Uninhabited tower. Inhabited towers. Pros and cons. Fire control and countermeasures system
T-14 "Armata" The first place is taken by the T-14 tank, the newest Russian main tank with an uninhabited turret based on the Armata universal tracked platform. Presented at the Victory Parade in 2015, it attracted the attention of both Russian and foreign military experts. It should be noted that the comparison of the T-14 with other tanks goes beyond just tables with performance characteristics. The American magazine The National Interest tried to compare the T-14 and Abrams, however, noted that the T-14 has many protective technologies that are not only in the Abrams, but in no tank in the world. The Ministry of Defense ordered the first batch of 100 combat vehicles from the T-14 tank manufacturer Uralvagonzavod. T-90 "Vladimir" The next in the top 5 list is the main battle tank of the Russian army - the T-90. The latest modification of the T-90SM tank is equipped with a fire control system that surpasses world analogues. The SLA allows the crew to hit moving targets, including when the tank itself is in motion, with a high probability of hitting the target from the first shot in almost any weather conditions. In addition to traditional artillery weapons, the T-90 has the ability to fire the Invar-M ATGM . Missiles are launched using the main gun of the tank, missiles are guided by a laser beam in a semi-automatic mode.
Between 2001 and 2010, the T-90 became the world's best-selling new main battle tank. T-72B3 Upgraded to the T-72B3 version, it occupies the third line. It has a 125 mm 2A46M-5 smoothbore gun with improved ballistics and service life. Thanks to its modernization, it became possible to use new "elongated" armor-piercing sub-caliber shells of the "Lead-1/2" type. The Belarusian Sosna-U sight and modern digital communication systems were installed on the tank, as well as an automatic loader upgraded for new shells. T-80U T-80 is a unique tank with a gas turbine engine. On the eve of the Day of the tanker in Russia, it was announced the signing of a long-term contract for the modernization of the fastest and most maneuverable tank fireballs of the Soviet and Russian armies. The tank is equipped with a SUO 1A33 fire control system, a 2A46-2 cannon, and a 902A Tucha smoke grenade launcher system. Former Minister of Defense Syrian Mustafa Tlas, in an interview with Shpiegel, praised the T-80 tank. “The new Soviet T-80 is not only comparable to the Leopard-2, but also surpasses it, even according to Western observers ... Leopard-2". As a soldier and tank specialist, I consider the T-80 the best tank in the world,” Tlass said.
Today, more than 3,000 T-80 tanks of various modifications are in storage. T-55 T-55 is one of the most massive Soviet tanks. Despite the fact that he is a medium tank, he became the world's first combat vehicle equipped with an automatic anti-nuclear defense system. The T-55 became for its time the pioneer of a new generation of combat vehicles capable of conducting combat operations in the conditions of the use of nuclear weapons. The latest upgraded version of the T-55M6 tank was equipped with a turret from the T-72B with a 125-mm cannon, and behind the turret a container with a machine gun loading for 22 shots; built-in dynamic protection of the turret and hull; V-46-5M engine with a power of 690 hp; new fire control system. The hull has been lengthened, a sixth track roller has been added. It is possible to install road wheels from the T-55, T-72 and T-80. In total, over 20 thousand tanks were manufactured during the entire production of the T-55. Over 2,800 T-55 tanks are still in storage in Russia.
Tank "Armata" - rotten junk in a new package. Episode 1
I will not analyze in detail all the already identified shortcomings of this supposedly newest tank. I will just list them. It's weird, cardboard looking armor. This is an unfinished transmission. This is an ancient smoothbore gun. This is an unfinished optical guidance system. This is the presence of an overly powerful radar station (RLS). This is an outrageously high price. This is generally a non-compliance of the tank with the requirements of the Ministry of Defense.
I will not dwell on the statements of Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin that all tank-building countries (USA, Germany, France, Israel) are allegedly 15-20 years behind Russia. This enchanting nonsense has also already been commented on. Only very narrow-minded quilted jackets, accustomed to believing everything that pours out on them from the TV, can believe this nonsense.
New in the Armata tank is only the engine with transmission, radar and uninhabited turret. Here we are gradually approaching the main thing. I will touch on just one point, which, in my opinion, is the key to this "miracle", and which makes this tank a dull shit.
