M4 Sherman with composite plastic armor

 HCR2 for M4 Sherman tanks, one of the first composite armors.

The devastating effect of the lightweight German hollow charge weapons such as the Panzerfausts and Panzerschrecks (encountered by US forces in the European theater) re-sulted in all sorts of field improvisations to strengthen the Shcrman's armor. At the same time. Ordnance initiated several programs to develop protection a-gainst these weapons.Much of the test work extended into the postwar period.

One such project evaluated the use of plastic armor added to the sides of the hull and turret. One of the experiments showed that plastic armor was able to achieve the same level of protection as steel but with a much lighter weight.

The armor was further improved through a series of tests and resulted in two variants, the HCR1 and HCR2.

HCR1 was composed of:

• 50% aluminium fillings

• 40% asphalt or pitch

• 10% wood flour

HCR2 was composed of:

• 80% gravel

• 5% wood flour

• 15% asphalt or pitch

HCR2 proved to have the best performance and the original plan for tank protection with plastic armour was to produce HCR2-filled steel panels that could be readily fitted to Allied tanks. However, this project was abandoned due to the low probability of these weapons becoming a serious threat.

The HCR2, was a mixture of quartz gravel and a mastic composed of asphalt and wood flour. A kit of auxiliary plastic armor was designed by the Flintkote Company for the M4 series of tanks. The armor panels consisted of 10 inches of HCR2 faced with 1 inch  aluminum plate. These panels were held in place over the sponsons and around the turret by 1/2 inch steel cables attached to brackets welded to the tank. The plastic armor kit increased the weight of the vehicle by about 8 tons. Tests at Aberdeen in the Fall of 1945 showed that the turret assembly could defeat the German Panzerfaust 100 or the 8.8cm rocket, but both weapons caused some penetrations on the sponsons. The plastic armor also increased the protection against the kinetic energy projectiles such as the 76mm H VAP, but not as much as an equivalent weight of steel. It was also noted that the attachment cables were vulnerable to attack by high explosive rounds sometimes resulting in the complete loss of an armor panel.

First serial Su-57 on the way to the service place

The first serial Su-57 (the russian 5th generation fighter jet) left the KnAAZ and headed to the base

Composite AFVs

Old, but very interesting article about about composite IFVs (Source - MilTech magazine of August 2000, via skylancer-3441).

The use of composite materials in the construction of armoured fight-ing vehicles (AFVs) offers a number of potential advantages including weight reduction by the integration of the spanll liner into the composite structure, integral "stealth" protection, and decreased acoustic signature. Furthermore, the weight savings should raise the survivabil-ity of the vehicle either by allowing an increase in the ballistic protec-tion and/or improving the mobility. In order to explore these potential advantages, DERA have formed a partnership with British industry to produce Europe's first composite hull for a fullsized demonstrator AFV called the Advanced Com-posite Armoured Vehicle Platform (ACAVP) for testing and evalvation.

In operational and tech-nological terms, the main rationale for the use of composite materials in AFVs is , arguably provided by the current "dead end avenue" situation in the design of Mechanised Infantry Combat Vehicles (MICVs). Earlier and simpler Armoured Per-sonnel Carriers (APCs) such as the US M113 family and the British FV432 provided a minimum of armoured pro-tection to their occupants, barely sufficient to prevent injury from small arms AP ammunition and artillery splinters. The requirement for much enhanced protec-tion levels against heavy MGs and automatic can-nons, while at the same time delivering support fire, engaging enemy AFVs and offering some form of self-defence against MBTs has led to the current generation of vehicles such as the MARDER, the BRADLEY or the WARRIOR. However, the introduction of a two-man turret with automatic cannon (and often AT missile launcher) whilst maintaining the capability to carry an infantry section has necessarily result-ed in larger vehicle hulls to be covered by much heavier armour and, thus, a very significant in-crease in total vehicle weight - with an obvious negative impact on both tactical and strategic mobility. 

70 kilometer precision-guided artillery shot at U.S. Army YPG (video)

The first successful test of a 70 km (43 miles) shot with a precision-guided munition took place on December 19, 2020 at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground.

Courtesy Video U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground

The live fire demonstration used the Excalibur projectile and was the culmination of a campaign of learning on multiple systems.

In this test, the Army took three shots. The first shot came up short due to very high head winds at a high altitude and the second shot had a hardware failure, but the third shot proved that the service is getting closer to dialing in on the right balance between propellant, projectile design and other factors that play into achieving greater distances, Rafferty said.

“This demonstration is not a destination,” Col. Tony Gibbs, the Army’s program manager for combat artillery system, told reporters. “This is really just a waypoint in our ongoing campaign of learning as we work to really realign U.S. supremacy in cannon artillery. It’s definitely a big knowledge point for us today.”

