The latest computer image of a member of the Scout SV family from General Dynamics UK - Protected Mobility Recce Support (PMRS) reconnaissance vehicles with attachment and lattice armor and roof-mounted remotely controlled weapons
European armies have radically removed their heavy armor, reformed their forces and re-adapted to changing operational realities. Let's look at the main programs in the field of armored vehicles
By the end of 2014, the military operations of the foreign contingent in Afghanistan are scheduled to end and the armored combat vehicles (AFVs) and other weapons deployed there will be sent home.
As a result, European armies are currently re-evaluating the percentage of obsolete and new vehicles in their fleet of armored combat vehicles. Obsolete vehicles are being upgraded in key areas such as armor, mobility and firepower to extend their life.
In fact, all recent programs considered light and medium armored combat vehicles, their combinations of tracked and wheeled types. Some countries, however, such as France and Italy, place particular emphasis on wheeled armored combat vehicles due to their better strategic mobility and potentially lower operating and maintenance costs. The number of main battle tanks (MBTs) was significantly reduced, and potential MBT modernization programs received low priority and the timing for them was postponed to the distant future.
As a result of such processes, it has become quite common for the army in Europe to use vehicles that were created more than 35 years ago. They usually have undergone numerous upgrades, but ultimately have to be replaced due to the fact that the base model no longer meets the requirements and many of the subsystems are outdated and no longer usable.
Denmark is constantly upgrading its M113 armored personnel carriers. But, in the end, they came to their physical and moral limit and in this regard, the country is currently holding a competition in which 5 vehicles, both wheeled and tracked, take part.
Danish competition
The largest project in Europe today is the Danish program to replace its fleet of obsolete tracked armored personnel carriers of the M113 series and their variants manufactured by BAE Systems. Denmark initially selected 8 vehicles to meet its needs, ranging from 206 to 420 vehicles, but in the end, the army tested only five vehicles. Interestingly, Denmark, in order to meet its needs, went along a really open path, considering wheeled and tracked options.
Two wheeled vehicles in an 8x8 configuration were considered: Piranha 5 from General Dynamics European Land Systems-MOWAG (GDELS-MOWAG) and Vehicule Blinde de Combat d'Infanterie (VBCI) from Nexter Systems. Plus three tracked vehicles: ASCOD 2 from GDELS-Santa Barbara Sistemas, Armadillo from BAE Systems Hagglunds and Protected Mission Modular Carrier G5 (PMMC G5) from FFG Flensburger.
In addition to the basic version of the Danish armored personnel carrier, five specialized options are needed: sanitary, operational management, engineering, mortar transporter and repair and evacuation. All applicants were tested in early 2013 and completed by the end of the same year. The contract is due to be awarded in early 2014, but has been delayed until mid-year.
As this is one of the few AFV competitions in Europe, the stakes are very high for all contractors, although the Piranha 5 and PMMC G5 are still awaiting their first production contracts.
The Danish army already operates GDELS Piranha III (Class 3) 8x8 and Eagle IV 4x4 reconnaissance / command armored vehicles, as well as the latest CV9035DK infantry fighting vehicles from BAE Systems Hagglunds.
Video presentation of one of the applicants for the Danish PMMC G5 tracked vehicle program from the German company FFG Flensburger
Applicants for the Danish M113 BTR replacement program
Armored car AMX-10RC 6x6 from Nexter Systems with an installed twin turret Nexter Systems T40M, armed with a 40-mm CTWS cannon from CTAI, and a combat module mounted on the roof with a 7.62-mm machine gun
French AFV programs
Over the years, the French army received a total of 406 tanks plus 20 armored vehicles.
The fleet of French Leclerc tanks is currently being reduced and, based on the available funding, a number of them will be modernized. However, according to current plans, modernization is unlikely to begin before the end of the decade.
The two high priority programs of the French army are the Engin Blinde de Reconnaissance et de Combat (EBRC) and the Vehicule Blinde Multi Role (VBMR).
