AM General will exhibit the HUMVEE NXT 360 at DSEI 2021

AM General will display the revolutionary HUMVEE NXT 360 light tactical vehicle at the Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEi) tradeshow held at the ExCeL London exhibition centre Sept. 14 – 17, 2021, booth H8-358 in the U.S. Pavilion. Through continuous improvement, the company has achieved leap-ahead technology in a redesigned vehicle that offers MRAP-level protection in a truly agile light tactical vehicle.

AM General Humvee NXT 360 fitted with Javelin missile at IDEX 2021

The NXT 360 leverages the existing HUMVEE platform and includes additional enhancements like a long travel suspension, a more powerful engine, and higher foot pounds of torque that make this vehicle rugged and nimble at the same time. Similar to the iconic HUMVEE vehicles, the NXT 360 will have the same versatility to accommodate multiple mission requirements: from 2-, 4- and 6-passenger seating with room for personnel and mission equipment. Additionally, the HUMVEE NXT 360 on display at DSEI will feature the Kongsberg Remote Weapons Station (RWS) and Raytheon BBN’s Boomerang Gunshot Detection System as an example of the vehicle’s ability to integrate various types of weapon and protection systems. The concept integration provides an increased level of protection by offering Boomerang’s best-in-class shooter detection capability and the NXT 360’s superior handling to avoid harm and respond to hostile fire.

Poland unveiled for the first time the Leopard-2PLM1 (a upgraded version of Leopard-2PL)

The MBT Leopard 2PL is mainly tasked to assault and maintain terrain, supporting mechanized and motorized subdivisions is realized with its on-board weapon systems in all weather conditions both during the day and night.

Leopard 2PL version is modernization of Leopard 2A4 tanks already serviced in Polish Army.

Compared to the Leopard 2A4, upgrade includes following issues implementation of the commander's and gunner's sight (3d generation camera), additional ballistic modules on the turret, replacement of the hydraulic stabilization system to new digital system,  installation of modernized Fire Extinguishing and new Fire Suppression Systems, implementation of a new commanders control and monitoring system, modifying the diagnostic system, implementation of Auxiliary Power Unit - APU (17 KW), new turret stowage compartment for crew equipment and customized towing-evacuation equipment to the increased weight of the tank, modernization of main gun with adaptation to the new types of ammunition, implementation of the day-night drivers rear camera.

Additionally, the Leopard 2PL MI version includes: implementation PIX function, introduction function selection the last or first echo the laser range, introduction automatic system extinguishing fire fighting in compartment APU, Introduction system cold start to the engine without restart electronics devices, micro charging battery in battle tank during storage, electronics compartment active cooling, preparation electrical installation for identification Friend or Foe.

Courtesy of Damian Ratka

The COMMEX 2.x exercise under Project Convergence 21

US Army took another key step on the road to Project Convergence (PC) 21 as it assessed network interoperability for emerging technologies from across the Joint Force.

The service completed its third network risk reduction effort for PC 21. Executed by the Joint Modernization Command (JMC), the Network Cross-Functional Team and the Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), these communications exercises (COMMEXs) are enabling the Army to address potential network integration challenges during the PC21 planning process and understand the data environment in a controlled, instrumented laboratory environment.

The Army executed the initial COMMEXs in the DEVCOM Joint Systems Integration Laboratory (JSIL) at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG), Maryland. The JSIL digitally connects Army and Joint Service labs in a seamless, single, virtual, operationally realistic tactical network environment that reflects the conditions of joint, all-domain operations and Joint All Domain Command and Control.

The environment creates a network of sensors, shooters and command nodes that shares data and enables decision-making across the military services.  This enables the Joint community to assess joint system interoperability and the network conditions needed to support sensor-to-shooter vision. This, in turn, creates efficiency by enabling the services to address network challenges that would otherwise take up precious testing time during PC21.

"In ten days, we achieved the same results that we would have if we had spent six weeks in the desert,” said Kim Moeltner, chief for the C5ISR Center’s Systems Engineering and Integration Branch.

While COMMEXs 1 and 2 were strictly lab-based, 2.x was a hybrid lab and field-based event that introduced additional stress on the network to serve as the final risk reduction event before taking technologies “to the dirt” at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in Arizona.

During 2.x, JSIL engineers connected 63 systems, five of which were Joint, via 13 remote locations across Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps labs who were validating the information flow for various operational scenarios that will unfold at PC21.

The vehicles (Griffin ATLAS and M1A1 FEP) at COMMEX 2. exercise under Project Convergence 21. The vehicles have fitted with new gyro-stabilized Thermal Sighting Unit (TSU). 

This included, for the first time, connecting dismounted systems in the labs to command and control, fires and tactical communications systems integrated on aerial and ground-based tactical platforms in field environments such as test ranges at APG and other bases across the continental United States. The efforts helped test and refine the PC21 Common Operating Picture and exercise platform functions at realistic ranges.

