PDF - Armada International

SHOW REPORT
AUSA 2012
Visited by Paolo Valpolini
Largely dominated by vehicle issues, the October 2012 edition of the
US Army Annual Meeting and Exposition took place at the Walter E.
Washington Convention Center in D.C. Amid doubts over the future of
some of the major programmes, the annual exhibition nevertheless
featured some firsts from American and foreign companies.
Route clearance: a Perocc from Pearson
front, the gunner, who mans the Protector RCWS installed in the middle
Route clearance: a
of the roof and, perched at the highPerocc from Pearson
est position of the vehicle, the commander who thus has best panoramic
view. The crew cell protection level
is higher than STANAG Level 3. Numerous tools allow the crew to carry
out their mission. A full width roller
system is installed, two front rollers clearing the path for the Perocc
itself while a rear central element allows the remaining central lane to be
cleared. Rollers are blast survivable
and each can generate up to 550 kg of
downforce, the double of the systems
currently in use according to Pearson.
In case of blast frangible joints allow
to maintain a clean interface and to
quickly replace the roller. The articulated interrogation arm is much
stronger than current ones and can
even be used as a 1,500 kg-lift crane.
The
arm can rotate through 360° and
Picture: Pearson
has a reach of 7.5 metres. Its front interface can accept numerous types of
he hugest vehicle on show came heavy wheeled loader. Pearson’s aim is accessories, ranging from ripper claw
from the other side of the Ocean to provide route clearance units with a or grapple to a ground penetrating raand was unveiled by a company single vehicle capable to detect explo- dar relaying its images to the gunner
specialised in mineclearing systems, sives and thereby proof routes while and commander. The Perocc “combat”
Pearson Engineering. Known as the providing maximum safety to its three- weight is 30 tonnes, the vehicle being
Perocc (for Pearson Engineering Route man crew. The engine being in the back, 12.18 metres long, four metres wide
Opening and Clearing Capability), it is a narrow armoured crew cell is mounted and 4.065 metres high, including the
derived from a commercial Caterpillar on the chassis hosting the driver at the RCWS.
T
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Northrop Grumman unveils its GMV 1.1 candidate
Picture: Armada/Paolo Valpolini
A
nticipating AUSA opening by
half an hour Northrop Grumman unveiled its Medium Assault
Vehicle-Light developed in conjunction
with Pratt & Miller Engineering, BAE
Systems providing its industrial experience in the production cycle. Pratt &
Miller was tasked to design the vehicle
in December 2011 starting from a clean
sheet to answer an RfP issued by the
Special Ops Command in April 2012
for its Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1 programme. The MAV-L is based on a tubular frame and is equipped wit Meritor
suspensions providing 18-inch travel at
the front and 20 at the back. Powered by
a Caterpillar 4.4 litres 220 hp engine, it
has a curb weight of less than 3,360 kg.
The operational range in a mission involving 30 per cent on secondary roads
and 40 per cent-off road is of over 420
km, the fuel tank containing 140 litres.
Dimensions are dictated by one of the requirements, which is to be transportable
inside a CH-47 Chinook. The MAV-L is
thus 2.02 metres wide and, in “kneeling”
position is 1.85 meters high. Transition
to 2.085-metres riding height takes about
three seconds. Payload capacity exceeds
2,500 kg, the vehicle in the standard configuration being able to carry six operators plus the machine gunner. However,
a rail attached under the vehicle and one
on the top allow to add four operators per
side, thus ensuring a 15-operator load for
airfield seizing operations. Three kits are
available, an enclosure kit, an armour kit
provided by BAE Systems, and an arctic
kit ensuring engine functions at very low
temperatures. With the enclosure kit the
MAV-L can transport three operators on
long range-surveillance missions, the
vehicle accepting an RCWS or an ISR
suite on the roof (a 400 Ah alternator
provides sufficient power for many accessories). According to the Northrop
Grumman team the MAV-L mobility
level is three times that of the Humvee,
and having maximised the use of offthe-shelf components ensure low risk
and competitive price. Beyond special
forces, the company anticipates a need
amongst reconnaissance forces. The US
Marine Corps might also be a potential
customer due to the requirement of a
CH-53 transportable vehicle for its entry
forces. Northrop Grumman and its team
have built a single prototype and look
forward to the SOCOM bid that might
be announced in January-February 2013.
