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Europe's forces expand on the land

[Content preview – Subscribe to IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly for full article]

After more than a decade of limited investment in land warfare platforms across Europe,

there is an increasing focus on upgrading and augmenting such capabilities. Jon Hawkes

investigates

While asymmetric operations in the Middle East have taken centre stage for a decade, causing a

lack of spending by European governments on land capabilities, land warfare platforms are once

again coming to the fore. Developments in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia have reaffirmed

the importance of heavy armour, while many users are seeking to bolster their fleets and update

ageing systems to maintain capability into the next decade.

An artist's impression of the British Army Challenger 2 MBT upgraded by Rheinmetall under the Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme. This image shows the new panoramic sighting system and situational awareness cameras. (Rheinmetall Defence)

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Germany

On 26 April the German parliament approved a request to buy 103 second-hand Leopard 2A4

main battle tanks (MBTs) back from industry, almost two years since the desire to increase the

operational Leopard 2 fleet was made public. The long delay in signing a contract has been

reported to be due to disagreements about revenue share between contractors Krauss Maffei-

Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall.






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The latest German Army Leopard 2A7, showing the Rheinmetall 120 mm L55 smoothbore gun, arrow-type armour on the front of the turret, and belly armour. (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann)

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Once agreed, under the terms of the contract the vehicles will be upgraded to the latest Leopard

2A7V configuration. The 2A7V is a minor upgrade over the existing 2A7, introducing some of the

improvements that were developed for the Qatari Leopard 2A7Q variant. Exact details are limited,

but it is understood that the upgrade includes an improved gunner's primary optic, replacement of

the driver's night sight with the Airbus SPECTUS TI/IR unit, and the installation of the FLW-200

remotely operated weapon station (ROWS). Although unconfirmed, it is expected that the latest

development in Rheinmetall's 120 mm smoothbore gun range, the L55A1, will also be installed.

The company previously stated that the first customer for the new gun will be Germany, with

deliveries from 2017, which would align closely with the country's intentions for the 2A7V upgrade

programme. The L55A1 has a higher pressure level - 700 MPa versus the baseline L55's 670 MPa

- and the stub-case ejector system has been optimised. The former produces a claimed 20%

increase in penetration over the baseline L55 weapon.

Alongside these efforts, 50 of the German Army's Leopard 2A6M MBTs are being upgraded to the

unofficial 2A6M+ standard, which, although not used in service, is an internal designation to

differentiate the standard 2A6M from the improved version. The upgrade includes the installation

of the Thales SOTAS-IP communications system and the replacement of the commander's sight

with the newer PERI R17A3 that is used on the 2A7. The SOTAS-IP system, which is also

installed in Germany's Boxer multirole armoured vehicles (MRAVs) and Puma infantry fighting

vehicles (IFVs), is compatible with the Infanterist der Zukunft (IDZ) integrated soldier system and

includes installation of new digital control panels at all crew stations.






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The German Army is upgrading 50 of its Leopard 2A6M MBTs to the 2A6M+ standard, which includes communications upgrades and an improved sighting system. (Canadian DND)

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To accommodate increased power demands, a bank of ultra-capacitors is fitted that have

necessitated a minor redesign of the turret. The PERI R17A3 includes the new ATTICA thermal

sight, which provides a significant increase in night fighting capability through greater sensitivity

and the ability to tune brightness and contrast across the image more finely. The fire control

system (FCS) has also been upgraded, one of the advantages of which is the ability to fire the DM

11 programmable high-explosive (HE) fragmentation round from the main gun. A Kidde Deugra

fire suppression system has also been fitted; this uses the DeuGen N FE36 extinguishing agent in

both the engine and fighting compartment, which is safer than the previous nitrogen-based agents.

[Continued in full version…]

Rheinmetall's 130 mm L51 smoothbore tank gun, showing the front of the muzzle reference device housing. The L51 is expected to provide a significant increase in capability over existing 120 mm smoothbore gun designs, with up to 50% greater penetration claimed. (IHS Markit)

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Poland

Poland is purportedly looking to procure even more heavy armour, with reports that the Poles wish

to acquire more Leopard 2 MBTs to join the 246 vehicles that have already been procured to date.