“PC 21 is a critical example of how the Network Cross Functional Team (N-CFT) and the Army are using DevOps and Solider-centered experimentation to rapidly integrate and improve tactical network capabilities. N-CFT is using PC21 experimentation to better understand the technical network characteristics required to support all phases of MDO to include sensors, shooters maneuver, and C2,” said CW4 Quinten Scherer, Technical Advisor and Line of Effort Lead for Network Modernization of the N-CFT.

Project Convergence is the Army’s campaign of learning, experimentation, and technical demonstration aimed at integrating the Army’s weapons systems and command and control systems with those of the Joint Force. PC21, which will include multiple elements from the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, will focus on informing, developing, and integrating an interoperable Joint Force that is capable of multi-domain operations at echelon.

The Army will now head to YPG for COMMEX 3, where it will establish the tactical air-to-ground mesh network and other appropriate operational networks. During COMMEX 4, the Army will pass data through those networks as a “warm start” to Project Convergence 21, noted Col. Tobin Magsig, commander of the U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command.

The Army will execute PC21 in November at YPG, with additional activity at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

“This has been instrumental because it allowed us to overlay laboratory experiments at the same time we were doing field experiments. We've done the laboratory piece, we’ve done the field piece, and this was new for us to be able to layer all three at the same time at speed, at scale and at range,” said Col. Tobin Magsig, commander of the U.S. Army Joint Modernization Command.

The stealth T-80UD MBT and BTR-80 APC

Very interesting know-how from the Russian Defence Industry, a T-80UD and BTR-80 covered by foamed material. The new cover is composite material and is consist from the Styrofoam and Polyurethane.

This stealth material work like common camouflage, reduce the IR signature, also work like the RAM (Radar-Absorbing Material).

An upgraded T-62M with telescopic mast

 A upgraded T-62M with multispectral gyro-stabilized electro-optical system on the telescopic mast. Vehicle is also equipped with 1PN-96MT-02 thermal sight for gunner instead of old TPN-1-41-11, and the K-1 ERA and cage armor on the side skirts.

A T-90M MBT with telescopic mast

 The displayed at Army-2021 forum T-90M tank have telescopic mast for some kind of optical reconnaissance system.

Some details about Add on Armor of the Turkish upgraded Leopard-2A4 MBT

 

In frame of the Leopard-2A4 modernization project Turkish Roketsan have equipped the tank with ERA on the skirt side, and modular add-on Armor on the turret and driver's front.

ERA modules of the skirt side

Composite modular add on armor of the turret and driver's front.

New guided missile for combat helicopters presented at Army-2021 Forum

The newest Mi-28NM and Ka-52M combat helicopters will be equipped with the Product 305 missile.

The newest guided air-to-surface missile dubbed Izdeliye 305E (Product 305 E) for upgraded Russian combat helicopters, has been unveiled at the International Military-Technical Forum Army-2021, a TASS correspondent reports.

The missile, developed by the Kolomna Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering (KBM, part of the High Precision Weapons company of the Rostec State Corporation), is showcased at the High Precision Weapons stand.

The guaranteed range of the Product 305E is up to 14,500 meters, the missile is capable of speeds up to 230 m/s. The ammunition is equipped with a high-explosive fragmentation warhead weighing 25 kg and an optical thermal imaging homing head. The missile weighs 105 kg.

The newest Mi-28NM and Ka-52M combat helicopters will be equipped with the Product 305 missile.

120mm mobile mortar system on chassis of upgraded BTR-80 APC

 

At the IDEF-2021 exhibition the Turkish company Anzatsan unveiled upgraded BTR-80 APC as carrier of MKEK 120mm mortar system.

The new russian combat reconnaissance amphibious vehicle (BRM) will be presented for the first time at the Army-2021 forum.

A promising combat reconnaissance amphibious vehicle (BRM) will be presented for the first time at the Army-2021 forum. In the future, it can become a platform for a whole family of military equipment.

The newest Russian combat reconnaissance amphibious vehicle, which has not even received its own name, is intended for conducting close and deep tactical reconnaissance, carrying combat, marching and patrolling of troops, as well as for combating enemy reconnaissance and reconnaissance and sabotage groups.

In the design of the BRM chassis (wheel arrangement 4x4), units and assemblies of the Atlet family cars are used. The layout is made with the location of the power compartment in the middle of the armored body of the vehicle.

On the sides and in the stern, one single-wing door is made for embarking and disembarking a combat crew. BRM is equipped with optical-electronic reconnaissance complexes with thermal imagers, radar reconnaissance means and small drones, radio direction-finding and acoustic reconnaissance means. Together, all this equipment is connected by an onboard information and control system (CIUS).

The armament on the BRM is the Arbalet-DM remote-controlled combat module (armament - 12.7-mm 6P49 Kord machine gun or 7.62-mm PKTM machine gun).

A number of experts suggest that the newest BRM may eventually replace the armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicle BRDM-2, which was mass-produced from 1963 to 1982 by the Gorky Automobile Plant and from 1982 to 1989 by the Arzamas Machine-Building Plant.

BRM is an initiative development of the manufacturer and so far, even, strictly speaking, is not a military product. The car does not yet have an advertising passport and an export passport. Therefore, BRM with difficulties broke through to the "Army-2021".