David Moyes

£800m contract for WCSP appears to have been signed:

https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:189826-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0

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The Legend of Wolfgang The Fast-Food Man
 

During the Cold War Wolfgang Meier became a legend to the BAOR (British Army on the Rhine).He owned a fast-food van and made a living following around British units on exercise.
No matter how distant or hidden a unit was Wolfgang managed to find them.

Soldiers thought he must have been a Soviet spy but turns out he was just bribing other soldiers with packs of Beer. 

Challenger 1 Maintenance Schedule

Written by Vickers?


 

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Challenger 1 Structural Test
 

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We did this on CTT (CR1 Training Tank) after a rollover test, to confirm for MOD the strength of the cab roof. MOD had taken academic advice, which assumed that the vehicle rolled over onto an infinitely stiff ground plane (the ground absorbed zero energy), but were happy with the rollover test. The CTT was recovered end-over-end like this to minimise damage (only real damage was broken cab front window as the vehicle initially slid inverted against some stones). (former Chief Engineer for CTT at Royal Ordnance, Leeds).

https://www.facebook.com/groups/chally/permalink/2931050650258999/

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Project Chaser




 

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 A project for a remotely operated turret to be fitted to tanks. designed as part of the later FMBT studies done by Royal Ordnance and Vickers who submitted 6 designs, Chaser was used on Future tank Concept 6 and B 1983. Chaser is the type of auto-loader, like cat and mouse, bar type etc. themselves follow on work from such projects as Comres or STT Vulcan and Cassandra.

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Although they were using Chieftain, the crews operated on exercise as normal, but the auto functions were conducted by a team. So for example, auto track tensioner were simulated by the team carrying out track adjustments.

One of the guys involved, when asked, pointed out that an auto loader couldn't help with bombing up or cover radio stags. The concept of a 3 man crew on MBT wasn't popular.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/chally/permalink/3097827926914603/

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Challenger Improvement Program (CHIP)
 

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 deficiencies that the CHIP programme was supposed to fix. I don't know how many of the fixes actually saw service?

From

DEFE70/1380

https://www.facebook.com/groups/chally/permalink/3043757718988291/

Challenger 2E  Gate Guard - RBSL


https://www.facebook.com/groups/chally/permalink/2823443321019733/

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Challenger 2 Turret lift


 

Standard turret weight: 18t~
W/ add-on: 20t~

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Challenger 2 Hit by 14 RPGs - Iraq


 

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Challenger 2 Experimental Autoloaders


 

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Challenger 2 ROSY Demonstration
 

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Challenger 2 Engine @ 2000bhp?

Seems there were multiple tests running the CV12 at 1500bhp and even 2000bhp but engine was limited by TN54 transmission:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/chally/permalink/2341430025887734/
 

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With more power the vibrations will affect the rest of the tank, I drove Megatron with 2000 HP everything else suffered including bore sighting. It’s a stupid idea

Yep it was a trial to see what would fail with more power as Megatron got heavier, and everything suffered. We did get 8 gallons to the mile 😮 armour support arms fell off and/ or cracked even the armour packs suffered. Then it was run on Avgas rather than diesel. All bad

MBDA leverages Complex Weapons portfolio in support of British Army CF(L)35 initiative
 

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MBDA Missile Systems is positioning a developmental surface-to-surface effector concept, along with exploiting derivatives of the Complex Weapons portfolio, to support prospective near- and longer-term Land Joint Fires requirements within the scope of the British Army's new Conceptual Force (Land) 2035 (CF(L)35) strategy.
 

"We are looking to innovate and introduce, over the next decade, significant capability that we already have in the portfolio, to illustrate how MBDA can support the Army in the land battlespace, both for near-term opportunities where we have existing weapons like Brimstone, MMP, and Spear, and then in the longer timeframe - 2030 and beyond - where we can generate new solutions that leverage our existing products and technologies," Andy Allen, MBDA Head of Land Domain (Army) told Jane's .
 

