Jane's Defence Weekly [Content preview Subscribe to IHS Jane s Defence Weekly for full article] Future proofing: European AFVs evolve for road ahead To meet constantly evolving operational requirements and increasingly complex tasks Europe's armies are demanding more from their armoured fighting vehicles. Christopher F Foss assesses key programmes under way France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom (UK) are all equipping their land forces with new families of armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), but the approach taken by their respective governments is very different. Some countries choose to launch an international competition to replace or upgrade existing AFVs, while others adopt a national approach to sustain their industrial capability to design, develop, and manufacture such vehicles, which are becoming increasingly complex. These major re-equipment programmes are being undertaken against a background of severe financial restraints and many years of restructuring of the land component, which has seen a drastic reduction in the numbers of all types of equipment deployed, including AFVs. Overseas deployments by some countries have led to the rapid upgrading of existing AFVs, especially with enhanced levels of protection against rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), mines, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). These upgrades have been carried out using urgent operational requirement funding and decisions are now being taken as to whether to retain some of these in service or to phase them out. There is also a trend to develop and field AFVs capable of more rapid deployment overseas by land, sea, or air. In the past the C-130 Hercules transport aircraft was the preferred air transport option, but the protection requirements of current AFV fleets now mean that they are often too heavy to be transported by C-130. Today, however, the significantly increased speed and payload of the C-17 and the new A400M transport aircraft mean that these two platforms are rapidly becoming the preferred option. France sticks to wheeled solution With the exception of the Nexter Systems Leclerc main battle tank (MBT), the French Army now favours an almost entirely wheeled AFV fleet. The wheeled variants currently deployed by France were developed over 30 years ago, cannot be upgraded any further, and are now in urgent need of replacement if the army is to have a credible fleet that can be deployed overseas. Article 1 Page 1 of 12
In the first quarter of 2015 the French Army will take delivery of the last of 630 Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'infanterie (VBCI) 8x8 infantry combat vehicles, procured as replacements for its older tracked AMX-10P infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). The French Army VBCI IFV is fitted with a one-person turret armed with a stabilised 25 mm M811 cannon and 7.62 mm co-axial MG. (Christopher F Foss) 1628577 Of the total order, 520 units are being delivered in the VCI (Véhicule de Combat de l'infanterie) infantry combat vehicle configuration and 110 in the VPC (Véhicule Poste de Commandement) command post configuration. Earlier VBCIs are now being upgraded and the production line is still in position for potential export contracts. In October 2014 France's military procurement agency, the Direction Générale de l'armement (DGA), formally qualified the VBCI with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 32 tonnes, as opposed to the 29 tonnes of the original production vehicle. In December 2014 France signed a EUR752 million (USD929 million) contract for a new generation of armoured wheeled combat vehicles, providing a boost to its major Scorpion army modernisation programme. This contract covers the development and acquisition, maintenance, and training tools for the two main vehicles of the programme: the 6x6 Véhicule Blindé MultiRole (VBMR), which will now be known as Griffon; and the 6x6 Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance et de Combat (EBRC), now called Jaguar. These will start replacing the current fleet of 6x6 and 4x4 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) from 2018. France did not hold a competition for its new fleet of AFVs, opting instead for a national solution as it is permitted to do under EU regulations. Both vehicles will be designed, developed, and manufactured by a Article 1 Page 2 of 12
