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03 Apr 24. Fascinating insight into the Challenger 2 development in the obituary of MG Nick Ansell published in the Times on April 2nd.
In 1989, not long before the Gulf War, Major General Nick Ansell, director of the Royal Armoured Corps (DRAC), was preoccupied with one thing: the problems encountered in the planned upgrade of the army’s new tank, the Challenger.
In many respects, Challenger, built by Vickers Defence Systems, was outstanding, and certainly a vast improvement on the Chieftain, which it had been progressively replacing since 1983. Its revolutionary “Chobham” composite armour gave far better protection than the rolled homogeneous armour that was then the standard for Nato tanks. Its hydro-pneumatic suspension made for outstanding cross-country mobility. Its 120mm gun and ammunition were devastating. So certain, indeed, was the Ministry of Defence about Challenger’s superiority that in 1987 the British army team for the Canadian Army Trophy, the annual Nato tank gunnery competition at Grafenwöhr in Germany, were confidently predicted to win.
They came last. There were other factors, not least the team’s comparative ill preparedness because of training commitments elsewhere, but the Challenger’s target acquisition system was simply not fast enough. Britain subsequently withdrew indefinitely from the competition.
Ansell was mortified. Competitive by instinct, especially after 20 years in the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards (the “Skins”) where every day was an inter-squadron competition, as DRAC he was not, however, responsible for procurement policy. Nevertheless, as professional head of the Royal Armoured Corps, whose crews depended on firepower as well as mobility and protection, he spoke up forthrightly: “That turret needs sorting out.”
A fire-control upgrade had already been delivered to the Armoured Trials and Development Unit (ATDU) at the RAC Centre in Bovington, Dorset, Ansell’s headquarters, for formal “User Trials”. This was meant to be the end of the acceptance process, when all the technical bugs were supposed to have been found and eliminated in the development stage. Instead, the ATDU discovered that the chassis flexed under the weight of the new turret when the tank fired in certain positions, causing significant backlash in the traverse. As the final aim of the gun depended on a settled position of the turret, round-to-round consistency could not be assured and often did not occur. Repeated trials with both live ammunition and simulation conducted by Major the Lord Crofton of the 9th/12th Royal Lancers proved that the chassis, whose armour had been reduced to allow for the heavier turret, was not up to the job. The ATDU’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jeremy Selfe of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, briefing Ansell throughout, concluded that the MoD’s proposed upgrade and therefore life-extension programme for Challenger was fundamentally unsound.
It was a risky call, given that there seemed to be no alternative, but Ansell, together with Brigadier Derek O’Callaghan, the programme’s sponsor on the operational requirements staff, backed Selfe and told the MoD bluntly that the upgrade “won’t do”. He said he would prefer the German Leopard 2, despite its inferiority in armoured protection. After the personal intervention of the prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, the MoD decided to ditch the upgrade and put Challenger’s successor to a procurement competition.
The contenders were Leopard 2, the French Leclerc, the US Abrams, and “Challenger 2” a private enterprise by Vickers. With only some 3 per cent of parts interchangeable with Challenger 1, Challenger 2 was in reality a new tank. It won the competition. Ansell had got his way, and despite the considerable extra cost, Challenger 2 entered service in 1994, deploying to Kosovo five years later and seeing action in Iraq in 2003.
Nicholas George Picton Ansell was born in Devon in 1937, the eldest son of a Skin, the remarkable Colonel Sir Michael Ansell DSO, who lost his sight and the fingers of his left hand in action in 1940 while commanding the 1st Lothians and Border Horse (Territorials). Taken prisoner but repatriated in 1943, and a noted prewar showjumper and international polo player, after the war and despite his blindness he became chairman of
(Source: The Times)
03 Apr 24. VINCORION based in Wedel has signed a contract for the delivery of more than 700 EPG huskyV W 600 onboard generators for the Boxer. Additional orders for future projects are expected, meaning orders for a total of more than 1,000 generators are anticipated. This demonstrates the performance of the company’s military energy systems in armored vehicles, too.
