Ivy Division Crazy Horse crews test Army’s newest 120mm Abrams Main Battle Tank round

Yuma Test Center, Arizona. — Deep in the desert here, two Ivy Division tank crews of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team recently tested the Army’s newest 120mm tactical service round.

Under 112 degree-plus heat, they simulated combat missions with full ready rack combat loads of the XM-1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) round for their M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tanks against a host of actual and simulated threat targets.

Tank Crew 1 commanded by 2nd Lt. Jake Hall, with Gunner Sgt. Spencer Vanderbilt, Loader Pvt. Dalton Diserio, and Driver Pvt. Justin Jones, not only knows what it feels like to roll out in a fully combat loaded tank on an operationally-realistic simulated mission, but they have witnessed the firepower the AMP round brings to the fight.

“This round is not something to be taken lightly,” said Vanderbuilt, of Charlie Company “Crazy Horse,” 1st Battalion “Fighting Eagles” of the 8th Infantry Regiment.

“Being able to see and then destroy anti-tank guided missile targets beyond 2,000 meters and then transition immediately to breaching walls or obstacles is an incredibly powerful feeling!”

“We now know what it feels like to roll out in a fully combat loaded tank on operationally realistic combat missions and recognize how important the AMP round will be to U.S. Army ABCT fighting forces in the fights yet to be fought,” added Hall.

Tank Crew 2, commanded by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Smearman, with Gunner Sgt. Juan Segura, Loader Spc. Blake Phillips, and Driver Pvt. Adam Allwine, also unleashed AMP fury on the same host of targets in the Yuma desert.

Phillips, said he was amazed by the AMP round’s performance and awesome power.

“The Abrams Tank’s lethality has been re-vAMP’ed!” he said.

Capabilities of the AMP round included the new airburst mode and breaching double reinforced concrete walls.

After shooting over 90 AMP rounds at anti-tank guided missile teams, massed infantry, infantry fighting vehicles and bunker targets, the Crazy Horse armored crews unanimously agreed training conducted during the test was the best in their careers.

The tankers pushed each other hard, testing the AMP round in what evolved into a competitive shooting competition in the Yuma desert, both day and night.

Test Team Master Gunner Vehicle Crew Evaluator Master Sgt. Joel Ramirez, of the Fort Hood, Texas-based U.S. Army Operational Test Command said the purpose of the operational testing is to collect performance data and Soldier feedback to inform the Army’s procurement decision regarding the AMP round.

“We do this by having the tank crews employ the tactical service round in a manner and in an environment that closely mimics combat conditions,” said Ramirez.

He went on to explain how the 3rd ABCT tank crews shot over 8 complex modified tank gunnery combat scenarios during the four-day record test.

“Despite extreme desert heat, dust storms and rain squalls, the Crazy Horse crews really impressed me with their level of motivation and drive to test the AMP round,” said Mr. Kent Evans, the Maneuver Requirements Division Soldier and Capability representative from Fort Benning, Georgia.

The XM-1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) round was designed to enhance a tank crew’s ability to perform missions with greater lethality and survivability, according to Mr. Jeff McNaboe, lead project engineer, Program Manager for Maneuver Ammunition Systems.

Developed by engineers from Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, the Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) round is a replacement for 4 legacy service rounds.

Via www.army.mil

Pratt Miller and QinetiQ's RCV-L EMAV

 The soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Div. test Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle (EMAV) (Pratt Miller and QinetiQ's RCV-L) as a practice exercise in preparation for Project Convergence 21 at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz.

US Army's future ground combat systems at Project Convergence 21

The US Army"s Griffin ATLAS with integrates new gyro-stabilized Thermal Sighting Unit (TSU) conduct live fire exercise during Project Convergence 21.

Two ERCA XM1299 SPHs and its resupply vehicles conduct live fire

A Stryker/LAV-700 fitted with ALAS-MC turret conduct live fire exercise

US Army tests XM1113ER projectile for its Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA)

General Dynamics’ Innovative Rocket-Assisted Projectile Exceeds 70-Kilometer Milestone Range in Demonstration.

Designed for the U.S. Army’s future Extended Range Cannon Artillery system, XM1210 (XM1113ER). It was showcased at the General Dynamics-OTS exhibit for the Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA) annual conference Oct. 11-13 in Washington D.C.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (OTS) successfully tested four XM1210 (XM1113ER) High Explosive Rocket-Assisted Projectiles that demonstrated a range capability in excess of 70 kilometers for the Army’s future Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) system.

