The British, French and German armies are modernizing their combat vehicles and restructuring their armed forces to better meet their peers
Since 2001, France, Germany and the UK, along with other NATO allies, have focused primarily on the global war on terror and other special operations. However, the 2015 UK Strategic Defense and Security Review (SDSR) points to the re-emergence of threats to states, in particular from Russia, which has become "more aggressive, authoritarian and nationalist, increasingly opposing itself to the West." and projects are being proposed to restructure and arm the British army in order to enhance its ability to counter equal and asymmetrical opponents. The change in the military doctrines of France and Germany is also a consequence of the political sentiments prevailing there.
Scorpion bite
In May 2015, the French army launched the Au Contact concept with the intention of creating a more powerful and flexible force for military missions both in Europe and abroad. The French strike force currently consists of two armored brigades (2nd and 7th), two medium brigades (6th Light Armored and 9th Marines), and two light brigades (11th Airborne and 27th Airborne). I'm a mountain rifleman). One brigade of each type is organizationally subordinate to two Scorpion divisions (1st and 3rd). The 1st Division also submits French units from the French-German brigade: a reconnaissance regiment equipped with AMX-10RC armored vehicles, and a motorized infantry battalion with VAB armored vehicles.
The French Scorpion program is a comprehensive modernization project for the adoption of new or upgraded vehicles, seamlessly linked to new digital communications and battle control systems.
Former Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced in December 2014 that a temporary GME consortium (Groupement Momentane d'Entreprises), formed by Nexter Systems, Renault Trucks Defense and Thales Communications & Security, will receive a contract for the development and production of a multipurpose armored vehicle. Griffon 6x6 VBMR (Vehicule Blinde Multi-Roles) and Jaguar 6x6 EBRC combat reconnaissance vehicle (Engins Blinde de Reconnaissance et de Combat) (photo below). This is the first start-up contract for the Scorpion project, which is scheduled to run from 2014 to 2025.
Army plans
The French Defense Procurement Agency DGA issued an order in April 2017 for the initial production of 319 Griffons (photo below) and 20 Jaguars, along with a training and logistics package; Deliveries of Griffon cars will begin in 2018, with the first Jaguar to be delivered in 2020. The army plans to receive 110 Jaguar armored vehicles and 780 Griffon armored vehicles by the end of 2025, which will allow each of the two middle brigades to deploy three combined-arms GTIA combat groups (groupement tactique interarmes).
The Griffon will replace the Renault VAB 4x4 multipurpose armored personnel carriers, which have been deployed in 40 variants since 1972. The army plans to achieve the "minimum goal" - to purchase 1,722 Griffon vehicles in five basic versions: 1,022 armored personnel carriers; 333 command and staff vehicles; 196 sanitary; 117 artillery observation vehicles; and 54 repair and evacuation options. Some models will also have additional sub-options for special applications.
The standard Griffon armored vehicle weighing 24.5 tons will be an armored personnel carrier with a passenger capacity of three crew members, driver, commander and gunner, and eight paratroopers. It will also be equipped with a remotely controlled weapon module (DUMV) with a 7, 62 mm or 12, 7 mm machine gun or 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.
Jaguar will replace 256 AMX-10RC 6x6 armored vehicles armed with a 105mm cannon, and 110 ERC 90 Sagaie 6x6 reconnaissance vehicles with a 90mm cannon, as well as the VAB NOT anti-tank gun in service with reconnaissance regiments. The new Jaguar vehicle weighing 25 tons will be equipped with a T40M double turret armed with a 40-mm cannon with CTAS (Cased Telescoped Armament System) ammunition from STA International, a 7.62-mm machine gun and a MMP (Missile Moyenne Portee) ATGM from MBDA at present time entering service, which will give Jaguar the ability to destroy main battle tanks at distances of up to 4000 meters.
Jaguar and Griffon will be equipped with SICS (Systeme d'lnformation du Combat Scorpion) combat control system from Atos Technologies; electronic architecture Thales VSYS-Net; communication system Thales CONTACT (Communications Numeriques Tactiques et de Theater); Pilar V acoustic shot detection system from Metravib; the Thales Barage jamming system and the Antares situational awareness system. Both vehicles will be equipped with modular armor, providing ballistic protection in accordance with the requirements of the fourth level of protection of the NATO standard STANAG 4569.