Automatic loader - disposable tank.
Why did they make an uninhabited tower in the new tank? The official answer reads: "an uninhabited tower and an armored capsule in which the crew remains intact even when the ammunition is blown up." And why should the ammunition explode? And from the fact that the designers of the tank left in it an ancient Soviet automatic loader, thanks to which the entire ammunition load of the tank is located in the turret compartment. In all previous Soviet tanks with an automatic loader (T-72, T-80, T-90), the commander and gunner actually sat on the ammunition load, and the driver in front of the ammunition load. If the ammunition was damaged when a projectile or rocket hit, then, depending on the degree of damage, it either caught fire or immediately exploded. In the first case, the tank crew has a chance to survive (and the driver has more of them), in the second case there is no chance. That is, the crew of a Soviet tank is sitting on a powder keg, ready to explode at any moment.
How often is the ammunition load of Soviet tanks damaged in battle? Look at the photos from Ukraine, how many wrecked tanks with the turret torn off on both sides. This is a standard situation for Soviet tanks. In fact, Soviet tanks with automatic loaders are disposable tanks. They live in battle until the first (maximum - second) hit. Because after the explosion of ammunition, they are not repairable. During the Second World War, supposedly the best Soviet medium tank in the world, the T-34, was nicknamed "The Mass Grave". With good reason, you can also call all Soviet tanks with an automatic loader. That is, all the tanks that are now in service with the Russian army.
Automatic loader - Soviet / Russian exclusive.
Do foreign tanks have a loading author? Not anymore. Used to be with the French. They abandoned it, returning to the old, time-tested, manual loading. That is, the clown Rogozin can rightfully say that all Russian tanks have no analogues in the world. Only this will not be a plus for our tanks, but a minus.
For all foreign tanks, the ammunition is actually located outside the tank turret, behind an armored curtain. The curtain opens for a short time while the loader takes the next projectile. The rest of the time, the armored curtain is closed, and the ammunition is separated from the tank and crew. In the event of an ammunition detonation, the energy of the explosion mainly propagates upward due to the specific design of the projectile storage. Therefore, the maximum that happens to a foreign tank when the ammunition load is blown up is the jamming of the turret. The tank itself does not lose mobility, and can leave the battlefield on its own.
The disadvantages of the automatic loader are unrecoverable.
And so we created an allegedly absolutely new and coolest Russian tank "Armata" in the world with a dense problem that has been around for several decades. How did the designers solve the problem of the explosiveness of the ammunition load? They put the entire crew into a special armored capsule. This is a half solution. Yes, the crew got more chances to survive. But the tank will still explode when a projectile or rocket hits it, and turn into a pile of scrap metal, in which (or next to which) an armored capsule with a crew will lie.
Great idea! A battle is going on around, bullets and shells are whistling, and the crew (if they survived and were not injured as a result of an explosion of ammunition) either gets out of it during the battle and gets to their own on foot, or sits until the end of the battle in an armored capsule, and then gets on foot to theirs.
Look at YouTube for a bunch of videos of the explosion of Soviet tank ammunition. Look there at the work of the American Javelin anti-tank missile against Soviet tanks. It explodes above the tank turret, exactly above the ammunition load, causing the ammunition to explode. The dynamic protection of the tank in this case is absolutely useless. The expensive Armata will be as disposable as all previous Soviet tanks. Only many times more expensive. Who needs this shit? Who will buy it in this case?
All other shortcomings of the "Armata" in comparison with the automatic loader seem ridiculous and not serious. Who came up with and approved this insanity? Who is responsible for this, and how? The case with "Armata" is another proof of the degradation of the Russian elites.
Tanks are still an important figure on the battlefield, capable of turning the tide of the battle. Some countries use the backlog left in tanks since the 80s of the last century - such as the M1 Abrams or Leopard 2, others create new combat vehicles that best meet the requirements of military or external customers (this is what South Korea, Turkey and China did), or design fundamentally new tanks (Russia).
