SH_MM

According to Rheinmetall, first Ukrainian-made Fuchs APCs/IFvs are to be delivered in 2024, Lynx IFV to follow in Summer 2025 - if the final contract is signed soon. https://www.wiwo.de/unternehmen/industrie/rheinmetall-panzerproduktion-in-der-ukraine-soll-schon-2024-starten/29532760.html Apparently the Boxer CRV will not become the Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie (all contracts valued more than €25 million have to be approved by the parliament). This was already reported a few months ago, but leaks suggest that the MoD does not plan to submit the contract for approvement during the next meeting of defence committee. The reason for not accepting the Boxer CRV are two-fold. Supposedly the system is not as mature as claimed, inofficially the purchase was meant as a quid pro quo for selecting the Lynx. Not selecting the Lynx might have killed export chances for the Boxer CRV. For a somewhat long time, it seemed as the Patria CAVS was the only contender for the 6x6 program really considered by the Army, but it has been decided that all candidates should be tested before a selection is being made. Aside of the Fuchs Evolution/Fuchs 1A9 and Patria CAVS, the GDELS Pandur EVO is also a contender. These vehicles are also contenders for the Fennek replacement with a further competitor in form of the SuperAV/Guarani being offered by Iveco & Hensoldt.

On another forum @Wiedzmin noted some time ago that the Leclerc's gunner's sight seems to rely on the same stabilization system as the main gun, using a rod/axis to also move the sight. I've dug up a patent from GIAT (FR2656077A1) confirming this. In 1992, when the Leclerc entered service, the patent was also applied for in Germany and several other states. A rather curios design. Similar to earlier British and Chinese systems, but leaving the oculars in place.

Could also be 155 mm L/52 weapon systems for testing the M109-52.

SHARD demonstaration against different steel targets.

Nice find. Also interesting that M1A1 was assessed with a hit probability (static vs static) of only 65%... armor and penetration values are also very interesting, though the British military has a tendency to measure penetration against extremely high angle sloped plates. Its worth noting that SR(L) 4206 is the requirement, it is not identical to the production variant of the Challenger 2. PS: Do you happen to know the account who originally tweeted this on twitter?

https://gandh.com/embedded-image-periscope-and-sighting-systems

The same brochure lists the DM63A1 also at "approx. 21 kg".

Optimal loading conditions = more propellant. DM73 still has the same propellant charge mass (same penetrator and sabot, yet same total mass -> propellant mass was unchanged) as DM63A1.

Thanks for the correction, mistook the headlights for the rear lights. I should have paid more attention.

The Germany parliament has reportedly rejected the notion to buy the Boxer CRV Block 2 from Australia after the selection of the Redback IFV. Earlier reports suggest that buying Boxers from Australia was twice as expensive as producing them in Germany and was meant to be a compensation deal when choosing Lynx.

Fairly certain that we can see a lid + latches at the turret side (on the right - increased brightness and contrast).

Photos showing the K2 armor thickness, taken by someone in Poland. Frontal armor seems rather inconsistent (at least in front of the gunner's sight). Basically only achieves consistent protection when seen directly from the front and ranges from ca. 650 mm (directly next to the gun mantlet) to ca. a maximum of 850 mm. Also I am not sure if the element to which the radar panels are mounted is actual armor; it is attached with bolts from the front, but there is also a welding seam at the top. At 30° angle, armor thickness can range from <100 mm to 630 mm. Not a very consistent protection. Turret side armor is 50 mm thick, seemingly a simple steel plate. Additional ERA can be attached to the stowage boxes. Side skirt armor. 50 mm baseline armor plus ERA panels (25 mm ERA + 25 mm backplate). Rear hull, 30 mm steel.

First Challenger 2 lost in Ukraine

The glorious leader personally inspecting the new NKStryker.

Probably the best angle to see the construction of the armor.

I would not trust the claims about the blast tests without any more detailed source. People somehow believe that Redback has good armor, because it uses armor provided by Plasan. The fact that Rheinmetall acquired IBD and IBD at its peak was a bigger player (in terms of total armor kits deliveried, locations around the globe and number of different vehicles types fitted with armor solutions) than Plasan in the armor market is often not known to those people. Plasan doesn't really have the same references, being not active on the global market for as long as IBD/Rheinmetall. They don't even provide the full armor kits for the Piranha series, only the mine protection kit. Just like with WCSP, where they only provided the turret armor. For the BAE Systems' ACV, IBD developed an armor kit capable to withstand the detonation of 10 (!) 155 mm artillery shells stacked ontop of each other... and that was ten years ago.

Close-up of the damaged turret armor:

Damaged MEXAS/AMAP-X armor module on this captured Strv 9040C.

M2020 has ERA now:

The assembled vehicle is now being showcased at the German Infantry School in Hammelburg:

Because they have a different propellant charge. The ADL is a bi-directional interface, so it could be used for taking the propellant temperature of the individual round into account, assuming a temperature sensor is fitted to the round.

Leopard 2A6 was hit by an "anti-tank weapon" at the turret side within the frontal arc. After traveling through the add-on armor module, the shaped charge still penetrate some 20 centimetres deep into the main armor (see 3:13 in the clip).

It never was a kit. It was a concept, they made a single - and extremely simple - model to showcase the concept, then Armored Warfare decided to invent a tank based on it.

