Clan_Ghost_Bear

3BM60 Svinets-2 alongside a 3BM42 Mango in Ukraine :
 

 
Notice the removable perforated disk which protects the sabot inside its packaging.

The 62.5 tonnes figure concerned a dispensation limit for certain stretches of the road network, and we (as in people who don’t have inside knowledge) don’t know if there even existed such a requirement (probably not seeing as how the Norwegian government is on record stating that both tanks satisfied the requirements).
 
We also don't know for certain if Leo 2A7NO will exceed 62.5 tonnes, but considering that KMW’s own website lists a weight of 61.5-64.3 tonnes (likely empty vs combat ready, but a lot of the bells and whistles like APS are apparently not included in the latter figure either), it does seem rather likely. Of course, this is also going to limit where this tank can go compared to earlier Leo 2A4NO (and the proposed K2NO) unless the Norwegian Public Roads Administration start granting requests for heavier dispensations and/or more of the road infranstructure is upgraded to handle the extra weight.
 
Leo 2A7NO might also not be worse protected than its German and Danish counterweight if weight can be saved in other ways, e.g. lighter tracks, lithium batteries instead of APU, new materials and construction techniques (as mentioned by @SH_MM)etc.. Insufficient protection was among the given reasons for cancellation of the earlier P 5050 project, so Leo 2A7NO should at least be better protected than a Leo 2A4NO with add-on armor.
 
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Now for some more juicy gossip & drama. Dagens Næringsliv – the same newspaper that broke the stories about the Chef of Defence’s advice to cancel this project and the compromise with a reduced order – now write that according to sources close to the Norwegian government, the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (FMA) had actually recommended the K2 in their assessment of the candidates, with its lower price and better availability being what ultimately tilted the scale in its favour, It was apparently also the option that the Chief of Defence was the most on board with, which I suppose makes sense seeing as how it sounds like he’d rather spend as little as possible on new tanks (heh). Ultimately, though, the Norwegian government would not heed either them as they had already made up their minds on the importance of strengthening the military and industrial bonds with Germany (I hate to toot my own horn, but I did predict as much earlier in this thread).
 
Source: https://www.dn.no/politikk/jonas-gahr-store/stridsvogner/bjorn-arild-gram/dette-skjedde-i-kulissene-da-forsvarssjefen-fikk-stridsvognene-han-ikke-ville-ha/2-1-1400163?shareToken=NDkyMTMsMi0xLTE0MDAxNjMsMTY3NTkzMjMwNTk0Niw0ZTY0NDA0ODgyN2JjYzZjMzZiY2Q5MDhkNDlkNWI2Ng%3D%3D&fbclid=IwAR04fgGVb6cffzIX2wZqmG84LRNTRSCElOfjreFJ0i9qNcOZRObb3GYb0TE

Possible Turrets for Boxer

 
 
 

The reduced order (originally, the project called for 72-84 tanks) is supposedly a compromise between the MoD and the Chief of Defence since the latter wanted to put the project on ice in order to accelerate other projects, like long range rocket artillery (somehow we are still at the point where projects like these are pitted against each other…). Hopefully they’ll rectify this in the future since the order does include an option for the missing 18 tanks, but I won't be holding my breath.

Norway buys 54 new Leopard 2s
 
https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-order-54-new-army-tanks-germany-nrk-2023-02-03/

AbramsX 3D model:
 
Cults 3D
 

 
 

K1s of the 21st Infantry Division during an exercise at the Seungjin Firing Range at the beginning of 2023.
 

A promotional model (by the Rauda company) of the Pacific Car & Foundry bid for the HSTV-L program.

Ronkainen's on a BAE MPF posting spree, so rather than repost all the tweets and end up with a boatload of duplicates, I'll just post the thread's starter post here:
 

https://www.dote.osd.mil/Portals/97/pub/reports/FY2022/FY22DOTEAnnualReport.pdf?ver=UBO7t2O1FkRuvrB-nJDZ-g%3d%3d
 
There are a few interesting things in there, including SEP v4, APS for tanks (Trophy and Iron Fist Light Decoupled). As an aside, I recently re-posted here an article boasting of marked improvements in the Bradley-mounted IFLP, but the DOT&E 2022 annual reports claims, on the other hand, that the system continues to suffer from "effectiveness deficiencies" (page 89). Huh.
 
