land warfare vol5 #4

Into AfricaModernisation push

ISRAEL’S CHOICEProcurement focus

www.landwarfareintl.com

UPGRADE OPTIONSModern assault rifles

Volume 5 Number 4August/September 2014

BANG ON TARGETArtillery developments

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33

3 EDITORIAL COMMENT Militant tendency

4 NEWS • Russia to counter sanctions with increased

army spend • Loc wins Bradley IFV mobility contract • European land consolidation edges closer • Djibouti parades new acquisitions • PLA displays new small arms at open day

10 TOUGH CUSTOMERS African armies have struggled with underfunding

and sustained civil unrest over the years, but the requirement for modern equipment is now becoming critical, finds Helmoed-Römer Heitman.

15 A BRIGHT SPOT Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have

demonstrated the advantages of equipping every soldier with optical sights to improve situation awareness and lethality. Ian Kemp explores the evolution of this technology.

19 BANG ON TARGET Technologies are now available to greatly increase

the accuracy of indirect fires. David Saw details the decades-long quest for precision and examines the guided munition options currently on the market.

24 HARD CHOICES Combat operations in Gaza have shown that the

combined arms team remains at the heart of Israel’s ground forces. Ian Kemp reports on army modernisation efforts in the face of competing budget pressures.

1Volume 5 Number 4 | August/September 2014 | LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS


Front cover: The Puma APC has been acquired by Kenya and Malawi. (Photo: OTT Technologies)

EditorTim Fish. [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1753 727036

North America EditorScott R Gourley. [email protected] Tel: +1 (707) 822 7204

European EditorIan Kemp. [email protected]

ContributorsClaire Apthorp, Gordon Arthur, Mike Bryant, Liza Helps, Helmoed-Römer Heitman, Neelam Mathews, Stephen Miller, David Saw

Production ManagerDavid Hurst. [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1753 727029

Sub-editorAdam Wakeling

Advertising Sales ExecutiveBrian Millan. [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)1753 727005

Editor-in-ChiefTony Skinner

Managing DirectorDarren Lake

ChairmanNick Prest

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28 PULLING THE TRIGGER Bullpup or traditional? Upgrade or acquisition?

Tim Fish examines how militaries around the world are approaching their current and future inventory of assault rifles, and what new trends are emerging.

33 BODY OF WORK Soldier modernisation efforts around the world are

resulting in some exciting developments in body armour, with unprecedented levels of protection, mobility and functionality being promised. Adam Wakeling reviews recent developments.

PARTING SHOT

36 ACCESSING AFRICA Stephan Burger, CEO of Denel Land Systems,

talks to Helmoed-Römer Heitman about the African marketplace and how the company will position itself for exports.

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3www.landwarfareintl.com Volume 5 Number 4 | August/September 2014 | LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL

EDITORIAL COMMENT

As Land Warfare International goes to press Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh

Mohamud announced a push by African Union and government forces to remove the al-Shabaab militant group from its remaining strongholds in the country. Despite continuing attacks in Mogadishu it is thought that this latest effort – Operation Indian Ocean – will allow the government to increase its control over the country.

Over the past few months, as fighting in Ukraine and Gaza adds to the conflicts already raging across the Middle East, events in Africa have been somewhat overshadowed.

Russia is already facing Western sanctions on armaments and the result is increased defence spending to make up the difference (see p4). Meanwhile, talks about sanctions on Israel may affect some of the procurement plans of the IDF (see p24) but it is unlikely that these will be implemented if the current Gaza ceasefire holds and the situation is defused.

In Libya, levels of fighting have increased in recent weeks resulting in the evacuation of foreign nationals, while in northern Mali insurgents are stubbornly resisting UN and French efforts to remove them. France and the UN are also struggling to contain ethnic violence in the Central African Republic where the president and cabinet have just left office.

ON A MISSIONIn July France initiated a new counter-terror mission – Operation Barkhane – to test its capabilities in the region on the back of its deployment to Mali under Operation Serval. Barkhane will include some force elements from Serval as part of an effort to bolster

regional cooperation stretching from the Atlantic coast and across the Sahel. A force of about 3,000 troops will be commanded from N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, and it will include about 20 helicopters, 200 armoured vehicles – likely to be VBCIs, VABs and ERC 90s, ten transport aircraft, six Mirage or Rafale fighter jets and three Harfang UAS.

Using other bases across the region, Operation Barkhane is expected to include the participation of forces from Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

France sees security in the Sahel as directly linked to its own, feelings shared by the US which, under AFRICOM, has been running the Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Partnership for some years that includes military-to-military cooperation with Sahel states as well as targeted diplomatic efforts.

For industry, attention is focused on the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition in Pretoria. As one of the continent’s most modern military powers, South Africa has some serious decisions to take about what role it wants to play in contributing to security in Africa, and if it will pay for it.

Procurement across Africa reflects immediate security concerns typical to each area, but there is recognition among governments that insurgent groups aiming to de-stabilise various states are much better armed than in years past, requiring a more formidable and better equipped national army to oppose them (see p10).

Following the release of the South African Defence Review (SADR) in March 2014, there will be a focus on long-term equipment plans and building a stronger relationship with industry, and

the development of sovereign capabilities for support and modernisation of equipment, including sustained manufacturing of munitions and spares, plus systems integration.

The SADR also calls for equipment designed for operating in African conditions including tactical vehicles, artillery and medical capabilities.

NATIONAL PRIORITYCompanies will have to be more than half owned and run by South Africans to qualify to compete for high-end sovereign projects. Those that are more than a quarter owned and run can qualify for lower-level projects and will be considered after South African companies.

Foreign companies based in South Africa can only compete for large projects if they can offer uninterrupted through-life support. Local subsidiaries of foreign companies can go for standard projects as long as they can show a long-term commitment to South Africa, whilst joint ventures can go for any project as long as the intellectual property is secure.

As the main state-owned company, Denel is looking ahead to what it can do in this landscape (see p36) and is likely to take on the most sensitive projects. However it is also able to partner and sub-contract to private industry and this is where the opportunities lie for other local or international industrial players.

South Africa is keen to engage experienced international defence firms, but it will have to outline what capability packages it will fund properly to give industry confidence to invest in the future.Tim Fish, Editor

l AFV innovationl US Army programmesl Night visionl Grenades

MILITANT TENDENCY

IN THE NEXT ISSUE

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4 LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL | August/September 2014 | Volume 5 Number 4 www.landwarfareintl.com

NEWS

The Russian government plans to increase defence spending to one quarter of the federal budget by 2017.

This is due to sanctions imposed on the country, which has resulted in the suspension of imports of many military products and technologies from abroad. The majority of funds will be allocated for the purchase of new weapons for the Russian Army.

The country is looking at ways to replace supplies of non-Russian equipment and imported components that have been suspended.

According to an MoD spokesperson, a significant part of the funds will be allocated to replace the Astais-VBL programme that involved developing a 4x4 ATV jointly by Russia’s Astais and Renault Trucks Defense of France.

It is planned that Astais-VBL will be replaced by Ansyr, a new Russian armoured vehicle developed Bauman Moscow State Technical University that weighs 4t and is designed for special military operations, patrolling and escorting.

The three-seat vehicle will be fitted with a 180hp engine and can achieve a top speed of up to 125km/h. It is equipped with independent suspension and an amphibious capability, allowing it to stay in the water for at least an hour and move in waves of up to 30cm.

It is planned that production of the first set of vehicles will start in early 2015, although final numbers have not been decided.

Under the earlier Astais-VBL project, there were plans to produce a pilot batch of five to ten units this year followed by serial production in 2015. According to sources close to the programme, the initial investment is thought to have been in the range of $50-70 million.

The Astais-VBL effort is not the only programme to suffer from sanctions. Earlier this year, Renault Trucks Defense was reported to have frozen development of the Atom IFV, first presented last year and developed in cooperation with Burevestnik – a subsidiary of UralVagonZavod.

Furthermore, German manufacturer Rheinmetall suspended its cooperation with the Russian MoD to build a military training centre for ground troops near Nizhny-Novgorod. The construction work was scheduled to be completed at the end of 2014 at an estimated cost of €100 million ($134.2 million).

The sanctions have already resulted in the revision of projects for the production of new small arms by Russian company Promtechnologii. The barrels for its weapons were supplied from the US.

Until recently, Ukraine supplied the majority of weapon components from outside Russia, with about 4.4% of Russian products containing Ukrainian parts, particularly in the intercontinental ballistic missile sector. By Eugene Gerden, St Petersburg

track kits, shock absorber kits, vehicle suspension support system kits, and heavyweight torsion bar kits, all of which will improve the Bradley’s mobility.

As well as performing the work, Loc will provide logistics support, including vehicle inspections, new equipment training and a 10km road test for each upgraded vehicle.

Company president Lou Burr said: ‘This award represents a watershed moment in procurement history for the US Army. This type

Loc Performance Products will perform work to enhance the mobility of the US Army’s Bradley IFV under a $161 million contract announced on 30 July. The firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract was awarded by US Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command.

The contract will see vehicle modifications carried out as part of Engineering Change Proposal (ECP-1) upgrades. Loc will install

of contract is normally sole-sourced to the original prime contractor, which typically does not result in best value for the army. Because this was a full and open competition, the army saves taxpayers millions of dollars, and demonstrates a new model for cost-effective procurement.

‘We look forward to restoring lost mobility to the Bradley IFV, and providing this superior equipment to our warfighters.’By Claire Apthorp, London

LOC WINS BRADLEY IFV CONTRACT

Photo: Russian MoD

RUSSIA TO COUNTER SANCTIONS WITH INCREASED ARMY SPEND

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NEWS


French military vehicles manufacturer Nexter and German armaments producer KMW have signed an agreement to create a joint holding company.

The two industrial giants signed the agreement on 1 July, and the result will be the creation of a Franco-German technology group with an annual turnover of more than €2 billion ($2.68 billion). The alliance project is expected to start in 2015 following regulatory approval.

In a statement, the companies said that they viewed this step as ‘decisive for the consolidation of the defence technology industry in Europe’ and that the alliance ‘creates a group with the momentum and innovative force required to succeed and prosper in international competition’.

It added: ‘In addition, it offers to its European and NATO customers the opportunity of increased standardisation and interoperability for their defence equipment, with a dependable industrial base.’

The two sole owners will each have a 50% share in the joint holding company, which will become the sole shareholder in KMW and Nexter.

The two companies complement each other in many ways. KMW is well known for producing tracked vehicles such as the Leopard 2 MBT, Puma IFV and PzH 2000 self-propelled gun.

The company is also involved in the production of wheeled armoured vehicles.

Nexter is mainly known for the production of the Leclerc MBT and its range of wheeled armoured vehicles, such as the VBCI IFV and the Caesar 155mm truck-mounted artillery gun.

Although some of its products areas will complement each other, there are some that will not. There may be a clash in the field of wheeled armoured vehicles, as KMW is in the ARTEC Consortium with Rheinmetall building the 8x8 Boxer IFV, which is a direct competitor to the 8x8 Nexter VBCI for the Danish APC competition.

However, as domestic markets dry up in Europe with continuing cuts to defence expenditure, it has become ever more important in the past few years to secure exports. The new alliance will establish a formidable group to compete against on the international stage.

It has been a long time coming, as the land sector usually lags behind aerospace, where European-level consolidation has advanced more rapidly, with the formation of Airbus Group and systems houses like Thales and MBDA.

This is an alternative to consolidation between companies within France or Germany, and could prove to be a trigger for others to follow suit.By Tim Fish, London

EUROPEAN LAND CONSOLIDATION EDGES CLOSER

NEWS ON THE WEB

Excalibur Ib cleared for full-rate production

1 August 2014

Logos wins hostile fire detection and location work

31 July 2014

Javelin’s vehicle-launch capability demonstrated

30 July 2014

Successful GMLRS Alternate Warhead flight tests complete

29 July 2014

MEADS system demo success28 July 2014

General Dynamics wins Peruvian Marine LAV contract

25 July 2014

Cubic receives I-MILES TVS training contract

24 July 2014

Interest grows in APKWS17 July 2014

Saab looks to fulfil Philippine air defence requirements

17 July 2014

Microdata highlights crisis response capabilities

17 July 2014

All these stories can be found at www.landwarfareintl.com

The KMW Leopard 2 MBT (left) and Nexter VBCI (right). (Photos: author)

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NEWS

The Djibouti Army used the occasion of the country’s independence day celebration on 27 June to show off several new armoured vehicle types that have been taken into service.

