Armada dec 2013 jan 2014 compendium turrets

Mostly remote-controlled

byCompendium

light, medium, heavyTURRETS

03Compendium Turrets 2013

In addition to the above, the threat to linesof communications in an asymmetricwarfare scenario led to a new possiblemarket for such systems, namely their

installation on logistic vehicles. Moreover,vintage armoured personnel carriers –wheeled or tracked – originally equippedwith pintle mounts, found in the RCWS asolution to maintain their militaryeffectiveness, providing their protection wassufficient. So much for the mobile role.

The need for protection in the numerousforward operating bases (FOBs) and combatoutposts (COPs) that have characterised theAfghan mission has, however, led to the use ofRCWS also for base defence. Herestabilisation becomes redundant, and somecompanies are thus looking at ways ofoffering cheaper solutions in a world ofshrinking budgets. As noted initially,remotely controlled weapon stations do notprovide just firepower, but thanks to theiroptronic sighting systems they play a usefulrole in situational awareness, surveillanceand, when linked to a recording device,

intelligence gathering. Thermal imagerscertainly have a cost (especially the uncooledthermal variety), but their prices are now onthe decline.

Another issue linked to cost is thecapability of decoupling the weapon from thesights: today it is more tactful to observewithout training the weapon over civilians,so being able to keep the machine gun at itsmaximum elevation while panning theoptronic package definitely can be adiplomatic advantage. Another issue that hasnourished debates is under armourammunition reloading, as this entails a

OtoMelara HitroleLight turret on a Lincein Afghanistan. TheItalian Army ordered

81(RC-West)

Firepower For All NeedsThe need for increased protection and surveillance capabilities played amajor role in thedevelopment of the light remotely controlledweapon station (RCWS) for light vehiclesintended for patrol, reconnaissance and combatmissions. They are thus designed toreplace the pintle-mountedweaponwhich tended to over-expose the gunner to theenemy fire. They also offer an alternative to one-man turrets thatwere too heavy formost of the lighter vehicles.

Paolo Valpolini

heavier structure and associated higher cost,but ensures maximum safety in combat.

Medium calibre systems, armed withautomatic cannon of between 20 and 50 mm,are installed in manned or unmanned turrets,or in overhead weapon stations. Turrets havethe advantage of protecting the weapon andammunition from both weather and enemyfire. Manned turrets require a ballisticprotection similar to that of the carriervehicle, which makes them relatively heavy.

Maintaining the commander and gunnerin the direction of the gun or decouplingthem to accommodate them in the vehicleremains matter for conjecture when calibresincrease, with resistance toughening wheneven higher calibres are involved. The mainadvantages of a remotely controlled turretare the lack of a basket, which increases theavailable volume in the vehicle combatcompartment, and the reduced need ofupper ballistic protection (Level 2 beingmore than acceptable) and therefore reducedweight. A disputed issue that emerged fromlessons learned downrange is that of theavailability of a hatch allowing thecommander to acquire a direct view of thesurroundings; while with light RCWS this isobtained installing the system in a position

that allows to maintain one of the vehiclehatches free, medium calibre turretsdimensions do not allow such a solution.Thus a hatch on top of the turret itself isrequired, as with manned turrets. Thiscommands an opening in the vehicle roof toaccess the turret, a solution often adopted toensure maintenance and under-armourammunition reloading, as well as an emptypassage in the turret to allow the commanderto reach the hatch. However, the lack of abasket may lead to limitations to turretmovement, the system being normallyfrozen for safety reasons when personnel ismoving up or down. Sighting systemsimprove with weapons ranges and therebyprovide better surveillance capabilities; inaddition those turrets are very oftenequipped with panoramic sights for thecommander, a privilege hitherto reserved tomain battle tanks.

Lessons learned have clearly proved theimportance of surveillance and targetacquisition. Many armies are thereforeinstalling such systems more for thosemissions than for hunter-killer capabilities.Another often considered solution is that ofthe “turret-on-turret”, where a light RCWSis installed over a medium or heavy calibre

turret to provide not only surveillance (albeitwith reduced performance compared to thelonger range sensors typical of panoramicsights), but also close range protection.

Materials technology as well as improvedrecoil systems have allowed to produce newturrets equipped with full pressure 105 and120 mm tank guns in for chassis of 25 tonnesupwards. While wheeled chassis that can beequipped with such turrets are available inrelatively limited numbers, many trackedchassis can withstand the weight and recoil ofmain battle tank guns, thus becoming in factlight tanks in their own right. As depicted inthe Armada’s recent Compendium on IFVsand APCs, trends in terms of platformweight are quite contrasting: some who werehitherto “fans of heavies”, such as Israel, arenow looking at medium weight solutionswhile those who advocated mobility andoperational deployability, the United States,seem to be going in the opposite direction –towards heavy solutions. What neverthelessremains true is that MBTs are not necessarilythe most viable solution for armies that donot look at a full spectrum warfare scenario,and the plethora of turrets of variousweights, calibres and architecture can answermany of today requirements.

04 Compendium Turrets 2013

I KONGSBERG PROTECHThe Norwegian company, part of theKongsberg Group, remains by large the mainprovider of RCWS, with nearly 17,000 suchsystems delivered in 17 countries. ItsProtector has been developed in variousversions, becoming a sort of benchmark inthe light RCWS field, the system beingconstantly upgraded to answer new marketrequirements. Leveraging experiencegarnered with the M151 that featuredintegrated smoke grenade launchers, theNorwegian company developed the M153,though it sheds the grenade launchers infavour of some side ballistic protection andadopts a new ammunition loading system.The type won the US Army Crows II contractin 2007 followed by a number of follow-onorders, the last one occurring in September2013. According to lessons learned from thefield, the adoption of the Crows II allowed to

In its Bright Arrow Israel Military Industriescombined its active protection systemwith anautomatic weapon, providing an effectivedefence asset for light armoured vehicles.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

Light for LightsWhilemost RCWS can host 5.56, 7.62 and 12.7mmmachineguns and 40mmautomatic grenade launchers, some canaccept the smaller calibre automatic cannon normally usedinmedium-calibre turrets andweapon stations, becomingthe trait d’union between the two categories.

reduce 12.7 mm ammunition consumptionby 70% thanks to the dramatic increase infirst-round accuracy. Another major contractwas obtained from an undisclosed customerin November 2012, while in April 2013 afurther contract for an undisclosed number ofProtectors in the Nordic configuration wassigned as part of the framework agreementfinalised with Norway and Sweden two yearsearlier. The Nordic is currently the mostsophisticated version of the Protector; besidethe 4th generation fire control system itfeatures a new sensor suite developed in-house that includes three separate cameraswith different FoVs, from 1.6° to 95°, thelatter being provided by the Kongsberg DayCamera VIS 95 that considerably increasessituational awareness, an 850 nm infraredaiming laser providing pinpoint accuracy. Inaddition, the Nordic also allows decouplingthe weapon elevation from that of the sensorsuite to ensure surveillance in a non-threatening posture in missions other thanwar. A version with three cameras is alsobeing developed, which will allow combining“picture in picture” on the screen with three

images having different fields of view. In May2013 Croatia signed a further contract forProtectors for installation on the AMV 8x8sbeing produced locally under license fromPatria.

While vehicle installations remain itsmain application, the Protector is also seenas a suitable static defence system. At AUSA2012 the company unveiled theContainerised Weapon Station (CWS) basedon an ISO-rated Tricon Type 1 container.Equipped with a rigid-chainelectromechanical lift it can raise a Crows IIRCWS at a lofty 4.6 metres in less than 30seconds. The weapon station also integrates aJavelin missile on its right (a small electronicbox houses the interface). When the latter is tobe used the turret is switched to missile modeso that the operator can see the imageprovided by the Javelin seeker. The CWS ispowered by a multifuel generator and abattery pack, and a Standoff Extension Kitallows it to be linked to a command centre upto one kilometre away. Some 20 CWS arecurrently deployed to Afghanistan with theUS Army and special operations units as partof forward observation bases protectionsuites. A multiple control station has beenpurposely developed for such use.

Another recent addition to theProtector/Crows flexibility is the M134Weapon Adapter Kit (WAK) which enables

Special Operations Forces to install the M1347.62 six-barrel Gatling machine gun on thecompany RCWS. The kit includes theweapon cradle, weapon interfaces, remoteactivator, gun control unit, 24V battery withcharging module and a 3,000-roundammunition magazine feed system. Thesystem is now being delivered.

Another kit is the Sea Protector, whichallows the M153 Protector to be optimisedfor maritime operations. The kit includessealed subsystems and components,improved corrosion resistance, a modifiedsensor package and an improved trackingsystem. Kongsberg is delivering the SeaProtector to the US Navy, where it is known asthe Mk50, for installation on small patrolboats and special operations craft.

In order to allow lighter vehicles to beequipped with an RCWS, Kongsbergdeveloped the Protector Lite that features thesame user interface of the original M151 andM153 and a commonality of over 80%.Weighing 100 kg less than the NordicProtector, the Protector Lite can be armedwith an M240 or a MAG 58/C6 7.62 mmmachine gun or an M249 5.56 mm MG. Itssensor suite includes a dual FoV thermalimager with electronic zoom, a colourdaylight camera with a 45° FoV and a x30optical zoom, and an eye-safe laserrangefinder. An even lighter solution comes inthe form of the Protector SuperLite, whichweighs 30 kg. It is currently being consideredby various nations in a tripod-mountedconfiguration, especially for Special Forces.An optical fibre link allows the operator tostay some kilometres away from the systemand to use the Super Lite via the new PlayStation/Hand-held controller developed byKongsberg, which delivered the first of 510units on order in October 2013.


The Protector Nordic currently has themostadvanced configuration in the KongsbergProtector family and features a completeoptronic suite with “superelevation” andballistic protection. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The Superlite is the junior element of theKongsberg portfolio and can accept up to 7.62mmmachine guns, here an FNMAG.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

I PRECISION REMOTESThis American company founded in 1997near San Francisco has developed a series ofvery light remotely operated weapon station(ROWS) that can be easily used both formounted or dismounted missions.

The TRAP T360 platform weighs only 34kg, but can support an M249 SAW 5.56 mmmachine gun or an M240 or MG3 7.62 mmMG. The system cannot take a 12.7 mmmachine gun, but is however designed toaccept a Barrett M82A1M or M107 sniperrifle. The sensor suite includes a daytimecamera with a 1.6° to 42° field of view zoom, athermal imager and a laser rangefinder,though being sensor agnostic it allows thecustomer to choose his own sensor package.Optionally a less-than-lethal green laser canalso be installed. Fully stabilised on three axis,the TRAP T360 can be trained over 360°,while its elevation sweep can go from +60°to –20°, with manual backup on both axis.The fire control system provides an adjustedaiming point that takes the type ofammunition, the range and the parallax errorwith the camera into account. The system canin addition store up to three targets. Externalsensors such as shotgun detectors can beeasily integrated to provide cueing for theT360. As mentioned initially the T360 caneasily be reconfigured without tools in a fewminutes from vehicle-mounted to tripoddismounted configuration, in which case itcan be powered by battery, generator or solarpanel, or any 10 or 220 VAC network.

The latter capacity comes to hand whenthe TRAP T360 is used to defend fixedpositions. To this end Precision Remotes hasdeveloped the TRAP 360FS (for FacilitySecurity) that features an environmentalhousing where the system is locked in a safeposition, and is deployed in less than 5seconds when the need arises. They arelinked to a command post that features aseries of operators’ consoles and a supervisorconsole. Operators’ consoles include anaiming monitor that displays the imagecollected by the camera, a touch-screenmonitor providing the map of the facilityhighlighting the weapon locations and theirstatus, and a control panel. Operators canswitch from one station to another touchingthe screen, select the sensors, open or shutdown one or all ROWS at a time, pre-selecttargets and no-fire zones, select the firingmode, and fire the weapons once thesupervisor has given its consent through hisown console, which includes a touch screenand a panel. Safety considerations were

among top priorities during systemdevelopment, Precision Remotes systemsbeing used in the America for criticalinfrastructures safety such as nuclear plants.

Weapons currently supported by theTRAP 360FS are the same as the standard360’s, plus the SR 25 and LR 3087.62 mmsniper rifles. The company also developedthe TRAP T360I for static defence purposes,this model being designed to hang from aceiling; it can be fitted only with the M240machine gun with 180 ready rounds. Thestabilization components are not included inthe T360FS and T360I as they are an

unnecessary expense for fixed applications.However both versions can both be outfittedwith stabilization, should the need arise.Precision Remotes has received inquiriesover suitability for on mounting the T360I ona dirigible or even a helicopter, applicationsfor which stabilisation is a must.

The latest addition to Precision Remotes’portfolio is the NetROWS, a small size blackbox that allows to network up to 16 ROWSand to control them from a netbook. Thiswas developed following the many requeststo connect T360s to an existing indigenouscommand centre; as the latter never went

06

Precision Remotes developed a remote-control station that can easily be installed on vehiclesbut can also be used as an infantry asset for close protection; here the system is powered by ahybrid solution that includes solar panels. (Precision Remotes)

Precision Remotes TRAP T360 can host automatic weapons up to 7.62mm, here anMG3, andsingle shot 12.7mm semiautomatic rifles. (Precision Remotes)

Compendium Turrets 2013


through safety testing for controlling aweapon station, the project often wasstopped and the weapon station remainedseparately controlled from the commandcentre, thus the ultimate in speed ofresponse was not achieved. The NetROWSwas thus designed to enable safe and secureconnection to an indigenous commandcentre, its dimensions allowing a quick set-up of a temporary defence system in a FOBor COP, providing the same advantages ofthose systems used for critical facilitiesprotection; once the threat is detected it issent to the command centre and its locationis transmitted directly to the weapon station,weapon station; this is slewed directly to thetarget location, the operator then verifyingthe threat and taking action.

I ELECTROOPTIC SYSTEMSEOS in short, this Australian company with astrong arm in the United States has in itscatalogue two light RCWS, known as EOS R-200 and R-400. In America the company hasan agreement with Northrop Grumman,which holds an 8.8% stake in Electro OpticSystems, to jointly pursue the market forremote weapon systems in country, while in2012 an agreement was signed with SouthKorean Hyundai-Wia of Changwon,including production. The lighter R-200 hasremained for the time being at prototypestage, with four supplied to the US Army fortesting in Iraq. It can be armed with 5.56 and7.62 mm machine guns but tips the scales at80 kg when fitted with an M240 with 200rounds. Fully stabilised, it is equipped with afull optronic system that includes a daycamera with a x30 zoom, a cooled thermalimager and a 7.5km laser rangefinder,

Besides its the self-defence capacity the R-200also provides the vehicle with a much betterreconnaissance and targeting capacity.

The R-400 is the company’s bestseller,with over 500 systems sold. It won the firstCrows contract and is also in service in theAustralian and Netherlands armies. The R-400 can host machine guns from 5.56 to 12.7mm calibre and 40 mm automatic grenadelaunchers and reaches 250 kg with a 12.7 mmMG and 500 rounds. The optronic packageis that described for the R-200. Key parts canbe protected thanks to a Level 2 kit. While thestructure of the R-200 and R-600 dual

structures are built in aluminium, that of theR-400 retains a steel structure. It was selectedfor use on the Airbus Military C-295 gunshipcurrently in development for Jordan, armedwith ATK's M230LF 30 mm cannon.