МВТ-3000 (China)
Photo: MBT 3000 China widely exports not only cheap household appliances, but also weapons, in particular tanks. And here, Russian T-90SM tanks are serious competition to Chinese combat vehicles. The MBT-3000 main battle tank is designed to outperform competitors in the arms market in terms of price-quality ratio. The protection of the frontal projection of the tank of the Chinese armored vehicle is a multilayer combined armor barrier and is comparable in thickness to that of the German Leopard 2. In addition to everything, the tank is equipped with hinged dynamic protection.
The main armament is a cannon - a 125 mm caliber launcher capable of firing guided missiles at a distance of five kilometers. The MVT-3000 is equipped with a 1,300-horsepower diesel engine, which accelerates a 51-ton tank to 71 km/h, with a cruising range of about 500 km. The creators have provided for the possibility of boosting engine power up to 1500 hp. The combat vehicle is equipped with modern aiming and surveillance systems. For example, the driver has an uncooled third-generation thermal imager at his disposal. The development of the MVT-3000 was started in 2012, and the release is planned to be organized in 2016.
ROTEM K2 (South Korea)
The ROTEM K2, better known as the K2 Black Panther, is a promising Korean battle tank that began mass production in 2014. The tank is armed with a powerful 120-mm smoothbore gun with a barrel length of 55 calibers, which was created on the basis of the German Rheinmetall guns.
The ammunition load of the gun is 40 shells, 16 of which are placed in the mechanized stowage of the automatic loader, the remaining 24 - in special stowage in the fighting compartment of the tank. The rate of fire of the gun is 15 rounds per minute. The gun ammunition contains a KSTAM projectile with homing submunitions. Shooting with such ammunition is carried out at a distance of 2 to 8 km, the projectile is automatically corrected in flight, and submunitions are capable of hitting enemy equipment in the most unprotected part - the upper hemisphere.
The frontal armor of the tank protects against the 120 mm APFSDS armor-piercing projectile, which is widely used in the West. The tank has an advanced fire control system capable of independently detecting, identifying, tracking and firing at targets without the participation of an operator.
The hydropneumatic suspension of the tank deserves special attention, which, thanks to the ISU system, provides automatic individual control of the suspension units of each road wheel, allows the tank to “crouch”, “crouch”, tilt in any direction and remove vibration when driving over rough terrain.
Altay (Turkey)
Altay is intended to become the main battle tank of the Turkish army, although it is positioned as an in-house development, but this is not so. 60% of the components and assemblies of Altay are borrowed from the Korean K2 Black Panther, and outwardly the vehicle is very similar to the German Leopard 2. The tank has been in operation since 2015, while only four of them have been built, but the Turkish military plans to get at least 1000 of these combat vehicles .
According to the main contractor of the project, Otokar, the weight of the Altay is about 60 tons. The tank is armed with a modified gun from the German company Rheinmetall with a barrel length of 55 calibers. The German diesel engine with a capacity of 1500 hp is responsible for the mobility of the tank.
Altay is equipped with a remote-controlled module with 12.7 mm and 7.62 mm machine guns and is protected by combined armor. The crew of the tank - four people.
TARIQ AB9C4 (South Africa-Jordan)
The Jordanian design bureau King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau, together with South African specialists, developed the fourth-generation tank TARIQ AB9C4. The main highlight of the tank was the uninhabited Falcon turret with a small front area. True, the specialists of the above-mentioned states failed to create such a module on their own, so the main work was done by Swiss and British firms.
The 120 mm CTG smoothbore gun, capable of firing all types of modern Western ammunition, was chosen as the main weapon. The gun was created by the Swiss company RUAG Land Systems, in terms of the maximum tensile load of its steel - 1300 MPa - it significantly exceeds the 120-mm Rheinmetall smoothbore gun, whose indicator is 1030 MPa.
The gun is equipped with an automatic loader, which holds 17 shells, the rest of the ammunition is located in the inside of the tower. The TARIQ AB9C4 crew consists of two people, who are located in the hull closer to the tower. All weapons are remotely controlled. This is an experimental tank, work on which has not yet been completed. Whether he will go into the series is still unknown.
T-14 "Armata" (Russia)
The T-14 Armata is the only tank with an uninhabited turret in service today. Its multi-layered combined frontal armor is capable of withstanding the hit of any modern and advanced type of anti-tank shells and missiles.
