Land Warfare Vol5 #6

Volume 5 Number 6
December 2014/January 2015
Fielding guns
Rebirth of towed artillery systems
RENEWED
DRIVE
CREATIVE
CONTROL
TYRED
AND TESTED
Eastern Europe focus
C2 training systems
Wheeled armoured vehicles
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CONTENTS
Editor
Front cover: US marines fire a round from

an M777A2 lightweight 155mm howitzer
at the Combined Arms Training Center at
Camp Fuji, Japan. (Photo: USMC)
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

Shifting the excess
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
NEWS
Indias 155mm artillery modernisation progresses
Russian army to purchase new SP anti-tank guns
PT Pindad Badak breaks cover
8 RENEWED DRIVE

As Eastern European governments aim to modernise
their vehicle fleets and move away from Cold War-era
technology, events in Ukraine are bringing their needs
into sharper focus, finds Tim Fish.
Advertising Sales Executive

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Editor-in-Chief
Tony Skinner
Managing Director
13 LEFT BEHIND?

Despite the popularity of self-propelled and truckmounted weapon systems, towed howitzers are still
arguably the most capable light guns. David Saw
provides an overview of the latest developments.
Darren Lake
Chairman
Nick Prest
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16 TYRED AND TESTED

The latest wheeled armoured vehicles being
developed are illustrative of the trend towards
affordability, protection, sustainability and
modularity. Stephen Miller analyses what is on offer.
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22 MOVING PERFORMANCE

First emerging during the Iraq war, the vehiclemounted grenade launcher has proven to be a
force multiplier in-theatre, finds Anthony Hall.
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29 A LONG SHOT

A new generation of rifles is enabling snipers to
dominate the battlefield. Ian Kemp provides an
update on the market.

25 CREATIVE CONTROL

A new breed of C2 simulators are allowing future
leaders to learn how to manage their assets on the
battlefield, while providing significant cost savings.
Liza Helps examines some of the systems currently
being fielded by militaries.
PARTING SHOT
32 UNDER PRESSURE

With larger amounts of cheap second-hand
equipment being sold off by militaries, industry has
had to adapt in recent years. Tim Fish talks to Ben Barry,
senior fellow for land warfare at the International
Institute for Strategic Studies, about the challenges.
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Volume 5 Number 6 | December 2014/January 2015 | LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL
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EDITORIAL COMMENT
SHIFTING
THE EXCESS
W
hile walking the stands at AUSA, I got

wind of the deal that Bell Helicopter
was trying to make with the US government
to restrict the sale of surplus US Army
OH-58 Kiowas and training rotorcraft on the
international market.
The concern for the OEM is that with all these
relatively good quality and well maintained
helicopters available at knock-down prices, it
would undercut the company, which would
inevitably lose out on sales of both its older and
newer aircraft, especially to less wealthy nations
that need a new capability fast.
If this is the case in the airborne sector, then
the land sector is vulnerable too. Thousands of
ageing HMMWVs are being exported from the
US under FMS arrangements the world over;
second-hand M1A1 MBTs are being sold to
Iraq; and old Leopard tanks and APCs are
being hawked out to Asia and the Middle East.
The market for new-build vehicles in the West
has practically reached a standstill (see p32).
What does this mean for vehicle
manufacturers? Rich nations will still go for
new products, but with defence budgets
falling in the West this is now becoming less
likely. Therefore, slack has to be taken up by
sales in other regions. Many companies
are trying to push new affordable vehicles
to export markets but they will have to
compete with sales by modern militaries that
are looking to downsize and divest their
expensive inventories.
However, all is not lost, as there are
considerable business opportunities in
repairing and modernising these vehicles
being brought out of storage for export. The
problem for the OEMs, however, is that refit
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p03_Comment.indd 3
and upgrade work is not automatically given

to them and is often competed for.
This was evident at AUSA, with HMMWV
manufacturer AM General going up against
Textron Systems and Northrop Grumman for refit
and upgrade work on the vehicles the OEM
vying for work on its products against companies
with their own experience in MRO provision.
But this may not matter. Industry is flexible
and ever since the financial crisis it has been
positioning itself to compete for refit and
upgrade work, marketing affordable vehicles
and downsizing its manufacturing workforce
and facilities.
DAMAGING ITS OWN
Despite these various efforts, it must still grate

that the military can undercut suppliers on the
international market and damage its own
industrial base.
In the case of Bell, it has missed out on the
support of Kiowa and the chance to replace
it, and now the company has to compete with
army surplus helicopters internationally.
However, the service also wants the OEM
to remain competitive until it awards a new
production contract some time after 2030.
In the land sector, the decision by the
Netherlands to divest its armour must have
had an impact. It was once the owner of
445 Leopard 2 MBTs, but Austria bought
115 Leopard 2A4s, 20 2A6s were exported to
Canada along with 80 A4s, Norway received
52 2A4s and Portugal took delivery of 37 2A6s.
Finland is the latest customer, which is
expected to acquire around 100 2A6s.
Earlier, the Netherlands sold off its CV90
tracked IFVs, Fennek reconnaissance vehicles,
Cheetah (Gepard) self-propelled anti-aircraft

guns and PzH 2000 self-propelled artillery. The
Dutch also bought 12 new ARTEC Boxer 8x8
APCs, but has decided to sell these on as well
before they have even been delivered.
Germany is another culprit. It has sold its
Gepards to Brazil and Romania; 105 Leopard
2A5s to Poland, among other vehicles; and 103
Leopard 2s plus 42 Marder 1A3s to Indonesia.
Belgium has also sold off its tracked fleet of
Leopard 1 MBTs and CVR(T) reconnaissance
vehicles, replacing some with new wheeled
vehicles, while the UK is selling 120 CVR(T)
platforms to Latvia.
Although excess defence materiel has always
been on the market, in times of financial
constraint and the near simultaneous downsizing
of most Western militaries, it seems there is a glut
of second-hand equipment out there that can
only put industry under more pressure.
There is the argument that there is still a lot
of over-capacity in the land systems sector in
Europe, with too many companies vying for too
little work, but if the trends continue then some
countries will lose their domestic manufacturing
capability, and then it is up to individual
governments to decide what is worth protecting
and how it will perform versus growing industry
elsewhere in the world.
Tim Fish, Editor
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
l Light wheeled vehicles

l Air defence missiles
l SMGs and pistols
l Remote weapon stations
28/11/2014 15:12:25
NEWS
INDIAS 155mm ARTILLERY

MODERNISATION PROGRESSES
Photo: via author
The Indian Armys long-delayed artillery

modernisation programme has finally made
progress, with new Defence Minister Manohar
Parrikar clearing a $2 billion procurement of
155mm/52cal vehicle-mounted artillery systems
on 22 November.
The decision to purchase them follows three
decades of procurement problems and takes
place as China and Pakistan both induct

155mm/52cal artillery guns. The Indian Armys
last major acquisition was in 1987 for 410
155mm 39cal FH-77B howitzers from Swedens
Bofors, followed by a scandal over illegal
commission that contributed to the defeat of the
government at the following election.
The armys ageing artillery presently consists
of a mix of 105mm field guns and 130/155mm
howitzers.
An RfP for the new systems is expected be
released in Q1 2015, Land Warfare International
understands. A total of 100 guns are to be bought
off the shelf, with the rest manufactured in India.
The 2013 Defence Procurement Procedure
mandates the RfP to be released to Indian
companies, which will act as prime contractors
in partnership with foreign OEMs expected to
transfer final integration and production of the
system to India. It is also believed the request will
be released only to private Indian companies.
Contenders could include: Larsen & Toubro

with the Nexter Systems Caesar mounted on
Ashok Leylands 6x6 truck; Tata Power with a
Denel G5 derivative on a Tata 8x8 truck;
Mahindra Defence with BAE Systems Archer;
and Punj Lloyd and Yugoimport SDPR, fielding
the B52K1.
We will respond once we review the RfP, a
BAE Systems spokesperson told LWI.
Other possibilities include Ashok Leyland
Defence Systems with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann;
and Bharat Forge of the Kalyani Group that
recently signed a joint venture with Elbit Systems
for advanced technology manufacturing of
modern gun systems and mine-protected
vehicles, on a Tatra truck chassis.
The guns will equip 40 medium artillery
regiments. Critical systems, including the barrel
and recoil mechanism, will likely have to be
imported, one OEM told LWI.
By Neelam Mathews, New Delhi
RUSSIAN ARMY TO PURCHASE NEW SP ANTI-TANK GUNS

The Russian MoD plans to purchase up to 30
upgraded 2S25 Sprut-SD 125mm self-propelled
anti-tank guns (SPATGs) by the end of December.
The acquisition forms part of the current
strategy to modernise the Russian Ground
Forces through to 2030, according to an MoD
representative.
The 2S25 Sprut-SD was developed by
Volgograd Machine Building (VGTZ) in the 1990s
to provide Russian army air assault units with a
SPATG capable of defeating MBTs.
Armed with a 125mm 2A75 smoothbore gun,
developed by Yekaterinburg Artillery Plant No 9,
the 2S25 provides similar firepower to Russian
T-72, T-80 and T-90-series MBTs but at only 18t.
The original chassis features automotive
components from the BMD-3 airborne assault
vehicle which is also built by VGTZ. The 2S25

entered service in 2005, with 24 systems being
bought for air assault units before further orders
were cancelled in 2010. According to press
reports, in 2010 the army had a requirement for
up to 85-110 vehicles.
The 2S25s autoloader enables the 2A75 gun
to fire up to seven rounds a minute. The vehicle
carries 22 ready-to-use 125mm rounds in the
autoloader and another 18 inside the hull.
Ammunition types include high-explosive
fragmentation, armour-piercing, fin-stabilised
discarding sabot, high-explosive and anti-tank
rounds as well as a laser-guided projectile
equipped with a tandem warhead. The 2S25 is
operated by a crew of three commander,
gunner and driver.
LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL | December 2014/January 2015 | Volume 5 Number 6
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p04-06_News.indd 4
The new version of the 2S25 uses the diesel

engine, transmission and running gear of the
BMD-4M airborne assault vehicle, which recently
entered Russian service, providing a maximum
speed of 70km/h.
According to Alexander Klyuzhev, VGTZ
executive director, one of the major features
of the new vehicle is the high manoeuvrability
provided by the new hydro-pneumatic
suspension, which also enables the driver
to adjust the ground clearance from 190590mm.
The 2S25 is fully amphibious and is propelled
in the water at speeds up to 5.4kt by two
waterjets on the hull rear. The new 2S25 variant
also features an improved fire control system.
By Eugene Gerden, St Petersburg
28/11/2014 10:53:39
NEWS
PT PINDAD BADAK
BREAKS COVER
Photo: CMI Defence
Indonesian armoured vehicle manufacturer PT

Pindad displayed a version of its 6x6 Anoa 2 APC
integrated with a full CMI Defence 90mm turret
for the first time at Indo Defence in November.
The vehicle has been named the Badak by the
government.
In September, the two companies signed an
MoU to collaborate on the development of
military vehicle weapon systems.
Belgian company CMI Defence has agreed to
transfer technology and expertise to PT Pindad
under the terms of the MoU. The latter will then
licence manufacture and integrate CMI weapons
systems onto its military vehicles.
The vehicle on display was fitted with a
Cockerill CSE 90 Low Pressure gun integrated on
a two-man turret.
In 2009, the Indonesian Army signed a
contract with Doosan for 22 Tarantula armoured
combat vehicles, which are CSE 90 turretequipped 6x6 Black Fox APCs manufactured by
Doosan. The company announced completion
of the vehicles in May 2013.
However, a government mandate means that
the army must purchase a domestic alternative
if available, which will give PT Pindads Anoa
preference. There is believed to an undisclosed
mandated minimum number of vehicles to be

ordered, but the expectation is that the army will
buy hundreds.
The two companies were expected to sign
a full partnership agreement formalising the
MoU in November. The agreement covers CMIdesigned systems ranging in calibre from 25 to
105mm. As well as the Anoa, PT Pindad will also
look at integrating systems on its 4x4 Komodo
tactical vehicle.
Patrick Ledig, CMIs regional manager, told
Land Warfare International that he expects
PT Pindad to begin manufacture of the turret
in June 2015 and that the company expects to
transfer some production to Indonesia for other
customers as it wins business.
The agreement marks the continuation of
the Indonesian defence companys strategy to
develop capabilities through partnerships with
international partners, a senior PT Pindad official
told LWI.
The Anoa was publicly unveiled in November
2008 and PT Pindad has built an estimated 150
for the Indonesian Army. In addition, Brunei
ordered 15 vehicles in 2011 and Timor-Leste has
bought four. Several countries in the Middle East
and Asia-Pacific have been cited as potential
export customers.
PT Pindad displayed the Anoa at the
DSA exhibition in Kuala Lumpur in 2012 as a
contender for a Malaysian Army UOR.
Indonesian APCs are typically fitted with a
protected weapon station that can be armed
with a 40mm automatic grenade launcher, a
.50cal heavy machine gun or similar weapon.
The vehicle has also been displayed fitted with
an RCWS.
PT Pindad has proposed a complete family
of Anoa variants, including APC, IFV,
reconnaissance, fire support, mortar carrier,
ambulance, recovery and logistics carrier.
By Darren Lake, Jakarta
NEWS ON THE WEB

