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Europe steps up artillery capability

The widespread use of Russian artillery during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine should not have come as a surprise, as an analysis by the Ukrainian Ground Forces of operations in Donetsk and Luhansk before the full-scale invasion in early 2022 showed that 80% of their combat losses there were due to artillery fire.

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This study included not only conventional towed and self-propelled howitzer (SPH) systems but also mortars and artillery rocket systems.

Consequently, after years of neglect many members of NATO are at last enhancing their artillery capability.

This means more than just acquiring new firing platforms, but includes procurement of additional ammunition (projectiles, charges and fuzes) and enhanced observation and target acquisition capabilities, with the latter covering not only weapon-locating radars but also UAVs and other sensors.

In addition, the means of processing the information gathered and getting it to the firing battalion or battery as soon as possible has become of increasing importance.

Until recently, the German Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) PzH 2000 155mm/52cal SPH was the market leader among European designs with sales having been made to Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Qatar.

However, South Korea’s Hanwha has now penetrated European and other export markets with its K9 Thunder 155mm/52cal SP artillery system which was originally developed to meet the requirements of Republic of Korea Army.

Since, then it has been adopted by Australia, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, India, Norway, Poland and Turkey. Some of these have taken delivery of surplus K9s, with others acquiring brand-new guns and/or undertaking local production.

While many tracked SP artillery systems continue to be deployed, there is a trend in some countries to move to a wheeled solution as these offer a number of advantages, such as higher strategic mobility and lower life cycle costs

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Inevitably, there are also drawbacks. These include a smaller amount of onboard ammunition carried and the crew usually having to dismount in order to carry out the fire mission.

In this wheeled segment, the baseline Nexter CAESAR 155mm/52cal 6x6 SP artillery system carries 18 projectiles and charges compared to 60 on the PzH 2000, which can execute a fire mission with the crew under full protection.

Export customers for CAESAR include Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Indonesia, Lithuania, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Thailand.

Some CAESARs have been transferred to Ukraine by France and there is now an 8x8 model with enhanced mobility and more ammunition capacity.

Above: The only artillery system deployed by the Swedish Army is the BAE Systems 155mm/52cal Archer which is based on a Volvo 6x6 all-terrain chassis. (Photo: BAE Systems Bofors)

The competing Swedish BAE Systems Bofors Archer 155mm/52cal system is based on a 6x6 Volvo all-terrain chassis. It has 21 projectiles and charges in the magazine at the rear and in this case can carry out a fire mission with all crew in the protected cab.

The Swedish Army has taken delivery of 48 Archers but the next 24 will be based on a Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) HX 8x8 platform.

While 155mm/52cal is still the NATO standard, in the longer term new systems with a longer barrel will be fielded.

For example, the US Army still deploys the 155mm/39cal M109A7, but is due to move to a 58cal barrel with a new suite of 155mm ammunition to provide a significant increase in range.

Rheinmetall of Germany has also announced it is developing a new 155mm SP gun system based on the HX3 10x10 platform, with the initial model being 155mm/52cal, but later versions will have a 60cal barrel fed by an ammunition handling system (AHS) holding 40 155mm projectiles and associated charges.

Above: Currently under development by Rheinmetall is a new 155mm 10x10 SP artillery system based on its latest HX platform. (Photo: Rheinmetall)

The selected AHS was developed for the Elbit Systems SIGMA 155mm/52cal SP artillery system now under development for the Israel Defense Forces, based on a US Oshkosh 10x10 chassis.

Entering production now is the KMW Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 (RCH 155) which uses the same 155mm/52cal barrel as the PzH 2000. This can be fitted to a variety of chassis with Ukraine being the launch customer for 18 on a KMW Boxer 8x8 platform.

RCH 155 is one of two remaining contenders for a Swiss Army requirement to replace its M109 47cal systems (the other is Archer), as well as being a potential contender for the UK Mobile Fires Platform to replace the currently deployed AS90.

Russia still retains many 122mm and 152mm systems, although the latest 155mm Koalitsiya can fire with all the crew in the hull and has a fully automatic AHS.

Traditionally, as range increases so does dispersion so there has been a major effort to design and put in production nose-mounted precision guidance kits.— Christopher F Foss

While new gun systems continue to be deployed, there have been significant developments in ammunition, with more streamlined projectile designs using rocket assist, base bleed or combinations of the two to achieve more range, as well as precision-guided munitions.

Traditionally, as range increases so does dispersion so there has been a major effort to design and put in production nose-mounted precision guidance kits (PGKs).

The market leader so far is the Northrop Grumman M1156 PGK of which over 100,000 have been manufactured for US and export markets.

Installation of the PGK provides a step change in accuracy, as less projectiles are needed to neutralise a target, which also means a significant reduction in the amount of ammunition being brought forward.