Poland originally bought 128 ex-German Leopard 2A4s in 2002 and expanded its fleet in 2013 with

a further 118 Leopard 2s, including 105 2A5s, for a reported EUR180 million (USD202 million).

The country is currently upgrading its Leopard MBT fleet to the Leopard 2PL standard, which is

based on Rheinmetall's Advanced Technology Demonstrator, formerly the MBT Revolution

concept. The upgrade includes the installation of a new FCS, the new PERI R17A3L4 and EMES-

15 sights using Polish-made KLW-1 thermal cameras, and an additional monitor for the tank

commander. The main gun will be equipped with a new recuperator, K900 recoil brakes, and an

electric firing system to facilitate the firing of programmable DM 11 HE fragmentation and DM

63A1 armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS) ammunition.

The Polish Leopard 2PL will have a number of enhancements, including new gun control equipment and additional armour, but it will retain the 120 mm Rheinmetall L44 smoothbore gun. (Rheinmetall)

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Upgrades will be carried out in Poland under close co-operation between Rheinmetall subsidiary

Rheinmetall Defence Polska (RDP) and Polish supplier Zaklady Mechaniczne Bumar-Labedy

(ZMBL): a subsidiary of state-owned defence holding group Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ).

RDP will teach ZMBL how to maintain and upgrade Leopard 2 MBTs and will help to create an

overhaul and support facility for them in Poland. ZMBL will also gain all intellectual property rights

for the Leopard 2 in the Polish market.







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Finland has a fleet of about 100 ageing Leopard 2A4s that could be sold following its acquisition of

100 ex-Dutch Leopard 2A6s in 2014. Norway operates a small fleet of Leopard 2A4s with about 45

in operational condition. The Norwegian Army has stated a desire to move away from armour

towards a more mobile motorised/light infantry configuration and, as such, may be looking to

release its vehicles in the near term. A final but less desirable option would be Spain, which has a

fleet of 108 ex-German tanks that were purchased in 2005, having been leased from Germany

since 1995. These vehicles have since been offered to various countries for a number of global

requirements, including to the Czech Republic and Peru, but they were reportedly rejected on both

occasions, in part because of their poor condition, which required a factory-level refurbishment and

reset. Given that any vehicle procured is likely to be put through the Leopard 2PL upgrade

process, it is possible that a combination of these operators could be used to acquire the platforms

in the volumes required.

The recent procurements and ongoing interest in further Leopard 2 upgrades mean there is little

likelihood of a procurement of the domestic PT-16 design, which is a development of the PT-91/T-

72 MBT hull with a new all-welded turret, armed with a Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) smoothbore 120

mm gun fed by a bustle-mounted autoloader. The vehicle is also fitted with the ERAWA 1/2

explosive reactive armour (ERA) package, as well as bar armour across the rear of the turret.

Although ostensibly designed for export to the Middle East, upgrading Poland's in-service PT-

91/T-72 tanks to this new configuration would be an affordable option to gain capability at a

modest cost.

A prototype of the Wilk (Wolf), a new variant of the Rosomak 8x8 vehicle, has undergone trials with the Polish Land Forces, but a production contract has not yet been placed. (Remigiusz Wilk)

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There has been little recent news on Poland's other vehicle programmes, which are developing

several new AFVs. The Borsuk will be a replacement for the in-service BWP-1 IFV. Reports in late

2016 stated that a first prototype of the newly designed vehicle would be finished by mid-2017,

with amphibious and mobility trials to begin in the summer. The vehicle is expected to feature a

development of the HSW ZSSW-30 unmanned turret, which mounts a 30 mm MK44 chain gun and

coaxial UKM-2000C 7.62 mm machine gun, with a pair of Rafael Spike-LR missiles in a pod on the






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right of the turret structure. Conceptual imagery from early 2016 showed additional variants of the

IFV, including an armoured personnel carrier (APC), armoured recovery vehicle (ARV), command

vehicle, and ambulance on a common chassis.


