EDR N°51 - May / June 2020

N° 51 • May/June 2020

MAGAZINE European Defence Review German Military Aviation Challenges Combat aircraft’s DASS evolution in Europe 120 mm mortars on the move Small arms: towards a new calibre?

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I S S U E N° 51 2020

Publisher: Joseph Roukoz Editor-in-chief: Paolo Valpolini Aviation & Space Editor: David Oliver Naval Editor: Luca Peruzzi European Defence Review (EDR) is published by European Defence Publishing SAS

Until 2040 the Typhoon will remain the mainstay of the Luftwaffe combat force. The service will acquire 38 aircraft fitted with the new AESA radar. © Eurofighter

www.edrmagazine.eu

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German Military Aviation Challenges

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Combat aircraft’s DASS evolution in Europe

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120 mm mortars on the move

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Small arms: towards a new calibre?

By David Oliver

By Luca Peruzzi

By Ian Kemp

By Paolo Valpolini

EDR | March/April 2020

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German Military Aviation Challenges

By David Oliver

The Luftwaffe will have a large fleet of the problematic A400M multi-role tactical airlifter. © David Oliver

The Interdiction/Deep Strike (IDS) variant of the Luftwaffe’s Tornado multi-role strike aircraft will be replaced from 2025. © USAF

Since taking office as Germany’s defense minister in July 2019, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has repeatedly declared her support for a higher defence budget. According to KrampKarrenbauer, Germany will increase its defence spending by up to 1.5 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2024 and 2 percent by 2031 to achieve the targets set by NATO. Although Germany’s defence budget is set increase to more than € 50 billion (US$ 55.18) in 2020, Kramp-Karrenbauer claims that it is not sufficient to overcome many of the German armed force’s ongoing problems, and future projects, many of which affect the Lufwaffe and army and navy aviation.

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Project Quadriga will see the Luftwaffe replace its Tranche 1 Eurofighters with new AESA-equipped aircraft. © Luftwaffe

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he 2018 annual Report on the Operational Readiness of the Bundeswehr’s Primary Weapons Systems revealed that of the Luftwaffe’s 128 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, only 39 were available for operations and a number of those were without weapons or effective communications. Of its mixed fleet of 130 CH-53 and NH-90 transport helicopters, only 29 were available and there were varying degrees of concern expressed around pilot availability and a shortage of engineers.

Only three out of 15 Airbus A400M transport aircraft were available for deployment. Twenty-two of the 53 A400Ms on order have been delivered, but a plan to sell on 13 of them was abandoned due to lack of buyers. As late as November 2019 the Luftwaffe decided not to accept two new A400Ms due for delivery. The reason given was an example of recurrent technical problems that routine inspections of Luftwaffe’s A400Ms already in service have identified. Inspections of the propeller assembly discovered that not all the 24 nuts per propeller had the intended torque load.

Failure to detect and correct this could result in severe structural damage to the propeller and the propeller shaft. Additional inspections had to be introduced to check the engine mounts, combustion chambers, and engine flaps which posed significant challenges to the Luftwaffe’s 62nd Air Transport Squadron that operates the A400Ms.

The Federal Ministry of Defence argued that this shortage of operational capability was due mostly to an enhanced pace of operations and training due to the Russian annexation of Crimea, which caused equipment to wear out and exceed safety tolerance levels ahead of scheduled maintenance.

The Luftwaffe’s most numerous combat aircraft is the Panavia Tornado that first entered service in 1979. It eventually acquired both the Interdiction/ Deep Strike (IDS) and Electronic Combat and Reconnaissance (ECR) versions of the multirole strike aircraft and during the Cold War they were assigned the mission of bombing Warsaw

The Luftwaffe is planning the acquisition of a squadron of Typhoon ECR to be devoted to the Electronic Attack mission with jamming pods and EW missiles. © Airbus

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Germany has joined the A300 MRTT-equipped six-nation NATO Multinational Multi-role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) © OCCAR

Pact targets, particularly airfields. In the years since German reunification, the Tornados have conducted aerial reconnaissance missions over Kosovo and Afghanistan and are currently operating over Iraq and Syria from the Jordanian air base of al-Azraq.

original decision calling for the F-35 to be included in the comparative analysis and evaluation. The Eurofighter is not yet certified to carry the B61 while the Super Hornet could be certified by 2025 but would have to be accompanied by the EA-18G Growler, thus increasing the cost of operations.