I FN HERSTALThe Belgian weapons manufacturer portfoliocomprises the deFNder Light and thedeFNder Medium, launched respectively in2011 and 2012. The Light can carry the MAGand Minimi in 7.62 mm calibre and theMinimi in 5.56 mm, the above deck weightvarying from 75 to 85 kg fully loaded in basicconfiguration. The weapon is located on theleft of the mount, which is encased in analuminum structure, with the ammunitionbox on the left of the weapon. The standardbox has 250 or 200 rounds, though a higherbox can hold up to 600 7.62 mm rounds or1,050 5.56 mm rounds.

The optronic sensor pod is located on theright and includes a colour CCD camera withzoom. A pod integrating also a thermaluncooled camera with dual field of viewbeing is offered as optional as well as that witha laser rangefinder, a ballistic computer beingin that case added to the system. The below

The R-200 developed by Electro Optic Systemsof Australia is a light RCWS that has beenadopted in small numbers by US forces.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

The R-400 from EOS is a light system, but nevertheless able to accommodatemedium calibrelow recoil cannon. (Armada/P. Valpolini)


deck element includes the operator consolewith a 1024x768 pixels LCD colour screenand the control handle; target tracking andautoscan are also available. The base deFNderLight is not stabilised, two-axis stabilisationbeing offered as option as well as a Level 1modular protection. Most of these areinstalled on vehicles; however theconsiderable elevation arc, -60°/+80°, allowsthem to be employed for other purposes suchas base protection.

The second system is the deFNderMedium that can integrate the sameweapons as the Light as well as all FNmachine guns up to 12.7 mm (the M2HB-QCB and the FN M3R, the latter capable of1,100 rpm rate of fire), as well as 40mmautomatic grenades launchers. Dependingon the configuration its weight varies from150 to 190 kg. The architecture is similar, theoptronic suite being proposed in twoversions, with CCD and uncooled thermalimager or with CCD and cooled thermalimager. Options are similar to those of theLight, the ballistic protection beingproposed also in Level 2 while a smokegrenade launcher module is also available.The maximum capacity of the ammo box is500 rounds of 12.7 mm or 1,000 rounds of7.62 mm. As in the case of the Light thedepression angle is much greater that that ofmost its competitors, at -42°, thus giving ita considerable flexibility of use, maximumelevation being +73°. A new version, the SeadeFNder Medium, is currently in thequalification phase following a recentcontract with a Nato Navy.

As usual FN is not much talkative aboutits clients, the company confirming that thedeFNder Light and the deFNder Medium are

booking commercial success with hundredsRWS under contract with undisclosed Natoand non-Nato end users.

I KRAUSS-MAFFEI WEGMANNIn the mid-2000 KMW started developing

the Fernbedienbare Leichte Waffenstation100 (FLW100 for remotely controlled lightweapon station 100) designed to GermanArmy requirements, soon followed by asecond version, the FLW200, the maindifference being that the former one can hostautomatic weapons up to 7.62 mm calibrewhile the latter can be armed with a 12.7 mm

machine gun and even with a 40 mmautomatic grenade launcher.

When the weapon is replaced the systemrecognises automatically the new one andsets the firing computer ballistic tablesaccordingly. The number of rounds carriedcan vary according to the mission, twoammo boxes being available for the 7.62 mmcalibre respectively with 120 and 250rounds, a solution with enhanced capacityup to 480 rounds being currentlyimplemented for the MG3, the 12.7 mmweapon being provided either with 100 or200 ammo box, while the 40 mm AGL has a32 rounds capacity. Both stations aremounted without roof penetration, overroof weight being respectively 80 and 160 kgwithout weapons and ammunition.Elevation arc of –5°/+75° copes well withurban and mountain terrains.

A deFNder Light installed on an Iguana. This RCWS developed by Belgian FNHerstal can host upto 7.62mmmachine guns, in this case an FNMAG. (FN Herstal)

The FLW100 is the lighter member of theKrauss-Maffei Wegmann family, and armedwith 7.62mmmachine guns it has beeninstalled on Bundeswehr Dingos. (KMW)

Here fitted with 76mmWegmann grenadelaunchers, the FLW200 can be armed calibresof up to 12.7mmand has been installed, interalia, on Qatari Leopard 2s. (KMW)


Both turrets have electronic dual axisstabilisation, the weapon and the optronicsystem being thus separately stabilised. Inthe FLW100 the optronic pod is located onthe left of the weapon, behind theammunition box, the FLW200 featuring theoptronic on the right side. Also the sensorsare common, with a CCD colour camerawith a x10 zoom for daylight operationsoffering an identification range of 1.5 km,and an uncooled 640x480 thermal imagerwith an ID range of one kilometre. It can bereplaced in the FLW200 by a cooled thermalcamera to extend identification to twokilometres. Modularity allows to adapt theoptronic suite to customers needs. Thecommand and display system remains thesame for both weapon stations, featuring a12-inch colour screen.

Since 2008 the Bundeswehr acquisitiontotalled over 920 weapon stations, whichwere installed on all the types of vehicles usedby German troops in Afghanistan such as theDingo 1 and 2, the Boxer, the Fennek, the

TPz Fuchs, and the Eagle IV. To improve self-protection the FLW200 has been fitted withWegmann 76 mm smoke grenade launchers,while for training purposes the Agdus lasersimulation system was integrated in bothweapon stations. KMW bagged an exportorder from Qatar, which will install theFLW200 on its Leopard 2A7 MBT turret.

KMW is continuing to upgrade theFLW100/200 systems according to lessonslearned from operations. The Wegmann 40mm less-than-lethal system is being adaptedon the FLW100. The H&K 121 7.62 mmmachine gun is being integrated as apossible replacement for the current MG3.As for the FLW200, the electrically drivenRheinmetall RMG 12.7 is also beingintegrated in the station. Anotherimprovement being implemented is theincrease of the ammunition to 480 roundsfor the MG3 in the FLW100. Multi-positionoperation is also under implementation toallow more than one soldier in a vehicle toobserve and fire. An ammunition counter,

a high-pressure cleaning system for sensorsand networking with warning sensors andBMS are also part of the potentialimprovements list.

I DYNAMIT NOBEL DEFENCEBetter known for its antitank rocketlaunchers, Dynamit Nobel Defence built inthe last years two light turrets that provideboth machine gun and Panzerfaust andRGW firepower. The lighter one is the Fewas80 that carries 5.56 or 7.62 mm machineguns, with to its right the typical armouredsensor pod that houses a CCD camera, athermal imager and a laser rangefinder.

The bigger Fewas 120 can be armed withweapons up to 12.7 mm machine gun or 40mm AGL and its architecture is similar tothat of the junior member of the family,albeit the pod is bigger to accommodatesensors that match the weapons range. Thisversion can also accept DND rocketlaunchers the Panzerfaust and RGW90families. All installable weapons areboresighted at various distances, data beingfed into the computer. In action the gunnerhas just to “lase the target” ,set the crosshairs

Dynamit Nobel Defence developed two light systems, the FeWas 80 and the FeWas 120, thelatter able to carry 12.7mmmachine guns was pictured here on a Panhard VBK. (DND)


on the target and fire. The Fewas 80 and 120have been sold in numbers on the exportmarket around the world.

I BAE SYSTEMSThe firm’s turrets find their roots in theSouth African arm of the company, thelightest system being the SD-Row, theacronym standing for Self Defence RemotelyOperated Weapon. This weapon station hasbeen seen around with western machineguns in 5.56 and 7.62 mm calibres, namelythe M249 and Mini SS and the M240, MAG-58, MG3 and SS-77. It has now been shownwith the eastern world’s PKT 7.62 mmweapon with ammunition feeding from theright-hand side. Affordable, light and simpleto use, especially on small vehicles, the SD-Row weighs about 75 kg including theweapon and 200 rounds of ammunition. Ituses a day camera for targeting, a laserrangefinder and an infrared camera beingavailable on option. The system stabilisationallows to engage targets whilst on the move,traverse speed being 100°/sec. Elevation arcreaches 85°, standard traverse being ±135°,full 360° rotation being available on request.

The second system, which is part of BAE

Systems light turrets, is the OverheadManual Turret, introduced in 2009 at DSEI. Itis now offered as a modular item to whichnumerous systems can be added to make ita Gucci product. The main improvement isprovided by the electrical drive in azimuth(a manual back-up is maintained) allowingfor a much faster target detection andengagement. Both day and night sensorshave been replaced by better types, thethermal camera being supplied by ThalesCanada, the sensors suite remaining scalableto cope with customers requirements. Dayand night vehicle target identification range isin excess of one kilometre and the laserrangefinder reaches out to 2.5 km. Theballistic solution is fed into the operatorvideo display unit. The operator can have adirect view of the surrounding scenariothrough seven episcopes located in the lowerpart of the turret, though an eighth largerepiscope covers the frontal 45° angle.

Elevation, between –10° and +45°, iscontrolled through a hand wheel located onthe left, and the sighting maintains a backupin the form of a red dot sight zeroed at 500metres to be used in case of failure of electro-optic sensors. The Overhead Manual Turretcan accept 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machineguns and 40 mm AGLs, and has four smokegrenade launchers located on the two sidesof the weapon mount. Combat weight variesfrom 500 to 550 kg according to the optionalsystems and the weapon installed. It is fullydeveloped and ready for production, BAESystems estimating first deliveries sixmonths after an order. According to thecompany its main asset is that it is “much lessexpensive than an RCWS”.

I REUTECHReutech in South Africa developed a lightturret capable to host the typical 7.62 and12.7 mm machine guns and 40 mmautomatic grenade launcher. Weaponscurrently integrated into what is known asMultiple Cradle Land Rogue are three 7.62mm machine guns, the South African VektorSS-77, the Belgian FN MAG or the PKM ofRussian origin, the Browning M2 12.7 mm

BAE Systems recently improved its OverheadManual Turret adding electric traverse; thisone-man station is a low-cost solutionalthough quite heavier than a RCWS.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

machine gun, and the Denel 40 mmautomatic grenade launcher. Also anti-materiel rifles in 20mm x 82mm such as theDenel LS NTW 20 can also be installed, arequirement for this came from a SouthAfrican customer. Interestingly, wheninstalling a PKM the ammunition magazineremains on the left, the ammo chute passingover the weapon to allow right-side feed.Reutech proposes an optronic package thatincludes a two-field of view CCD day sight(cooled or uncooled thermal imaging is acustumer choice), though the laserrangefinder is provided as option. It featuresan optical auto-tracking system and itsdepression and elevation angles are prettyhigh, respectively –40° and +60°, which isuseful for vehicle in urban warfare and orvessel applications. This station is in servicewith the South African Special Forces and 54unites are being supplied to Malaysia, viaDenel, for installation on the AV8 8x8personnel carrier. These are armed with a12.7 mm machine gun and feature 76 mmsmoke grenade launchers at the base of themount, for the time being the only weaponsystems qualified on that mount (the 7.62

mm MG and 40 mm AGL have howeverbeing thoroughly tested).

A Sea Rogue model is also available to theSouth African Navy and the UAE CoastGuard. A version dedicated to the BrowningM2 known as Land Rogue or Sea Rogue seesthe weapon encased into a pod that provides

only environmental protection and avoidsstoppages due to sand, dust, salt water, etc.

A hybrid missile-machine gun turret isalso part of the Reutech portfolio. Known asthe Missile Rogue, it retains the Browning12.7 mm machine gun for vehicle selfdefence, the principal weapons being the

BAE Systems OMT armedwith an FNMAG installed on a light 4x4; it provides the gunner withdirect vision but features also an optronic package. (BAE Systems)

Denel Ingwe antitank missiles or the ThalesLMM laser guided missiles. Its traverse islimited to ±150° with a –10°/+40° elevationarc. It can accommodate up to four missilesand the machine gun with 100 rounds for anoverall weight of less than 500 kg.

To cope with longer ranges the Carl Zeiss(now Cassidian) Leo-III-HD observationsystem is proposed, which includes a 50HzProgressive Scan Attica Z 640-2 MWthermal imager and a 50Hz ProgressiveScan HD Multi-spectral Zoom TV camera, amedium repetition eye safe laserrangefinder being proposed as option. TheMissile Rogue has been integrated testedbetween Reutech, Cassidian SA and Thalesin Ireland, however the programme wasfrozen before live missile tests due to delayswith the potential client.

I RAFAELThis Israeli company’s Samson familyfeatures two light members, the SamsonJunior and the Samson Mini. With an over-deck assembly weighing between 75 and 100kg the Samson Junior is the lightest and canbe armed with 7.62 or 5.56 mm machineguns, as well as with sharpshooter’s rifles orless-than-lethal effectors. The 400- or 600-round magazine, depending on calibre,endows light armoured vehicles withconsiderable firepower.

The larger Samson Mini provides thefirepower of the Israel Defence ForcesNamer infantry fighting vehicle based on theMerkava 4 chassis. It can accommodateanything between a 5.56 mm machine gunand a 12.7 MG, and even a 40 mm grenadelauncher. Shifting from one weapon toanother is simple and quick as they allfeature the same cradle.

This is not true, however, for the latestSamson Mini dedicated to the 14.5 mmKPVT machine gun produced for anundisclosed customer. Indeed, to withstandthat heavier weapon and its higher recoilRafael modified the structure and someactuators. Optronic sensors are installed inan armoured pod on the right, while someoptional armour can be positioned in front ofthe weapon itself to provide some ballisticprotection. This of course increases thesystem weight, which is of some 200 kgexcluding weapon and ammunition. TheSamson Mini of the IDF are stabilised andfeature some add-on armour to protect thesight pod, the front cradle and the actuators,which adds 50 kg; they are produced inAmerica by Marvin Land Systems, thesystems having been acquired thanks to FMSfunds, and are assembled at Rafael’s mainplant in Haifa. This is the facility where allthe other Samson Minis are produced.Thousands of turrets are in service in at least

13 countries, one of the most recent clientsbeing Colombia for its newly acquired LAVIII 8x8. Most of them however, are devoid ofadditional armour.

The Samson Mini is also the effector ofthe Sentry Tech, a line-up of pillboxes linkedby optical fibre to a remote C4I centre, eachpillbox being equipped with a top-mountedturret. The system is integrated with securityand intelligence sensors and is proposed forbase perimeter security.