The EBRC and VBMR Request for Information was released in December 2013 and is expected to be a fully French solution that will combine the expertise of Nexter Systems, Renault Trucks Defense (also owned by Panhard Defense) and Thales. The EBRC is a replacement for the currently deployed AMX-10RCR 6x6 armored vehicle from Nexter Systems, which has a 105mm cannon and Panhard Defense's Sagaie 6x6 armored vehicle with a 90mm cannon.
The need for new machines is 248 units with a possible date of introduction into service in 2020.
The EBRC is expected to have a 6x6 wheel arrangement and a two-man turret armed with a 40mm Case Telescoped Weapon System (CTWS) weapon system, proposed for the Lockheed Martin UK Warrior Warrior Capability Sustainment Program [WCSP] BMP extension program and special machine Scout - Specialist Vehicle from General Dynamics UK of the British Army) developed by the CTAI company, as well as a 7.62 mm machine gun.
The turret can be fitted with anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers, which offer high-precision direct and indirect fire capabilities.
With an eye to the requirements of the EBRC program, Nexter Systems has already manufactured a two-man T40M turret armed with a 40-mm CTWS CTAI cannon and a roof-mounted 7.62 mm remote-controlled weapon station. The turret was installed on the Nexter Systems AMX-10 RC 6x6 armored vehicle, which passed fire tests.
The VBMR is a replacement for Renault Trucks Defense's VAB (Vehicule de l'Avant Blinde) armored personnel carrier, which entered service with the French army in l976-1977. Over the years, 3975 machines have been delivered to perform a wide range of tasks. The VAB has been upgraded many times, but by today's standards it lacks mobility and protection and therefore there is an urgent need to replace it.
The VBMR is expected to be in a 6x6 configuration with an estimated unit cost of € 1 million ($ 1.4 million), excluding government-supplied equipment such as weapons, communications, a battle control system, and an additional armor kit.
It is understood that the Arms Purchase Authority has allocated funds to Renault Trucks Defense and Nexter Systems for the creation of VBMR 6x6 demonstration samples, and they are now fully ready.
Renault Trucks Defense's solution was designated BMX01, and the demonstrator from Nexter Systems was designated BMX02. Renault Trucks Defense also produced the first five of ten VAB Mk III 6x6 vehicles.
BMP VCI from Nexter Systems of the French army. The tower is equipped with a roof-mounted panoramic observation and guidance system for the commander
Upgraded VAB 4x4 armored personnel carrier of the French army with overhead passive armor and a Kongsberg Protector DBM with a 12.7 mm M2 HB machine gun
The French army took delivery of 630 VBCs: 520 in BMP configuration and 110 in command post configuration. Final deliveries are due in the first quarter of 2015.
The VBCI production line will be used to upgrade some variants in order to maintain the characteristics of the machine after the installation of an additional booking kit, when the total weight increases to 32 tons.
The British Army is keen to meet its future needs for a utility vehicle (UV), so VBCI trials are scheduled for late 2014 in France.
France is also updating its fleet of armored vehicles in a smaller weight category; Panhard Defense has so far delivered 1,113 Petit Vehicule Protege (PVP) small protected vehicles to the French army.
The French army is armed with a large fleet of VBL (Vehicule Blinde Leger) reconnaissance vehicles from Panhard Defense; the last VBL of a total of 1,621 cars was delivered in 2011. VBLs have been sold to at least 15 countries; the newest heavier version of the VBL Mk 2 with the Kongsberg Protector DBM installed was sold to Kuwait.
The French army has completed the prototype of the upgraded vehicle and is expected to upgrade at least part of its VBL fleet in the future.
The French army took delivery of 53 articulated all-terrain vehicles BvS 10 Mk II from Sweden, although the option for a batch of vehicles, which would bring the total number of vehicles to 129 pieces, was not exercised. She also received 15 protected Aravis armored vehicles from Nexter Systems, based on the Mercedes-Benz Unimog 4x4 off-road chassis. The French army has deployed a multi-component route clearance kit in Afghanistan, including an Aravis fitted with a Kongsberg DBM with a 12.7mm M2 HB machine gun.
