Army at Avalon 2015

Army at Avalon 2015
The Australian Army has a range of vehicles and aircraft that are among the
world’s most advanced. On display at Avalon 2015 are the MRH-90, Tiger armed
reconnaissance helicopter, M1A1 Abrams tank, M113AS4 armoured personnel
carrier, the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) and the M777 howitzer.
www.army.gov.au
Page 1
MRH-90
The MRH-90 is an advanced troop transport
helicopter with many of the latest technologies.
The multi-role helicopter is designed for
operations by night, day and in poor weather.
The inclusion of the MRH-90 in the Army
aviation fleet allows for airmobile, special
operations support and maritime support
squadrons to provide capability to the
Australian Defence Force across a spectrum of
operating environments. The MRH-90 replaces
the long-serving Sikorsky Black Hawk utility
helicopter.
The MRH-90 is operated by the 5th Aviation
Regiment in Townsville.
www.army.gov.au
Specifications
Empty weight
6400 kg
Max weight
10,600 kg
Length
16.13 m
Cruise speed
260 km/h
Max speed
300 km/h
Range
800 km
Service ceiling
5640 m
Hoist capacity
200 kg
Crew
2 pilots, 2 loadmasters
Passengers
Up to 18 fully equipped
troops
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Tiger armed
reconnaissance helicopter
The Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopter
(ARH) is a specialised version of the
Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter and is
used by the Australian Army to replace
two helicopter types: the OH-58 Kiowa
reconnaissance helicopter and UH-1 Iroquois
‘Bushranger’ gunships.
The Tiger is a two-seat helicopter that
performs a wide range of missions. It is
fast and agile, with the ability to detect and
engage targets at long ranges and can easily
coordinate and control combined arms teams
on the ground. With the latest-generation
engines and rotors and an integrated suite of
sensors and weapons, it’s a key platform in the
Army aviation fleet.
Specifications
Empty weight
3950 kg
Max weight
6000 kg
Length
15.83 m
Height
3.83 m
Rotor diameter
Main rotor 13 m,
tail rotor 2.5 m
Max speed
315 km/h
Range
800 km
Service ceiling
4000 m
Rate of climb
10.7 m/s
Crew
2
The Tiger is operated by the 1st Aviation
Regiment based in Darwin.
www.army.gov.au
Page 3
M1A1 Abrams tank
The M1A1 Abrams main battle tank is one
of the fastest, most manoeuvrable, heavily
armoured and most powerful tanks in the world.
The 120mm cannon is the main weapon of the
Abrams tank. A key feature of this gun is the
barrel, which allows for a high muzzle velocity
and an effective range up to 4000m.
Tracks are used instead of wheels on all heavy
tanks. Tracks help a tank to distribute its
weight evenly over a larger surface area than
wheels, allowing it to cross uneven or muddy
terrain that wheels would drop into or sink.
Tracked vehicles can also turn on the spot,
making them very manoeuvrable. They do this
by reversing the direction of one track, while
driving forward with the other.
Specifications
Weight
68.3 tonnes
Length
9.83 m
Width
3.65 m
Max speed
67 km/h
Armament
Main cannon 120 mm
Crew
4
The Abrams tank uses a gas turbine powerplant (jet engine) as opposed to a traditional
diesel engine. This was chosen because it
offers a better power-to-weight ratio and is
much smaller in size. The power-plant also has
the ability to run on any fuel type.
www.army.gov.au
Page 4
M113AS4 armoured
personnel carrier
The M113AS4 is designed for on and off-road
travel while fully loaded with combat troops.
It accommodates and protects its crew plus
up to 10 infantry troops.
Designed for rapid deployment by road, rail,
sea and air, the M113 incorporates armour
that’s resistant to small arms fire, incorporating
ballistic plating and spall curtains to protect
personnel inside from the blast from a mine or
improvised-explosive device (IED).
The recently upgraded M113 armoured
personnel carriers feature electrically-powered
turrets, day/night weapon sights and enhanced
internal storage. New engines and drivetrains
have been fitted along with new steering
controls and electrical and fuel systems.
www.army.gov.au
Specifications
Weight
18 tonnes
Length
6m
Width
2.69 m
Height
2.61 m
Engine
MTU 6 V 199 TE 20
Speed
Up to 66 km/h
Range
550 km
Armament
12.7 mm M2HB QCB
machine gun
Crew
2
Passengers
10 fully equipped troops
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Australian Light Armoured
Vehicle (ASLAV)
The Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV)
is a high performance combat vehicle ideally
suited to harsh terrain and vast distances.
The eight-wheel configuration gives good offroad performance, while allowing it to move
on road much faster than tracked vehicles.
The ASLAV is fully capable on land and can also
be driven across rivers or small lakes by using
its shrouded propellers at the rear of the vehicle.
Equipped with its thermal imaging, gun sights
and night vision systems, it is as effective during
night-time operations as daytime.
The ASLAV is used mainly for convoy escorts,
rear security protection such as protecting
bridges and airfields, and offensive tasks
including quick attacks and raids. Its mobility
is enhanced by solid-core tyres (run-flats)
within each of the eight inflated tyres.
Specifications
The main weapon on the ASLAV is a chain
driven, electrically powered gun. It is capable
of firing at 200 rounds per minute, accurate
at ranges up to 3 km. Unlike most automatic
firearms, it uses an electric motor rather than
gas or recoil to start its firing system, giving it
better reliability than comparable systems.
www.army.gov.au
Weight
13.2 tonnes
Length
6.53 m
Width
2.62 m
Height
2.69 m
Diesel engine
275 hp (205kW)
Power/weight
20.83 hp/tonne
Suspension
8 wheel independent
Speed
100 km/h
Crew
3
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M777 howitzer
The M777 155 millimetre light-weight towed
howitzer is the Army’s big hitting artillery piece.
Its role is to provide fire support at distances in
excess of 20 km.
Secondly, the position data of the target,
the gun and any other environmental factors
are entered into a fire control computer to
calculate a solution.
The M777 can use a range of different
ammunition, depending on the role required.
Smoke can be fired to provide cover for
infantry at the front line or illumination rounds
to light up the sky at night. Also, a range of
explosive rounds are available to deal with
armoured vehicles or buildings.
Thirdly, this solution is used to align the gun
and the shell is fired. The forward observer
then must confirm the hit or provide data for
adjustment of the solution.
Artillery usually fire from a position where
they cannot directly see the target they are
aiming at, often from many kilometres away.
To accurately hit a target, a number of key
elements need to be in place to help the
gun team.
Specifications
Weight
4100 kg
Max range
30 km
Rate of fire
2 rounds per minute
sustained; 5 rounds per
minute rapid
Calibre
155 mm
Firstly, a forward observer needs to be able
to locate the target and provide an accurate
position, relaying this to the artillery team.
www.army.gov.au
Page 7