First step
The final event at the first stage of the Scorpion project will be the purchase of 358 new multi-purpose armored vehicles VBMR-L 4x4 (Vehicule Blinde Multi-Role Leger) to replace some variants of the VAB, VLRA (Vehicules de Liaison de Reconnaissance et d'Appui) vehicles and the P4 4x4 military vehicle. The contract is due to be signed in 2017, and the first cars will be delivered in 2021. The army wants to get a platform of the 10-12 ton category in several versions, including an armored personnel carrier, a command post, a reconnaissance vehicle and an electronic warfare vehicle. The new vehicles will be equipped with DUMV T1 and T2 from Panhard Defense / Sagem, armed with 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine guns, respectively.
The second phase of the Scorpion project on schedule will go from 2023 to 2035 (if not further) and will include the continuous deployment of Jaguar and Griffon vehicles and the purchase of a VBAE armored vehicle (Vehicule Blinde d'Aide a I'Engagement) to replace the VBL 4x4 armored vehicle. In addition, the VBCI (Vehicule Blinde de Combat d'Infanterie) 8x8 infantry fighting vehicles produced by Nexter, which are in service with two armored brigades, will undergo a mid-life upgrade, which provides for the installation of a 40 mm CTAS cannon.
In June 2017, the Belgian Minister of Defense announced that his country would purchase 60 Jaguar and 417 Griffon vehicles to replace the Piranha III 8x8, Pandur I 6x6 and Dingo 2 4x4 armored vehicles, which are equipped with the Belgian Army's middle brigade.
The minister also stated that “the goal is to establish a partnership based on the same French and Belgian military vehicles. The entry into service of new machines is scheduled for the period from 2025 to 2030, it is planned to start developing a close partnership with France in the short term."
Germans love caterpillars
Meanwhile, on December 13, 2016, the German army officially received the 100th Puma tracked infantry fighting vehicle from the PSM joint venture (equal shares of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and Rheinmetall Defense), created in 2004 with the aim of developing and designing a platform to replace the tracked BMP Marder 1, which entered service in 1971.
The army's initial requirement was 405 Puma vehicles - enough to fully equip eight motorized infantry battalions, including 24 vehicles for fire support groups and 34 vehicles for tank schools. But in June 2012, the Department of Defense reduced that number to 342 BMPs and 8 driver training vehicles, planning the last deliveries for 2020. The army cherishes the hope of obtaining additional funding so that each of the 9 motorized infantry battalions receives 44 Puma vehicles, although it will take another 8 to 10 years before all units become fully operational.
These hopes are not unfounded, since in May 2017, the German defense procurement department BAAINBw issued a contract to KMW to upgrade 104 Leopard 2 MBTs to the A7V standard, thus increasing the Leopard 2 tank fleet to 328 vehicles. This contract reflects the government's concern about the threat Russia poses to European security.
The Puma armored vehicle accommodates a crew of three - the commander, gunner-operator and driver - and a squad of six paratroopers. The Puma is the first German combat vehicle designed to integrate with the advanced Rheinmetall IdZ-ES combat gear that every soldier is equipped with.
Remote control
The installation of a remotely controlled turret allowed all crew members to be accommodated in a hull providing improved protection. The tower is armed with a 30 mm Mauser MK30-2 / ABM (Air Burst Munition) cannon with a double feed. Since 2018, a Eurospike MELLS launcher with two Rafael Spike LR (Long Range) ATGMs, manufactured under license by Eurospike, will also be installed on its port side, which will allow the Puma BMP to fight MBT at distances up to 4000 meters.
The Puma armored vehicle weighs 31.45 tons in the basic configuration of Protection Class A, which allows it to be transported by the Airbus A400M military transport aircraft. The Protection Class C kit - a combination of composite protection and ERA units - adds 9 tons to the vehicle weight. It includes additional turret protection, protective sheets for most of the roof and side panels that cover the sides and part of the tracks. To further increase the level of survivability, the Puma is equipped with Hensoldt's Multifunctional Self-protection System (MUSS), which detects an attacking missile and jam its guidance system.
As they gain experience in operating the Puma, the army will decide whether the motorized infantry battalions need its additional options. Representatives of the parent enterprise admit that the export potential of the platform can be increased by expanding the family, which will include armored personnel carriers, reconnaissance, command, evacuation, ambulance options, as well as the option of fire support with a large-caliber cannon.
Cougar's claws grow
In June 2017, BAAINBw awarded PSM four contracts worth up to $ 422 million for the implementation of various improvements that increase the capabilities of the Puma armored vehicle. Above the aft troop compartment, a DUMV with a 40-mm grenade launcher will be installed, which will allow fighting targets regardless of the movement of the tower; home ownership will be enhanced through the integration of new displays. Serial production contracts are expected to be awarded in 2023 and 2020, respectively, after testing three prototypes of each of these systems.