The key milestone was achieved Oct. 2 at the Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona. The XM1210 (XM1113ER) projectile is a critical component of the Army’s Long-Range Precision Fires modernization program that aims to create windows of opportunity for the joint force to penetrate an enemy’s anti-access, area denial (A2AD) network.

The ERCA system during the M982A1 Excalibur round test-fire. Details on the link - U.S. Army’s ERCA Cannon Shoots M982 Excalibur Rounds to 70 km in Latest Demo

“Having the ability to reliably deliver mass fires at extended ranges with precision will revolutionize the modern battlefield, so we’re thrilled the XM1210 (XM1113ER) is meeting the Army’s requirements,” said Jason Gaines, vice president and general manager, General Dynamics-OTS Munition Systems. “It’s an honor for our team to work side-by-side with our U.S. government customers and industry partners to further our mission of delivering lethal and precise capability at 70 kilometers by 2023.”

The XM1210 (XM1113ER) uses cutting-edge technology to extend the range of a 155mm artillery round. The innovative munition combines guidance capability with warhead lethality to form a more affordable solution for the Army’s ERCA system. Providing a range of more than 40 kilometers from a 39-caliber cannon and more than 70 kilometers from a 58-caliber cannon, the projectile improves protection for the artillery warfighter by increasing stand-off distance from enemy fire.

The documents about the front hull special armor the basic M1A2 tank used

Damian Ratka have found very interesting data about the basic M1A2 hull frontal armor package.

The two interesting sources at DTIC archives, that might answer us what type of front hull special armor the basic M1A2 tank used. These sources are Ballisticians in War and Peace vol.3 and The U.S. Army Laboratories at Watertown, Massachusetts.

First document from Ballisticians in War and Peace vol.3 says to us that BRL (Ballistic Research Laboratory) developed special armor for M1A2 hull front providing 35% more KE and 25% more CE protection vs original M1A1 front hull armor.

The secend document is the U.S. Army Laboratories at Watertown, Massachusetts document, provides us information that Watertown with BRL developed in 1988-1991 timeframe a tandem ceramic armor that provided 33% increase in protection vs KE threats. Coincidence? I don't think so.

So we might safely assume, that while basic M1A2 used Heavy Armor Package with DU alloy in turret, hull used Tandem Ceramic Armor Package. 

Sources:

Ballisticians in War and Peace

THE U.S. ARMY LABORATORIES AT WATERTOWN, ASSACHUSETTS - CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A HISTORY

P. S. Some data about Abrams armor:

ტანკების ჯავშანდაცვა - NATO vs СССР

დასავლეთის ტანკების ჯავშანდაცვა (Abrams M1, Leopard-2, Challenger 1/2 და Leclerc)

ოფიციალური დოკუმენტი M1 Abrams-ის კომპოზიტური ჯავშნის შესახებ

ტიტანის ჯავშანი - ანუ როგორ შევამციროთ Abrams-ის წონა

NSM on Unmanned JLTV participated in large scale exercise

A Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System launcher, a command and control vehicle and a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle are transported by a U.S. Navy Landing Craft Air Cushion from Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Hawaii, out to U.S.S. San Diego, Aug. 16, 2021. The movement demonstrated the mobility of a Marine Corps fires expeditionary advanced base, a core concept in the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 efforts. U.S. Navy and Marine Corps units came together from across 17 time zones as they participated in Large Scale Exercise 2021. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Luke Cohen, released).

A Naval Strike Missile streaks out to sea before striking a naval target ship, Aug. 15, 2021, aboard Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Hawaii. The missile flew more than 100 nautical miles before finding its mark. The live-fire sinking exercise demonstrated a Marine fires expeditionary advanced base’s ability to sense, target and strike a target at sea, providing sea control or contributing to sea denial in fleet operations. The Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030 centers on Marines providing long-range precision strike capabilities as a stand-in force during littoral operations in a contested environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dillon Buck, released)

Artillery Marines from 1st Battalion, 12th Marines provide security as a Marine KC-130J loadmaster deploys a Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System launcher aboard Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands, Hawaii, Aug. 15, 2021. After striking a naval target ship with two Naval Strike Missiles flying 100 nautical miles, 1/12 rehearsed tactical displacement and relocation. A key component of the Marine Corps’ Force Design 2030, expeditionary advanced base operations include low-signature, dispersed teams of Marines holding a potential adversary’s ships at risk from long-range precision strike weapons, providing sea control and contributing to sea denial in support of the Fleet. The training, part of Large Scale Exercise 2021, allowed Marines to refine support to distributed maritime operations by providing expeditionary advanced base operations and littoral operations in a contested environment. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Luke Cohen, released)

Via DVIDSHUB

2nd Infantry Division’s Soldiers test potential Army command post prototypes at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Washington — A potential Army Command Post prototype underwent operational testing during the annual Bayonet Focus Exercise here recently.

Soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team tried out the Command Post Integrated Infrastructure (CPI2) System gear while preparing for their upcoming National Training Center rotation.

2nd SBCT used the CPI2 vehicles as their sole Mission Command centers for the exercise duration, according to Ms. Marjorie Gill, Test Officer, with the Fort Hood, Texas-based Mission Command Test Directorate, U.S. Army Operational Test Command.

They also did a series of jump scenarios to demonstrate the CPI2 ability to be torn down, moved, and set up again quickly.

“Soldiers provided individual observations and opinions on how the system might be improved,” said Gill. “Any issues they had with the system and comments on how their organization might use the system as part of their CP were also invited.”

The CPI2 integrates capabilities on Mission Command Platforms (MCP) and Command Post Support Vehicles (CPSV), aligning with the Army’s Command Post (CP) efforts to enhance Brigade and higher echelons with Mission Command (MC) resources on any battlefield, she explained.

Currently, Army CPs at the higher commands are quite large and require a long period to set up and tear down, Shelby said.

“This all lends itself to limited survivability, maneuverability, and suitability with such a large footprint,” she said.

The CPI2 system’s goal is to use a combination of various vehicle platforms and shelter systems, which allow different levels of command posts the functionality needed while increasing survivability by being able to tear down and move locations fast, according to CPI2 Program Manager David Delgado.

“CPI2 integrates emerging technologies and capabilities with mobile mission command platforms and command post support vehicles for improved agility and survivability on the battlefield,” he said.

While the CPI2 program is in its infancy, the Product Office CPI2 is designing the CPI2 system in two increments.

The current test was part of Increment 0. Delgado said, “This increment involves multiple phases of prototyping, integration, and follow-on formal design decisions resulting in the fielding of a standardized CPI2 command post to 5 different Brigade Combat Team (BCT) configurations as part of Capability Set (CS) 23.”

Army Capability Sets are the Army’s plan to ensure the force keeps pace with advancements in network technology and the ability to deliver a modernized tactical network to Soldiers to achieve all-domain dominance over time, he explained.

“Army Evaluation Command (AEC) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland will use these data points to determine effectiveness, suitability, and survivability of CPI2,” said Capt. Douglas Jordan, AEC Effectiveness Evaluator.

Delgado said with the current assessment complete the Army will conduct further tests to balance technical maturity, integration of design, operational relevance, and affordability for a final design decision during early 2022.

“Production on the selected system will begin in FY22 for fielding in FY23,” he said.

The next phases of testing, according to DelGado, will involve units different from 2nd SBCT, so the Army gains a better perspective of how the current system design will support command post operations of the various units in today’s Army.

Via www.army.mil 

Here is the Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. OMFV concept

 United States Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal has awarded Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. Contract for Concept Design for the U.S. Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Program.

MIAMI LAKES, Fla., July 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal has awarded Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. (PBE) business unit, The Protective Group (TPG) a $60.6M Firm Fixed Price Contract for Phase 2, Concept Design for the U.S. Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Program. The OMFV is planned to be an important weapon system platform in the Army’s Armored Brigade Combat Teams (ABCTs) and is part of the larger Next Generation Combat Vehicle Family of Combat Vehicles. The OMFV concept is envisioned to encompass future capabilities and basic operational requirements including: scalable survivability and protection, remotely controllable, preplanned growth to easily integrate future capabilities, embedded platform training, and decisive battlefield lethality. The Army plans for the first OMFV delivery in the fourth quarter of FY2028 for final testing with a final Full Rate Production (FRP) decision in the third quarter of FY2029.

Mark Edwards, Executive Vice President for Point Blank Enterprises said, “We are honored to be selected to participate in this essential Army combat vehicle program. We have assembled a diverse industry team that, like Point Blank, is fully committed to providing the most advanced and reliable products to our men and women in uniform. This award reaffirms our ability to assemble and manage diverse technical teams performing complex and innovative collaborative design engineering programs. Our OMFV design concept will not be constrained or limited by previous design engineering approaches or technologies that produced the last generation of combat vehicles. Innovative engineering solutions and continuously integrating improvements into our product designs are in our DNA, both of which are key to this phase of the OMFV program.”