I ISRAEL MILITARY INDUSTRIESIMI’s portfolio does not include any super-light system, all models being able to cradlea 7.62 or 12.7 mm machine gun. The firstsystem developed was the Wave 100 that isno more produced. Currently two systemsare in production, one being designed forWestern weapons, the other for Easternweapons. The Wave 200 is the onededicated to left-fed 7.62 and 12.7 mmmachine guns, with can also accept aHeckler & Koch 40 mm automatic grenadelauncher. This additional feature brings theweight of the bare system to 170 kg, with asmall added height penalty. The optronic


A Rafael SamsonMini, equippedwith ballisticprotection, pictured on the company’sassembly line. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

Reutech in South African developed the LandRogue for 12.7mmweapons, which ensures fullprotection against rain and dust; amulti-cradle open version is also available. (Reuthech)

package on the right includes a daylightcamera with zoom, a thermal imager and alaser rangefinder. Sensors are provided atcustomer’s choice. Fully stabilised, IMIRCWSs are equipped with imagestabilisation, image enhancement, motiondetection and target tracking. Additionaloptions include add-on ballistic armourprotection, debriefing/DVR systems, built-in simulator, cooled night sensors forincreased target recognition andidentification, hostile fire detection andgun enslaving towards threat location,C41/BMS connectivity and so forth. Theweapon station can be equipped withstandard ammunition cases or with doublecases for increased firepower.

The Wave 300 architecture had to bechanged due to the weapon installed, whichcan be either a PKT 7.62 mm or an NSVT12.7 mm machine gun. Those Soviet-eraweapons are right-fed, thus the optronicpackage is moved to the left. The Wave 300capabilities are similar to those of the otherones. The 300 weighs only 150 kg weightwithout weapon and ammunition thanks to

a more compact electro-optical pod and to amore advanced pedestal.

Both the Wave 200 and 300 are inservice, the latter currently being the objectof a potentially lucrative contract. IMI isready to accept technology transfer and toset up a local production in co-operationwith a national industry. A noteworthypoint is that the 300 has been developed insome specific configurations to meetcustomers’ requirements, one of which isdubbed the Wave 350. A furtherdevelopment currently still at prototypestage is the Wave 400, which aims atputting together the capabilities of the 200and the 300 able to cater to both easternand western weapons, though two differentversions will be necessary due to thedifferent feeds, but a high commonalitywill be retained.


Rafael of Israel has developed a family of lightandmedium turrets known as Samson. Hereseen are SamsonMinis pictured on theassembly line at Rafael’s Haifa facility.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

A very peculiar system developed by IMIis the Bright Arrow, which combines theperformances of an RCWS with those of theIron Fist active protection system. Thesensors installed on the mount, radiofrequency, thermal imaging and CCDcameras, not only allow to operate the IronFist soft- and hard-kill effectors, but alsoprovide the vehicle crew fullsituational awareness. The system can beinstalled on light vehicles as its overallweight is of only 250 kg.

I ELBIT SYSTEMSTwo light RCWS are part of the Israelicompany portfolio, one accepting machineguns up to 7.62 mm, the other from 5.56 to12.7 mm and 40 mm grenade launchers.Both are fully stabilised and feature a fulloptronic suite. The heavier of the two also

features dual axis stabilisation, manualback-up, automatic target tracking, andsuperelevation allowing to decouple theoptical pod from the weapon. The 12.7 wasselected by Austria to be installed on itsIveco DV LMV 4x4 light armouredvehicles. The overall weight of the 7.62RCWS is less than 150 kg with weapon and

690 rounds of ammunition, the amount ofrounds being increasable to 1,150 atcustomer’s will.

Besides its Israel-related activities, ElbitSystems has a subsidiary in Brazil that isalso active in the RCWS field, namelyAeroespacial e Defensa Ltda. Also knownas Ares, it developed the Remax, a light

TheWave 300 is the IMIweapon station purposelydeveloped for automaticweapons of East Europeanorigin. (IMI)


Compared to theWave 300 theWave 200 isslightly higher and heavier as it hosts not onlymedium calibremachine guns, but also 40mmautomatic grenade launchers.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

15

weapon station for 7.62 MAG and 12.7 mmBrowning HB M2 machine guns. Thesystem is fully stabilised. The elevationservomotors are on the right, while the leftside carries the ammunition box as well asthe optronic pod that allows standard Natotarget detection and identification at fiveand one kilometres respectively. The Remaxis installed over a cylindrical pedestal toincrease above vehicle clearance and allowshooting at maximum depression, -10°.Four smoke grenade launchers are attachedto the pedestal itself. The maximum weightof the system is 200 kg. Ares was awardedtwo successive contracts in September andOctober 2012 worth $40 million for anundisclosed number of systems to beinstalled on the Brazilian Army Guarani6x6 APCs.

I SELEX ESThe Finmeccanica electronic company iscurrently marketing its Enforcer II RCWS,a fully stabilised system capable of hostingweapons such as 7.62 and 12.7 mmmachine guns and 40 mm AGLs. The roofassembly weighs 156 kg without weaponand ammunition, standard respectiveround capacities being 500, 200 and 32rounds, while an option for a highercapacity box raises those figures to 800, 400and 96. The Enforcer II is equipped withSelex’s Staws Surveillance TargetAcquisition and Weapon Sight, which islocated on the right of the weapon andincludes a 1/3” colour CCD day camera,and a 320 x 240 uncooled thermal imagerwith narrow (4° x 3°) and wide (12° x 9°)fields of view. At night it is possible todetect a vehicle target at 5 km and toidentify it at one, while in daytime thosefigures are increased to 7.5 and 1.6 km. Alaser rangefinder can be added as option,as well as superelevation for AGL shooting,maximum elevation being 60°.

Options include ballistic protection,round counter, remote cocking, digitalmagnetic compass, GPS and targetlocation capability. A full 640 x 480uncooled thermal imager can replacethe standard one.

Selex ES still provides some Enforcerturrets, which is slightly lighter at 139 kg,the main difference stemming from thepowered-assisted elevation which islimited to –10°/+45° though the +60°elevation is only obtained through manualoperation. The Enforcer was a licensedversion of the Rafael Samson Mini, which

has been adopted in large numbers by theBritish Army for the Challenger II, theBulldog, the Panther and the Ridgeback.

I OTO MELARAMostly active in the medium calibre field,the Italian company’s Hitrole Light saw itsfirst operational use in late 2012 when thefirst Iveco DV Lince 4x4 light armouredvehicles were deployed as part of the Italiancontingent in Afghanistan. A high tiersystem, it is equipped with Selex ES MiniColibri that features three viewingchannels, an uncooled thermal camera, aTV camera with 2.4° - 46° zoom and anoptional narrow field of view TV camera.

A 4,000-metre range laser rangefinderand an optional digital compass allowit to become a targeting asset at short-medium distances.

The sensor suite, and more precisely thethermal imager, allowed soldiers toidentify where the soil had been recentlymoved which gave them hints of possibleexplosive device emplacement. Moreoverthe recording system allowed them toacquire patterns of life information. Italyacquired 81 such turrets for the Lince and40 more for the Orso, the Iveco DV vehicleselected for the Italian Army routeclearance package. Eight more HitroleLight have been acquired by Italy as part as

The Elbit Systems 12.7 RCWS has been selected by the Austrian Army to be installed on its IvecoDV LMV 4x4; in this configuration it is equippedwith smoke grenade launchers. (Austrian Army)

An Elbit Systemsmedium-calibre RCWS; this weaponstation is equippedwith

“superelevation” and automatictracking. (Armada/P. Valpolini)


a force protection programme and arebeing installed on sangars in Afghanistan,to improve FOBs protection.

At Russia Arms Expo 2013 the HitroleLight has been exhibited mounted on aTigre multipurpose vehicle; the RCWS wasmodified in order to be armed withweapons of Russian origin, namely the 7.62mm PKT and the 12.7 mm NSVT machineguns. These automatic weapons beingloaded from the right, the optronic pod hasbeen moved to the left. Two turrets tailoredfor eastern European weapons weredelivered to the customer, a one-monthtesting phase being planned for November2013. Oto Melara maintains in its portfolioits Hitrole turret, a heavier system aimed atAPCs, which allows ammunition reloadingfrom under armour.

I PANHARD SAGEMThe appearance of Renault Trucks Defensein the turret arena results from theacquisition of Panhard, which thus broughtthe Panhard-Sagem co-developed turretswithin the RTD portfolio, Sagem remainingthe co-designer and optronics provider. Sofar the French Armée de Terre remains theonly user of the first product launchedon the market, the Wasp (Weaponunder Armor for Self Protection), 100 ofwhich are currently installed on VBLs andPVPs light armoured vehicles most ofwhich are now back in France, following

their withdrawal from Afghanistan. A lightRCWS, the Wasp is designed to acceptthe AN F1 machine gun, but can also acceptthe MAG 58. Fully equipped cum machinegun, 200 rounds and optronic packagethe Wasp has a weighs about 60 kg. A

naval version known as Sea Wasp has beenalso developed.

Leveraging experience acquired, the thenPanhard-Sagem team developed a heavierRCWS for 12.7 mm machine guns. Knownas the Hornet and unveiled at Eurosatory2012 in mock-up form, the system can alsobe armed with a 40 mm automatic grenadelauncher, the weight in combat order beingestimated at 150 kg. This is without optionalGalix grenade launchers and Level 2 to 4ballistic protection. The Hornet has anelevation of –20°/+60° and its optronicpackage includes a Sagem thermal camerawith a 9° field of view and a 12° field of viewdaylight colour camera. According to thelatest information, the Hornet has remainedat prototype status.

IOTOKAROver the last few years this Turkish

vehicle company has developed a series oflight turrets and RCWS. The company isactive not only in turret development but isalso deeply involved in optronics design, asit considers optronic units as majorcomponents of the fire control systemregardless of the calibre and type of theweapon system.

The lighter system is the Basok, astabilised RCWS weighing 85 kg withoutgun and ammunition, able to carry a 7.62mm machine gun with 200 rounds. TheBasok can be equipped with optronic suitesof increasing complexity and cost, the most


OtoMelara recently tested its Hitrole Light onRussian Tigre 4x4 light armoured vehicles.(OtoMelara)

Panhard and Sagem developed theWasp lightremote-controlled system, which has been adopted

by the French Army. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

17

basic featuring white light projector on theleft while the daylight camera is locatedunder the machine gun. A day/nightsighting system with uncooled sensor andCCD can be installed according tocustomer’s requirements, a laserrangefinder being also proposed as option.The Basok was introduced in mid-2013 andis now ready for production.

Present for some years in the companycatalogue, the Keskin is a non stabilisedweapon station capable to accept 7.62 and12.7 mm machine guns as well as a 40 mmautomatic grenade launcher. It features anoptronic package with uncooled thermalsensor, day CCD and LRF. Delivered withOtokar vehicles for many years, it is inservice with numerous customers. Aversion armed with a KPVT 14.5 mmmachine gun is also available.

For customers looking for a Gucci-levelproduct Otokar developed the Ucokweapon station, that can be armed with thesame type of western weapons as theKeskin, but is fully stabilised. At 261 kgwithout weapon and ammunition, the Ucokfeatures an independent sight elevation thatallows both superelevation when using the

AGL as well as non-threatening posture inPSOs, the weapon being raised at 70°. Theoptronic suite, located under the weapon,includes a dual field-of-view uncooledthermal imager, a CCD camera and a laserrange finder. According to Otokar officialsthe company took a lot of care in thedevelopment of the ammunition feedingsystem of the 40 mm AGL, a weak pointwhen using an Mk19, in order to avoidstoppages. The Ucok is also equipped with afull set of smoke grenade launcherscovering the frontal arc. Otokar recently

completed the qualification phase and theUcok is now ready for production.

Turning to the Bozok 12.7 MKT, this isa one-man turret armed with lightweapons, 7.62 or 12.7 mm machine guns.The current version is a new design ofprevious MKT turrets already delivered toexport markets for many years, Otokarhaving developed this new product as it seesa concrete customer requirement for thisconfiguration. The Bozok 12.7 MKT is non-stabilised and manually operated andfeatures a day/night sighting system housed

in a rectangular pod linked to the gunmount, laser rangefinder being proposed asoption, the turret featuring a full digital FCSarchitecture. A rear-hinged hatch allows thegunner a direct view, one periscope per sideproviding situational awareness even withhatch closed, the gunner being protected bya Level 3 armour. The turret dimensionsand the protection level bring its weight upto 770 kg without weapon and ammunition,a figure which can be used for comparingthe manned solution with the unmanned


The Bozok is a one-man turret developed byOtokar as a low cost solution for 6x6s,personnel carriers amongst others.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

When budget is tight the Keskin non stabilisedRCWS by Otokar allows to fire from underarmour with the vehicle in stationary position.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

Among the light systems developed by Otokarof Turkey the Ucok is certainly themostadvanced and its fire control unit is built toincorporate “superelevation” parameters andother advancedmodes. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

Otokar Basok is designed for light armoured vehicles and can be armedwith 7.62mmmachineguns. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

weapon stations and turrets mentioned inthese pages, the heavier weight providinghowever the advantage of reloading fromunder armour. The Bozok 12.7 MKT hasbeen sold to a number of undisclosedcountries. Two more different variantsknown as the Bozok 40AGL MKT and theBozok 20 MKT have also been developedfor an undisclosed programme.

I ASELSANThe major player in defence electronics inTurkey, Aselsan developed some remotelycontrolled systems for ground vehicles andfor naval applications. The StabilizedAdvanced Remote weapon Platform, Sarpin short, is based on a “U” cradle that canhost 7.62 or 12.7 mm machine guns or a 40mm AGL. The optronic package is locatedunder the gun and includes the typicaluncooled thermal imager, CCD day cameraand laser rangefinder. At around 160 kgwithout weapon and ammunition, the Sarpcan be installed on light vehicles andensures good firing capacity even in urbanor mountainous terrain thanks to the 60°maximum elevation. Unveiled in 2011, it isnow in mass production for an undisclosedcustomer.

Another Aselsan system is the stabilisedStamp, which can host the same weapons,but fully encased under a protective cover.This is due to the clear intention ofproposing the Stamp for naval applications.A dual-axis stabilised system, the abovedeck assembly weighs some 225 kg withoutweapon and ammo, ammunition stowagebeing 200 rounds for the 12.7 mm machinegun. The optronic suite is housed in a podon the right side of the turret, the shape ofthe pod as well as that of the weapon coverbeing designed to minimise radar cross-section, another feature induced by navalapplications.

I YSS DEFENSE SYSTEMSTurkish Yüksel Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. hasfocused on homeland and border securityprojects and has developed the Roboguard.Designed for static applications theRoboguard is not stabilised, and has atraverse movement limited to 350°. Toallow different types of reaction, the YSSRCWS is armed with two differentweapons, an AK-47 rifle, that allows firingsingle warning shots towards a potentialintruder, for example, and a PKMS machinegun for suppressive fire. Since, newweapons have also been integrated such as

the MG-3 and MAG 7.62 mm machineguns. The elevation arc is of –20°/+55°, theoptronic package installed under theweapon includes a thermal camera, a CCDcamera with x12 zoom and a laserrangefinder with a 2.5 km range. An

operator can control up to threesurveillance and firing units via cable or,optionally, via wireless, pre-definedpatterns being programmable. A motiondetection and a target tracking systemreduce the operators’ workload, targetrecognition and identification beingfavoured by a vision fusion based on theinputs from both day and thermal sensors.Overall the Roboguard carries 500 7.62 mmrounds, the weight of the system withoutweapons and ammunition being 85 kg

YSS Defense Systems is also producingthe Yak, a stabilised turret that can bearmed with the typical 7.62 and 12.7 mmmachine guns and 40 mm AGL, carrying300 rounds or 96 grenades. Here too theoptronic package is located under theweapon, and includes day/night optics andlaser rangefinder with motion detection,target tracking and multi-targeting system.A naval version known as D-Yak is alsoavailable.