The contracts also include training and maintenance of the MUSS system and the supply of 11 tower simulators. The BAAINBw Director of Operations called these upgrades "a major step towards the full operational readiness of Puma."
The organizational structure of the army also includes five light infantry and three mountain rifle battalions. All five light battalions and one mountain infantry battalion will be equipped with the Boxer Multi-Role Armored Vehicle from ARTEC (Armored Technology). The program for this 8x8 configuration machine was started in 1998 by three countries. France withdrew a year later and launched its VBCI program, and the UK withdrew in 2003 due to the fact that the British army needed a car light enough to be transported by a C-130 Hercules transport aircraft.
In 2001, the Netherlands joined the project and three years later this country and Germany signed a contract for the serial production of 472 cars in nine versions.
The Boxer concept consists of the installation of various functional modules (each country has its own modules) on a common Boxer Drive Module chassis with a power unit with drives and a chassis in which the driver is located. The 33 tonne platform - larger than most modern 8x8 machines - was chosen because of its high mobility compared to the 6x6 chassis, 8 tonne payload and 14 m3 internal volume.
Multi-purpose armored vehicle Boxer Multi-Role Armored Vehicle manufactured by ARTEC. Above is a common Boxer Drive Module chassis, below is a Boxer base chassis with a Lancer turret
Superior protection
ARTEC claims the Boxer has the highest level of protection - better than any machine in its class. All-round ballistic protection corresponds to STANAG 4569 Level 4, the frontal projection is protected in accordance with Level 5, and mine protection corresponds to STANAG 4569 Level 4a.
The German armored personnel carrier Boxer houses the driver, commander and operator-gunner and eight paratroopers, all of whom sit in explosion-proof seats. The armored personnel carrier is equipped with a DUMV FLW-200, which can be armed with a 7, 62 mm or 12, 7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm Heckler & Koch automatic grenade launcher.
Germany's initial order for 282 vehicles includes 135 armored personnel carriers, 65 command vehicles, 72 ambulances and ten driver training vehicles. From mid-2011 until the end of its mission in 2014, the German army operated 38 Boxer armored vehicles in Afghanistan: armored personnel carriers, command and ambulance options.
In December 2015, Berlin placed an order worth 476 million euros for an additional 131 Boxer armored personnel carriers in the latest A2 configuration with deliveries in 2016-2020. These vehicles will cover the need for Boxer vehicles, although the army claims a need for at least 684 vehicles, but even this figure does not correspond to a one-to-one replacement of the Fuchs 1 6x6 armored personnel carrier fleet (photo below).
The army received 1126 Fuchs 1 vehicles in various versions from 1979 to 1986, and about 540 of them are still in operation. Since March 2008, the army has received 162 vehicles, upgraded to the Fuchs 1A8 standard, with better protection and mobility, as well as an increased armor volume.
In June 2017, ARTEC received a contract for the modernization of 246 German Boxer A1 machines to the A2 standard between 2018 and 2023. It will include a new satellite communications system, improved operational control systems and an additional seat for the DUMV operator, plus a new ammunition placement system. In addition, the cars will be prepared for the integration of a new vision system for the driver.
The following month, BAAINBw awarded Rohde & Schwarz a contract with Rheinmetall to install SVFuA programmable radios, a key element of MoTaCo's digital tactical communications program, for 50 Boxer and Puma command vehicles. The first machines will be equipped by 2020, and the terms of the contract allow additional SVFuA systems to be ordered over the next seven years.
New British Army
The government survey SDSR 2015 focuses on the British Army's ability to deploy a combat division capable of "meeting the resurgent threat of conflict with an equal adversary."
In accordance with the Army Structure Improvement 2020, announced in December 2016, the army's ground combat formations are being regrouped into two (instead of three) mechanized brigades and two new medium “shock” brigades. This will allow the reorganized 3rd division with a total strength of up to 40 thousand servicemen to be deployed with two mechanized brigades and a shock brigade, together with the corresponding units of combat and logistic support.
The army will be equipped with equipment in accordance with five projects: a project to extend the life of the MBT Challenger 2; the program for the extension of the capabilities of the Warrior BMP under the designation WCSP (Warrior Capability Sustainment Program); family of armored vehicles Ajax; MIV (Mechanized Infantry Vehicle) wheeled armored personnel carrier; and the Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) multitasking armored vehicle. In support of all these new projects, a global network of next-generation combat radios will be deployed by 2025 for the transmission of voice messages and data.
