a complex and costly process
and the first Archer was not delivered to
Swedens FMV procurement agency until
September 2013. In December Norway
announced that it was pulling out of the
programme, and in June 2014 the FMV signed an
amended contract covering final delivery of all 24
systems to the Swedish military.
There is no shortage of tracked or wheeled
artillery solutions to meet all conceivable needs in
a multiplicity of calibres, NATO or otherwise. What
is certain is that mobile tube artillery has the
capability to deliver precision engagement at
greater ranges than ever before. As such, it still has
a vital role to play on the modern battlefield. LWI
Recognizing threats
is our instinct
Photo credit: A. Bannister/Getty Images, Y. Debay -
01 41 37 96 70
Arming your people

is our commitment
Danger is often just around the corner. Being effectively prepared means arming yourself with the most
innovative tools possible for your mission. And thats the commitment of Nexter Munitions. As an industrial
leader backed by decades of know-how, were able to offer you a complete range of state-of-the-art
munitions for tanks, artillery and medium-calibre guns. We can also supply you with warheads, safety and
arming devices, and pyrotechnical components that cover a wide range of applications, from fuses, missiles
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01/02/12 17:37
11
24/09/2014 10:21:49
USMC UPDATE
We now have regained

all the ground combat
capability we actually
had here in the Pacific
prior to 2003.
REBALANCING ACT
Following US President Barack Obamas announced strategic shift to Asia-Pacific, the USMC has
been steadily returning to full strength in the region. Gordon Arthur provides an update.
S Pacific Command (PACOM) covering

the distance from Hollywood to
Bollywood faces an enormous range of
security challenges and natural disaster zones.
The USMC is a useful tool for PACOM due to its
ability to react to contingencies, but a decade
of operational commitments in Iraq and
Afghanistan severely eroded the services
presence in Asia-Pacific.
However, President Barack Obamas strategic
rebalance to the region means the USMC has
now almost returned to full strength. Lt Gen John
Wissler, commander of III Marine Expeditionary
Force (III MEF), headquartered in the southern
Japanese island of Okinawa, confirmed this to
Land Warfare International.
The marine corps is almost complete with the
rebalance to the Pacific, he said. We now have
regained all the ground combat capability we
actually had here in the Pacific prior to 2003. We
still have some aviation units that will be
complete by the end of this fiscal year or early
next fiscal year, [and] well be back to roughly
30,000 marines in III MEF.
STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS
The major land component of III MEF is the 3rd

Marine Division. Its commander, Maj Gen Stacey
Clardy, told LWI: The marine corps is adjusting its
force lay-down in the Asia-Pacific region to
support the presidents strategic guidanceThe
rebalance efforts in the Pacific are focused on
creating and strengthening partnerships with
other nations militaries to ensure the ability to
rapidly respond to all contingencies and crises in
the region, be they natural or man-made.
Clardy has 5,500 marines stationed in
Okinawa, 1,000 in Australia and 3,500 in
12
Hawaii. This array of locations ensures were

able to train in multiple environments, with
multiple allies, and ensures we can respond to
any and all situations quickly and efficiently,
he continued.
He added that the USMC will have balanced
capabilities strategically located across Hawaii,
Guam, Japan and Australia, with Guam set to
become a strategic hub in the next decade. With
rising tensions in the East and South China Seas,
the commander carefully highlighted that USMC
activities dont reflect a response to any countries
or activities taking place currently.
BETTER CAPABILITIES
Nevertheless, years of conflict in Iraq and

Afghanistan have improved the USMCs
warfighting capabilities. In addition to the urban
environment and security tactics weve brought
back with us, our units returned stronger, with
combat veterans who now have the opportunity
to mentor and mould the new, eager generation
of marines, said Clardy.
The Unit Deployment Program (UDP), where
units rotate six months at a time to train in
new terrain with various partners, backs up the
USMCs regional capability.
As an expeditionary force, the service has
been fielding new land, sea and air assets to
increase its combat capabilities, and there is a
trend towards prioritising the region when
allocating new equipment in support of the
strategic rebalance.
Attention has been focused on rotorcraft,
but in terms of ground equipment, the LAV-A2,
an upgrade of General Dynamics Land Systems
(GDLS) Canadas 8x8 Light Armored Vehicle
(LAV), arrived in the Pacific early last year. The
LWI_OctNov14_p12-15_USMC.indd 12
USMC has ordered 253 of the vehicles since

2007, featuring a ballistic protection upgrade
package, automatic fire suppression system,
second-generation suspension, electric turret
drive and mine protection.
The most recent 13-vehicle contract was
signed in January 2013, and in May 2014 GDLS
received a $52.3 million contract to develop
items such as replacement power packs,
suspension and driveline for the LAV Mobility
and Obsolescence Upgrade and Integration
Program, with work continuing until mid-2017.
SHIP TO SHORE
The Assault Amphibian Vehicle Personnel Model

7A1 is the ageing workhorse of the fleet and
hugely important in the Pacific thanks to its shipto-shore capacity. However, the 40-year-old fleet
will remain in service until the Amphibious
Combat Vehicle (ACV), the successor to the GDLS
Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle programme
cancelled in 2011, replaces it.
24/09/2014 10:26:08
USMC UPDATE
An old faithful, and indispensable in
the Pacific region, is the AAV7A1 family.
This AAV7PA1 is seen coming ashore in
South Korea. (All photos: author)
ING ACT
The M1A1 AIM Abrams MBT is kept on
maritime prepositioned ships in Guam ready
for any serious regional combat contingency.
1,062 existing AAV7A1s will be updated with

limited survivability/capability upgrades and
a new transmission. Both BAE Systems and
Science Applications International Corporation
were awarded initial engineering design
and development contracts in May, with a
downselect expected in mid-2015.
FILLING THE GAP
In March, it was announced that the

programme was being split in two, with calls
for 200 COTS ACV Increment 1.1 wheeled
vehicles (with limited amphibious capacity),
and 470 high-speed tracked amphibious
ACV 1.2 vehicles.
In April, the USMC issued an ACV 1.1 RfI
stipulating 16 prototypes within nine months
of contract signature in April 2016, with a
downselect due in FY2018. However, there is not
yet an attendant timeline for the ACV 1.2. Later,
the USMC will also seek a more advanced ACV
2.0 sea-going amphibious design.
This RfI dramatically resurrects the
amphibious-capable Marine Personnel Carrier
(MPC) programme designed as a dedicated
inland vehicle. The MPC had been suspended in
June 2013 because of budgetary pressures.
In July 2014, GDLS was awarded a $7 million
contract extension to determine the best
option for an ACV solution. Because of the
ACV 1.2s uncertain time frame, some 392 of
Other new equipment recently fielded in the

Pacific includes the Expeditionary Fire Support
System (EFSS) from General Dynamics Ordnance
and Tactical Systems (GD OTS). The V-22 Ospreytransportable EFSS comprises Growlers
diminutive M1163 Prime Mover that tows an
M327 120mm rifled mortar (TDAs MO-120-RT).
First fielded in 2009, this weapon fills a major
gap between 81mm mortars and 155mm
howitzers. A total of 12 such mortars are stationed
in Okinawa and Hawaii on the former site, four
EFSS systems (four mortars and four 36-round
ammunition trailers) create a composite battery
also equipped with six M777A2s. However, while
it is a capable system, marines have expressed
concern about the vehicles reliability.
The USMC is seeking a Precision Extended
Range Munition permitting a 17km range for its
mortar, with both ATK/GD OTS and Raytheon/
Israel Military Industries competing. Related to
the EFSS is the M1161 Light Strike Vehicle a
total of 209 M1161 and 144 M1163 vehicles have
been produced.
The 155mm M777A2 towed howitzer replaced
the M198 some time ago in the Pacific, and
completing the USMCs artillery triad is the M142
High-Mobility Artillery Rocket System. Earlier this
year, it was temporarily deployed to South Korea
for training its first time in the region.
Furthermore, the M224A1 60mm mortar (20%

lighter than the legacy type) was issued to the
USMCin2012,and it featuresanew tubeand bipod
that does not require readjustment. The upgraded
M252A1 81mm mortar is also expected soon.
RARE SIGHT
USMC M1A1 AIM Abrams MBTs are rarely