I YUGOIMPORTThis Serb defence company developed theM09 that was armed with the M87 12.7 mmmachine gun (the Serbian version of thesoviet NSVT chambered for the 12.7x108mm round). The weapon is fully encasedin a shield that provides some protectionagainst ballistic threats and against sand,dust and rain.


Turkish Yüksel Defense Systems Roboguard isa non stabilised RCWS purposely developedfor use on watchtowers, replacing soldiers onstag. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

Leveraging thework done on the Roboguard Yüksel Defense Systems developed the Yak, a stabilisedversion capable of hosting up to 12.7mmMGsaimedat vehicle use. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The same applies to the optronic suite,located on the left, that includes a day CCDcamera with x4 zoom, a 4.6° field-of-viewthermal imager and a two kilometre laserrangefinder. The ammunition box islocated on the right. Accepted in service bythe Serbian Army, the M09 is currently inproduction for undisclosed exportcountries. In early 2012 Yugoimportcarried out a major modification to theweapon, which is now available for the12.7x99 mm rounds used in Western heavyMGs. The M09 is thus now provided alsoin that configuration, keeping the sameammunition feed and the same links used inthe former model.

I PRO-OPTICAThe Romanian manufacturer developed itsRCWS-RO in the late 2000, and has sold itto Egypt that installed it on board itsSherpa Light 4x4 scout vehicles. Weighingin at 165 kg without gun and ammo, itfeatures a day CCD camera with zoom

providing a horizontal viewing angle of1.6° to 42.2° and a two-lens thermal camerawith uncooled sensor. One- or two-axis isprovided as option as well as a 5 or 10 kmrange laser rangefinder and electronicimage stabilisation. Ballistic protection canalso be installed at customer’s request. TheRCWS-RO can be armed with 5.56, 7.62 or12.7 mm machine guns both of western oreastern origin.

At DSEI 2013 the Romanian companyunveiled its new RCWS-RO-M also knownas “Anubis”, a gyro-stabilised platform for7.62 or 12.7 mm machine guns lighter thanits predecessor, which allows to save 30 kg,equipped with a day/night sensor suiteincluding a 1.7° to 57° field of view CCDcamera and an uncooled two-lens (4° and12° horizontal) or 4° to 24° zoom-lens

thermal imager. The thermal cameraprovides a 6 km vehicle detection rangeand 3 km individual detection range atnight (with recognition ranges of,respectively, 2 and 1 km). A 5 km-rangelaser rangefinder completes the suite, theAnubis being provided with optional targetauto-tracking, image stabilisation androunds counter. Pro-Optica was going tocarry out a testing campaign for anundisclosed potential customer in October2013. The RCWS-RO remains inproduction though.

I EVPVIn 2008 this Slovak company specialised ingyro-stabilised pan-tilt heads for multipleuses unveiled its first turret known as theZSRD 07. It subsequently was upgraded,the current model being still based on a U-type head which carries the sensor packagein the lower half and the weapon, a PKT7.62 mm machine gun, in the upper half.Although the EVPU product is a remotelycontrolled weapon station, it features acover that provides good protection againstsand, dust and rain, and some ballisticprotection, the same applying to theoptronic pod that features a cover that islifted by an actuator located in the centreof the pod when the ZSRD 07 is in use.

The pod houses an uncooled DRP-8938°x16° field of view thermal camera with ax2 digital zoom, a 48°x36° FoV Britanniasurveillance camera with a with 1 x18optical and x12 digital zooms, and anHK75 aiming camera with 3.7°x2.8° FoV.A laser rangefinder can be added as option.On each vertical element of the U-structurethree smoke grenade launchers areinstalled. The ammunition box, containing250 or 450 rounds, is located on the rightand rotates in elevation with the weapon,the elevation arc being –15°/+70°.

In 2012 a new design was introduced.Known as the ZSRD 08, it is able to carry a12.7 mm machine gun or a 30 mmautomatic grenade launcher. It maintainsthe same thermal camera and aiming TVcamera of the 07, the surveillance sensorbeing replaced by a RYS TV camera with aFoV from 56.4°x43.4° to 1.7°x1.3°, withcontinuous zoom. A laser rangefinder isintegrated in the sensor pod, its rangebeing 5 km although the ZSRD 08 is beingconsidered accurate up to 2 km. Thesystem architecture remains very similar tothat of the lighter RCWS, the weight of thepan-tilt head being at 200 kg.


Produced for some undisclosed customers, theYugoimport M09 is armedwith the eastern-style M87 12.7mmbut is now also availablefor theM2. (Yugoimport)

I RAFAELWith its national army often involved inoperations involving civilian crowd the factthat Rafael of Israel developed a Non-Lethalversion of its Samson remote weapon stationdoes not come as a surprise. The system isfully interchangeable with the Samson Mini,allowing a military unit to shift from a lethal toa non-lethal posture in less than two hours.On the right side we find the usual optronicsensor pod; however a fourth window isadded for the Xenon-based dazzler with arange of 100 metres.

On top of the weapon station we find the40 mm grenade launcher with 10 ready-to-fire rounds in its magazine, ranging fromrubber rounds to other non-lethal grenades.On the right is the sound blaster acousticdevice, which operates both on low and highfrequencies and has a range of about 1,000metres. The lower part of the Samson Non-Lethal hosts the smoke/tear gas grenadelauncher with a range between 125 and 800metres, with six ready to fire grenades. Over

the latter and under the 40 mm grenadelauncher module a .22” sharpshooter riflecan be installed, providing optional lethalresponse with a range of 50 metres. Theelevation range goes from –20° to +60°, witha weight of less than 200 kg.

I KONGSBERG PROTECHLeveraging the M153 mount Kongsbergdeveloped a version of the Protectorequipped with less-than-lethal effectors toallow escalation of force (EoF) inasymmetric warfare operations.

The EoF version maintains the optronicsensor suite as well as a lethal effector,without which less-than-lethal effectorslose their credibility, but adds a series orother effectors. Among those we find agreen veiling laser and a powerful white


Starting from the SamsonMini Rafaeldeveloped a wholly less than lethal turret, theonly lethal weapon being a .22” sharpshooterrifle. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

Dazzlers and acoustic systems can be addedto the Protector weapon station to allowescalation of force. (Kongsberg)

When Less ThanLethal Is Required

21

light, a long-range acoustic device to warnthe crowd or individuals in their nativelanguage via linguists on board the vehicleor recorded messages, and 66 or 40 mmflash bang launchers. The Protector EoF hasa weight of 198 kg including non-lethaleffectors and add-on armour, and withoutweapon and ammunition. Some of thoseeffectors have already been used in theatreby US Army units.

Dual: BetweenLight andMediumI KONGSBERG PROTECHTo bridge the gap between light andmedium systems, Kongsberg developed theProtector Dual Remote Weapon Station(DRWS) that is based on the M153 with theaddition of an add-on coaxial weapon in theform of a 5.56 or 7.62 mm machine gunplaced on the right side. The main weapon islocated in the usual central position, overthe optronic package, and is either a 12.7mm machine gun or a 40 mm automaticgrenade launcher. Four smoke grenadelaunchers can be installed on the lowerfront side. The DRWS has been selected forthe Canadian Tactical Armoured VehicleProgramme, and according to Kongsbergofficials this configuration is becoming abestseller in many countries.

I ELBIT SYSTEMSElbit Systems developed a Dual RemoteWeapon Station (DRWS) starting from its12.7 mm RCWS, the new systemmaintaining most of the components of theearlier weapon station. The station can carryon the main cradle a 12.7 mm machine gunor 40 mm AGL, while on the secondary one a7.62 mm machine gun can be installed. Therange being the same, also the optronicpackage remains that of the single-weaponsystem, and here too superelevation allowsdecoupling optronic sensors and weapons.According to company sources Elbit Systemsconsiders its light RCWS portfolio completeand we should not expect new systems in thecoming years.

I RAFAELWhen talking of dual RCWSs, the onedeveloped by Rafael is a product on its ownbecause it can also accept medium-calibre

weapons, de facto becoming a trait d’unionbetween light and medium systems. Usuallythe main weapon is a 12.7 or 14.5 mmmachine gun or a 40 mm AGL, while thesecondary weapon is a 5.56 or 7.62 mm MG.

Rafael’s Dual goes beyond that, as it canoptionally accept 25-30 mm cannon whilethe secondary weapon can go up to a 40mm AGL. Another key feature of the latestversion of the Dual, which features acompletely new structure, is its ability to bereloaded under armour. A wholly newfeature is the possibility it offers tosubstitute one of the two weapons andreplace it with a new retractable twinantitank missile launcher designed for theSpike in its MR, LR and ER versions. To


Selected for the Canadian Tactical ArmouredVehicle Programme, the Kongsberg ProtectorDual can be armedwith a small calibremachine gun as secondary weapon inaddition to themain 12.7 or 40mmmainweapons. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

Elbit Systems Dual RemoteWeapon Stationcan host up to 40mmAGLs or 12.7mmmachine guns asmain weapon and a 7.62mmMGas secondary one. (Elbit)

To copewithmedium calibre low recoil cannonthat can be installed on themainweaponcradle Rafael’s Dual station can be equippedwith cooled thermal imagers. (Rafael)

L I G H T T U R R E T S

Compendium of Medium and Light Turrets and RCWS 2013Compendium of Medium and Light Turrets and RCWS 2013 Compendium of Medium and Light Turrets and RCWS 2013 Compendium of Medium and Light Turrets and RCWS 2013

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL

Weight bare [kg] 350 **

Elevation -10°/+60°

Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation YES

Independent Sight Elevation YES

Reload from under Armour NO

Smoke Grenades NOSTK, Singapore

ADDER

Calibres [mm] 7.62

Weight Bare [kg] 85


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200

Stabilisation YES

Independent Sight Elevation NO


Smoke Grenades NOOtokar, Turkey

BASOK

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7

Weight Bare [kg] 770


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 500 – 210

Stabilisation NO


Reload from under Armour YES

Smoke Grenades NOOtokar, Turkey

BOZOK 12.7 MKT


Weight Bare [kg] 80 – 85 **


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200 - 250

Stabilisation Optional



Smoke Grenades NOFN Herstal, Belgium

DEFNDER LIGHT

Calibres [mm] 12.7

Weight Bare [kg] < 125


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades OptionalFN Herstal, Belgium

DEFNDER MEDIUM

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 500 – 200 – 32

Stabilisation YES

Independent Sight Elevation Optional


Smoke Grenades NOSelex ES, Italy

ENFORCER II

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 1000 – 400 – 96

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NO

Dynamit Nobel Defence, Germany

FEWAS 120

Calibres [mm] 7.62



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 160

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NO

Dynamit Nobel Defence, Germany

FEWAS 80


Weight Bare [kg] 74


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 480 (7.62)

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOKMW, Germany

FLW 100

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades YESKMW, Germany

FLW 200

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL

Weight Bare [kg] 150 – 170 – 170 *


Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOOto Melara, Italy

HITROLE LIGHT

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°





Smoke Grenades YESOtokar, Turkey

KESKIN 12.7

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360° or ±150°


Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades OptionalReuthec, South Africa

LAND ROGUE

Calibres [mm] 12.7



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 180

Stabilisation YES

Independent Sight Elevation N.A.


Smoke Grenades NOYugoimport, Serbia

M09


Weight Bare [kg] 74


Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOKongsberg, Norway

PROTECTOR LITE II

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 1000 – 400 – N.A.

Stabilisation YES




PROTECTOR CROWS

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 1000 – 400 – N.A.

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades YESKongsberg, Norway

PROTECTOR M151A2


Weight Bare [kg] 37


Traverse n x 360°






PROTECTOR SUPER LITE


Weight Bare [kg] 52


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOEOS, Australia

R-200

Calibres [mm] 5.56–7.62–12.7–40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades OptionalEOS, Australia

R-400

Calibres [mm] 7.62



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 460

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades YESElbit Systems, Israel

RCWS

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades YESElbit Systems, Israel

RCWS

Calibres [mm] 5.56 – 7.62 – 12.7



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.




Smoke Grenades NOPro Optica, Rumania

RCWS RO




Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOPro Optica, Rumania

RCWS RO M




Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades YESAres, Brasil

REMAX


Weight Bare [kg] 75-100


Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation YES


reload from under armour NO

Smoke Grenades OptionalRafael, Israel

SAMSON JUNIOR

Calibres [mm] 5.56 – 7.62–12.7 –14.5 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 1500–1150–400–200–96

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades OptionalRafael, Israel

SAMSON MINI

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 1000 – 250 – 96

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOAselsan, Turkey

SARP


Weight Bare [kg] 75 **


Traverse ±135° (nx360° Optional)

Ammunition 200

Stabilisation YES


reload from under armour NO

Smoke Grenades NOBAE Systems, UK

SD-ROW

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL

Weight Bare [kg] 200-225


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOAselsan, Turkey

STAMP

Calibres [mm] 5.56 – 7.62 – 12.7 (rifle)



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 600/800–400/600–N.A.

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOPrecision Remotes, USA

TRAP T360

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 1000 – 450 – 100

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades YESOtokar, Turkey

UCOK

Calibres [mm] 7.62–12.7–14.5–40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 600 – 200 – 150 – 30

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades OptionalNorinco, China

UW1


Weight Bare [kg] < 60 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200

Stabilisation NO



Smoke Grenades NOPanhard-Sagem, France

WASP

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200/400 – 100/200

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOIMI, Israel

WAVE 200

Calibres [mm] PKT 7.62 – NSVT 12.7

Weight bare [kg] 150


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200/400 – 100/200

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOIMI, Israel

WAVE 300

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 AGL



Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NO

YSS Defense Systems, Turkey

YAK

Calibres [mm] PKT 7.62

Weight Bare [kg] 150 **


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 250/450

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades YESEVPU, Slovak Rep.

ZSRD07

Calibres [mm] 12.7



Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 100/200

Stabilisation YES



Smoke Grenades NOEVPU, Slovak Rep.

ZSRD08

* including weapon, excluding ammunition ** including weapon and ammunition

Light Turret Tables_Layout 1 16/12/13 4:41 PM Page 1

D U A L , M E D I U M A N D H E AV Y T U R R E T S A N D R C W S

Compendium of Medium and Light Turrets and RCWS 2013Compendium of Medium and Light Turrets and RCWS 2013 Compendium of Medium and Light Turrets and RCWS 2013 Compendium of Medium and Light Turrets and RCWS 2013

Calibres [mm] 25 – 30 – 35 – 40

Secondary weapon [mm] 7.62

Protection 1 – 5

Crew 2

Weight [kg] N.A.


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation yES

Reload under Armour yES

ATk missiles Optional

CMI Defence, Belgium

MCWS

Calibres [mm] 30


Protection 2 – 5

Crew Unmanned – 2

Weight [kg] 2,671


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 210

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile yES

Otokar, Turkey

MIZRAK 30

Calibres [mm] 25 – 30 – 35 – 40 – 50

Secondary Weapon [mm] 5.56 – 7.62

Protection 1 – 4

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 2,000


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation yES

Reload under Armour N.A.