For nearly 50 years, Point Blank Enterprises, Inc. has been a leading provider of threat protection products engineered to maximize user survivability.

Latest iteration of M1 Abrams main battle tank wraps up testing at Cold Regions Test Center

By Mark Schauer

What has outstanding offensive and defensive capability and represents the aweing tip of the spear in a major land war?

It’s the M1A2 System Enhancement Package (SEP) version 3 (v3) main battle tank, which wrapped up extensive coldweather testing at U.S. Army Cold Regions Test Center (CRTC) this winter to ensure it functions as it should wherever in the world it could be called on to serve.

Since testing at the Department of Defense’s lone extreme cold natural environment testing facility began in January 2020, the SEPv3 was driven more than 2,000 miles in rugged conditions across three seasons of sub-Arctic weather, fired hundreds of rounds for accuracy in extreme cold, and underwent testing of its auxiliary power unit, as well as numerous other sub-systems.

The list of improvements to test in the SEPv3 is lengthy: improved fire control electronics mean the SEPv3’s gun can shoot faster and more accurately; the armor has been improved; it can even utilize hubcaps and road arms manufactured with a 3D printer. Onboard diagnostics are much more robust, and technical manuals can be accessed from removable screens.

Though the platform was extensively tested at Yuma Test Center prior to being put through its paces in Alaska, the sub-zero temperatures brought forth glitches that would have been unimaginable in the desert.

“While we were doing the main weapon firing, we ran into a system issue where we weren’t able to fire,” said Elissa Palm, test officer. “After some pretty extensive troubleshooting, we were able to work with the product manager to identify a fix. We were able to prevent non-mission capable tanks from being fielded and implemented the fix across the fleet, then validated here with additional testing.”

Conducting evaluations in the extreme cold of an interior Alaskan winter usually brings unexpected challenges even for the rugged professionals of CRTC, and this test was no different. One night, overflow ice from the nearby Delta River flooded the gun position, then quickly refroze rock-solid.

“We had one of the portable latrines with ice that was hip-high: you weren’t going to move it until it got melted,” said Greg Netardus, Chief of CRTC’s Test Operation’s Division. “All of the equipment was frozen in: wheeled vehicles carrying the ammunition would not have been able to maneuver down there. It was not safe to put people down here.”

CRTC’s vast expanse includes other ranges that could be utilized, but not ones that had important infrastructure that the testers needed.

Since testing began in January 2020, the SEPv3 was driven more than 2,000 miles in three seasons of sub-Arctic weather, fired hundreds of rounds, and underwent testing of its auxiliary power unit, as well as numerous other sub-systems. (Photos by Sebastian Saarloos)

“We don’t have multiple ready to fire ranges with targets at known distances for the tank, so our Allied Trades shop did a really nice job in a very short time building a new mobile target based on a Conex and getting it set up for us,” said Palm.

The target that CRTC’s Allied Trades shop had to recreate on the fly consisted of tall poles upon which a target is pulled into place with a hand crank. The fixed target is emplaced in the ground, which required approvals for work and brush clearance prior to construction.

“We used a 40-foot ISO container as a base, so there was no dirt work or anchoring required,” said Sam Porter, CRTC’s Allied Trades Lead. “An ISO container meant we could build it offsite in the shop, where we had cranes and a man lift. We took the design of the target that was in place and modified it.”

The mobile target was re-used in the summer, and provides a flexible new capability for future tests.

“With this, they should be able to set it up and utilize wherever they are able to fire that gun,” said Porter.

To take advantage of the coldest temperatures possible, weapons firings were oftentimes conducted in the small hours of the morning. Possibly the most difficult testing challenge, however, occurred earlier in the calendar year: when the COVID crisis hit in March 2020, eight members of the testing team who had come to CRTC from Yuma were especially impacted by sudden restrictions in travel and new temporary duty (TDY) authorizations.

“A lot of times on these long-term tests, we like to trade people in and out so they can get back to their families,” said Palm. “This time it was really hard for us to get TDY approvals, so the crew was great in that most of them volunteered to stay until the end of the effort.”

