armada international: 6/97-52 (original) (raw)
Because vehicles falling in this category are unbelievably numerous due to all their derivatives, this survey limits itself in the text part, to the most recent developments and, downwards, to machines armed with at least a 20 mm turret and driven on three axles (for the wheeled types).
In this category, attention to near-term developments is clearly focused on Europe’s Mrav-GTK- VBCI – a barbaric trilingual acronym intended to describe Britain’s, France’s and Germany’s light armoured vehicle requirement. The basic idea is to jointly design and manufacture a base hull that would lend itself to many variations, with applications ranging from infantry transport all the way up to something that would closely resemble a tank on wheels for fast deployment forces. The fashionable word here is modular. This project has an extremely convoluted history. First both Germany and France (in that order) worked on separate prototypes respectively known as the Daimler-Benz & Krauss-Maffei EXF and the Giat-Panhard Vextra. Putting two and two together, both countries decided to embark on a joint programme known as the VBM/GTK. But two factors came into play to destroy what had seemed to be a relatively smooth programme. First other manufacturers thought that they should have been given a chance; then in 1995 Britain came up with a similar requirement – named Mrav. All agreements were dissolved. To cut a long story short, and at time of writing, two main competing teams were set up:
Vickers Defence Systems, Henschel, Panhard, Alvis and Kuka
To date the two teams have produced mock-ups that were exhibited at the recent RNBAEE exhibition. Both were 6�6s capable of carrying eight fully equipped infantrymen. Payload tonnage was given as around five tonnes. While there are no clearly voiced intentions to substantially arm these vehicles for the time being, the reason for their presence here is that France in particular does wish to be able to mount a 105, or even a 120 mm turret on such a vehicle – possibly by adding another axle, as this would broaden export prospects. This has been clearly demonstrated by recent trials conducted with the Vextra. Britain, for its part, would move on to a different platform to fulfil this need with the Tracer in co-operation with the American future Scout Cavalry System. The potential requirements are for 3000 each for France and Germany, and about 2000 to 2100 for Britain. Target date for introduction in Germany is 2004, where about 800 are intended to replace M113s. Dates are, of course, to be taken with a pinch of salt, as lips tend to be tight when production sourcing method is mentioned. However, non-single sourcing, while posing a workshare problem, offers the possibility to France and Britain to export into countries banned by Germany.
As the above paragraph suggests, the Vextra appears to be the only existing prototype on which serious development work is still being physically carried out since it was first exhibited three years ago. Giat has fitted it with the latest version of its TML turret now called the Fire-on-the- move TML 105. The Vextra, in true French automotive tradition, incorporates an impressive number of features, not the least of which is a top road speed of 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles per hour) – a real belter. Then the relatively low profile was made possible by adopting a transmission layout that sees the shafts running laterally on the sides of the hull with pick-up points running through the suspension’s trailing arms. The boxes housing the shafts inside the hull provide the seating base. Thus, the floor could also be lowered and still guarantee a very comfortable habitability. The large available width inside the hull is also due to the limited steering lock given to the front axles so that the wells do not have to protrude inside the cabin; the extra steering is provided, when needed, by differential brake and power steering system (� la tank) which is automatically activated when the steering wheel is brought to the stops: the Vextra then turns on a penny.
A team known as the Lancer was set up in 1997 to design the Tracer/FSCS vehicle mentioned earlier. It comprises United Defense, Raytheon, GKN Defence and GEC-Marconi.
Switzerland also has a requirement for an infantry fighting vehicle able to follow its Leo 2s in the battlefield – which its ageing M113s cannot. Due to timescale constraints, the Helvetic Confederation appears to want a readily available tracked vehicle to be able to field it between 2002 and 2006. Prime contenders here are the British Warrior, the German upgraded Marder and the Swedish H�gglunds CV90. H�gglunds anounced that testing is scheduled to take place in Summer 1998 in Switzerland and a decision to purchase 300 vehicles is expected in late 1999.