Just some minor wheeled update: Negotiations on the purchase of the Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie based (based on Boxer CRV) with Australia have started. An Australian delegation has visited Germany. The goal is to sign a government-to-government deal in 2023 and receive first vehicles by 2025. Overall 121 vehicles are to be purchased. A recent article written by authorized representative for the program in the German MoD detailed that the selection of the manned turret was a result of the vehicle commander somehow needing "direct visual contact and direct communication" to nearby infantry (apparently that is not possible when the commander has a hatch in the hull ). As the Boxer CRV is a reconnaissance variant based on an IFV variant, it is designed with capacity for infantry (dismounting scouts), but the German Jäger will not have dismounts on the Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie... so they are trying to come up with some sort of use for the rear compartment such as carrying UAVs (which can be and are already carried in lighter vehicles at greater distance from the front line) or "UGVs armed for example with an autocannon" (currently market available UGVs with autocannon - unless talking about an anemic solution with the M230LF - are too heavy and too large to be carried inside the Boxer and have enough endurance - e.g. Milrem Type X UGV: 600 km - to be drive on their own). Also German media reported (based on "industry sources") that an alternative offer - likely from KMW - with full production in Germany supposedly was only half as expensive. The Caracal (a variant of the Enok 4.8 AB from ACS Armoured Car Systems offered in cooperation with Rheinmetall and Mercedes-Benz) has been selected as the new lightly armored vehicle airborne for the airborne units of the Dutch and German armies. At the moment 1,504 vehicles (1,000 for Germany and 504 for the Netherlands) have been ordered, but there is an option for a further 1,500 (1,000 for Germany and 500 for the Netherlands). Deliveries are to start 2025 at a rate of 300 vehicles (with 200 going to Germany and 100 to the Netherlands each year). The Netherlands have also purchased 138 armor kits for the Caracal; there are currently no infos on how many Germany has purchased/will purchase. The Caracal beat the GRF from KMW & Defenture. Originally GDELS also competed with the Merlin, but withdrew due to it being to heavy for the weight limit. As per the German concept for the Medium Forces (Mittlere Kräfte), at least some Marder IFVs are to be replaced with a Boxer IFV model. The latest plans suggest that a total of 148 Boxer IFVs should be procured. Supposedly the Army favors an unmanned solution, so there won't be any turret commonality with the Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie. Germany also remains comitted to the procurement of a wheeled SPG; the stated requirement is for 160 vehicles. Currently the maturity of the Boxer-based RCH 155 is being tested with (based on rumor mill) rather positive feedback, but also some minor improvement ideas that are being implemented by KMW. The "wheeled self-propelled howitzer" from a cooperation of Rheinmetall (providing the HX3 truck chassis, weapon system and local modifications) and Elbit Systems (providing the turret and autoloader of its SIGMA system) is not being tested yet due to the immaturity of the design (still in development, no real prototype has fired its gun) and for being incompatible with a partner's (UK) requirement. further Boxer variants are also planned including ARV, AVLB, long-range anti-tank vehicle, air-defence missile carrier and SPAAG with the Skyranger 30 turret are also planned, but not much concrete details regarding numbers and equipment. KMW has proposed the Boxer UAV variants (carrying & controlling more than a dozen small/micro drones) and Boxer Digitalization (for controlling UGVs) for the German medium forces The program for the Fuchs successor is also on-going. Currently the German Army plans to purchase 629 new vehicles. Germany has joined the Patria CAVS program, but this is not a final decision as it is a prerequisite for testing the Patria 6x6 vehicle. Patria has stated in an interview with German media that it is looking for local partners that would take care of the production for the Bundeswehr's program, if the CAVS is selected. Rheinmetall is offering its Fuchs Evolution, which is not really a Fuchs 2, but also more than the previously proposed Fuchs 1A9. Meanwhile Rheinmetall and Ukraine have agreed on the supply (and later local production) of Fuchs vehicles including a new upgraded IFV variant. There are/were two options being discussed: using the Skyranger 30 turret (which is an air-defence turret and thus not optimal for a modern IFV) or leftover Marder 1A3 turrets (which are quite outdated). Production of Fuchs vehicles in high quantities in Ukraine might be advantageous for the companies' chances against the CAVS. Last but not least, Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin have detailed their offer (based on HIMARS) in the German wheeled artillery program. The new system is called GMARS (German Medium/Multiple Artillery Rocket System) based on a HX3 truck and fitted with a full-sized launcher from the latest/improved M270A2 variant; so it is rather comparable K239 Chunmoo and HOMAR-K (Polish Chunmoo on Jelz truck) but based on official ToT/cooperation and not a bootleg copy. The two companies want Diehl to join their offer, competing against a team formed by KMW, MBDA, EGS and Elbit Systems offering the Euro-PULS system. Euro-PULS is likely cheaper and due to the removable pods, missile size is not limited to the MRLS-launche's internal dimensions, but it carries less ready-to-fire missiles (at least when using GMRLS-sized rockets). Germany favors having a Leopard 2-like "user-club" for its new vehicles (to share development costs, place common orders and help each other with training/logistics), which IMO favors Euro-PULS, as the normal PULS artillery system has been purchased by traditional partners of Germany (the Netherlands and Denmark). GMARS OTOH is based on some HIMARS components and HIMARS has seen a wider adoption in Europe (Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania and Poland all have signed contracts for HIMARS).