Modernization of the German army
Along with several major modernization programs, the German army has two active programs for new armored combat vehicles.
The Krauss-Maffei Wegmann Leopard 2 MBT fleet was quickly reduced from a maximum number of more than 4000 units and today consists of 225 Leopard 2A6 tanks and 125 Leopard 2A5 tanks; most of the latter was sold to Poland to complement its fleet of Leopard 2A4 MBTs.
The army will receive an initial batch of 20 modernized Leopard 2A7 MBTs, which are former Leopard 2 tanks of the Dutch army, and hopes to receive additional vehicles in the future, subject to the allocation of funds.
BMP Marder 1 from Rheinmetall Landsysteme was created in 1971 and has been constantly modernized since then, although the main 20 mm cannon and 7, 62 mm machine gun have remained the same. The Marder 1 will be replaced by the new Puma AIFV (Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle) infantry fighting vehicle from the PSM joint venture, a development schedule that has been constantly adjusted since the first prototype was unveiled at the end of 2005. It is expected that the German army will receive 405 Puma AIFV BMPs to replace the outdated Marder 1, but this number has now been reduced to 350 units. Final delivery is scheduled for 2020.
The Boxer 8x8 MultiRole Armored Vehicle (MRAV) ARTEC is in service with the German army, which has taken delivery of 272 units in several configurations; their deliveries are fully completed.
For operation in Afghanistan, some of these vehicles were upgraded to the Boxer A1 standard, which included, among other things, a raised support for the Krauss-Maffei Wegmann FLW200 combat module, usually armed with a 12.7 mm M2 HB machine gun.
The Dutch Army has delivered 200 Boxer machines in several versions. They are identical to the German Boxer vehicles, except for the communication equipment, in addition, they are also equipped with a Kongsberg DBM, armed with a 12.7 mm M2 HB machine gun.
The newest machine of the German army Boxer MRAV in A1 configuration is deployed in Afghanistan. The machine is equipped with a DUBM FLW 2000 on a raised support in order to obtain a greater depression angle of the 12.7 mm M2 HB machine gun
The German army should leave the bulk of its Fuchs 1 6x6 armored personnel carriers from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and their variants. Many of them are being upgraded to the latest Fuchs 1 A8 standard with special emphasis on survivability.
For the export market, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles has developed a new Fuchs 2 vehicle, which is in service with the UAE (32 WMD reconnaissance vehicles) and Algeria (including local assembly).
The German army also has a large number of protected Dingo vehicles and Mungo light armored landing vehicles from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. Over 1000 Dingo machines have been manufactured and are used for more special tasks.
Dingo 1, which is only in service with the German army, has a crew of five people, including the driver. The current production Dingo 2 is based on the new Unimog U-5000 4x4 off-road chassis and has a crew of eight including a driver.
The Eagle III 4x4 from GDELS-MOWAG was selected to meet the German army's need for a protected command vehicle; almost 500 of these machines were ordered. Final assembly must be done in Germany. A competition was held with a subsequent purchase, in which the Armored Multi Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann / Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and the latest Eagle V from GDELS-MOWAG participated. In the end, Eagle came out the winner.
The first contract for the German army included 100 vehicles. To meet the needs in March 2014, 76 more vehicles were purchased.
Italian investment in AFV
The consortium Consorzio Iveco Oto (CIO) supplied the Italian army with 200 Ariete MBTs and 200 Dardo BMPs, which, subject to funding, will be upgraded in the future.
The main focus of the Italian army is on wheeled vehicles; about 400 105mm Centauro 8x8 self-propelled artillery mounts were delivered to it, but they are currently expected to be replaced by a 120mm Centauro 2 8x8 mount.
The Freccia 8x8 infantry fighting vehicle is entering service in increasing numbers along with specialized options, including a 120-mm mortar, command post, anti-tank and reconnaissance. The army also received the first batches of medium protected MPV vehicles in an ambulance version and a route clearance (demining) version.
Soon, the Italian army will also receive the latest LMV light multipurpose vehicles from Iveco Defense Vehicles, which have been sold to nine countries.