MASA technology used
for New Zealand
26 November 2014
GD OTS, Smith & Wesson

team for US Army
handgun system
24 November 2014
British troops take part in

Exercise Black Eagle
24 November 2014
General Dynamics, ST Kinetics

target US military market
20 November 2014
UK announces Babcock
as DSG preferred bidder
20 November 2014
GDLS Canada to supply

LAV-UP surveillance upgrade
14 November 2014
Controversial cruise
missile breaks cover
13 November 2014
Missile proliferation at Zhuhai

13 November 2014
US Army orders 3M M61

Respiratory Mask Canisters
10 November 2014
Warrior CSP gets additional test

vehicle but trials pushed back
7 November 2014
All these stories can be found

at www.landwarfareintl.com
28/11/2014 10:53:39
NEWS
Photo: author
NORINCO BRINGS HEAVY

ARMOUR TO AIRSHOW CHINA
China North Industries Corporation (NORINCO)
displayed its vehicles at the 10th China
International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in
Zhuhai for the first time this year.
Among its numerous exhibits were a VT4 MBT
and VN12 IFV. NORINCO described the former as
the latest model of main battle tank developed
to suit future information-based warfare.
The VT4 is the export designation for the MBT3000. The vehicle employs a 1,200hp engine,
digitised gun control system, navigation system,
active and passive armour, plus a vehicular
information system. The MBT-3000 was first
revealed in June 2012, but this is its first public

appearance at a Chinese exhibition.
Further specifications and dimensions were
not on display, but the technology employed
on the VT4 signals the direction the Peoples
Liberation Army (PLA) future tank fleet will take.
The vehicle appears to be armed with the
same 125mm main gun found on the existing
ZTZ99 (Type 99) MBT, and an autoloader
reduces the crew complement to three.
Meanwhile, the VN12 tracked IFV is armed
with a 30mm cannon, co-axial 7.62mm
machine gun and an HJ-73D anti-tank guided
missile on its turret. It appears better armoured

than the ZBD-97 (Type 97) IFV currently used
by the PLA, and is more in keeping with a
Western design than the Russian BMP-based
platforms that currently predominate.
There is a strong possibility the VN12 could
become the PLAs next IFV, or at least influence
the services next design, even though it is
now being offered on export markets.
NORINCO stated that the VN12 has a highpower engine for superior mobility, plus the
power pack can be easily replaced in the field.
By Gordon Arthur, Zhuhai
MEGGITT WINS US MARINE CORPS TRAINING CONTRACT

Meggitt Training Systems has been awarded a
$30 million contract from the USMC for the
upgrade of Indoor Simulated Marksmanship
Trainer (ISMT) systems.
Awarded on 5 November, the contract calls
for a 3D, simulation-based system capable
of instructing in basic and advanced
marksmanship, shoot/no-shoot judgment,
combat marksmanship, supporting arms and
weapons employment tactics.
According to the USMC, the ISMT-U system
will consist of an instructor operator station,
audiovisual system, host computer, input/
output network system and weapons.
With Meggitt due to showcase its integrated
live fire and simulation weapons training systems
at I/ITSEC in Orlando, the contract win provides
further sales momentum for the company.
In June, it was selected by the US Army for its
next-generation virtual small arms Engagement
Skills Trainer II (EST II).
Award of the $99 million contract was delayed
following a protest by competitor Cubic
Simulation Systems, which argued that it should
have been allowed to correct an error in its
proposal through clarifications, the evaluation of

proposals was unreasonable and that discussions
conducted with the protester were inadequate.
However, the US Government Accountability
Office denied the protest and Meggitts win was
reaffirmed in October.
Meggitt said its solution represents a
significant step forward in technology and
capability over the incumbent EST 2000 system
and first deliveries of the more than 1,000 new
and upgraded systems are expected from
December 2015.
The company will incorporate its FATS M100
open architecture, which allows integration of
further Meggitt and third-party training modules
and evolutions in fidelity and graphic complexity.
In addition, the system includes an intelligent
coaching application on a wireless tablet
enabling trainers to change scenarios quickly
within a single session.
Larry Raines, Meggitts VP of virtual systems,
said the goal was to make the small arms
training simulators as immersive as possible, to
subject the trainee to similar stresses as those
they will later experience in live fire training.
We will show that through our use of the

Crytek graphics in our 3D marksmanship
training mode, which allows engagement and
shot assessment in a 3D training environment
with really immersive and impressive visuals,
he explained.
The intent is to immerse the training as much
as possible because whatever [the trainee] does
in that virtual training system, we want him to be
thinking and feeling as if he is on the live range
and from there going into a combat situation.
He added that the simulation industry would
continue to take advantage of projection and
visual technology that is increasing significantly,
driven by the demands of the commercial market.
The gaming industry is driving technology
so much that the simulation industry is able to use
a lot of those benefits in our commercial
marketplace. I think that the gaming elements
with the target physics how somebody walks,
how somebody falls or how a vehicle moves
across a screen all of this is just increasing
exponentially from what we had a couple of years
ago for that increased immersion and realism.
By Tony Skinner, Orlando
28/11/2014 10:53:41
Dont worry,
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28/11/2014 13:30:40
REGIONAL FOCUS
Lithuania is looking for an 8x8 wheeled IFV to
replace the M113s equipping two battalions
of the countrys army. (Photos: Lithuanian MoD)
RENEWED DR
F
ollowing the transition to NATO

membership around 10-15 years ago, most
eastern European states have been focusing on
modernising their forces.
The majority of work to achieve NATO
compatibility was completed in the decade
prior to membership, so most of the attention
has been on ensuring their militaries are as
capable as possible in a climate of shrinking
defence budgets.
The former Warsaw Pact countries of the
Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland joined
NATO in 1999 and were followed by Bulgaria,
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia
and Slovenia in 2004. Although it is too early to
tell the long-term effects of Russias intervention
in Ukraine, it has already caused Poland, for
example, to highlight near-term threats in its
latest National Security Strategy, approved
in November.
Flavio Marchesoni, sales and marketing
manager at Iveco Defence Vehicles, told Land
Warfare International that despite tensions with
Russia he doubts countries in the region have
the appetite to spend more on defence
equipment like vehicles, although some nations
still represent key market opportunities for
Iveco, particularly Poland.
The Polish have [announced] a programme

for [1,000] trucks, but that might change, he
said. Then there was a request for vehicles in the
light multirole class, but Poland has its own
industry with local solutions, which are preferred.
There is no tender or RfQ [request for quotation].
I see potential for Iveco, but there is nothing
concrete at the moment.
BIG SPENDERS
Poland is the biggest spender of the former

Warsaw Pact countries, and under its
modernisation plan approved in 2012 it plans
to spend about $40 billion over ten years to
upgrade its equipment.
In the land domain, its largest flagship
procurement programme of recent years
was the decision in 2003 to buy the Rosomak
wheeled IFV built to the Patria 8x8 Armoured
Modular Vehicle (AMV) design and fitted with
passive armour from Rafael.
The first order for 690 AMV XC-360P
Rosomaks cost 1.18 billion ($1.48 billion).
The vehicles are being built in Poland by local
manufacturer WZM (Wojskowe Zakady
Mechaniczne), now Rosomak, and most have
been delivered. In June, Poland bought a further
34 engineering reconnaissance vehicles for $77
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p08-12_Eastern_Europe.indd 8
million and with a second large order for another

307 vehicles being signed in July 2013,
production is set to continue out to 2022.
The split of the initial vehicles includes:
313 in IFV configuration fitted with the Hitfist 30
turret from OTO Melara; 125 APCs; 38
armoured recovery vehicles; 22 engineering
vehicles; five engineering reconnaissance
vehicles; 41 medical evacuation vehicles; 17
CBRN variants; 23 fire support variants; and 32
recce and C2 platforms.
The additional vehicles are expected to
include about 80 mortar variants employing a
locally built mortar from Huta Stalowa Wola
(HSW). There are also plans to fit a 30mm remote
weapon station (RWS) to vehicles for two
battalions after a competition between Rafael
and OTO Melara fell through in 2006. The former
company confirmed to LWI that it is planning to
bid again for the RWS.
FALLING SHORT
However, it has not been plain sailing. The

attempted procurement of an RWS also caused
the cancellation of a planned upgrade to up
to 469 BWP-1 Pumas in 2009. A contract was
initially awarded to Bumar to develop two
BMP-1M prototypes, but the performance of
28/11/2014 11:00:01
REGIONAL FOCUS
ED DRIVE
Elbits UT-30 and Rafaels Samson RWS did not
meet requirements.
But now that the wheeled requirement has
been met with Rosomak, the focus is on an
upgrade of a tracked capability. Plans include the
procurement of a family of tracked armoured
vehicles known as the Universal Modular
Tracked Platform (UMTP) programme.
This includes a 35t Direct Support Vehicle
(DSV) to replace the T-72 tank along with a
lighter IFV to replace the BMP-1s. Chris Nunn, VP
for Central and Eastern Europe at BAE Systems,
told LWI that there about 1,200-1,400 of these
vehicles that need replacing, although it is
unlikely this will be on a one-for-one basis.
Up to 350 vehicles could be procured at a cost
of over $2.5 billion, and the intention is to get a
prototype ready by 2016 and begin production
in 2018-2022.
BAE Systems and Polish companies
Bumar and Obrum displayed a demonstrator
vehicle to compete for the DSV requirement,
called PL-01, at the MSPO exhibition in 2013
based on the hull of BAEs CV90120 Armadillo
light tracked vehicle.
Noting that there were two elements to
the approach with PL-01, Nunn said: First, we
could see Polands desire to develop its industrial
base and we wanted to show that this is

something we have done in many other
countries, working with local industry and
transferring technology as a capability to
enhance and partner with a local entity, and for
us it achieved that. We produced in pretty quick
time a concept vehicle that the Poles could
assess and move forward.
The second reason is we could see there was
potentially a large IFV and DSV vehicle contract,
and we wanted to show that BAE Systems
has modern, advanced technology that
we could offer to Poland as a solution to meet
that requirement.
SUITABLE PROTECTION
Nunn does not believe that an amphibious

vehicle is suitable, as it would mean a reduced
level of protection the prevalence of IEDs
in Iraq and Afghanistan has highlighted its
importance. The company has upgraded its
CV90 to the latest Armadillo standard to reflect
these requirements and has secured a recent
sale to Norway.
We would be willing to partner with Polish
industry whoever the government instructs us
to work with to transfer the combat-proven
capability to Poland and manufacture and
As Eastern European governments

aim to modernise their vehicle
fleets and move away from Cold
War-era technology, events in
Ukraine are bringing this need into
sharper focus, finds Tim Fish.
enhance it to meet their requirements, he
continued. The Polish version would be a
CV90-Plus or Armadillo-Plus.
Other interested companies include KMW,
Nexter, PSM, Rheinmetall, Saab and Thales, but
the programme is currently on hold while Poland
implements new EU regulations on procurement
and offsets, stalling the programme.
The MoD is currently looking at the
regulations and seeing how it aligns with local
industry and the consolidation of the Polish
Armaments Group. In the meantime, industry
waits to see if Poland will develop its own
solution or put it to tender, and what the rules
applicable to that will be.
The MoDs findings are expected in Q1 or Q2
2015, which will translate to an 18-month
slippage on the programme overall. This is a
concern for the army, which is wanting to
receive its equipment as soon as possible.
HEAVY GOING
Poland also released a tender in October 2013 to

upgrade 128 Leopard 2A4 tanks to the new PL
standard by 2019 in a programme worth up to
$480 million. Additionally, it received its first 11 of
105 Leopard 2A5s bought from surplus German
stocks in a $250 million deal.
28/11/2014 11:00:03
REGIONAL FOCUS
The country is also upgrading some 20