Each mechanized brigade will include one Tour 58 armored regiment, organized into three divisions, each with 18 Challenger 2 tanks, and two motorized infantry battalions, each with three infantry companies on the Warrior BMP. The new structure will allow half a division of 9 Challenger tanks to be combined with any mechanized infantry company to provide close support.
Extending service life
Since 1987, the British Army has received 789 BAE Systems Warrior armored vehicles in several versions; these machines were heavily exploited in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq. The BMP accommodates three crew members and seven paratroopers in the aft compartment, and is armed with an unstabilized 30-mm L21 Rarden cannon with clip-loading.
The WCSP program, one of the foundations of the Motorized Infantry 2026 project, will increase the firepower of the vehicle, integrate modular protection and electronic architecture in order to extend the service life from 2025 to 2040.
Lockheed Martin UK (LMUK) won over BAE Systems and was selected for the WCSP project in October 2011, winning a $ 292 million contract for the WCSP demonstration phase. In March 2015, the Ministry of Defense awarded a contract to CTA International for 515 CTAS 40mm cannons, of which 245 are for the WCSP program.
LMUK scrapped the original plan to modernize the existing Warrior turret in favor of a new, larger turret; this was the reason for the postponement of the adoption of the machine from March 2018 to October 2020. The ministry has yet to issue a contract for serial production of the WCSP, although the initial intention to upgrade 380 vehicles to equip six battalions is likely to be revised downward, as only four battalions are needed at the moment.
The surplus Warrior vehicles will likely be converted into combat support platforms, which will replace the obsolete (45 years of service) specialized FV430 vehicles in mechanized brigades, although the army has yet to decide how many vehicles will be converted.
New family
The main combat units in each strike brigade will be two reconnaissance regiments, each of which will be equipped with 50-60 Ajax tracked reconnaissance vehicles. One regiment will use vehicles for reconnaissance missions, and the other will use Ajax in close combat and to support infantry. Also, the strike brigade will include two motorized infantry battalions equipped with new MIV 8x8 vehicles, which will allow each company to increase the number of personnel by 25% compared to the Warrior company and, thus, provide increased support for the infantry in close combat. The newly formed shock brigade headquarters will take over command of the new strike forces at the end of 2017.
In July 2010, after a competitive evaluation, General Dynamics UK (GDUK) received a £ 500 million contract from the Department of Defense to develop seven prototypes of the Scout Specialist Vehicle, an improved version of the ASCOD BMP. In September 2014, GDUK received a major contract worth 3.5 billion pounds for the supply of 589 vehicles between 2017 and 2026.
The Ajax family (this is the name given to the Scout machine) includes six variants: 245 Ajax reconnaissance vehicles; 93 Ares vehicles with Javelin ATGM crews or dismounted patrol groups; 51 Argus engineering reconnaissance vehicles; 112 Athena command vehicles; 38 Atlas evacuation vehicles; and 50 Apollo repair vehicles.
Conversion process
The adoption of the Ajax vehicle with its integrated sensor kit transforms the capabilities of the army in the field of ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition & Reconnaissance - information collection, surveillance, target designation and reconnaissance). Like the Warrior, the new Ajax will be armed with a 40mm CTAS cannon. The Army Command says Ajax will offer levels of mobility and reliability previously unattainable for tracked combat vehicles, thus allowing strike teams to operate at operational depths of up to 2,000 km. The initial operational readiness of Ajax machines is planned for 2021.
In order to help the army develop requirements for the new MIV vehicle, infantry companies conducted training deployments on the French army's VBCI vehicles and the American army's Stryker vehicles. The Department of Defense intends to purchase ready-made MIV platforms that would be equipped with a minimum number of subsystems of British origin, for example, DUMV, radio stations, a combat information management system and explosion-absorbing seats.
In the coming months, it is planned to transfer the project from the concept to the evaluation stage, which, subject to the development schedule, will allow the delivery of the machine to begin in 2023. Several manufacturers claim the high rank of the MIV platform, including ARTEC (Boxer), General Dynamics European Land Systems (Piranha 5), General Dynamic Land Systems (Stryker and LAV III, in the latest configuration for the Canadian army LAV 6.0), Patria (Armored Modular Vehicle) and ST Kinetics (Terrex 3).
Over the past 30 years, the British Army has tried to acquire 8x8 vehicles for the fifth time; the latter was a general purpose vehicle from the Future Rapid Effects System program. The success of the MIV project is very important to its new military structure and operational concept.
The April 2017 House of Commons Defense Committee SDSR 2015 and the Army report noted that the MIV project “remains underfunded” and that inadequate funding for Army combat vehicle programs “could seriously impair, if not fatally undermine, the ability of the British army to deploy either a division or new shock brigades."