project consortium created in January comprising Nexter Systems, Renault Trucks Défense (RTD), and Thales Communication and Security, under contract to the DGA. If all goes well a total of 2,328 AFVs worth some EUR5 billion will be procured by the French Army under the Scorpion programme. The 6x6 Jaguar reconnaissance vehicle will replace a wide range of wheeled AFVs, including the French Army's Nexter Systems AMX-10RCR and Panhard General Defense ERC90 Sagaie (6x6) armoured cars. It is expected that 248 vehicles will be procured in total, with a potential in-service date (ISD) of 2020. The first tranche will consist of 110 units. The army's current fleet includes 337 AMX-10RCs (256 upgraded to the AMX-10RCR standard) and 192 Sagaies (160 upgraded with the replacement of the petrol engine by a more fuel-efficient diesel engine). Both vehicles have been widely used for rapid overseas deployment by France, most recently in Mali. The EBRC will be a 6x6 vehicle with a GVW of 25 tonnes and fitted with a two-person turret armed with a stabilised 40 mm Case Telescoped Armament System (CTAS) developed by CTAI. This weapon and its first natures of ammunition (the armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding-sabot - tracer (APFSDS-T) and target practice - tracer (TP-T)) were qualified by France and the United Kingdom in mid-2014. The first tranche of 40 mm ammunition is referred to as Wave 1A. The 40 mm CTAS is mandated for the General Dynamics UK Scout Specialist Vehicle (Scout - SV) and the Lockheed Martin UK Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP), making it the largest medium-calibre weapon programme in Europe. The latest scale model of the EBRC fitted with a two-person turret armed with a 40 mm CTAS, 7.62 mm MG and ATGW. (Christopher F Foss) 1628578 Article 1 Page 3 of 12
The EBRC turret is fitted with a roof-mounted 7.62 mm RWS, with banks of Galix grenade launchers on each side and a pod with two MBDA Missile Moyenne Portee (MPP) anti-tank guided weapons (ATGWs) integrated onto its left side. While having a smaller-calibre main armament than the AMX-10RCR and Sagaie armoured cars it is replacing, the EBRC will have more armour and mobility and represents a step change in capability due to the advanced optronics and its network enabled capability (NEC). Germany fielding two new AFVs The German Army is taking delivery of two new AFVs: the Puma Armoured Infantry Fighting Vehicle (AIFV) and the Boxer 8x8 Multirole Armoured Vehicle (MRAV). A production-standard Puma AIFV pictured undergoing trials in the Middle East. (Rheinmetall) 1480864 The Puma AIFV has been under development since 2002 by Projekt System and Management (PSM) as a replacement for the German Army's Rheinmetall Marder 1 IFVs. The Marder 1 entered service in Germany in 1971 and has since been subject to a number of upgrades. The latest version, the Marder 1A5A1, has been deployed to Afghanistan. The first Puma AIFV system demonstrator was completed in 2005 and was followed by five pre-production vehicles. An order for 405 vehicles was then placed in 2009, but this has now been reduced to 350 vehicles, with all these to be delivered by 2020. Of the 350 Puma AIFVs, eight will be driver training vehicles. Article 1 Page 4 of 12
The first Pumas came off the production line in December 2010. Full-scale production is expected to begin in 2015 to a drumbeat of 55 vehicles a year, but the Puma AIFV is not expected to be fully operational in the immediate future, with the programme experiencing significant delays as a result of technical problems and changes in user requirements. As such, there have already been numerous modifications to the vehicle, including an additional road wheel at each side, while further modifications are due in the future. The Puma's remote-control turret is armed with a Mauser 30 mm MK 30-2 dual-feed cannon (which can also fire the latest air-bursting munition) and a 5.56 mm co-axial MG, but the latter is expected to be replaced by a 7.62 mm MG. The Boxer IFV developed for the export market by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles is fitted with a Lance turret armed with a Mauser 30 mm MK 30-2 ABM dual-feed cannon and a 7.62 mm MG coupled to a computerised fire control system. (Rheinmetall) 1405651 A twin launcher is installed on the left side of the turret for a EuroSpike-LR ATGW, which is currently being tested on two of the pre-production Puma AIFVs. Article 1 Page 5 of 12
The first example of the Scout SV, rolled out in mid-2014, is shown here without the Kongsberg Protector RWS installed. (General Dynamics UK) 1628579 Italy invests in wheeled AFVs The Italian joint venture company Consorzio Iveco Oto (CIO) was formed to design, develop, and manufacture AFVs for the Italian Army. Within the consortium Iveco Defence Vehicles is responsible for automotive aspects of all AFVs, both tracked and wheeled, while Oto Melara is responsible for all tracked vehicles, as well as all turrets and weapon stations. The Italian Army took delivery of 200 Ariete MBTs and 200 Dardo tracked IFVs from 1995-2002 and hopes to upgrade these in the future. Italy was the first country in NATO to realise the full potential of medium-weight wheeled AFVs with the deployment of 400 CIO Centauro 105 mm 8x8 mobile gun systems (MGSs). Some of these are expected to be sold to Jordan. Spain has also taken delivery of 84 of these as replacements for its AMX-30E MBTs, while the Royal Guard of Oman has taken delivery of nine Centauro 120 mm MGSs. The Centauro is fitted with a three-person turret armed with a stabilised 105 mm rifled gun coupled to a computerised fire control system (FCS). CIO is currently developing the Centauro 2 under contract to the Italian Army to replace its Centauros. This will feature a number of improvements, including a new turret armed with a 120 mm/45 calibre smoothbore gun. Funding permitted, about 200 will be built to replace the currently deployed Centauro 105 mm vehicles. Article 1 Page 6 of 12