The Tornados delivered to the Luftwaffe numbered 247, including 35 ECR variants, and its current inventory comprises 80 IDS variants, including six for training, and 30 ECR variants which Germany plans to keep in service until 2025 or beyond although less that half are currently operational.

Last year, Airbus officials said they were expecting Berlin to issue an updated request for information on the Tornado replacement but the selection and funding for the programme is far from certain.

However, in March 2020 the Bundestag approved 240 million for the digitalisation of Tornados’ head-up displays.

The DGAP also cast doubt on whether the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) that Germany is developing with France and Spain will be available for the nuclear strike mission with the B61 or its future replacement. The elimination of the F-35 was partly due to lobbying by France, which would threaten co-operation on the FCAS programme if the US fighter was selected. According to recent information the Minister of Defence seems oriented to buy 90 Typhoon and 45 Boeing F/A-18s, the latter to be used as nuclear carriers and electronic air combat aircraft. This might kill the Typhoon ECR programme described hereafter. A firm decision might be announced soon, however after the closure of this article.

In 2019 the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lighting II was eliminated from the shortlist of combat aircraft being considered for the Tornado replacement, which left only the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and the Eurofighter Typhoon as options but neither aircraft is qualified to carry the B61 tactical nuclear weapon that equips the Tornado under a dual-key arrangement with the United States.

Earlier this year the German Council for Foreign Relations (DGAP) argued that to meet the nuclear mission requirements, Berlin should revise its 6

Boeing’s CH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky’s CH-53K King Stallion are contenders to replace the Luftwaffe’s CH-53G heavy-lift helicopters. © David Oliver

EDR | March/April 2020

Germany received the final Eurofighter Tranche 3A aircraft in December 2019. The Luftwaffe received 143 Eurofighters into service since the first Tranche 1 aircraft was delivered in 2003.

Project Quadriga will see the Luftwaffe replace 32 early Tranche 1 aircraft with up to 38 new build and active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar-equipped Eurofighters, a contract for which is expected from the German government in the near future.

Fifteen H145M helicopters have been delivered to the German Army’s Special Operations Command. © Airbus Helicopters

The Luftwaffe is launching the so-called LUWES (Luftgestätze Wirkung im Elektromagnetischen Spektrum) programme that will include an Escort Jamming platform, this being a dedicated EW version of the Typhoon. At the Fighter Conference last November Eurofighter announced the ECR version of the Typhoon that will be developed in three variants, Electronic Attack (EA) with Stand-in Jammer, Electronic Attack (EA) with Anti-Radiation weapons, and Suppression of Enemy Air Defence/Destruction of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD/DEAD). A two-seater aircraft, the Luftwaffe is considering the EA fitted with the Hensoldt EW pod and with MBDA’s SpearEW stand-in jammers, the service considering Electronic Attack and Electronic Combat/ Reconnaissance two separate missions. Thus those 12 aircraft will not take the place for the time being of Tornados ECR, which replacement should follow at a later date, an initial Escort Jamming capability being planned for 2026.

To replace the Luftwaffe’s five A310 tanker/ transport aircraft, Germany has joined the NATO Multinational Multi-role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) that will be equipped with 11 A330 MRTT aircraft. The Luftwaffe is also part of a Joint Franco-German squadron equipped with KC-130J tanker aircraft that will become operational in 2021 based at Évreux-Fauville Air Base in France.

In January 2020 the German Ministry of Defence cancelled a US$2.5 billion contract approved

by the United States in 2018 to purchase four Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton High-Altitude Long Endurance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and opted to purchase three manned Bombardier Global 6000 special-mission aircraft, although no funding has yet been allocated. The aircraft were intended to fly signals intelligence (SIGINT) missions under the Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System (Pegasus) programme but the German Ministry of Defence told German lawmakers that the Tritons would not be delivered until 2025, and that it feared the costs of the acquisition could not be fulfilled.

