United States Military Vehicle General: Guns, G*vins, and Gas Turbines

[DIADES]

On 6/15/2021 at 11:58 PM, N-L-M said:

but none have reached FUE or IOC milestones yet.

Yes, really the question I was asking - pretty sure it is "contracted" for Australia too - is it in service anywhere?

 

[N-L-M]

2 hours ago, DIADES said:

Yes, really the question I was asking - pretty sure it is "contracted" for Australia too - is it in service anywhere?

 

To my knowledge, not in active service yet anywhere.

The more cynical amongst us would say that means it's still vaporware.

[Ramlaen]

6 hours ago, DIADES said:

but not in service or even proto testing yet

 

No we will not be shifting the goalposts my "but no contracts?" friend.

[DIADES]

5 hours ago, Ramlaen said:

No we will not be shifting the goalposts my "but no contracts?" friend.

LOL, mate!

[DIADES]

10 hours ago, N-L-M said:

vaporware.

and vapourising as we speak.

[Ramlaen]

https://www.army.mil/article/248114/82nd_airborne_soldiers_airdrop_test_new_infantry_squad_vehicle_at_ft_bragg

[Laser Shark]

Damian's wet dream come true if this actually happens: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/07/09/poland-could-purchase-m1-abrams-tanks-from-us/

 

It's probably worse news for Hyundai Rotem than KMW, though, since a significant contract like this one would have given the former an important foothold in the European tank market.

[Żółć]

If anyone is interested in reading the original text, on which the DefenseNews invokes, it can be found here: https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114883,27291593,bez-planu-bez-trybu-ale-z-usa-szykuje-sie-kolejny-zakup-na.html

[Ramlaen]

 

[Sturgeon]

The fuck is that rollbar thing?

[Serge]

To avoid to wrench the power grid. 

[Beer]

1 hour ago, Sturgeon said:

The fuck is that rollbar thing?

 

Fu 11  

[Ramlaen]

With the Polish buy of SEPv3 I realized I had not been keeping up with Abrams upgrades.

 