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SHOW REPORT
Containerised Crows from Kongsberg
Picture: Armada/Paolo Valpolini
F
orward operating base protection is
definitely an issue - as can be seen in
an article devoted to this subject in this
magazine. The conundrim is how to reduce
the manpower needed to protect a base and
increase personnel safety. Kongsberg unveiled
at AUSA its contribution to FOB protection
in the form of the Containerized Weapon Sta-
tion, CWS in short. The system is based on
the company Crows weapon station integrated into an ISO-rated Tricon Type 1 container,
equipped with a rigid-chain electromechanical lift specifically designed to support the
use of an RCWS from an elevated position
and take wind and recoil effects into account.
The lift raises the base of the Crows to 4.6
metres, allowing it to cover a wide field of fire.
The CWS is fully autonomous as it contains
a 110 V/15 A multifuel generator, a battery
pack and a power management system. The
Standoff Extension Kit ensures full remote
operation, a 1,000-metre optical fibre cable
and a breakaway command allowing the operator to stand at a distance of 1,050 meters.
At AUSA, the system also featured a Javelin
antitank missile mounted on the right side of
the weapon station, the link being provided
by a small box installed under the bracket. To
launch the Javelin the Protector FCS must be
switched to missile mode, thus getting the image provided by the seeker and allowing the
shooter to follow the typical engagement sequence. Kongsberg is working on integrating
the data coming from a number of Crows into
a common operational picture for FOB protection purposes. In the CWS configuration
the Javelin ensures the neutralisation of hard
targets at long range. Developed to meet the
US Integrated Base Defense requirement, the
first 20 CWS will be deployed to Afghanistan
in the first quarter of 2013. Further orders are
expected
S-ATV: the Oshkosh bidder for GMV 1.1
F
or its Special Purpose All-Terrain Vehicle, S-ATV in short, Oshkosh adopted the
clean sheet approach with the aim of developing a family of very modular and configurable vehicles, able to meet requirements other than those established for the
GVM1.1 by the US Special Ops. Especially in terms of dimensions, this means that the
S-ATV can be built in a configuration that not only rolls into a CH-47 as required, but
that can also be produced in a wider and much more capable version should a customer
require greater volumes and payloads. Several variants are therefore considered at Oshkosh, thus numerous subsystems are not specified in detail as they might vary from one
configuration to another. The engine is one of those variables, with outputs ranging from
225 and over 300 hp. A multifuel engine accepting JP-8 or Jet-A, it is linked to an automatic transmission and has a 113-litre fuel tank that ensures a range of over 500 km. Top
speed is of over 120 km/h. The S-ATV can accommodate from 2 to 7 men, while curb
weight varies from 2,700 and 4,500 kg depending on configuration (with/without enclosure, armour etc). The S-ATV has a width of about two meters in CH-47 transportable
configuration for a length of about 5 metres – height varying according to transportation
requirements. A specialist in suspensions, Oshkosh leveraged its experience to ensure
maximum mobility. The alternator can be chosen in the 200-300 Ah range depending
on subsystems the customer needs to install, 1,800 W being available at 120 VAC. The
vehicle is fitted for a CTIS while a cold weather kit allows to carry out operations down at
Picture: Oshkosh –45°C, though standard operating temperatures range from –32°C to +49°C.
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SHOW REPORT
ATK ready to field further XM-25
Picture: ATK
ATK will deliver 36 further XM-25 Individual Semi-Automatic Airburst System
(ISAAS) to the US Army that will deploy
them to Afghanistan, where the new
weapon has been named “The Punisher”.
According to the company deliveries will
take place in early Spring 2013, the XM-25
thus undergoing a second operational assessment. The Army has already deployed
five XM-25 since November 2010: according to Army sources in the one month
operational assessment phase the XM-25
was used in nine combat engagements,
during which 55 HEAB (High Explosive
AM General GMV 1.1: not
much left of the Humvee
Picture: AM General
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Air Burst) rounds were fired in anger, the
new weapon having been used in infantry, infantry heavy weapons and cavalry
scout platoons. Weapons remained in theatre even after the end of the assessment
phase, and might have returned to the
US for wear and tear evaluation, however
some of the five original weapons should
be again downrange. The 36 new systems
will feature some minor modifications
suggested by soldiers in the field. Lessons
learned have shown, for instance, that the
stock does not fit with individual protections, while the presence of a battery level
indicator in the sight screen was desired.