These included: BTR-80 APCs; 12 Force Protection Cougar mine-protected APCs; and six Puma 4x4 light APCs acquired from Italy and re-armed with a Chinese 12.7mm W85 heavy machine gun, part of a batch transferred in 2013.

The vehicles were paraded together with M109 artillery guns, suggesting that they are being used as command or scout vehicles for the artillery. Some eight M109L self-propelled guns were reportedly acquired from Italy in mid-2013, which replaced its M109s with the PzH 2000.

There were no tanks on parade and most sources do not list Djibouti as operating such platforms, but there have been reports of the country acquiring 42 T-72s from Yemen. The M109Ls, for their part, are a major boost in firepower, as the army’s artillery was previously limited to just six towed 122mm D-30 guns and eight BM-21 rocket launchers.

In January, the Djibouti Army also received a donation of 26 Toyota Land Cruisers funded by the US through its Foreign Military Assistance programme as a quid pro quo for Djibouti’s deployment of some 1,000 soldiers in Somalia to fight al-Shabaab.

Also on parade were a number of ex-South African Army Ratel IFVs, Panhard AML light

armoured vehicles and a number of HMMWVs, apparently mounting a light rocket launcher.

The Djibouti Army also operates Panhard VBL scout cars, Casspir mine-protected APCs and HMMWVs armed with Chinese or Russian heavy machine guns (HMGs), as well as number of ‘technicals’ – mainly 4x4 pick-ups with 12.7mm or 14.6mm HMGs. There are also some heavier technicals that use a 6x6 truck as the platform.

The Djibouti Army has shown itself to be quite creative in developing solutions to meet its requirements. One example was the integration of turrets from AML-90 light armoured cars on BTR-60 APCs, providing a useful combination of firepower and mobility.By Helmoed-Römer Heitman, South Africa

On the 17th anniversary of the return of Hong Kong to China, the PLA held open days at several military bases and demonstrated four weapons that will be used by the Hong Kong garrison.

The Type 11 (QSZ11) pistol is a compact gun chambered for 5.8x21mm rounds, and has an eight-round cartridge. It is intended for senior commanders, personal protection details and aviators, but is not intended as a replacement for the incumbent QSZ92 pistol. But the use of 5.8mm ammunition provides uniformity, since the PLA’s standard weapon is the 5.8mm Type 95 (QBZ-95) assault rifle.

The second weapon new to the garrison is the Type 06 (QSW06) suppressed semi-automatic pistol. Based on the QSZ92, it features a standard 20-round cartridge and is designed for special forces. The silencer is detachable, and the QSW06 replaces the Type 67 silenced pistol.

A third small arm was the QLG10A 35mm underbarrel grenade launcher mounted on a Type 95B-1 carbine. The updated grenade launcher is based on the existing QLG10, but is

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) displayed its new and recently acquired small arms during the Hong Kong handover celebrations on 1 July.

designed to fit the latest Type 95-1 rifle. This 1kg launcher measures 230mm in length, and is capable of firing ten grenades per minute.

The final weapon featured by the Hong Kong Garrison was the Type 10 (QBU10) 12.7mm anti-materiel rifle that weighs 13.3kg. For the QBU10, the PLA cites ranges of 1,000m for human targets and 1,500m for materiel targets. An IR sight/ballistic rangefinder was shown fitted on the 1.38m-long rifle to give it a night-fighting capacity.

The PLA conducted counter-terrorism drills on two of its open days to demonstrate one of its core competencies to Hong Kong citizens. The demonstrations by special forces showed that the newer Type 95-1 (QBZ95-1) assault rifle is now in widespread use with Hong Kong-based soldiers.

The drills are significant, as tensions in the territory are mounting because of a powerful pro-democracy lobby and popular discontent with the Beijing-appointed leadership.By Gordon Arthur, Hong Kong

DJIBOUTI PARADES NEW VEHICLES

PLA DISPLAYS NEW SMALL ARMS AT OPEN DAY

Photo: author

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EDITION

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NEWS

Japan has outlined a number of wide-ranging changes to its Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) that will allow the organisation to improve its ability to rapidly respond to security crises, following the release of the country’s latest defence white paper in August.

The National Defense Program Guidelines, published in December 2013, had previously highlighted an ‘increasingly severe’ security situation and a desire to improve joint operations.

Following these principles, the JGSDF’s Central Readiness Force is being replaced by three rapid deployment divisions and four rapid deployment brigades. 1 Armoured Division will be retained and operate alongside an airborne brigade, an amphibious rapid deployment brigade and a helicopter brigade.

The JGSDF’s regional deployment units will be cut from eight divisions and six brigades down to five divisions and two brigades. The surface-to-ship guided missile units are to be kept at five regiments, although the surface-to-air guided missile units will be reduced by one to seven anti-aircraft artillery regiments.

NUMBER CRUNCHINGTroop numbers are expected to remain at existing levels of 151,000 active duty personnel and 8,000 reserve-ready personnel, while retaining about 400 tanks and 400 main artillery guns, although these will now be distributed differently throughout the five regional armies (Northern, Northeastern, Eastern, Middle and Western).

The white paper explained that to enable swift and flexible operations, the JGSDF ‘will deploy mobile combat vehicles and remove tanks deployed in basic operational units stationed in locations other than Hokkaido and Kyushu’.

It continued: ‘It will also concentrate tanks located in Kyushu into newly organised tank units under the direct command of the Western

Army. In addition, howitzers deployed in basic operational units stationed in locations other than Hokkaido will be concentrated into field artillery units to be newly organised under the direct command of the respective regional armies.’

To support a rapid reaction capability in Japan’s outer areas, amphibious vehicles and tiltrotor aircraft will be procured to allow an advance deployment by the amphibious brigade, backed by heavier units in ships and transport aircraft.

MIDDLE GROUNDUnder the New Mid-Term Defense Program, the JGSDF plans to procure: 99 Maneuver Combat Vehicles (MCVs); 24 armoured vehicles, 53 amphibious vehicles; 17 tiltrotor aircraft; six CH-47JA transport helicopters; nine companies of ship-to-ship guided missiles; five companies of mid-range surface-to-air guided missiles; 44 tanks; and 31 howitzers.

As a result, the budget for new contracts from FY2014 is expected to increase by 17.8% to a quoted figure of ¥19,465 billion.

In terms of procurement, Japan has plans to develop a strategy that takes into account the future manufacturing and technology base ‘as a whole’. This involves promoting international joint development and adapting equipment for joint military and civil use. The method of procurement will also be reformed.

‘A project manager system will be introduced so as to enhance consistent project management throughout the life cycle from equipment design to disposal,’ the white paper stated. ‘In addition, while utilising the private sector’s knowledge, the MoD will actively train and appoint personnel to positions that require specialised knowledge, skills and experience in the acquisition of equipment.’

Under research and development, the white paper said that technological efforts in the land sector will focus on air defence, looking at the

next generation of surface-to-air guided missiles and a new air defence radar.

SHOWING OFFJapan has already made initial efforts to enter the export market. At Eurosatory in June, a Japanese stand highlighted a range of mainly non-combat technologies along with a model of a new 8x8 wheeled combat vehicle from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) based on its MCV, available in APC, C2 and medical evacuation variants.

The fourth prototype MCV (illustrated) was rolled out by the Technical Research and Development Institute in October 2013. It is a 105mm-armed 8x8 and has been developed to meet a JGSDF requirement for a vehicle with significant levels of firepower that can be easily deployed by air, land or sea, unlike a heavier MBT.

Testing is being undertaken throughout 2014-2015 and the platform will be built by MHI with entry into service expected in 2016. The MCV can be carried by Japan’s Kawasaki C-2 tactical transport.

The model of the new 8x8 was fitted with bar armour and a remote weapon station with .50cal gun. It has similar dimensions to the MCV and a full-size vehicle would be about 8m long and 2.98m wide with a height of about 2.8m and a GVW of 28t. The vehicle has a quoted empty weight of 18t so it offers a 10t payload capacity.

The engine is an MHI 4VA four-stroke, four-cylinder diesel that can offer 536shp of power. The 8x8 is all-wheel drive and has independent, double wishbone or hydro-pneumatic suspension. The vehicle is fitted with 395/85R20 summer/winter tyres. It can achieve a maximum speed of more than 100km/h and has space for 11 personnel (three crew and eight troops).

The medical evacuation variant will be fitted with a compartment for injured troops and the C2 variant will have an additional C4I system, firing C2 system and a manoeuvre C2 system.By Tim Fish, London

TOKYO OUTLINES JGSDF CHANGES

Photo: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

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Africa’s armies have long been neglected, making do with old equipment and

vehicles discarded by other modern land forces or, at best, procuring small numbers of new items. This has primarily been due to financial constraints as well as governments not needing expensive, hi-tech equipment to maintain control or face adversaries.

However, this has changed. Low-level bandits are now armed with machine guns capable of destroying a light armoured vehicle or APC, and their leaders possess extensive practical experience of operations. The days of sending out a few jeeps with machine guns are over.

The re-equipping of land forces is taking quite different forms in West and East Africa, determined by the nature of current conflicts and threats. In the former region and parts of the Sahel and surrounding areas, the focus is on light but heavily armed forces; whereas in the latter there is a preference for tanks due to the history of urban conflict in Mogadishu, Somalia.

DOWN UNDERIn the south, the situation is also different. There is currently no clarity regarding Angola’s intentions to re-equip itself, and the jury is out on whether South Africa’s government will provide the funding needed to arrest the decline of its army before it implodes.

The South African Army continues to look well-equipped and organised on paper, but is a shadow of its former self. Most of its heavy equipment is parked up because the service lacks funds even for maintenance. Apart from the delayed order for Badger IFVs (reduced from 264 vehicles to 238) placed this year, all major acquisition projects have stalled.

While under-funding is a critical issue, when combined with over-extension it becomes fatal. The army’s concept in 1998 was for a maximum of one battalion deployed externally for one year: today there are two; for a decade there were three; and briefly there were four. This disrupted training and maintenance and left no

money for upgrades and replacement projects, or even to maintain munitions stocks.

There is some hope in the service that the positive reception of the recently completed defence review may translate into funding, particularly as the cabinet expects more deployments. Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has stated that the cabinet understands there is a choice between further decline or rebuilding, and that ‘the government will not allow further decline of the defence force’.

He added: ‘The cabinet is of the clear view that South Africa’s defence responsibilities cannot be scaled down. Consequently, the resources allocated to defence must be commensurate with South Africa’s defence responsibilities and tasks.’

DWINDLING RESOURCESFor now, however, the situation remains dire. The mechanised force has four regular units, with some level of operational capability, and two mechanised infantry battalions fully

HOT CLIMATE

REGIONAL FOCUS

African armies have struggled with underfunding and sustained civil unrest over the years, but the requirement for modern equipment is now becoming critical, finds Helmoed-Römer Heitman.

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11Volume 5 Number 4 | August/September 2014 | LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONALwww.landwarfareintl.com

equipped with refurbished Ratel IFVs. There is one armoured vehicle battalion, with two companies of upgraded Rooikats, some Ratel ZT3 missile vehicles and a tank battalion with two companies of tanks – although the Olifant Mk 2s are more a case of capability retention than a true operational asset.

The situation for the field and air defence artillery (ADA) and the field engineers is similar – one partly equipped composite unit each, with the difference that the ADA has a battery of new Starstreak VSHORAD systems.

The motorised infantry force is a little better off, but most of the Casspir and Mamba APCs are parked, with only a small number operational. The same problem applies to the

fleet of Samil trucks, which are all over 30 years old. Replacement of the Ratel IFVs, which are the same age as the Samils, has begun, with sufficient Badgers ordered to fully equip two mechanised battalion groups and leave a training and attrition reserve. More will be ordered as and when funding allows.