http://www.fbodaily.com/archive/2020/07-July/08-Jul-2020/FBO-05712644.htm

Spoiler

The Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground (ACC-APG) Belvoir is conducting market research on behalf of the US Army Product Manager Ground Sensors, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. The purpose of this Market Research is to identify potential sources that have the skills, experience, knowledge, and capabilities required to manufacture and deliver Third Generation Forward Looking Infrared (3GEN FLIR) B-Kits under Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) and Full Rate Production (FRP) contracts.� The 3GEN FLIR program is currently in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase of the Acquisition Life Cycle.� Upon the completion of the EMD Phase and entrance into the Production and Deployment Phase, the US Army plans to award an LRIP contract for 3GEN FLIR B-Kits.� The purpose of the LRIP contract is to establish an initial production base for 3GEN FLIR B-Kits and permit an orderly increase in the production rates leading to FRP. During LRIP, the US Army plans to procure approximately 400 3GEN FLIR B-Kits over a 2 year period.� Upon completion of Operational Test and Evaluation, the US Army plans to procure over 9,000 B-Kits during FRP.����� � The 3GEN FLIR B-Kit comprises a set of common assemblies, including the Dewar Cooler Bench (DCB) (provided as Government Furnished Property (GFP), optics (afocal, imager), and circuit card assemblies (CCAs). The B-Kit optics collect radiation in the Mid-Wave (MW) and Long-Wave (LW) infrared bands across four fields of view and focuses it onto a staring Focal Plane Array housed in the DCB.� The B-Kit components are intended to be interchangeable Shop Replaceable Units to maximize economies of scale similar to the 2nd GEN FLIR (2GF) B-Kit.� The 3GEN FLIR B-Kit provides the ability to detect threats at greater distances under a full spectrum of conflict and battlefield conditions. 3GEN FLIR enhances the platform's effectiveness and survivability by providing greater situational awareness promoting combat effectiveness and reducing fratricide.�� The 3GEN FLIR B-Kit will replace the legacy 2GF B-Kit and Thermal Receiver Unit (TRU) on the Abrams M1A2 System Enhancement Program (SEP) V4.� The 3GEN FLIR B-Kit is designed to fit and function while subjected to the thermal, vibration, and shock environments for the M1A2 SEPv4 Gunner�s Primary Sight (GPS) and Commander�s Primary Sight (CPS).� For the GPS configuration only, the B-Kit is integrated into the TRU as a sub-assembly which includes a Personality Module CCA, Electromagnetic Interference Filter, afocal guard, and electrical flexes mounted in the TRU mechanical bench.���� The TRU, B-Kit sub-assemblies, electronic modules, and the DCB, defined under RFI # W909MY-20-R-C026, will be integrated on host platforms to compose an Improved FLIR sensor. The B-Kit provider will be responsible for integrating the GFP DCB into their B-Kit design. The DCB will be provided as GFP to the B-Kit provider for final integration and testing. The B-Kit and TRU components are currently defined by the following technical documents: a. MIL-PRF-A3347042 - 3GEN FLIR B-Kit Performance Specification b. MIL-PRF-A3347952 - CPS FDE Specification c. MIL-PRF-A3347053 - Performance Specification For The 3GEN FLIR Thermal Receiver Unit (TRU) d. MIL-PRF-A3347058 - Classified 3GEN FLIR B-Kit Performance Specification e. A3347045 - 3GEN FLIR Dewar Cooler Bench (DCB) Mechanical Drawing f. A3315467 - CPS FLIR Design Envelope Drawing g. A3347049 - 3GEN FLIR B-Kit Interface Control Document h. A3347070 - Interface Control Document For The 3GEN FLIR Thermal Receiver Unit (TRU) i. A3381780 - Interface Control Drawing, Thermal Receiver Unit, 3GEN FLIR j. A3347043 - Performance Specification for the DCB k. A3347044 - DCB Interface Control Document (ICD) The documents listed above are Distribution D restricted. The documents are authorized for use by the Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. DoD contractors only. These documents also contain technical data whose export is restricted by the Arms Export Control Act (Title 22, U.S.C., Sec 2751, et seq.) or the Export Administration Act of 1979 (Title 50, U.S.C., App. 2401 et seq.), as amended. Violations of these export laws are subject to severe criminal penalties. These documents will be disseminated in accordance with provisions of DoD Directive 5230.25. In order to be considered technically responsive, sources must have a fully qualified B-Kit and TRU that has either completed the final System Verification Review (SVR) and Functional Configuration Audit (FCA) or where the supplier can demonstrate with data that their design meets all of the requirements in the technical documents defined above.� Sources must be willing to provide these results, if requested, to verify that the Contractor�s B-Kit and TRU functional baseline meet the requirements as defined by the B-Kit and TRU Performance Specifications, ICDs and Mechanical Drawings. Companies or organizations may request copies of these documents by providing their Point of Contact information listed below to Sharon Minor at Sharon.R.Minor.civ@mail.mil and must clearly state if and how they meet the conditions under which they can receive the documents referenced above. In addition, companies requesting the above information must register for an account with an internet accessible portal known as the Corporate Management System Online (CMS II). Registrants will access the CMS II website (https://www.mycmsportal.com) and follow instructions to complete registration. Documents are currently available for viewing in the CMS II under the 3GEN FLIR folder so the registrants must specifically request access to only the 3GEN FLIR folder. Access to the 3GEN FLIR folder documents will only be granted upon verification that criteria dictated by Distribution D and export control restrictions are met by registered companies or organizations. Foreign participation is excluded. SECRET Clearance, at a minimum, is required. No classified information will be provided as part of this RFI, however, in the event of any subsequent Request for Proposal or Request for Quotation, classified information may become part of that solicitation and will be required as part of any resulting contract. Sources will be required to complete an abbreviated design review prior to manufacturing to demonstrate the design meets stated performance requirements within cost, schedule, and risk.