The first Norwegian CV9030N vehicles from BAE Systems Hagglunds with a Kongsberg Protector DBM on the turret armed with a 12.7 mm machine gun
Norway receives the latest CV9030N infantry fighting vehicles
Norway has removed from service its obsolete Leopard 1 MBTs and replaced them with 57 Leopard 2 tanks. All major support vehicles, including the evacuation variant, the repair variant, and the bridgelayer (all based on the Leopard 1 chassis) should also be replaced with variants based on the Leopard 2.
Norway became the first exporter of BAE Systems CV90 vehicles, adopting 104 CV9030NS vehicles equipped with a turret with an original 30 mm cannon from ATK Armament Systems and a 7.62 mm machine gun.
Under a contract awarded to BAE Systems Hagglunds in mid-2012, Norway will in the future deploy a fleet of 144 CV9030N machines, which will consist of both new and upgraded machines.
The first new BMP CV9030N was transferred in February 2014. These vehicles are armed with the latest 30-mm MK44 cannon from ATK Armament Systems, they are equipped with a new reservation kit, rubber tracks from the Canadian company Soucy International, digital electronic architecture, cameras providing 360 ° all-round visibility, and a Protector DBM is installed on the roof of the tower. armed with a 12.7 mm M2 HB machine gun.
Upon completion of deliveries in 2017, the CV9030N fleet of the Norwegian army will consist of 74 infantry fighting vehicles, 21 reconnaissance vehicles with a mast-mounted sensor kit, 15 command posts, 16 engineering, 16 multi-tasking and two driving training vehicles.
Norway is the main operator of the LMV; 108 vehicles were delivered under the initial contracts and an additional 62 vehicles were ordered in 2013.
Sweden adopts new armored combat vehicles
The Swedish army was expected to adopt the SEP vehicle from BAE Systems Hagglunds, but the program was canceled in 2008. This prompted the army to hold a new competition, which resulted in the selection of a modular armored AMV (Armored Modular Vehicle) from the Finnish company Patria.
The contract provided for the delivery of an initial batch of 113 vehicles with an option for a second batch of 113 vehicles. They all come from Finland, but are fitted with a Swedish passive armor set supplied by Akers Krutbruk Protection AB.
They are also equipped with a DUBM Protector, armed with a 12.7 mm M2 HB machine gun, which is the standard for many Swedish armored combat vehicles.
Swedish articulated all-terrain vehicles BAE Systems BvS 10 Mk IIB leave the assembly line and "shoe" in rubber tracks
Sweden also felt the need for a new off-road vehicle, and after testing between Bronco from Singapore Technologies Kinetics and the Swedish BvS 10 Mk II, a locally made product was chosen.
Initial deliveries under the first contract in the amount of 48 BvS 10 Mk IIB vehicles of the latest standard were carried out in 2013.
The second batch of 102 machines was ordered at the end of 2013, which will allow the production line to continue until 2015.
Sweden received four variants of the BvS 10 Mk II: personnel carrier, command, ambulance and cargo.
Swedish vehicles have a slightly raised roof to increase the internal volume, a Kongsberg Protector DBM is installed on the front module of the conveyor, armed with a 12.7 mm M2 HB machine gun, and on the rear module 7, a 62 mm machine gun.
The Swedish army took delivery of 509 CV9040 BMPs in several versions plus 40 hulls for the AMOS (Advanced Mortar System) 120-mm double mortar, but they were all put into storage after Sweden left this program. Meanwhile, it is expected that the Swedish army in the second half of 2014 will issue a BAE Systems Hagglunds contract for overhaul and some small modernization of 384 CV9040 vehicles.
All Swedish CV9040S except for more specialized variants are equipped with a two-man turret armed with a 40 mm Bofors L70 cannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun.
BAE Systems Hagglunds modified the CV90 BMP, resulting in the CV9030 series machines, and more recently the CV9035, which were sold in relatively large quantities to Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland.