The M1 and its variants have been tested at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground and its constituent test centers for more than 40 years, and likely will continue to be for as long as the system remains in the ground combat arsenal. This testing has played a vital role in keeping the M1 the most capable tank in the world.

Via "The Outpost" newspaper

ERCA autoloader’s speed tested at YPG

The Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) weapon system has demonstrated it can get the job done. In previous tests and demonstrations, the ERCA has fired twice as far as any currently fielded Army cannon and has proven to fire pre-loaded rounds from a limited capacity autoloader magazine 2-3 times as fast as a gun crew. The autoloader’s speed was demonstrated once again during a test March 30 at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG).

The Extended Range Cannon Artillery autoloader speed was demonstrated during a test March 30 at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground. (Photo by Ana Henderson)

The autoloader, designed by the Army Futures Command’s (AFC) Armament Center at Picatinny Arsenal, performs cannon loading tasks mechanically – setting the fuze, loading the projectile, propellant and stub charge, closing the breech – in sequence with barrel pointing to enable cannon firing at unprecedented rates.

Army Future’s Command Brig. Gen. John Rafferty Director of the Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) Cross Functional Team (CFT) traveled to YPG to see the demonstration first hand and to meet the team who is behind all the work.

He told the team, “The Army is watching what you are doing and they are impressed.”

That team consists of the Yuma Test Center (YTC) workforce at YPG, Armament Center employees from Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. and Watervliet Arsenal, N.Y, and Project Manager Combat Ammunitions Systems employees, also from Picatinny Arsenal.

The demonstration involved the Armament Center’s 31-round fullcapacity autoloader using different types of charges, and the goal was to obtain data on how to increase the rate-of-fire in ERCA, and to verify the technical maturity of the major autoloader system subcomponents: projectile magazine, propellant magazine and transfer mechanism.

Rafferty explained, “We know that eventually we are going to have to improve the rate-of-fire of the system to deliver lethality against our adversaries in the volume that we need but also increase the survivability of our Soldiers and system. Allowing them to shoot quickly and move — because as soon as we put an ERCA battalion on the battlefield they will become the enemy’s number one priority target because the capability that it delivers is so significant.”

Chris Smith, Cannon Integrated Product Team Lead from the Armaments Center, whose team is in charge of cannon performance, added “With artillery when you are manually loading it, they can do it quickly in the beginning but then they get tired it slows down. This automated process will help keep that rate going by taking the user out of it and also keeps them safe.”

The demonstration involved the 31-round full-capacity autoloader using different types of charges, and the goal was to obtain data on how to increase the rate-of-fire. (Photos by Ana Henderson)

After viewing the inner workings of the weapon system, Rafferty along with YPG and YTC leadership and the ERCA teams viewed the live firing of three inert rounds from inside of blast protected workspaces at the gun position.

There was little time between each round and the work was, “Seamless” said Smith, “Today was very successful. Today’s demonstration was a culmination of a lot of hard work by the Armament Center and the industry partners to assemble and demonstrate an autoloader for ERCA against the requirements that were given a few years ago,” explained Senior Executive Service Anthony Sebasto, Armaments Center Executive Director for Enterprise and Systems Integration Center.

Rafferty told the crews on site, “With what we saw today, I don’t know how you could not be incredibility impressed.”

Now the data collected from this demonstration will be reviewed, analyzed and applied to the system.

“Today we demonstrated the firing rate. It gave the Army one more data point in terms of building confidence in ERCA ammunition handling capabilities and possibilities for the future,” said Sebasto.

Rafferty explained, “We are going to get range and lethality first and then when we are ready we’ll increase the rate-of-fire.”

Soon what was learned during this demonstration will be put into action once again with higher stakes.

“We are on the right path. The combination of the propellant magazine, the projectile magazine, and the transfer mechanism is really magical to see in action. It’s an early effort that is going to mature into a 23-round system that is going to be demonstrated late this year,” said Rafferty.

Gen. John Rafferty is pictured talking with Jered Ford during a recent visit. Ford has worked at Yuma Proving Ground for 14 years and is currently the Artillery Branch Chief. (Photo by Ana Henderson). On the background is the ХМ1299 ERCA with the new autoloader.

Via "The Outpost" newspaper

Justice Eagle exercise in progress

On the Smardan Roma area in Romania, actions for the main part of the exercise have been established - tactical actions combined with the company's fire management, in cooperation with the subdivisions of US, Romania and the Polish Armies.

Credit st. pvt. Micha ał Wilk