The new VINCORION generator, the EPG huskyV W 600, is a water-cooled onboard generator for use in all scenarios: in the Boxer, it can see to the vehicle’s power supply as well as supplying the various mission modules as it supplies power of up to 600 amperes, making it ready for future requirements, too. A new digital voltage regulator has been incorporated, enabling the generator to be adapted to different applications.
Manufacturers Place Their Trust in VINCORION Components
VINCORION has now signed a framework agreement with KNDS Germany. “Delivery of the generator for the Boxer is a very important order for us,” says Dr. Stefan Stenzel, managing director of VINCORION. “This tells us demand for the Boxer remains high. It also shows that manufacturers of modern military technology are placing their trust in VINCORION components and are using these to equip their vehicles.”
The order currently amounts to approximately twelve m euros. The company anticipates additional orders being placed for these modern generators.
Power Increased from 370 to 600 Amperes
“The new generator fits perfectly in the vehicles’ installation space,” explains Stenzel. This means that, in addition to all new vehicles, existing vehicles could likewise be equipped with it if demand for power grows. The predecessor model, the SF 217, was able to deliver 370 amperes, and this has been increased to 600 amperes in the new version. “Modern military technology requires more energy, among other things for communications and air conditioning. We are specialists in the field of military energy supplies. Be it power supplies for sophisticated electronics or for radar systems, our generator reliably supplies the energy needed.”
Intensive vehicle testing with the Boxer featuring the new generator system has already been conducted in the UK and Australia. The new EPG huskyV W 600 model has therefore already demonstrated its reliability. The VINCORION engineers also report that its performance remained stable at all times in vehicle test-drives of more than 1,000 kilometers conducted in Switzerland. The water cooling of the generator means it can operate irrespective of the ambient conditions.
Peak Performance at all Times
The temperatures in the cooling circuit can increase significantly without adversely affecting performance. The generator is also water-resistant in accordance with protection class IP 67. “The generator experiences next to no losses due to changing ambient temperatures. It therefore delivers peak performance at all times,” emphasizes Stenzel.
The EPG huskyV W 600 is manufactured at the VINCORION plant in Essen, which also produces generators for the Leopard 2 tank and the Puma infantry fighting vehicle. A number of the parts such as mechanical components come from the company headquarters in Wedel. VINCORION has built up considerable expertise in generators at its Essen site – and this is what the major contract is founded on. The company also anticipates being able to recruit additional skilled workers as a result of the order.
01 Apr 24. Malaysia investigates ‘critical problems’ plaguing fleet of PT-91M tanks. Malaysia has formed a joint investigation team to rectify a list of “critical problems” that plague the country’s fleet of PT-91M ‘Pendekar’ main battle tanks (MBTs). This team comprises operators of the equipment and representatives from the contractor that supplies maintenance services and spare parts to these tanks, Minister of Defence of Malaysia Mohamed Khaled Nordin disclosed on 25 March in his response to a parliamentary question. The question was raised by a member of parliament for Tanah Merah, Ikmal Hisham Bin Abdul Aziz, who posited that a supplier of these spare parts, Bumar-Łabędy of Poland, no longer produces certain components related to the PT-90M. He also highlighted the MBT’s “poor performance” in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine as a concern. (Source: Janes)
02 Apr 24. Taiwan set to produce new vehicles, assault rifles. The Republic of China Army (RoCA) has granted the permission to produce a new direct fire support variant of the Cloud Leopard 8×8 wheeled armoured combat vehicle (ACV) and a new 5.56 mm assault rifle called XT112, Taiwan’s state-owned Central News Agency (CNA) reported in late March. According to the CNA, the ACV – fitted with a 105 mm gun – passed initial combat readiness testing with the RoCA in October 2023, while the XT112 assault rifle succeeded in this testing in November 2023. The testing has paved the way to mass production of both, the CNA report added. Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) follows a five-step process to develop weapons. These steps comprise an initial conceptual design stage, an engineering development stage, initial weapon testing, combat readiness testing, and the production stage. (Source: Janes)
02 Apr 24. MGCS next phase agreement imminent between France and Germany. The Main Ground Combat System, a team of autonomous vehicles centred around a heavier crewed platform, is about to enter Phase 1A.