The crew of the tank - three people - is placed separately from the ammunition load in a special armored capsule, which significantly increases its chances of survival. The bottom of the T-14 is covered by a V-shaped armor, in addition, the tank is equipped with remote mine detectors connected to the mine destruction system.
"Armata" is equipped with an active system "Afganit", capable of destroying cumulative grenades, anti-tank guided missiles and sub-caliber shells on approach.
The first copies of the tank are armed with a 125-mm smooth-bore gun - a launcher, later serial vehicles will receive a 152-mm gun. The shells of this gun, which received the index 2A83, can penetrate a meter of homogeneous armor at a distance of 5100 meters.
The T-14 is powered by a 12-cylinder four-stroke X-shaped diesel engine with a capacity of 1500 hp, and the active suspension eliminates swaying when driving. The tank has been in operation since 2015.
30 05 2015
10:33
Automatic turret, small crew: The Russian Armata tank is a real revolution according to weapons experts. However, much of it is not new at all, but has already been invented for a German tank.
In early May, during a military parade to mark the victory over Nazi Germany in Moscow, Russia showed off its new Armata battle tank for the first time. After analyzing the photographs, Western experts agreed: 30 years ago about The basic concept of the Russian tank was not only developed in the West, but also tested in Germany.
The Russians used the concept of a tank, which in Germany was once seen as a replacement for the modern Leopard 2 tank. Among the Western military, experts and politicians, there is only talk of a “wake-up call”. Research on a new German military tank has already begun, but it could still be a good 15 years before the successor to the Leopard 2 is put on alert.
Recently, the Bundestag Defense Commission reported that by 2018, all major issues related to the future battle tank will be resolved with the involvement of industry experts. Leopard 2 will end its operation around 2030. In total, about 3,300 export versions of the battle tank were produced. The new development should turn into a multi-billion dollar project for the industry.
Currently, one Leopard 2 tank, depending on the configuration and number of vehicles, costs from 9 to 10 million euros. It remains an open question to what extent two large German tank-building concerns will be involved in the project - Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), currently the authorized manufacturer of the Leopard, as well as the Rheinmetall concern - a supplier of guns, multiple rocket launchers and ammunition .
Industry representatives say that a new German battle tank could have been around for a long time. But the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 stopped what was then a major military project of the Bundeswehr. In addition, back in 1995 in Germany there was development and even industrial competition for the so-called "New Tank Platform" - a program for the "Family of Tanks", which includes projects for a new battle tank and armored personnel carrier, as well as air defense systems.
Revolution in tank building
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Warsaw Pact and the end of the Cold War, the threat from the East was no longer considered. The delay arose only with the model of the new Puma infantry fighting vehicle, designed to replace the outdated Marder model.
In a piquant way, in accordance with the previous plans of the Bundeswehr, the successor to the Leopard-2 was supposed to enter service with the army at the latest in 2015. Instead, Vladimir Putin unveiled a dozen of his new battle tanks, the T-14 for short, a successor model to the T-72 tank from the early 1970s. The Russian side is talking about a miracle tank, and the respected British special edition "Jane's" is talking about a revolution in tank building.
The world-famous latest battle tank is produced by the Russian military concern Uralvagonzavod - not Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) or Rheinmetall from Germany.
The Armata is a wake-up call that the industry fell into in the early 1990s,” says the source, who asked not to be identified. -2". An industry expert notes: "What seems new in Armata is not new at all, all this was invented and made in Germany. Experts say that at one time there was not enough will and money to implement the idea.
Lose in a confrontation? According to experts, as a result of the duel, the Leopard 2 battle tank - pictured during military exercises in Lower Saxony - could give way to a new Russian tank.
The fact is that the Russians stopped the spiral of production of ever heavier tanks. After the Second World War, the weight of steel colossi constantly increased, as maximum protection against large-caliber enemy guns and high penetrating power were demanded. The weight in the combat position of the Leopard 2 has increased from 55 to over 63 tons. The American battle tank "Abrams M 1" and the British tank "Challenger" with each new modification also increase their weight. But more weight means less mobility, makes it difficult to cross bridges and is associated with more difficult conditions of transportation, in particular in air transport.