Other key projects such as Vistula (Samil replacement) and Sapula (Casspir/Mamba replacement) remain stalled. The former should have gone ahead some years ago, but became mired in claims of irregularities after a preferred bidder was identified. The Mercedes Actros won the original evaluation, meeting the requirement and being the cheapest of the three that made it to a physical evaluation at Gerotek – the others being Iveco and MAN trucks.

The claims proved unfounded, but the tender was cancelled and, despite the urgency, has not been reissued. The army then concentrated its serviceable Samils for operational use, buying commercial trucks for general use – hardly a cost-effective use of limited funds, but the only viable option. The decision on Sapula depends on the Vistula selection, as it is to use the same driveline components.

ADDRESSING PROBLEMSThe artillery has been unable to obtain funding to upgrade its G5 and G6 guns – particularly with the L52 barrel, which would offer better range – nor has it addressed the problem that the ammunition for its Bateleur 127mm rocket launcher is no longer available. It has also not completed development of Denel Land Systems’ Light Experimental Ordnance (LEO) long-range (30km) 105mm gun that will provide 30km range with base-bleed.

This stalled three years ago when the US Army selected a self-propelled 155mm gun instead of a turreted 105mm fitted to the LAV platform, but

it may now go ahead. The turret has been man-qualified and there seems to be revived US interest. The towed version stalled at about the same time as when the South African Army stopped funding the project, but the gun and its ammunition family are perhaps two years from production status if funded.

The artillery is also examining a new 120mm mortar system for deployment with airborne forces.

The follow-on GBADS 2 project to acquire an FCS for the twin 35mm cannon and a SHORAD system (Denel Dynamics’ Umkhonto SAM and Reutech Radar Systems’ DBRXL radar) has also stalled due to lack of funding.

Perhaps the most urgent need is for air-transportable armour, which could have made a major difference to the fighting in Bangui in March 2013, but that is not even a requirement yet. The only project is for a ‘light armoured reconnaissance capability’, together with a new tank and a Rooikat replacement.

The only bright area is in light weapons, where the Milan ER has replaced the older variant, problems with the 40mm AGL appear to have been resolved, and an upgrade of the R4 rifle is being developed by Denel – although many in the infantry would rather replace it.

SOUTHERN SPENDINGThe situation of other armies in southern African is mixed. Although most governments allocate a substantially higher proportion of GDP to defence than South Africa’s 1.1%, there are few visible changes.

In Angola, there are reports of a purchase of T-84 tanks and BTR-80s, and the Angolan Army has acquired 45 Casspir 2000 mine-protected APCs from Denel Land Systems for future peace operations. Meanwhile, Namibia has begun large-scale refurbishment of army

Three Casspir armoured and mine-protected ambulances have been delivered to the UN for the African Union mission in Somalia. (Photo: Denel Land Systems)

A Ratel IFV of the South African Army test-firing a ZT3 Ingwe anti-tank guided missile with a range of 5,000m. (Photo: South African Army)

The Olifant MBT has been upgraded by BAE Systems to Mk II standard. (Photo: South African Army)

REGIONAL FOCUS



REGIONAL FOCUS

facilities, which some see as an indicator of force expansion. It has received a number of MAN trucks and a deployable field hospital from Germany. Botswana is believed to have begun upgrading its Kürrassier anti-tank vehicles and has acquired new 155mm artillery and substantial numbers of MAN trucks. Both countries are believed to be considering offers of ex-German Army Leopard 2s.

The Zimbabwe National Army is known to have received equipment from China, mainly for internal security roles, with most heavy equipment neglected. Zambia also does not appear to have any major projects pending. Malawi purchased 18 Puma mine-protected APCs from OTT Technologies in South Africa

during 2013, as well as six Marauders from Paramount Group. Mozambique is understood to have received some trucks and related equipment in grant, and is evaluating a small batch of MAN trucks.

DRC Army equipment programmes are unknown, but it has a number of T-72s in service – up to 100 according to some sources. These have not been seen in the east of the country where the security problems lie, but seem to be concentrated in the western pan-handle adjacent to Angola’s Cabinda enclave, which may account for recent nervousness on

Angola’s part. Just to the north, and also bordering Cabinda, the Republic of Congo acquired 16 Maverick mine-protected APCs from Paramount Group during 2013.

Tanzania has been a major purchaser of land forces equipment, including 30 T-59Gs (also reported as T-96s) between 2011 and 2013, and unspecified numbers of Type 63A 8x8 105mm armed fire support vehicles. It has also acquired: Type 07PA self-propelled 120mm mortar systems; 300mm A100 MRLs; and FB6A VSHORAD systems. Earlier acquisitions included at least ten WZ551 APCs in 2011-2012 and

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The Badger 8x8 APC’s turret has been sold overseas to Malaysia, showing that African-built products can compete internationally. (Photo: Denel Land Systems)



REGIONAL FOCUS


five Casspirs from South Africa in the same period.

There has been little land equipment acquisition in West Africa recently, as funds are devoted towards maritime security in the face of piracy and protection for offshore oil and gas resources. However, this is likely to change following: rebel successes in Mali and the Central African Republic (CAR); the escalation of Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria (now moving in groups of several hundred in 4x4 vehicles and attacking military bases) and northern Cameroon; and the continued instability in Libya to the north. All of the Sahel countries are going to have to take the threat of guerrillas, terrorists and bandits-cum-drug smugglers seriously.

Given the nature of the threat, the focus will be on equipment suited to counter-insurgency (COIN). Protected mobility will be a key factor, particularly for the Nigerian Army, which was embarrassed in Mali when its contingent was tasked with rear-area security for lack of suitable protected vehicles.

A key issue in this respect is that rebel groups are more experienced and better armed and led. Lightly armoured COIN vehicles no longer suffice. Rebels and insurgents can mount 14.5mm HMGs and 23mm cannon on ‘technicals’ – dealing with them requires a combination of agility, firepower and protection, not just some bullet-proofing. The French learned this quickly in Mali, bringing in 8x8 ICVs,

155mm guns and Tiger attack helicopters after initial clashes revealed that the rebels were better led, trained and armed than expected. There was even a squadron of tanks on standby if needed. Among the weapons later destroyed or captured from the rebels were BTR-60s and BRDM-2s, BM-21s and D-30 guns.

SELEKA’S STRENGTHIn December 2012, Seleka rebels in the CAR had been assessed by several intelligence services to be about 1,200-strong, but poorly trained and armed. By March 2013, Seleka had grown to 8,000 and some elements had: new technicals, all in standard camouflage armed with single and twin 14.5mm machine guns; recoilless

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‘There has been little land equipment acquisition in West Africa recently, as

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REGIONAL FOCUS

guns; and 30mm AGLs. It is not clear where this equipment – or the sudden proliferation of radios and satellite telephones – came from, but it shows how quickly the picture can change, and planners must take that into account.

Nigeria recently acquired 47 BTR-3s for its army, and since 2006 has acquired 44 Springbuck Mk VI mine-protected patrol vehicles from DCD Protected Mobility in South Africa for the police, and intends to take the latter into local production.

Ghana acquired nine Maverick mine-protected APCs from Paramount Group during 2013 as well as 12 Hunter special forces patrol/raiding vehicles from OTT Technologies. The latter is based on the Samil 20 truck, fitted with multiple machine gun mountings and ample space for ammunition, stores and water.

Other buyers include: Benin (ten Casspir 2000s); Equatorial Guinea (12 Reva mine-protected patrol vehicles); and Sierra Leone (four Mamba mine-protected APCs and one mine-protected armoured ambulance from South Africa).

ACTION AREAThe central and eastern regions have seen the highest levels of conflict and procurement activity, with a ‘tank race’ at the centre. Sudan has acquired 200 T-96As from China and 160 T-72s from Ukraine; South Sudan bought 110 T-72s from Ukraine in 2007-2009; Ethiopia purchased 250 T-72Bs from Ukraine in 2011 and there are rumours of 100 T-90s being bought. Uganda is buying 44 T-90Ss from Russia, with reports of up to 131 ordered in total, and even Djibouti has a reported acquisition of 42 T-72s from Yemen.

While this may surprise at first glance, it was the fighting in Mogadishu and other towns in Somalia that once again showed the importance of tanks in urban combat. Uganda, and apparently Burundi, acquired upgraded and up-armoured T-55s for use in Somalia, and both Uganda and Rwanda had small numbers of old T-55s that played a key part in their operations in Zaire (later the DRC). Meanwhile, Uganda supports South Sudan and might be dragged

into its civil war. This could lead to the latter intervening with its modern tanks. South Sudan’s acquisition of 110 T-72s (before it had much else in terms of weaponry) was a strategic gamble that paid off. The army was in no position to conduct armoured operations, but the presence of large numbers of tanks, even in static defensive roles, made any coup by Khartoum to undo independence impractical – it denied the chance of a ‘quick and clean’ reoccupation. Those T-72s later clashed with Sudanese T-96s around Heglig when the two sides by then were equally matched in skill if not numbers of tanks.

BALANCED APPROACHSouth Sudan is also building a more balanced army, adding artillery to its light mobile infantry and tanks. Key acquisitions include: towed 130mm M-46 guns; 24 self-propelled 122mm 2S1s; 12 self-propelled 152mm 2S3 guns; and some BM-21s. The Sudan Army, meanwhile, has acquired some BTR-3Us from Russia in addition to its new tanks.

Chad has acquired BTR-3s from Ukraine and Bastion internal security vehicles from France, the former giving a real edge over rebel technicals. Further acquisitions seem likely given that the country is surrounded by conflict (Boko Haram in north-eastern Nigeria and northern Cameroon), failed states (Libya and the CAR) and a hostile neighbour (Sudan).

Uganda has not just focused on vehicles, as it has also acquired new infantry weapons, including Chinese 30mm grenade launchers that are used in handheld and vehicle-mounted forms.

Kenya, heavily engaged in Somalia, has acquired BRDM-3s from Russia (eight delivered out of a requirement for 96), Type 92 APCs from China and Lazar IFVs and self-propelled 155mm/52cal Nora systems from Serbia, as well as some BM-21s. There are also rumours of an Mi-28 attack helicopter acquisition.

Although unconfirmed, fighting in Somalia has shown an urgent requirement for a night-

capable close-air support capability to engage bunkers in close proximity to friendly forces.

Kenya has also acquired large numbers of MAN trucks in various configurations and is considering additional vehicles. The country has also reportedly bought as many as 44,500 new assault rifles, 550 light machine guns and 650 anti-tank rocket launchers.

UP NORTHIn North Africa, Morocco and Algeria have been modernising their ground forces with some vigour. The former country has added 200 M1 Abrams, 150 Chinese Type 90-2 and 148 Russian T-72s to its tank force. Meanwhile, Algeria has added 170 T-90s from Russia and is preparing for the local manufacture of some 1,200 German Fuchs 6x6 APCs after acquiring 54 examples from Rheinmetall. It has also purchased: a substantial number of ATVs from Germany; light armoured patrol vehicles from NIMR in the UAE (also to be built in Algeria); three S300 SAM systems; and some 38 Pantsyr-S mobile air-defence systems from Russia.

Libya remains a concern to Algeria and others. While the government is unable to control events, it has continued to acquire weapons for its nascent armed forces. Among the acquisitions over the past two years have been: 300 BRDMs from Serbia; 49 NIMR armoured patrol vehicles (via Jordan); ten Khrizantema-S tank destroyers from Russia; 20 Puma APCs from Italy; and 24 HMMWVs from the US.

The acquisitions of the past few years have probably set the trend for the next decade or two. The one open question is whether South Africa will focus on its regional security responsibilities or not. If it does, then it will not just re-equip mechanised and motorised forces from local sources, but develop a light, deployable capability that will require vehicles and weapons suited to neutralising technicals and bunkers without being too large for airlift into smallish airfields. That would present a real challenge. LWI

The South African Army has two companies with upgraded Rooikats. (Photo: South African Army)



OPTICS


For more than a century following their introduction in the American Civil War,

telescopic sights mounted on rifles were regarded as a specialist tool for snipers. When the British Army deployed troops on internal security duties in Northern Ireland in 1969, they were armed with the 7.62mm L1A1 Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) fitted with simple iron sights. The SLR, like other assault rifles designed during the early decades of the Cold War, such as the Soviet AK-47 and the US M14, was intended to deliver a high volume of fire at comparatively short ranges.