While on the subject of the CV90, this vehicle was originally developed under Bofors main contractorship for the Swedish Government, the actual hull being the responsibility of H�gglunds. One of the striking features of the vehicle is the extreme smart thinking that went into every detail: from the mouth of the design chief himself, for example, engine mounting inspiration came from ski bindings: just three point sliding mounts that enable the entire 550-horsepower Scania DS 14 diesel and Perkins transmission to be removed in one lump within minutes (ten to fifteen) after all eleven mechanical electric and hydraulic couplings are loosened; the air intake is also a clever piece, for it actually is the engine cover: air is drawn from louvers at the top, circulated downwards in the double skin of the engine cover and picked up from the bottom, thus ensuring constant cooling to diminish what would traditionally be a hot spot. Interestingly the engine started life in 1973 as a 350-horsepower lorry unit and evolved all the way up to 605-horsepower for the Norwegian Stridbat 90 (and even tested at 625), by virtue of higher turbocharging pressure.
The vehicle was designed from the outset for multiple applications, from infantry carrier, through command, recovery and observation all the way up to air defence (gun and missiles included). The first version, ordered in 1991, was the CV9040, where the last pair of figures denotes the calibre – in this instance the Bofors L/70B capable of firing the new 3P programmable round. Interestingly Bofors says that with its 40 mm APFSDS, the CV90 can “effectively engage MBTs from any attitude with the exception of the heavily armoured frontal arc”. The turret is slightly offset to the left, on the driver’s side, to balance the weight of the engine on the right. Then in April 1994, and after a competition involving the Ascod, Bradley, Puma, TH495 and Warrior between January and December 1993, Norway placed an order for a 30 mm version of the CV90. This is where Bofors prime contractorship ends and is taken over by H�gglunds (Bofors filling that role only for the Swedish Government’s air defence variant). Minor differences include hydraulic dampers instead of friction types on roadwheel 1, 2 and 7, a rear observation cupola, higher range through increased fuel capacity and fire-on-the-move capability. The turret was originally equipped with a 25 mm Bushmaster (offered to Sweden but not purchased) but upgraded to Bushmaster II 30 with 60 ready-to-fire rounds in a U-shaped container around the front of the basket. It is fitted with day and night sights (Utaas) with remote viewing for the commander and direct for the gunner. Tracks are like the Swedish, similar to the Bradley’s. Production of over 100 CV9030s for Norway is to start in 1998.
Following competitive work in the defunct US Army AGS (M8) programme, H�gglunds sensed an interest for such a type of vehicle and, with minor work on the roof of the vehicle, managed to install a Giat TML 105 turret. This version is of course known as the CV90105.
Another version of the CV90 is known as the Bill Under Armour in which the missile is launched from a telescopic launching turret and, much further down the street, yet another version that promises to offer quite a deterring power is the Buster (see Smart Rounds).
Undoubtedly, one of the most popular wheeled vehicle to be in production is the Mowag Piranha. The most recent version is known as the Piranha III, which introduces a number of interesting features, in fact so many that the ship could be largely regarded as a totally new design, having lost its characteristic pointed shark nose in the process. Mowag, due to certain customers’ conditions, is reluctant to provide any breakdown on sales per type, and will only say that overall (including GKN and GM Canada licensee markets), 3800 are in service to date and that 1200 are on order or in production. Leading the pack in terms of sales are the 8�8, closely followed by the 6�6. Then comes the 4�4 and, closing the march due to its more recent introduction, the 10�10. The Piranha III, as emphasised by Mowag, does not replace the Series II, production of which continues. However, one of the main features that immediately denotes the Series III 6�6 are its two steering axles, instead of one only on the Series II. This should vastly improve steering response in thick greasy terrain (during a test drive involving the Piranha IIs, one of the authors had remarked that the 8�8 in spite of being larger and heavier, had far better manners than the 6�6).