As the Ukraine conflict has reminded us, field artillery is the only element that can provide fire support to a ground component on a 24/7 basis, so further developments in this sector can be expected in the months and years to come.

Alakran 120mm mortar targets Indian market with Mahindra vehicle integration

Spanish company New Technologies Global Systems (NTGS) has expanded its chassis applications by integrating its private venture Alakran 120mm Light Mortar System (LMS) onto an Indian Mahindra Defence Armored Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV).

Above: A Mahindra Defence ALSV fitted with the Alakran LMS, showing the 120mm mortar deployed at the rear. (Photo: NTGS)

The Alakran 120mm LMS, also marketed as the Mobile Mortar Weapon System (MMWS), can be integrated into the rear of most 4x4 light vehicles such as the widely deployed Toyota Land Cruiser, or an armoured personnel carrier (APC) with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 2t.

The ALSV is already in production for the Indian Army, which has placed a contract for 1,300 vehicles.

For this latest application the ALSV has a two-door fully protected cab with the Alakran 120mm LMS integrated onto the rear platform.

The first prototypes of the Alakran 120mm LMS were mounted on a Land Rover Defender 4x4 chassis, a model no longer in production, followed by a Land Cruiser.

The first customer was Saudi Arabia, which took delivery of 100 units mounted on Land Cruisers, followed by Ukraine which had eight mortars integrated into the rear of Bars-8 4x4 APCs under contract to the Ukroboronservice State Company.

The latter variant is also referred to as the Mobile Mortar Complex (MMC) and is fitted with a safety device to prevent double loading.

When in travelling configuration the mortar is stowed within the rear compartment, which makes the MMC difficult to distinguish from the standard Bars-8 APC.

The Bars-8 has two doors at the rear which are opened for the mortar to be rapidly deployed onto the ground, enabling a fire mission to be carried out, with a total of 60 120mm mortar bombs and their charges stowed in each side of the vehicle.

The 120mm mortar is normally stowed in the horizontal position and when required for action is traversed through the rear using an electro-mechanical system until the large square baseplate is in touch with the ground, providing a more stable firing platform.

It is laid onto its target using a computerised fire control system with flat panel display, which calculates firing angles typically supplied by the mortar fire controller.

In addition to a 120mm smoothbore weapon, other MMC armament options include a 120mm rifled mortar or 81mm (Western) or 82mm (Eastern bloc) mortars. The latter could be rapidly fitted and used for training as its ammunition is cheaper and has a shorter range.

Maximum range depends on the mortar fitted, but for 81mm this would be 6,500m or 8,000m for 120mm, carrying out a fire mission of eight rounds in under two minutes.

When installed on a Land Cruiser or similar, 40 rounds of 120mm or 72 rounds of 81mm ammunition can be carried.

The system has a barrel water cooling option for sustained fire missions, which is deployed on Saudi mortar vehicles.

The mortar is marketed in the US by Global Military Products as the Scorpion. For trials the 81mm version has been integrated with a Polaris X24 platform.

US Army set to boost tank recovery capability with M88A3 ARV

Under a US Army contract placed in September 2019, valued at $318 million, BAE Systems Platforms & Services is building nine pre-production M88A3 Armored Recovery Vehicles (ARVs) at its Sterling Heights, Michigan, facility.

Above: The latest-standard M88A3 ARV for US Army with A-frame in position at the front of the hull and showing the appliqué armour. (Photo: BAE Systems)

The first of these is due to be completed in Q1 of 2023 and the last in Q3, with the green light for production expected towards the end of the year.

The first example of the M88A3 was completed by BAE Systems using internal company R&D funding and shown late in 2018, being subsequently demonstrated to the US Army.

At present, two of the currently deployed M88A2 ARVs are required to recover the latest General Dynamics Land Systems M1A2 Abrams main battle tank (MBT) which weighs some 70 US tons.

In addition, the M88A2 cannot remove the complete turret of the M1A2, which is a US Army requirement.

The latest M88A3 can handle vehicles weighing up to 80t, meaning that one ARV can recover an M1A2 Abrams alone.

On the M88A3, appliqué passive armour is attached to the front and sides of the hull for added protection and increases its weight to 75t.

In addition, there is an extra road wheel either side to give a total of 14. The original torsion bar arrangement has been replaced by in-arm hydro-pneumatic suspension units, which give improved cross-country mobility and can be locked out for recovery operations.

Standard equipment for the M88A3 includes an A-frame pivoted at the front of the hull for lifting operations, a front-mounted dozer/stabiliser blade and two winches (main and secondary).

In addition, there is an auxiliary power unit which allows all subsystems to be operated with the main engine switched off, plus an NBC/environmental control unit.