It quickly became apparent in Northern Ireland that soldiers had to be able to distinguish terrorists from civilians and then engage targets without causing collateral damage. This was especially challenging in an urban environment. In 1973, the L2A1 Sight Unit, Infantry, Trilux (SUIT), which provided 4x magnification and had an 8° field of view (FoV), was introduced for mounting on SLRs used in Northern Ireland. Its purpose was threefold: to enhance situational awareness; enable rapid target acquisition; and aid precision engagement.

In 1978 the Austrian Army fielded the first assault rifle designed with an optical sight as a standard feature – the Steyr 5.56mm AUG bullpup. The Photonic 1.5x sight was integrated into a carrying handle. A simple black ring reticle was optimised to allow rapid acquisition of man-sized targets out to ranges of 300m.

ACCESSORY ESSENTIALSThe majority of assault rifles developed since 1980 were designed with either integral optical sights or a flat-top rail system, such as the MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rail, to accommodate both day and night sights. The US DoD approved the standard for the MIL-STD-1913 in February 1995, and its use quickly became widespread, not only for attaching day and night

sights, but other accessories such as lights, laser pointers and forward grips on the sides and beneath weapons.

The new STANAG 4694 NATO Accessory Rail (NAR) is based on the Picatinny rail and is backwards-compatible with it, but manufactured to higher tolerances, thus ensuring a more robust attachment and a tighter zero.

It was US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) which introduced optical sights into US military service through the Special Operations Peculiar Modification (SOPMOD) kit for the 5.56mm M4A1 carbine. In 1995, the command selected the Trijicon 4x32 Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight (ACOG) for SOPMOD and the following year added the same company’s Reflex sight.

The ACOG uses Trijicon’s ‘bindon aiming concept’, which permits a both-eyes-open shooting method and enables accurate engagements of targets at ranges out to 800m. A fibre-optic system collects ambient light to ensure a bright reticle in daytime and low light, while at night the reticle is illuminated by tritium. The scope also requires no batteries. Trijicon’s

Reflex is a battery-free, illuminated sight designed for close-quarter battle (CQB) use.

Following the invasion of Afghanistan, the USMC, which has always prided itself on its marksmanship, conducted trials of the ACOG that demonstrated a remarkable improvement in accuracy at ranges out to 600m. Marine Corps Systems Command bought an initial quantity of 6,000 TA31F 4x ACOGs, which were issued to the 1st Marine Division for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Initially, the ACOG was fitted on the Squad Advanced Marksman Rifle, an M16A4 with match-grade barrel and bipod. Maj Gen James Mattis, the division’s commanding general during the invasion, noted: ‘The ACOG mounted on the M16 service rifle has proven to be the biggest improvement in lethality for the marine infantryman since the introduction of the M1 Garand in World War II.’

DUAL ROLESFor the improved SOPMOD II kit, USSOCOM selected the Raytheon Elcan Optical Technologies Specter Dual Role (DR) – designated SU-230/PVS in US service – for the day optic to provide both a long-range

A BRIGHT SPOT

Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq have demonstrated the advantages of equipping every soldier with optical sights to improve situation awareness and lethality. Ian Kemp explores the evolution of such technology.

Trijicon’s Continuously Computed Aiming Solution combines a 6x ACOG sight with an LRF and ballistic computer. (Photo: Trijicon)

LWI_AugSep14_p15-18_Optics.indd 15 08/08/2014 15:14:28


OPTICS

deliberate aiming capability, and a short-range positive rapid aiming capability for CQB.

In CQB situations, the sight can be used with both eyes open in 1x red-dot mode (26º FoV) and switched to a 4x mode with reticle (6.5º FoV) to engage targets at longer ranges. The SpecterDR has an integrated backup iron sight that is boresighted to the scope, and weighs 700g with mount and is 182mm in length.

At the January 2014 SHOT Show, Elcan unveiled the SpecterTR 1-3-9x Tri-FOV Military Combat Weapon Sight, which it describes as the world’s first three-FoV optical weapon sight. The design is intended to maximise combat effectiveness by providing

precision close-quarter, mid-range and long-range engagement capability.

The 1x FoV provides a 16° viewing angle and a fast, both-eyes-open target acquisition capability enhanced by a red dot and at least 70mm eye relief. The second FoV provides a 3x magnified sight with a 6° FoV and range compensating reticle. At 9x, a 2° viewing angle provides long-range target detection, identification and engagement capability. There are five illumination levels for all three magnifications. The SpecterTR measures 126.4mm in length and weighs 829g.

In March 2013 following a competitive evaluation, the US Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division awarded a

five-year firm fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, potentially worth $42.8 million, to Leupold & Stevens. Another, worth up to $8.6 million, was awarded to teammate Aimpoint for the Enhanced Combat Optical Sight-Optimized (ECOS-O) project. The Dual Aperture Gunsight Riflescope (DAGR) offered by the two companies for ECOS-O integrates Leupold’s Mk 6 3-18x44mm riflescope with Aimpoint’s Micro T-1 CQB sight.

MEETING REQUIREMENTSThe DAGR meets USSOCOM’s requirement for a hardened sighting system that offers unmagnified targeting from 0-300m and magnified targeting from 300-1,000m. The

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‘Instead of merely making improvements to an existing product, we started with a completely new design.’



OPTICS

system comes in two configurations, with a non-illuminated and illuminated reticle in the Mk 6 scope, and the sight will accommodate future reticle designs.

The two sights are supplied by the manufacturers to NSWC Crane, where they are integrated by armourers into a single unit. The ECOS-O is primarily intended for use with the M4/M4A1 carbine and the 7.62mm MK17 SCAR, although it can also serve on the M14, M16, MK11 or MK12 rifles, as well as the new MK20 Sniper Support Rifle variant of the SCAR.

Sweden’s Aimpoint originally developed the red-dot sight concept for the civilian hunting market, although the company was quick to appreciate the military potential – as have

numerous other suppliers. Such technology allows the shooter to rapidly acquire and engage targets while keeping both eyes open, thus maximising situation awareness, especially in close-combat situations.

Aimpoint has sold its red-dot sights to more than 60 military customers. Since 1996, it has supplied more than a million battery-powered non-magnifying red-dot reflex sights, beginning with the CompM2, progressing through the CompM3 and CompM4 to the latest CompM4s, to the US DoD, which designates them as the M68 Close Combat Optic.

The CompM4 has a top-mounted battery compartment, whereas the CompM4s sports a low battery compartment that offers a more

streamlined profile. CompM4-series sights feature advanced circuit efficiency technology which provides up to eight years of continuous use from a single AA battery. Once turned on, Aimpoint sights stay on, so the optic is ready whenever the shooter needs to use it, and the range is compatible with all generations of night vision devices.

STARTING FRESHAlongside the Micro T-1, which was introduced in 2007, Aimpoint has now begun producing its new Micro T-2 sight. It incorporates a number of product enhancements that had been requested by both military and law enforcement users. ‘Instead of merely making

INTENS_182x125_25_07_2014.indd 1 25/07/2014 18:15

In January 2014, Raytheon Elcan unveiled the SpecterTR 1-3-9x Tri-FOV Military Combat Weapon Sight. (Photo: Raytheon)



OPTICS

improvements to an existing product, we started with a completely new design,’ explained Lennart Ljungfelt, president of the company.

‘As a result, the Micro T-2 takes the level of performance available from a compact sight to an entirely new level. It also provides features and performance formerly available only in much larger optics.’

A newly designed front lens also provides an increase in clarity and performance properties. Other improvements include: a new sight housing allowing the addition of front and rear protective flip covers and anti-reflective devices; additional physical protection for the sight’s adjustment turrets; and increased ruggedness for the sight’s internal electronic components. The Micro T-2 can operate for up to five years of constant ‘on’ use with one CR-2032 battery, and is waterproof to 25m depth.

One of the latest assault rifles to enter production, following a December 2013 contract for an initial 20,000 weapons, is the 5.56mm IA2 (IMBEL A2) designed by Brazilian state-owned IMBEL to replace various 5.56mm and 7.62mm weapons now in Brazilian service. The IA2 features a full-length MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny top rail.

To equip the new rifles, the Brazilian Army has selected two sights: the Trisight; and the Multi-purpose Aiming Reflex Sight (MARS), developed by Elbit Systems ITL, which will be produced locally by the company’s Ares Aeroespacial e Defesa subsidiary.

The MARS family combines a high-precision 1x reflex sight with a single or dual-wavelength laser pointer, either visible red and/or IR. The reflex dot and laser pointer are collimated at the factory. Meanwhile, the Trisight is a compact, lightweight 3x day sight that is available with a reticle pattern for standalone use and in non-reticle configuration for use with reflex sights such as ITL’s MARS and Raptor.

COMPLETE APPROACHSome manufacturers now have integrated ballistic computers with optical sights to offer snipers a complete aiming solution. Meprolight’s Mepro Meslas 10x40 fire control riflescope features a built-in laser rangefinder (LRF) to provide snipers with an independent capability to measure a target’s range, thus reducing the spotter’s workload and spotter-sniper communication.

A press on the LRF’s remote-control cable results in an instant vertical repositioning of the illuminated aiming dot, based on the applicable pre-selected ballistic table containing weapon and ammunition data and the measured target’s range. Before shooting, the sniper will need to factor in atmospheric conditions, and in the case of moving targets, target speed offset. The levelling indicator available in the scope’s FoV enables the sniper to engage the target while the weapon is vertical, thus ensuring ballistic trajectory is not affected by an accidental weapon tilt. The system, complete with batteries, weighs 2kg.

During IDF trials, snipers working alone were able to locate and accurately engage targets in about 20 seconds, whereas sniper and spotter pairs, using in-service equipment, were taking 90 seconds to engage targets, according to Meprolight. The Meslas has been fielded by the IDF and some unidentified European customers. The new IWI DAN .338cal bolt-action sniper rifle launched at Eurosatory 2014 was fitted with the Meslas fire control scope.

COMPUTER-CONTROLLEDTrijicon’s Continuously Computed Aiming Solution (CCAS), introduced at the January 2013 SHOT exhibition, is designed for use with sniper rifles and machine guns, including vehicle-mounted weapons. According to Trijicon, the CCAS ‘replaces the necessity for advanced marksmanship skills such as range estimation, windage adjustment and angle-of-fire adjustment’.

The CCAS essentially combines a 6x ACOG with an LRF and ballistic computer. Users select their weapon and ammunition type from an extensive list of common combinations in US and NATO service and zero the system. Power is supplied by four CR123 batteries.

The system has ranging capability out to 2,000m and gathers environmental and weather data, including temperature and atmospheric pressure. The CCAS calculates for pressure, angle, range and movement of the target, automatically adjusting for changes in relation to the zeroing set-up to provide updated aiming solutions. Within half a second of activation, the onboard computer generates a firing solution and displays an aiming point on the green reticle.

Systems such as the Mepro Meslas and the CCAS are initially likely to be limited to use by snipers, special forces and support weapon gunners, but the rapid pace of technological development suggests that less expensive follow-on versions of such equipment will be available for more widespread use within infantry platoons. LWI

Meprolight’s Mepro Meslas, mounted here on the new IWI DAN .338cal sniper rifle, has recently entered service with the IDF. (Photo: Meprolight)


ARTILLERY


Artillery has long been of decisive importance on the battlefield, becoming

one of the most devastating weapons of the 20th century.

What artillery operators were looking for in the post-1945 era was increased mobility, longer ranges, increased rates of fire, higher precision and improved lethality – the same things gun crews ask for today.

World War II saw arrival of self-propelled artillery, but in many respects not that much changed in terms of the underlying technology. In the US military, the M107 155mm HE round came into service in 1959. An HE nature with TNT or Composition B filling, it provided blast and fragmentation effects (1,950 steel fragments).

When used from a standard towed M114 155mm howitzer, with its 24.5cal barrel, a maximum range of some 14.5km could be

achieved. Similar performance was achieved by the M109 self-propelled gun, while after 1973 the M109A1 variant with 39cal M185 ordnance could achieve a range of 18km.