�� Sources responding to this Request for Information (RFI) are requested to provide answers to the following questions with as much detailed information as possible: 1. Brief summary of the company Company Information Company Name: Company CAGE Code: Company DUNS Number. If your Company holds a GSA Schedule contract (541 or other), please provide the Schedule number Company: Address Company Phone # Company email: Company Representative and Business Title: Company Socioeconomic Classification -- (Small Business (SB), (8)(a), Woman-Owned (WOSB), Economically-Disadvantaged Women-Owned (EDWOSB), Veteran-Owned and Operated(VOSB), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, (SDVOSB), or Historically Underutilized Small Business-Zone (HUBZone), Historically Black College and Universities/ Minority Institutions (HBCU/MI)) 2. Describe plans to have a Government qualified B-Kit by the time of LRIP award and under what contract(s) the work was performed 3.� Describe capability to build and test a production representative B-Kit in accordance with the technical documents listed above. 4. Describe an execution plan for producing first articles, conduct first article test, and enter production. At a minimum the plan should include: a. A detailed timeline from theoretical contract award to delivery of LRIP items.� Within the timeline, please include major milestones of first articles, contractor qualification testing, and transition to production.�� b. Any major capital purchases, key tests, engineering, and documentation required to produce requested items.� c. Any Government Furnished Equipment, Government assisted testing, or Government facilities required.� d. A risk assessment for each item your company believes they can produce. e. Ramp rate and maximum monthly capacity your company believes they can produce. f. Estimated lead time for new orders after qualification. g. Rough order of Magnitude (ROM) costs for Non-Recurring tasks to set up and qualify first article.�� Please separate cost estimates by major milestones, key events, and key equipment purchases.� 5. Identify sources of supply for any components or assemblies for which you are likely to subcontract production. Standard off the shelf components, such as catalog items, do not need to be addressed. a. What are the supplies being subcontracted? b. Will any SBs be the supplier, if so what percentage will be supplied by SBs? 6. Will any of your manufacturing, assembly, or engineering be accomplished outside the USA?� If so, please provide details on how you will keep this program International Trade in Arms Regulations compliant. 7. Describe your company�s approach to manage and mitigate obsolescence. At a minimum include the following: a. Obsolescence tracking and industry monitoring b. Assessment if the current design is producible without additional design work c. Potential issues ordering long lead or custom items d. Capability to redesign out obsolete components and produce and qualify a replacement item. 8.� Provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) unit cost of each item which you wish to produce at the below quantity range bins.� If separate Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costs are required, as per question 6 please provide an estimated cost for the NRE broken down into what your company believes are logical decision points from the execution plan. If NRE is to be amortized across a buy it may be included here with explanation. a. 10-25 b. 26-50 c. 51-100 d. 101-200 e. 200+ 9. Is your company planning on business arrangements with other companies? If so, please advise of the process used in selecting members. 10. Please provide details regarding proposed joint ventures, teaming arrangements, strategic alliances, and/or other business arrangements to satisfy these requirements. Offerors are encouraged to identify teams, indicating each team member's size based upon the NAICS code of the work that the team member may be doing. 11. What are the core competencies of your employees that would support these requirements? Also, please provide the total number of individuals currently employed by your company that are capable of supporting the requirements. 12. Does your company have a SECRET facility or access to one? 13. Do all of the employees that would support this requirement have a security clearance? If not, what percentage of employees that will be involved in this effort, have a security clearance? 14. Please provide your current facility size to include storage capabilities. 15. Discuss existing production capacity. If you do not currently have a production line what quantities are required to start one and keep it running. Additionally, what minimum quantities per year are necessary to maintain the industrial base? 16. Does your firm possess an approved Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) accounting system? QUESTIONS 17 - 19 ONLY APPLY TO THE SMALL BUSINESS RESPONDENTS: In addition to the above, small businesses responding should provide the following information: 17. If you identify your company as a Small Business or any of the Small Business subcategories above, then is your company interested in being a prime on this contract? If you are a small business and plan to prime f so please inform how you will meet the limitations on subcontracting Clause 52.219-14. 18. Under the current SB size standard, do you anticipate your company remaining a small business for at least the next three years, under the stated NAICS code 334511? �The Government will use this information to assist in determining if this effort is eligible as a small business set aside. 19. If you are a small business, can your company sustain if not paid for 90 calendar days? 20. The Government requests that interested parties with the capabilities to meet the above requirements should electronically submit White Papers of not more than twenty (20) pages, 8.5"" x 11"" paper, 12-point, Times New Roman font, with a minimum of one (1) inch margins all around. Responses to Small Business Questions 20 thru 24 are not counted in the above stated twenty (20) page limitation. Any information submitted by respondents to this sources sought notice is totally voluntary and at no cost to the Government. This information will help the Government form its acquisition strategy. All information received in response to this sources sought synopsis that is marked ""Proprietary"" will be handled accordingly. Responses will not be returned nor will receipt be confirmed. No solicitation exists; therefore, do not request a copy of a solicitation. 21. Please provide the following Point of Contact information on all responses: Responses are due no later than 3:00 PM EST (local time at Fort Belvoir, VA) on 06 August 2020. Email responses should not exceed 5 Megabytes (MB). Responses received after this date and time may not be reviewed. �Send responses electronically to: Michael Sampson, Contract Specialist, email: michael.sampson18.civ@mail.mil Sabin A. Joseph, Contracting Officer, email: sabin.a.joseph.civ@mail.mil Sharon Minor, PM GS, 3GEN FLIR COR, email: Sharon.R.Minor.civ@mail.mil Contracting Office Address: Army Contracting Command, APG-Fort Belvoir 10205 Burbeck Road, Bldg 362 Fort Belvoir VA 22060-5811