seen in Asia, although they did make a cameo
appearance at Exercise Ssang Yong 2014 in South
Korea. These pristine-condition tanks are kept
aboard three maritime prepositioned ships
located at Guam, along with M88A2 Hercules
armoured recovery vehicles that accompany the
Abrams on deployments.
Tactical vehicle fleets have been progressively
updated by introducing up-armoured HMMWVs
and MTVR trucks. The US Army/USMC Joint Light
Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programme will replace
the HMMWV.
The winning design should be selected next
year, with the USMC to take delivery of 5,500
units. The army could equip its first brigade with
JLTVs in 2018, but the USMC has not yet
delineated its delivery schedule. The Logistics
Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) heavy truck
is used at higher unit levels in Okinawa.
First fielded in 2009, Oshkosh is building 1,592
LVSRs under a $740.2 million contract. The
original LVSs novel pivot-steer system is replaced
by a regular 10x10 configuration.
One flow over from the Iraq/Afghanistan era is
the wider introduction of MRAP vehicles to
marine units. The USMC is thought to possess the
Oshkosh M-ATV and Force Protection Cougar in
Okinawa, deployed at the divisional level they
rarely deploy for exercises owing to their size and
weight. Arriving later will be some of the
13
24/09/2014 10:26:09
USMC UPDATE
The 5.56mm M27 IAR was selected

to replace the belt-fed M249 SAW. It
is lighter and more manoeuvrable.
101 BAE Systems Modernized M9 Armored

Combat Earthmovers (ACE) due for delivery by
the end of FY2015.
CALL TO ARMS
Small arms are brought by units billeted under

the UDP, but there are many magazine-fed
5.56mm M27 Infantry Automatic Rifles (IARs) that
are replacing the M249 Squad Automatic
Weapon. With over 4,000 units delivered to date,
the IAR is based on the Heckler & Koch (H&K) 416.
In 2011, H&K was awarded a five-year indefinite
delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract worth
up to $23.6 million. Each infantry battalion is
allocated 84 IARs, one per four-man fire team.
Also coming on stream is the .45cal Colt M45A1
Close-Quarters Battle Pistol (CQBP) that replaces

the Beretta M9/M9A1. The company was given a
five-year IDIQ contract potentially worth $22.5
million for up to 12,000 CQBPs in July 2012. The
first order covered 4,036 pistols.
Elsewhere, an RfP for the next-generation
Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault
Weapon Mod 2 is expected in November. In
recent years, Nammo Talley tested a design
possessing a Raytheon sight and which permits
rocket firing from enclosed spaces.
Disaster relief is an important regional duty
and one of the USMCs most recent missions was
after Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in
November 2013. Airports and port facilities were
out of action and the marines could employ their
expeditionary capabilities reverse-osmosis

water units are crucial in this kind of situation,
with the newest being TerraGroups Lightweight
Water Purification System able to produce over
800l per hour from a freshwater source.
The USMC has clearly been growing stronger
in the Pacific with new equipment. Clardy said:
Upcoming changes in force size, alignment and
equipment that will assist in accomplishing our
mission of being the right force in the right place
at the right time include integration of the F-35B
Joint Strike Fighter [slated for deployment to
Japan in 2017], the continued development of
a Pacific reorientation and the continued
empowerment and prioritisation of our most
valuable asset, our marines.
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24/09/2014 10:26:11
USMC UPDATE
The EFSS comprises the M1163 Prime

Mover that tows the M327 rifled 120mm
mortar or 36-round ammunition trailer.
ELSEWHERE IN ASIA
The US Army, despite budget and personnel

cutbacks, is also being prioritised for
conventional warfare on the Korean Peninsula.
Maj Gen Thomas Vandal, commander of about
12,000 soldiers in the 2nd Infantry Division
(2 ID), confirmed South Koreas importance:
As part of the strategic shift to the Pacific,
weve seen a corresponding effect on our
readiness here on the Korean Peninsula. We as
a division are fully funded to maintain our
readiness. Weve gone through upgrades
and modernisation. (See also interview on p36.)
Equipment upgrades are significant, with 2 ID
boasting the latest M1A2 SEP V2 Abrams MBTs
(featuring Kongsbergs Common Remotely
Operated Weapon Station, or CROWS II) and BAE

Systems M2A3/M3A3 Bradley IFVs.
Furthermore, six Assault Breacher Vehicles
(ABV) arrived in-theatre last year. Boeing CH-47F
Chinooks are now operational, while the Boeing
AH-64D Apache fleet has been upgraded.
Vandal revealed that M-ATVs will eventually
be added to the inventory, and told LWI that
2 ID has grown by 2,300 personnel, primarily via
two rotational units an OH-58D helicopter
squadron and combined-arms battalion that
arrived in February.
The balance in troop numbers is accounted
for by the 23rd Chemical Battalion. Equipped
with GDLS M1135 Stryker NBC Reconnaissance
Vehicles, the unit arrived in South Korea last
year. With three combined-arms battalions

containing the armys most sophisticated
armoured vehicles, 2 ID is clearly a much
stronger division now.
As our army is increasing the capacity of
brigade combat teams, were one of the first
divisions to make that transition to having three
manoeuvre battalions, Vandal explained.
Further evidence of the US Armys readiness in
the Korean Peninsula is eight Patriot batteries.
On a recent visit to Osan AFB, LWI witnessed
Patriot PAC-2 GEM/T and PAC-3 launchers
arrayed in a northerly direction. A fifth of US
active-duty Patriot brigades are deployed in
South Korea, representing a major commitment
to the region. LWI
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15
24/09/2014 10:26:13
GRENADES
While grenades can

provide lethal force at close
range, they also can cause
significant collateral damage.
Anthony Hall examines
efforts by industry to lower
the potential danger to
friendly forces while still
creating a deadly weapon.
A USMC squad leader throws a

training grenade during an ambush
exercise in Al Quweira, Jordan, in
June 2013. (Photo: USMC)
16
IN
SAFER
HANDS
LWI_OctNov14_p16-18_Grenades.indd 16
or 100 years, the high-explosive fragmentation grenade has held its place as the
soldiers personal support weapon. From the
Mills No 5 of 1915 to the US Armys M67, the
British Armys L109 and the Bundeswehrs
DM51, their simple technology, tactical
adaptability and destructive power have kept
the weapon by the infantrymans side.
In the US Army, correct and safe use of the
M67 is regarded as so essential that training
begins at the initial entry stage. For the British
Army, a spokesperson for the Small Arms School
Corps (SASC) told Land Warfare International: All
Infantry personnel are trained with grenades, and
most if not all infantry soldiers will carry grenades
depending on the operation.
For procurement authorities, this means
supplying grenades in large numbers. A $78
million contract awarded to manufacturer Day &
Zimmerman in 2010 for the production of M67s
for the US Army specified a minimum of 250,000
grenades a year, with an option for 780,000 per
year in 2013-14.
Even in the midst of the retrograde from
Afghanistan in late 2013, US Army Contracting
Command was looking for new suppliers and
estimated its future requirements at anywhere
between 35,000 and 400,000 M67s a year.
UNCERTAIN FUTURE
However, the potential requirement is not the

same as receiving firm orders and sight of future
contracts. The trade-offs and strains on defence
budgets are forcing some munitions companies
to consider their future in grenade development
and production.
In April, Chemring Group took the decision to
focus its efforts on defence electronics and
countermeasures, selling its European Munitions
businesses after it saw profits in the sector drop
by 25 million ($40.5 million) in under three years.
Order volatility was one of the reasons it gave for
the sale, that and the fact it described itself as a
relatively small player in a highly competitive
international market place.
The companies Chemring sold Mecar based
in Belgium and Italys Simmel Difesa are known
24/09/2014 10:55:07
GRENADES
Researchers are trying to

find less poisonous
alternatives to active
compositions such as red
phosphorous and
hexachloroethane.
not only for their manufacture of grenades,
fuses and pyrotechnics, but development
and design.
The new owner, French armaments
manufacturer Nexter Systems, views these
acquisitions as a strengthening of its core skills,
and considers the purchase a strong strategic
move. Philippe Burtin, chairman and CEO,
described the 138 million deal as confirming
the key role of the group in the momentum of
European consolidation.
Royal Anglian Regiment soldiers use

grenades to simulate a compound clearance
at an Afghan village training facility in
Norfolk, UK. (Photo: Crown Copyright)
PRIORITY ORDER
The Nexter purchase is indicative of the priority

