Arms and Security 2021

 Preparation for the Arms and Security-2021 exhibition

Via Зброя та безпека - Оружие и безопасность - Arms and Security FB

The Borsuk (Badger) - a new Polish Infantry Fighting Vehicle

New Borsuk Fighting Amphibious Infantry Vehicle (Nowy Pływający Bojowy Wóz Piechoty), abbreviated NBPWP

The Borsuk (Badger) is a new Polish Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV). It was designed to replace the BWP-1 IFV. Essentially these are redesignated Soviet BMP-1 IFVs. Most of them were obtained from the Soviet Union, while some were locally produced under license. The BWP-1 is obsolete. These vehicles were produced somewhere in between 1966 and 1988 but still form the backbone of the Polish Army's mechanized battalions. Polish Army is gradually modernizing its inventory. However there is still no proper modern replacement for its BWP-1. There was a proposed upgrade program in order to improves capabilities of these ageing IFVs. Also a number of modernized variations of the BWP-1 were introduced in Poland over the years, including the BWP-40, BWP-95 and BWP-1M Puma. A proposed BWP-2000 IFV was cancelled in the late 1990s. There was also a proposed BWP-1M Puma upgrade program, which was also cancelled in 2009. In 2013 it was planned that most BWP-1s will be retired between 2018 and 2021. So the Borsuk was another attempt to create a modern Polish IFV. A consortium was formed by OBRUM and Polish Defense Holding. However in 2013 development was transferred to another consortium led by Huta Stalowa Wola.

NBPWP with ZSSW-30 turret on it, developed within the framework of the BORSUK programme, passed static, dynamic and amphibious tests without any issues. The new vehicle is to be capable of passing over wide water obstacles. Borsuk has also been designed to be able to operate in varied terrain and weather conditions. Furthermore, the vehicle is to exhibit high maneuverability. It is to be easily transportable as well. Borsuk’s basic design assumption is that it shall protect its crew and carried troops from small arms fire and anti-tank grenades, mines and IEDs. It is going to be developed in several variants - from amphibious one to a heavy armoured vehicle.

This Polish IFV has a modular armor which can be tailored depending on requirements.

The Borsuk has significant protection against mine blasts and improvised explosive devices.

The offer of the Polish industry deserves to be called a very valuable and promising one. The Polish state has invested over PLN 75 million in this program, which is around USD 20 million. For this amount, only 4-5 years from the start of design work in Stalowej Woli, the main stages of development work were completed, including the implementation of the NBPWP prototype consisting of a chassis and a remotely controlled tower system (ZSSW-30).

The unmanned tower project was carried out separate. The Polish government has invested about PLN 88 million, or about USD 23 million, in R&D for the ZSSW-30 unmanned tower. Tough ZSSW-30 is a standalone drone tower program not only for Borsuk, but also for Rosomak and other possible platforms.

The Borsuk amphibious IFV is fitted with remotely operated weapon station ZSSW-30 jointly developed by the Polish companies WB Electronics and HSW. The main armament of this turret consists of one Mk44 BUSHMASTER II 30 mm automatic cannon, one coaxial 7.62mm machine model UKM-2000 and two SPIKE-LR anti-tank missiles launchers mounted on the right side of the turret.

The Borsuk is based on a new tracked armored chassis developêd by the Polish defense industry with the engine at the front, turret in the middle, and crew compartment at the rear. The hull and the turret will provide a high level of protection against ballistic threats as well as Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPG) and the blast of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) explosion.

Polish industry for the project have been built 3 vehicles so far, a pre prototype (model), 1st prototype which was used for ballistic tests, and 2nd prototype currently conduct factory trials. Through entire 2021 vehicle will go through initial factory trails. In 2022 it will go through state/military qualification trails, if successfull, 2023/2024 contract will be signed and manufacturing phase will commence.

It is also confirmed by HSW, that they are working on heavy IFV, so called "Heavy Borsuk", but at the moment no details had been provided.

Source Defenc24

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

Dragoon Ready 21

Earlier this month, 2d Cavalry Regiment Soldiers trained alongside with UK, France, Italy and Latvia, troops during Dragoon Ready 21 at Hohenfels JMRC in Germany.