Kongsberg, Norway

PROTECTOR MEDIUM

Calibres [mm] 25 – 30


Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1,600 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200

Stabilisation yES

Reload under Armour NO


Rafael, Israel

SAMSON MKI


Secondary Weapon [mm] 7.62 – 40 Agl (Optional)

Protection 1 – 4

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1,500 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200

Stabilisation yES



Rafael, Israel

SAMSON MKII

Calibres [mm] 25

Secondary Weapon [mm] 7.62

Protection 4

Crew 1

Weight [kg] 1,700 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 180

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles NO

FNSS, Turkey

SHARPSHOOTER

Calibres [mm] 30

Secondary Weapon [mm] 7.62 – 30 Agl

Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1.900 *

elevation -6°/+60°

Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 225

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile yES

Ukrspecexport, Ukraine

SHKVAL

Calibres [mm] 20


Protection Optional

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] < 500 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 2 x 100

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles NO

Reutech Africa

SUPER ROGUE

Calibres [mm] 40


Protection 4

Crew 2

Weight [kg] 4,200 *

Elevation +45° (+60°)

Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 63Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles yES

Nexter, France

T40



Protection 1 – 2

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 900 – 1.800 *


Traverse n x 360°

ammunition 500 – 300

Stabilisation yES



BAE Systems,South Africa

TRTCalibres [mm] 105


Protection 1 – 5

Crew 2

Weight [kg] 1.750


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 12

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles from gUN


CT-CV



Protection 2 – 5

Crew 3

Weight [kg] 6,200 – 6,900


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 9

Stabilisation yES



Oto Melara, Italy

HITFACT 105/120

Calibres [mm] 90


Protection 1 – 5

Crew 2

Weight [kg] N.A.


Araverse n x 360°

Ammunition 20

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles from gun


LCTS90


Secondary Weapon [mm] N.A.

Protection N.A.

Crew 2

Weight [kg] N.A.

Elevation N.A.

Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles from gun


XC-8

Calibres [mm] 40 Agl


Protection Optional

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 200


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 64

Stabilisation yES

independent Sight Elevation yES

ATk missile Optional

Elbit Systems, Israel

DRWS

Calibres [mm] 12.7 – 14.5 – 40 Agl

Secondary Weapon [mm] 5.56–7.62–12.7–40 Agl

Protection Optional

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 300


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 100 – 100 - 32

Stabilisation yES



Rafael, Israel

SAMSON DUAL

Calibres [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 Agl

Secondary Weapon [mm] 7.62 – Rocket launchers

Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 280


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile NO

Dynamit Nobel Defense, Germany

DUAL FEWAS

Calibres [mm] 5.56–7.62–12.7–40 Agl


Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 189


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 1000 – 1000 – 400 – 32

Stabilisation yES



Kongsberg, Norway

PROTECTOR DUAL

Calibres [mm] 5.56–7.62–12.7–40 Agl


Protection 2 (Optional)

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 220


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation yES

independent Sight Elevation NO

ATk missile NO

EOS, Australia

R-600

Calibres [mm] 12.7 – 25 – 40 Agl


Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 250

Elevation –25°/+60°

Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation yES


ATk missile NO

Saab, Sweden

TRACKFIRE

Calibres [mm] 20


Protection Optional

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 270 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 100

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles NO

Nexter, France

ARX20

Calibres [mm] 30


Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1.650 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 150 + 150

Stabilisation yES

Reload under armour NO

ATk missiles yES


B-7 PARUS

Calibres [mm] 30


Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1.300 *


Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles yES


BM-3 SHTURM

Calibres [mm] 25


Protection 1 – 3

Crew 1

Weight [kg] 1570


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 2 x 105

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile NO

Otokar, Turkey

BOZOK MKT-25



Protection 2 – 3

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1,700 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 210

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile NO

FNSS, Turkey

CLAW

Calibres [mm] 20 – 25 – 30


Protection 1 – 4

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] N.A.


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 150

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles NO


CPWS

Calibres [mm] 20

Secondary Weapon [mm] 7.62 – 12.7 – 40 Agl

Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 400 *


Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles yES

KMW, Germany

FLW 200+

Calibres [mm] 30


Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1.800 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 225

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile yES


GROM



Protection 2 – 5+

Crew 2

Weight [kg] 2,675


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 220

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile yES

Oto Melara, Italy

HITFIST 25/30



Protection 1 – 5+

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1,630


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 220

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile yES

Oto Melara, Italy

HITFIST OWS

Calibres [mm] 35


Protection N.A.

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 3,500 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 65 + 11

Stabilisation yES



KMW, Germany

IWS35

Calibres [mm] 30 – 35 – 40


Protection 1 – 5+

Crew 2 – Unmanned

weight [kg] 2,000 – 3,300


Traverse n x 360°


Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles yES

Rheinmetall, Germany

LANCE



Protection 5 –

Crew 2

Weight [kg] N.A.


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 60

Stabilisation yES



Denel, South Africa

LCT 30


Secondary Weapon [mm] N.A.

Protection N.A.

Crew unmanned

Weight [kg] 350 – 450 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 125

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles NO

BAE Systems Bofors, UK/Sweden

LEMUR



Protection 2 – 4

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1,500

Elevation +60°

Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200

Stabilisation yES

Reload under armour Optional


Elbit Systems, Israel

UT30

Calibres [mm] 30


Protection 2 – 4+

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1,783 *


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 200 + 50



ATk missile yES

Yugoimport, Serbia

VIDRA 30 MM

Calibres [mm] 30


Protection 1 – 5

Crew Unmanned

Weight [kg] 1,400


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition N.A.

Stabilisation yES


ATk missile yES

EVPU, Slovak Rep.

TURRA 30

Calibres [mm] 90


Protection 1 – 4

Crew 2

Weight [kg] N.A.


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 12



ATk missile NO


CSE90

DUAL TURRETS

DUAL TURRETS

DUAL TURRETS

DUAL TURRETS

DUAL TURRETS

DUAL TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

MEDIUM TURRETS

HEAVY TURRETS

HEAVY TURRETS

HEAVY TURRETS

HEAVY TURRETS

HEAVY TURRETS

Calibres [mm] 105


Protection 5 – (frontal arc)

Crew 3

Weight [kg] 6,500


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 9 + 7

Stabilisation yES


ATk missiles NO

Denel, South Africa

LMT-105Calibres [mm] 20


Protection N.A.

Crew 2

Weight [kg] 1,550


Traverse n x 360°

Ammunition 300

Stabilisation NO


ATk missile NO

Denel, South Africa

LCT-20 MEDIUM TURRETS HEAVY TURRETS

* without ammunition

Turret Tables_Layout 1 17/12/13 11:13 AM Page 1

cope with the range afforded by 25-30 mmcannon and antitank missiles that can beinstalled, cooled thermal imaging sensorswere integrated in the Dual. A similarsensor has been installed on the Dualacquired by an undisclosed customer thatchose a version with a 14.5 mm machinegun and two missiles on the left side. InJune 2013 a Samson Dual was tested by theUS Marine Corps in a 40 mm AGL plus 12.7mm machine gun configuration.

I EOSThe dual-weapon R-600 from EOS canhost machine guns up to 12.7 mm as wellas a 40 mm AGL. With a maximum weight(loaded) of 377 kg, it features the sameoptronic package as the single-weapon R-200 and R-400, and can be supplied with aLevel 2 ballistic protection kit. The R-600is compatible with 25 and 30 mm low-recoil guns. Currently the system is inproduction in the US by NorthropGrumman for Singapore, the order beingfor over 200 RCWS to be installed on theTerrex 8x8 vehicle.

The R-600 is being delivered in twoconfigurations, one with 40 mm AGL and7.62 mm MG, while in the second features asingle 12.7 mm machine gun. In late October2013 EOS announced the completion of anew maintenance and support facility inSingapore, to be manned by personnel fromSingapore Technologies Kinetics and by EOStechnicians. A new order was recently filed,deliveries being planned for late 2013 and2014; the new order brings the total numberof R-600 produced to over 300.

I DYNAMIT NOBEL DEFENCEIn 2013 Dynamit Nobel Defence (DND)unveiled a new station known as the DualFewas that includes a number of originalfeatures. Its development heavily relies onthe Fewas 120, and was triggered by therequirements of numerous users, mostlySpecial Forces, that wanted a safe reloadcapacity as well as a weapon suite capableof opening a breach in typical Afghanwalls. The Dual Fewas is the first stationoffering different armaments, light,medium or heavy machine gun or evenAGL, and the possibility of reloading ofboth weapons under armour. This uniquefeature contributes to the bare weight of280 kg. Currently the new Dynamit NobelDefence system can accept the Minimi in5.56 or 7.62 mm, the MAG 58 and the MG3in 7.62 mm, the M2 in 12.7 mm, and the

Mk19 and H&K 40 mm automatic grenadelaunchers. A low ammunition sensor stopsthe firing in order to allow under-armourreload; an elevator allows to lower theammunition box to allow the crew to linkthe new belt to the old one before raising it

back into position – the procedure beingthe same for both weapons. Tests shouldstart soon with the Rheinmetall RMG 12.7electrically driven machine gun that allowsnot only considerable weight savings butalso new capabilities such as the “snipermode” firing.

The Dual Fewas was also designed forchain guns of higher calibres. The operatorcan overrun the low ammo stopping in caseof emergency. The automatic weapon onthe left side can be replaced by a duallauncher armed with a Dynamit RWG 90;this is located under a protective cover,which opens for load/unload/reloadoperations. The sensor pod is armouredand is located on the right of the turret,containing the typical CCD camera,thermal imager and laser rangefinderpackage. All LRUs are located underarmour, the Dual Fewas being born to beconnected to the platform via canbus orethernet to be interfaced with any BMS orsensor. The Fewas Dual maintains theFewas 120 elevation range of -20° to +60°,with the ability to decouple the sight fromthe automatic weapon, commonality beinghigh to rein costs.

The Dual is ready for productionand Dynamit Nobel Defence is expectingthe first contracts. The prime configurationconsidered is that with the RMG 12.7 and


Dynamit Nobel Defence designed a dual RCWS optimised for its RGW-90 rocket launchers, thatallowsmachine gun ammunition reloading from under armour. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The dual R-600 developed by EOS is alsocapable to host a medium-calibre low recoilcannon. It is in service with Singapore armedforces. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

27

two RGW 90, however a pending customerasked for a weapon integrating the Minimi7.62 and the M2 12.7 mm machineguns, while the German Army showsinterest in the combination of the RMG 12.7mm and the H&K 40 mm AGL. For specialforces the M2 and RGW 90 solution iscurrently being proposed.

I RAYTHEONIn a category of its own, the BattleGuarddraws on Raytheon’s optronic panoramicpod used, inter alia, by the Abrams and theBradley. It thus becomes the main moduleof the station which is obtained by addingthe BattleGuard mount between the vehicleand the pod.

It is proposed as a low-cost low-impactsolution to provide US Army tanks andfighting vehicles with an RCWS based on thecommander’s independent viewer. Fullymodular, up to two weapons can be mountedon the BattleGuard mount, from machineguns to grenade launchers to low recoilcannon, Raytheon missiles and less-than-lethal weapons being also an option. Amongthe numerous weapons foreseen are theM249, M240, M2, Mk47, Mk19, M134,M230LF, TOW, Javelin, Griffin and Stinger.

I SAABSaab’s Trackfire is a modular unit that canbe configured either as a single or a dualweapon system – a modularity that notonly allows a degree of flexibility inthe choice of western ordnancebut also Eastern Europeweapons. Primaryweapons range fromthe typical M2

12.7 mm heavy machine gun, to the H&K40 mm automatic grenade launcher, to theATK LW25 dual feed Ghain Gun using 25 x

59 mm ammunition. However, a“mirror” version of the Trackfire

is available for the Russian12.7x108mm NSV, which is fed from

the right rather than from left. Thelatter can be armed with a 7.62x54R

PKM as coaxial machine gun, thestandard version using a MAG58 in7.62x51 mm or an M249 in 5.56mm.

Depending on configuration thebare weight of the Trackfire is ofabout 250 kg, typicalammunition load for the M212.7 mm being 400 rounds. Thedirector unit is permanently

stabilised through the use of aSaab gyroscope whilethe line of sight is fullyindependentlystabilised. The sensormodule is completely

decoupled from the weapon cradle, andhence isolated from weapon shock/recoileffects. Both weapons are slaved to thestabilised line of sight in a coincidencecapture relationship in elevation, giving theability to track continuously lased targets,the ballistic solution being automaticallyadjusted in real time by the fire controlcomputer.

The architecture of the Trackfireleverages experience acquired by Saab inthe CV90 fire control system. Both theweapons and the sensor module cantherefore move in elevation in the–25°/+60° arc while the sensor module canalso be moved in azimuth on a ± 15° arc. Avideo tracker module is also part of theFCS, the Trackfire being capable of firingon the move.

So far Saab received a limited contractfrom ATK in late 2011 for integrating theLW25 Chain Gun (the US Governmentbeing the end user), and another one yearlater from the Finnish Navy for 12Trackfire plus options. The Saab RCWS is tobe installed on the new Watercat M18AMC multipurpose high-speed landingcrafts planned for delivery in the 2014-2016 timeframe. The Finnish Navy chosethe version equipped with a 12.7 NSV and a7.62 PKM machine guns, with the mainbeing replaceable with a 40 mm grenadelauncher. The Trackfire with the ATK 25mm solution was also exhibited at DSEI2013 mounted on the Patria New VehicleConcept, with non-lethal weapons fittedbelow the coaxial machine gun.


The Trackfire developedby Saab is available bothforWestern and Easternmachine guns and canbeequippedwith low recoilcannons of mediumcalibre. (Saab)

Amodular system, Raytheon’s BattleGuardexploits the existing commander’s panoramicsight transforming it in a single or dualweapon station. (Raytheon)

I BAE SYSTEMSLaunched in mid-2010 by the South Africanbranch of the company, the Tactical RemoteTurret (TRT) has been declined in severalmodels, with different weapons installedfrom 20 to 30 mm calibre.

The first was the TRT-B25, armed withATK’s M242 Bushmaster 25 mm dual-feedcannon and M240 7.62 coaxial machinegun. The optronic package, installed underthe gun, hosts the typical day/night sightand laser rangefinder suite suited to thecannon range, the choice being defined bycustomer’s preferences. The TRT ensures agood protection of the main weapon and ofthe coaxial machine gun located on top onthe right. In the back the two feedingchutes are not fully protected against sandand dust. All covers also provide ballistic

protection, standard being Level1, increasable to Level 2 at customer’swish. With the two 130-round belts and1,000 rounds for the machine gun, theoverall weight of the TRT-25 is 900 kg.Fully stabilised, the TRT featureselectro-mechanical drives, the elevation arcbeing –10°/+65° elevation, optimal forurban areas.