being placed on R&D and developmental
partnerships across the munitions sector, and in
particular with regard to hand grenades that
are currently building on a series of technical
innovations.
The basic design of the fragmentation
grenade steel body filled with high explosive,
pyrotechnic delay fuse of about five seconds,
safety pin and lever, all weighing about a pound
has not changed much since the first closecombat trench assaults on the Western Front.
What was required then was a hand-thrown
bomb that was reliable and simple to use. The
tactics of the time required such a weapon and
accelerated its development.
Today, there are new tactical imperatives. The
increasing prevalence of close-quarters combat
in urban areas among civilian populations is
driving the need for hand grenades that target an
enemy while avoiding harm to civilians and
friendly forces. The SASC spokesperson explained
that when clearing an enemy from rooms in
buildings the potential presence of civilians and
proximity and cover available to friendly troops
are primary considerations.
In these operations, the fragmentation
grenade can be too powerful a weapon. In the
open, an exploding M67 can kill within a 5m
radius, produce casualties to a distance of 15m
and send fragments out to 230m. Consequently,
it can be as lethal to the assaulting forces as the
defenders inside there is no guarantee walls will
offer protection.
OFFENSIVE ACTION
An answer to the problem has come in the form

of the concussion or offensive grenade, such
as the US MK3A2 and types produced by
manufacturers including Rheinmetall, Diehl and
Nammo. They rely on the shockwave of the high
explosive alone to cause casualties. Rheinmetall
states that its type 08, for example, is capable of
generating up to 28psi.
While there is no shrapnel from a steel shell to
worry about, the blast radius still restricts the
tactical manoeuvrability of attackers to a safe
zone. Manufacturers have supplied a
technological answer by creating a modular
grenade that the soldier can adjust to explode
with different levels of blast.
Known as a scalable hand grenade, the
innovation has proven so successful that in 2013
Norway-based Nammo through its Arizona
subsidiary Nammo Talley was awarded a fiveyear $40 million contract to supply US Special
Operations Command. Production will take place
at the companys Vihtavuori plant in Finland.
Sampsa Kainulainen, marketing and sales
manager at Nammo, explained that a user can
use the fuse with one, two or three separate
grenade bodies, and the difference of effect will
be significant. The user needs to have only one
offensive hand grenade that can be adjusted to

the needed performance.
Changing the configuration is as simple as
locking one grenade body into the base of
another. Kainulainen added: With two bodies,
the effect is at the same level as our normal
offensive hand grenade.
FRAGMENTED APPROACH
Diehl has adapted this modular idea to the

fragmentation grenade. It produces the
Bundeswehrs DM51 in two parts: explosive
body with fuse and detonator; and a separate
cylindrical fragmentation jacket. Attaching the
jacket over the body changes the weapon from
concussion to fragmentation, and allows several
grenade bodies to be added together to
produce a cluster charge for combat demolition.
Given that this was the hand grenades original
purpose in World War I not anti-personnel it is
hardly surprising the capability is being exploited
once again, but this time with a modern twist.
Rheinmetall is developing a shaped cutting
charge for its expandable grenade (the HG 08),
which it says will be able to punch a 30mm hole
through 15mm of armour plate.
Swedens Defence Materiel Administration
(FMV) has acquired the HG 08 during its
17
24/09/2014 10:55:08
GRENADES
Testing of the AB HGr grenade by Swedens

FMV shows the effect of the shrapnel
coverage designed to hit targets taking
cover. (Photo: FMV)
replenishment of its grenade stocks. As part of

that renewal process, the FMV, working with
Swedens Defence Research Establishment (FOA),
has also gone into hand grenade development,
producing a weapon that the administration calls
the biggest news in the hand grenade area since
World War I.
The new weapon, known as the AB HGr, is
designed to defeat an enemy protected behind
cover. Once thrown, pyrotechnic charges set the
grenade the right way up on the ground, firing
the body up to 2m into the air, which then
explodes, concentrating shrapnel downwards in
a cone pattern.
EARLY INNOVATIONS
These innovations are not new in themselves.

Enabling a hand grenade to detonate above
ground is a well-known combat technique the
US Army has strict instructions on cooking off
seconds from a grenades fuse delay before
throwing it, and jumping munitions such as
the German S Mine or Bouncing Betty were
first developed in the 1930s and used during
World War II.
Where the AB HGr innovates is in targeting
the shrapnel, a feature designed to limit
collateral damage and injury to civilians. FMV
product manager Ian Kinley told LWI: The
reduction of collateral damage was always
a central feature. This is not necessarily in
opposition to military efficiency. As all the
fragments are directed in one desired direction
[in this case downward from the point of air
burst] the fragmentation density increases, thus
increasing hit probability. No fragments will
be directed in other directions, thus reducing
collateral damage.
To further reduce the risk, the grenade adds
another feature. Kinley continued: The fragments
are given a special shape in order to air-brake
quickly outside of the target area of 5m radius. At
30m distance skin will not break.
18
The FMV has also made the point that its

airburst grenade is also cost-effective. Better
efficiency means less need to be carried, leading
to simpler logistics and training requirements.
Kinley added: This jumping technique is
inexpensive and well suited for hand emplaced
ordnance. It might well find its way to other
systems. A variation of the jump mechanism has
been considered for a new smoke hand grenade.
Also the technique of directed fragmentation
downward has been discussed for a small mortar
grenade in order to minimise collateral damage.
From the prototype stage, development of the
live AB HGr took two and a half years, Kinley
explained. Rheinmetall was awarded the contract
to take the grenade to full production standard in
2010, with first deliveries in 2011. FMV still holds
the patent, but Kinley said that industry has
expressed interest in acquiring it and discussions
are now under way.
INSENSITIVE MUNITIONS
The efforts being made to reduce collateral

damage are being matched by the work
developing grenades that comply with
insensitive munitions standards, such as NATOs
STANAG 4439. Australian Munitions, a subsidiary
of Thales Australia, is currently working in
partnership with Diehl to develop a new hand
grenade for the Australian forces that will resist
unintended detonation due to impact or fire.
Hand grenades also pose a risk in storage
because some of their constituent parts can
be poisonous. In the UK and US, research
establishments are undertaking work to
replace toxic chemicals in the weapons with
what US Army Research, Development and
Engineering Command (RDECOM) refers to as
environmentally benign materials.
RDECOM is currently seeking workable
replacements for the active chemicals in the
M67s M213 detonator that include toxic
compounds of lead.
Problems have also been found with smoke

and signalling grenades. After years of
operational use, the smoke from those in UK and
US service are now regarded as carrying a
potential toxic risk. Both the UKs Defence
Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)
and the US Armys Armament Research
Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC)
are trying to find less poisonous alternatives to
active compositions such as red phosphorous
and hexachloroethane.
Progress is being made however. The DSTL is
now working with industry to find suitable
alternatives, while at ARDEC Anthony Shaw has
won plaudits for researching the use boron oxide
(BC), a chemical that has more to recommend it
than lack of toxicity, he explained.
A benefit of the new BC smoke composition is
that they may be tuned to release a smoke cloud
over a wide range of times, he said. We can
produce a very thick cloud rapidly for immediate
obscuration, or we can release the smoke more
slowly to obscure a larger area for a longer time.
Another important benefit is that they are very
insensitive to unintended ignition. This is a very
important factor in munitions safety.
Furthermore, there is a new class of hand
grenade to which none of these concerns apply.
As combat changes, so does the hand grenade
and its tactical utility has now been recognised by
those who wage electronic warfare.
Israel-based Netline Communications
Technologies has developed a portable
electronic jammer, the size of a hand grenade,
and weighing just over 0.9kg, which can be
deployed to suppress signals to IEDs, particularly
in urban areas.
While Netlines device is defensive, reports
in 2011 indicated that the US Army was
investigating the feasibility of a high-power
microwave grenade that could defeat IEDs by
generating a short but powerful electromagnetic
pulse to short their circuits. LWI
24/09/2014 10:55:09
NIGHT VISION
SEEING
THE SIGHTS
The AN/PSQ-20 ENVG combines the visual detail

in low-light conditions that is provided by image
intensification with the thermal sensors ability
to see through fog, dust and foliage that obscure
vision. (All photos: PEO Soldier)
The ability to see and engage targets effectively at night is critical to modern military operations.
Ian Kemp examines recent night weapon sight developments in the US.
mong the characteristics of military