Initiated by Executive Committee of the Army Board (ECAB), CF(L)35 is an Army future-planning programme which explores the transformations - including organisation, doctrine for new ways of prosecuting warfare, and exploitation of new and emerging technologies - required by the Army to meet evolving battlefield threats and challenges.
 

According to analyses conducted since 2014 by the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) under the Agile Warrior (AW) initiative, and also drawing on other Dstl and allied sources, British Army surface-to-surface/land joint fires are outranged and outgunned by peer adversaries. Key weaknesses, and consistent themes, include range (of both target acquisition and weapon), target effect mass, weapon lethality, platform and sensor survivability, and the speed of the sensor to shooter link; fires systems should also be interoperable with allies.
 

"The Army needs to be able to attack enemy high value targets which are protected by air defence systems, electronic guidance jamming and manipulation systems, directed energy systems and non-lethal and traditional protective countermeasures," the Army notes in Agile Warrior Quarterly 2019 Edition 2.

https://www.janes.com/article/94844/mbda-leverages-complex-weapons-portfolio-in-support-of-british-army-cf-l-35-initiative

CR2 Turret Rig:



 

Ajax deliveries to British Army delayed
 

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Deliveries of production standard Ajax armoured vehicles to the British Army have been delayed, missing a key target to allow soldiers to start training to use their new vehicles.
 

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to Jane's on 15 January that a target for the manufacturer, General Dynamics Land Systems-UK (GDLS-UK), to deliver the first squadron set of vehicles by the end of 2019, had been missed.
 

The ministry told Jane's in March 2019 that the first squadron would begin receiving vehicles, comprised of a mix of all six variants, in mid-2019 and the first turret variant fitted with the CTA International 40 mm cannon would be delivered between July and September 2019. It was then intended that the Household Cavalry Regiment would begin training on the vehicles for a year before the declaration of an initial operational capability (IOC) in mid-2020.
 

To date only six Ares basic troop carrying vehicles, known as the mobility reconnaissance support variant, have been delivered to the British Army Armour Centre at Bovington in Dorset, according to an MoD source. "The seventh Ares vehicle has entered the final stages of testing and will be delivered to the Household Cavalry Regiment in the coming months," said the source. "No 40 mm turreted Ajax has yet been delivered to the army."
 

The first Ajax squadron is expected to require 20-25 Ajax family vehicles, including a mobility reconnaissance support, turreted reconnaissance, command, engineer, recovery, and repair variants before it can declare IOC.
 

An MoD spokesperson told Jane's on 15 January, "our target for Ajax initial operating capability remains July 2020".

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Early Warrior concept:

1 hour ago, SH_MM said:

it seems very unlikely that they had at any point of type tolerated tests in Egypt (islamic country & histortically a much greater threat to Israel).

Israeli-Egyptian relations were improving after the withdrawal from the Sinai peninsula. Enough that the US would allow for the sale of Abrams.

I agree that Mk.7 never made it to Egypt but Vickers did try.

Marder-like early experimental Warrior with Chobham. 750hp engine.

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/british-chobham-armour-micv.13467/

Spanish 8x8:

https://www.elconfidencial.com/empresas/2020-01-14/defensa-blindados-ejercito-contrato-europa_2409572/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=BotoneraWeb

• Spain looking into joining Boxer OCCAR
• Industry thinks Boxer ticks the most boxes
• Won't buy American. Want full sovereignty and autonomy on parts
•  VBCI and Iveco other contenders

5 hours ago, Sovngard said:

I've also heard this rumor.
But I'm still very sceptical about this story, knowing that the FV4211 Aluminium Chieftain showed no sign of structural weakness after having covered almost 20 000 km over a period of six months.

I believe the Aluminium Chieftain used a ballasted faux-turret and later an aluminium turret. Various internet sources say the problems occur when using a heavier steel turret.
 

6 hours ago, Sovngard said:

This was quite different, the hull of the MBT-80 was constructed of steel and aluminium welded together  (IIRC, the the rear half of the hull was made of aluminium).

Pretty sure that MBT-80 and Aluminium Chieftain shared the same hull and steel plates were simply welded to various places rather than an alloy chimera.