T-72M1 tanks under a $10 million contract with
WZM as well as 40 PT-91M tanks with a 120mm
smoothbore gun under a $30 million contract
with Bumar. It also wants to replace its 4x4
BRDM-2 amphibious recce vehicles with a
new 4x4 or 6x6 vehicle under its LOTR (Light
Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle) programme.
AMZ-Kutno has provided a prototype 4x4
called Bobr for LOTR, and the company has
also produced an 8x8 amphibious APC called
Hipopotam that could replace the 8x8 WZM-5.
HSW is responsible for delivering eight Krab
155mm tracked self-propelled howitzers for
$100 million. Up to 48 guns were expected, but
it is unclear if further orders have been placed.
BAE Systems teamed up with Bumar and Obrum to produce the PL-01 demonstrator vehicle as a
possible contender for Polands Direct Support Vehicle programme. (Photo: BAE Systems)
There is also a requirement for wheeled selfpropelled artillery, and although HSW teamed
with Nexter to offer the latters Caesar back in
2010, it appears to have sided with Elbit to
pitch a 155mm system based on the Israeli
companys Autonomous Truck Mounted
Howitzer System (ATMOS) 2000 gun.
The US loaned 20 MaxxPro Dash MRAPs from
Navistar Defense to Poland along with Cougar
MRAPs for operations in Afghanistan.
Poland is also looking to procure new 81mm
mortar systems through the NATO Support
Agency system to bring them more in line with
the alliance.
DEFENCE DOWN
Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic defence

spending has been decreasing steadily,
although Prague has been upgrading its
capabilities after committing to operations in
Afghanistan under ISAF. The country initially
bought LMVs from Iveco and Dingo 2 vehicles
from KMW, but expanded the order for the
former in 2009 and 2010, with Iveco completing
the delivery of 120 LMVs last year for
$260 million.
The Czechs are interested in LMV CBRN
variants and Iveco has delivered a first prototype
this year. However, Marchesoni said there might
Providing defence intelligence worldwide.
Print. Web. Email. You get the idea. Visit ShephardMedia.com
10
28/11/2014 11:00:04
REGIONAL FOCUS
A number of GDELS-Steyr Pandur II 8x8 vehicles operated by the Czech Land Forces are fitted
with the Rafael Samson RWS. (Photo: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)
be a chance for 10, 15 or 20 further vehicles, but

not many more.
Nunn said that the Czech Republic definitely
has a requirement to replace its BMP-2 vehicles
and is expecting to release an RfP in 2017-2018.
I would imagine they would be looking for more
mobility and protection rather than a swimming
capability, as they have seen protection versus a
swimming variant, and how often do you use
them? he added.
In the heavy armour arena, although
the Czech Republic has upgraded 30 T-72M1
tanks to the CZ standard with new DICOM
communications systems, FCS from Selex ES and
Perkins engine with Allison transmission, it will

divest the rest of its tank fleet.
The country has issued a tender for
five armour repair and recovery vehicles to
support the Czech Land Forces 107 General
Dynamics Steyr Pandur II 8x8 vehicles and it
is looking to get an additional 30 8x8 C2
platforms. Rafael has provided 99 RWS for the
Pandur IIs and four Samson RWS along with
passive armour.
FUTURE FORCE
Looking ahead, the Czech Land Forces will need

to upgrade its artillery, including the Tatra 813
RM-70 122mm multiple-launch rocket system

(MLRS) and convert the Dana 152mm howitzer
to NATO-standard 155mm munitions. Air
defence equipment also needs attention,
including the 2K12 Kub (SA-6) system.
Slovakia is in a similar position to the Czech
Republic. Over a decade ago, the Slovakian
Ground Forces upgraded the RM-70 MLRS, but
it still needs to upgrade the Zuzana 155mm
self-propelled howitzers.
With limited funding available, choosing a
few choice equipment items to be upgraded
or replaced as well as increasing NATO
interoperability are the current procurement
priorities. Unfortunately, there is a lot of work
that needs doing.
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04/11/2014 16:40
11
28/11/2014 11:00:05
REGIONAL FOCUS
LITHUANIAN PRIORITIES
Col Darius Ukuraitis, director-general of
capability in the Lithuanian MoD, said that the
current top priorities for its military forces are
firepower, manoeuvrability and survivability.
The main acquisition programme involves
the procurement of new 8x8 IFVs. This
procurement will be lasting a bit longer, so
we are still not sure whether we will succeed
in signing a contract next year, but we are
looking for at least IFVs to replace M113 APCs
for two battalions, he said.
First of all, we are looking at a wheeled
APC we are giving up tracks for wheels,
which should provide a minimum third level
of protection and at least 30mm machine
gun/cannon. Currently, we have issued RfIs
to ten companies and eight have already
replied some are able to provide APCs and
some are offering turrets for installation.
UNDER EXAMINATION
Ukuraitis continued: We are [currently]

examining the market and should come
up with our final configuration at the end of
the year, and next year start a negotiation
period to select a producer. We are looking
at 100 pieces to fully satisfy the needs for
two battalions.
To increase its firepower, Lithuania
wants to increase the range of its artillery
systems from 20 to 40km, as well as acquire
medium-range anti-tank guided missiles and
MANPADS. Ukuraitis said that the country
is not looking at specific systems, but wants
to replace its missile systems, with a selfpropelled gun system being just one option.
According to our time frame, the
programme should start in 2017-18, but
Slovakia bought ten LMVs from Iveco in 2010
as an initial step in replacing its BRDM platform,
and further light armour will be needed to carry
out this process. There is a contract in place
for another 40 LMVs, but these are still to be
delivered. The army also needs to replace its
BVP-2s with an 8x8 light wheeled armoured
vehicle, and its BMP-1 and -2s.
Furthermore, the country is interested in
purchasing Czech small arms with a 5.56x45mm
calibre, such as the CZ 805 Bren assault rifle as
well as other infantry weapons.
Marchesoni said that although many European
countries have given up their demands for local
manufacturing due to the expense of setting up
an industry and maintaining it, companies still
12
we are still in the consideration period

and looking at different possibilities to be
selected later on, he said.
For its air defence capability, Lithuania has
already signed a contract for 34 million to
procure 120 Grom MANPADS. First deliveries
have started and are set to be complete by
2021. The country has used the Javelin
MANPADS since 2001, and in 2014 renewed
the contract for the same number of
systems, with deliveries due to be completed
later next year.
At the infantry level, Ukuraitis said that
Vilnius is looking for rifles, pistols, machine
guns, grenade launchers, modernising
120mm mortars and procuring new 81mm
mortars. For survivability, this means the
acquisition of protection equipment such as
helmets and body armour.
Up to 300 SCAR-H rifles from FN Herstal
have been contracted, with deliveries
expected this year, and the MoD is looking at
additional numbers as well as heavy-calibre
sniper rifles.
Israels Elbit Systems is also modernising
30 of Lithuanias 120mm mortars mounted
on M113 APCs. However, for 81mm mortars
Ukuraitis said that the MoD intends to start
a new programme in 2015.
The ministry also plans to increase its
spending. In 2015, the portion of GDP spent
on defence is planned to rise to 1.11%; 1.29%
in 2016; 1.47% in 2017; 1.64% in 2018; 1.82%
in 2019; and 2% in 2020.
If we look at our investment portion,
next year we will have $50 million more than
last year, and this year will be growing,
Ukuraitis concluded.
have to compete against gifted or cheap secondhand vehicles from the US, such as MRAPs via
FMS. Regarding some of the procurement
programmes, he noted: At the last moment, a gift
or an FMS could be made that may not meet
requirements. But a gift is a gift.
EARLY CONVERSIONS
In the Baltic states there has been less need to

adhere to NATO standards, as the effort to make
forces compatible started before they even
joined the alliance, and therefore the focus has
been on modernisation.
In Estonia, recent local press reports state that
the military is looking to procure ex-Dutch
CV90NL vehicles, and there were plans in the
aftermath of Russias attack on Georgia to buy

protected vehicles and even AMX-30 tanks from
France. None of these have materialised
however, although Russian intervention in
Ukraine may spur them on yet.
Latvia bought 120 Combat Vehicle
Reconnaissance (Tracked) surplus platforms
from the UK for $96.2 million that will
be delivered through to 2016. As it is a
government-to-government agreement, BAE
Systems said it is unclear what state the
vehicles will be delivered in and if any
additional modernisation work will be required
from them as the OEM. Rafael is bidding to
provide its 30mm RWS for vehicles in both
Latvia and Lithuania.
Meanwhile, Lithuania is looking to get a new
8x8 vehicle. Marchesoni said that Iveco has put
in a bid and that it is the biggest programme
announced in Europe. An RfI has been put out
and is now awaiting downselection to two to
three preferred bidders.
AIMING POINT
It is certainly one of the programmes we

are aiming for, particularly with the latest
developments we have in our products in our
Centauro family together with OTO Melara and
the newly developed 8x8 amphibious vehicle,
the SuperAV, he added. We are marketing these
products in these countries, but we have to wait
longer because there are no live programmes
apart from Lithuania.
At the systems level, Rafael has exported
the Spike ATGM system to Latvia, the Czech
Republic, Poland and Romania. A spokesperson
from the company told LWI that 180 OWS-25
RCWS have been sold to Romania, with half
upgraded to carry Spike.
Some of these countries have expressed
interest in our Trophy HV/LV, and there are a
number of countries in the region that have
expressed an interest in our Spyder air defence
system, he said, adding that there was a
technology transfer taking place for the local
manufacture of Spike in Poland through
Mesko. LWI
28/11/2014 11:00:05
ARTILLERY
Gunners from 1 Regiment Royal Australian

Artillery take part in direct fire mission
training with an M777 system. (Photo:
Commonwealth of Australia)
LEFT BEHIND?
Despite the popularity of self-propelled and truck-mounted weapon systems, towed howitzers are still
arguably the most capable light guns. David Saw provides an overview of the latest developments.
owed artillery has taken a back seat in recent

times, as militaries and industry focus
on improving the lethality, range, accuracy, rates
of fire, mobility and set-up speeds of their selfpropelled systems.
The former once was the dominant artillery
system, but that is no longer the case. For
example, the German Army meets its artillery
needs with some 81 Panzerhaubitze 2000
155mm self-propelled guns and 38 M270
Multiple Launch Rocket System fire units.
Yet, towed artillery endures and continues to
evolve as other operators still look to keep a
balanced artillery force, combining both towed
and self-propelled elements.
The towed artillery sector can be categorised
in terms of calibre and comes down to the
standard NATO 105mm at the lower end and
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p13-15_Towed_artillery.indd 13
155mm at the high end. There are also the

standard Soviet calibres of 122mm and 152mm
that are still in use, as well as the 130mm calibre
of the still extremely useful M46 field gun.
Chinas artillery still adheres to these old Soviet
calibres, but increasingly has embraced NATO
standards. The PLA has adopted the 155mm
calibre for self-propelled applications, while
Norinco has offered a number of export 155mm
systems in self-propelled, truck-mounted and
towed configurations. The company has also
developed, produced and exported a new
generation of 105mm systems.
LIGHTER OPTIONS
The importance of the 105mm is that it is light

and can be easily transportable underslung
on a helicopter, for example, where it can be
airlifted to mountainous or other inaccessible

regions to provide fire support where there is a
lack of roads.
However, many of the existing towed systems
are upgrades of those first developed in the
1980s. In the 105mm range, the US Army has the
M119 howitzer, which was introduced in 1989 to
replace the M102. It is the US version of the
British L119 light gun that was developed in the
late 1980s to use US 105mm ammunition. Both
US Army and USMC M119 systems are now
being upgraded to the new A3 configuration.
Elsewhere, French 105mm systems also have
their roots in the 1980s when GIAT Industries
(now Nexter Systems) saw a requirement
for a new lightweight system to equip rapid
deployment forces, resulting in development of
the LG1.
13
28/11/2014 11:03:02
ARTILLERY
The LG1 was selected by Singapore in 1990,

with 37 being acquired. These were replaced from
2005 by the Singapore Technologies (ST) Kinetics
155mm, 39cal Singapore Light Weight Howitzer
(SLWH) Pegasus.
The system was subsequently adopted by
Belgium, Canada, Indonesia and Thailand, and
Colombia has recently acquired the latest LG1
Mk III variant. Thailand purchased 24 Mk II guns,
and awarded a contract to upgrade a substantial
number of existing M101 howitzers (according
to some sources up to 285 systems) with LG1
ordnance, allowing the use of standard US
ammunition as well as extended-range (ER)
French natures.
SOUTHERN SPENDING
In the mid-1980s, South Korea replaced its