The French Ministry of Defence announced on 25 March 2024, that the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) is ready to enter the next step of the program, Phase 1A, with an agreement between the French and German ministers of defence due to be signed on 26 April.
The next phase may herald participation by a range of new nations, with the UK already an observer of the programme.
The MGCS is intended to be an asset that delivers the capabilities of a main battle tank, incorporating uncrewed, autonomous, ground- and aerial-vehicles alongside a heavier crewed vehicle, all to function as a multi-platform team.
After its launch in 2017, the MGCS programme was approved for initial systems architecture study in May 2020, with the French and German governments collaborating to develop, by 2035, a main combat system to replace Germany’s Leopard 2 Main Battle Tank (MBT) and the French Army’s Leclerc. The UK became an observer of the project in early 2021, while the country’s Ministry of Defence considers options to replace the Challenger 2 capability.
The latest production milestone follows a meeting between German Federal Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius and his French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu, on the fringes of a March 15 meeting in Berlin between the German and Polish heads of state, and the French President of the Republic.
The development and manufacture of the MGCS is being conducted jointly by German armour manufacturer Rheinmetall, and KNDS, itself a holding company for German arms producer KMW and French defence firm Nexter Systems. The MGCS programme agreement to be signed in April 2024 will set forth an equitably distributed industrial share between the manufacturers for each pillar of the programme, according to the French Ministry of Defence.
Frank Haun, CEO of KNDS, reportedly said in an April 2022 interview that the conclusion of system architecture studies carries the expectation of other countries joining the MGCS programme. Speaking with WirtshaftsWoche, Haun identified Italy, Poland Norway and the UK as urgently keen to participate.
The Institute of Saint-Louis (ISL), a French-German defence research centre that has been active in the MGCS concepts study, has identified a range of technologies that are envisioned entering service through the programme.
Among effectors, the ISL identified concepts for guided ammunition, increased muzzle velocity, and the use of energetic nano-materials in the terminal effects of projectiles. The potential inclusion of high energy laser sources as a directed energy weapon was also described as an example of the technological innovation that ISL brought to the project.
In the same vein, ISL also described technological expertise it had used in conjunction with the project coming from experience with passive and reactive armour against charge jets, long-rod penetrates and improvised explosive devices.
The French Ministry of Defence, went on to say that the Defence Ministers of France and Germany, pleased with the progress with MGCS, would be meeting with Spain in December to discuss the Future Air Combat Systems, a novel combination of crewed aircraft and uncrewed ‘loyal wingmen’ aerial vehicles.
The French Ministry of defence also said that KNDS will establish a subsidiary in Ukraine, to produce ammunition and spare parts for the maintenance of French and German systems used in Ukraine, in line with an agreement from a conference of the heads of state and government in support of Ukraine, held on 26 February in Paris. (Source: army-technology.com)
02 Apr 24. CSIR develops firepower upgrade package for Mamba APCs. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has developed a firepower enhancement package for the Mamba armoured personnel carrier (APC), which is being used by the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) for peacekeeping operations.
The package focuses on the Mk II and Mk III versions of the APC, which was found to have its gunner, radiator, and wheels exposed.
The CSIR-developed package adds a manually operated turret to the roof of the Mamba, and a ballistically protected grille.
The turret provides a 360-degree arc of fire for the gunner (this was previously restricted), with 36 indexing points (one every ten degrees). The turret also provides protection to the gunner from the sides, while a collapsible canvas roof provides weather protection. As it interfaces with existing SANDF weapon mounts, the turret can accept standard SANDF-utilised weapons like 7.62 and 12.7 mm machineguns. A sling seat is adjustable according to gunner height. In total, the turret weighs 320 kg.