Dstl and QinetiQ complete trials to assess a system to protect combat vehicles and their occupants

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October 2019 marked the completion of the Medusa Technology Assessment Programme (TAP), which has been running for the last 3.5 years. As part of the overall Dstl Active Integrated Protection Systems Research Project (under the Land Systems research programme), Dstl contracted QinetiQ Ltd to conduct Medusa, assessing a commercial-off-the-shelf soft kill Active Protection System. The Hensoldt MUSS® system was selected and evaluated by QinetiQ supported by a team of industrial and MOD partners (QinetiQ, Hensoldt, BAE Systems, Frazer-Nash Consultancy, Textron ESL).
 

The performance and utility of the system was evaluated with respect to subsystem and system performance, system integration, human factors integration as well as its safety, security and legality, and the operational impacts associated with use and deployment of such a system. The integration assessment included the installation of a MUSS® system to a Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank, coupled with assessment by the Army to understand the benefits and challenges associated with such equipment across the Defence Lines of Development (DLODs). The laboratory testing and trialling of the system culminated in a full end-end system evaluation during missile live fire trials held in Woomera, South Australia during October 2018, conducted as part of the AUS/UK bi-lateral partnership between Dstl and DST Group (Australia), and also supported by the Anglo-German MOU held with BAAINBw.
 

Medusa has provided vital insights in to the capabilities, benefits and limitations of such equipment, and will be used to inform future direction for both APS research and evaluation activities, and support to potential future acquisition programmes.  As part of the Army’s future APS strategy, the Leonardo-led Icarus programme is developing an open modular architecture specification for active protection as a cross-fleet capability, with a view to publishing the Modular Integrated Protection System (MIPS) standard as a NATO Standardisation Agreement (STANAG). Soft kill subsystems and technologies will form a key part of this future modular and scalable approach to land active protection.
 

Medusa has demonstrated an effective and productive partnership between industrial partners and MOD, and has effectively utilised IRC agreements to deliver a successful and mutually beneficial package of work.

Challenger 2 getting another batch of 3rd-gen hydrogas suspension:

https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:15192-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML&src=0
 

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The Land Equipment Vehicle Support Team, part of the UK Ministry of Defence intends to place a contract with Horstman Defence Systems Limited (“the Contractor”) for the repair and conversion of 60 LH & 60 RH Hydrogas Suspension Units (“Units”) used in connection with the Challenger II platform to Generation III build standard.

Mk.4 had problems with the aluminium hull wearing out. British testing found this out with MBT-80 but the hull was considered a replaceable part.
Vickers then quickly partnered with KMW for the Mk.7 for the Egyptians. 

Challenger 1's layout is a result of being based on the Chieftain. Challenger 2 is similar because Vickers didn't have the time or money to develop a new hull that would have to compete with the Leopard 2 & M1.

CR1 was expected to serve alongside CR2 and having a hull that could share equipment and upgrades was seen as preferable. Also Cheaper.

Vickers Mk.4 Valiant (1982):


 

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'Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff, Field Marshal Sir Edwin Bramall formally opened the world's biggest and most modern privately-owned armaments factory. Sir Edwin unveiled Newcastle's new £7m Vickers plant, to be known as the Armstrong Works. Military top brass from 40 nations attended the ceremony. Pictured is the Vickers Main Battle Tank (MTB). 24th November, 1982. (Photo by NCJ Archive/Mirrorpix/Getty Images'

BAE to Get Green Light for $10 Billion Howitzer Project:
 

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“BAE has met all requirements to enter into full-rate production and we anticipate that happening” during January, Sam Tricomo, a spokesman for the weapon’s Army program office, said in an email.

The company had been assembling the weapons system since October 2013 under a series of low-rate production contracts during which it produced the vehicles late and with numerous welding defects.
 

Deliveries were halted for six months in 2017 because of welding flaws that required the return for repairs of 50 of 86 vehicles already delivered. Since then, London-based BAE has invested $200 million in improvements at its factory in York, Pennsylvania, and delivered quality vehicles consistently in the last months of 2019, according to the Army.