The Centauro 2 has the same firepower as a Leopard 2 and Ariete MBT, yet it has greater strategic mobility and does not have to rely on heavy equipment transporters (HETs) to be deployed over long distances. To complement the Centauro 105 mm MGS the Italian Army is fielding the Freccia 8x8 IFV. This is fitted with a two-person turret armed with a 25 mm KBA dual-feed cannon and a 7.62 mm coaxial MG and one or two similar weapons mounted on the roof to provide close-in defence. United Kingdom to get new and upgraded AFVs The United Kingdom has had many false starts in an effort to field new AFVs to replace obsolete vehicles. Cancelled projects include the Future Family of Light Armoured Vehicles (FFLAV), Tactical Reconnaissance Armoured Combat Equipment Requirement (TRACER), Boxer MRAV, and the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES). The two key British Army programmes today are the Lockheed Martin UK Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) and the Scout SV programme. When eventually fielded these will form a key part of the British Army 2020 transformation. GKN Defence (now part of BAE Systems Combat Vehicles UK) built a total of 789 Warrior IFVs and variants, with first deliveries being made in 1987. Under a contract awarded to Lockheed Martin United Kingdom in November 2011, a total of 380 Warrior IFVs and variants will be upgraded in a number of areas to extend their operational lives out to beyond 2030. Key elements of the WCSP include the Warrior Fightability & Lethality Improvement Programme (WFLIP), Warrior Enhanced Electronic Architecture (WEEA), and the Warrior Modular Protection System (WMPS). WFLIP includes the installation of a brand new turret and replaces the unstabilised 30 mm RARDEN cannon with a fully stabilised 40 mm CTAS coupled to a computerised FCS to provide an accurate fire-on-the-move capability under almost all weather conditions. Under the WCSP demonstration phase a total of 12 Warrior IFVs are being upgraded to the WCSP standard, which consists of nine section vehicles (including two section command vehicles, a command post vehicle, a repair vehicle, and a recovery vehicle, plus an additional two turrets. The repair-and-recovery vehicles have one-man turrets armed with a 7.62 mm MG. The first WCSP unmanned firings took place late in 2014. These were followed by manned crew clearance in late 2014. In February 2015 manned firings will start against static and then moving targets, followed by the engagement of moving targets while the vehicle is moving. Under the leadership of BAE Systems Combat Vehicles UK a total of 908 FV432 AFVs were upgraded by the Defence Support Group (which is being sold to Babcock) to the FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog standard, with final deliveries in the first quarter of 2011. Article 1 Page 7 of 12
MBTs still have a role France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom have all reduced their main battle tank (MBT) fleets over the past few years, while at the same time retaining this key manoeuvre capability. The French Army took delivery of 436 Leclerc MBTs fromm 1991/2 to 2007 and under current plans 200 are being retained and will be upgraded. This is expected to include replacing obsolete subsystems and enhanced protection. A Leclerc urban operations appliqué armour kit has already been developed and tested, for which the United Arab Emirates was the first customer. The Italian Army will retain its Ariete MBTs and has carried out a number of upgrade studies with an enhanced protection package developed and manufactured for the batch of vehicles deployed to Iraq. BAE Systems Combat Vehicles UK is the current design authority for the Challenger 2 MBT, with part of the fleet being upgraded under the Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme. (Christopher F Foss) 1628580 In December 2014 the German Army took delivery of the last of 20 KMW Leopard 2A7 MBTs and hopes to upgrade the remainder of its Leopard 2A6 fleet to this standard in the future, funding permitting. The Leopard 2A7 features many improvements over the 2A6, including enhanced armour protection and the latest-generation thermal sighting systems, while retaining the 2A6's 120 mm L/55 smoothbore gun. Article 1 Page 8 of 12
Copyright IHS Global Limited, 2015 For the full version and more content: IHS Jane's Defence Industry and Markets Intelligence Centre This analysis is taken from IHS Jane s Defence Industry & Markets Intelligence Centre, which provides world-leading analysis of commercial, industrial and technological defence developments, budget and programme forecasts, and insight into new and emerging defence markets around the world. IHS defence industry and markets news and analysis is also available within IHS Jane s Defence Weekly. To learn more and to subscribe to IHS Jane s Defence Weekly online, offline or print visit http://magazines.ihs.com/. For advertising solutions contact the IHS Jane s Advertising team Article 1 Page 9 of 12