First uninhabited tower
The Russians have limited the weight. Unlike the "Leopard" with a crew of 4 people, the crew of the T-14 tank consists of three people, and for the first time in the history of modern battle tanks, the tank turret is uninhabited. Projectiles reload automatically. “A small crew capsule, deep inside the tank, provides the best protection,” experts say.
The basic concept - an uninhabited tower and a minimum number of crew members in a compact armored capsule - was tested back in the late 80s in Germany as part of the Panzerkampfwagen 2000 military project. At that time, Krauss-Maffei, later transformed into Krauss, played a leading role in it -Maffei Wegmann, as well as MaK, which is currently part of the Rheinmetall concern... Experts estimate the weight of the new "T -14" at 48 tons, which is significantly less than the weight of the tanks "Leopard 2", "Challenger" or "Abrams".
However, tank expert and science writer Rolf Hilmes, former head of the Bundeswehr's science department, cautions against using the term "wonder tank" for the T-14. In an uninhabited tower, "all functions must be automated." A projectile hitting this area quickly enough leads to "Firepower -Kill" - the loss of firepower - and, thus, the termination of the combat mission by the vehicle.
Manual emergency control, which exists in modern turret tanks, is not possible in the T-14 tank. In addition, the well-protected crew located deep in the tank will need modern tracking systems to monitor the battlefield.
The tank expert also sees technical parallels in the new T-14 model with early German ideas and developments. If politicians wanted to and provided financial resources for the project, then in Germany it would also be possible to develop a new battle tank, “which in terms of its combat qualities would absolutely not be inferior to the T-14,” he says.
Possibly win the fight
Experts in the field of tank building talk about the high degree of protection of the new Russian tank, while the firepower of the 125-millimeter gun is still unknown in detail. "Definitely, there is the possibility of using shells enriched with uranium and having a high penetrating ability," they say. “Thanks to the high degree of protection, the Armata can defeat a Western tank in a duel, because it is more difficult to knock it out,” experts say.
The Jane's agency cites Russian reports that the Armata could later be equipped with a 152mm cannon, which would mean an increase in its firepower. instead of 120 mm.But later the conversion plan was abandoned due to the "retreated threat" and the high cost.
As a consequence, because of the "Armata" Germany must change the previously developed concept of a tank with an uninhabited turret and a small number of crew members - a large order is already anticipated in industrial circles. “We need something new. There is nothing to expect much from a further increase in the combat capability of the Leopard, ”says one of the experts. Others say that "Armata" will not be the reason for the appearance of new battle tanks in the West, but will affect the ways to improve the combat capability of current tank models.
German-French tank?
At the same time, the development of the successor to Leopard 2 has long existed. So in June 2012, an agreement was signed on the development of the "next generation of ground combat support systems" - the German-French system "Main Ground Combat System". In the summer of 2014, the German concern Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and the French tank manufacturer and state concern Nexter announced plans joint work within the framework of a 50/50 company with a turnover of approximately 2 billion euros, a staff of 6,000 people, as well as a holding company in the Netherlands.
After delays and valuation disputes, the merger of these enterprises is expected to be finalized by the end of autumn. Tank building innovations can be easily exported from France, industry experts say. Competitor Rheinmetall, as before, remains to cherish the hope of a German-German alliance with KMW. The solution depends on the policy.
The question of whether a German-French battle tank will actually appear - the successor to the Leopard, is still open. This will show the history of tank building. Thus, it was originally assumed that the first German battle tank Leopard 1 after the Second World War would be built as a result of the joint efforts of France and Italy. But, as the tank expert Hilmes says, at that time they did not reach unity on the issue of a common concept.
In addition, the then Defense Minister Franz Josef Strauss advocated the use of British rather than French guns. And the German-French project of the battle tank 90, which began in the late 80s, remained only on paper. The Boxer transport tank project, which also began as a bilateral project with France, ended without reaching Paris.