The CSIR said the SANDF took delivery of a number of the Mamba upgrade packages in 2022, and the upgraded vehicles have been seen in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where they are serving with the United Nations peacekeeping mission (MONUSCO) and Southern African Development Community Mission in the DRC (SAMIDRC).
In early February, a convoy of five Mambas with the new turrets was seen taking part in the Southern African Development Community Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (SAMIDRC), along with a couple of Land Cruisers and a Mfezi ambulance. One of the Land Cruisers was fitted with additional armour and a ZSU-23-2 cannon on the rear.
The CSIR has developed several upgrades and enhancements for armoured vehicles, such as an optically-based gunshot and missile detection system, panoramic surveillance system, and cost-effective modular add-on armour package to protect armoured vehicles against explosive attacks, especially by explosively formed projectiles, also known as shaped charges. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
01 Apr 24. Meet the Infantry Squad Vehicle: the Unholy Union of Pickup Truck and UTV. Troops in contact! The forward operating base comes alive. Strap on your plate carrier, throw your assault pack over your shoulder, grab your rifle and suck down some water on your way out the door.
The fittest quick response force in the world couldn’t get there in time on foot. A truck would be too slow — and besides, the only one you have is doubling as a guard tower for your FOB. There’s a third option, though, and your buddies who are taking fire are lucky it exists.
The U.S. Army is in the process of fielding the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV). It’s a midsize pickup that’s stripped to the bare essentials, beefed up with military tech and ready to whisk soldiers across the battlefield faster and with more agility than any current Army vehicles could hope for.
Let’s grab some wrenches and get under the hood of the Army’s new off-roader.
What Is the ISV?
The U.S. military has an impressive array of vehicles, but there is one capability gap. The Army can insert troops rapidly into remote areas via helicopter or parachute. It has trucks, tanks and specialized vehicles that can bring overwhelming firepower to the enemy’s doorstep. There isn’t much between the two, though. Soldiers are either arriving at the fight in an armored truck or a pair of boots.
The ISV fills that void by turning small units into highly maneuverable mounted forces that can cover ground faster than any foot soldier but without the limitations (and target profile) of a heavy gun truck.
GM Defense created the ISV by stripping down the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 to its core. According to the spec sheet, 90% of the ISV’s components are commercially available. Under that olive-drab exterior, you’ll find axles, differentials and suspension that you can buy from the parts counter at your local Chevy or GMC dealership.
Other common GM components include the 2.8-liter Duramax engine from the diesel Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon, the 6L50 six-speed automatic transmission found in vehicles ranging from the Colorado to GMC Yukon XL Denali, standard GM electronics and standard GM disc brakes.
Military-specific features include a roll cage instead of an enclosed cab, seating for nine, and a suite of adaptable kits that includes mounting points for weapons, optics and lights. The ISV uses a combination of analog and digital gauges to provide vital information even when a digital screen is a no-go.
As far as the Army’s adoption of the ISV goes, the vehicle hasn’t always satisfied soldiers during testing. Previous assessments of the vehicle by the Defense Department’s chief weapons tester initially indicated issues ranging from a cramped design to a “lack [of] the capability to deliver effective fires, provide reliable communication, and force protection” for an infantry squad.
But according to the service, GM Defense has made “significant improvements’ to the ISV based on soldier feedback, and in recent years the automaker has “implement[ed] corrective actions to address reliability and maintainability deficiencies identified in previous testing,” according to the DoD weapon tester’s latest assessment.
The Army is currently fielding the ISV to the 82nd Airborne and 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Divisions, “with other light forces to follow,” according to GM Defense.
“With robust off-road capabilities, the highly reliable ISV significantly improves tactical mobility across a range of military operations,” the automaker says. “The vehicle is easily maintainable and highly adaptable to meet diverse mission and operational needs.”
ISV Variants
Part of the ISV’s magic is its ability to shape-shift, depending on mission requirements. GM Defense currently lists four alternatives to the nine-seat troop carrier.