operations since 9/11 has been the ability
of US and other coalition dismounted troops to
operate effectively at night. Our night vision [NV]
and precision targeting devices are providing
unparalleled capability for our soldiers to see in
low- and no-light conditions with accuracy and
at greater ranges, Brig Gen Paul Ostrowski of the
US Armys Program Executive Office Soldier told
the House Armed Services Committee.
The AN/PAS-13 Thermal Weapon Sight (TWS),
introduced into US Army service in 1998, provides
soldiers armed with individual and crew-served
weapons with the capability to see deep into the
battlefield. It increases the surveillance and target
acquisition range day or night.
The TWS systems use uncooled, FLIR
technology and provide a standard video output
for training, image transfer or remote viewing.
Furthermore, they are lightweight and can be
mounted on a weapon rail to make use of the
maximum weapon range.
LWI_OctNov14_p19-22_Night_vision.indd 19
FAMILY MEMBERS
The battery-powered TWS family comprises

three variants: the AN/PAS-13(V)1 Light Weapon
Thermal Sight (LWTS) for use on the 5.56mm
M4 carbine, 5.56mm M16 rifle and M136 Light
Anti-Armour Weapon; the AN/PAS-13(V)2
Medium Weapon Thermal Sight for use on the
5.56mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW)
and 7.62mm M240B-series medium machine
guns; and the AN/PAS-13(V)3 Heavy Weapon
Thermal Sight for mounting on squad leaders
M4/M16 weapons, 7.62mm M24 and 7.62mm
M110 sniper rifles, the .50cal M2 HB heavy
machine gun and 40mm MK19 automatic
grenade launchers.
Product Manager Soldier Maneuver Sensors
is now fielding TWS systems incorporating
17-micron (17m) technology that provides
improvements in SWaP over earlier
configurations. Compared to the 25m sights,
the 17m TWS will provide an average 15%
reduction in weight, 41% increase in range
performance across all variants, and a battery life

improvement of 7%, said Ostrowski.
For example, the 25m LWTS weighs 862g,
operates for ten hours using four lithium AA
batteries and is able to recognise a target at
550m. In comparison, the new 17m LWTS
weighs 794g and operates for 20 hours using the
same number of batteries.
The sights are manufactured by BAE Systems,
DRS Optronics and Raytheon, with cumulative
orders reaching over $1 billion. TWS systems have
been sold through the FMS programme to the
Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and
Thailand, as well through direct commercial sales
to other US allies. According to the US Armys
FY2015 budget request, the service will complete
fielding of the TWS in that financial year.
The army plans to fund the procurement of a
new Family of Weapon Sights-Sniper (FWS-S)
from FY2019, and states that this will utilise
advances in thermal and image intensification
technology to provide a sniper weapon sight
19
24/09/2014 10:58:11
NIGHT VISION
operable in line with a day optic sight or in a

standalone mode. The FWS-S includes fused
multi-band imagery and rapid target acquisition
with ballistic equations providing the sniper
with improved capabilities during day and
night operations.
CLIP-ON CAPABILITY
Clip-on NV devices can be used in conjunction

with weapon-mounted day sights to provide a
lightweight night engagement solution. This
capability eliminates the dangerous loss of zero
that results when users are forced to switch
between day scopes and night sights.
Knights Armament Company, which
manufactures the M110 Semi-Automatic Sniper
The AN/PAS-13(V)3 Heavy TWSs 17m

technology enables snipers to identify
targets at ranges of up to 2,200m.
System, also produces the AN/PVS-30 Clip-on

Sniper Night Sight (CoSNS) for use with the
weapon and the newly fielded M2010 Enhanced
Sniper Rifle.
Combined with the rifles day optic sight, it
enables personnel-sized target recognition at
quarter-moon illumination in clear air to a range
of 600m. It employs a variable-gain image tube
that can be adjusted by the sniper depending on
ambient light levels. One AA battery provides 30
hours of operation.
The CoSNS has an integrated adapter that
interfaces directly to the MIL-STD-1913 rail for
quick and easy mounting/dismounting from the
weapon. The AN/PVS-30 weighs less than 1.59kg
and allows a sniper to maintain the current level
of accuracy with the M110 and deliver precise fire

within one minute of angle. Use of the SNS does
not affect the zero and allows the M110 and
M2010 to maintain boresight throughout the
focus range of the SNS, and the M110 and M2010
day optical sight. In service since FY2011, fielding
will soon be complete.
IN COMMAND
US Special Operation Commands (USSOCOMs)

Improved Night/Day Fire Control/Observation
Device (INOD) programme is intended to field
a family in four blocks of sniper sights using
image intensification (I2), thermal and fusion
technology. The command is now fielding INOD
Block 3, an inline, clip-on device.
Multi-Mission
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White light tolerant

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Extended sensitivity spectrum to operate in all field
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24/09/2014 10:58:13
NIGHT VISION
The AN/PVS-14
can be worn on the
head, mounted on a
helmet or used as a
handheld device.
According to the solicitation, the INOD Block 3

offers an improvement over the in-service
AN/PVS-26 and AN/PAS-31 by providing snipers
with a true all-weather, all-condition, low-light/
no light long-range capability.
In September 2012, the Naval Surface Warfare
Center Crane Division selected DRS Imaging and
Targeting Solutions to develop and produce the
INOD Block 3. USSOCOM could order up to 1,500
sights, potentially worth up to $48 million, for the
five-year period of the indefinite delivery/
indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.
In Q4 2014, the Program Executive Office
Special Operations Forces Warrior is expected
to release an RfP for the Clip-on Visual
Augmentation Device Sensor Fused (CVAD-SF),
a next-generation clip-on device which will

fuse near IR and thermal capability with
adjustable intensity.
The CVAD-SF must be compatible with current
USSOCOM day scopes, and will be mounted on
the 7.62mm Mk17 Combat Assault Rifle and
M4 carbine. The device must operate under all
lighting conditions to 400m without detection.
The threshold weight is 1.13kg with an objective
weight of 0.68kg. The command plans to award
a five-year, $50 million IDIQ contract in Q4 2015.
This year, the US Army has achieved full
operational capability with the AN/PVS-14
Monocular Night Vision Device. Produced by
Exelis and L-3 Warrior Systems, it features a Gen 3
F9815 I2 tube with a variable gain control to
achieve an optimum balance in the images seen

by both eyes.
According to Exelis: The dark-adapted
unaided eye provides situational awareness
and vision of close-range objects, while the
night vision-aided eye provides long-range vision
of potential threats and targets. This visual
flexibility enables the soldier to move quietly and
effectively under all night conditions.
The AN/PVS-14 can be worn on the head,
mounted on a helmet or used as a handheld
device. It can also be mounted on a MIL-STD-1913
weapon rail behind a standard collimated dot
sight. To extend the sights effective range, it can
be fitted with a 3x magnifier. One AA battery
provides at least 20 hours of use.
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24/09/2014 10:58:13
NIGHT VISION
The AN/PVS-30 Clip-on Sniper Night Sight is

a lightweight, in-line weapon-mounted sight
which is used in conjunction with the day
optic sight on the M110 (shown) and M2010
sniper rifles.
DOUBLE VISION
In May 2014, US Army Contracting Command

awarded two contracts for the Enhanced Night
Vision Goggle III (ENVG III) and its associated
Family of Weapon Sights Individual (FWS-I).
Selected from among five bids, BAE Systems
received a maximum $444.8 million firm-fixedprice contract, while DRS RSTA received a $367
million contract.
Deliveries of the 4,677 ENVG IIIs, covered by
the May 2014 orders, will begin in December
2015 with 440 sets to be used for system
qualification. Each ENVG III and FWS-I will be
solicited as a separate order, with the two firms
bidding for each lot through the duration of the
five-year contract. The service plans to buy 9,030
sets in June 2015 with FY2015 funding.
The ENVG III/FWS-I project builds on the
success of the AN/PSQ-20 ENVG. In 2005, Exelis
Night Vision & Imaging (then ITT Night Vision)
received a contract from the army to supply the
first generation of the system. This integrated I2
and longwave IR sensors into a single, helmetmounted passive device, thus combining the
visual detail in low-light conditions that is
provided by I2 with the thermal sensors ability
to see through fog, dust, rain, sleet and other
battlefield obscurants.
This thermal capability, useful during the day
as well as in no-light conditions, gives the ENVG a
significant advantage over NV devices equipped
with I2 only. It provides an 80% or greater
probability of recognising a standing or moving
person at 150m and a 50% probability at 300m.
The system weighs 907g including four AA
batteries, which provide 7.5 hours of operation.
The army stated in its FY2015 budget request
that adversaries currently have access to image
intensified night vision goggle technology, but
22
not a fused system. The ENVG enables superior