The MMI, common to all versions, is agame-boy type controller that features anauto-tracker with manual lock-on and a10.4” LCD touch-screen display mounted inthe vehicle, the TRT being controlled by asingle operator. The standard cradle cantake the ATK M230 low recoil gun using30x113 mm ammunition, while for thebigger Mk44 Bushmaster, which fires30x173 mm ammunition, a larger cradle isrequired, turning the model into the TRT-N30, N standing for Nato.

Eyeing the African and Middle Eastmarket, BAE Systems unveiled the TRT-R30(R for Russian) in Fall 2012 armed with the30mm 2A42 and 7.62 PKT co-axial machinegun. A further version is the TRT-R30M(X)also carrying two Konkurs missiles. Asthose are located one on each side of themain gun in a lower position, the optronicpod is moved to the right of the turret. Withall the options the TRT can reach a weightof 1,800 kg.

The TRT has not yet found a launchcustomer, but BAE Systems is carrying outan intensive demonstration programme, theturret having been tested in the United ArabEmirates in March 2013 while the companyis planning firings in Europe in 2014 withthe TRT-R30 model.

Medium calibre overheadweapon stations allow to furtherreduceweightswhile keeping the same calibre andammunition load, thanks to the lack of armour around thecannon. This provides good firepower for those vehiclesunable towithstand theweight of an unmanned ormanned turret,while exposing the system toweatherand enemy threats.

Ooomph for InfantryFighting Vehicle

Here armedwith a 12.7mmmachine gun, the Lemur, originally developed by Bofors now partof BAE Systems, can host up to 30mm low-recoil guns. (BAE Systems)

The TRT is made by the South African branch of BAE and is now available in 25 and 30mmconfigurations, both withWestern and Eastern cannons. (BAE Systems)


29

BAE Systems catalogue features anothermedium-calibre turret, this time comingfrom northern Europe; the Lemur wasdeveloped by Bofors, which is now part ofthe Swedish branch of the company. TheLemur comes as a fully modular system,which is centred on the stabilised cradle towhich add-on modules are fitted. Thecompany proposed the ATK M242 dual-feed cannon for the 25 mm calibre and theM230LF chain gun, also from ATK, for the30 mm calibre. A coaxial machine gun in7.62 or 5.56 mm calibre can be installed onthe right of the cannon. The main gun hasat least 125 rounds ready to fire, the totalweight of the system in combat order beingof about 450 kg for the M242 and 350 kg forthe M230LF configurations.

Weight can however change dependingon the choice of the customer in terms ofoptronic sensors and optional add-on suchas fire control of indirect fire if a 40 mmautomatic grenade launcher is used,hunter-killer capacity adding anindependent periscope, smoke grenadelaunchers for self-defence, etc. Numerousoptions are available also in the fire controlsystem such as video tracker, automaticsurveillance mode, digital imageprocessing, integration in BMS andnavigation systems, and embedded

simulation. A new 350kg version of the30mm Lemur will include amongst othersan independent line of sight.

I FNSSThe Turkish vehicle manufacturer has had aone-man turret for some time in its catalogue– the Sharpshooter – originally developed inthe ‘80s by FMC, now BAE Systems Land andArmaments, FNSS itself being a joint venturebetween Nurol Holdings and BAE Systems.This 1.7-tonne turret is armed with an ATKM242 25 mm dual-feed automatic cannonlocated on the right of the centreline, with acoaxial MAG58 or M240 7.62 mm machine

gun on the left, the latter with 600 readyrounds and over 1,600 stowed rounds.

Eight smoke grenade launchers arelocated on the sides and behind the turret,covering the frontal arc, the gunner beingprotected against 14.5 mm AP rounds. Thegunner has three periscopes for frontal andside vision, the sight with day/nightcapability being a customer choice. The fullystabilised (electric drives) turret is in use inMalaysia on some 60 tracked ACV-300s andhas been installed on one of the prototypes ofthe AV8 8x8 IFV developed from the FNSSPars 8x8 for the Malaysian Army.

In 2011 FNSS unveiled a fully stabilisedremote controlled turret known as the Claw.This is armed with a Rheinmetall KBA 25mm dual-fed cannon located on the turretcentreline with 210 ready rounds, and anMG3 or M240 7.62 mm coaxial machine gunon the right with 600 ready rounds. Twoseries of four 76 mm smoke grenadelaunchers are mounted on the rear, coveringthe front sector. On the left of the gun, whichis all protected by the turret structure, is thestabilised independent day/night sight with±7° azimuth arc and –10°/+50° elevation arc,the same elevation arc as the main gun. Anindependent commander’s sight can beinstalled, options also including add-onarmour to raise protection level from 2 to 3, aswell as antitank missile launchers. The guninstalled on the prototype is just an example ofpossible applications, the Claw also beingable to accept 30 mm cannon. Fully loadedthe Claw has a weight of 1,700 kg, itssilhouette being particularly reduced thanksto the limited height of 590 mm.

A one-man turret, FNSS’s Sharpshooter can bearmedwith 25mm cannons and is in servicein numbers inMalaysia. (FNSS)


Remotely controlled and fully stabilised,the Clawwas developed by FNSS of Turkeyboth to equip its vehicles and platforms

from other OEMs. (FNSS)

IOTOKARUnveiled as a functional mock-up in mid-2011, the Otokar Mizrak unmanned turrethas been shown in real two years laterinstalled on the prototype of the company’sTulpar armoured infantry fighting vehicle.Conceptually nothing had changed, but thewhole turret was re-designed in detail.

System combat weight is 2,671 kgwithout ammunition, the Mizrak remainingan option for tracked IFVs as well as for 8x8vehicles such as Otokar Arma. The Otokarturret can be equipped with differentweapon systems from 25 to 40 mm.Typically the Tulpar turret is armed with a30 mm dual-feed ATK Mk44 Bushmaster IIcannon, having been fire tested andqualified with that weapon. Two 30 mmbelts each with 104 rounds of different typesfeed the gun via the electromechanicalfeeding system. Air-burst munitions withprogrammable fuse can be used.

A coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun islocated on the right of the main gun, with500 rounds. The dual axis stabilized gunnersight is located on the left and includes ahigh performance cooled thermal camera,CCD camera and laser range finder. Itsazimuth arc is of ± 10° while its elevationarc is –10°/+60°, the same of the weapon.The commander’s panoramic sight isidentical to the gunner’s, except for its 360°azimuth capability. It is located on the turretroof, behind the gunners sight. The open-architecture vetronics allows an easyintegration of add-on subsystems, such as

laser warning receiver, soft/hard kill, C3I,etc. Anti-tank guided missiles can also beadded, the most obvious being the nationalsolution in the form of Rocketsan L-Umtas.All mechanical, electronic hardware,software and optronics design activitieshave been carried out in-house. The basicdesign has a Level 2 protection, which isconsidered sufficient for an unmannedturret. However Otokar has a few variantsin the design phase, with different cannonsand some of them with manned solutions; inthat case increasing protection up to Level 5with an add-on armour kitmight become a sound solution. Finalprototypes started to be tested in early 2012,final field tests having been finished by

early 2013, and the Mizrak 30 is now readyfor serial production.

At IDEF 2013 Otokar unveiled a secondmedium calibre turret, the Bozok 25 MTK.This new product being one-man basketedturret armed with an ATK M242 low recoilcannon is fully stabilised and is located on theright of the turret, the dual feed mechanismcontaining two belts of 105 ammunitioneach. A coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun islocated to the right of the gun and is providedwith 500 ready rounds. On the left we find theday/night sight that includes a CCD daycamera, a cooled thermal imager, a laserrangefinder and an automatic target tracker,all optronics being developed in-house. Thegunner’s digital periscopic sight is of the headmirror type and is mechanically linked to thestabilized main gun. Located on the left of theturret, it features a cooled thermal imager,CCD day camera and a laser rangefinder, allthe systems having been developed in-houseby Otokar. A redundant hard-optic back-upsight is also integrated in case of a powerfailure. Full 360° situational awareness isprovided by further four periscopes.A rear-hinged hatch on the top of theturret allow the gunner to have a directview of the surroundings. When inside theturret the gunner enjoys a Level 3 all roundprotection provided by the turret steelstructure and the bolt-on armour. Withoutammunition the Bozok 25 weighs 1,570 kgand is thus installable on 6x6 vehicles.Completed just before IDEF, in Spring2013, the Bozok 25 completed firing trialsand is now ready for production. A cheaperproduct compared to the Mizrak, Otokarestimates that this product might findnumerous customers.

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TheMizrak 30mm turret was unveiled byOtokar in 2011 and is now installed on the companyTulpar proposed to the Turkish Army as the future infantry fighting vehicle. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The Bozok 25MKT one-man turret is themost recent development fromOtokar in themediumsystems arena. (Armada/P. Valpolini)


I RAFAELA true RCWS, the original Samson MkI byIsraeli Rafael featured the main weapon,fully stabilised, in the centre, with theoptronic package on the right in anarmoured pod and the antitank missile podon the left. The customer could choseamong three options for the cannon, the 25mm ATK M242, the 30 mm ATK Mk44 andthe 30 mm 2A42 of Russian origin, themissiles normally used being the SpikeLR/ER produced by Rafael itself, althoughother ATGMs can be integrated. A 7.62 mmmachine gun or 40 mm automatic grenadelauncher can be installed as secondaryarmament, while up to eight smoke grenadelaunchers are available as optional. Whilethe gunner has at his disposal an optronicday/night sight the commander can carryout surveillance independently thanks to apanoramic sight installed on a mast. TheRCWS is equipped with an automatic targettracking system capable to engage fastmoving targets, and can be interfaced withany C2/C4I system. A peculiarity of theRafael turret is that it can be retracted toreduce the vehicle silhouette when not inuse, and rose during operations. TheSamson MkI has been acquired by theCzech Army that installed it on over 100

Pandur 8x8s, some of which have beendeployed in Afghanistan.

Leveraging experience garnered with theMkI, Rafael developed the Samson MkII.Strictly, this is no longer an RCWS as theweapon is fully encased in a low profileturret. At basic protection level, Stanag

Level 1, the MkII weighs about 1,500 kg,about 100 kg less than the MkI, while itsmaximum elevation is increased from +60°to +70°, a useful feature when operating inurban or mountainous terrain.

Another key feature of the MkII is thefact that the crew can reload theammunition from under cover; ammo islocated in a circular magazine on two rowsinside the turret. A sitting position for thevehicle commander is available to allowhim to have a direct view of the terrainkeeping the head out of the turret through adedicated hatch. The two missiles arelocated on the left but here they are installedside by side in a newly developedretractable launcher that can host the MR,LR and ER versions of the Spike. The MkIIcan use the same weapons as the MkI andmaintains the same hunter-killer capability.Turret protection can be increased to Level 4with add-on armour. Rafael has producedtwo prototypes of the Samson MkII. Thetest phase has been concluded in Summer2013 and the new unmanned turret is nowready for production.

I ELBIT SYSTEMSKnown now as UT30, Elbit Systems’unmanned medium calibre weapon stationis equipped with either a 30 mm or a 25 mm


The new Spikemissiles launcher developed by Rafael that can be installed on its SamsonMkIImedium calibre turret. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The Samson MkI RCWS is a peculiar systemas it can be retracted when not in use inorder to reduce the vehicle shape.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

32

cannon (air-burst munitions also beingpossible). The system layout sees thecannon in central position, with the coaxialmachine gun on its left, together with theoptronic package. Cannon and sight dual-axis stabilisation ensures fire-on-the movecapability, the optronic package beingdefined according to customer’srequirement, including automatic targettracking. The UT30 is designed to adopt amodular Level 2 to 4 protection for weaponand sights, smoke grenade launchers andwarning sensors also being available asoption. Two single-missile Spike launcherscan be installed on the right of the weapon.

While the Portuguese Navy decided toequip its Steyr Pandur II with a 25 mmcannon, most customers, such as Belgiumand Slovenia, opted for the 30 mm. Thiscalibre has also been selected by Brazil,whose Guarani fighting vehicles will beequipped with that Elbit turret, butproduced locally by AEL Sistemas S.A., anElbit Systems subsidiary which has alreadybeen contracted.

I CMI DEFENCEA major player in the medium calibre turretfield is CMI Defence from Belgium. Thelatter owe to the company’s experience withthe two-man CT-CV and LCTS90 heavycalibre turrets, featuring fully stabilisedweapon and sights, FCS, digital electronic

architecture, independent stabilisedcommander’s periscopes, and ballisticprotection up to Level 5. Standardmaximum elevation is +60° to cope withurban and mountainous environments.CMI Defence integrates numerous types ofweapons at customer’s choice, the mostcommon being ATK M242 Bushmaster andRheinmetall Switzerland KBA in 25 mm,ATK Mk44 and Rheinmetall Mk30-2 in 30mm, ATK Bushmaster III and RheinmetallSwitzerland KD in 35 mm, ATKBushmaster IV, Bofors L70 and CTAI 40cased telescoped system in 40 mm. Theycan also be equipped with antitank missiles.

For smaller vehicles CMI Defencedeveloped a modular remotely controlledturret, the CPWS (Cockerill ProtectedWeapon Station) family, that can be fittedwith Nexter M261 and Rheinmetall KAAcannon in 20 mm calibre, ATK M242Bushmaster and Rheinmetall SwitzerlandKBA in 25 mm calibre, ATK M230, ATKM230LF, 2A42 and 2A72 in 30 mm calibre.A coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun is locatedon the left of the main gun that has amaximum elevation of +45° and depressionof –10°. The fully enclosed turret features adual-mode stabilised sighting system thatallows full 360° view in observation modewithout rotating the turret (zeroed to thecannon when used in sighting mode andlinked to the ballistic computer). CMI

Defence will not disclose the weight of itsturrets, but CPWS is suited for vehicles withminimum gross weight of seven tonnes.

IOTOMELARAIn service on Italian Dardo tracked andFreccia wheeled AIFVs with a 25 mmcannon, and on Polish Rosomaks with a 30mm barrel, the Oto Melara Hitfist two-manturret is constantly evolving thanks tolessons learned downrange. The thirdtranche of Freccias currently undercontract will be equipped with the latest

Cockerill Maintenance et Ingégnérie (CMI) ofBelgiumproposes the Cockerill ProtectedWeapon Station family, here installed onPanhard Crab prototype. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The Elbit UT30, also available in 25mm calibre, will equip the newBrazilian Army Guarani 6x6 vehiclein the fighting vehicleconfiguration. (Elbit)



Hitfist iteration that will feature more spaceinside while keeping the same externalsurface, thanks to structure optimisation.The turret will also have wider hatches, toallow more comfort to crew memberswearing body armour, while all turrets willbe fitted with Selex ES Janus FF (FullFormat) periscopic sight, a request comingstraight from the field where only part ofthe vehicles were equipped with the originalJanus. A satcoms will also be added.

From this turret Oto Melara derived itsHitfist OWS, the acronym being misleadingas in fact it is not a weapon station, but anunmanned turret (although the distinctionis now matter for conjecture). The turret hasbeen successfully tested in Russia on boarda Freccia. The second prototype has beeninstalled on the Italian Joint Landing Forceamphibious VBA. The configuration is nowfrozen, including the hatch for thecommander and the access to the turret frominside, and the product is mature and readyfor production. The Hitfist OWS is marketedin many countries, the solutions adoptedmaking it easy to retrofit it to existingvehicles, though doctrinal problems remainin some countries as far as unmannedmedium calibre turrets are concerned.