EQUAL FIGHTSWhile these were effective artillery, better systems were being fielded by armies that they could end up confronting. A case in point was the Soviet M46 130mm field gun that entered service in the mid-1950s. This weapon could achieve a range of 27km and caused US forces great discomfort during the Vietnam conflict. All of this led to programmes to develop new artillery ammunition and improve ordnance.

One result of this activity was the arrival of the rocket-assisted projectile (RAP) to increase range. The US Army introduced the 155mm M549 HE-RAP during the 1970s and the improved M549A1 HE-RAP at the end of the decade,

offering a 30km range. During the Vietnam era the 155mm M449 Improved Conventional Munition (ICM), with its payload of 60 sub-munitions, improved the effect against troops in the open.

These sub-munitions allowed a larger area to be covered and provided higher lethality. US analysis of combat operations in Vietnam showed that an M107 HE nature with a TNT filling provided a casualty percentage of 4.9%. With a Composition B filling this rose to 7.9% – by comparison the M449 ICM had a casualty percentage of 31.9%. Other data showed that to inflict one enemy casualty took 13.6 M107 rounds but only 1.7 ICM rounds.

Elsewhere, work carried out by Dr Gerald Bull and the Space Research Corporation would lead to the development of extended-range artillery in the form of the GC-45, a 45cal 155mm system, and new ammunition in the form of

BANG ON TARGET

Technologies are now available to greatly increase the accuracy of indirect fires. David Saw details the decades-long quest for precision and examines the guided munition options currently on the market.

An M109A6 self-propelled gun participates in a live fire exercise in Kuwait in February 2012 using the XM1156 PGK and M982 precision-guided rounds. (Photo: US DoD)

LWI_AugSep14_p19-22_Precision_artillery.indd 19 08/08/2014 15:15:23


ARTILLERY

extended-range full bore (ERFB) and base bleed (BB) natures.

Bull’s work provided the basis for the Denel G5 artillery system that entered service in 1983. Since then, South Africa has developed the Velocity Enhanced Long Range Artillery Projectile (V-LAP) that has achieved ranges of 67km from a 52cal 155mm system.

On the ICM front, the US developed the Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munition (DPICM) in the form of the M483 155mm round with a payload of 88 sub-munitions that arrived in the 1970s, being superseded in 1975 by the M483A1. At the end of the 1980s, the M864 DPICM round entered service. It only had 72 sub-munitions, but this allowed an increase in range to 29km.

ERROR MESSAGEThe arrival of 39cal, then 45cal and the 52cal ordnance used today, along with ammunition developments, has seen incredible improvements in range. But the downside is that dispersion at extended firing distances significantly reduces accuracy.

According to findings from the Picatinny Arsenal facility of the US Army’s Research, Development and Engineering Command, ‘delivery error increases with range’. This is backed up with some interesting statistics as regards 155mm rounds. The M795 HE (successor to the M107 in US service) has a circular error probable (CEP), a measure of accuracy, of 119m at a range of 20km. The M864 DPICM has a CEP of 96m at 20km, while the BB version of the M864 has a 186m CEP at 28km. The M549 RAP, by comparison, has a CEP of 267m at 30km.

The higher the CEP, the more inaccurate the round. In the past, this could be compensated for by firing more rounds, but this is no longer a logical course of action. Firing more implies spending a longer time in a single position, and therefore increases vulnerability to counter-battery fire. In addition, this ‘solution’ is likely to lead to collateral damage, something to be avoided in today’s asymmetric warfare conditions.

If a DPICM nature is used to address a target, then the sub-munitions go some way to compensating for inaccuracy, but as seen above the BB variant of the M864 is hardly the most accurate of rounds. In the contemporary environment, the use of sub-munitions has negative connotations and the risk of collateral damage from DPICM natures fired by artillery is considered to be too high.

COPPERHEAD ROADThe solution was therefore to introduce precision-guided ammunition for artillery. Such rounds had been developed in the past and employed with various degrees of success. The US Army used the M712 Copperhead laser-guided artillery round, developed in the 1980s, against hardened targets during both Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Iraqi Freedom in 2003, but it had limited range (16km maximum), and the need to illuminate the target to action the engagement was not without risk.

Russia has its equivalent of Copperhead in the form of the Krasnopol system manufactured by the KBP Instrument Design Bureau in Tula. This system is laser-guided and available for both 152mm and 155mm ordnance, with a maximum range of 20km. Both China and India are believed to have acquired Krasnopol, and its technology is thought to have provided the basis for a number of Chinese laser-guided artillery round developments.

Although the guidance method employed by Copperhead and Krasnopol does provide a precision engagement capability, it suffers from

limited operational utility and range constraints. The requirement remained for a true precision engagement capability and, arguably, it is the US that has led the way in putting this into operational service, although it is not alone in having the ability to do so.

DOUBLING UPThe two US contenders in this arena are the ATK XM1156 Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) and the Raytheon Excalibur. The former is added to existing artillery rounds to increase their accuracy and effectiveness, while the latter is a dedicated precision-guided projectile.

Speaking to Land Warfare International at Eurosatory 2014, spokespeople from both ATK and Raytheon agreed that there is space in the marketplace for both systems. The PGK enhances the accuracy of existing ammunition in a cost-effective way, but if very high levels of accuracy are required Excalibur is a better option, although this increased precision inevitably comes with a higher price tag. ATK and Raytheon therefore see PGK and Excalibur as complementary capabilities.

The roots of the PGK system can be found in a demonstrator programme covering the development of a 120mm Precision Guided Mortar Munition for the US Army. This effort did not lead anywhere, but it gave ATK the experience to win a US Army technology demonstration contract in 2006, later followed by a system development and demonstration contract resulting in the Increment 1 XM1156 PGK.

A US Army artillery crew installs an ATK XM1156 Precision Guidance Kit onto a 155mm artillery round at Fort Bliss. (Photo: ATK)

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ARTILLERY

The PGK is a GPS guidance kit with fusing functions that is screwed into the fuse well of M107 HE, M795 HE and M549A1 HE-RAP natures. The initial goal was a 50m CEP, with the objective set at 30m. According to US Army data, at 30km an M549A1 HE-RAP round fitted with PGK would have a 50m CEP, in contrast to a standard M549A1 HE-RAP with a 267m CEP. Accuracy has been further improved, with the PGK now having a 30m CEP. ATK states that the addition of the PGK means that 75% fewer rounds are required to successfully engage a target.

The company received its first production contracts for the US Army and USMC in 2012, and the system was used successfully in Afghanistan in 2013, fired from M777 howitzers. In August the same year, the XM1156 received its first export contract from Australia for 4,002 kits. Other sales opportunities exist, with the system having been demonstrated to Sweden, and both Japan and Singapore showing interest.

Initially, the US had intended to develop a PGK variant for 105mm ordnance such as the M119A3 howitzer, but with the army deciding that it does not want a precision engagement

capability in this calibre and the USMC turning away from 105mm in favour of 120mm rifled mortars, Pentagon interest has fallen off. But ATK told LWI that it still sees other possibilities for a 105mm PGK, noting that the UK is interested in such an option.

SWORD OF DESTINYThe M982 Excalibur is a joint US/Swedish programme with Raytheon and BAE Systems Bofors as contractors. It is a complete fin-stabilised projectile featuring GPS guidance and was first fielded in 2007, following a development programme that began in the early 1990s. Initial XM982 rounds were fired in combat in Iraq from May 2007, with the system subsequently being used in Afghanistan. Raytheon told LWI that 750 rounds have been expended in combat thus far, and in June 2012 USMC artillery in Afghanistan successfully engaged a target at a range of 36km with Excalibur fired from an M777.

Initially, the target for Excalibur was a CEP of less than 10m, but this has long since been superseded. In tests at Yuma Proving Ground, a

German PzH2000 self-propelled gun, with 52cal 155mm ordnance, fired a total of ten Excalibur munitions at ranges from 9-48km, with each round impacting within three metres of the target.

Raytheon told LWI that since its entry into service Excalibur has been incrementally improved, with current rounds showing higher accuracy and reliability at a reduced procurement cost. The company sees Excalibur as having immense development potential via the integration of new guidance modes and payloads such as sub-munitions and dedicated anti-tank natures.

Apart from the US and Sweden, Excalibur has reportedly been acquired by Australia and Canada, among others. Raytheon says that other export sales are likely in the Middle East and Asia, with strong interest in Europe from the Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. The potential German requirement will involve competition from OTO Melara and its Vulcano 155mm Guided Long Range system. The Italian company entered into a strategic alliance with Diehl Defence in 2012 for the development of Vulcano for both land and naval applications.

Other options are also emerging. At Eurosatory, the Rokar subsidiary of BAE Systems unveiled the Silver Bullet, a precision guidance kit that can be screwed into the fuse well of 155mm rounds and features a CEP of less than 20m. The development programme started in 2007, and 120 test rounds have been fired since 2009.

In France, Nexter Munitions, Junghans T2M and Zodiac Data Systems are in the final phases of a system qualification contract awarded by the DGA procurement agency for the SPACIDO trajectory correction system. Once this system is qualified, expected this year, it will be acquired by the French Army.

Guided artillery projectiles offer increased accuracy and minimised collateral damage, with fewer rounds required to create desired on-target effects. The key determinant though is how much an operator is prepared to pay for accuracy – the smaller the CEP, the higher the cost. LWI

‘The target for Excalibur was a CEP of less than 10m, but this has long since been superseded.’

German Army interest in precision-guided artillery has seen both the OTO Melara Vulcano and Raytheon Excalibur rounds tested from the PzH2000. (Photo: KMW)

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24 LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL | August/September 2014 | Volume 5 Number 4

FORCE MODERNISATION

In December 2013, Israel’s Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies (BESA Center) held a

conference to discuss controversial cuts to the country’s ground forces. ‘Neglect of the IDF’s ground forces poses a risk to Israel’s security. There are real battles ahead against well-entrenched Hamas and Hezbollah armies,’ warned the BESA Center’s Dr Eitan Shamir.

A paper released at the conference stated: ‘Dramatic cuts to the IDF budget have forced the army to reduce its ground forces capabilities. This is a mistake, as the IDF still must rely on a capable and credible ground force to deal with

its strategic threats, specifically the rocket-launching capabilities of Hamas and Hezbollah.’

The defence budget of NIS65 billion ($16.9 billion) for 2012 was reduced to NIS58.4 billion in 2013 and was originally set at NIS57.7 billion for this year. These cuts forced the IDF to choose between two options – either strengthening its relative weaknesses (manoeuvre-oriented ground forces) or fortifying its relative strengths (stand-off fire, intelligence, cyber warfare and special forces). The air force, the IDF’s weapon of choice for developing precision attacks, favoured the second option, and many within

the army had to concede that it offered the prospect of significant savings by reducing the ground arm.

FORCE REDUCTIONIn July 2013, Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon, a former army officer who served as IDF Chief of Staff in 2002-05, approved the IDF’s plan to disband six reserve armour brigades, thus allowing the Merkava Mk 1 and the Magach 7 (a locally upgraded version of the US-supplied M60) tank fleets to be retired. Other cuts include the axing of up 5,000 regular personnel, a reduction in training for both active and reserve components, and the restructuring or elimination of several procurement projects.

‘The budget demands of 2013-2014 are forcing the IDF to take steps, such as reducing training and operational work for the reserves,’ said Ya’alon, ‘but our intent is not to hinder the growth of the IDF’s capabilities over the long term, even as we take risks in the short term.’

‘We will continue to invest in the basic building blocks of this vision: precise ordnance,

‘The budget demands of 2013-2014 are forcing the IDF to take steps.’

HARD CHOICES

The IDF will replace its M109s with a 155mm/52cal self-propelled howitzer to provide an extended-range precision fire capability. (All photos: IDF)

Combat operations in Gaza have shown that the combined arms team remains at the heart of Israel’s ground forces. Ian Kemp reports on army modernisation efforts in the face of competing budget pressures.


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FORCE MODERNISATION


intelligence, electronics, active defence and cyber defence, with the understanding that the contemporary and future battlefield will be utterly different from what we have known in the past,’ he explained.