Experts agree that the new Russian T-14 battle tank will have a lasting impact on the industry. Russia plans to supply 2,300 copies itself. Export offers contribute to this. Russia is currently rumored to have over 9,000 T-72 battle tanks, 3,500 T-80 U tanks, and approximately 350 T-90 tanks. In addition, there are several thousand old models that are located east of the Urals. "Armata" should replace the old models "T-72" und "T-80 U". For comparison: Defense Minister von der Leyen recently increased the number of Leopold 2 tanks for the Bundeswehr from 225 to 328 vehicles.
Despite the recent widespread use of remotely controlled weapon stations, crewed turrets still have a future. Defenders of manned towers argue that there is no substitute for direct visual surveillance on the battlefield and that the use of video and optical surveillance systems can only supplement them to a limited extent.
The fact that there are still companies offering habitable solutions to this day, and that new armored vehicles and upgrades developed by first-line armies, such as the British WCSP (Warrior Capability Sustainment Program - ) and Scout SV programs, receive habitable towers, is a confirmation of the demand their capabilities.
The LCTS 90MP turret is equipped with a digital stabilized day / night fire control system for firing from a 90-mm cannon
The dividing line
However, the market for towers is multifaceted and Belgian manufacturer CMI believes there is a divide between wealthier NATO countries that can afford more sophisticated technological systems and the rest of the world. CMI focuses on the second market, having spent a lot of time and effort to conquer it.
CMI Executive Director James Caudle said that in non-NATO countries there is very moderate interest in remote systems, on the contrary, because of "faith in the eye" and due to a lack of confidence in the image on the screen, habitable systems remain an integral part of the combat vehicles of the armies of these countries.
However, he believes that the mass-efficiency benefits of Remotely Operated Weapons Modules (RWMSs) are "so significant that the trend of developing and integrating uninhabited systems will continue for a long time to come."
Mass is a critical factor in less developed countries where infrastructure and physical terrain means it will be difficult to maintain with a total mass of 60-70 tons. Hence, the emphasis is on tactical mobility.
Caudle noted that CMI wanted to offer high lethality at a lower mass and therefore developed the XC-8 turret system, which can accept a gun from 105 mm to 120 mm and can be mounted on an 8 × 8 configuration machine, such as the Piranha III from General Dynamics or AMV by Patria.
And at this year's Eurosatory, an XC-8 turret was fitted to a very similar Korean Doosan DST K-21, although Caudle noted that in Asia the interest was "almost exclusive to wheels" and it is understandable that there is also initial interest in installation of inhabited towers on tracked platforms.
“They are interested in having something much lighter than MBT, but with the same firepower,” said Caudle.
Exhibition Eurosatory 2014. Tower XC-8 on a tracked infantry fighting vehicle CV90 Historical interest
Mr Caudle added that historically turrets with 90mm guns were the most popular among large calibers and although some may have written them off, objectively there is a need for them and CMI still produces these turrets. Also at Eurosatory, CMI's 90mm CSE 90LP (low-pressure) turret was shown on a Textron Commando 6×6 machine, which the manufacturer exports to Colombia and Afghanistan.
The CSE 90LP was also installed on the BTR-3E 8x8 as a "trial balloon" in the upgrade market to see if customers wanted more firepower in combination with lighter vehicles.
CMI has already delivered a batch of CSE 90LP towers and continues to respond to market needs. This tower in the Indonesian army is installed on Doosan Black Fox 6 × 6 armored personnel carriers and was officially put into service in early 2014. "I can guarantee you'll see it on many machines in the next year or two," Caudle said.
CMI also offers the same caliber LCTS 90MP (medium pressure) turret, which is basically different from the CSE 90LP in initial energy, which allows firing armor-piercing feathered projectiles. "This turret can be mounted on Pandur 6×6 or Piranha II 8×8 vehicles with a total weight of 15 tons, which can now destroy a T-55 tank with this type of projectile."
However, he noted that the market for 90mm turrets is not so huge already: “This is the case when the mere desire of companies such as GD is not enough to develop a 90mm turret, so this is to a large extent a niche where CMI has monopoly. It's a good business for us, but too small for a new member or anyone else."
At the Eurosatory exhibition, CMI showed its CSE 90LP turret mounted on the Textron Commando 6 × 6 armored personnel carrier Fully charged
As for the technology of towers, here the most important system, on which the mass of the entire tower depends, is the automatic loader. To get a 105mm turret that has a low enough overall mass to increase tactical mobility, Caudle says manual loading would need to be replaced by an automatic system.