A two-seat variant boosts cargo room with a seven-foot flatbed and a 3,200-pound payload while maintaining the ISV’s compact footprint.
Pickup trucks are undeniably useful, and GM Defense builds four- and five-seat versions of the ISV that have a 5.5-foot bed for hauling equipment. This might be the platform’s most versatile configuration.
The Army has proven its ability to mount weapons on just about anything, but the heavy gun carrier (HGC) variant of the ISV is a modified version of the five-passenger ISV that includes a ring turret for a heavy or medium machine gun. The 5.5-foot bed provides plenty of room for ammunition and spare barrels.
All of these vehicles use the same drivetrain, but there is an all-electric E-ISV in the works. GM Defense aspires to create a silent, fast, rugged combat truck with this concept vehicle.
Customized Kits for Any Mission
Beyond choosing one of the available variants of the Infantry Squad Vehicle, units can add attachments to enhance mission capability. (Photo courtesy of General Motors Defense)
No vehicle is complete without a few modifications and personal touches, and that goes for the ISV, too. Beyond choosing one of the available variants, units can add attachments to enhance mission capability.
Since the ISV’s visible white headlights are far from ideal on the battlefield, GM Defense offers infrared lights that are only visible when using night vision. If you’ve ever used an infrared light or strobe, you know how effective these can be. That advantage is even more important if you’re driving at high speeds through a kinetic area.
U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, load an Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) during an air assault during Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) Rotation 23-10 on the Avelino Drop Zone, near Fort Johnson, La., Sept. 22, 2023. (Spc. Hannah Stewart/U.S. Army photo)
The HGC variant’s top mount is also available as a kit. The 46-inch ring serves as a turret that allows soldiers to direct fire in any direction with a medium or heavy machine gun. That allows soldiers to mount a Mk19, M2 or suppressed M240 (which is every bit as incredible as you imagine).
If a top-mounted turret doesn’t provide enough firepower, units can add swivel mounts to the side of the vehicle. Each mount allows soldiers to add an M240 or M249 and position it exactly where they want it.
The ISV isn’t just a formidable threat; it can save lives when every second counts. A CASEVAC kit adds the ability to mount a stretcher to the vehicle’s roll cage. When not in use, the kit collapses into compact storage bags.
No Battlefield Is Safe from the ISV
In automotive terms, the ISV isn’t exactly a speed demon. GM Defense declined to use the Colorado ZR2’s 310-horsepower gasoline engine, after all. But soldiers don’t need it to blaze across continents on the highway; they have other vehicles for that. They need the ISV to be responsive and powerful on rugged terrain, and it does that extremely well.
The grunty turbo diesel offers peak torque early in the RPM range, meaning power is always available and doesn’t require the engine to work hard to produce it. Front and rear locking differentials from the Colorado ZR2 should be able to pull the ISV through just about anything, especially given its sub-5,000-pound curb weight.
The ISV is a reminder that there are times when being light and nimble is better than being big and strong. Anyone with off-roading experience has seen heavy-duty rigs get bogged down while Jeep Wranglers and Suzuki Samurais casually roll on by (case in point: this head-to-head matchup pitting a Range Rover against a Suzuki Jimny). Compared to other military vehicles, the ISV floats through mud, is a piece of cake to winch out of trouble, and slips through trees and urban environments as easily as a passenger car.
The ISV’s compact dimensions are another source of speed, even more so than its engine. At 207 inches long, 82 inches wide and 84 inches tall, the ISV can fit inside a CH-47 or CH-53. It can be sling-loaded under a helicopter or flown inside a C-17, C-130 or A-400M. That makes it one of the most expeditionary vehicles in the U.S. military arsenal.
The ISV Ushers in a New Era
Service members of a certain age will remember a time when the Humvee was the hottest military tech on four wheels. The old, muscled-up 4×4 is in its sunset years now, and the nimble ISV is the future.