The M88A2’s Continental AVDS-1790-8CR diesel engine developing 1,050hp has been replaced by a Caterpillar C32 V-12 diesel developing 1,350hp, coupled to a modified version of the Allison X-1100-5B automatic transmission which is installed in the M1A1/A2 MBT.

As the production line for the M88A2 was closed some time ago, all recent sales of the ARV have involved older vehicles refurbished and upgraded, with the baseline hull work for the conversion carried out by Anniston Army Depot.

All production and upgrade work on the M88A2, earlier M88A1 and original petrol-engined M88 is carried out at the BAE Systems Ground Vehicles facility at York, Pennsylvania, which completed the first production M88 as far back as 1961.

This facility will also be responsible for upgrading the current US Army fleet to M88A3 standard in the future, with the involvement of BAE at Sterling Heights and Anniston Army Depot.

CV90 – the IFV for Europe?

The benefits of commonality are well documented within defence circles – enhanced interoperability and training, shared logistics for supply and maintenance, reduced production overheads, and greater field-testing opportunities. Analysis by Sam Hart

Above: The CV90 has already been selected by nine European armies. (Photo: BAE Systems Hägglunds)

Indeed, as the Swedish BAE Systems Hägglunds Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) becomes increasingly widely adopted, it is no surprise that interest in the platform across Europe is increasing exponentially.

Does this mean the CV90 is the optimal choice for much of Europe and beyond, or are countries swept up in a self-fulfilling cycle of adopting it out of increased commonality and convenience, regardless of their individual needs?

Initially developed in the late 1980s and entering full-rate production in 1993, the CV90 has entered service with nine European countries across five iterations of the platform, culminating in today’s Mk IV.

Designed and developed for operations in snow and wetlands, the CV90 has seen universal adoption by Scandinavia armies. However, it is the actual and signalled adoption during 2023 of the CV90 by countries outside its traditional sub-Arctic climes that proves far more interesting.

With Slovakia and the Czech Republic recently confirming orders for over 360 CV90 Mk IVs valued at $1.4 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively, just days before Christmas, the reach of the design has, for the first time, spread into Central and Eastern Europe.

In the wake of the Ukraine conflict and an apparent return to the doctrinal relevance of mechanised armour, IFVs are set to become the hot topic of 2023, with programmes in the US, Italy and Australia totalling $70.4 billion expected to be awarded. For much of Europe and NATO, whose focus appears increasingly to be on the colder latitudes of the Baltics and, in no-doubt wargamed scenarios, beyond, the CV90 appears as the near de-facto choice for countries considering a new ‘off-the-shelf’ IFV.

Slovakia’s ranking of the CV90 as both its first and second choice (with 35mm and 30mm cannon respectively), ahead of the Rheinmetall KF41 Lynx during its IFV programme’s bidding phase will have only strengthened the public image of the platform. Arguably the CV90’s main European competitor, the KF41 has struggled to achieve widespread adoption, with only Hungary procuring the vehicle since its entry into the market in 2018.

Overshadowed by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, defence procurement in the land domain is seeing increased pace with an emphasis on reduced trial and development time as countries attempt to bring platforms to initial operational capacity as quickly as possible.

In the wake of two other high-profile European IFV programmes facing embattled futures (Germany’s Puma and the UK’s Ajax), the track record of CV90 will no doubt serve as an attractive option for countries eyeing a faster and more certain procurement timeline such as in Italy’s $6.9 billion AIFV program set to be awarded this year.

Recent integration trials with the Elbit Systems Iron Fist Light Decoupled active protection system and MBDA’s Akeron MP antitank missile will have only enhanced the CV90’s appeal; as a greater number of countries adopt the platform, more modifications to armament, mobility and survivability levels will be made as operators test and adjust.

For countries currently on the outside, reduced costs for trials and development provide an increased incentive to ‘buy in’ to the platform and reap the rewards of a continuously developed design that will inevitably pose lower risks than a less tested alternative.

CV90 is not, however, the hegemon of Europe just yet. Poland’s decision to not even formally evaluate the CV90 for its $1.3 billion IFV programme and instead opt to continue its relationship with Hanwha Defence by only considering the K21 or AS21 Redback may have seemed surprising if the close bond forged between the South Korean manufacturer and Warsaw over the last 12 months was not acknowledged.

However, it is Australia’s $19.5 billion Project Land 400 Phase 3 and the USA’s behemoth $45 billion Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) that look most likely to shake up the IFV market for Western countries and potentially pull the focus away from CV90.

With the Hanwha Defence AS21 and Rheinmetall KF41 in the final round of downselection for each programme, success in either contest this year would perhaps be the impetus needed to reinforce the platforms as European contenders before the CV90’s potential dominance sets in.

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