“Automatic loaders are by no means new, but in the context of the 105mm system being sold, I think we are the first. There were other experimental systems. But the difference is what we manufacture to sell to the consumer for real use,” he said, noting that CMI secured its first customer for its CT-CV 105HP tower system. In the field of smaller calibers, namely manned medium turrets in the 25-40mm range, there is still room for improvement, here CMI has developed a two-man turret that can also be controlled remotely.
“We haven't formally released it to the general public, but it's actually finished, exists, and fires,” Caudle said, though he didn't say if CMI had a first customer for this particular product.
The 105-120mm XC-8 turret has been shown on various platforms, including the CV90 New Options
“In particular, with regard to the 105-mm gun, it does not make sense to put a new expensive turret on an old machine, the cost of one significantly exceeds the cost of the other, and then there will be an inconsistency in capabilities. Looking at all the towers, the case for modernization is not so strong,” Caudle said.
The largest sales markets for the company are the Middle East and Asia, South America and Africa are also equally important. Caudle said those markets (other than Western) are "concerned about the complexity of the user interfaces that our advanced systems use."
Modern fire control systems can be easy to use, but the problem often arises when an unexpected malfunction occurs and the characteristics of the system change completely. The crew then needs to figure out what went wrong. “That's why in industrialized countries they buy big and expensive simulator systems, so the instructor can simulate an error in the system when the crew is firing. But in many other parts of the world, this presents a challenge, a whole new paradigm in terms of training and the ability of the operator to deal with the problem,” said Caudle.
"Most of the global market is looking for simpler and less complex control interfaces between a person and a system, and I think this is a big problem."
During the latest tests, the Lancer turret was installed on the BMP Boxer 8 × 8 Improved Features
For the Western and other modern defense markets, there are multi-year comprehensive programs and companies compete for the opportunity to add technologies that increase the capabilities of the towers.
The German manufacturer Rheinmetall manufactures the Lancer turret. Andreas Riedel, head of the turret manufacturing division, said that it has a modern fire control system (FCS) with a third-generation thermal imager, a high-resolution camera and a 10 km laser rangefinder with a fully stabilized line of sight for the commander and gunner. The SLA of this tower includes additional systems of information awareness and recognition and tracking of targets.
The Lancer tower has digital systems and electric drives, the tower no longer has hydraulics. The armor provides STANAG Level 4 protection, which can be upgraded to Level 5 or 6 to enhance frontal protection. Anti-tank missile systems can also be installed on the tower in order to increase firepower to destroy targets with enhanced protection.
The tower was deployed by the Spanish Marine Corps on four Piranha IIIC vehicles, which were delivered at the end of 2012.
“Originally, the program wanted to install OTO Melara Hitfist medium-caliber turrets on four of these vehicles, but they looked at what Hitfist had to offer in terms of performance and level of technology, and then the Spanish infantry decided to install Lancer turrets,” boasted Riedel.
Minimum Modifications
The Lancer turret was proposed for the Canadian melee vehicle program before it was cancelled. Rheinmetall offers it for the ARTEC Boxer platform, although it is also compatible with other 8x8 chassis.
It is possible to upgrade older BMPs of the Rheinmetall Marder type and install this turret on other armored vehicles.
“You don't need to modify the machine other than maybe space for the turret and basket,” Riedel said. “The Marder has a 20mm turret and you can easily replace it with minimal modifications to the machine and without modifying the turret.”
He added that most customers want to upgrade the firepower, which means larger calibers, more types of ammunition with different effects, plus a modern SLA. The movement towards larger calibers is the use of special types of ammunition, such as armor-piercing and universal air blast.
Rheinmetall also offers additional features, such as increasing the ammunition capacity of ready-made ammunition in the turret to 252 pieces. The turret also allows you to meet the needs of the 40-mm caliber by installing the ATK MK44 Bushmaster cannon.