To overcome that problem, reducingweight while renouncing to the extra-spaceinside, Oto Melara is working on a hybrid

concept, that would allow adding theturning basket to the OWS, a choice thatcan also be made as retrofit on existingOWS turrets. This would allow to keep thetwo-man crew oriented with the gun whileensuring them the vehicle protection.

INEXTERUnveiled in 2010, Nexter’s ARX20 is aremotely controlled turret designedaround the company’s 20mm M621. Fullygyrostabilised, the ARX20 carries 100ready-to-use rounds for a total combatweight of 270 kg. The optronic package islocated on the right of the gun and includesan uncooled thermal camera, a day cameraand a laser rangefinder. Optionally a

cooled thermal camera can be provided. A7.62 mm coaxial machine gun can beadded slightly off centre to the right on theroof. Smoke grenade launchers can also beadded, while the ammunition stowage canbe increased up to 200 rounds. The launchcustomer is believed to be Saudi Arabia,which is said to be having 40 of itsarmoured Aravis 4x4s (also fromNexter) equipped with that turret,although the French company neverconfirmed that information.

Shifting to a much larger turret, Nexterintroduced the concept demonstrator of itsT40 turret at Eurosatory 2012. The T40 wasdeveloped with the help of Nexter’s own LIVe(Laboratoire d’Integration Vétronique, orvetronics integration laboratory) and virtual3D laboratory, that allow to test human-machine interfaces prior to prototypemanufacturing. The T-40 is developed as atwo-man turret according to the FrenchArmy requirements for the EBRCreconnaissance vehicle, with the commanderon the left and the gunner on the right, butits electronic architecture easily allows it tobe morphed into a remotely operated turret(based on a digital modular vetronic systemworking on an Ethernet architecture).

The 40 mm CTAI remains the mainweapon and gives numerous advantagessuch as low turret intrusion, smoothloading cycle, and ability to shoot in single-shot mode or at any rate up to 50 rpm (itsAP rounds being able of perforating 140mm RHA). Being primarily developed forthe EBRC, which might operate in urban or

Here seen armedwith a 25mmcannon andinstalled on an Italian Army Freccia serving inAfghanistan, OtoMelara’s Hitfist Plus is alsooperating on Polish Rosomaks, but armedwitha 30mmweapon. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

Although never confirmed, NexterARX20 is in service with SaudiArabia, installed on part of its fleetof Aravis 4x4 armoured vehicles.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

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mountainous terrains, the main gunelevation is of 45° (but +60° would bepossible). The turret features an all-roundLevel 4 protection (Level 5 in option), whileits 360° observation capability is affordedby a layer of systems optimised for distancesof 0 to 4,000 metres. As for the weaponsystems installed, these also follow a layeredconcept ensuring lethality at differentranges as well as less-than-lethality atshorter ranges.

Starting from sensors, the longer rangesare provided by the gunner day/night sightensuring positive identification at 3,500 –4,000 metres, while the commanderpanoramic periscope ensures hemisphericalcoverage providing similar performances. Interms of effectors these sensors providesighting and hunter-killer capacity both forthe two medium-range MMP antitankmissiles and the 40 mm gun. The missiles arebeing developed by MBDA (availabilityaround 2017) and the launcher would befitted to the left of the turret. Observation upto 600 metres is provided by the day/nightsight of the 7.62 mm RCWS mounted atopthe T40, following the turret-on-turretconcept. Between 300 and 50 metres the T40is provided with episcopes for direct view andwith a 360° situational awareness systemmade of three elements each containing threeLow Light CCD cameras covering 40° each,thus providing full day and night coverage.

The T40 is equipped with laser and

missile warning receivers located at the fourcorners of the turret, and with a shotgundetection system. To defend the vehicleagainst laser guided missiles four Galixlaunchers on each side of the 40 mm gunare available. Two more Galix launchersprovide lethal self-defence capacity on thefrontal arc, that on the rear being providedby the 7.62 mm RCWS which elevationreaches over 80°. To the right of the turretare seven 56 mm grenade launchers capableof firing salvos of less-than-lethal teargas/flash-bang pyrotechnics to ranges of200, 100 and 50 metres.

As anticipated, with the exception of themain gun and the gunner sight, most of theother elements are installed in a modularway and can thus easily be removed orinstalled according to the prevailingsituation. The RCWS can for example bereplaced by a pintle-mounted machine gun.

As said earlier this turret is first intendedfor the EBRC; however Nexter is looking atother opportunities.

In the current Level 4 protectionconfiguration the T40 weighs 4.2 tonnes,but its structure can accept a maximumweight of seven. Looking down the road,the aforementioned modularity will allowNexter to easily integrate any type of sensorand subsystem that might be developed inthe future, enabling the T40 and thevehicles on which it will be installed toremain abreast with enemy development.

I KMWWith the experience acquired with theFLW100/200, KMW started consideringthe Rh202 20 mm cannon chambered for20 x 139 mm rounds (and already in usewith the Bundeswehr) in late 2011 as thepossible weapon for a beefed-up version ofits FLW200. The aim was to provide anoverhead weapon station with a morepowerful weapon, to be installed onvehicles such as the Boxer or the Fuchs.

Largely derived from the FLW200, thenew system was named FLW200Plus; asmany Fuchs and Boxers were alreadyequipped with the FLW200, KMW paidattention not to modify the mechanical andelectrical interfaces in order to allow theinstallation of the FLW200Plus withminimal work. The same applied to theoperators’ console inside the vehicle, whichremains the same in terms of hardware.The new mount has an over-roof weight of475 kg including the weapon and 100rounds, the Rh202 gun having a two-feedsystem that allow to keep 100 rounds of onetype and 30 rounds of a different type readyto fire.

The elevation arc stretches from –15° upto +50°. The standard optronic packageincludes a day CCD camera with x10optical zoom and a dual-field-of-viewcooled 640x480 thermal imager providing


One of the latest iterations of Nexter T40, armedwith the CTAI 40mm telescopedammunition cannon and primarily aimed at the French EBRC programme. (Nexter)

An evolution of the FLW200, the FLW200Plus byKMW is armedwith the Rh202 20mmand caneasily be installed on vehicles alreadyequippedwith the lighter RCWS. (KMW)

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identification at over 2000 metres. TheFLW200Plus is currently in the finalqualification phase.

In the medium calibre domain KMWalso developed the turret for the Puma. Thisis tailored to Bundeswehr requirements andcan hardly be considered a product for othermarkets. The intention of developing a newuninhabited medium calibre turret becameclear in 2010 when the Munich-basedcompany exhibited a Boxer with a prototypeuninhabited turret. Development work wascarried out under wraps and at AUSA 2013KMW unveiled the IWS35, for IndependentWeapon Station 35. This maintains somefeatures of the Puma turret, the main beingthe optical day panoramic periscope thatprovides a much better view compared to aTV solution; this has a considerable impacton the turret architecture as the periscopemust be located in the centre of the turret ,the weapon thus being on the right. Theprototype shown was armed with an ATKBushmaster III 35 mm cannon, whichmakes the IWS35 the first 35 mmunmanned turret, the secondary weaponbeing the ATK 12.7 mm chain gun locatedon the right of the main gun. A singleservomotor ensures the elevation of bothweapons; as the main gun has a maximumelevation of 35° and the potential customersfeed back clearly indicated the need for agreater elevation for the secondary one,KMW coupled the two weapons with agearbox. At maximum depression, -10°, thetwo weapons are aligned, and then whenincreasing the elevation the 12.7 mm israised at a quicker angular speed, reaching amaximum of 65°.

The two weapons are fully stabilised, andwhen choosing the weapon to be used the firecontrol system automatically considers it inthe ballistic equation ensuring it is set at theright elevation. Stabilisation is provided byMoog and ensures a 45°/s laying angularspeed and a 100m/s2 acceleration. To avoidproblems with links KMW opted for alinkless solution, in the form of a Meggittautomatic loader that elevates with the gunand contains 65 rounds of the principalammo type and 11 rounds of the secondaryone. The current configuration does notallow reloading from under armour; howevera solution has already been identified, shoulda customer require that feature.

The number of rounds was decidedconsidering the much greater lethal effect ofa 35 mm versus a 30 mm ammunition. ATK12.7 mm also features a double feed system,the total number of ammunition being 250.Without ammunition the turret, which has a

Level 2 basic protection, weighs about threetonnes, increasing to 3.5 tonnes whenloaded with 35 and 12.7 rounds. The highcontent of US subsystems, weapons,stabilisation and loader, as well as the factthat the unveiling, without fanfare, tookplace at the Washington exhibition, clearlyshows the interest of KMW for this market.The IWS35 can thus be considered as apossible candidate for some Americanprogrammes such as the Army GroundCombat Vehicle and the US Marine CorpsAmphibious Combat Vehicle. This beingsaid, the IWS35 can be equipped withdifferent cannon, such as those fromRheinmetall or the CTAI 40 mm telescopicammunition gun selected by Britain andFrance for their next combat andreconnaissance vehicles. The IWS35 alreadyhas been test fired in Germany and moreintegration work will be carried out in 2014.

I RHEINMETALLThe Lance modular turret was developedby Rheinmetall in the mid-2000s and hasnow become a mature system, with the fourturrets on order by GDELS now on theirway to the Tercio de Armada, installed onPiranha III 8x8s adopted by Spanishamphibious troops. A Lance turret wastested in Canada and integrated onboard aPiranha 5 as part of the Close CombatVehicle testing phase.

At Eurosatory 2010 the Lance wasexhibited on a Boxer, transforming thelatter into an infantry fighting vehicle. Themodular architecture of the Boxer could bebetter appreciated at IDEX 2013, whereRheinmetall exhibited the module on itsown, which can be installed in around 30minutes using a crane.

Currently the Lance is offered armedwith the Rheinmetall Mk 30-2 with air-burst capability, although other optionsinclude the ATK Mk 44 Bushmaster II andIII (respectively 30 and 35 mm) and theCTAI 40 mm, the latter being used in theBritish Scout Vehicle programme whoseturret chassis is a derivative of the Lance.The coaxial machine gun, located on theright of the main gun, can be chosenamongst three options, H&K MG4 in 5.56-mm, Rheinmetall MG3 and FNH Mag 58in 7.62 mm, and the newly developedRheinmetall electric driven RMG 7.62. ASeoss-Sector stabilised sight installed onthe left provides the gunner with day/nightshooting capacity, while a Seoss-Peri or–Mout can be installed on the rear of the

At AUSA 2013 KMWunveiled its IWS35, which stands for IndependentWeapon Station, armedwith a 35mm cannon and a 12.7mmmachine gun, both from ATK. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

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The KMW IWS35 features the same Cassidianoptical periscope of the German Puma IFV,whichmeans that the cannonmust beinstalled on the side. (Armada/P. Valpolini)


37

turret to give the commander full hunter-killer capacity, the latter system having a70° elevation for better use in urbancanyons. Protection is also modular, thestandard being Level 4, although thiscan be altered. Sniper location, 360°situational awareness, IFF and turret-on-turret are part of the options that can easilybe added thanks to the Lance vetronicsmodular architecture.

Rheinmetall currently is working on theintegration of the Spike antitank missileand of its new Wotan 30 mm gun in theLance, this electric driven gun allowing anadjustable rate of fire between one and 200rpm. At time of writing the secondprototype featuring many improvementswas being readied for firing tests.

While current Lance versions weredeveloped as two-man turret, the turretarmed with the Wotan will have a remotelycontrolled configuration, an option thatwas included right from the outset byRheinmetall, with a commonalityestimated at 75%. A one- or two-mancontrol station will be installed inside thevehicle, all remaining other electronicsbeing relocated in the turret. The Lance-RC needs a new slip-ring as the amount ofinformation flowing from the turret to thevehicle and vice-versa is much higher thanin the traditional version. The Lance-RCwill retain the under-cover reloadingfeature. Weight should decrease to aminimum of two tonnes (2.7 tonnes withhigher protection levels). The Lance-RC isnow awaiting a launch customer.

I DENELWith ink now set on two contracts, one forthe Malaysian AV8 8x8 armoured vehiclebuilt by DefTech and derived from theTurkish Pars 8x8 and the other for the SouthAfrican Patria AMV-based Badger, the

Denel LCT 30, is now well into production. Inboth cases the turret is armed with Denel LSGI-30 CamGun, an externally poweredcannon featuring a linkless dual feed systemand capable to fire in “sniper mode”, that isin single shot mode with bolt closed formaximum accuracy.

The main gun has 60 ready-to-fire roundswhile the coaxial 7.62 machine gun has 600.A two-man turret, it can be equipped witheither an 8x direct view optical sight or athree-lens CCD day gunner’s sight, bothsynchronised to the main weapon,complemented by a two-lens thermal imagerand a laser rangefinder with a 10 km range.The commander is equipped with aperiscopic sight provided with either a two-FoV direct view optic sight or a three-FoV

CCD for day aiming and surveillance, and athree-FoV thermal imager. A series ofepiscopes provides direct situationalawareness to the gunner, on 220°, and to thecommander, on 360°.

The fire control system allows fire on themove and the independent commander’speriscope provides hunter killer capability.Maximum elevation is 30°, while depressionreaches–10°. The LCT 30 featuresconsiderable protection on the frontal arc, thebase level being against 23 mm API roundsfired at 500, which can be increased against30 mm AP-T rounds with add-on armour;sides, rear and top are protected at Level 3.According to latest information Malaysia,which initially looked for 123 AIFVs with theLCT 30 and 54 more with the turret integratedwith the South African Ingwe missile, hasdecided to install the missiles on all its Deneltwo-man turrets. A total of 264 Badgers areon order, most of which will be equipped withthe LCT 30 in different configurations. DenelLand Systems also maintains the LCT-20 inits portfolio, which is a compact and lowercost turret with manual drive armed with theGI-2 20 mm cannon.

I REUTECHThis South African company proposes itsSuper Land Rogue, which is armed with a20 mm dual feed cannon, either the DenelGI-2, or the Nexter M693 F2. Ammunitionmagazines are located on either side of theweapon, each with 100 20x139 mm rounds.The Super Land Rogue can also be armedwith the 23 mm 2A14 automatic cannon.

While keeping the architecture of anRCWS, the weapon is fully encased in an

Reutech’s Super Land Roguewas initially proposed armedwith Denel’s GI-2 20mmgun but isnow available also with Nexter’s M693 F2 andwith the Russian 23mm2A14. (Reutech)


Rheinmetall’s Lance is amodular turret thathas been so far adopted by the SpanishMarines. An unmanned version is also beingdeveloped. (Rheinmetall)

environmental protection pod, withoptronics located under the weapon. Thestandard optronic package includes a CCDday sight with optical zoom, a two-FoVcooled thermal imaging and a laserrangefinder, optical auto-tracking modebeing provided. A naval version, theSuperSea Rogue, has also been developedand is in service with the Benin Navy. Thishas an extended elevation arc of –35°/+60°while the land version has a –10°/+40° arc tooffer a lower profile and centre of gravity; forboth applications the customer can choosebetween full traverse or ± 150° traverse.