Each munition fired during Saturday’s event had slight design differences to address how best to design and prepare the round to absorb the high-pressure and force of being fired at 1,000 meters per second from a gun tube of ERCA’s caliber, Rafferty said.

“What was consistent was the propellant configuration,” he added. “So we got that propellant configuration, I think dialed in really close down, which is great.”

The first shot, due to the winds, fell short by roughly 100 meters, which, Rafferty said, sounds like a lot, but is closer when considering when the munition has to travel 70,000 meters. The Army knew the first shot would come up short due to wind, but wanted to take it anyway in order to learn from it.

The second shot, the Army had modified the hardware configuration and experience a hardware failure, Gibbs confirmed. Specifically, the Army added an isolator for the inertial measurement unit, which is essentially a shock absorber to counter the pressure spike in the chamber.

US Army used as target the Transporting-loading vehicle 2T7M of Kub-M1 SAM system

Véhicule Pommellet - One of the first robotic vehicle

The Pommellet torpedo car, developed by France before the Second World War. He's here on his transport trailer. This remotely controlled machine had the task of clearing a terrain covered with obstacles by the adversary. To do this, the Pommellet embeds a 300kg bomb. This is the camicaze vehicle. In order to guide it at night, it was surmounted by three lights. "As long as we can see the three fires, the torpedo goes straight!". The German invasion in France suspends development. It only resumed for a short time after the war.

Photo credit "Musée des Blindés"

China army uses mock-up of M1 Abrams tank for combat training

A mock-up of a US-made M1 Abrams main battle tank, based on wheeled platform, was spotted in  China.

The photograph was shared online by 彩云香江 Chinese bloger

The specific role of the realistic mock-up has not yet been clarified, but propabely it will be used in OPFOR missions. Similar mock-ups of military vehicles and defense systems used in many parts of the world for training purposes.

Previously in China has spotted a mock-up of a Russian-made T-90 main battle tank. So, PLA preparing for all possible scenario on the battlefield.

Kongsberg wins contract for 1030 multiple remote weapon stations with British MIV program

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (KONGSBERG) has signed a contract valued 1 030 MNOK (118M $) with Thales UK Ltd. for delivery of the PROTECTOR RS4 Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) to the British Army Mechanized Infantry Vehicle (MIV) program.

More than 20.000 of the PROTECTOR RS family of RWS’s has been delivered to 23 countries since the beginning of this century. KONGSBERG has provided UK with PROTECTOR RWS’s since 2008, and MIV is the seventh delivery contract including two upgrades for the British Armed Forces. Here, we are talking about about 500 The PROTECTOR RS4 RWS, which will will be integrated on the British Army`s new fleet of BOXER 8x8 vehicles in close cooperation with Thales UK, Rheinmetall and KMW.

“We are very pleased that the British Army continues to rely on KONGSBERG as the supplier of Remote Weapon Stations. This confirms the strong position of KONGSBERG’s PROTECTOR RS4 RWS, and continues the close relationship between KONGSBERG, the British Armed Forces and Thales UK,” says Pål E. Bratlie, Executive Vice President Land Systems at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS.

Here, we are talking about about 500 weapon stations, which will be integrated into the British Army’s Boxer 8×8 new armored vehicle fleet.

KONGSBERG has, for more than two decades, been the world-leading global supplier of Remote Weapon Systems. The PROTECTOR family of products has millions of hours of operational use and is continuously evolved to meet increasingly demanding requirements, utilizing advancements in technology in order to meet new threats. The product range covers a wide variety from the small and light systems to medium caliber Remote Turrets (RT series). Among a wide range of capabilities, the PROTECTOR family also enables dual-user operations, counter UAS (Unmanned Aerial System), multi-sensor fusion, manned-unmanned teaming solutions, a qualified Safe operation via radio for use on UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles) as well as other new functions required by the expanding user community.

The family tree of the newly named protector family.

Year of Firsts – BAE Systems combat vehicles and weapon systems

2020 year summarizing video from BAE Systems

 

M109A7, M2A4, AAV, AMPV, Virginia class submarine, ACV

Yemen houthi shot down Saudi Arabian CH-4B UAV (video)

 Yemen houthi shot down Saudi Arabian CH-4B UAV

A CH-4B is an unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) developed by the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, an entity under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). The CH-4B is a mixed attack and reconnaissance system with provisions for 6 weapons and a payload of up to 250 to 345 kg. CH-4B is under license prodused in Saudi Arabia.

U.S. Army’s ERCA Cannon Shoots M982 Excalibur Rounds to 70 km in Latest Demo

The U.S. Army’s Extended-Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) system has test-fired three M982A1 Excalibur rounds and reaching 70 km downrange.