combat overmatch.
The service fielded 9,077 ENVG I sets from 2008
through September 2012 when deliveries
switched to the ENVG II. The second iteration is
designed to meet high-volume production rates
and also reduces the number of batteries
required from four to three. Through the end
of FY2014, the army ordered 22,831 ENVG I/II
sets, with orders split between Exelis and L-3
Warrior Systems.
WIRELESS WORLD
COMBINED SYSTEMS
The ENVG III/FWS-I project is an important leap in

exploiting the capabilities offered by ENVG to
provide both an NV and an individual targeting
system.
According to the US Armys Project Manager
Soldier Sensors and Lasers: The distinction of
ENVG III from previous ENVGs procured to date
is the added rapid target acquisition [RTA]
technology when used with the FWS-I. The FWS-I
will be a weapon-mounted longwave IR sensor
used for surveillance and fire control of individual
weapons during daylight, darkness, adverse
weather and dirty battlefield conditions.
When combined with the ENVG III, the FWS-I
provides RTA which will wirelessly send weapon
imagery (with reticle) spatially aligned with the
ENVG III image. The RTA capability will reduce
by up to 50% the soldiers time from target
detection to effective engagement of the threat
target with their host weapon.
Compared with earlier versions, the ENVG III
also provides improved resolution and a wider
field of view.
Meanwhile, the FWS-I will be produced in
three variants. The individual type will attach
to the M4 carbine, M16 rifle, M249 SAW and
M136 Light Anti-Armour Weapon, as well as

M141 bunker defeat munitions, while the
crew-served variant is intended for the 7.62mm
M240 medium machine gun, .50cal M2 heavy
machine gun and the 40mm MK19 automatic
grenade launcher.
The sniper variant will be the first thermal
weapon sight in US service designed specifically
for this type of weapon, and will be compatible
with the 7.62mm M24, 7.62mm M110, .50cal
M107 and the multi-calibre MK21 Precision
Sniper Rifle. The FWS-I will clip in front of the day
optic that soldiers currently use to provide
accuracy during daylight, darkness, adverse
weather and dirty battlefield conditions without
the need to re-zero. It will also be possible to use
all three variants in standalone mode without the
day optic.
The wireless RTA capability embedded in the

FWS-I individual variant will provide a zeroed
weapon aimpoint in the soldiers ENVG III,
enabling rapid and accurate fire from almost any
carry position, and with significantly reduced
exposure to enemy fire. It will eliminate the need
for active lasers for target engagement.
The FWS-I crew-served variant uses ballistic
equations that provide a dynamic reticle with
input from an integrated laser rangefinding
device to provide an aimpoint that automatically
adjusts for range, ammunition and vertical angle.
The reticle wirelessly transmits to a semitransparent helmet-mounted display. The sniper
variant will feature a large-format HD display with
increased pixel density.
Given the age and life expectancy of existing
TWS, specifically the future availability of focal
plane arrays within the sights, it is imperative to
continue development of the FWS [individual,
crew-served and sniper variants], stated Kathleen
Gerstein, director of systems integration at PEO
Soldier, in a US Army publication. These critical
sustainment issues, plus the need to maintain
overmatch and improve lethality, highlighted the
need to focus on FWS and supported work to
ensure funding for this key capability. LWI
24/09/2014 10:58:16
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S E E U S AT C H A L E T C 4
24/09/2014 11:01:28
24/09/2014 11:02:57
VEHICLE SUBSYSTEMS
Despite the recent

proliferation of
remote-controlled
weapon stations,
the manned turret
still has a future,
finds Tim Fish.
OCCUPANCY
RATES
The LCTS 90MP uses a digital, stabilised,
day/night weapon control system to fire the
90mm gun. (Photo: CMI)
he proponents of manned turret systems

argue that, on the battlefield, there is no
substitute for direct human observation, and
that using video and optical surveillance
systems from inside the hull can only go so far
in this role.
The fact that there are still companies producing
manned solutions, and that new armoured
vehicles and upgrades developed for highend warfighting armies, such as the UKs Warrior
Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) and
Scout SV, will be fitted with manned turrets are a
testament to their enduring capabilities.
DIVIDING LINE
However, the turret market is a complex one and

Belgian manufacturer CMI believes that there is a
divide between the richer NATO countries that
can afford more complex technological systems
and the rest of the world. CMI focuses on the
latter market and has been engaged in securing
exports for a long time.
James Caudle, executive vice-president,
commercial at CMI, told Land Warfare
International that in non-NATO countries there
LWI_OctNov14_p25-30_Turrets.indd 25
are a few signs of growing interest in remote

systems, but because of faith in the Mk 1 eyeball
and a lack of trust of an image on a screen,
manned systems remain essential.
Nonetheless, he believes that the advantages
of remote weapon stations (RWS) in terms
of weight efficiency are so great that the trend
towards unmanned is unstoppable in the
long term.
Weight is a critical factor in less developed
countries, where infrastructure and terrain mean
that there would be difficulty supporting a
Leopard 2 MBT with a gross vehicle weight
(GVW) of 60-70t. Therefore, the emphasis is on
tactical mobility.
Caudle said that CMI wants to offer high
lethality at lower weight, and has developed the
XC-8 turret system that has a gun in the 105120mm calibre range and can be put on an 8x8
vehicle such as the General Dynamics Piranha III
or Patria AMV.
At Eurosatory this year, the XC-8 was seen
fitted on a CV90 tracked IFV and the broadly
similar Korean Doosan DST K-21, so although
Caudle said that in Asia interest has been
almost exclusively wheeled, there is clearly an

initial interest in putting the turret on tracked
systems too.
They are interested in having something
much lighter than an MBT but with firepower,
Caudle said.
HISTORICAL INTEREST
He added that, historically, 90mm gun turrets

have been most popular among the larger
calibres and, although some may have written
them off there is still demand and CMI are still
making them. Also at Eurosatory, CMIs CSE 90LP
(low-pressure) 90mm gun turret was seen
fitted to a Textron Commando 6x6 vehicle, which
the manufacturer is exporting to Colombia
and Afghanistan.
The CSE 90LP has also been fitted to the
BTR-3E 8x8 APC as a demonstration to approach
the retrofit market and see if customers
want more firepower in the mix with lighter
vehicle variants.
CMI has already delivered a batch of CSE 90LP
turrets, and there is continuing forward demand.
The installation is in service with the
25
24/09/2014 11:42:56
VEHICLE SUBSYSTEMS
Indonesian Army, mounted on Doosan Black Fox

6x6 APCs, and was formally accepted into service
earlier this year. I can guarantee you will see it on
many more vehicles in the coming year or two,
Caudle said.
In the same calibre, CMI also offers the LCTS
90MP (medium pressure) turret with the main
difference being muzzle energy, as the latter can
fire armour-piercing fin-stabilised (APFS) rounds.
That capability can be mounted on a Pandur
6x6 or the Piranha II 8x8 with a GVW of 15t but
with the ability to kill a T-55 with an APFS round,
Caudle said.
However he admitted that 90mm turrets
are not a massive market: It is not the sort of
thing where the likes of GD are going to develop
The Lancer turret has been fitted to the Boxer 8x8 IFV in recent trials. (Photo: Rheinmetall)
a 90mm turret, so it is pretty much a niche

in which CMI has a monopoly. It is good
business for us but too small for a new entrant or
anyone else.
FULLY LOADED
Caudle added that as countries are getting richer,

they are interested in something bigger: 120mm
is overkill for a lot of the rest of the world, so most

of the focus is on 105mm.
In terms of turret technology, the critical
enabler to reducing weight is the autoloader.
According to Caudle, to produce a 105mm turret
that can deliver a low enough GVW for tactical
mobility, then the manual loader needs to be
replaced with an automatic system.
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24/09/2014 11:42:57
VEHICLE SUBSYSTEMS
NEW BUILDS
The 105-120mm XC-8 turret has been displayed on platforms including this CV90. (Photo: CMI)
Autoloaders are not new, but in the context

