Internationale ontwikkelingen artillerie

[Harald]

Czech Republic officially orders 52 CAESAR 8x8 from Nexter

On September 30, 2021, Czech Defense Minister Lubomír Metnar signed a contract for the acquisition of 52 CAESAR self-propelled artillery guns in an eight-wheel drive (8x8) version, in the presence of French Minister of the Armed Forces Florence Parly and Nicolas Chamussy, CEO of Nexter Group. With this major order, the Czech Republic becomes the third European customer and the seventh user of the CAESAR in the world. With more than 350 units ordered in France and abroad, the CAESAR is the benchmark in the wheeled artillery systems market.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_september_2021_global_security_army_industry/czech_republic_officially_orders_52_caesar_8x8_from_nexter.html

[Harald]

UVZ completes trials of Russian Magnolia Arctic gun

Magnolia cannot be confused with any other gun. The combat compartment is mounted on a two-section tracked platform of an upgraded Vityaz DT-30PM snow-and-swamp-going vehicle. The front section with a five-roadwheel chassis carries the driver's cabin, power plant units, and system elements. The back six-roadwheel chassis carries the combat compartment borrowed from Vena 2S31 self-propelled mortar. The two-section undercarriage provides all-terrain capacity in marshlands and hard-of-access areas.


Magnolia 120mm self-propelled artillery system is based on a DT-30PM tracked articulated amphibious vehicle

The turret design provides round-view horizontal gun laying. Magnolia can fire all types of 120mm mortar munitions and effectively fulfil a broad range of missions. It operates like a cannon for direct fire and as a howitzer and mortar from closed positions.

Reports in the autumn of 2020 about an early completion of trials of self-propelled guns did not come true. The deadlines remain open. Demonstration prospects of the Magnolia prototype are unclear (Flox 2S40 and Drok 2S41 have been demonstrated). It is clear that the completion of the R&D and the launch of batch production will demand additional time and costs. All three weapons created by Nabrosok R&D have interesting solutions that improve tactical, technical, and operational characteristics.

Arctic forces will receive a completely new self-propelled gun that will increase artillery firepower. Experts believe the Magnolia project is vital, as several countries plan to expand their influence in the Arctic.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/defense_news_september_2021_global_security_army_industry/uvz_completes_trials_of_russian_magnolia_arctic_gun_-_part_2.html

[ridivek]

Weet iemand hoe het zit met the ontwikkeling en uitrol van de Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GL-SDB), Boeing & Saab. Kan deze gelanceerd worden vanuit de MLRS?

[Parera]

Via twitter @JonHawkes275

Elbit Systems developing SIGMA, a new automated 155 mm/52 calibre artillery system for the IDF to replace M109 from 2023. Testing has been ongoing since 2019, with a >6k round trial programme planned ahead of qualification and acceptance. #artillerytwitter

[Harald]

India, Netherlands and Spain to receive Excalibur

Three FMS customers will obtain the M982 Excalibur 155mm guided shell.

The US Army on 15 June issued three separate FMS contract modifications for Raytheon Missiles & Defense to provide M982 Excalibur 155mm Increment Ib extended-range guided artillery shells.

Under one modification worth $20.31 million, the Netherlands (an existing M982 user) will receive more Excalibur projectiles by April 2023.

Another deal will see India receive $9.17 million worth of Excalibur Increment Ib projectiles, while the third involves $9.14 million worth of shells for Spain.

The M982 Excalibur is intended for use in close support situations within 75–150m of friendly troops or civilians. 

It is a complete fin-stabilised projectile featuring GPS guidance and was first fielded in 2007, following a development programme that began in the early 1990s. 

Shephard Defence Insight names Australia, Canada, Jordan, Sweden and the US as other Excalibur users.

https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/india-netherlands-and-spain-receive-excalibur/

[Harald]

German army MARS II MLRS-E improved Multiple Launch Rocket System artillery sniper weapon

German army continues to use the American M270 MLRS, Multiple Launch Rocket System that entered in service with the U.S. Army in 1983. The German version has now been upgraded to the standard MARS II/MLRS-E able to fire guided rockets. The M270 is also in service with Egypt, Bahrain, Finland, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, and the UK.



The M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) is in service with the German army since 1990 under the name of MARS (Medium Artillery Rocket System). The vehicle is based on a stretched version of the American Bradley tracked armored IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle). The vehicle design consists of a crew cab located at the front of the chassis and the launcher unit mounted at the rear of the tracked chassis It contains the computerized fire-control system, a stabilization reference package/position determining system, a launcher drive system, and a twin-boom crane unit for self-loading and unloading.