This new vehicle is everything we love about the Humvee without the baggage. Aluminum body panels don’t offer any protection, so GM Defense got rid of them. There’s no heavy armor because we have gun trucks for missions that require that. The ISV is a “Mad Max” vehicle come to life, and it’s going to be a smash hit with front-line infantry units for years to come. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Military.com)
02 Apr 24. Otokar aims to grow with technology transfer and local manufacturing opportunities in South America.
Turkey’s global land systems manufacturer Otokar participates in LAAD 2024, the leading South American security and defense exhibition, between April 02-04, in Sao Paolo, Brazil. During the three-day exhibition, Otokar will display scaled models of its tracked armored vehicle TULPAR and COBRA II tactical wheeled armored vehicle from its broad range of armored platforms. Visitors of Otokar stand will have chance to have detailed information about Otokar’s own design and production of armored military vehicles family along with its turret systems and also, they will be informed about its distinctive capabilities in land systems such as expertise in technology transfer and local manufacturing.
A GLOBAL PLAYER IN DEFENSE INDUSTRY
Otokar designs and manufactures a wide range of defense industry products including 4×4, 6×6, 8×8 tactical wheeled armored vehicles, tracked armored vehicles, unmanned tracked armored vehicles as well as turret systems, using its own technology, design and applications. Otokar products are recognized for their survivability, superior mobility and modularity.
As a listed NATO and United Nations supplier, more than 33 thousand Otokar military vehicles are serving in more than 40 countries on five continents. Otokar’s combat proven wheeled vehicles serve in challenging terrain and extreme weather conditions, and demonstrated their performance in various operations. Otokar reflects the experience it gained in different climates and geographies around the world to its vehicle development and testing activities.
Otokar stands out with its ability to respond quickly to ever-changing requirements and needs of end users thanks to its design, test, and manufacturing capabilities. Otokar analyzes different needs and expectations of its users, simulate these requirements in house and develop solutions that meet the requirements in the fastest manner thanks to its excellence in R&D, engineering and testing. In the last year, the R&D spending corresponded to 4% of the Otokar’s revenue.
OTOKAR ONCE AGAIN PARTICIPATES IN LAAD
LAAD is of great importance as South America is one of Otokar’s important key markets. During the exhibition, Otokar aims to meet its current and potential users and develop further relationships. It is also an important event for establishing industrial cooperation opportunities in order to create local added value operations in the entire region where Otokar has a well-established and proven track record.
TULPAR MODULAR ARMORED TRACKED VEHICLE
TULPAR stands out with mobility, high firepower, and survivability features. TULPAR is designed as a multi-purpose tracked vehicle with variants ranging from 28,000kg to 45,000kg to fully satisfy the modern armies’ existing and future requirements.
TULPAR comes in several variants including but not limited to Light/medium tank, Infantry Fighting Vehicle, Recovery Vehicle, Mortar Vehicle, Air Defence Weapon Carrier, Fire Support, Medical Evacuation having common subsystems. Tested in the toughest climates and on rough terrain conditions, TULPAR boosts high ballistic and mine protection with modular armor.
In addition to its high fire and destruction power, with its high mobility TULPAR, can serve in all kinds of combat environments from urban, built-up areas and light bridges to woodlands and all terrains, especially soft surfaces where main battle tanks are unable to operate due to their heavy weights.
COBRA II TACTICAL WHEELED ARMORED VEHICLE
Globally known COBRA II offers high level of protection, payload capacity, and large internal volume. In addition to its superior mobility, COBRA II offers high protection against ballistic, mine, and IED threats. With high power to weight ratio COBRA II delivering high performance. The vehicle is operated by many armies in different parts of the world, on toughest terrain and climate conditions.
Being suitable for the integration of wide range of weapon and mission equipment options, COBRA II is successfully in service for border protection as well as internal security and peacekeeping missions in different users. The modular structure of COBRA II also makes the vehicle a flexible platform to be used as a personnel carrier, anti-tank weapons platform, Reconnaissance & Surveillance, CBRN reconnaissance vehicle, command control vehicle, recovery and medical evacuation.
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TEK Military Seating Limited
TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.
From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.
Contact: David Parkman
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