of a sellable 105mm system, I think we are the
first. There have been other experimental
systems. But the difference is we build to sell for
the user to use, he said, noting that CMI has
secured a launch customer for its CT-CV 105HP
turret system. In the lower-calibre divisions, there
is still scope for manned medium turrets in the
25-40mm range and CMI has developed a twoman turret that can also be operated remotely.
We have not formally launched it
publicly, but it has pretty much completed
development and it does exist, it fires,
Caudle said, although he would not be drawn
on whether CMI had a launch customer for
this particular product.
He added that while CMI is approaching the

retrofit market with the BTR-3E, most of its
business is new-build.
With 105mm it does not make sense to put an
expensive new turret on an old vehicle the cost
of one is going to greatly outweigh the other and
there will be a mismatch in capability. If you look
at whole turrets, the arguments for upgrade are
not that strong, Caudle said.
CMIs biggest market areas are the Middle East
and Asia, with South America and Africa also
of importance. Caudle said that these market
areas outside the West are concerned at the
complexity of the user interfaces that advanced
systems are using.
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24/09/2014 11:43:00
VEHICLE SUBSYSTEMS
KEY COMPONENT
The most essential part of the turret is
its fundamental raison dtre the gun.
CTAI, a joint venture between BAE Systems
and Nexter, is in the process of qualifying
a weapon for the UK MoD and French
DGA that will fit their next-generation
armoured vehicles.
A spokesperson from CTAI told LWI that
the companys 40mm cannon has achieved
full safety certification from the UK MoD for
armour-piercing and target practice rounds
and it is now qualifying a high-explosive
point detonation round that is due for
certification by mid-2015, with an airburst
nature to follow. This will be in time for
test firings by the UKs WCSP and later the
Scout SV.
CTAI is working with the MoD on ITT for

series production. The plan is to have vehicles
delivered in the 2017 time frame and we need
to have weapons ready for integration for
Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics to do
their work, he said.
The company will be ready next year for a
series production contract, then around 2018-19
CTAI starts on French EBRC vehicle deliveries.
An assessment in 2008 by the UK MoD
found that a 40mm calibre weapon is required
against large target threats. The spokesperson
said the problem is that when a weapon of
this size is installed in the turret there not much
space for crew. Even with a 35mm gun, such as
that fitted to the CV90 turret, the gunners body
touches the turret on one side and the weapon
on the other and he cannot see the other man

unless the barrel is elevated, putting the breech
further down into the turret.
The spokesman said that CTAI has overcome
this space issue by effectively removing the back
end of the breech, rotating it and putting the
inductor at the side.
A modern weapon control system can be

simple to use, but the problem often comes
when an unforeseen fault develops and the
behaviour of the system changes completely.
The crew then has to figure out what went
wrong. In the First World, it is why they buy
big and expensive simulator systems, so the

instructor can simulate a fault on the system
when the crew is in the middle of the
engagement. But in a lot of other countries
in the world that represents a challenge, an
entirely new paradigm, with the training and
the ability of the operator to cope with it,

Caudle said.
A lot of the world market is looking for simpler,
less complex control interfaces between the
men, and the system and I dont think that is a
small issue.
Advances in gun design mean

there is more space in the turret
for the crew. (Photo: CTAI)
Providing defence intelligence worldwide.
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28
24/09/2014 11:43:01
VEHICLE SUBSYSTEMS
Most customers want

upgrades to firepower,
which means a larger
calibre with more types of
ammunition.
INCREASED CAPABILITY
For Western and other modern military markets,

there are longer-running complex programmes
afoot, and companies are competing to add
technologies that increase the capabilities of turrets.
German manufacturer Rheinmetall produces
the Lancer turret. Andreas Riedel, head of the
companys turrets product division, told LWI that
it uses a state-of-the-art fire control system (FCS)
with a third-generation thermal imager, highresolution camera and laser rangefinder to 10km
with a fully stabilised line of sight for commander
and gunner. Automation of the FCS incorporates
additional situation awareness systems and
target recognition and tracking.
Lancer uses digital and electrical drive
systems there are no hydraulics in the turret
any more and armour to STANAG level 4 that
can be increased to level 5 or 6 for more frontal
protection. It can also integrate an anti-tank
guided missile (ATGM) system to increase
firepower and provide a capability to engage
stronger armoured targets.
Lancer has been fielded by the Spanish
Marines on four vehicles in their Piranha IIIC fleet
that were delivered at the end of 2012.
Initially the programme said the four mediumcalibre variants of this fleet of vehicles would
be fitted with the OTO Melara Hitfist turret, but
they looked at what Hitfist offered in terms of
performance and state of the technology and
then the Spanish Marines decided to move to the
Lancer, Riedel said.
replace this with only minor modifications to the

vehicle and no modifications to the turret.
He added that most customers want upgrades
to firepower, which means a larger calibre with
more types of ammunition and effects plus a

modern FCS. The move to larger calibres is a way
of using more specific types of ammunition, such
as armour-piercing and multipurpose airburst.
Lighten the load

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MINOR MODIFICATION
Lancer was offered for the Canadian Close

Combat Vehicle programme before it was
cancelled, and Riedel said Rheinmetall is
promoting it on the ARTEC Boxer platform,
although it is compatible with other 8x8 chassis.
Upgrades are possible on older IFVs like
Rheinmetalls Marder and will fit on other
armoured vehicles.
You dont need to modify the vehicle, except
maybe the space that you need for the turret
B-ring and the basket, Riedel said. Marder
vehicles carried a 20mm turret and you can easily
Headquarters
Fischer Connectors SA
Saint-Prex - Switzerland
Phone +41 800 95 95
mail@fischerconnectors.ch
LWI_RELD_125x182_b0mm_09_14.indd 1
11.09.14 11:34
29
24/09/2014 11:43:01
VEHICLE SUBSYSTEMS
Rheinmetall also offers additional features

like an increase in the amount of ready-use
ammunition in the turret to 252 rounds. It
can also meet the requirements for a 40mm
capability, achieved with the integration of the
ATK MK44 Bushmaster cannon.
WEIGHT WATCHER
Like Caudle at CMI, Riedel also believes

the market for manned turrets has a long
future because the need for a direct view
of the battlefield will remain paramount
for warfighters, and maintains there are not
as many advantages to using remote turrets as
commonly thought.
Riedel told LWI that the claims that RWS save
weight and are lighter compared to manned
equivalents are false: This is not really true. In this
type of comparison, people forget on purpose
that even an unmanned turret needs a crew to
operate, and if you need a two-man crew then you
have to place the commander and the gunner
and their complete man-machine interface and
their seats somewhere in the vehicle.
[RWS] are cheaper because there are
significant subsystems incorporated in these
Denel Land Systems, manufacturer of the

LCT 90 turret, focuses on providing a
complete combat system that includes
the host vehicle. (Image: Denel)
turrets and they offer less protection. If you

require a certain degree of performance, like
a hunter-killer capability with a day and night
sight, this requires two optical systems one of
them being a panoramic viewing system and
one for the commander. This determines the
price level.
There are a lot of subsystems and it is the
same for the protection. An unmanned turret is
not cheaper because it is unmanned.
MULTIPLE OPTIONS
Denel Land Systems in South Africa does not see

the market as being just about turrets, rather it is
The CSE 90LP offers a 24-hour day/night
operating capability and a wide range of
target effects. (Photo: CMI)
30
about providing a complete combat system that

includes the vehicle. CEO Stephan Burger told
LWI that there is a market for both remote and
manned turrets, and it is often a matter of
doctrine and customer preference.
He noted that customers are sophisticated and
know what they want in terms of turret solutions,
highlighting the Badger contract with Malaysia
that uses an FNSS 8x8 vehicle, Thales C2 system
and Denel turrets.
I have a big order in Malaysia for the supply of
turrets for IFVs, and there are three solutions: a
[manned] 30mm gun; a combination of 30mm
and ATGM; and the other is a remote system.
Within the user requirement for an IFV they have
acknowledged the fact that they need both.
In its Badger fleet, Malaysia is receiving
69 units with 30mm turrets, 54 with a
combination of ATGM and 30mm weapon; and
54 remote-controlled.
MODULAR APPROACH
From Burgers point of view, if a vehicle is

to be involved in offensive operations then
manned turret systems are preferred. If the
vehicle is a command variant and a turret is
needed for self-defence then a remote option
is usually better.
Modularity is very important, and then there
are two types of turret. [One is] the high-end,
fully stabilised, night-sight solution, something
comparable with a tank but smaller and lighter.
And then you have low-end, and both are
necessary, Burger said.
He added that firepower is not the only driver
in turret requirements any more. Stabilisation,
night sights, an integrated FCS and the ability
of the sights to carry out reconnaissance for
identification with proper orientation across the
systems are very important.
Vehicles must also have a dual application
capability to act as a command variant, and
software is important here to have that
flexibility. Further concerns include protection,
accuracy and ease of replenishment which
Burger said are very important in manned
turrets. LWI
24/09/2014 11:43:03
24/09/2014 11:44:01
24/09/2014 11:45:30
US ARMY TRAINING
Following a decade of counterinsurgency operations, the US