Britain is waiting
After years of underfunding its ground capabilities, the UK should have some of the much needed new AFVs by the end of this decade.
The remaining combat tracked vehicles from Alvis Vehicles, including the Scimitar reconnaissance vehicle, which entered service with the British army in 1973-1974, are to be replaced by the Scout Specialist Vehicle (SV) from General Dynamics UK.
The mobile test rig MTR (Mobile Test Rig) was manufactured at the GDELS-Steyr plant in Vienna in May 2013; it is currently undergoing sea trials with a volume of 10-000 km.
Then six prototypes will be made, of which three will be in a special Scout configuration with an installed two-man turret from Lockheed Martin UK, armed with a 40 mm CTWS CTAI cannon, a coaxial 7, 62 mm machine gun and a modern optoelectronic fire control system from Thales UK …
The other three prototypes are the repair, evacuation and the PMRS (Protected Mobility Recce Support) version of the intelligence support - for which the critical analysis of the project, according to General Dynamics UK, was completed in April 2014. These options and the Scout machine itself are assigned to Block 1. Block 2 will include ambulance, engineering, and command vehicle options.
The first hulls for the Scout SV will come from the GDELS-Santa Barbara Sistemas plant in Spain, and final assembly will take place at the Defense Support Group (DSG) plant in the UK, which is currently up for auction by the Department of Defense.
The second major British Army program is WCSP, for which Lockheed Martin UK is the main contractor, although it has no experience in modernizing armored combat vehicles. However, the actual work on the WCSP upgrade is expected to take place at DSG's Donnington plant. The Warrior WCSP program can potentially cost 1 billion pounds (1.7 billion dollars) and consists of the WFLIP (Warrior Fightability and Lethality Improvement Program - Warrior BMP Fighting and Lethality Improvement Program), WMPS (Warrior Modular Protection System - Warrior Modular Protection System which will allow the installation of various armor kits, consisting of a combination of passive and reactive armor) and WEEA (Warrior Enhanced Electronic Architecture - an improved electronic architecture of the Warrior, which makes it easier to upgrade in the event of new technologies and the installation of new equipment) along with several smaller upgrades.
Serial prototype of the Terrier Combat Engineer Vehicle, which is being tested in Southern England
WFLIP includes a deep modernization of the existing two-man turret, in which the unstabilized 30mm RARDEN cannon will be replaced by the 40mm CTWS CTAI, the coaxial 7.62mm machine gun will be retained. A total of 11 prototypes are being manufactured, including eight Warrior infantry fighting vehicles (including two commanders), a command post, repair and evacuation options.
Based on the experience gained in Iraq and Afghanistan, the UK has invested heavily in a full line of Protected Patrol Vehicles (PPV).
Most of the Mastiff and Ridgback vehicles from General Dynamics Land Systems Force Protection Europe and Husky from Navistar Defense exported from the United States will form the basis of the British Army's rearmament program.
Following a competition to replace the Snatch Land Rover, the UK selected General Dynamics Land Systems' Ocelot - Force Protection Europe (immediately renamed Foxhound). At the moment, the contracts provide for the manufacture of 400 machines, which are currently being produced.
The engineering troops received the last vehicles from 66 engineering complexes ETS (Engineer Tank Systems) according to the latest FABS standard. The ETS complex consists of 33 Trojan aisle machines and 33 Titan bridgeworkers.
In August 2014, BAE Systems delivered the last of 60 Terrier combat engineering vehicles to the Royal Corps of Engineers, which will replace the decommissioned Combat Engineer Tractor.
The British Army is armed with 386 Challenger 2 MBTs manufactured by Vickers Defense Systems (currently BAE Systems Combat Vehicles UK), but only 227 vehicles are expected to remain in service. They were originally expected to be upgraded in many ways, including replacing the 120mm L30A1 rifled cannon with the 120mm Rheinmetall L55 smoothbore cannon, which was tested on the Challenger 2 tank.
The remaining Challenger 2 tanks will undergo a service life extension program with possible entry into service in 2022. The main focus here will be on replacing outdated systems, mainly in the tower.