“To ensure no break in vehicle production” at the York facility and another in Elgin, Oklahoma, the Army last month extended low-rate production, Tricomo said. “Our confidence in BAE’s ability to deliver has increased month after month as we have seen continuous improvement in quality vehicles at increased production rates.”
 

BAE’s factory quality is a priority for the Army because it wants to increase production through 2023, not only for the howitzer system but also the other major military vehicles that BAE builds: the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the M88A2 tank recovery vehicle.
 

The Army plans to surge production of the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle for deployment to Europe as part of the U.S.’s deterrence buildup against Russia.
 

As recently as April, program officials had been privately pessimistic about BAE’s production capability in their annual Selected Acquisition Report for Pentagon officials and congressional committees marked “For Official Use Only.”
 

“At this time the Army does not have confidence when BAE will be able to deliver a quality product repeatedly,” according to the document. The “Army chief of staff does not recommend certifying the PIM program until BAE demonstrated the ability to produce quality vehicles on schedule.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/news/bae-to-get-green-light-for-dollar10-billion-howitzer-project/ar-BBYxHIM?ocid=st

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The Army Now Has Enough Upgraded Abrams Tanks To Equip An Entire Brigade:
 

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The Army in late 2017 accepted the very first M-1A2C Abrams tanks. Nearly two years later the service has enough of the new vehicles to equip an entire brigade.
 

The “first brigade is critical because we need to get [them] into the soldiers’ hands so they can get trained on it and everything else,” Kennedy said.
 

A U.S. Army armored brigade typically operates around 100 tanks. The Army has 16 armored brigades as part of a total force of 58 combat brigades.
 

The M-1A2C is the latest variant of Abrams to enter production. Congress in 2019 gave the Army $1.5 billion to buy 135 M-1s from General Dynamics, extending a program that began in the 1970s.
 

The Army’s budget proposal for 2020 asks for 174 new and upgraded tanks.
 

The new M-1A2C Abrams boasts new active and passive protection that could help to protect it from the latest enemy weaponry. The most obvious new features of the M-1A2C are the vehicle's Trophy active-protection systems and an additional slab of armor on the front of its turret.
 

Trophy uses a radar to detect incoming missiles and rockets then fires tiny projectiles to intercept the munitions. The Army also is back-fitting Trophy to some older M-1 models.
 

There are a bewildering number of subvariants of the M-1A1, each boasting incremental improvements in drive-train, armor and electronics. The latest upgrade, the M-1A1SA, has a factory-fresh engine, digital electronics and a top-secret armor blend that includes a thin layer of uranium.
 

The Army plans to retire all M-1A1SAs by 2025.
 

The M-1A2 appeared in 1992. It’s pretty much a new tank, with better armor than the basic M-1A1 plus a new internal layout and fresh sensors that together allow the gunner and the commander independently to search for targets.
 

The Army has acquired around 1,500 M-1A2s and converted most of them to the System Enhancement Package Version 2 standard. The M-1A2SEPv2, which General Dynamics describes as a "digital tank," features high-end computers, a remotely-operated machine gun on the turret and a dozen batteries that allow the tank quietly to operate its sensors without turning on its engine.
 

The M-1A2C in essence is a better-protected M-1A2SEPv2 that's also easier to upgrade. In addition to Trophy and more armor, the new tank boasts more electrical power, better diagnostic systems and a data-link that's compatible with programmable ammunition types that are in development.
 

"The Abrams M-1A2C can host any mature technology the Army deems operationally relevant," the Army stated.

https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/army-now-has-enough-upgraded-abrams-tanks-equip-entire-brigade-109656

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BAE Raven:
 

Mobile Protected Firepower will use 105mm. Developing  "Advanced Multipurpose Round (AMP)":

 

@alanch90

No gun; the round is just there.

Presumably Rheinmetal are suggesting that the turret could be fitted with a 130mm gun. Might interest the Dutch if they are able to re-buy tanks.