I YUGOIMPORTTwo different turrets are part of theYugoimport portfolio, the M80, armedwith a 20 mm cannon, and the M91,featuring a 30 mm weapon. The M80 isavailable in two versions, full remotecontrol through optronics, and a one-manconfiguration with gunner’s seat, firingstation and direct view channel added tothe previous configuration. The M80 is inservice in Serbia where it has beenqualified four years ago.

The M91 one-man turret origins traceback to former Yugoslavia. However this

turret has undergone a series of upgrades, anew version known as the Vidra still beingdeveloped. Armed with the M86DF 30 mmcannon with dual-feed mechanism, a coaxial7.62 mm machine gun, four 82 mm M79smoke grenade launchers and two Malyutka 2antitank missiles, the Vidra weighs 1,782 kgin full combat order and 1,430 kg withoutammunition. The machine gun is locatedexternally, over the main gun, the two missilesbeing on the right. The 30 mm cannon andthe gunner are protected by a Level 2 ballisticsteel armour, the front glacis being at Level 4+while the sides are at Level 3, add-on armourbeing available for further protection. TheVidra is available with the gun stabilised ontwo axes. A basic FCS with sights and sensorsslaved to the gun and a back-up sight on theleft, or full FCS and stabilised sight round upthe options. Yugoimport is currently workingon the next configuration, expected by Fall2014, that will see the Vidras transformed intoan unmanned turret that preserves under-armour reloading and use as a one man turretwith back-up commands and folding seat.

I KHARKIV MOROZOV DESIGN BUREAUIn the Ukraine the Kharkiv Morozov DesignBureau has developed a series of remote

control turrets. Aeavily armed, the Grom,Shturm and Parus all feature a 30 mmbarrel, an AG-17 30 mm AGL, a KT orPKT 7.62 mm machine gun, andantitank missiles.

The Grom is armed with the ZTM-2cannon, the Ukrainian version of the 2A42; adual-feed weapon, it has two 180-round

38

Also known as Vidra, YugoimportM91 30mm turret will be soonavailable also in an unmannedconfiguration. (Yugoimport)


The Grom unmanned turret by UkrainianKharkiv Morozov Design Bureau featuresconsiderable firepower as well as a ratherunique quite architecture. (Ukrspecexport)


ready-to-fire belts and is capable to engagetargets at ranges of 4,000 metres. The Gromhas an unusual architecture in that it comesin the form of a rectangular box containingweapons and ammunition, the four 9P135MKonkurs antitank missiles being attachedunder the module. Considering the fourmissiles, the 30 mm ammunition, a 1,200-round belt for the machine gun, 150 30 mmgrenades for the AG-17 and eight smokegrenades, the combat weight of the Gromtowers up to 1,800 kg from the 1,280 kg of thesystem without ammunition. The Grom isproposed for increasing the firepower of lightarmoured fighting vehicles such as the BTR-60/70/80, the BTR-3E, the MT-LB, the M-113,the BMP-2 and others.

The BM-3 Shturm has a similararmament, but the cannon is the ZTM-1,the Ukrainian weapon similar in design andcapabilities to the Soviet-designed 2A72.The turret layout is completely differentfrom that of the Grom, as it comes in theform of a classical turret with the 30 mmcannon in the middle, the 7.62 mm MG toits left and the 30 mm AGL even further outto the left, followed by the optronic podhousing the Trek sighting system. On theright are two antitank missiles, which in thiscase are R-2 Baryer semi-automatic laserguided missile with a range of 5,500 metres.A panoramic camera is installed on the roof.The Shturm has a weight of 1,300 kgincluding ammunition, that is 400 30 mmrounds in two belts, 2,000 7.62 mm rounds,87 30 mm grenades and the R-2 missiles.The Shturm has been fitted to BTR-3E1sacquired by the Thai Army.

The BM-7 Parus maintains the BM-3Shturm architecture and weaponry, but has

an improved sighting system withindependent panoramic sight for thecommander. The weight increases to 1,650kg fully loaded; considering the reducedamount of ammunition, two 150-round beltsfor the cannon, 500 rounds for the machinegun and 29 grenades, it is safe to assume thatthe protection level has been considerablyincreased. The Parus equipped amongothers the second batch of BTR-4 providedby the Ukraine to the new Iraqi Army.

I KONGSBERG PROTECHKongsberg of Norway developed a medium-calibre remote control turret (although thecompany defines it as a remote weaponstation) that can be armed with automaticcannon from 25 to 40 mm calibre, capable ofintegrating also antitank missiles thanks tothe open architecture adopted. The ProtectorMedium Calibre prototype, unveiled in late2009, features a fully stabilised ATK Mk44 30mm cannon with dual-feed system, able tofire air burst ammunition.

The gun is installed under a ballisticshielding which can range from Level 1 to4, a coaxial machine gun being also fittedover the main weapon. The overall weightwithout ammunition is of 1.8 tonnes, afurther tonne of optional equipment beingadmitted, the Protector MC also being ableto accept a Protector RCWS in a turret-on-turret concept. In early 2013 theKongsberg turret underwent a three-month test at the Nevada Automotive TestCentre, since it is being proposed for theUS Marine Corps Amphibious CombatVehicle. The Protector MC concept is nowfrozen and ready for production.

I EVPUA new entry in the medium calibre turretclub is EVPU of Slovakia, which hasdeveloped the Turra 30, a stabilised turretwhich can be armed with a variety of 30 mmcannons such as the CZ 30, the 2A42 and theATK Mk44 Bushmaster II. Slightly on theleft a coaxial machine gun, either a 7.62 mmPKT or a 12.7 mm NSV, is installed, withfurther left the optronic pod that houses athermal camera, a day TV camera withzoom and a laser rangefinder.

The standard protection is Level 1 that canbe increased with add-on armour. A missilelauncher can be added on the left side, two

types of missiles having been integrated, theTula KBP 9M113 Konkurs and the RafaelSpike. At +75° and –10° the Turra 30 has aconsiderable elevation arc. A series ofgrenade launchers located in the turretensure a 120° arc coverage. The turret in thestandard configuration has a weight of 1,500kg. In May 2012 the Turra 30 was shown atthe Czech IDEB exhibition installed on atechnology demonstrator based on the BMP-1 chassis developed by VOP Trencin. VOPTrencin and EVPU are also proposing aBMP2 upgrade known as the BVP-M2 SKCZthat includes the Turra 30.

EVPUAmongst the latest entries in the mediumcalibre turret producers we find EOS fromAustralia. The company developed a 30 mmturret armed with an ATK Bushmaster II 30mm cannon that has been thoroughly testedin the last three years, and aims at having itready for production in 2015.

Having developed two light RCWS, EVPUdesigned a 30mm unmanned turret – theTurra 30 – which isbeing considered forinfantry fighting vehicle upgrade packages.(EVPU)

Firepower is certainly not an issue whenequippedwith Ukrainian BM-7 Parusunmanned turret, armed as it is with a 30mmcannon, a 7.62mmMG, a 30mmAGL andtwo antitankmissiles. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

A specialist in the light RCWS field, Kongsbergdeveloped also the Protector Medium, thedesign of which design is now frozen andready for production. (Kongsberg)


I CMI DEFENCECMI Defence is definitely the major producerof heavy calibre turrets, considering thosefrom 90 mm up. The Belgian company is nowoffering four different turrets, starting withthe lightest, the CSE 90LP, which gun has a36-calibre gun with a nominal pressure of210 MPa. Its weight and recoil allow its useon vehicles of more than seven tonnes,ballistic protection being increasable fromLevel 1 to Level 4.

A derivative of the former CS 90LP, the “E”added means electrically actuated, the formermodel featuring hydraulic actuators. Thistwo-operator turret can be equipped withvarious sights and fire control systems,according to customer’s requirements, and its30° maximum elevation allows indirect fireup to six km. The latter integration of the CSE90LP was exhibited at IDEX 2013, the turretbeing installed on a BTR-3E 16 tonne 8x8vehicle from Ukroboronservice.

Next is the two-operator LCTS 90MP, the48.5-calibre barrel of which has a nominalpressure of 310 MPa. Aimed at vehiclescomprised between 10 and 20 tonnes, itfeatures an autoloader and its higher muzzle

velocity affords it a range of 7.8 km with anHE round at the maximum elevation of 20°.Its FCS can include all the features found onMBTs such as day/night fully stabilised sightfor the gunner and stabilised independentperiscope for the commander, both with laserrangefinder, vetronic being linked to a fullydigital architecture.

The interest in light tanks led CMI Defenceto develop a new larger calibre gun – andconsequently a new turret. Its 105 mmCockerill CV HP gun has a 51-calibre barreland features a pressure 120% that of standardguns, with a peak recoil force of less than 150kN. The CT-CV 105HP, equipped with anadvanced autoloader that allows to keep theweight low and avoid the need of a thirdoperator. Fully electric driven, withmechanical backup commands, its digitisedelectronic architecture allows easy interfacingwith customer required subsystems, optionalsensors,aswellaswiththeplatform.Inordertoprovide maximum operational flexibility theCT-CV 105HP features a considerablemaximum elevation, +42°, that allows it to fireHEP rounds in indirect fire mode to amaximum range of 10 km. The gun not only

fires all Nato 105 mm ammunition (includingthe Mecar M1060CV purposely developed forthat gun that ensures a penetration of over 550mm RHA at 2,000 metres into a Nato targetangled at 60°), but also the CMI Defence long-range Falarick 105 gun-launched anti-tankguided missile. The Falarick, unveiled in 2010,features a laser semi-automatic guidancesystem and has a maximum range of 5 km, aflight time of 17 seconds and a tandemhollow-charge warhead ensuring a 550 mmRHA penetration behind ERA. The CT-CVhas been tested on numerous platforms, oneof the latest being the reinforced-roof Wilkvariant of the Polish Rosomak (Wilk meaningwolf in Polish).

To further improve its portfolio aimed atmedium tanks CNI Defence developed theXC-8 turret concept, which can be equippedwith either 105 or 120mm Cockerill high-pressure low-recoil guns. The new two-operator turret leverages CT-CV 105HPexperience and was unveiled at DSEI 2013installed on a Korean Doosan K21 infantryfighting vehicle chassis, giving birth to a lighttank with a gross weight of about 25 tonnes.When equipped with the 105, the XC-8maintains the +42° maximum elevation of theCockerill CT-CV 105HPt and its 10 kmindirect fire range, making the light tank botha direct and indirect fire support asset.

CMI declined to provide any details on theversion armed with the 120 mm gun, the onlyavailable informationbeingthat thegunisableto fire Nato standard 120 mm smoothboreammunition as well as the 120 mm version ofthe Falarick, which ensures a penetration of atleast 700 mm RHA behind ERA.

IOTOMELARAWith the development contract for the nextgeneration Centauro running, Oto Melara isfurther upgrading its three-operator Hitfact105/120 that can be installed on vehicles from25 tonnes up, the current turret weight being

With progressmade onmediumarmoured vehicle structureson the one hand, especially in thewheeled variety, and thetremendous effortsmade on guns themselves tosubstantially reduce recoil forces on the other, it wasinevitable that twoand twowere going to be put togethersooner or later. Inmany cases the ball is in the court of themilitaries, as far as dusting off their doctrines is concerned.

TankGuns forMediumVehicles

CockerillMaintenance etIngégnerie ofBelgiumproposes its CT-CV 105HP turretfor transforminginfantry fightingvehicles into lighttanks. (CMIDefence)

With the development of the Falarick 90antitankmissile the operational reach of theCMI LCTS90 turret has been considerablyincreased. (CMI Defence)

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Mostly remote-controlled

byCompendium

light, medium, heavyTURRETS

ON THE COVER: Apart from being one of the maintrend setters in the field of light remotely controlledturrets, Kongsberg is also paving the way to scalableoutput power turrets with this version of the Protector,which carries less-than-lethal effectors, stunners and allmanner of dazzlers and warning systems before moredetermined action is employed.

AABBCC

42

6.5 tonnes sans armour. The turret structureis in aluminium in order to minimise thestructural weight, add-on armour being thenbolted to provide the desired protection level.A new design will allow reducing the outersurface, which is directly linked to the add-onarmour weight, while keeping the sameinternal volume. Armour solutions areprovided in-house and are mostly ceramic-based for weight saving purposes.

The new basket as well as insidearrangements are designed to providemaximum protection against mines and IEDs.Oto Melara and the Italian Army consider thatthe third man inside the turret covers not onlythe loader role but also a number of secondaryroutine and emergency roles. The turret isdesigned to accept an automatic loader as anoption, which might lead in the long term to aremotely operated turret, a one tonne saving inarmour being forecast, although according toOto Melara the market does not seem to beready for remotely controlled tank gun turret.The company is strongly marketing its 105mm solution for the Brazilian requirement,this calibre being still much requested, whilethe 120 mm solution is also finding interest, also thanks to the new development in 120mm ammunitions.

I IMIAfter years producing the MG251 and MG253120 mm smoothbore guns, respectively for theMerkava Mk3 and Mk4 MBTs, IMI developeda new 120 mm ordnance, the RG120, which is

roughly half the weight of the previous gun, ataround 1,700 kg, and features a 20% lesserrecoil thanks to a new recoil system andmuzzle brake. The new weapon is optimised for remote-control turrets equipped with anautoloader, and IMI has already worked on apreliminary design of a 120 mm turret bothwith remote and direct control options.

IDENELDeveloped from the 76 mm turret installed onthe Rooikat, the Denel LMT-015 is armed withthe company GT-7 gun that uses the samebarrel as the L7 coupled to a long recoil systemthat allows to reduce recoil forces. A 7.62 mmcoaxial machine gun with 1,600 ready rounds isinstalled on the left of the main gun. A three-man turret, the LMT-105 weighs 6.5 tonnesand stores nine ready-to-use rounds in the

turret basket and seven stand-by rounds in abustle magazine. Protected against 23 mm onthe 60° frontal arc, the rest of the turret isprotected at Level 2. The commander’sstabilised panoramic sight provides a hunter-killer capability, full 360° being also availablethrough the cupola equipped with episcopes.Installed for trial purposes on a Rooikat chassisas well as on an ASCOD tracked chassis, ithasn’t yet scored any orders.

Two more players seem about to enter theheavy turrets arena, both from Brazil, where apotential contract is surfacing. One is AresAerospacial e Defesa, the Elbit Systemssubsidiary that is proposing the MT 105BR thatintegrates a 105 mm gun from Israel MilitaryIndustries (IMI), the second being TarobáEngenharia without a turreted system.

The Hitfact is the heavy member of the “Hit” turretsfrom Oto Melara and can be armed with thecompany 120 mm smoothbore gun, here launchinga Horus reconnaissance UAV. (Armada/P. Valpolini)


Still in the concept phase, the XC-8 turretdeveloped by CMI Defence for both 105 and120 mm guns was shown at IDEX 2013 on aDoosan K21 IFV. (CMI Defence)

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