‘The foreseeable future is liable to see us in conflicts that will be decided by the IDF’s technological superiority, in the air, on land and at sea, with fewer heavy weapons systems and a growing use of smart, unmanned systems.’

This vision began to unfold in October 2013 when Brig Gen Shmuel Olansky, the IDF’s Chief Armor Officer, announced the future organisation of armoured battalions. Each will consist of two instead of three active duty tank companies, with the third tank company manned by reservists equipped with the same type of platform.

The battalion will receive an infantry support company composed of a reconnaissance platoon, an observation platoon and a self-propelled mortar platoon equipped with the Keshet, an M113-based carrier equipped with the Elbit Soltam Cardom 120mm mortar. Each brigade will also include a reconnaissance company and combat engineer battalion. The first battalions are being restructured this year.

‘The Armored Corps is embarking on a new journey and training its soldiers for a new kind of battlefield,’ said Olansky. ‘We are building our battalions with a lot of firepower, as well as intelligence-gathering capabilities and the ability to overcome many obstacles.’

MORE MERKAVASCentral to the army’s combined arms teams are the tank battalions equipped with the Merkava MBT. Since the days of the 2006 Lebanon War, which was characterised by poor coordination between the ground combat arms, the army has worked hard to improve combined arms training through the cycle from individual- to brigade-level.

Introduced into service in 2002, the Merkava Mk 4 builds on the experience of the Merkava Tank Office in developing the Mk 1, 2 and 3, and as with the earlier models, affords a high priority to survivability. Unlike most tanks, the Merkava’s

engine is mounted at the front, allowing the turret to be located towards the back of the vehicle, creating additional stowage space at the rear, which is accessed via clamshell-style doors. The tank is armed with the locally developed 120mm MG253 smoothbore gun that is able to launch the IAI LAHAT missile.

The 401st Armored Brigade was the first of the four active-duty brigades to be equipped with the Mk 4, while the 7th Armored Brigade is currently converting from the Mk 2 to the Mk 4. It is estimated that more than 350 Mk 4s had been built by early 2014, with the Armored Corps seeking another 300 or so. Protracted wrangling over the budget resulted in no Mk 4s being ordered in 2012.

‘I have decided that the Merkava production line will not be stopped despite the budget limitations,’ Ya’alon told journalists on 13 August 2013. ‘I don’t see the tank programme just from the defence point of view, but also from economic, social and national points of view. I understand the need for jobs here.

‘The IDF’s tank fleet needs to be renewed and we are decommissioning old tanks and renewing the fleet with the advanced model of the Merkava. We must not lose our technological capabilities, and we will continue to procure Merkava tanks every year.’

Since late 2010, every Mk 4 that leaves the IDF’s tank plant in Tel HaShomer has been equipped with the Rafael Trophy active protection system, and in mid-2013 the IDF Army HQ announced that it had completed installation of Trophy on the 401st Brigade’s

tanks. Local press reports said that Trophy had successfully defeated five attacks on armoured vehicles in the first few days of Operation Protective Edge in Gaza.

TOO FEW NAMERSSeven soldiers of the 1st Golani Infantry Brigade were killed on 20 July when their M113 was struck by an unspecified anti-tank missile, provoking criticism in the Israeli media about the IDF’s continued reliance on the 50-year old APC after it had announced its intention to field the locally designed Namer in the IDF’s mechanised infantry battalions.

The Namer meets the army’s desire for an APC with identical mobility and comparable protection to the Merkava. It is gradually replacing the Achzarit, a heavily modified T-55 chassis operated by a three-man crew and able to dismount seven infantrymen. Despite the installation of a more powerful engine, the Achzarit cannot match the mobility of the Merkava and its protection levels are considered inadequate.

After the Second Lebanon War, the IDF decided to launch production of the Namer. With a crew of three, it can carry a full eight-man infantry section, although a further four personnel can be squeezed in when necessary, and a stretcher can be suspended between the two banks of seating. The Namer’s armour is thought to offer protection exceeding NATO STANAG 4569 Level 4a and b, and the occupants are seated in wall-mounted blast attenuation seats over a ‘floating floor’.

A second armoured brigade is now being equipped with the indigenously designed Merkava Mk 4 tank.



FORCE MODERNISATION

The Namer is equipped with a Rafael Samson RCWS mounting either an FN Herstal 7.62mm MAG 58 medium machine gun or more usually a .50cal M2HB heavy machine gun. The army has been considering arming some Namers with a 30mm RCWS, with competing systems being offered by Rafael and Elbit, but no vehicles have been fitted out other than for evaluation. The Namer is powered by a 1,200hp Teledyne Continental engine, which it shares with the Merkava Mk 3.

The first production Namer was unveiled in 2008, and some estimates suggest that as many as 200 have been built locally. In 2011, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) received an Israeli MoD contract, potentially worth $800 million, to produce an initial 110 Namers with a firm price option for a further 276.

Production would be carried out at the US government-owned, GDLS-operated Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio, and continue through 2019 with a full-rate production of 60 Namers per year. However, as a result of budget pressures the MoD decided to cut procurement from 386 to 170 vehicles and end production in 2017. GDLS delivered the first batch of seven Namer hulls at the end of 2013 for integration in Israel.

‘During Operation Protective Edge, the IDF is using all the armoured equipment at its disposal. Unfortunately, the small number of Namers is not enough for all the infantry brigades now

fighting in Gaza,’ an MoD spokesperson told the Israeli business daily Globes.

‘Despite the defence ministry’s demand over the years for continued procurement of the Namer, a measure made necessary by the threats on various fronts, questionable criticism was levelled against the need for such a project. The deep and continued cut in the defence budget in recent years led to a substantial scaling back of the project, which prevented further procurement of this equipment.’

NEW HOWITZERS Within the army’s modernisation plans, the Artillery Corps will be much more capable of delivering precision fire support. Acquisition priorities include: a replacement for the 50-year-old M109 155mm self-propelled howitzer (SPH); precision guidance kits for 155mm ammunition; a GPS-guided unitary warhead for use from the M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS); a vehicle-mounted radar to locate targets for Keshet mortar platoons; and additional Elbit Skylark I tactical UAVs.

To replace a portion of its 500 M109s, the IDF plans to acquire a new 155mm/52cal SPH equipped with an automatic loader which will reduce crew size and provide a multiple-round simultaneous-impact capability. With the introduction of a more capable gun, the army plans to reduce the size of its artillery battalions from 18 to 12 guns, organised into three batteries of four.

The acquisition will be partially funded by the $3 billion in military aid which the US government donates to Israel each year, so at least some of the work will be done in the US. At least four teams are expected to bid for the project.

BAE Systems, through its Israeli Rokar subsidiary, will offer a solution based on the M109A7 upgrade that it is now producing for the US Army. Elbit Systems, which acquired artillery manufacturer Soltam Systems in 2010, will be able to offer an indigenously designed solution with work in the US coordinated through Elbit Systems of America. IAI has teamed with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Lockheed Martin to offer a solution based on KMW’s Donar Artillery Gun Module mounted on Lockheed’s MLRS chassis. IMI is teamed with Rheinmetall to offer an M109 upgrade using the 155mm/52cal barrel which the German company supplied for KMW’s PzH 2000 SPH.

PRECISION FIRETwo Israeli firms are competing for the 155mm precision guidance requirement. BAE Systems Rokar is offering its Silver Bullet GPS-based guidance kit. According to a company official, during firing trials in November 2013 four out of four rounds landed within 5m of the target, and in February 2014 five out of six rounds achieved a circular error probable (CEP) of 10m. IAI’s GPS-guided Top Gun precision guidance kit has demonstrated a CEP better than 10m at any range.

In mid-2011 the IDF revealed that the Tamuz, a 25km range version of the Rafael Spike NLOS missile mounted on an M113 launcher vehicle, had been in service since the 1980s and was first used during the 2006 Lebanon War. Officials have said more no missiles will be bought when existing stocks are exhausted.

The Artillery Corps has recently formed its first battalion equipped with the IMI Accular, a 160mm GPS-guided surface-to-surface rocket which can achieve a CEP of 10m at ranges between 14-40km. IMI’s 300mm EXTRA, which has a range of 150km, is expected to follow. LWI

Since the 2006 Lebanon War, the army has worked hard to improve its combined arms training.


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ASSAULT RIFLES

Modern assault rifles are changing shape, with designs being altered

ergonomically to reflect wider usage and the need for reduced maintenance. The main requirement, however, is for these weapons to be able to mount a selection of accessories, from optics to additional armaments.

New offerings often come as extensions to existing weapons families, which provide higher levels of parts commonality, as well as with MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rails on every available surface to ensure compatibility with the latest accessories.

Gil Wainman, marketing director at Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), told Land Warfare International that the company’s latest offerings include two assault rifle families – Tavor and ACE – to meet the respective market demands for bullpup and traditional configurations.

TAKING STOCK‘With bullpup rifles, the firing mechanism is in the stock so that the centre of gravity is at the back – this is very helpful for soldiers with heavy kit as it places the weight of the rifle in the shoulder and not on the arm, plus it is very accurate,’ he explained.

One feature of the Tavor that is becoming more common across all rifle designs is greater symmetry to make it ambidextrous. Only the bolt moves from left to right, and this allows left- and right-handed soldiers to use the rifle in their natural posture.

The configuration of the rifle can be changed, and it has semi- and fully automatic firing capabilities, with a Picatinny rail along the top for additional items. IWI found that a bullpup rifle with an integrated sight ‘was the most suitable for development when the IDF selected its new rifle ten years ago’.

Tavor has been the standard IDF rifle since 2005, but IWI has since added the X95 model which is designed to operate in all climates. Wainman said that it can also be changed to a 9mm sub-machine gun.

‘This means there is less budget required to buy a new rifle and conversion kit,’ he noted. There is 60% commonality and this means less spares and

more logistics savings. An army like France has the FAMAS and MP5 separate, but with X95 you have the same rifle and the only difference is the calibre – so there is reduced training time as well.’

CONVERSION KITSTo convert the X95 to 9mm requires replacing the barrel, firing mechanism and breech. A closed bolt is possible for the sub-machine gun and there is a magazine adapter for a 32-round 9mm magazine.

‘To enable this, there is reduced friction in the bolt and moving parts, and they are made to be interchangeable,’ Wainman said. ‘The lock of the bolt is against the barrel and there is reduced sensitivity to dirt, sand and soot. There is a large piston so there is a reduced need to clean, and only small amounts of lubricant are needed to keep the action operating smoothly.’

The X95 was also designed with reduced life-cycle costs in mind, and the barrel has a lifespan of around 25,000 rounds. According to Wainman, the average soldier uses 1,000 rounds per year, so this equates to a 25-year life cycle – the bolt can reach 50,000 rounds. ‘The replacement of parts is minimised and therefore maintenance is minimised,’ he noted.

IWI has kept a second production line for the more traditional ACE family. The ACE N 22 fires 5.56mm ammunition and is based on the Galil, which used to be the IDF’s standard rifle.

Wainman said that IWI used the basic Galil design for ACE because it was robust, although it changed the ergonomics to make it easier to use. It added a telescopic stock, Picatinny rails and when firing 5.56mm the gun is available in three models – long barrel, short barrel and with the NATO magazine.

PULLING THE TRIGGER

Bullpup or traditional? Upgrade or acquisition? Tim Fish examines how militaries around the world are approaching their current and future inventories of assault rifles and what new trends are emerging.

The SCAR rifle is a development of the M16. It was selected by USSOCOM and has been popular with other special forces units. (Photo: FN Herstal)


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PULLING THE TRIGGERThe ACE 22 was selected by Chile in late

2013. Natan Hendler, VP of marketing for Latin America at IWI, told LWI: ‘IWI will build the rifle in cooperation with the Chilean armaments manufacturer FAMAE [Fábricas y Maestranzas del Ejército],’ he said. ‘Most of the main parts of the rifle will be made in Chile.’

The number of rifles, delivery schedule and value of the contract could be disclosed, but LWI understands it is in the region of $30 million.

EASTERN PROMISESingapore Technologies Kinetics (STK) has a similar development pattern and has produced the Conventional Multi-role Combat Rifle (CMCR) and the Bullpup Multi-role Combat Rifle (BMCR) to cater for both customer preferences in the market.