Interesting numbers: "The TROPHY APS adds approximately 5,000 pounds to the Abrams SEPv3. The IFLD APS adds approximately 1,780 pounds to the Bradley."
 
This is what the report has to say about the MPF (page 136) - with some relevant points highlighted:
 
 

A promotional model (by the Rauda company) of the Pacific Car & Foundry bid for the HSTV-L program.

A promotional model (by the Rauda company) of the Pacific Car & Foundry bid for the HSTV-L program.

A promotional model (by the Rauda company) of the Pacific Car & Foundry bid for the HSTV-L program.

This are the requirements written in 1977/1978 of the Dutch army when they needed a new tank which became the Leopard 2.
a: with direct fire kinectic or chemical energy ammunition of enemy tanks or anti-tank weaponsystems to a distance of 2000 mtr (only for the frontal armour)
b: direct fire armour piercing projectiles with a caliber  from 20mm to 30mm to a distance of 100mtr (all around)
c;  the effects of shrapnel from enemy 152mm HE exploding at 30mtr distance
d: enemy detection
e: fire and explosion after a hit
f: AP mines and the effects of AT mines as long as they don't explode under the hull
g: against the use of NBC weapons including the effects of an EMP
(in a other document about the nuclear protection, minimal 20KT at 1km 50% change tank and crew 1 hr employable)

And this is what the Germans told about the protection of the Dutch Leopard 2A4s
 
from tank-net, posted by Lesley
 


 

 
 

I have to admit, I'm kinda bugged by that egress hatch on the left turret side. Would have preferred armor instead, but it seems it wasn't too much of a concern to warrant its removal from the design.And, yeah, Nick thinks GDLS' offering was the right one. We'll see his take on the BAE MPF soon, but the vehicle has apparently failed his "easily wiggle yourself into/out of it" test.
 
EDIT:
 

Latest update: in a common press conference, the German MoD, the German Army, Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann declared that the Puma will remain the future IFV of the German Army (and Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger even called it "the best IFV of the world" - wonder if he tells potential Lynx customers the same).
 
The Marders assigned to the VJTF 2023(L) will be replaced by the Puma VJTF once the all of them have been fixed and maintained. The conclusion of the investigation apparently was that issues have been largley overblown and a mix of training issues, lack of maintenance and some sub-optimal components. Vincorion was awarded a contract to redesign the electrical power systems of the Puma.
 
____
Meanwhile there are new infos regarding Rheinmetall's HX3 10x10 based artillery system being primarily aimed at the German Army's wheeled SPG program. The turret itself is based on Elbit Systems' SIGMA 155, Rheinmetall "europeanizes" it by adding a different gun/elevating mass, FCS, and mounting it on the HX3 truck using a Rheinmetall-developed artillery truck interface.
 
 

K1A2s of the 30th Armored Brigade during a live fire exercise at the Mugeon-ri Training Center in Paju.
 

 

A render of potential components for a K1E2 upgrade. 
 
Components include the NBC protection (utilizing overpressure) which the K1 variants up until this point have lacked, air conditioning and heating, an 8Kw APU, and an additional battery bank. These additions are fitted to the space currently taken on the K1E1 by the bustle storage boxes along with extending the rear hull side storage to hold the APU, heater, and battery bank. (https://maily.so/sheldon/posts/af148b1a)
 

Challenger PIP 1987





Challenger Weapons System Demonstrator 







Source: https://www.facebook.com/groups/chally

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/defence-secretary-oral-statement-on-war-in-ukraine--2
 
Mobile Fires Programme Accelerated

AS90 replacement
Boxer RCH155, Archer on MAN and k9 Thunder potential candidates
Exploring "interim artillery capability"
 
Reviewing the number of Challenger 3 conversions

Team Thunder partner firms visit Hanwha’s facility




 

https://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=118825

I realized it was big... but 42t and taller than Abrams?
 
What uh, is particularly mobile or light about this thing anymore?