The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom's Challenger 2 MBT Life Extension Programme is continuing through a two-

year competitive assessment phase, with two teams each having been awarded a GBP23 million

(USD29.7 million) contract in late 2016. The two teams, led by Rheinmetall Land Systeme GmbH

and BAE Systems, will undertake technical studies, produce detailed digital models, and consider

how upgrades will be integrated onto the current platform. In the event of unforeseen

circumstances the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has allocated a further EUR7.8 million that can

be provided to bidders.

The 120 mm L55 smoothbore gun is being considered as a possible future upgrade option for the UK's Challenger 2 MBT fleet. (BAE Systems)

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BAE Systems' 'Team Challenger 2' includes General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), Leonardo,

Moog, QinetiQ, and Safran Electronics. One of the advantages for this team is that BAE was the

original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for the Challenger 2. A further advantage is that GLDS is

the OEM for the only current in-production AFV for the United Kingdom: the Ajax tracked

reconnaissance vehicle.

Rheinmetall, meanwhile, is teaming with Supacat, Thales UK, and BMT to offer a proposal that

includes the ability to conduct a future upgrade to install Rheinmetall's 120 mm L55 smoothbore

gun and associated ammunition handling systems. This is something that has been previously

explored under the cancelled Challenger 2 Lethality Improvement Programme (CLIP), which






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included the installation and testing of the L55 smoothbore gun under the Smoothbore Option

Technical Demonstrator Programme (SO TDP), leading to the creation of the Challenger 2 Hybrid

Ordnance. This was a 120 mm smoothbore gun combining elements of Rheinmetall's weapon with

the existing L30A1, which was a move intended to reduce support and training costs once a

solution was in service. The most prominent advantage of moving to a smoothbore gun with

single-piece ammunition is the ability to fire much longer APFSDS penetrators, which have as

much as 90% greater length-to-diameter ratios in the Rheinmetall gun's DM63 round, compared

with the existing L27 CHARM 3 round that the L30A1 fires.

However, funding will remain a significant issue in considering a future gun swap for the

Challenger 2 and certainly at this time it appears unlikely that any plans or funding for such a swap

exist. British Army officials have stated that they believe that lethality for the Challenger 2 could be

increased in a number of significant ways without touching the gun, including further improvements

to mission systems and munitions.

The Nexter VBCI could be purchased by the UK MoD to fulfil its MIV requirement; the British Army was loaned a vehicle for trials in 2015, but a sale has not yet emerged. (IHS Markit/Patrick Allen)

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The Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) programme seeks an 8x8 AFV for a requirement that has

existed for many years, formerly under the guise of the Future Rapid Effect System Utility Vehicle

(FRES UV). Under the FRES UV programme General Dynamics Land System's Piranha V was

selected as a preferred bidder in May 2008, but the programme was subsequently cancelled in

December of the same year due to budget restrictions. FRES UV was itself not the first effort to

procure an 8x8; the Boxer MRAV multinational programme began in 1999 to procure a modular

8x8 AFV, but in 2003 the United Kingdom pulled out of the programme, stating that the vehicle did

not fulfil its requirements. Orders for the Boxer totalling more than 690 vehicles have been made

by Germany, the Netherlands, and Lithuania.






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The need for a FRES UV-type platform was resurrected in 2015 as the MIV requirement in the UK

Strategic Defence and Security Review, which stated that it would form a core element of the UK's

new strike brigade formations. Following the 22 November 2016 deadline for responses to the

MoD's preliminary market engagement questionnaire, however, there has been a period of

uncertainty about the direction that the MIV programme will take. Although a competitive selection

seems likely, rumour of a direct government-to-government buy has been rife, with reports

circulating that either the ARTEC Boxer or the Nexter Vehicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie

(VBCI) will be purchased. The Boxer is a capable system, but would carry with it the potential

embarrassment of the United Kingdom procuring essentially the same vehicle it rejected as

unsuitable 14 years ago. The VBCI has proven effective in French service and in 2015 the British

Army was loaned an example to conduct trials, but a sale has not so far emerged.

