Here is another installment of “AFV News from around the Net”, a collection of current articles about the latest in AFV development and deployment. Click on the article headline to read the full piece.
IHS Jane’s 360 – IDEX 2017: Iraq takes delivery of Textron Commandos
The Iraqi Federal Police is currently in the process of receiving the Textron Commando Select armoured vehicles that were ordered last year, Jonathan Dalrymple, vice president for business development at Textron’s Marine and Land Systems division, told Jane’s at the IDEX show in Abu Dhabi. “We are delivering tranches of vehicles; the first got there about two months ago and went straight to the front,” he said. The Iraqi Federal Police has become an increasingly heavily armed force that is playing a major role in the operation to retake the northern city of Mosul from the Islamic State militant group. It has been using the earlier Commando Armoured Security Vehicle (ASV) variant since 2004, when it received the first of more than 300 vehicles.
IHS Jane’s 360 – IDEX 2017: Hyundai Rotem details new CEV
Hyundai Rotem has released details of the new combat engineer vehicle (CEV) under development to meet the operational requirements of the Republic of Korea Army. The company has already developed and manufactured armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) and armoured vehicle-launched bridge (AVLB) to support the K1 and K2 main battle tanks in service with the ROK Army. The new CEV is designed for use in a wide range of battlefield missions, including clearing battlefield obstacles, preparing fire positions for MBTs and artillery, and carrying out breaching operations.
UPI – Russia ready to export new T-90 tank variant
Feb. 20 (UPI) — Russia’s Uralvagonzavod scientific-production corporation is ready to export the latest variant of the T-90 main battle tank, Russian news agency Tass reports. General of the Army Alexei Maslov, the special representative of UVZ for military-technical cooperation, was quoted by the news agency as saying the decision comes as production of the T-90MS is ready to accelerate. “We have established the low-rate initial production of these vehicles,” he said at the IDEX 2017 trade show in Abu Dhabi. “It has been almost mastered, and we are ready to conduct export deliveries.
Defense News – Turkish Otokar wins deal with UAE to build amphibious armored vehicles
ABU DHABI — Turkish company Otokar won a deal worth $661 million to build Arma 8×8 amphibious armored infantry vehicles for the United Arab Emirates land forces. Otokar signed an agreement establishing a joint venture to build the vehicles with UAE company Tawazun Holding at the Abu Dhabi International Defense Exhibition underway. The vehicle — under the joint venture — has been dubbed “Rabdan” and will be built at the Tawazun Industrial Park manufacturing facilities in Abu Dhabi. The vehicle will carry 11 passengers, designed to keep them safe from mines and missile threats, and will be able to easily traverse over rivers and ponds.
Defense News – NIMR flexes manufacturing might in UAE; unveils newer, nimbler combat vehicles
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Leadership at the Abu Dhabi International Defense Exhibition announced — among a variety of deals made by the United Arab Emirates on the first day of the show — that NIMR Automotive would manufacture several hundred 8×8 armored vehicles for the country’s armed forces. The work will be performed at the company’s new manufacturing facility in Ajban, Abu Dhabi — the region’s leading facility for wheeled military vehicles. The agreement was a part of 4.4 billion AED — roughly $1.2 billion — in total deals announced for a productive first day at IDEX on Sunday.
IHS Jane’s 360 – Czech Republic seeks new tracked IFVs
The Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to proceed with a tender worth over CZK50 billion (USD1.9 billion) to fulfil an urgent requirement for over 200 new tracked armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) for the Army of the Czech Republic (ACR). General Josef Becvar, chief of staff of the ACR, stated on 14 February that the ACR plans to hold industry days in mid-2017 and invite domestic and foreign manufacturers of tracked armoured vehicles to demonstrate their platforms in mobility and live fire modes before an ACR selection team of experts.
Scout.com – Army Tanks, Strykers & Bradleys to Get Vehicle-Mounted Active Protection Systems to Detect, Track and Destroy Enemy Fire
The Army is fast-tracking an emerging technology for Abrams tanks designed to give combat vehicles an opportunity identify, track and destroy approaching enemy rocket-propelled grenades in a matter of milliseconds, service officials said. Called Active Protection Systems, or APS, the technology uses sensors and radar, computer processing, fire control technology and interceptors to find, target and knock down or intercept incoming enemy fire such as RPGs and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, or ATGMs. Systems of this kind have been in development for many years, however the rapid technological progress of enemy tank rounds, missiles and RPGs is leading the Army to more rapidly test and develop APS for its fleet of Abrams tanks.
The T-54 was reasonably advanced for its era, arguably more so than the American Patton family up til the M60, but it could never quite be described as being on the cutting edge. It is rationally constructed and technically excellent where the traditional three criteria of mobility, firepower and protection are concerned, but it was also plagued by drawbacks that may not be immediately obvious at first glance. Some of the drawbacks have received quite a lot of attention, like the issue of internal space. Others, like the cooling system that threw dust 20 feet into the air, are less well known. The usual criticism that Soviet tanks had subpar fire control systems is partially true with the T-54, as it lacked a rangefinding device. But what is less well known is that the sight was very well made, very convenient to use and had higher magnification than the ones used in contemporary Western tanks. A thorough inspection of the tank will tell you that the T-54 was very competitive for its time, and remained capable of fulfilling front line roles well after newer and better designs took its place in the limelight.
On the TankNet forums, a user with the nickname “whelm” has posted drawings from a formerly classified document on the earliest iteration of the US M1 Abrams main battle tank (MBT). He got this document from Vollketten, a user with accounts at the Sturgeon’s House forum, the WoT forum and other places. It details the armor layout of the tank, showing were the Burlington composite armor is located and how it is specifically implemented on different areas.
Yesterday a new video was released by ISIS terrorists showing a bunch of destroyed main battle tanks (MBTs) and armored personnel carriers (APCs) near the Syrian city of Al-Bab. This video however has proven something, that I understimated a certain weapon. Not anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), not improvised explosive devices (IEDs). A much older weapon: propaganda. The same weapon that turned the Tiger heavy tank – a rather mediocre design of it’s time – to a supposed super tank, that still is being worshipped by some individuals today. However the propaganda worked, invoking a Tiger-phobia on the side of the allies.
The World of Tanks series books are now available for the first time in English! They include never-before-seen photos, diagrams, and documents from Soviet archives—which is why we distinguish each volume as “The Russian View.”
Israel’s Defense Ministry Property Director, together with the IDF’s ground forces and the Yad Lashiryon Organization, has announced a project to restore a variety of historical displays, including historical tanks which fought in all of Israel’s wars.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2017 — When Army Staff Sgt. Jesse Ray Drowley arrived alone at an American camp on the Solomon Islands with a gaping wound in his chest, a missing eye and a shredded uniform, a junior officer threatened to court-martial him for abandoning his defense post. Instead, Drowley was put on the path to history.
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