HOHENFELS, Germany-- The 2nd Cavalry Regiment participated in exercise Dragoon Ready 21 from April 9-19 at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany, to enhance and train its core tasks.

During the multinational combat training center exercise, 2nd Cav. Regt. was joined by elements of the United Kingdom and French armies, while the Joint Multinational Readiness Center was joined with elements of the Italian and Latvian armies, enhancing the ability to respond more effectively to regional crises and meet security needs.

“Here at JMRC, we’re Europe’s only CTC (Combat Training Center) so what we do is replicate a near-peer threat for the training audience,” said 1st Lt. Alexander White, an executive officer assigned to the 1st Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, the permanent opposing forces at JMRC. “We don’t take it easy on them, we replicated multiple types of threats and planned accordingly to help them get quality training that they can learn from.”

2nd Cav. Regt. provides the 7th Army Training Command with a lethal and agile force capable of rapid deployment throughout the European theater in order to assure allies, deter adversaries, and when ordered, defend the NATO alliance.

“Training like this is so important because it gives the soldiers a snapshot of what may be coming in the future so they’ll always be prepared,” said Command Sgt. Maj. Willie Allen, the senior enlisted advisor at the Regimental Support Squadron, 2nd Cav. Regt. “The training here will provide the muscle memory for when they are in a combat operation.”

Much of the training conducted was to engineer the battlefield, employ force-on-force engagements, respond to chemical-attacks, casualty evacuations, and a ruck march.

“I think this training will help them think twice and think harder about how they will prepare to fight a near-peer threat,” said White.

Via DVIDS

US Army receive the first units of M-SHORAD system

The U.S. Army announced yesterday the fielding and testing of the service's new Mobile Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system, designed to defend maneuvering forces against unmanned aircraft systems, rotary-wing and fixed-wing threats.

The Department of the Army said the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, a subordinate unit under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command based in Ansbach, Germany, has received four M-SHORAD systems.

The Army will field 144 systems to four battalions beginning this year, followed by an enduring capability for additional battalions.

The M-SHORAD integrates the turret with multiple selectable effectors onto a Stryker A1 vehicle. Future variants of M-SHORAD will include technology insertions such as directed energy, which will provide a capability against unmanned aircraft systems, rotary-wing and residual fixed-wing threats, rockets, artillery and mortars.

Via army.mil

The Upgraded T-64BM2 Bulat

 The Malyshev Factory tests Upgraded T-64BM2 Bulat MBT

The Malyshev Factory tests Upgraded T-64BM2 Bulat. The upgraded Bulat receive new 1000h/p 6DT-1 diesel engine, instead of old 5TDFM with 850h/p. 

A engine compartment have expand to receive the new engine. The new engine will be unified with T-64BV Krab  MBT.

T-64BM2 Bulat MBT during fire trials

Via Defense Express

Overwhelm the Enemy by Volume and Accuracy: A New Optic to Aid Mounted Machine Gunners

FORT BENNING, GA,   –  Accuracy by volume has been a long-standing sarcastic remark towards the shooting style of machine gunners. However, that is about to change with the new Family of Weapons Sight – Crew Served (FWS-CS) machine gun optic that provides Soldiers increased accuracy and lethality by leveraging the most up to date weapon sight and wireless technology.

Project Manager Soldier Maneuver and Precision Targeting (PM SMPT) held a Soldier Touchpoint (STP) with Soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Benning the last week of February. The Soldier feedback from the STP ensures end users are involved throughout the development of the FWS-CS and it has marked advancements in capability compared to legacy equipment.

“With a program as complex as ours, we need feedback early and often in order to ensure we get our machine gunners what they need in the final product,” said Maj. John Nikiforakis, PM SMPT Assistant Product Manager. “Mounted machine gunners have the difficult task of providing guidance to the crew, ensuring protection of their vehicle, and most importantly providing lethal effects on the enemy. The FWS-CS ensures that the gunners in turrets have the best optic for all battlefield conditions and one that mounts to any crew served weapon in the Army’s inventory.”