According to ATK the programme is on
track and has passed the CDR stage without problems, Milestone C, that is decision
for production, being awaited in September-October 2013. While the airburst munition was considered a paradigm change
by the soldiers, the development of an Armour Piercing round is well on its way and
might even be accelerated.
A
lthough it may look somewhat similar in appearance, the GMV 1.1 proposal by AM General does not have
much to do with the M1165A1HMMWV
derivative GMV 1.0 currently in service
with SOCOM units. First of all the vehicle
uses the engine developed for the BRV-O,
the AM General answer to the JLTV programme. Known as GEP Optimizer 3200
it is a 6-cylinder electronically controlled
engine that can be tuned up to 300 hp, with
a 6,780 Nm torque and a weight of only
250 kg. The GMV 1.1 being much lighter
than the BRV-O, maximum output was set
at 270 hp to obtain greater fuel efficiency
and use a lighter transmission. The modular roll cage allows for easy replacement of
damaged components and fully met the
requirements, which asked to sustain a
load four times that of the vehicle’s grow
weight – in fact, according to AM General,
it withstood 150% of that. AM General
used purposely developed suspensions
that ensure its four to seven passengers a
smooth off-road ride even at high speeds.
A modular rack system allows to change
seating and load configuration.
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SHOW REPORT
Pyros: a superlight air-to-ground
weapon from Raytheon
Picture: Raytheon
Tracked Stryker? Why not!
Picture: Armada/Paolo Valpolini
T
ake a Striker with Double-V Hull, add a 625 hp powerpack, hydropneumatic suspensions and tracks, and you might well get
a candidate for the US Army Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle
(AMPV) programme. This is the approach taken by General Dynamics
Land Systems with its Stryker + Tr the weight of which was set around 30
tonnes although the vehicle concept looks at a 38 tonnes limit. According to GDLS the Stryker + Tr maintains a considerable commonality
with the wheeled Stryker currently in service, a plus in term of logistics.
Further evolutions of the concept are foreseen, and early 2014 might
well see a second prototype that should be slightly bigger and heavier
and feature wider tracks. The AMPV programme should include five
different variants of the selected vehicle, General Purpose (GP), Mortar
Carrier Vehicle (MCV), Mission Command (MCmd), Medical Evacuation Vehicle (MEV) and Medical Treatment Vehicle (MTV). A draft
Request for Proposal was expected for December 2012.
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R
aytheon provided more information
on its Pyros drone weapon since it
performed it first trial in mid-July at
Yuma in Arizona. The 6 kg, 558mm-long
bomb fitted with a semiactive laser guidance
system receives its target grids through the
launch system. The bomb is also fitted with
a GPS that allows it to be dropped off-axis,
and preferred angle of attack can be selected
making the system suitable for urban warfare.
The Pyros fuse can be set in three different
modes: height-of-burst, thus providing an air
burst capability, point detonation, and delay,
the latter allowing to exploit kinetic energy to
penetrate roofs or walls before the fragmentation warhead detonates inside the building (its reduced dimensions limit collateral
damages). The SAL guidance also allows to
hit moving targets. Carried under the centre
pylon of a Raytheon Cobra drone, the system
is currently at TRL7, the next step will be its
integration on a tactical drone platform as
well as on a Reaper, the latter being able to
carry up to 12 Pyros.
The Army Aerial Scout
competition heats up
M
Picture: Armada/Paolo Valpolini
any competitors for the US Army AAS bid were lining up at AUSA. EADS North America AAS-72S+
(left), which had just finished the VFD (Voluntary
Flight Demonstration) was on show; integration is ensured by
Lockheed Martin, weapon systems being provided by Aerea
of Italy. The Boeing AH-6i was also on show together with the
mock-up of the most innovative proposal for the bid, the Sikorsky S-97 Raider (right) with its rigid co-axial rotor system and
clutched propeller. The Bell proposal based on an upgraded OH58 known as OH-58F Block II featuring a new powerpack and
transmission, started its VFD the day AUSA opened its doors.
AgustaWestland did not participate in AUSA, its VFD phase having taken place in June 2012 with an AW139 since its AW169 was
busy with its very early flight tests. A decision about upgrading
existing OH-58Ds or acquiring new helicopters was awaited for
December 2012.