M102s with a new 105mm howitzer in the form
of the KIA Machine Tool (now Hyundai WIA)
KH178.
The KH178 has a range of 14,700m with its
HE nature, or 18,000m with a rocket-assisted
projectile. Thailand reportedly acquired the
howitzer in the 1980s, while more recently
Indonesia purchases some 54 systems.
Hyundai also manufactures the KH179
155mm system, which entered service in 1983,
and is now offering it as the basis for M114
155mm upgrade programmes.
South Africa has also had a major impact on
tube artillery developments since the 1980s,
principally via 155mm systems. However, in the
mid-1990s Denel Land Systems embarked on
the Lightweight Experimental Ordnance (LEO)
programme to develop a 105mm system
that had many of the capabilities of a 155mm
weapon in a lighter package.
The LEO system, often called the G-7, has
a 52cal barrel (57cal when the advanced
muzzle brake is attached) and can reach ranges
over 30km.
Large numbers of towed 105mm howitzers
remain in service around the world, with many
operators seemingly content to stick with what
they already have. Although the British Light Gun
and the French LG1 achieved significant sales,
14
An Afghan National Army soldier fires one of the new D-30 heavy artillery guns during the
School of Artillerys first indirect live fire in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo: Commonwealth of Australia)
they did not manage to persuade the world to

ditch their more elderly 105mm systems.
Denels LEO system offers possibilities, but as
yet has not found success in either towed or selfpropelled formats. As to the 122mm calibre,
Norinco has recently introduced the new truckmounted CS/SH-1 122mm system, with the gun
being of a similar format to that of the SH-5
105mm system.
One issue with towed 105mm systems is that
many users believe they no longer have a real
role to play. Modern 120mm mortar systems
offer performance that covers a lot of the
105mms territory, while lightweight 155mm
artillery offer much more firepower and lethality
for not much of a weight penalty.
As such, although the 105mm towed system
will not disappear, it is difficult to see there being
new interest in the calibre any time soon.
MOVING UP
In terms of the 155mm marketplace, there are

two segments to consider: conventional towed
systems; and the more recent lightweight guns
that first entered service in 2005.
The 155mm calibre has consistently proven
to be the right choice in terms of range
and lethality. US operational research on
combat effectiveness from Vietnam in the
1960s showed that 155mm guns required
13.6 rounds per kill; 105mm required 31.6; and
203mm required 16.6. In comparison with
1960s ammunition, currently available 155mm
munitions offer unprecedented levels of range,
accuracy and lethality.
By the end of the 1990s, the US Army and
USMC wanted to replace their M198 howitzers
with a new 155mm system that was lighter,
quicker into and out of action and more
deployable. The Ultra-lightweight Field Howitzer
(UFH) developed by VSEL of the UK (later
acquired by BAE Systems) was evolved

into the M777 for the US. The first guns were
delivered to the USMC in May 2005 and the
US Army in October 2006.
The M777 was deployed to Afghanistan in
2007 and Iraq in 2008. The system weighs
4,100kg, has a 39cal barrel and reaches a range of
24km. In June 2012, a USMC M777 in Afghanistan
achieved a range of 38km with the Raytheon
M982 Excalibur precision-guided munition.
The first export customer for the M777 was
Canada, which subsequently deployed the
system to Afghanistan. Australia requested the
M777A2 in 2008, with 57 guns being required
these are replacing the M198 and the L119
Hamel currently in service.
In January 2010, India formally requested 145
M777 systems, but the resulting procurement
programme was both time-consuming and
disappointing, with the acquisition being
deferred in July of this year.
The M777 is also the obvious source of
emulation for the new Norinco AH4 Lightweight
155mm 39cal system. At 3,800kg, it is lighter
than the M777, although the range of the gun is
likely to be similar. Pakistan is believed to be a
likely launch customer.
A DIFFERENT ANIMAL
The US was not alone in bringing a lightweight

155mm system into service in 2005, as the ST
Kinetics SLWH Pegasus entered Singapore
Armed Forces (SAF) service.
Capable of 19km range with a standard HE
round or 30km with ER natures and weighing
5,400kg, a unique feature of Pegasus is the
presence of a 28hp Lombardini 9 LD 625-2 aircooled diesel engine on the mount acting as an
APU. This allows the gun to get into and out of
action rapidly and supports moves between
positions. Although heavier than the M777,
28/11/2014 11:03:04
ARTILLERY
The towed artillery sector

is going through a difficult
period, with orders
proving elusive.
the Pegasus is still an underslung load for a

CH-47D Chinook.
Pegasus is proof that Singapore has been a
pioneer in terms of modern artillery, something
rather striking as the SAF did not receive 155mm
guns until 1973 when the first artillery battery
equipped with the Israeli Soltam Systems (now
Elbit) M68 came into service.
In the early 1980s, Singapore decided to
develop its own 155mm, 39cal system in the
form of the FH-88. Some 50 of these were built
for the SAF and a limited number exported to
Indonesia. The range of the system is 19,000m
with an M107 HE nature, or up to 30km with ER
rounds. There is also an APU on the gun to aid
mobility.
Later in the 1990s, the SAF sought to build on
the FH-88 and charged ST Kinetics with
developing a 155mm, 52cal system. This
resulted in the FH-2000, which has a range of
40km with ER ammunition, making Singapore
the first country in the world to develop and field
a 155mm, 52cal artillery system. The service
is reported to have 50 in its inventory, while a
number of other systems were exported to
Indonesia.
The FH-2000 was also the inspiration for the
Turkish MKEK Panter howitzer developed for
Turkish Land Forces Command in the 1990s,
with first deliveries in 2002. The system was also
exported to Pakistan, with 12 guns supplied

directly and 60 more assembled locally. All were
in service by 2013.
APPROPRIATE RESPONSE
Meanwhile, South Africa has had a major impact

on the 155mm sector through its G5 towed and
G6 self-propelled guns. The G5, first fielded in
1982, came about after the countrys artillery was
outmatched during its incursion into Angola
in 1975.
The gun was accompanied by a new range of
extended-range full-bore (ERFB) and base bleed
(ERFB-BB) ammunition that offered greatly
increased standard ranges out to 30km and
39km respectively. The latest incarnation of the
G5 features a 52cal barrel, and with the new
VLAP ammunition achieves a 50km range.
Today, the largest 155mm towed artillery
sales opportunity is India, but the ongoing and
delayed Indian Army Towed Gun System (TGS)
programme has been in competition for a
decade. Back in 1986, the country acquired 410
Bofors FH-77B 155mm howitzers, and in
addition the Indian Ordnance Factory Board
(OFB) was given a full technical data pack (TDP)
to allow for licence production of the FH-77B.
OFB never produced the FH-77B, indeed it
forgot about having the TDP until rediscovering
it in 2011, and then announced it could produce
A US Army gun crew uses an M777A2 howitzer to fire illumination rounds from FOB Hadrian in the
Deh Rawud district of Afghanistan. (Photo: US Army)
the gun. The go-ahead was given for two

prototypes in a 155mm, 45cal configuration
known as the Dhanush, but one of these burst its
barrel in testing.
Nevertheless, OFB was given a conditional
order for 144 guns, with there being a possibility
for 400 additional systems should everything go
according to plan. Dhanush is not seen as a longterm solution, but a gap filler until India resolves
its artillery difficulties.
Nexters Trajan (the 52 calibre ordnance of
the Caesar truck-mounted system on a towed
carriage) and Soltams ATMOS 2052 are currently
in competition for the TGS programme.
There is still said to be a requirement for 400
guns in a direct sale and then subsequent local
production of 1,180 guns. Both Denel and BAE
Bofors, with the FH-77B05, have competed
for the TGS requirement and retired battered
and bruised.
ADVANCED ARTILLERY
Meanwhile, Indias Defence Research and

Development Organisation is working on a
programme known as the Advanced Towed
Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), which is due to
have a 155mm 52cal gun capable of achieving a
50km range available by 2016.
As if that were not enough, enterprises such
Tata, Bharat Forge and Larsen & Toubro are all
working on their own 155mm projects. There is
plenty of towed 155mm activity in India, but no
endgame in prospect at this point.
The towed artillery sector is going through a
difficult period, with orders proving elusive,
yet the continuing operational utility of such
systems is obvious. In November, an artillery
battalion equipped with 2A65 MSTA-B 152mm
howitzers was filmed entering Ukraine to
support pro-Russian separatists.
Shortly afterwards, a Ukrainian Army artillery
battalion, also equipped with this system, was
filmed heading to confront this new separatist
artillery. Whether it is in Ukraine, the Middle
East or elsewhere, towed artillery systems are
still the prime medium of putting rounds on
the ground. LWI
15
28/11/2014 11:03:06
WHEELED VEHICLES
The latest wheeled vehicles

being developed are illustrative
of the trend towards affordability,
protection, sustainability and
modularity. Stephen Miller
analyses what is on offer.
TYRED AND
TESTED
The RG41s design took survivability,
mobility, weapon station compatibility and
soldier and section mission needs into
consideration. (Photo: BAE Systems)
he wheeled armoured vehicle has been

transformed from its limited role as a
reconnaissance or support asset to a primary
direct combat system. This evolution, in part,
reflects advances in automotive technologies,
particularly regarding the improved suspension
systems that have extended mobility beyond
the roads. However, there is also increased
recognition of the inherent benefits that wheeled
platforms can provide.
Only 20 years ago tracked platforms
dominated, but the wheeled combat vehicle is
now seen in nearly every modern army across
the globe, and could become the preferred
option for future combat systems.
Dynamics European Land Systems in 2004, the

Mowag Piranha family, for example, continues
to have a major presence in fleets around the
world, with over 8,000 currently in use, including
a production presence in North America. A new
version, Piranha V, was introduced at Eurosatory
in 2010, and significant upgrades are being
introduced to the III and IV variants. These
include the US Army Stryker, the Canadian
LAV III (which is based on the Piranha IIIH 8x8),
and the USMCs LAV.
Improvements include increased power
and payload, modular ballistic protection,
greater survivability and mine protection and
enhanced mobility despite higher gross vehicle
weights (GVWs).
FOURS, SIXES AND EIGHTS
The 4x4 wheeled vehicle, even with highperformance suspension, is limited in its off-road
capability and accommodation of the loads
requisite in a true combat vehicle. The shorter
wheelbase and only two axles mean it cannot
negotiate obstacles, particularly ditches, gaps
and steps.
Vehicles with three or four axles (six or eight
wheels) do not have this limitation and are able
to carry greater weights without adversely
affecting overall ground pressure, increasing soft
soil mobility. As a result, these have generally
become the preferred solution for wheeled
combat missions.
Some of the most prominent wheeled
armoured vehicle developments have
originated in Europe. Acquired by General
16
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
The improvement programme that General

Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has planned
for the US Stryker fleet offers insights into the
kind of upgrades that are likely on wheeled
vehicle fleets.
Tim Reese, GDLS business development
manager for US operations, told Land Warfare
International that a series of upgrades will be
introduced to Stryker from 2017. The objective is
to recover performance, improve survivability
and enhance the compatibility of the system
with new digital technologies.
The mine and IED protection of the double-V
hull has already been introduced and proven
in Afghanistan, and will be introduced to an
additional 900 vehicles. The suspension will also
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p16-20_Future_wheeled_fleets.indd 16
be upgraded to 27t, and the 350hp engine and

570A alternators will be replaced by a 450hp
Caterpillar C9 engine and a 900A alternator
essential to meet the growing power demands
of both on and off-board electronics.
Furthermore, incorporating digital systems
will not only allow crew stations to seamlessly
share data and video using common displays
(provided by Kongsberg Integrated Tactical
Systems), but also network with outside
vehicle systems.
These upgrades are also necessary to
a potential up-gunning of Stryker. The
demonstrator mounts a Kongsberg Protech
30mm medium-calibre RWS, and although it
offers more firepower than the current .50cal
machine gun, the drawback is that it decreases
the dismounted infantry carried from a squad of
nine to just four or five a common dilemma
when up-gunning vehicles.
SURVIVABILITY SYSTEMS
Similar upgrade programmes are being

executed by the Canadian Army and USMC
on their LAV fleets.
LAV Survivability II installs a self-sealing fuel
cell, ballistic crew seats and lighter belly armour.
LAV Survivability III adds an advanced
suspension system, central tyre inflation (CTIS)
anti-lock braking and ride height and loadlevelling systems, with power pack
enhancements, a new electrical system (solidstate), new turret slip ring and digital controls to
include common crew displays. These elements
28/11/2014 15:48:53
WHEELED VEHICLES
ND
have been designed to keep the LAV in service
through to 2035.
The Piranha V is considered a fifth-generation
system. It is in the 30t range (13t payload), but
with growth to 33t. It has an advanced semi-active
hydro-pneumatic suspension, larger 430kW MTU
6V199 engine, STANAG 4 protection and the
ability to mount larger calibre weapon stations.
Length has been increased to 8m to create
greater internal capacity as the width of
armoured vehicles is generally limited by road
and rail transport considerations resulting in
the ability to accommodate eight dismounts
plus a crew of three. This large internal capacity
will ease the burden on stowing equipment as
well as the increasing amount of supporting
weaponry, sensors and other materials required
by a squad. It also aids the undertaking of longer
independent operations, which are being seen
as increasingly important in expeditionary
manoeuvre combat.
Interestingly, the vehicle is offered with an
amphibious capability option, and it is likely this
is GDLSs candidate for the USMCs Amphibious
Combat Vehicle (ACV). It provides seawater
engine cooling, engine grill louvres, trim vane
and propellers and steering rudders.
EARLY FIELDING
The Iveco Freccia and Centauro vehicles are