Army is now putting greater
emphasis on traditional direct
action in its training scenarios,
finds Scott R Gourley.
recent shift in training scenarios

and strategies by US Army brigade
combat teams (BCTs) points to a broader
tactical and strategic shift away from an
emphasis on counter-insurgency (COIN) and
advise/assist operations to more traditional
manoeuvre scenarios.
This shift is evident at the Joint Readiness
Training Center (JRTC) at Fort Polk, Louisiana,
where a pre-deployment training rotation was
being completed by the US Armys 3rd Brigade
Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division
(Air Assault).
US Army warfighting doctrine is based on the
central idea that army units seize, retain and
exploit the initiative to gain a position of relative
advantage over the enemy. This is accomplished
through simultaneous combination of offensive,
defensive and stability operations that set
conditions for favourable conflict resolution.
FOUNDATION LEVEL
The myriad BCT COIN and advise and assist

rotations into Iraq and Afghanistan over
the past decade have led to atrophy in
many of those broader skill sets, and service
planners are taking actions to re-focus BCT
capabilities on some of the basic warfighting
foundations and their applicability to future
combat scenarios.
Col Carl Kelly, deputy commander of the JRTC
Operations Group, told Land Warfare International:
The JRTC Operations Group exists to conduct
combined joint inter-agency, inter-governmental
and multi-national unified land operations.
He explained that the JRTC seeks to validate
where the army is heading in terms of tactics and
operations using a realistic and competitive
environment. With this kind of testing, the centre
can provide feedback to the units to enhance
their leaders ability to adapt to the scenarios
facing them from the brigade commander down

to the individual soldier.
We are getting back to the basics with decisive
action training environment [DATE]-type
rotations, to what an air assault brigade was
designed to do, he added.
Furthermore, there was also the question
about what air assault actually means in
todays context.
Is it two aircraft taking a platoon up to a
combat outpost, escorted by an Apache? Is
that an air assault? Is it 59 aircraft of attack, recon,
lift, on different platforms with heavy slings
involved? Is that an air assault? Well, thats a
pretty big spectrum right there. So in the 101st,
what weve started talking about is that they
all are by definition, depending on whats
happening on the assault objective.
Tier planning has been one result of these
internal discussions, ranging from Tier 1
COURSE OF
ACTION
Soldiers from the 101st
Airborne test their ability
to conduct rapid air
manoeuvres to seize and
hold terrain at Fort Polks
JRTC. (Photo: US Army)
LWI_OctNov14_p33-35_US_Army_training.indd 33
33
24/09/2014 11:51:09
US ARMY TRAINING
The training requires significant pre- and post-scenario preparation and analysis to
evolve the concepts of air assault and hone the necessary skills. (Photos: author)
(brigade) through Tier 2 (battalion task force) to

Tier 3 (company level and below).
But, based on mission requirements, we will
train to what that unit requires. So, if a BCT is
assigned to go do a regionally aligned forces
[RAF] mission, we could do a similar rotation to
what we are doing for 3rd Brigade right now.
That brigade or battalion will come in and do a
DATE; receive an after-action review for that
specific action; and then we re-set them for an
RAF or MRE [mission readiness exercise] scenario
that they will likely face overseas.
overwatching Base Expeditionary Targeting

and Surveillance Systems Combined tower
equipped with FLIR Systems Star SAFIRE III sensor.
The centre also has a General Dynamics Land
Systems Buffalo Mine Protected Clearance
Vehicle, with an embarked unmanned ground
vehicle, highlighting the importance of a broad
spectrum of platforms and capabilities critical to
the success of traditionally light air assault forces.
The heavy Buffalo presence was balanced
against the convoy movement of several
BAE Systems L119-series 105mm lightweight
artillery systems.
UNIQUE EQUIPMENT
The recent rotation by the 101st Airbornes

3rd BCT also used continued to field with new
Capability Set (CS) hardware.
The CS concept emerged from the terminated
Future Combat Systems programme that
focused on networking combat elements. The
first CS to be fielded to the army, dubbed CS13
began fielding in FY2013. The 3rd Brigade was
the fourth brigade in the army to receive the
equipment, although its specific set is considered
hybrid because it uses the AN/PRC-155
Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit (HMS) radios
from General Dynamics C4 Systems in a
dismount configuration and AN/PRC-117G radios
from Harris in its vehicles.
The 3rd Brigade studied the experience of two
brigades of the 10th Mountain Division which
were the first CS13-equipped brigades to deploy
to combat and how they used the equipment
in-theatre. Based on those lessons learned, the
3rd Brigade started to the use the CS as a tool kit,
where commanders at various echelons across
the brigade tailor pieces of the set to enable
specific missions.
At JRTCs FOB Sword, the force protection
lessons learned over the past decade of combat
operations are evident in the placement of
specific systems like the AN/TPQ-48 Lightweight
Counter-Mortar Radar from SRC or the
34
MAKING PREPARATIONS
3rd Brigade used FOB Sword for a training

rotation that included the first brigade-sized
air assault conducted into the JRTC scenario in
over a decade. In preparation, the brigades
completed Operation Golden Eagle in April 2014,
to validate the gold book standards for air
assault operations and prepare for the August
JRTC rotation.
According to Col J B Vowell, commander of
3rd Brigade, the initial phases of the JRTC rotation
focused on what he termed a return to core
competencies of unified land operations and
decisive action.
We owe the army competent, capable,
decisive action land forces, he explained.
Thats this brigades contribution to combatant
commanders. He acknowledged that the
unit had been doing a lot of COIN and a lot
of high-intensity conflict at small tactical
levels over the last few years, but noted that
none of that training had fully exercised
elements like the brigade support battalions or
reconnaissance squadrons.
The armys guidance has been to try to get
back to decisive action combat training centre
rotations, he continued. We want to get back to
testing and training and validating some of those
brigade mission essential tasks that we are
responsible for. We just havent done a lot of

them lately. Instead, weve been doing special
missions downrange.
Vowell said that the commanding general of
the 101st issued guidance in August 2013,
and there was a need to get back to core
competencies of the premier air assault division,
to basically go in at 2 oclock in the morning to
some bad place and dispense justice or
whatever analogy you want to use to do what
we are supposed to do.
MEETING STANDARDS
However, at the time of that division

commanders guidance last year, only 26% of the
formation was even air assault-qualified.
The standard is 70%, said Vowell. So we had
atrophied some of those skill sets we call it rust
on the sling legs and capabilities, he said. So
now, as the army has divested from Iraq and is
ending its missions in Afghanistan, we owe the
army that capability.
Air assault qualification begins at the Air
Assault School where units complete an intense
ten-day course designed to train soldiers in air
assault and sling-load operations, as well as
rappelling. Upon graduation, each soldier will
be able to exercise the skills required to make
maximum use of helicopter assets in training and
combat to support their unit operations.
In addition to this formal qualification, the
process of polishing the atrophied air assault
capability continued in late 2013 with small unit
preparations for the Operation Golden Eagle
brigade field training exercise/brigade air assault.
The April 2014 event marked the first full brigade
air assault conducted in 11 years.
At the same time, we planned on coming to
the JRTC [in July/August 2014] to test that
capability again in a much more resourced, fully
fleshed-out robust environment, Vowell added.
At the same time, we also had to plan the
mission rehearsal for our real deployed mission.
24/09/2014 11:51:10
US ARMY TRAINING
That was extremely hard for us not to mention

that we fielded CS13 at the same time.
He described it as the most complex combat
training centre scenario rotation that he had
seen in 23 years of service. Unique aspects
of the rotation included a brigade-sized air
assault on multiple objectives against a hybrid
threat equipped with equipment ranging from
technical vehicles to ZSU-23-4s.
The threat of air defence systems was robust,
he explained. We had to account for those. We
have not had to do that lately in Afghanistan
or Iraq.
VILLAGE PEOPLE
Vowell also made clear distinctions between the

brigades village experiences over multiple
deployments to Afghanistan and the urban
environment that was incorporated in the
joint forced-entry phase of the new decisive
action scenarios.
In Afghanistan, COIN fights for the last few
years have not involved urban operations very
heavily, he asserted. We have been outside of the
villages for those fights. Quite frankly, they have
happened on our patrols and combat outposts.
They have not so much been big fights in cities,
where we had to clear villages and towns.
Admitting to a lot of rust on those skill sets, he
reiterated: Its not so much an urban fight in
Afghanistan. Its in the villages; its in the
population centres that are small; and its in the
hinterlands of the district.
But this is the JRTC, he continued. Theres
nothing like going to the show here and hitting
[the training village] of Dar Alam at Geronimo
Dropzone. Thats a very big, spread-out urban
town. It may seem small when you go to it, but
when youre trying to clear it with a battalion,
every sewer, every door, every hallway, every
floor, every rooftop, every vehicle and every ditch
absolutely consumes a task force and there is
someone defending everywhere.
Its a complex problem. Were used to COIN.