The original launcher unit of the M270 is fitted with two pods of six launcher tubes able to fire unguided 230 mm rockets in approx. 60 seconds. In November 1998, American company Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control was awarded a contract for the development of the Guided MLRS (GMLRS) rocket. The GMLRS was an international cooperative program with France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the US who worked together throughout the EMD phase of the rocket's life cycle. The GMLRS rocket includes an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) aided by a Global Positioning System (GPS) integrated on a GMLRS rocket body. The MARS II of the German army is now equipped with a new European Fire Control System (EFC) enabling the firing of guided missiles GMLRS. It can also fire M31 GMLRS, M31A1, M32, AT2 and 110 mm rockets, but not of M26, M26A1, and M30, so as to ensure full compliance with the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

The MARS II/MLRS-E has a crew of three including the driver, commander and gunner which are seated in the fully enclosed cab at the front of the vehicle offering protection against the firing of small arms and artillery shell fragments by aluminum armor and louvered windows. All the firing operations can be performed from inside of the crew cabin which is fitted with an overpressure ventilation system to prevent rocket fumes from entering the cab. Equipment capabilities permit a reduced crew, or even one person, to accomplish a complete fire mission including the loading and unloading operations.

The GMLRS was developed to provide new precision strike capability in urban and complex terrain. The rocket is fitted with an improved guidance system allowing precision strikes. It incorporates a new differential global positioning system with an antenna that has greater resistance to jamming. The CEP (Circular Error Probable) has been improved from 10 m on the standard GMLRS to about 2 m on the unitary warhead variant.

The M31 had a dual-mode fuse with point detonation and delay options to defeat soft targets and lightly fortified bunkers respectively, with the upgraded M31A1 equipped with a multi-mode fuse adding a proximity airburst mode for use against personnel. The rocket has a minimum engagement range of 15 km and can hit a target up to 70 km. It also integrates a 90 kg unitary warhead, providing precision strikes for point targets.

American company Lockheed Martin has also developed the Guided MLRS AW (Alternative Warhead) round, the first munition developed to service area targets without the effects of unexploded ordnance, complying with the U.S. Department of Defense cluster munitions policy and international policies. The AW variant has a range exceeding 70 km and delivers a 90 kg class fragmenting warhead. A new developmental variation of the Guided MLRS family, ER (Extended Range) GMLRS offers an extended range out to 150 km in all weather conditions. ER GMLRS shares significant commonality with legacy Guided MLRS and is deployable by HIMARS and the MLRS M270 family of rocket launcher vehicles. The rounds incorporate a larger motor and have enhanced maneuverability due to tail-driven control.

The upgraded MARS II/MLRS-E with the new GMLRS is now able to conduct high-precision engagement of point and individual targets and used as an artillery sniper weapon. The modernized variant of the M270 is also in service with Italy under the name of improved MLRS and in France as "Lance Roquette Unitaire (LRU)".

The obsolete hydraulic laying drives have been replaced by an electric laying system (Electrical Launch Drive System – ELDS) developed by German company KMW (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann), which enables rapid laying and reduces maintenance and repair effort as compared to the hydraulic system. The vehicle is also fitted with fully automatic halon and CFC-free fire extinguishing system which uses nitrogen as the extinguishing agent for the engine compartment. It enables automatic fire monitoring and fighting, even up to 24 hours after the MARS II/MLRS-E launcher has been shut down. This retrofit package is –unlike the other two upgrade measures – currently only used in Germany and Italy.

The MARS II/MLRS-E is motorized with a Cummins VTA-903 turbo-charged 8-cylinder diesel engine developing 500 hp at 2,400 rpm coupled to General Dynamics Land Systems HMPT-500 hydro-mechanical transmission. It can run at a maximum road speed of 64 km/h with a maximum cruising range of 483 km.

https://www.armyrecognition.com/weapons_defence_industry_military_technology_uk/german_army_mars_ii_mlrs-e_improved_multiple_launch_rocket_system_artillery_sniper_weapon.html

[Huzaar1]

Hoho niet zo snel K9's! Eerst wil GB zo'n 2 miljard steken in een nutteloos onderzoek ernaar.

[Harald]

SKorea's Hanwha pitches K9 howitzer for British mobile fires program

Hanwha Defense is teaming up with U.K. suppliers to compete for the Mobile Fires Platform program, a British effort to acquire new self-propelled howitzers to replace the AS90, the South Korean company announced Wednesday.

"Hanwha Defense has begun formal discussions with UK partners to arrange for a 'Made in the UK' variant of its K9 Self-Propelled Howitzer," the company said in a news release. "The K9 is operationally proven and will be put forward by Hanwha Defense for the UK's Mobile Fires Platform programme to equip the British Army with a world-leading artillery capability."

Hanwha Defense plans to offer the newest variant of the K9 self-propelled howitzer fitted with a fully automated ammunition loading system, a key requirement for the MFP program.

The MFP program seeks to acquire 116 self-propelled howitzers. A request for proposals is scheduled to be issued in 2022, and Britain plans to award a final contract in 2025.