some of the earliest fieldings of a true wheeled
combat vehicle family that includes a major
calibre gun system (initially the 105mm NATO
tank gun and now the 120mm) and an IFV.
They are in the 30t range and the OTO Melara

turrets include the 105/120mm and a manned
25mm station.
It is, however, the SuperAV, a largely
company-funded development, that might
be considered its next generation. Nazario
Bianchini, a project executive at Iveco, told LWI
that the design considered soldier survivability
from... inception. The crew and troops are
contained in an armoured capsule in effect
an inner hull with a modified V-bottom.
The suspension and wheel drive are derived
from the Centauro but are largely external.
This coupled with the stand-off provided by
the external side stowage, which will also
accommodate add-on modular armour, offers
greater crew protection while maintaining a
weight of around 26t.
This is important because STANAG 4 and even
5 levels of protection are the expectation for
future combat vehicles. SuperAV was designed
with an amphibious capability in mind from its
inception, and the compartments between the
capsule and outer skin also provide buoyancy.
Its two counter-rotating propellers provide a
water speed of 5.4kt, while the 7.93m length
increases surf stability as well as interior space. Its
amphibious capability made it a candidate
for the USMCs Marine Personnel Carrier, now
restarted as the ACV, where Iveco is teamed
with BAE Systems. The VBTP-MR Guarani 6x6
APC going into production with Iveco Latin
America for the Brazilian Army is also based on
the SuperAV.
ORDER BOOK
Finnish firm Patria has had a string of successes

with its Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV). Orders
have come from Croatia, Finland, Poland (KTO
Rosomak), South Africa (called Badger in a
cooperation agreement with Denel), Slovenia (the
Svarun), Sweden and the UAE. It is also a
contender for the USMC ACV under the name
Havoc in a joint effort with Lockheed Martin.
AMV utilises a modular design with various
turrets, weapons, sensors, mission packages or
communications systems incorporated on a
common base chassis. Here again protection has
been highlighted, with 30mm armour-piercing
ballistic protection in the frontal arc and mine
protection up to a 10kg blast (the South African
version will have even greater protection). Its
hydraulic suspension adjusts at each wheel
station individually, and the ride performance
has reportedly impressed users so far.
Patrias follow-on, the AMV XP (Extra Payload,
Extra Performance and Extra Protection) was
introduced at DSEi in London in 2013. It has
an upgraded power line with a 603hp engine
coupled with what the company calls an
integrated terrain control system. Assisted
steering is provided on the first two axles with
optional steering on the rear. The vehicles allwheel drive and fully independent double
wishbone suspension with hydro-pneumatic
shocks on every wheel assure a smooth ride,
even over rough terrain at speed. Electrical
power is increased to 530A to meet the power
needs of future soldier and C4I systems. A
17
28/11/2014 15:48:54
WHEELED VEHICLES
health and usage monitoring system and a

digital backbone are also provided.
The XP is 8.4m in length, making it one of the
longer fighting vehicles, but Patria feels this is
an acceptable trade-off to provide both the
internal space for troops and squad equipment
and the roof area to accommodate larger
weapon stations without infringing on the
rear compartment. AMV XP will be able to
mount an array of weapons and has already
been demonstrated with the Nemo 120mm
turreted mortar.
NEXT GENERATION
The Nexter VBCI (Vhicule Blind de Combat

dInfanterie) is the French Armys new-generation
IFV that is replacing the tracked AMX10. Initial

versions were delivered with a combat weight of
28t, but an improved version with 32t maximum
GVW was unveiled at Eurosatory 2014. It now has
four-axle steering and a combination mechanical/
pneumatic suspension.
Upgrades are already under way including
different weapon options (the OTO Melara
30mm Overhead Weapon Station was also
displayed), a more powerful power pack, and
survivability enhancements including slat
armour and increased protection against mines.
The British Army has VBCIs on loan for
evaluation, and it appears that the
improvements made reflected accommodation
in areas which it had viewed as shortcomings.
Elsewhere, the Peoples Republic of China,

Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and
Turkey have all embarked on development and
fielding programmes for indigenously built
wheeled vehicles.
The Terrex 8x8, for example, started as a
commercial venture for export by ST Kinetics
in Singapore and Timoney Technology from
Ireland. Oh Beng Soon, VP of wheeled vehicle
development at the former company, told LWI
that the primary objective was to provide a
vehicle with exceptional ground mobility.
It uses a patented front double wishbone
and rear Macpherson suspension with
hydro struts and large 295/85 R20 tyres
with CTIS. This offers a ground pressure of
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20/11/2014 08:25
28/11/2014 15:48:54
WHEELED VEHICLES
The RG35 is intended to provide a multimission vehicle capability while offering full
protection to the crew. (Photo: BAE Systems)
only 361kpa even fully loaded, allowing soft

soil trafficability.
Of the 24t GVW, a total of 9.5t can be carried
as payload. Terrex is amphibious with a water
speed of 5.4kt using two shielded propellers.
Under a teaming agreement with Leidos, the
vehicle is also a candidate for the USMCs ACV
1.1, where it has already demonstrated its water
performance and surf zone transit abilities.
The platform has a digital architecture to
allow technology insertion such as the
navigation system, BMS and power control
management. Terrex is modular as it can be
configured for various roles, and is able to
mount weapons up to 30mm. Mine protection
is offered by a twin V-hull.
ROK DUO
Meanwhile, Hyundai Rotem received a contract

from the Republic of Korea Army in November
2012 to develop a 6x6 and 8x8 vehicle in order
to provide greater mobility, looking to be initially
fielded in 2016.
The 6x6 KW1 Scorpion is configured as an
infantry carrier APC in various support roles,
while the 8x8 KW2 Jupiter mounts a 120mm
tank gun. Although capable of mounting larger
weapons, current protection levels counter
traditional small arms and artillery fragments.
The KWs will replace tracked vehicles in the
internal security and rapid deployment roles.
Turkey has now established itself in the
sector, with both FNSS and Otokar introducing
6x6 and 8x8 wheeled armoured vehicle

designs comparable to those of established
AFV houses.
The FNSS Pars (Anatolian leopard) was
developed to fill the Turkish Armys Special
Purpose Tactical Wheeled Armoured Vehicle
requirement. However, this programme is on
hold, and as a result FNSS has been pursuing
export possibilities.
Pars is offered in a 6x6 (25t GVW)
configuration with hydrojet propulsion for an
amphibious capability as well as an 8x8 (30t),
both with double wishbone, independent,
hydro-pneumatic suspension with height
adjustment. All axles steer on the Pars, providing
a tight 7m turning radius.
19
28/11/2014 15:48:57
WHEELED VEHICLES
One feature is having the driver forward in the

vehicle with the commander beside him,
providing better visibility. The power pack is
situated behind him between the first and
second axles, and an aisle on the right side
allows access to the rear troop compartment.
FNSS recently concluded an agreement with
Deftech for the development and production of
257 Malaysian AV8 (8x8) armoured wheeled
vehicles based on the Pars 8x8 in 12 variants,
including mounting weapons up to 30mm as an
IFV and 90, 105 or 120mm cannon in a direct fire
support role.
SIMPLER SUPPORT
The Otokar ARMA 6x6 and 8x8 have commonality

in components, allowing simplified support while
optimising the configuration for various missions,
payloads and weapon suites.
Both are designed to be modular, and use
an armoured monocoque V-shaped steel hull,
providing a low silhouette and large internal
volume. The 6x6 has an 18.5t GVW and
transports eight dismounts, plus driver and
commander.
It can also be configured with 6x4 or 6x6
mode drives based on the terrain, while the
8x8 allows the integration of weapon systems
ranging from 7.62mm to 105mm cannon, as
well as mounting mortars up to 120mm.
The AMV XP is the next-generation wheeled
combat vehicle from Patria. (Photo: Patria)
The Pars is offered in both 6x6 and 8x8 versions.

It can fill a variety of roles including 120mm direct
fire support vehicle. (Photo: FNSS)
South Africas Project Hoefyster replaces the

Ratel AFV with the Badger AMV from Patria,
which is modified by Denel to add greater
ballistic and mine protection. It will be fielded in
four variants, including one with a 30mm turret.
First vehicles are scheduled to arrive in the field
in 2015, with a current requirement for 238 IFVs.
The acquisition of BAE Land Systems South
Africa OMC by Denel will provide the latter
company with two new designs, the 8x8 RG41
and the 6x6 RG35. The former type was designed
as a wheeled combat vehicle, with South African
protection and survivability requirements as
primary considerations. It provides high ballistic
protection and mine and IED survivability.
The lower hull comprises five modular units
joined together and bolted under the top
structure. This not only enhances blast
protection, but allows rapid repair of battle
damage, enabling the vehicle to quickly return
to service. The drive line and structure are
covered with a modular mine protection
package. Armour is field-upgradeable with
the capacity to accommodate protection to
STANAG 5 without compromising performance.
The driver is far forward to maximise his
visibility. When equipped with an RWS (.50cal, 25
and 30mm have been demonstrated), the
vehicle can carry ten plus the driver, or nine with
a manned turret (driver, commander, gunner
plus seven dismounts).
The platform has a payload capacity of 11t
with 14.9m of usable interior volume. Mobility is
improved with power-assisted twin steering, a
double wishbone, hydro-pneumatic struts and
hydraulic shock absorbers, CTIS and 16.00R20
Michelin XZL tyres on 10.00R20 aluminium rims.
LOWER PROFILE
The RG35 is different and is described as a

crossover vehicle designed as a multi-mission/
multirole platform employed for tasks ranging
from peacekeeping to domestic response
(including disasters) to full combat.
20
It was conceived for forces that want to

undertake low-end missions, but also need to be
effective in combat, and is offered in 4x4 and 6x6
versions, with an 8x8 possible. The layout has the
driver and commander side by side and forward
with a large armoured and angled windshield.
Behind them on the left is the side-mounted
power pack, and to the rear a spacious troop
compartment. In the 6x6, there is 17m
of usable open volume and the payload is
capability is 14.8t for the 6x6.
RG35s protection can equal that of an IFV,
although it is more typical to offer a base level
of STANAG 2 or 3, with the capability of add-on
armour to level 4. Mine and IED protection is
inherent in the design with a shallow V-hull and
suspension design.
ARMOURED CAPSULE
The crew/passenger compartment is a

monocoque armoured capsule isolated from the
power pack, fuel and suspension. The latest
version, the Motorised Infantry Vehicle, includes
a medium-calibre weapon station and the
provision of troop compartment armoured
windows to enhance situation awareness and
orientation for the mounted soldiers.
RG35 has a 20hp+/tonne power-to-weight
ratio, Axletech axles, fully independent double
wishbones with hydro-pneumatic struts, four
selectable ride height settings with a digital
body-control system and 16.00R20XZL tyres
with CTIS.
It is evident that the wheeled combat vehicle
has not only gained acceptance, but is becoming
the preferred choice for militaries. Future vehicles
will likely incorporate digital open architecture
electronics/backbones; high performance and
hydro-pneumatic suspensions; the ability to
accept increased ballistic protection and
mandatory mine/IED survivability; modular
designs that accommodate fitting of various
weapon and mission suites; and larger and more
capable guns and weapon stations. LWI
28/11/2014 15:49:00
28/11/2014 11:13:24
GRENADE LAUNCHERS
First emerging during the

Iraq war, the vehicle-mounted
grenade launcher has proven to
be a force multiplier in-theatre.
Anthony Hall explores
the offensive and defensive
benefits of the systems.
oday, armoured vehicles carry grenade

launchers as a matter of course. They can
be employed defensively by laying down a
smoke screen to protect platforms from visual
observation and, in systems like Rheinmetalls
Rapid Obscuring System L, prevent detection
and illumination in the IR spectrum from laser
targeting devices.
They are also employed offensively, with
typical weapons being 40mm belt-fed launchers
such as the Heckler & Koch Grenade Machine
Gun (GMG) or the US MK19.
When the US Army first began fixing the
MK19 onto the roofs of M1025 HMMWVs in Iraq
in 2004, the object was straightforward use a

proven infantry support weapon to boost force
protection. It did this by exploiting the launchers
long range (up to 1,500m) and high rates of fire
(over 300 rounds per minute). The systems can
put out a layer of fragmentation and establish
what Heckler & Koch has referred to as a large
indirect area of effect.
ADDRESSING VULNERABILITIES
However, at the time area suppression over

open sights was deemed sufficient, as was a
complete lack of armoured protection for
the gunner.
While the British Army endorsed this initiative

when it armed its Weapons Mount Installation
Kit-converted Land Rover Defenders with the
H&K GMG in 2006, the vulnerability of the
gunner remained a serious issue.
Despite the hasty introduction by the US
Army and USMC of gunner shields, and later of
turret kits onto HMMWVs, a more permanent
solution was the development of remote
weapon stations (RWS).
These took the man out of the hole in the roof
and placed him inside the comparative safety of
the vehicle from where the weapon could be
fired using a video monitor and control grip.
Since the introduction of the first US version,
the XM153 Common Remotely Operated
Weapons Station (CROWS), the 40mm launcher
and RWS have developed together.
MOVING
PERFORMANCE
US marines operate an MK19 grenade

launcher during training. The weapon has
been used in the vehicle-mounted role since
2004. (Photo: USMC)
22
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p22-24_Vehicle-mounted_GLs.indd 22
28/11/2014 11:19:45
GRENADE LAUNCHERS
Most leading RWS today, including Elbit