Other features include a better armour protection through electrically welded hardened steel plates (and under which on the right hand side, the exhaust system is concealed; a small louver in the nose allows cold air in and, through a Venturi nozzle, sucks and mixes it with the hot gas as it exits half way down the side of the vehicle). The newly designed hull also offers better internal space, while a special add-on floor plate adds proofing against mines. Something that will please everyone no end – passengers, but also stabilised system developers – is the adoption of a feathersoft hydraulic suspension that allows adjustable riding height – not only generically, but in all attitudes: roll and pitch.
Central tyre inflation and anti-locking brake systems round up the description of the rolling gear. The engine bay has also been resketched to facilitate removal and swap of the power pack, and a two-speed T-case added to give a creeping speed of under three kilometres per hour. For all versions, muscle is � la carte: 350 horsepower from either a Detroit Diesel 6V53TA, Cummins 6CTAA8.3T350 or Caterpillar 3126 – all served with Allison autobox. For more spice, 400 horsepower are on tap with an MTU 6V183TE22 feeding an ZF Ecomat. Entry-level is the 6�6, followed by the 8�8, while top of the range is the new 10�10, which is so versatile that it can even adopt the semi-autoloading stabilized Giat TML 105 turret. One of the authors has driven it in that guise on muddy terrain without any effort or fear of fatal roll. The turret has also been fired from that 10�10, which really shows the phenomenal progress recently made by wheeled vehicles. (GKN sold 36 Piranha II 8�8s equipped with 90 mm Cockerill turrets to Qatar on 17 October 1996).
Sweden appears to have opened the Piranha III export score by ordering 51 (including options) with the following split: forty-one 10�10 command posts and ten 8�8 escort vehicles.
On the subject of large barrels being fitted on wheels (120 mm is not utopia), it is interesting to note that such vehicles can perfectly play the role of a tank in a growing number of circumstances, particularly in peacekeeping or projected forces. Asked some time ago by one of the authors whether such theories made sense, General Tal, father of the Merkava, replied “in principle, yes”.
Another product on wheels to have recently scored interesting marketing hits is the Steyr Pandur. Ordered by the Austrian and Belgian armies (respectively 268 and 54 units), this 6�6 is also produced in the United States by AV Technology to fill an export order for 70 in different configurations from the Kuwait National Guard, which has a requirement for 200. The armed types will include an 81 mm Royal Ordnance mortar turret, a Cockerill 90 mm Mk 8, and an AV Technology “Two-man Multigun Turret System” armed with a 25 mm Bushmaster Chain Gun. Like the Piranha III 6�6, the Pandur has a two-axle steering.
The Pandur can also be equipped with an electronically controlled device that constantly monitors wheel spin and locks the differentials where and when needed to ensure that all the 265-horsepower from the Steyr six-in-line can be put to best use.
Still with Austria’s Steyr, but on tracks and in co-operation with Santa Barbara this time, we also have the Ascod. This seven-road wheel device had its first customer in March, not surprisingly from one of its two producing nations – Spain – which ordered 144 to the tune of $ 330 million. Known in the Iberic peninsula as the Pizarro (a 16th century conquistador who won control of Peru), these will be built by Santa Barbara (123 equipped with a 30 mm Mauser turret and 21 command vehicles). Austria, for its part, is expected to place an initial order for 112. Obviously the Austro-Spanish Co-operative Development – hence Ascod – also saw potential in a 105 derivative and offers the Ulan (as it is known in Austria) equipped with the South African Liw turret borrowed from the Rooikat, which fires all standard Nato ammo. The turret is stabilised and can be fired on the move.
Finally, a short word on the Bradley, presently in the process of being upgraded to A3 by United Defense, which is under contract to work on 35 with an option on 38 more in Fiscal Year 1998. The areas of improvement concern lethality, survivability and mobility with a second-generation flir and better acquisition system, rangefinder and added roof protection; major subcontractors are Raytheon TI, Honeywell, Avionics Display, New England Instruments and Elbit Fort Worth.