Were used to advising. Were used to helping our
partners. But here we had to go back to the math
of it taking a six-to-one ratio six of us against
one templated enemy.
NOT SO FAST
Despite the new emphasis on returning to

basics, it is clearly not the time for 3rd Brigade
to completely remove COIN and the advise
and assist skills from its repertoire. In fact,
under its real-world requirement to be
able to deploy as advisers to Training Advise
and Assist Command East, unit elements
had already begun to receive orders for what
will likely be the last US Army security force
advisory and assistance team (SFAAT) deployed
in Afghanistan.
In another unique aspect of the upcoming
deployment, 3rd Brigade is coordinating and
integrating its new CS13 network capabilities for
deployment with higher HQ elements of the
US Armys 3rd Infantry Division.
According to Vowell, the SFAAT deployment
will include just a portion of the brigade and
focus on support to Afghanistans 201st Corps,
Afghan Border Police Zone 1 and Afghan

Uniform Police Regional HQ in Nangarhar.
So for those three platform advisory levels at
very high echelons were going to be responsible
for in our deployment together, he said.
The advisory aspect of the upcoming
SFAAT deployment was reflected in the active
participation by several role players and
specialised instructors working at locations across
FOB Sword. The role players would represent
groups of local people and engage with troops
by starting impromptu discussions with them
over a reported incident involving a military
vehicle. Meanwhile, contractor instructors from
IDS International were injecting expanded
interagency experiences.
Were all former real State Department,
real regional security officers, real everything,
said Rex Bruce, a senior instructor at IDS
International. Were not just pretending to be
State Department folks.
That interagency training provided just one
more piece of a puzzle in which army units are
brushing off the dust and honing the edge on
the tactical skill sets required today as well as
those that will be required tomorrow. LWI
Col Vowell talks to role-players at the JRTCs FOB Sword to discuss how to improve the realism
of the scenarios and present the most accurate picture of how local people would look and behave.
35
24/09/2014 11:51:12
PARTING SHOT
During a visit to the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry Division of the

US Army in South Korea at Uijeongbu, Gordon Arthur spoke to the
commander, Maj Gen Thomas Vandal, about the challenges ahead.
STRATEGIC
SHIFTS
T
he 2nd Infantry Division (2 ID) is the US

Armys primary ground and aviation
combat unit on the troubled Korean peninsula,
but whereas the service as a whole faces funding
and personnel cutbacks, Vandal said this was not
the case in South Korea. As part of the strategic
shift to the Pacific, weve seen a corresponding
effect on our readiness here on the Korean
Peninsula, he explained. We as a division are
fully funded to maintain our readiness.
As part of this investment, the equipment
available to the division has also seen an
improvement. Weve gone through upgrades
and modernisation and were not complete with
that yet, but were well on our way to having the
most modernised equipment. He cited one
example where the division fields the latest
M1A2 System Enhancement Package V2
Abrams MBTs and CH-47F Chinook helicopters.
GROWING UP
In recent years, 2 ID has grown by about 2,300

personnel, mainly due to the presence of
two rotational units from the Continental US
(CONUS) an aviation squadron with OH-58D
Kiowa Warriors, and a cavalry squadron with
Abrams MBTs and Bradley IFVs.
The arrival of the latter unit in February
means 2 ID now has three mechanised combat
battalions. As our army is increasing the capacity
of brigade combat teams, were one of the first
divisions to make that transition to having three
manoeuvre battalions, Vandal explained.
He said that the rotational unit model for the
peninsula worked particularly well for them and
this is a successful part of the armys Regionally
Aligned Force concept. It really is a strategically
smart way to approach this, so as US forces
come over here, they train for nine months,
they go back and now theyre familiar with the
36
Korean mission and the terrain. I think what well

see is that it will enhance the experience level for
Korea of the rest of our forces back in CONUS.
He added: There are some trade-offs, but
clearly from our perspective its a strategic win.
It sends a message to the alliance; it sends a
message to all those in the Pacific Rim. It allows
us to increase our capabilities.
ROTATIONAL ISSUES
The rotational model is not without drawbacks,

one concern being how to maintain the lasting
relationships with the Republic of Korea (ROK)
Army that permanently assigned units can more
easily achieve. One possible way of alleviating
the problem is to introduce further rotations, but
Vandal said there were no solid commitments
to do so yet. There are some planning efforts that
are being considered on future rotations. Whether
that increases or not, there are still some final
decisions that are pending.
Through the armys Re-stationing and
Transition Plan, US Forces Korea (USFK) is
consolidating assets in two regional hubs at
Pyeongtaek/Osan and Daegu, which means
2 ID will be vacating camps located near the
demilitarised zone.
Units will move to Camp Humphreys, 65km
south of the capital, meaning that troop
numbers there will more than triple in size from
9,000 to 24,000. According to Vandal, units
from 2 ID are supposed to relocate in the
approximate window of 2016-17, but this is
dependent on a variety of factors.
All of that is obviously based on contractor
timelines that could shift left or right An
overriding concern for me is that Ive got to stay
focused on our mission and the readiness, so
well work through a planning effort to ensure
that we echelon it. I cant shut down the division
LWI_OctNov14_p36_Interview.indd 36
and move. Thats obviously not feasible, nor

would it be prudent for us to do on the
peninsula. Vandal added that he did not
anticipate the divisions relocation farther south
would change its mission.
On 4 September, Seoul announced the
creation of a combined ROK-US mechanised
division the first of its kind. This means that if
conflict breaks out, an ROK mechanised brigade
would join 2 ID. Local news agency Yonhap has
reported that it believes this unit will be assigned
the task of targeting North Korean weapons of
mass destruction. It will be established in the first
half of 2015 and led by a US major general, with
HQ initially located with 2 ID in Uijeongbu.
It is a politically charged issue over whether any
US troops will remain in Area I north of Seoul, but
South Korean officials insisted this combined
division would also eventually move to Camp
Humphreys. However, Vandal had previously told
LWI: There are some capabilities that are unique
to the US side that frankly need to be positioned
forward thats being discussed now.
He stressed that cooperation with his ROK
Army counterparts is improving, adding that he
had not been to a single training event where
the ROK services were not completely integrated
with US forces. What you see with the soldiers
stationed over here with USFK is that theyre
focused professionals, theyre trained and theyre
ready to fight. Theyre very much focused on
that readiness because they know theres a real
present threat to the north. LWI
24/09/2014 11:56:13
www.seouladex.com
Oct. 20-25, 2015 / Seoul Airport
LWI_OctNov14_IBC.indd 3
24/09/2014 11:57:31
LWI_OctNov14_OBC.indd 4
24/09/2014 11:58:00

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19 SEEING THE SIGHTS

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Kerwin cited an issue with power packs, which are

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One major change was that for the first time

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shelf; chambered for 5.56x45mm 45 NATO (and

First widely used during the

The KMW PzH 2000 was designed to meet

here is no better place to start an analysis of

gun designs had emerged and it was decided

France deployed the Nexter

LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL | October/November 2014 | Volume 5 Number 5

still there some 52 years later, with the latest

As far as the army was concerned, the longevity

While tracked systems

major upgrade of earlier systems, featuring

Both the M109A7 and M992A3 have increased

Other countries looked elsewhere for solutions. In