Systems Overhead Remote Controlled Weapon
Station, Kongsbergs Protector range, General
Dynamics Samson series and Raytheons
Battleguard, can be all configured to accept a
40mm launcher.
Most vehicle development programmes
also make use of the RWS/40mm grenade
combination, including the reconnaissance
support variant of the British Armys new tracked
Scout SV, now being built by General Dynamics,
which will be fitted with Kongsbergs Protector.
TAKING CONTROL
Integrating the launchers firing systems into

the vehicle has enabled the incorporation of
advanced targeting and fire control systems
(FCS) that can also be network-enabled into
sensor and communications systems.
A current example is the Vingmate FCS,
developed by Vinghg of Norway, now a
Rheinmetall subsidiary. The system contains day
and thermal cameras, laser rangefinder and GPS,
as well as interfacing with battle management
systems. It was a major element of a bid to
win the contract for Australias Light Weight
Automatic Grenade Launcher (LWAGL) part of
the Land 40 Phase 2 programme for direct
support weapons although negotiations were
wound up in 2011.
Vingmate was being offered with the H&K
GMG, firing Rheinmetalls programmable
air-burst grenade rounds, enabled by an IR fuse
programming unit.
These enhanced targeting and air-burst
capabilities also fulfil the requirements for
mounting the LWAGL on Australias future Land
Combat Vehicle System (LCVS), which demands
delivery of precision lethality.
Although the LCVS is barely out of the
concept phase operational capability is not
envisaged until at least 2022 this is indicative of
the need to try and limit casualties and collateral
damage from any modern weapon system.
Manufacturers of grenades, launchers and
FCS are offering the benefits of a first hit one
burst, one kill capability, rather than area
The six-shot 40mm XRGL40 is a handheld

weapon that can also be clipped onto a
vehicle mount with no modification
required. (Photo: Rippel Effect)
suppressive fire, such as in Rheinmetalls 2011

Automatic Grenade Launcher upgrade package.
The need for this has not disappeared entirely,
however. General Dynamics now offers the
M101 canister cartridge for the MK19 with a
payload of 113 2in flechettes that can disperse to
a 1.2m pattern at 50m.
Whatever the payload, launcher rounds
are characterised by their high velocity. A
spokesman from munitions manufacturer
Nammo told Land Warfare International that the
rounds have a muzzle velocity of around 240m/s
and the most commonly used ones are HE and
high-explosive dual-purpose (HEDP), some with
airburst capabilities that enable the gunner to
take out targets in defilade. Maximum range is
around 2,000m.
Nammo also provides US Special Operations
Command (USSOCOM) with the MK285 airburst
round. It is configured for the US DoDs nextgeneration grenade launcher, the General
Dynamics-produced Striker 40 (MK47), which
was introduced with Vinghgs Improved Crew
Served Weapons Mount, specifically to reduce
recoil and improve accuracy while firing from a
moving vehicle.
DUAL PURPOSE
The availability of HEDP grenades is now

widespread and provides light vehicles with both
an anti-personnel and anti-armour capability.
Nammo offers three different types of HEDP
grenade, including the MK314 that completed
qualification with the US Navy in 2012.
Diehl and Rheinmetall also offer their own
versions. These HEDP rounds are characterised
by a penetration of between 65 and 80mm
of rolled armour and dispersal of up to 1,200
fragments out to 10m. Both companies also offer

dedicated 40mm shaped charges for use against
light armour, increasing the likelihood of direct
vehicle RWS versus RWS combat, as well as
the possibility of future combat operations for
unmanned ground vehicles.
This increasing technical sophistication has
moved the 40mm launcher away from its
traditional role in infantry support. Because
the weapon is targeted by line of sight, laser
ranged or not, once personnel are dismounted,
particularly in operations in built-up areas, they
are likely to lose the security of its covering fire.
Providing some rebalance to the trend,
manufacturers including South Africas Milkor
and Rippel Effect now produce vehicle mounts
for their handheld 40mm multi-barrel launchers.
These installations, such as the latter companys
double mount for its XRGL40 six-shot launcher,
uses a recoil buffered, clip-on/clip-out system
that requires no modification to the weapon.
Rippel also produces a gimbal mount that allows
the launcher to be fitted through a vehicle hull.
VERSATILE APPROACH
CEO Fritz Visser told LWI: [The mount] does not

try to compete with fixed overhead or RWS. The
XRGL40 is a handheld infantry weapon and the
soft mount makes it even more versatile. The
weapon can be used on foot and when the
operator has to get on a moving platform he/she
can simply clip the weapon into the mount for
extra firepower when on the move.
It then becomes a handheld weapon that can
be mounted, rather than the other way round,
he explained. It does not score against the
automatic grenade launcher the two can be
compared only in as far as one would for
23
28/11/2014 11:19:47
GRENADE LAUNCHERS
instance compare a 60mm patrol mortar with a

81mm vehicle-mounted mortar. The XRGL40 is
a handheld infantry weapon and the AGL is not.
The doctrines of allocation and application for
the two weapons are entirely different.
The XRGL40 is certified to fire both armourpiercing and dual-purpose rounds at the low
and medium velocities common to all handheld
and underbarrel launchers. This means muzzle
velocities of 75-120m/s out to 800m, enabled by
its programmable multi-velocity sight, the GR40.
The sight also gives the XRGL40 the ability
to fire a full range of less-lethal ammunition,
including tear gas, baton, soft-nosed, flashbang and smoke grenades a riot control
capability that has won it sales from customers
in the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and
South America.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS
This trend for the delivery of non-lethal

grenade munitions is creating a new area of
development for vehicle tube launchers.
Among its leading adherents is the US DoD,
with a new initiative under the Non-Lethal
Weapons Directorate that the USMC is taking
the operational lead on.
Directorate spokesperson Kelley Hughes
defined the capability as the means to safely
determine intent, incapacitate suspect individuals,
disable and stop vehicles and vessels and deny
areas. She told LWI that the object is to provide US
forces with an escalation of force options, but
stressed that DoD non-lethal weapons are not
intended to replace lethal force they will always
be complemented by lethal force.
The programme has funding of $70 million
for FY2015, which is not large in the grand
scheme of things, but major projects are
consequently taking advantage of some of
the many commercially available vehiclemounted launchers.
These include Combined Systems Venom,
which was delivered to US Marine Corps
Systems Command (MARCORSYSCOM) in 2011
under a $13.8 million contract. Now designated
the Non-Lethal/Tube Launched Munition
24
Most remote weapon stations can accommodate a 40mm grenade launcher. (Photo: GD OTS)
System (NL/TLMS) it underwent its first live-firing

at Camp Pendleton, California, in September
2014, and according to MARCORSYSCOM will be
fielded through the early months of 2015.
NL/TLMS is designed to be fitted to armoured
gun shields on HMMWVs and MRAPs, and
consists of three banks of ten 40mm launch
tubes. With digital fire control and the ability to
deliver variable numbers of stun or distraction
munitions at ranges up to 100m, it represents
major improvements over current delivery
systems, including the M327 66mm Light
Vehicle Obscuration Smoke System used by US
Army Military Police for crowd control, which can
discharge flash-bang and rubber ball (blunt
trauma) grenades as well as smoke, but from
only six tubes.
MISSION MODULE
In 2013, MARCORSYSCOM increased its

inventory by awarding a $26 million contract
to General Dynamics to develop the Mission
Payload Module Non-Lethal Weapon System
(MPM-NLWS), based on the companys Medusa
multiple-launch platform.
Joseph Buzzett, General Dynamics Ordnance
and Tactical Systems director of technology
programmes, told LWI that the company has
now entered into a two-year development
programme to fully qualify the weapons system,
which consists of a 66mm grenade launcher and
fire control, as well as flash-bang grenades.
He said the grenade provides extreme light
and sound to suppress, while the choice of a
66mm round over 40mm was taken because the
66mm is a common size for vehicle-mounted

systems for grenades, and there are other
grenades out there illumination grenades,
smoke grenades, and that was another factor in
our decision. It also offers a larger payload.
The MPM, like the NL/TMS, is expected to be
fitted to armoured gun shields of light vehicles
including HMMWVs, although precise details
remain to be decided.
MPM-NLWS is currently in the engineering
and manufacturing development phase, with a
Milestone C decision anticipated in FY2017,
explained Ray Grundy, escalation of force head
at USMC Combat Development Command at
Quantico, who added that testing is likely to take
place throughout FY2016.
General Dynamics has a presence in both the
grenade launcher and light vehicle markets and
in October 2014 was awarded initial production
work on the Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1
for USSOCOM.
Buzzett noted that light tactical vehicles (LTVs)
and non-lethal capability can be developed
in tandem. We think [launchers] are very
complementary to LTVs, he said. Most LTVs
have a requirement for a non-lethal capability,
and the DoD has a directive that they put out in
2012 saying that they would like to have this
capability for vehicles.
Force mobility is only as efficient as the
vehicles allow, and only effective when it can call
on sufficient fire support. Grenade launchers
have shown that with precision, reliability and
payload options, vehicles now have the ability to
go anywhere, and do anything. LWI
28/11/2014 11:19:47
TRAINING
Masas Sword simulation software helped the
NZDF achieve considerable cost savings at
Exercise Suman Warrior in October.
(Photo: MASA)
A new breed of C2 simulators

are allowing future leaders
to learn how to manage their
assets on the battlefield, while
providing significant cost
savings. Liza Helps examines
some of the systems currently
being fielded by militaries.
ith the global simulation market

expected to grow nearly 2% per year for
the next four years and worth a conservative
estimate of $12.6 billion by 2024, it is one of
the few sectors where military spending is on
the increase.
While both simulation software and hardware
can involve an expensive capital outlay initially, it
is the operational cost savings that make them
so attractive.
The USAF believes it can save upwards of
$1.7 billion over five years by reducing flying
hours by 5% and increasing simulation use in
training, while the US Army noted in 2010 that
it saved $25 million by training 2,200 soldiers
using simulation.
Juan-Pablo Torres, CEO of Masa Group,
which develops artificial intelligence (AI)-based
modelling and simulation software, told Land
Warfare International: All defence budgets are
shrinking, but at the same time the part of
the budget dedicated to simulation tools is
increasing. The need to do more with less is
a matter of fact, and simulation and AI-based
tools enable that by the operational costs
savings they bring.
COST SAVINGS
Masas flagship Sword constructive simulation

software helped the New Zealand Defence
Force achieve considerable savings at the
latest annual Exercise Suman Warrior held in
October 2014.
Maj Michael Chivers, chief instructor at the
New Zealand Armys Mission Command Training
School, said: Using the Sword simulation system,
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p25-28_Training.indd 25
CREATIVE
CONTROL
we have made part-time personnel savings of

about 50% and significant savings in the amount
of computer hardware needed to support
this activity.
As New Zealand has a military force of just
over 8,000 for a population of some 4.5 million,
Chivers said that operations are going to be
mainly expeditionary and the smaller size makes
it harder to change equipment every few years.
Its very difficult at times to make sure the
various people in an HQ are doing their jobs
properly because you need a lot of people to
train what sometimes can be quite a small group
in the middle, he continued.
With Sword, things have changed. Chivers
emphasised the systems ease of use, which has
dramatically cut down the time needed to
stage an exercise. Instead of one per month, an
exercise can be held every seven days.
Each week they are doing a different phase of
war, so one week it might be attack and one
week it might be withdrawal, he said, noting
that the plans the students develop can then be

practised the day after submission. So every
week for five weeks we will do a simulation we
could not have done that with our traditional
tools because it would take two or three weeks
to set up each one.
SLOWING DOWN
The system also has the ability to fast forward or

slow down parts of the simulation, rather than just
taking screenshots, to view the proceedings in
more detail, providing a more effective analysis.
Chivers said the system has been particularly
effective during Suman Warrior, a land-based
tactical-level command post exercise carried
out between the Commonwealths Five
Power Defence Arrangement (FPDA) countries,
comprising Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand,
Singapore and the UK.
The exercise focused on planning, with
military officers from each FPDA nation forming
a battle group HQ to respond to a fictitious
25
28/11/2014 11:24:38
TRAINING
security situation. An estimated 180 military

personnel took part, using a combination of
Sword and Systematics SitaWare C2 technology.
The exercise included 100 virtual units as well
as insurgents embedded within a 200km
field, demonstrating the AI capabilities offered
by Sword.
Chivers said that the real benefit for the school
was the ability to take Sword and integrate it into
the developmental C2 suite currently being used
by the army.
Enrico Raue, who is responsible for new
markets development at Masa, said: It has taken
only one month after the initial five-day training
programme on Sword for the New Zealand
Army to utilise the system for a brigade-level
command post exercise.
Sword is available with different
configurations and licences tailored to units of
varying sizes and the level required, with costs
ranging from 100,000 up to 1.5 million.
Masa Sword has also been supplied to the
Brazilian Army for around 7 million, which
includes licences, training, deployment and
customisation services, as well as technology
transfer to the system integrator. This also
included a full translation into Portuguese.
LIVE CHANGES
In the UK, the 2010 Strategic Defence and