The South Korean sales effort in the U.K. comes as the two nations draw closer on weapons cooperation. The British Royal Navy's aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to visit South Korea as part of its deployment to the Indo-Pacific region later this year. The new carrier is scheduled to host a high-level meeting of officials, industry leaders and military chiefs, known as the Pacific Future Forum, when the warship visits South Korea in late August.

The two sides have also done business together before, most notably when South Korea built four large oilers for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the logistics arm of the Navy.

But the K9 is one of several contenders to replace the British Army's aging AS90 howitzer, which has been around for about 30 years. Rheinmetall, with a howitzer variant of the eight-wheel drive Boxer armored personnel carrier, and BAE Systems, with the Archer truck-mounted system, are among the companies that have expressed interest in meeting the requirement for a wheeled or tracked weapon.

Some have considered an updated version of the AS90, but that appears to be an unpopular option.

..../....

https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2021/06/02/skoreas-hanwha-pitches-k9-howitzer-for-british-mobile-fires-program/

[Ace1]

Klopt die info op de wiki? Heeft NL nog 15 stuks FH70 in oorlogsreserve staan?

Nee want  er is FH70 een verkocht aan Rheinmetall zodat zij deze kunnen gebruiken om nieuwe munitie te testen.

[Parera]

Nee, zijn ornamenten.

Dat dacht ik al. Het is natuurlijk wel ergens triest dat we geen echte oorlogs reserves meer hebben (van wat dan ook). Ik kan me ook niet voorstellen dat het heel veel kost om een systeem zoals dit in de opslag te houden in verhouding met bijvoorbeeld een MBT. Aan de andere kant is het nieuw kopen van bijvoorbeeld de M777 en het vervolgens alleen in de opslag zetten natuurlijk ook geldverspilling.

De Boxer met 120 mm NEMO / AMOS klinkt interessant maar kom je dan niet op hetzelfde probleem als met bijna alles: hoogte? Voor de KL is de CV-90 Mjölnir met de 120 mm mortier misschien een betere optie (wel veel duurder in aanschaf/inzet). Uiteraard kan je altijd voor de '' low-budget'' boxer mortier gaan zoals ook de Yanks hebben gekozen met de M1129 mortar carrier op basis van de Stryker een simpele bemande mortier in de achterbak.

[StrataNL]

Klopt die info op de wiki? Heeft NL nog 15 stuks FH70 in oorlogsreserve staan?

Nee, zijn ornamenten.

[Parera]

Wordt dit de opvolger van de FH70?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FH70

Klopt die info op de wiki? Heeft NL nog 15 stuks FH70 in oorlogsreserve staan?

[Ace1]

Wordt dit de opvolger van de FH70?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FH70

[Harald]

Divisional Artillery will also be strengthened by further 30 multiple-launch rocket systems, that will add to the 38MLRS tracked systems currently in service. "Here too we are looking for a wheeled system, and we will start working on the long range issue in two years time," Col. Schmidt told the Defence IQ Future Artillery Conference audience. No details were therefore provided in terms of type of launcher and munitions.


As for the replacement of the current heavy mortar system, Germany is considering a wheeled solution, the Fuchs 6×6 platform being under evaluation. "A decision on the mortar type will be taken at a later date," Col. Schmidt added, saying that the Bundeswehr aims at acquiring 100 such new systems. In one of the slides shown during the presentation a single-barrel turreted mortar was depicted, however this might not necessarily be indicative of a possible German choice for such a solution.

Nog 2 belangrijke zaken binnen de Duitse Landmacht

1) extra raket artillerie op wielen
2) vervanging 120mm mortieren, vervanging ook op wielen. Fuchs 6x6 wordt nu geëvalueerd als optie, maar waarom niet op een Boxer 8x8   

Steeds meer op Boxer basis ?

[pz]

Future Artillery Conference: Germany details future acquisitions

https://www.edrmagazine.eu/future-artillery-conference-germany-details-future-acquisitions

Opmerking :Het artikel geeft ook de verklaring waarom er naar artillerie op wielen wordt gekeken door de Bundswehr. (vetgedrukt)

While last October the German contribution to the Future Artillery Conference, organised by Defence IQ, came from the concept and capabilities development branch of the Bundeswehr, during the 2021 edition, once again on-line due to COVID considerations, it was the turn of the acquisition branch to detail what are the German Army plans to improve its capabilities in the indirect fire field.

"We are considering upgrading or replacing systems in the short, medium and long ranges," Colonel Jürgen Schmidt, head of the Combat Directorate at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), based in Koblenz, told the audience.


click on image to enlarge
Nowadays the German artillery fields three effectors: the Tampella 120 mm smoothbore mortar, which dates from the late 1960s, and is either towed by the Wolf, the G-Wagen based 4×4, or installed on legacy M113 tracked vehicles; the PzH 2000 155/52 mm self-propelled tracked howitzer; and the MLRS multiple rocket launcher (MARS-II in the German Army). While the former needs replacement, the two latter systems will receive a Mid-Life Update, which will be mostly aimed at improving electronics and software, and replacing obsolescence.