The rifles can be operated by both left- and right-handed soldiers by moving the bolt with a

switch on each side. The CMCR has a high level of modularity to increase its flexibility, and is available in standard machine gun mode or as a marksman’s rifle.

The BMCR has a forward ejection system for spent rounds, so there is no issue for left-handed users, and it is easy to fire from both shoulders by all riflemen. There is a dual magazine release with catches behind the magazine and above the grip.

A spokesperson at STK told LWI that ‘work on the rifles started late in 2013 and the BMCR is expected to go into production soon after some prototypes are tested to NATO standards by STK. The CMCR development will be out soon.’

A model of the CMCR was released at the Singapore Airshow this year along with the BMCR, which is claimed to be the shortest bullpup rifle design in the world, with a barrel 14.5in long.

Other BMCR changes highlighted by STK include an ergonomically improved cheek rest, and when cocking the rifle there is a large chamber to view so that more can be seen and stoppages easily rectified during drills.

‘The bullpup rifle is marketed to bullpup countries, CMCR is for the rest,’ the spokesperson said. ‘It is like the M16 design, but has other design features. The multimodal buttstock is not a traditional design – there is no buffer fibre and it has other functions. It can be extended and you can adjust the height for the chest, so it can be tilted to a better degree for firing underslung grenade launchers.

‘Other stocks fold to the side, but this is too bulky – this one folds underneath, downwards, and can make a shorter weapon as a result. The cheek rest also becomes additional support on the body.’

ASSAULT RIFLES




ASSAULT RIFLES

ANNIVERSARY REPLACEMENTSTK is looking ahead to the expected replacement of the SAR 21 bullpup in service with the Singapore Army. France is expected to replace its FAMAS bullpup as well, although that is some way off.

The spokesperson said that the SAR 21 has been in service for 15 years and the Singapore Army may look for a new rifle at the 20-year mark. ‘If we see the need to change the rifle, STK will bid for the tender,’ he said. ‘It is best to get the Singapore Army under contract before exporting the BMCR/CMCR rifle, so [we] can show it works. A FAMAS bid would come after.’

FN Herstal is also going to compete for the French FAMAS replacement. The company has seen recent success with its SCAR family of assault rifles, with a spokesperson telling LWI that it has been adopted by special forces (SF) units ‘on all continents’.

USSOCOM selected the SCAR in 2008 as a replacement for the M16 and M4, and the Belgian Army selected the SCAR-L and SCAR-H rifles for its SF units. The SCAR family is an M16 clone, but it has been redesigned with Picatinny rails and a handguard across the top and weighs just 3.1kg.

The representative added that FN has focused on developing a reliable magazine from metal: ‘Most failures are in the magazine, so we make a fully guided magazine from sheet steel and aluminium. We don’t want to reduce weight here, it is not necessary.’

DOWN UNDERIn Australia, under the Land 125 Phase 3C programme, Thales Australia is providing the F90 assault rifle upgrade. The F90 is a bullpup design based on the F88 Austeyr rifle and includes an integrated side-loading 40mm grenade launcher.

Graham Evenden, director of integrated soldier systems at Thales Australia, told LWI the rifle and SL40 grenade launcher have finished qualification testing and achieved provisional design acceptance from the army. Second pass approval is scheduled for June 2015.

He said that the F90 offers significant advantages over the earlier F88 rifle, with enhanced reliability in all climates, especially hot and sandy conditions. Furthermore, there has been the ‘introduction of new materials that are lightweight and stronger than aluminium, to ensure longer life while enduring rough handling’.

The F90 weighs 3.25kg, and savings include a 400g reduction in the rifle, with about 1.63kg in the grenade launcher. The design also includes a folding cocking handle that avoids damage during transit and rough handling, and a tri-rail system that enables the addition of larger optronic devices.

‘Importantly, all weight reduction was from forward of the centre of gravity [CG], so moving the CG rearward closer to the firer’s shoulder,’ explained Evenden. ‘Bullpup rifles are already better in this area than conventional designs, but this change means that very little weight is on top of the leading hand. This enables faster target acquisition times and increased probability of first-round hit in CQB environments.’

DESIGN DEBATESThe bullpup versus traditional rifle argument continues. Evenden explained that there is a lobby that does not like the bullpup, highlighting all the new ‘fads and modifications’ being applied to traditional rifles as a reason why bullpups are inferior.

The fads he describes are those proposed by OEMs in recent years that are ‘trying to tweak traditional rifle designs’ like the M16/M4 family to create a ‘point of distance’. He said: ‘Only after OEMs took these features to market was an argument developed that this was necessary to cater for different levels of load carriage and body armour systems that the soldier may wear, and may also have an impact on eye relief.’

Ultimately, when these modifications are compared to the ability to adopt a steady fire position using cover, judge distance, control breathing and apply marksmanship principles to shoot straight in high-stress battle situations, they ‘pale into insignificance’, said Evenden.

NEW WAVESOne other key trend is the return of the 7.62mm calibre weapon into infantry sections. There is a perception, or in some cases fact, that 5.56mm does not achieve target incapacitation in close combat. Evenden said that heavier ammunition like 7.62mm may achieve this, but there will be a weight penalty as the round is double the

The CMCR from STK is a traditional rifle design with additional Picatinny rails at the 12, 6, 3 and 9 o’clock positions. (Photo: ST Kinetics)

The NZDF has decided to replace the ageing Steyr AUG F88 assault rifle under a new acquisition programme instead of upgrading the weapon. (Photo: New Zealand Defence Force)



ASSAULT RIFLES

weight and the weapons to fire them are usually about 1kg heavier than most 5.56mm rifles.

He added that the ability to shoot 7.62mm weapons well also requires greater skill across all platforms than 5.56mm, creating an additional training burden.

‘Bullpup weapons are easier to fire whatever the calibre. Some countries have tried to avoid this 7.62mm weight and training burden by introducing the term “dedicated marksman”, and of course they are equipped with a dedicated marksman rifle [DMR],’ he said. ‘While I support the concept of a DMR to shoot longer ranges from within the section, it does not fully tackle the shortcomings of the 5.56mm round.’

As a solution, Thales is developing 5.56mm F9 Enhanced Lethality Small Arms Ammunition that is intended to provide consistent rapid incapacitation effect in a 5.56mm weight package.

Overall, countries prefer to upgrade existing rifles, as most of the costs are in the support of the weapons rather than the acquisition itself. For example, the UK has stuck with its SA80, heavily modifying it to A2 standard under a contract with Heckler & Koch, including a large weight increase forward of the CG.

WIDER EFFORTSFurthermore, Colt Canada is upgrading the Canadian C7 and C8 weapons, and the US cancelled its replacement M4 programme (the Individual Carbine) in 2013 and is instead continuing with an upgrade to the 500,000 M4/M4A1 rifles in its inventory after complaints about reliability.

Colt completed about 10,000 modified rifle deliveries in 2013, but in February the US Army ordered a further 60,000 conversions from rival FN Herstal. In June 2014, FN completed the delivery of a first batch of 9,547 M4A1s – converted from M4s by the service under modification work orders (MWOs) using kits manufactured at Anniston Army Depot. The next planned MWO conversion will run from July to September.

The only example of an upcoming new assault rifle programme comes from the New Zealand

Defence Force (NZDF), with its Individual Weapon Replacement Programme (IWRP).

This effort was initiated in March 2014 following the cancellation of the Individual Weapon Steyr programme because the tendered responses were out of the scope of the planned upgrade project. Instead, a new rifle will be procured and introduced into service by the end of 2016 and allocated to the three services receiving them.

The IWRP will deliver a new inventory of up to 8,800 rifles and accessories. The approximate breakdown is New Zealand Army – 4,000, Royal New Zealand Navy – 700 and Royal New Zealand Air Force – 1,000, with the remainder divided across reserve stocks.

OFF THE SHELFMaj Shane Ruane, programme manager of the In Service Weapons Replacement/Upgrade Programme, told LWI that the new rifle must be: military off-the-shelf; chambered for 5.56x45mm NATO rounds; open architecture in design, with top, side and bottom rail configurations to accept a variety of mission-specific accessories/ancillaries; and the IW must be able to fit an underbarrel, detachable 40mm low-velocity grenade launcher and associated sighting system.

‘We are [at this stage] only looking at one standard rifle that, as a result of its open architecture design, can be configured to suit various mission and trade profiles by changing the accessories and ancillaries fitted on the rifle,’ he said.

The reason for the replacement is that the Steyr has been in service for more than 20 years,

and Ruane said that the technology had ‘advanced considerably’ since the NZDF purchased the weapon in 1987.

He added that apart from its age, the main issue with the rifle was its closed architecture design. ‘This precluded the use of in-line night sights or more powerful day optics and the fitting of other accessories/ancillaries to the standard weapon, allowing it to be configured/tailored to suit the mission profile,’ he explained.

One of the main requirements for the new rifle is for an improved detect, recognise and identify capability at longer ranges than is possible using the existing 1.5x Steyr scope. There are also plans for different barrel lengths to improve range, as the rifle must be capable of effectively engaging a static adversary at distances from close quarters out to at least 600m by day and 300m by night.

The request for tender for the competition will be released at the end of August and closed in October. The NZDF will then evaluate the responses, and a downselection will take place for a physical evaluation in Q1 2015.

‘Once the new rifle has been identified, the MoD will commence contract negotiation with the selected manufacturer, which should be announced in the second half of 2015,’ Ruane added, noting that 14 companies had responded to an earlier RfI, and the NZDF has conducted an analysis of similar requirements in Australia, Canada and the US, as well as from the earlier acquisition of the Steyr. LWI

The next bullpup rifle to enter service will be the Thales F90 upgrade of the Australian Austeyr F88. This is the F90(G) variant that features an underslung side-loading grenade launcher. (Photo: Thales)



Morgan’s ceramic plates form part of the British Army’s Osprey vest. (Photo: Morgan Advanced Materials)

INFANTRY EQUIPMENT

In what could be a defining moment in the body armour market, US Special Operations

Command (USSOCOM) began reviewing the first unpowered prototypes of the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS) in June.

With mainstream media likening earlier concept drawings to the futuristic ‘Iron Man’ suit from the comics and films, the full-body ‘suit of armour’ could be the design catalyst that leads other militaries to consider personal protection beyond traditional front, back and side plates.

TALOS is structured under a five-year development programme that aims to have full operational capability in place by August 2018, including C4I, power, protection, mobility, agility and survivability subsystems. The helmet will provide protection against 7.62mm ammunition and include an active air bladder system to reduce blunt trauma injuries, while an exoskeleton spine will ensure the weight burden on the user’s head is significantly reduced. Initial designs are claimed to provide up to 44% additional protection than armour currently in use.

Speaking to Land Warfare International before the unveiling on 19 June, Mike Fieldson, USSOCOM programme manager for TALOS,

said: ‘We don’t know what this system is going to look like. It’s not going to look like an Iron Man suit – it’s going to look like the most functional system it can be… It has been a long time since people fought in suits of armour.’

TAKING THE LOADRevision Military is one of the companies involved in developing prototypes for TALOS, leveraging its helmet technology and Prowler load-carriage system – a near-skin worn, lower-body augmentation suit claimed to reduce applied stress to the knee by one third under combat load conditions, something essential in a system that will include numerous sensors and full-body protection.

Earlier in 2014, Revision acquired power management technology company Panacis, which develops Lithium-ion energy storage systems – a move that could be linked to TALOS. This may put the company in a strong position on the programme, adding battery solutions to its expertise in materials and load carriage.

At the time of going to press, Revision was unable to reveal any details of the TALOS unveiling to LWI due to its classified nature, noting only that the event went well.

This programme is part of a wider trend in recent years to modernise the soldier, providing better protection, situation awareness and information dissemination capabilities.

A number of countries have invested in similar, although arguably less ambitious,

BODY OF WORK

Soldier modernisation efforts around the world are resulting in some exciting developments in body armour, with unprecedented

levels of protection, mobility and functionality being promised. Adam Wakeling reviews recent progress.