Security Review (SDSR) made a commitment to
CAE provides the German Army with GESI

simulation software at the companys army
combat simulation centre in Wildflecken,
Germany. (Photo: CAE)
replace live training with simulation at a rate

of 25% by 2015 and a further 25% by 2020 as
part of the Future Army 2020 programme.
However, while there is a lot of focus on
individual soldier training, there is growing
demand for operational C2 trainers that
allow HQ staff to be trained efficiently and
effectively without the need and expense of live
military exercises.
Thales has been operating its new-generation
OPOSIA combat staff training system at the
French Armys CENTAC combat training centre
in Mailly-le-Camp for just a year.
The system is used to train commanders of

company-level combined arms task forces, as
well as section and platoon leaders. It can be
used to simultaneously instruct three digitised
task force commanders, their subordinates
(section and platoon leaders) and leaders of
support units (engineering, artillery, logistics),
with up to 45 people able to take part in one or
more exercises in a virtual theatre of operations.
Based on tactical simulation software
developed by Thales, the new system immerses
personnel in a realistic virtual 3D universe
terrain features, weather conditions, weapon
systems, allied and opposing force deployment
doctrines. For added realism, personnel use
their own battle management systems (BMS)
for the exercises, something that is a major
consideration for militaries worldwide.
GETTING REAL
Rheinmetall was recently awarded a contract

extension to support the full spectrum of
operations at the German Armys GZ
training facility. (Photo: Rheinmetall)
26
Frank Bertling, product manager at CAE GESI, told

LWI: When it comes to staff training, ideally
the commanders should not be able to tell the
difference between training under a constructive
simulation like GESI or a real-world exercise.
For example, if the real equipment [such as
tanks] has the technical ability to send out blue
force tracking every five minutes, which is picked
up by the C2 system, the simulation should
28/11/2014 11:24:40
Land Warfare International_Mission Ready_D
mission
ready
CAEs GESI is a constructive simulation system designed to run complex and
comprehensive exercises to train military and civil commanders and staffs in command
and control and disaster management. Seven countries throughout Europe use the
CAE GESI system to conduct command and staff training exercises that enhance the
decision-making ability for commanders in a range of operational scenarios.
Now, CAE has teamed with Rolands & Associates to combine R&As Joint Theatre-Level
Simulation (JTLS) with CAEs GESI constructive simulation system as a federation called
GlobalSim. Combining JTLS and GESI brings together operational and tactical level
constructive simulations to prepare commanders and staff to make timely, informed
and intelligent decisions across the full spectrum of operations, including conventional
combat, disaster relief, and operations other than war.
As defence forces around the world look to expand their use of simulation-based training
to reduce costs and enhance readiness, trust a company with the focus, experience and
technology leadership in simulation and training to be your partner of choice.
CAE is a world-class training systems integrator that offers training centres, services, and
products designed to prepare defence and security forces for mission success.
milsim@cae.com
cae.com
@CAE_Defence
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p25-28_Training.indd
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Land
Warfare International_Mission Ready_Dec
2014_AM203.indd 1
28/11/2014
2014-11-17 11:24:40
11:41 AM
TRAINING
GESI ROAD TEST

CAE provided the German Army with it latest
GESI simulation software in 2013 at the
companys army combat simulation centre
in Wildflecken.
The service uses GESI as a tool for
young officers in the classroom with CAEs
GESI-SiTA suite and when carrying out
command and staff training through
computer-aided exercises.
Lt Col Dieter Vogt of the German Army
said that one of the advantages is the ability
to replay the scenarios and reposition forces
along with the statistics, allowing better
analysis. Consequently, results become
retraceable and credible, with tactical
outcomes more comprehensible.
The latest upgrade includes after-action
review (ARR) software for evaluating the
effectiveness of the training exercise and
providing comprehensive feedback to the
trainees, with replays of situations from
the point of view of any party or an overall
(gods eye) view over all parties involved in
the exercise.
While the exercise is running, bookmarks
are created either automatically or manually
stimulate the C2 system accordingly in a training
scenario to the way that the real equipment
would do.
He continued: Using their original command
post equipment, the command staff should
be able to communicate their orders directly
as they would in real life to the simulation,
and information should pass back from the
simulation straight to the BMS in a similar way.
Based on that information, the commander
then goes back into the next decisionmaking process or corrects his previous order
or whatever.
It is this interoperability requirement that led
to the IDF to renew its contract with Elbit Systems
for operation and management of a number of
land force training systems throughout Israel to
2019, with the contract estimated to be worth
nearly $23 million.
Elbits training systems, such as its Tactical
Battle Group Trainer (TBT), can be combined
with the firms C2 and C4I equipment, which
are used by the IDF as part of its Tzayad Digital
Army Program.
Integration at this level provides invaluable
train-as-you-fight opportunities, explained Ofer
Segal, senior director for land forces training
systems at Elbit Systems Training & Simulation. It
28
that assist in an easy retrieval of situations

of interest.
Radio communications on all frequencies
are also digitally recorded so they can be
replayed during the after-action review. The
GESI system also supports creation of tactical
situation graphics as well as a wide range of
statistical overviews.
The time needed for preparing a
complete multimedia debriefing with these
tools is approximately one to two hours
for an exercise that may have lasted
several days.
CAEs Bertling told LWI: You are able to
have a look at the situation not just as
recorded, but also where that part of the
action would be predefined. You can really
dig down and find out the root cause of an
outcome it is all about giving the
commander and his staff a debrief of what
they did and how they can improve.
Depending on the complexity of an
exercise, the number of people required to
input the lower command data could be as
little as five to as many as 80 or 90 if it is a
large brigade-level activity.
means forces drill on the same C2 network that
supports real combat operations.
Segal said that Elbit is working on extending
this training interoperability so that command
staff can train on simulations that replicate
the IDFs C4I systems. This would allow all three
service branches to link to each other in training,
enabling visual intelligence-sharing and
integration of their C2 systems. Orders can also
be communicated with one another, as well as
visual data what is seen by one can be seen by
all in real time.
It is not just interoperability between BMS
and simulation that is important, but also
between simulation systems, especially
within joint exercises. Ander Fogh Rasmussen,
the outgoing Secretary General of NATO,
has already indicated that in order to fulfil
ongoing commitments to measures such as
the organisations Rapid Response Force,
there will have to be many more short-notice
multinational exercises.
INTEGRATED APPROACH
With continued pressure on budgets, many

of these will rely a lot more on simulation,
especially at command level, and industry has
pre-empted this need. CAE and Rolland &
Associates (R&A), for example, have created

GlobalSim, a system that integrates theatre-level
and tactical-level simulation training. The
product offers a seamless interaction between
the former companys GESI tactical simulation
system and the latters Joint Theatre Level
Simulation (JTLS) system.
GESI is a high-resolution synthetic environment
entity-level simulation to model a variety of
missions, while JTLS models the full spectrum of
warfare land, air, naval, intelligence, logistics
and special forces. Together, they provide a
constructive simulation environment from the
theatre level down to the tactical simulation level.
According to CAE, GlobalSim can be used for
command post exercise support, contingency/
management plan testing, coalition training
among both military and civil agencies, budgetbased wargaming decision support, decision
analyses, experimentation and emergency
preparedness training.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
As well as joint military exercises, there is

growing demand for C2 training in parapublic
operations. In emergency management
exercises, there are many elements that are
similar to those in the military, added Bertling.
We are definitely seeing more civilian/military
requirements, with big exercises very often
based on real-world events, such as the flooding
of the River Oder in the early 2000s.
Torres agreed, noting that in these types of
exercises AI simulation really comes into its own.
He said: The realism afforded by the simulation
in something like Masa Sword enables both
military and civilian protection forces such as the
police to train in scenarios that were not possible
before, such as a terrorist attack in downtown
Paris which would have be very difficult to
organise on a large scale and incorporate
different forces.
Additional interoperability is seen in the use of
the systems across live, virtual and constructive
scenarios affording command staff invaluable
analysis in a real-world situation they would not
otherwise be able to secure. LWI
28/11/2014 11:24:40
SNIPER RIFLES
A new generation of rifles is

enabling snipers to dominate the
battlefield. Ian Kemp provides an
update on the market.
n November 2014, USMC Systems Command

(MARCORSYSCOM) awarded Remington
Defense a contract to provide up to 2,000
modular stocks, spares and magazines for the
M40 Sniper Rifle Modular Stock programme.
Deliveries will begin within three months and
enable the service to upgrade its heavily used
7.62mm M40A5 rifles to M40A6 configuration.
Based on the bolt-action Remington 700, the
M40 was introduced into marine service in 1966
and has been successively upgraded by USMC
armourers to the A1 configuration in the 1970s,
the A3 model in the 2000s and the current
M40A5 model since 2009 using components
from various suppliers.
NEW FEATURES
MARCORSYSCOM released a solicitation for the

M40 Modular Stock on 25 July 2013 specifying
new features, including a foldable stock and
MIL-STD-1913 rails in four positions.
The solicitation also stipulated that potential
.338 Lapua Magnum barrelled actions can
be integrated with the modular stock to
facilitate future M40 upgrades. The current fiveround Badger Ordnance magazines will be
supplemented by new ten-round magazines.
The marine corps tested each bidders
product to high standards, and we are proud to
have exceeded their performance criteria, said
Greg Baradat, director of US military sales at
Remington Defense.
In April 2014, Remington delivered the
2,558th and final M2010 Enhanced Sniper Rifle,
previously known as the M24 Reconfigured
Sniper Weapon System, to the US Army,
replacing the services M24 Sniper Weapon
System, a long-action bolt variant of the
Remington 700, introduced into service in 1988.
The M2010, an extensive refurbishment of the
M24, was developed in response to operational
need statements arising in Afghanistan, to equip

snipers with a weapon able to engage targets at
extended ranges, enabling them to win the
ridgeline-to-ridgeline fight with Taliban fighters
using the Soviet-era 7.62x54mmR Dragunov
marksman rifle and its various clones.
CONVERSION CHANGE
The most significant change is the conversion

from 7.62mm to the more powerful .300 Win Mag
ammunition, which extends the effective range to
1,200m. According to army officials, the M2010
provides a 50% increase in effective range and a
more precise firing capability than the M24.
The M2010 changed the whole way we
operated, explained SFC Aaron Welch, among
the first snipers to be equipped with the weapon
A LONG
SHOT
A US Army soldier fires an M110 Semi
Automatic Sniper System at a distant target
during sniper familiarisation training.
(Photo: US Army)
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p29-31_Sniper_rifles_v2.indd 29
29
28/11/2014 11:26:17
Israel Weapon
Industries new DAN
.338 is the first of a new
family of bolt-action
sniper rifles. (Photo: IWI)
SNIPER RIFLES
in Afghanistan, at a ceremony to mark the

delivery of the last M2010. We were able to
control the battlefield like never before.
The M2010s stock is the Remington Arms
Chassis System (RACS), which provides a full
range of user adjustments in addition to
modularity and ancillary mounting options.
It features a right-side folding mechanism that
captures the bolt handle when folded, as well as
a cable routing channel on the left side of the
stock to allow remote activation of lasers and/or
lights. The M2010 is equipped with a full-length
MIL-STD-1913 rail on top and optional rails at the
three, six and nine oclock positions.
The M2010 is issued with the Leupold
Extended Range/Tactical 6.5-20x50mm M5
Locking Adjustment riflescope and the AN/PVS29 Clip-on Sniper Night Sight. The TiTan
suppressor from Advanced Armament can be
fitted to reduce audible and visible signature.
Remington can also upgrade M24s to M2010
standard or supply new-build weapons.
ORDER BOOK
Remington has built more than 15,000 M24s