"Currently our Army fields artillery units only at Brigade level," Col. Schmidt said, while in the future we are looking at having a divisional artillery element.

As Lieutenant Colonel Konrad Josef Leitner explained in his briefing in October 2020, each one of the three divisions forming the German Army, two armoured, the 1. Panzerdivision and the 10. Panzerdivision, and one Rapid Deployment, the Division Schnelle Kräfte, will receive an artillery regiment. This will remain at Division level in peacetime, while in operation it would split to provide direct fire support task forces to the brigades, as well as one to the division.

This will require new assets to be procured, and in December 2020 the Bundeswehr issued the "Zukünftiges System Indirektes Feuer mittlerer Reichweite" (Future medium range indirect fire system) document. "This contains over 100 requirements split among kill criteria, which have to be realised in any case, must criteria and shall criteria," Col. Schmidt explained. EDR On-Line understood that it will be mostly a competition between German companies, the BAAINBw officer saying however that international participation would be welcome, the acceptance of kill criteria being obviously a pre-requisite for cooperation.

At Division level the Bundeswehr is considering its artillery to be used to reinforce the main line of effort; "If the centre of main effort changes the Divisional Artillery force has to move quickly, shifting its support to another Brigade. To ensure the fast redeployment over long distances one of the kill requirement is thus to have a wheeled platform."

Range is obviously an issue; the speaker showed a slide correlating calibre and dispersion, and underlining that maximum accuracy with a standard shell of 155 mm calibre is obtained at 15 km range, the higher the calibre the lesser the dispersion at longer ranges. It is however not the intention of the Bundeswehr to go for a bigger calibre. "To reach 70 km with a 155 mm gun and obtain high precision you need to have a sub-calibre shell, a small ammo payload and a guidance kit, as it has been done in the Vulcano round. Its top charge can be used in the PzH 2000 remaining within the approved limits of operation," he states. The achievable ranges will be the lowest value of the requirements, but according to the German officer covering ranges from 3 to 100 km would require modification to the weapon system as well as a new modular propellant charge system. "This will raise the cost of such an ammunition family, bringing it not far away from that of a rocket," Col. Schmidt underlined. The latter allows reaching a long distance in an easiest way, as the acceleration time is not limited by the length of the barrel. He mentioned that the industry is carrying out a research on a 60 calibre 155 mm barrel; "we support it through a Research and Technology study, but the timeframe and the budget does not allow a parallel development," hence it will not be possible to use such cannon on the wheeled medium range system. No comment were made on the European Common Indirect Fires System programme.

The German industry is already at work to fulfil Bundeswehr requirements; according to the latest information available, Rheinmetall should propose a system based on its new HX3 truck, unveiled recently, while Krauss-Maffei Wegmann developed years ago a Boxer-based solution, that is probably being adapted to new requirements. "Both will feature an unmanned autonomous turret. The solution based on the Boxer has a higher protection level, while the truck-based solution provides a better visibility for the crew. Another difference will be in the life-cycle cost. All these aspects will be evaluated in a competition," Col. Schmidt said. EDR On-Line understood that an RfP should be issued in 2022.

The autonomous turret with autoloader aims at reducing the system crew from five soldiers, needed on the PzH 2000, to a two-three soldiers crew on new wheeled howitzers, the intention being to then reduce manpower also on the tracked SP howitzer. "The overall number of soldiers that form the German Armed Forces is currently limited, therefore with the fielding of additional howitzer systems we have to reduce the crew. We must however consider how long a smaller crew can stand the 24 hours combat day. Will it be necessary to have a second crew in reserve? We are currently working on that issue," he said.

According to Col. Schmidt the Bundeswehr aims at acquiring 120 new wheeled medium-range howitzers. Merging this information with that obtained at the October 2020 conference, it is unclear how these will be deployed. [1]

Divisional Artillery will also be strengthened by further 30 multiple-launch rocket systems, that will add to the 38MLRS tracked systems currently in service. "Here too we are looking for a wheeled system, and we will start working on the long range issue in two years time," Col. Schmidt told the Defence IQ Future Artillery Conference audience. No details were therefore provided in terms of type of launcher and munitions. As for the replacement of the current heavy mortar system, Germany is considering a wheeled solution, the Fuchs 6×6 platform being under evaluation. "A decision on the mortar type will be taken at a later date," Col. Schmidt added, saying that the Bundeswehr aims at acquiring 100 such new systems. In one of the slides shown during the presentation a single-barrel turreted mortar was depicted, however this might not necessarily be indicative of a possible German choice for such a solution.