The ARTEC Boxer in IFV configuration, fitted with a remote-control turret armed with a 30 mm cannon and 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. The vehicle is being considered by the UK MoD to fulfil its requirement for an 8x8 AFV. (Lithuanian MoD)

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France

France has recently progressed a number of major elements of its wider modernisation efforts,

which are largely being conducted under the Scorpion programme.

In April the first production order was placed with Nexter Systems, Renault Trucks Defense, and

Thales for an initial 319 Véhicule Blindé MultiRole (VBMR) Griffon vehicles and 20 Engin Blinde de

Reconnaissance (EBRC) Jaguar vehicles. The Griffon is a 6x6 armoured vehicle that will replace

the in-service Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde (VAB) and will be procured in five variants: troop carrier,

artillery observation vehicle, command post vehicle, ambulance, and mortar carrier. The first order

only covers the initial four variants, with the mortar variant, which mounts a Thales-TDA MEPAC

120 mm semi-automatic rifled mortar, not expected to be ordered before 2020.






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The French Leclerc MBT fleet is being upgraded as part of the Scorpion programme, which will include improvements to survivability and communications systems. (IHS Markit/Patrick Allen)

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The Jaguar is a 6x6 armoured reconnaissance and combat vehicle and is fitted with a further

development of Nexter's T40M two-person turret, which mounts the CTAI 40 mm Cased

Telescoped Armament System (CTAS 40) cannon alongside two MBDA Missile Moyenne Portée

anti-tank guided weapons. CTAI will deliver 700 CTAS 40 cannons to the United Kingdom and

France, making it the largest medium-calibre cannon programme in Europe. The Jaguar will

replace the AMX-10RC, Saaie ERC, and VAB HOT in French service.


France's Leclerc MBT is also being upgraded under the Scorpion programme, with a USD316

million contract awarded in March 2015 for the upgrade of 200 Leclercs and 18 Leclerc Dépanneur

Nouvelle Génération (DNG) ARVs, which will be designated Renovated Leclercs and Renovated

Leclerc ARVs. The upgrade will focus on survivability and communication systems, with the latter

including the installation of the Système d'information du combat Scorpion (SICS): a common

communications system that will be installed in all upgraded and new-build French Army combat

vehicles. Survivability will be increased via the installation of a new armour package, which

provides an enhanced level of protection against mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs),

and a 'Level 2' package that will provide a higher level of protection against rocket-propelled

grenades (RPGs). The Leclerc will also be able to accommodate the Barage IED jammer, while a

ROWS developed by Renault Trucks Defense will be fitted to its turret roof, which is a common

system that will also be fitted to Jaguar and Griffon vehicles.






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Concept images of the French Army Griffon and Jaguar armoured vehicles. First production orders for these vehicles were placed with Nexter, Thales, and Renault Trucks Defense in April. (Nexter/Renault/Thales)

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Russia

Russia's progress in recent years, which has led to several entirely new families of vehicles being

developed alongside a range of new standalone platforms and upgrades to existing platforms, has

been remarkable. However, the economic slowdown caused by the decline of the energy sector

and the sanctions imposed by the West since the start of the Ukraine crisis have caused

procurement budgets to be severely stripped back. Spending on procurement was previously

protected, but the cuts implemented in the 2017 budget and planned for the 2018 budget mean

that the same level of procurement is no longer possible. This will adversely affect the State

Armament Plan, particularly the procurement of new and expensive combat systems.

The Armata family of heavy AFVs is in the early stages of initial production, with a first order

placed in September 2016 for more than 100 T-14 MBT variants. Although officials have continued

to cite a procurement objective of 2,300 units, this is highly unlikely in the short to medium term as

budgets diminish. This could be advantageous because it will allow longer for development and

trials to fine-tune the designs ahead of a large volume production order. In addition to the T-14, the

T-15 heavy IFV and T-16 ARV will be procured, although projected numbers for these variants

have not been announced.






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A Russian improved T-72B3 at the 5 May 2017 Victory Day Parade in Moscow. The improved vehicle has not been assigned a designation, with various sources referring to it as the T-72B3M, T-72B4 and T-72Be obr.2016. (Neil Grundy)

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Following their display at the May 2015 Victory Day parade in Moscow there has been relatively

little news and few announcements on the other new vehicle families that have been developed:

Kurganets and Bumerang.


