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David Moyes

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Posts posted by David Moyes

  1. https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/landwarfareintl/british-army-demos-new-challenger-2-urban-operatio/

     

    Spoiler

    The British Army’s Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) has developed a new Challenger 2 MBT demonstrator to highlight modifications that could be made to the platform for urban operations.

    The RTR will be demonstrating the vehicle during the Army Warfighting Experiment held in December 2018.

    Speaking to Shephard, 2nd Lt Nicholas Warren-Miller, 3 Tp Ldr RTR, said that the team has worked over the past two months to add ‘low-level...low-cost modifications that can be done very quickly’ on the tank.

    One of the key areas of modification was to enhance situational awareness in urban environments which Warren-Miller said was particularly limited in the Challenger 2 during urban operations when in close-down and inside the tank.

    Infantry-tank cooperation is another key area of focus for the RTR, which will make the Challenger 2 'more effective' in the urban environment, according to Warren-Miller.

    ‘We’ve essentially increased the firepower of the tank and we have created a local area network into the tank which streams camera feeds. So in theory the infantry can use an Android tablet or phone and actually view what we are seeing and what our cameras are seeing,’ Warren-Miller explained.

    This has been achieved through the use of fixed cameras and panoramic 360˚ thermal imagers, barrel cameras to see left and right at junctions without exposing the platform and camera feeds streamed to dismounted soldier systems.

    The RTR has worked with an industry team, led by Ultra Precision Control System (PCS), to carry out the improvements. Warren-Miller emphasised that this project has been completed completely outside of the Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme which is currently being competed between BAE Systems and Rheinmetall.

    ‘It comes from the Hobart committee…when everyone in the regiment gets to make recommendations for Challenger 2. And we’ve been given as a squadron the urban environment to adapt our vehicle to,’ Warren-Miller explained.

    Through the Hobart committee the team has been given funding to carry out the work. Ultra PCS lead a team that includes FN Herstal UK, Mildef, Esterline, Istec and Ultra Lynx.

    Other modifications include external storage for breaching tools and dismounted equipment; turret mounted mortar; commanders GPMG and loaders HMG.

    Warren-Miller suggested that this will be an ongoing project as the RTR has more ideas for long-lasting modifications. For now though these technologies will only be demonstrated on the one experimental platform.

     

  2. 17 hours ago, LoooSeR said:

       That "Streetfighter" is rather sad, no side armor, no equipment to go through baricades/ruins, MG positions have no protection. Even crappy T-72B urban kit is somewhat better in that regards.


    It's just a demonstrator created by Ultra Electronics, mainly to test their UltraLynx system.
    https://www.ultra-electronics.com/uploads/business-documents/media-brochures/Ultra_Land_Bro_A4_Nov_17_Spreads.pdf
    RTR's Ajax Squadron are experimenting in Urban Tank combat:
    https://www.facebook.com/RoyalTankRegt/posts/urban-tanks-ajax-have-just-taken-delivery-of-their-latest-tanks-these-have-been-/697637010435834/

    It is by no means a finished article.

  3. Challenger 2 Streetfighter Concept Demonstrator

    RujIf0h.jpg

    External Storage for Breaching Tools
    External Storage for dismounted equipment
    Turret mounted Mortar
    Commanders GPMG and Loaders HMG
    Enhanced Situation Awareness (Fixed Cameras, and Panoramic 360 Thermal)
    Barrel cameras to see left and right at junctions without exposing the platform
    Camera Feeds streamed to Dismounts Soldier Systems

    https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6476755319853764608

  4. Even without a gun upgrade Rheinmetall is almost certainly going to win.
    The only thing that BAE's bid has going for it is that General Dynamics would do the actual work. Offering Iron Fist is bizarre as the UK has two separate APS programmes going and any acquisition would go through them.
    No gun upgrade seems like a cynical way to lock the Army into BAE's munitions ecosystem.

    Recently the MOD has signed contracts with several companies to test their ammunition in preparation for BAE's sole supplier deal ending in 2023. Rheinmetall is one of them, specifically for artillery.

    Offering free guns in exchange for an exclusive supply deal would be smart.
      

  5. On 9/13/2018 at 5:44 PM, SH_MM said:

    Based on photographs, there appear to be three different armor configuration for the AJAX/ARES hull - there might be more when accounting for facts like the location of screws etc. on the different prototypes, but that shouldn't matter. They can be identified by the different thickness of the frontal glacis plate of the hull in relation to the height of the headlights.


    From the General AFV thread:
     

    Spoiler



    Naked:
     

    Spoiler

    7sxttaF.jpg
    SFIvfHa.jpg


    Base Armour (Spaced Steel?):
     

    Spoiler

    J9FmvHq.jpg
    pEhfC5f.jpg
    Y4dlHNG.jpg

    Side Storage
    B1Uwlav.jpg

    Diffrent side storage:
    gvtYSOt.jpg


    Expanded Armour (Composite?) & Blocks
     

    Spoiler

    Bolted on-top of Replaces base armour at the front. Comes as standard at rear and bottom(?):
    fTGaT6Q.jpg
    mkts7pb.jpg
    jWSy00n.jpg
    pHSvxjr.jpg
    qHpEyn2.jpg

    Turret slabs:
    1IXwQ5R.jpg

    Bar/Mesh:
    LhJlfg0.jpg
    xH4WpX8.jpg


    Barracuda camo:
     

    Spoiler

    GxCH8IN.jpg


    Testing Ballast Weights:
     

    Spoiler

    cbzfwZK.jpg
    eJGQsxa.jpg


    There's only one thickness type of base armour for production models. Any others are a result of test armour or optical illusions.
    The MCO armour seems to use the base config.

    I doubt Permali make all the armour. The contract is only for £15 million, which seems too little for nearly 600 vehicles. In an older blog post you mention that RUAG provided some armour but I can't find any other reference to this:
    https://below-the-turret-ring.blogspot.com/2017/08/which-new-ifv-for-czech-army.html

    I wouldn't focus too much on the known armour configs anyway. Whenever the Army sends vehicles into a hostile environment they send out a Urgent Operational Requirement and buy a bunch of armour to bolt on (like Chobham Warrior). I'm expecting to see armour modules on the front glacis  one day.

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