The Joint Program Executive Office Armaments & Ammunition Project Manager Combat Ammunition Systems (PM CAS) conducted the first successful test of a 70 km (43 miles) shot with a precision-guided munition, Dec. 19, at Yuma Proving Ground.

The ERCA program is investigating and developing technology to extend the range of the Army’s current 155mm self-propelled howitzer (SPH), the M109.

The prototype ERCA howitzer (XM1299) consists of a BAE Systems’ M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) howitzer chassis equipped with an Army-developed 58-caliber, 30-foot gun barrel in place of M109A7’s original 39-caliber barrel.

In July 2019, BAE Systems was awarded a $45 million contract by the Army for the ERCA Increment 1 prototype, which saw the company integrating the Army-developed ERCA onto the M109A7 chassis. The U.S. Army is reportedly on contract with BAE Systems for 18 ERCA howitzers with the fielding expected to begin in FY2023.

The live fire demonstration used the Excalibur projectile and was the culmination of a campaign of learning on multiple systems.

“Not only did the test show the design robustness of a current fielded projectile to demonstrate lethality at extended ranges, it did so while maintaining accuracy, marking a major milestone in support of (Long Range Precision Fires) objectives of achieving overmatch artillery capability in 2023,” said Col. Anthony Gibbs, Project Manager for Combat Ammunition Systems.

Providing longer range than that of potential adversaries, is a significant combat multiple for maneuver commanders and the Long Range Precision Fires Cross Functional Team (LRPF-CFT) was established to tackle that objective. Their mission includes increasing lethality, improving rates of fire, and enabling deep fires to shape the battlefield and set conditions for the brigade combat team close fight. Multiple efforts including new propellant charges, an Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) system, multiple projectiles with varying capabilities, and target identification and tracking systems, are under development to increase range and reduce the time from target identification to effects on target.

The Excalibur 70 km demonstration is signaled as the first step to regaining U.S. supremacy in cannon artillery by 2023. For more than 15 years, the M982A1 Excalibur projectile has been the premier precision artillery munition in the U.S. arsenal. The projectiles reliability, robust structural design and the ability to course correct while maintaining both precision and accuracy were leveraged to achieve 70 km range during the test.

Throughout initial development and multiple years of operational use, Excalibur subsystems were proven to be effective with the current 39 caliber gun systems in the M109A6/A7 Self-Propelled Howitzer and M777A2 Towed Howitzer fleets. However, the increased pressure to achieve the muzzle velocity required for 70 km range from the longer 58 caliber ERCA cannon created harsher environments, so the major focus became maintaining flight stability and safety.

“Testing in late 2019 revealed that the warhead used in Excalibur had sufficient margin to survive this higher gun launch environment,” said Gibbs. “The team learned that the effects of the new system and its associated harsher environments on the projectile had reduced or eliminated some of the design margin that existed with the legacy systems.”

The design team of U.S. Government and contractor engineers analyzed the individual subsystems’ operating margins, their structural integrity and their safety margins in order to assure that the ammunition would be safe and effective in the new ERCA System.  Together with support from the Munitions and Weapons Division at the Army Test and Evaluation Command Yuma Test Center, PM CAS, and these technical experts from Raytheon, their subcontractors and the Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center completed the necessary research and testing to reduce the risk and make the Excalibur 70 km demonstration possible.

“Today’s demonstration marks a significant step forward in filling a capability gap in our Army of accurately reaching out to 70 km with cannon artillery. It’s the product of tremendous teamwork and initiative by multiple organizations and our industry partners to bring new technology to our artillery forces and regain overmatch with our adversaries,” said Brig. Gen. John Rafferty, LRPF-CFT director.

By leveraging the robust design of the current Excalibur, a GPS coordinate-seeking projectile with a circular error probable of less than two meters, it also represents a low-investment, high-payoff approach to meeting objectives in support of the Army’s top modernization priority. Development efforts will add a seeker able to identify and engage moved or moving targets and differentiate between military and civilian vehicles. Future upgrades may also enable the projectile to identify friend or foe and to communicate between projectiles in flight to reduce multiple projectiles engaging the same target during volley fire. The LRPF-CFT modernization of U.S. Artillery Forces is poised to deliver overmatch and the evolution of Excalibur continues to incorporate cutting edge technologies that provide increased capabilities in support of the Field Artillery mission.

Two new Ukrainian anti-materiel precision rifles

Ukrainian JSC Plant "Mayak" univeled two new anti-materiel precision rifles. The first one is "The lord of the horizon" bolt action rifle and chambered for the 12.7×108mm. The second one is "Infantery Cannon" single-shot long-range large-caliber rifle 14.5×114 mm caliber. The rifle is equiped with sound moderator and have efective range 3km.

12,7mm The lord of the horizon"

14,5mm "Infantery Cannon"