The designation for the baseline chassis of the Bumerang has been confirmed as VPK-7829, with

the role variants designated K-16 and K-17 for the APC and IFV respectively. Trials with the first

batch of six vehicles are under way, with an initial production order expected to soon be placed

with the prime contractor: the Military Industrial Corporation (MIC). Further variants are expected

and reportedly include an ARV; casualty evacuation vehicle; specialised command, control, and

communications vehicle; electronic warfare vehicle; fire support vehicle; reconnaissance variant;

specialised command vehicles (for artillery, aviation, and air defence units); and a 'technical

reconnaissance' vehicle.

With funding for the production of these advanced new vehicles severely lacking, Russia is looking

to its older fleets to maintain capability for the immediate future. To this end Russia has begun

upgrading its legacy T-72B MBT fleet, with an initial 150 vehicles being upgraded to an improved

T-72B3 standard. Lacking a specific designation, which could be one of a number of options (T-

72B3M, T-72B4, T-72 obr.2016, or T-72B3-1), the upgraded vehicles feature a number of

additional changes over the baseline T-72B3 that are primarily aimed at increasing survivability to

similar levels as the export T-90MS MBT. A new ERA layout fixes some of the vulnerabilities in the

existing T-72B3 design and is stated to bring the vehicle to a comparable level of protection as the

export T-90MS. This claim is somewhat optimistic, however, because use of the newer Relikt ERA

system on the T-90MS, combined with its more compact ERA layout, make the protection it offers

superior to that offered by the T-72B3. However, Relikt is not the most advanced ERA in Russian






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use, with the T-14 Armata MBT mounting the newer Malachit ERA, which is able to adjust the

detonation of the module in response to the size and velocity of the threat projectile.

Frontal coverage changes are limited to the addition of a small ERA module to the left of the gun

mantlet, covering a location that is fully exposed on the T-72B3. This module appears to only

contain a lower and not an upper ERA panel, probably to avoid obstructing the view of the sighting

unit located above and behind it. Nine large rectangular ERA modules have been added to the

rear portion of the turret sides: five on the right and four on the left.

Meanwhile, bar armour has been installed across the rear of the turret and hull in the same

configuration as the T-90MS, providing increased protection against RPG-type weapons.

Armoured side-skirts similar to those installed on the T-90MS have also been installed across the

front three-quarters of the MBT's track area.

In November 2016 sources told Jane's that the Russian MoD was also planning to bring as many

as 2,000 of its mothballed T-80BV tanks back into service via an upgrade programme, understood

to bring the tanks to a T-80U-1E configuration. The upgrade will include the installation of the

Sosna-U FCS, an updated energy generator and engine starter, Relikt ERA plates, and the more

powerful GTD-1250 gas turbine engine. Until the T-14 enters service, the T-80 remains Russia's

most potent MBT design, so this programme will provide a significant capability boost to Russian

ground forces, especially those equipped with older versions of the T-72 family. The upgrade also

ensures that the vehicles are capable of operating in Arctic conditions: one of the major areas of

focus for Russian ground forces at this time.


Finland

In February Finland announced its intention to procure second-hand K9 Thunder 155 mm self-

propelled howitzers (SPHs) from South Korea. Costing USD155 million, 48 vehicles will be

procured, along with training, spares, and maintenance, with a contract option for additional K9s to

be ordered if required. The K9 was selected because of its attractive price as well as its suitability

for use with a conscription-based force.

Deliveries will begin this year, alongside initial training of instructors, with the first conscripts to

begin their training on the systems in 2019. Following an initial operating capability in 2020, final

deliveries are scheduled for 2024, with full operating capability in 2025. Modifications from the

South Korean configuration are minor, limited to changing the communications and battle

management systems to the digital radios and Patria-made systems used by the Finnish Defence

Forces (FDF).






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Following trials in 2016, Finland has announced it is procuring second-hand K9 Thunder 155 mm self-propelled howitzers from South Korea. (IHS Markit/Peter Felstead)

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