Denel Land Systems, which manufactures the LCT 90 turret, focuses on providing an integrated combat system that also includes a carrier chassis. Inhabited towers: pros and cons
Like CMI's Caudle, Mr. Riedel also believes that the crew turret market has a bright future, as the need for a direct view of the battlefield will remain paramount for fighters for a long time to come. He argues that there are not as many advantages to using remote turrets as is commonly believed.
Riedel noted that claims that DBMs save mass and are lighter compared to their habitable counterparts are false. “That's not entirely true. In comparisons like this, people deliberately forget that uninhabited towers need a crew to operate them, and if you need a crew of two, then you have to place the commander and gunner, their full human-machine interface plus their seats somewhere inside the vehicle.
“The DUBM is cheaper because there are a significant number of subsystems built into these towers, but they have worse protection. If you need a certain level of capability, such as 24/7 search and strike capabilities, then two optical systems are needed, one for the panoramic view system and one for the commander. This is what determines the price level.”
“There are many subsystems and the same can be said about protection. Uninhabited towers are not cheaper just because there are no people in them.”
The CSE 90LP offers 24/7 capability and a wide target range Various options
The South African company Denel Land Systems does not see the market as purely a turret market, rather it provides integrated combat systems that include a turret vehicle. Chief Executive Steven Burger said that there are markets for remote and manned towers and this is often a matter of doctrine and customer preference.
He noted that customers are quite savvy and know what they want regarding tower solutions, while noting the contract with Malaysia for the Badger machine, which is a combination of an FNSS 8 × 8 chassis, a Thales control system and a Denel tower.
“I have a large order in Malaysia for the supply of turrets for infantry fighting vehicles and there are three solutions: a 30mm cannon in a manned turret, a combination of 30mm and ATGM, and the third is a remote system. As part of the IFV user requirement, they recognized the fact that they needed all solutions.”
The Malaysian Badger fleet will consist of 69 vehicles with 30mm turrets, 54 vehicles with ATGMs and 30mm guns, and 54 vehicles with remotely controlled turrets.
Modular approach
From the point of view of the Burger, if the vehicle is involved in offensive operations, then inhabited towers are preferable. If the vehicle is in the command variant and the turret is needed for self-defense, then the remote variant is preferable.
“Modularity is very important and then two types of towers are needed. One high end, fully stabilized with night capability, something comparable to a tank, but smaller and lighter. As well as a tower of the lowest technical level, and both of them are necessary.
He added that firepower today is not the only requirement for a tower. Stabilization, night sights, integrated FCS and the ability of sights to conduct reconnaissance for identification with the correct coordinated operation of all systems are very important.
The vehicles must also be able to be dual-used to operate as a command variant, in which case the software must also be functionally flexible. In addition, protection, accuracy and ease of replenishment of ammunition should be taken into account, which, according to Burger, is very important for inhabited towers.
Key Component
The most important part of the tower is its fundamental meaning - the tool. A joint venture between BAE Systems and Nexter, CTAI is in the process of qualifying weapons for the British Ministry of Defense and the French Arms Procurement Authority, which will be installed on the next generation of armored vehicles.
A CTAI spokesman said that the 40mm cannon has received a full safety certificate from the British Ministry of Defense for armor-piercing and practical rounds. Qualification of the high-explosive point detonation projectile is currently underway, the certification of which will be completed in mid-2015, followed by an airburst munition. This will be followed by firing tests from the British WCSP and later the Scout SV.
“CTAI is working with the Department of Defense to issue a serial production contract. According to the plan, the vehicles should be delivered in 2017 and we need to have weapons ready for integration so that Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics can do their part of the work, ”he said.
The company will be ready next year for a mass production contract, then around 2018-2019, CTAI will begin deliveries for the French EBRC machine.
After conducting assessments in 2008, the British Ministry of Defense found that 40 mm weapons are necessary to deal with large targets. A company representative said that the problem is that when weapons of this size are installed in the tower for the crew, there is not enough space left. Even in the case of the 35 mm cannon mounted on the CV90 BMP, the shooter's body touches the turret on one side and weapons on the other, and he cannot see another person until the barrel rises and the breech inside the turret lowers.
A spokesperson for the company said that CTAI actually solved this problem by removing the back of the breech, turning it around and moving the inductor to the side.