“We’re comparing shooting data from the current M145 Machine Gun Optic (MGO) to the FWS-CS to see if we can engage targets at unknown distances faster and more accurately,” said 1st Lt. Anthony Ramirez, 2-325, 82nd Airborne Division. “The biggest benefit of the FWS-CS is that there’s a built-in laser rangefinder and ballistic calculator, so it determines the range and adjusts the reticle. All we have to do is put the reticle on the target and engage.”

The FWS-CS is the first machine gun optic to utilize the ‘disturbed reticle’ technology. Along with calculating the range to the target, the ballistic calculator can adjust for air density and works with any of the Army’s current machine gun systems.

“Typically you have to walk your fire on target, but with the FWS-CS you have impact on the first burst,” said Sgt. Jose Perez, 2-325, 82nd Airborne Division. “It’s a really cool system that can be used with multiple firearms, including the M240, MK19, and .50 Cal.”

In addition to the disturbed reticle, the FWS-CS can be used day or night and in limited visibility conditions which provide Soldiers greater lethality on the battlefield.

“It is a day and thermal sight. So it allows us to operate in a multitude of environments and be able to engage under more conditions than the M145 is capable of,” said Ramirez. “It has the capability to look through fog and other inclement weather conditions that the old M145 wouldn't be able to reach out and see.”

“It’s extremely awesome, like Call of Duty kind of equipment that usually just goes to elite units.” - PFC Brown, 2-325, 82nd Airborne Division

The FWS-CS utilizes long-wave thermal technology and a high-definition digital day display that provides users with an extremely detailed field of view and many options for customizing the reticle and display.

“The thermal and daytime displays are both extremely clear,” said Pfc. Benjamin Brown, 2-325, 82nd Airborne Division. “It’s customizable to the shooter’s preference, changes from white hot to black hot, there’s different reticle colors, and up to a 4x zoom which makes identifying and engaging targets faster and more accurate. I would love to have this in the field.”

“It allows you to discriminate targets based on what the individuals look like,” said Ramirez. “You can determine the target’s weapon system or if they're wearing body armor.“

In addition to its stand-alone performance, the FWS-CS is one of many programs within PM SMPT to utilize wireless technology. The Intra-Soldier Wireless (ISW) system allows the FWS-CS to connect to a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD).

“You have an eyepiece attached to your helmet, so you don't even have to be down behind the gun with your eye in the scope,” said Pfc. Jake Ongar, 2-325, 82nd Airborne Division. “You can look through the HMD to see what you're shooting at while staying behind cover, I think it's a pretty cool feature.”

The effort to integrate capabilities and drive weight reductions are part of Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier’s vision of treating the Soldier as an integrated combat platform.

When asked when the FWS-CS is planned to be fielded Nikiforakis said, “The first Soldiers will see the FWS-CS in FY23. We still have a few modifications to make and several more tests to meet the demands of gunners.”

“I think this weapons sight has the potential to drastically improve Soldier lethality,” said Ramierz. “Being able to engage the enemy faster and more accurately is going to allow us to overtake the enemy and accomplish our mission.”

The USAF has published Next Generation Air Dominance Concept art

A highly advanced dynamic threat demands a different way of doing business. Next Generation Air Dominance is a family of capabilities that enable Air Superiority in the most challenging operational environments by enforcing the development pillars of digital engineering, agile software development, and open architectures. By executing shorter technology development cycles, the program matures technology and reduces risk through prototyping and operational experimentation. This delivers enhancements in survivability, lethality, and persistence for a highly-contested environment. 

Designed to complement the F-35, F-22, joint, and partner forces in the Air Superiority role, Next Generation Air Dominance is an advanced aircraft program for development of penetrating counter air platforms with multi-domain situational awareness, agile resilient communications, and an integrated family of capabilities. The program uses a non-traditional acquisition approach to avoid traditional monolithic program schedules and exorbitant life-cycle sustainment costs. This strategy, called the Digital Century Series approach, creates a realistic business case for industry to adopt commercial best practices for key design activities - before a part is even manufactured.