and the rifle remains in production for export. In
January 2011, the company received an $8.9
million contract from the US Army to produce
1,212 of the weapons to equip Afghan National
Army and Afghan National Police snipers, with
deliveries completed in September 2014.
The M24A2 model features a detachable tenround magazine, top-mounted and adjustable
side-mounted modular accessory rail system,
barrel modifications to accommodate a sound
suppressor, and an improved H-S Precision
PST025 stock with adjustable cheek height and
length of pull. The M24A3 variant is chambered
for the .338 Lapua Magnum round and is fed
from a five-round detachable box magazine.
The army is planning to upgrade or replace
the Knights Armament Co (KAC) 7.62mm M110
Semi-Automatic Sniper System (SASS), which is
employed to support its bolt-action rifles.
The M110 was selected by the service after a
competitive evaluation in September 2005 and
has been used in combat in Afghanistan since
30
April 2008. It is the first US Army weapon

system equipped with a quick-attach/-detach
suppressor.
The M110 is issued with the Leupold Mark 4 3.510x40mm telescopic scope. More recently, the
M110 has been acquired by the USMC to replace
the Mk11 Mod 1 Sniper Rifle, originally fielded in
2005 for urgent operational use, and the corps
plans to equip its M110s with a new buttstock.
SIZE MATTERS
Project Manager Soldier Weapons (PM SW) has

issued for a draft RfP to manufacture a complete
system or reconfigure some or all of the armys
inventory of M110s to the Compact SASS (CSASS).
Officials have said this plan is not inspired by
any shortcomings with the M110, with snipers
continuing to express approval for the weapon,
but note the CSASS will more effectively execute
a broad spectrum of missions than the M110.
The CSASS will provide: improved reliability,
accuracy and ergonomics; reduced weight and
length; advanced coatings; improved optics;
reduced recoil; enhanced suppressor; enhanced
modular rail capabilities; and an improved
bipod, trigger, pistol grip and buttstock.
PM SW intends to award a single indefinitedelivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for
30 weapons with two options the first for five
years not to exceed 3,643 weapons, and the
second for the purchase of a technical data
package. The initial 30 rifles will be used for
developmental and operational testing which is
expected to last two years.
The army is seeking to reduce the rifles length
to 914mm with the collapsible buttstock closed
and no suppressor in place, and achieve a
weight of 4.08kg without attachments. KAC has
already demonstrated an M110K1 carbine with
a 16in barrel in place of the M110s 20in barrel,
which it is proposing for the CSASS project.
The company stated: M110K1 was developed
from an SOF [special operations forces]-specific
system with many upgrades on the tried and
true M110 platform, and deployment mission
feedback from the end-user community.
PRECISION ENGINEERING
In March 2013, USSOCOM awarded Remington

a ten-year, IDIQ, firm-fixed-price contract,
potentially worth $79 million for up to 5,150
Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) systems, along with
4.7 million rounds from Barnes Bullets.
The PSR is based on Remingtons Modular
Sniper Rifle (MSR), which can be configured by
the operator for 7.62mm, .300 Win Mag or .338
Lapua Magnum ammunition.
The MSR features a titanium receiver for long
life and weight reduction. Each calibre is
supported by a five- or ten-round magazine. The
MSR uses a variation of the RACS to provide useradjustability and configuration. Barrels are
designed to use the TiTan QD sound suppressor
which are included in the PSR contract.
In November 2014, under the PSR contract,
Remington received a production order for 443
PSRs and 446 PSR calibre conversion kits in both
.300 Win Mag and .308 Win. Under a previous
competition, Schmidt & Bender was contracted
to provide a modified version of its 5-25x56 PMII
day scope for use with the PSR.
The new PSR will be used with the recently
developed .300 WinMag Match Product
Improvement round, type classified as the
Mk248 Mod 1. Based on the 220gr Sierra
Matchking .300 WinMag, the Mk 248 Mod 1
meets requirements to extend effective range
from 1,200 to 1,500m, decrease the effect of
wind drift on the projectile, reduce flash, and be
stable across temperatures from -31.5C to 74C.
NEW LAUNCH
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) launched the Dan

.338, the first of a new family of bolt-action sniper
rifles, at Eurosatory 2014 in June. It was
developed in cooperation with IDF special forces
to optimise ergonomics for sniper use and is the
first bolt-action weapon produced by IWI
reflecting demand from the IDF and other
potential customers. Chambered for .338 Lapua
Mag, according to IWI it delivers accuracy up to
1,200m. With a 31in barrel (with muzzle brake),
the rifle measures 1.28m with stock extended
28/11/2014 11:26:18
SNIPER RIFLES
and 1.03m with stock folded, and weighs 6.9kg

without its ten-round magazine or sight.
The rifle features an adjustable, foldable
handle; an adjustable cheek rest and trigger; and
ambidextrous magazine release and safety. It
incorporates upgraded MIL-STD-1913 rails at the
three, six, nine and twelve oclock positions. At
Eurosatory, the Dan .338 was displayed with a
Meprolight Meslas sniper scope/automatic
ballistic computer. A clip-on sight and a silencer
are available as options.
Elsewhere, British company Accuracy
International, which has been developing and
building sniper rifles since 1978, introduced a
new generation of four new weapons in
early 2014.
The AT308 builds on the companys L96A1

and AW308 sniper rifles. The standard model has
a fixed stock with 24in, quick-change, plain
barrel. There are options for colour, folding stock,
barrels/suppressors and many accessories.
RECORD BREAKER
In November 2009, a British Army sniper, armed

with a .338 Lapua Magnum L115A3 rifle, a
variant of Accuracys AW338, was credited with
the longest-range rifle kills in history when he
shot two insurgents in Afghanistan at 2.47km,
and fired a third shot which disabled the
machine gun they had been carrying.
The multi-calibre AXMC, which replaces
the AW338, is a .338 Lapua Magnum rifle
that can be reconfigured to .300 Win Mag or .308

Win (AX308) by changing the barrel,
bolt and magazine/insert. It is available in
black or green stock sides with black
metalwork or pale brown stock sides and
metalwork.
The fourth new weapon is the .50cal AX50
long-range anti-materiel rifle introduced to
replace the companys .50cal AW50. It features
a new external stock design with the aim of
facilitating a secure, comfortable shooting
position and improving the users ability to carry
and move with the rifle. The short-throw (60)
handle lies close to the stock side, just above
the trigger, to minimise movement of the
users hand. LWI
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31
28/11/2014 11:26:18
PARTING SHOT
With a larger amount of cheap second-hand military equipment being sold

off by militaries, industry has had to adapt in recent years. Tim Fish talks to
Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International
Institute for Strategic Studies, about these challenges.
UNDER
PRESSURE
W
ith 25 years passing since the fall of the

Berlin Wall, armies have still not fully
adapted to the change in strategic circumstances
brought about by the end of the Cold War. It is
only now that large stocks of vehicles are being
divested and flooding the defence market.
The trouble is there is a lot of second-hand stuff
around, Barry said. If you take tanks, there is still a
massive overhang from the Cold War. In NATO,
that affects Leopard tanks and M1 Abrams, and
there are a lot of T-72s as well.
UPGRADE PATHS
The MBT industry appears to be the most

affected, and there is likely to be greater focus
on upgrades and modernisation, rather than
new builds.
I dont see any evidence of KMW building new
tanks. Nexter has sold the Leclerc and the French
have announced an intention to upgrade, but the
only other country that has bought is the UAE.
However, there is a big community of
countries that have bought Leopard 2. An
example of this was the rapid acquisition of
unwanted Leopard 2s by Canada as they
suddenly realised that they needed tanks in
Afghanistan, and there was no difficulty finding
the tanks.
This has been followed more recently by sales
of excess Leopards to Indonesia and Qatar.
For Western countries, bearing in mind the
budgetary hiatus, it is difficult to see any interest
in buying new tanks instead there will
opportunities for upgrading existing ones and
that will be influenced by the number of
unwanted tanks there are, added Barry.
KMW run a tank recycling business. Essentially,
they will sell used Leopard 1 and 2s, reconditioned
and modernised as necessary. Where economic
growth is rising with the BRIC countries, some of
32
them are investing their growth in defence and

have purchased Leopards, such as Chile, Brazil,
Singapore and Indonesia.
There are still people buying new armoured
vehicles. The UK Scout is one example, [as is] the
French requirement for the VBMR [Vhicule
Blind Multirole] there are still modernisation
programmes. But in some cases the domestic
armoured vehicle industry is on the front line.
He continued: With regard to Western Europe,
there is still quite considerable over-capacity in
their defence industry as a whole, and armoured
vehicles are not exempt from this. The
complicating factor is the announced merger
between KMW and Nexter both have an
established pedigree in armoured vehicles, and
there will be some difficult decisions made.
LAST ONE STANDING
If the focus is on refurbishing older platforms,

Turkey could potentially be the only country in
Europe left building tanks. The conflict in
eastern Ukraine does not seem to have had
an immediate impact on armoured vehicle
procurement decisions either, and Barry believes
it is too early to tell.
In Africa, most are content with the tanks
they have got, he said. T-55s and Centurions, for
example, can meet army requirements because
they are not too heavy for their roads, bridges
and other infrastructure, as their emphasis is on
medium and light armour.
There are also lots of tanks in India and
Pakistan, where the armies are orientated to fight
against each other on terrain where tanks and
armoured vehicles are going to be very useful.
Then you have China, and South Korea, which
have indigenous armoured vehicle industries.
One development on the horizon derives from
Russia. The countrys army has 40 brigades and
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_p32_Interview.indd 32
represents a large market or at least did before

sanctions started to bite.
Russia has been investing in new armoured
vehicles: a tracked general-purpose vehicle; a
wheeled general-purpose one; and something
that would replace their tanks. All three are to be
families: Kurganets, Boomerang and Armata.
Although the use of a tank by a credible
army such as British, French, German, Russian
or US forces can help with sales, Barry said that
many countries that want to buy or modernise
armour are insisting on technology transfer.
Furthermore, militaries with excess stocks of
these vehicles will not want them sitting around
in warehouses when they can be sold to allies for
cash. Therefore, for industry there are potential
upgrade, maintenance support and training
contracts.
The degree to which a country wants to
embrace that is variable, but there is a lot of
money to be made on upgrades and through-life
maintenance. There are lots of upgrades out
there, at least on protection, with add-on armour
to active protection systems; there is digitising the
vehicle; and inserting modern communications
and battle management systems.
There are even industrial opportunities on
the same vehicle within a country. In Brazil, for
example, the army and marine corps both have
M113s, and there are two separate contracts for
the upgrades. The former is upgrading through
BAE Systems, with the latter selecting IMI. LWI
28/11/2014 11:28:37
LWI_Dec14_Jan15_IBC.indd 3
28/11/2014 11:47:53
The FN MINIMI is the world reference in Light Machine

Guns. Adopted by over 50 countries on all continents,
including nearly all NATO members, it has been proven
in intensive use in combat by many military forces.
Since the FN MINIMI first entered service armies
have needed to adapt to new threats and operational
situations. This has led to changes in tactics and weapon
handling, the FN MINIMI has also evolved to meet the
requirements of the modern soldier. Changes include:
Available in both 5.56mm NATO and 7.62mm NATO
calibers
Adjustable buttstock to adapt to modern body armor
and use of optical sights
Ergonomic handguard with 3 rails
Integrated bipod that folds back even with accessories
on lower rail
Ergonomic cocking handle
The new FN MINIMI Mk3 version is now available, and
earlier models can be upgraded to the Mk3 configuration.
ANN LAND WARF INTERN Mk3

LWI_Dec14_Jan15_OBC.indd
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13:29:24

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Volume 5 Number 6

December 2014/January 2015

Eastern Europe focus

Wheeled armoured vehicles

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Volume 5 Number 6 | December 2014/January 2015 | LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL

hile walking the stands at AUSA, I got

and upgrade work is not automatically given

Despite these various efforts, it must still grate

Cheetah (Gepard) self-propelled anti-aircraft

l Light wheeled vehicles

Volume 5 Number 6 | December 2014/January 2015 | LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL

INDIAS 155mm ARTILLERY

Photo: via author

The Indian Armys long-delayed artillery

place as China and Pakistan both induct

Contenders could include: Larsen & Toubro

RUSSIAN ARMY TO PURCHASE NEW SP ANTI-TANK GUNS

vehicle which is also built by VGTZ. The 2S25

LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL | December 2014/January 2015 | Volume 5 Number 6

The new version of the 2S25 uses the diesel

Photo: CMI Defence

Indonesian armoured vehicle manufacturer PT

mandated minimum number of vehicles to be

NEWS ON THE WEB

GD OTS, Smith & Wesson

British troops take part in

General Dynamics, ST Kinetics

GDLS Canada to supply

Missile proliferation at Zhuhai

US Army orders 3M M61

Warrior CSP gets additional test

All these stories can be found

Volume 5 Number 6 | December 2014/January 2015 | LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL

NORINCO BRINGS HEAVY

revealed in June 2012, but this is its first public

missile on its turret. It appears better armoured

MEGGITT WINS US MARINE CORPS TRAINING CONTRACT

proposal through clarifications, the evaluation of

LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL | December 2014/January 2015 | Volume 5 Number 6