Over 275,000 Osprey body armour vests have been delivered to the British Army to date. (Photo: Crown Copyright)

LWI_AugSep14_p33-35_Body_armour.indd 33 08/08/2014 15:20:56


INFANTRY EQUIPMENT

efforts, including: Australia with Project Land 125; the British Army’s Future Integrated Soldier Technology (FIST); France’s Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons Intégrés (FÉLIN); Germany’s Infanterist der Zukunft (IdZ); Italy’s Soldato Futuro; Russia’s Ratnik (‘Warrior’); and Sweden’s MARKUS. Due to the slow progress of many, however, only minor improvements have been seen by soldiers.

FÉLIN GOODThe most mature project is the Sagem-developed FÉLIN, an integrated system with personal protection and C4ISR subsystems like TALOS, but with less overall ballistic protection (Level 4) . It has been deployed since 2009-2010 and a total of 14 infantry regiments have been fully equipped, equating to over 10,000 soldiers. Plans are to outfit over 20,000 troops.

The system has been used in Afghanistan by two French Army battalions, which conducted around 130 major operations between them. The 6th Mechanised Infantry Battalion was also training with FÉLIN in early 2014 before deploying to the Central African Republic as part of Operation Sangaris. Plans for 2016 include design revisions to further reduce loads and optimise the weight transfer between body and waist.

Russia is also aiming to keep up with the modernisation efforts of its Western counter-parts, and Ratnik has been undergoing trials over the past two years. Comprising around 40-50 components and weighing 20kg (circa 4kg less than FÉLIN, although this total might not include weaponry), the ‘breathable’ armour is designed for 48-hour continuous use, with polymeric compound fabrics, ceramic plates and Kevlar providing high ballistic and minor fragmentation protection levels.

The helmet will be able to repel a bullet (of an as yet unspecified calibre) fired at close range (5-10m). Moscow is due to make a purchase decision in 2014.

Russia is also investing in nano-technology R&D for body armour applications through the NEVZ-Soyuz company, likely under its ceramics

division, with possible implications for the Ratnik effort.

There are also media reports that the country has developed a new generation of body armour, identified during the conflict in Ukraine, potentially capable of deflecting NATO’s basic 5.56mm rifle round.

STAYING STRONGOutside modernisation programmes, the market for traditional body armour remains healthy despite reductions in operational tempo following the US surge in Afghanistan and widespread defence cuts.

Revision Military was awarded a $9.5 million contract by the Canadian Armed Forces in November 2013 for its lightweight Batlskin Bullet Resistant Plates. Deliveries were due to commence in April, and the contract includes five option years. The company previously supplied Canada with ballistic eyewear and helmets.

Ceradyne received a $151.2 million second option order for its Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert (ESAPI) in March 2013 from the US government, which follows a $2.37 billion indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract originally issued in 2008. Meanwhile, BAE Systems continues to fulfil its own $10.2 million ESAPI contract, and won a further $89.5 million modification at the end of June, exercising the second option year. Deliveries will be completed through 1 July 2015.

New Hampshire-based Warwick Mills also won a $94.3 million contract from the US Army

for concealable body armour and vests in May last year, reportedly the largest in some time for the company and a breakthrough in terms of reaching its domestic market – Europe had previously constituted the firm’s main customer base.

In May 2014, Morgan Advanced Materials announced the award of two new Canadian body armour development contracts for Level 3 and Level 4 protection. This follows the publication of Canada’s ‘Soldier System Technology Roadmap’, which focused on high threat levels and multi-hit requirements. Both contracts will run until March 2016, with options for production extending until March 2021.

WEIGHT CONCERNSMorgan’s ceramic inserts also form part of CQC’s Osprey body armour, which is in its Mk 4A iteration and in service with the British Army. With over 275,000 delivered to date, the kit has been a commercial success, although it has faced some criticism from users for its overall bulkiness and operational inflexibility – as is indeed the case for a number of other standard-issue body armour systems deployed around the world.

Morgan told LWI it is demonstrating its new Lightweight Armour Soldier Architecture (LASA) to a number of countries, including Canada, with the hope of securing its first order.

The company displayed the system at Defence Services Asia 2014 in Kuala Lumpur in April, and at CANSEC in Ottawa in May, highlighting its 25% weight reduction compared

Female-specific body armour has only recently come to the fore in the US, solving the issues of wearer discomfort and movement restrictions. (Photo: US Army)



INFANTRY EQUIPMENT


to previous systems, improved mobility and reduction in wearer fatigue.

The full outfit includes: a vest/load carriage element with NIJ 3+, 3++ or 4+ plates; side plates; head protection at a claimed 30% weight reduction over in-service products; soft armour pelvic protection; knee pads; and a range of accessories from NVGs to brassard and collar armour.

REGIONAL DIFFERENCESDon Bray, business director for armour at Morgan Composites and Defence Systems, told LWI: ‘Morgan is working under contract with several governments [including Canada and the US] right now developing next-generation body armour.

‘The specs are somewhat different between [the countries] and they each have their own threat and weight targets, but basically we are trying to take the weight of the highest-level plates – whether it be ESAPI [in the US] or plates in Canada – and taking 10 to 15, even 20% weight out of them at the same level of protection. That’s the real goal.’

He added that in the past, developers used silicon carbide and boron carbide, or both, but Morgan has developed new hybrid carbide materials.

‘This involves optimising the microstructure for hardness and toughness as well as the various ceramic properties for ballistic performance, which is still a little bit more of an art than a science. There is not really a direct correlation between a fundamental material

property and ballistic properties – it is still something that eludes the industry. We started hybrid carbon boride development around two years ago, and now that is in production in the US, going into some higher-level, lower-weight plates.’

WOMAN’S REALMPersonal protection systems have traditionally catered only for men. Often, female soldiers have had to cope with ergonomic compromises, resulting in potential discomfort and a negative effect on operational performance. However, things have begun to change.

Following Gen II Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) fit and manoeuvrability issues reported by female soldiers in the US in 2009, a collaborative effort between the Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center and Program Executive Office Soldier in 2011 resulted in an IOTV designed for females serving in the army.

Revisions to the design included narrower shoulders, greater chest space and smaller plates inserted at slightly different locations, and the new armour was operationally tested by the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade, with wider fielding beginning in the second half of 2012.

IOTV Gen III is produced by a number of companies, including BAE Systems, Creative Apparel Associates, KDH Defense Systems, Point Blank Body Armor, Protective Products Enterprises and UNICOR.

‘With the move to flexible and multi-plate armour, it becomes even more possible to do

something female-specific,’ commented Bray. ‘It is somewhat politically driven, and I think as it is accepted in the US and we start gearing up production, it will spread to Canada and the UK, because there tends to be a lot of interest in treating everyone the same.

‘The US has a much bigger army, so due to the economies of scale, it is probably the easiest place to do it. But I think there would be just as much driving force in Canada and the UK to at least consider it… the next time they go through an upgrade of their armour systems.’

EMERGING MARKETSAlthough high-value body armour contracts tend to derive from ‘the big three’ – Canada, the UK and the US – industry is active in trying to identify potentially lucrative emerging markets.

‘The US is still the biggest market,’ acknowledged Bray. ‘There is a new five-year IDIQ contract coming out for the special forces estimated to be 30,000 plates a year, which is the equivalent to what the whole of the UK MoD would buy each year, so US special forces is still a pretty good target – they will also upgrade more often than the big armies will.

‘[However], we just completed a global market study on body armour in 70 countries, and there are a number of emerging markets – Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, South Korea, among others. There is probably a bigger market outside [of Canada, the UK and the US] than inside them over the next five or ten years.’

The worldwide body armour market was estimated to be worth $2.4 billion in 2013 and reach $3.7 billion by 2023, according to a Strategic Defense Intelligence study. With the soft armour segment predicted to account for 30.5% and hard armour 29.7%, as well as reports predicting that weight reduction efforts will remain the primary development driver, the proliferation of traditional ‘front and back’ protection is unlikely to change any time soon. Whether TALOS leads other nations down a fully protected and integrated route remains to be seen. LWI

DARPA’s Warrior Web, although not directly part of TALOS, is helping drive innovation in soldier load carriage efforts. (Photo: DARPA)


36 www.landwarfareintl.com

PARTING SHOT

LAND WARFARE INTERNATIONAL | August/September 2014 | Volume 5 Number 4

Denel Land Systems, incorporating the Mechem business unit, first made its

name internationally with long-range artillery, but is today perhaps best known in Africa for its mine clearance work.

CEO Stephan Burger explained that de-mining is the company’s ‘first focus’, and this requirement is increasing. ‘The sad truth is that it is likely to continue increasing for some time,’ he acknowledged. ‘We are currently clearing explosive remnants of war in several African countries, mostly for the UN, for whom we have just completed contracts in Libya and Western Sahara, and have teams working in the DRC, Senegal, South Sudan and Somalia.

‘Other teams are working in Angola and Mozambique, contracted by energy companies who need to clear areas in which they must work. We believe we are the biggest in Africa in this role, with some 500 people deployed today, including a substantial number recruited in the countries concerned.’

PROTECTING PEOPLEMechem has also begun establishing and operating bases for itself in Somalia and Mozambique, and for the UN in Somalia. Burger said this could become a growing business. ‘It is not without risk, and we will have to put in place all measures to protect our people, who are our priority,’ he acknowledged.

Denel remains a major actor in several areas of the defence industry, and Africa is a strategic market for the company, particularly in land systems. Burger explained that this is so for two reasons: ‘While we are a business and must generate revenue and profit, that is not the reason for our existence – that is to support the strategic initiatives of the South African government.’ These are strongly focused on Africa, and Burger

notes that as the closest company of its kind to sub-Saharan Africa, Denel Land Systems is well positioned in purely business terms.

‘Africa, I think, is different to many of our other clients in the rest of the world. Most have very formal RfP processes, clear requirements and well-developed tender evaluation systems, but Africa is a little different. There is less focus on formal processes and more on finding a solution to a given problem, which very seldom relates to a single product offering and more often than not requires a basket of things, sometimes unrelated to each other except in regard to that problem.

‘Because of this, Africa has in the past been exploited, being supplied with sub-standard products and more often than not without proper product support. [As] suppliers have in the past often just offered solutions that they had available, often with no long-term support, there is a perception that we are very expensive when we propose a proper package.’

However, Burger offered some worlds of caution. ‘Africa is not a region in which it is easy to do business. If one does not approach at the political level, things can fail or take a very long time – proposals must be based on providing a total solution, not simply delivering some products, and financing or barter will often have to be part of the solution.’

VEHICLE OF CHOICEDenel has exported its new Casspir NG 2000 into Africa, and has reported serious interest in a new family of trucks with protected cabs that it is offering in conjunction with Powerstar.

‘The Casspir remains the vehicle of choice for the UN, which has bought several, and we have sold the Casspir NG 2000 to Angola and Benin, with growing interest from several other

countries. It is our workhorse – not fancy, but gives effective protection. It is reliable, cost-effective and well suited to an army that must operate far from bases and over poor roads, or even cross-country.’

Infantry weapons also produce a steady flow of revenue, albeit mainly in small batches. Some, like the long-range 60mm mortar (6,000m), are also well suited to the African battlespace, particularly in palletised form designed for light vehicles and integrated with a fire control system. Light turrets are also of interest and artillery remains a major focus area.

Burger said that discussions are in hand with ‘at least three countries’ interested in the 155mm G6 howitzer and truck-mounted T6, while the company’s long-range 105mm gun is awaiting a launch customer. He hopes that the South African Army could fill this role once its funding improves.

‘I see Denel Land Systems as a prime contractor and provider of system solutions to clients,’ Burger noted, adding that this means coordinating an industry-wide solution rather than providing everything itself, achieving this goal through long-term partnerships. ‘This is not making a quick buck, selling something and running away.’

Burger concluded by saying that the company is aligned with the South African government’s strategic aims, and the export business will focus on government-to-government-led long-term solutions. LWI

ACCESSING AFRICA

Stephan Burger, CEO of Denel Land Systems, talks to Helmoed-Römer Heitman about the African marketplace and how the company will position itself for exports.

LWI_AugSep14_p36_Interview.indd 36 08/08/2014 15:21:47

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