 

[Ramlaen]

https://insidedefense.com/insider/general-dynamics-wins-contract-abrams-sepv4-additions

 

Quote

 

General Dynamics Land Systems will add new training software and cybersecurity capabilities to the next generation of the M1 Abrams main battle tank under a contract the Army announced Feb. 19.

The Army will pay GDLS $25 million "to incorporate the Abrams Platform Embedded Training System Gate-To-Live-Fire capabilities and fault insertion language" into the Abrams M1A2 SEPv4, the announcement stated.

"This software update provides the opportunity to increase virtual opportunistic training capability for Abrams tank crews while reducing dependency on the Advanced Gunnery Training System (AGTS) as the primary provider of synthetic training in" Armored Brigade Combat Teams, Ashley John, a spokeswoman for the Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems, wrote in an email to Inside Defense.

In addition, the contract includes "additional cybersecurity capabilities and replacement of the Loader's Portable Multifunction Display with the Mounted Family of Computing Systems tablet" for the SEPv4, according to the announcement.

 

 

https://www.oasis-ae.com/embedded-training

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2509592/

[Ramlaen]

 

[Serge]

And BAE will provide an ARV from its ACV too. 
(Already in the article, my bad)

[Ramlaen]

 

[Clan_Ghost_Bear]

Came across a document on the LV100 engine which has a tidbit on the ASM program:

https://booksc.eu/book/70724131/75edc1

Apparently, Teledyne ended up winning and producing a vehicle, though the image quality isn't great.

 

Is there any more info/photographs of this thing out there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 20, 2021 by Clan_Ghost_Bear
Original link no longer worked

[skylancer-3441]

https://cloud.mail.ru/public/Fcvh/d4Q66xNLH/ATR-EDS/ 

 

Also, JIDR 1996-02 apparently has 3-page article on the subject, but RSL does not have it.

 

Upd: Andrei_bt has this article, translated into Russian
http://btvt.info/5library/electr_usa.htm

 

Earlier issues of JIDR and of other magazines from 1994-1996 should have something too. 

 

 

[TokyoMorose]

So, from the same source that gave me those nice photos of the M1A2C's turret cheek extensions and how they are built-up, I can say that the ballast plates on trophy equipped non-M1A2C tonks are 1.8t and are 152mm thick.

 

[2805662]

Looks like last of the Moroccan Abrams are done. 

 

 

[Ramlaen]

 

[Ramlaen]

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/07/23/us-army-chooses-competitors-to-design-infantry-fighting-vehicle-replacement/

 

Point Blank Enterprises,Oshkosh Defense, BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems and American Rheinmetall Vehicles

 

[Ramlaen]

 

[Jackvony]

Had the fantastic opportunity to PMCS, boresight, and road test a M1A2 SEPv3 from 4-9 CAV at Ft. Hood today.

 

 

https://i.imgur.com/X0GEL89.mp4

https://i.imgur.com/h0McxcP.mp4

 

Many images:

Spoiler

Frontal armor: 

Side skirt:

Dat booty:

Turret serial number:

Gunner and Commander seats:

Loader's new display aka Abrams IPad (its removable):

Back deck opened up:

King of the world:

Periscope: 

Django, love that movie:

Some photos on the road:

 

 

 

 

 

I can confirm the photo I posted previously that the turret weight of the SEPv3 31.5 tons (28.6 metric tons). I have a photo of the name plate but I haven't removed the serial numbers to upload it. 

 

I also made an extremely rough estimation of the turret armor LOS using my boot and then measuring my boot after (I didn't have a measuring tape on the tank nor did I want to piss off the crew). Using this very rough method I found the armor to be at least 1150mm LOS including the backplate. 

 

I may be able to get back on a SEPv3 next Monday.