However, one of the most expensive pending German defence programmes is the replacement of the Luftwaffe’s fleet of 79 CH-53G helicopters.

Boeing and Sikorsky submitted bids at the end of 2019 for the competition to acquire a new heavylift helicopter, offering the CH-47F Chinook and CH-53K King Stallion respectively. The “Schwerer Transporthubschrauber” (STH) or heavy transport helicopter competition aims to meet the country’s military goal of placing a contract for the helicopter in late 2020 or 2021, with the delivery expected to conclude by around 2030. The final contract is expected to cover between 40 and 60 aircraft worth over € 4 billion.

Germany is also looking to purchase more than 60 Airbus Helicopters H145Ms to replace the German Army’s ageing EC135s and Bell 206Ds in the training role, and Dornier-built UH-1Ds battlefield utility EDR | March/April 2020

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The German Army’s 100 plus 40-year old Dornier-built Bell UH-1D utility helicopters need replacing. © David Oliver

helicopters from 2021. Fifteen H145M helicopters have already been delivered to Special Operations Command 64th Helicopter Wing.

The German Navy announced in August 2019 the selection of the NH90 NFH maritime helicopter to replace its fleet of 22 Lynx Mk 88A antisubmarine warfare (ASW) helicopters. The service is expected to receive the first of 21 multirole frigate helicopters (MRFH) helicopters from 2025 to be known in service as the Sea Tiger.

The German Navy had already selected 18 NH90 Sea Lions as a Sea King Mk.41 replacement for search and rescue (SAR) tasks, the first of which was delivered in October 2019.

At ILA Berlin in April 2018 the former German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen and her French counterpart Florence Parly signed a document outlining the high-level common requirements for the joint development of a FrancoGerman Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS).

Dassault Aviation and Airbus Defence and Space have joined forces to develop the FCAS programme, with Safran Aircraft Engines and MTU Aero Engines joining forces to build the new generation fighter (NGF) aircraft’s powerplants.

The project will be a complex system of systems combining a wide range of elements connected and operating together, including a NGF aircraft together with medium-altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the existing fleets of combat aircraft that will still operate beyond 2040, future cruise missiles and 8

EDR | March/April 2020

The NH90 Sea Lion is replacing the German Navy’s Sea King Mk.41 search and rescue (SAR) helicopters. © Airbus Helicopters

drones flying in swarms. The overall system will be designed to be interoperable and connected in a larger perimeter with mission aircraft, satellites, NATO systems and land and naval combat systems.

In February 2019 France and Germany awarded the first € 65 million FCAS contract, a two-year Joint Concept Study (JCS) to Dassault and Airbus based on the High Level Common Operational Requirements Document (HLCORD) signed in 2018. The JCS identifies preferred baseline concepts for the programme’s major pillars such as the NGF, remote carriers (RCs) linked by a Combat Cloud and its Ecosystem embedded in a System-of-Systems FCAS architecture. It will assess operational and technical viability, as well as evaluate programme feasibility of the baseline concepts and identifies joint demonstrators and technology needs.

In February 2019, Spain’s minister of defence, Margarita Robles, signed a letter of intent covering the country’s integration into the FCAS programme. As Spain is already a partner in the Eurofighter programme, together with Germany, Italy and the UK, its defence ministry said that the commitment will provide quality opportunities to the Spanish defence industry and enable the country to maintain a solid base of aerospace activities. On 6 September 2019 the Spanish government appointed Indra to lead its efforts on the FCAS programme with France and Germany.

The Spanish manufacturer ITP is a shareholder in the Eurojet consortium that builds the EJ200 en-

gine for the Eurofighter as is the company’s parent, Rolls-Royce that has been selected as propulsion partner for the UK’s Tempest programme.

The first research and technology contract for the FCAS programme was approved by the Bundestag on 13 February 2020 worth € 77 million, its share of a € 155 million contract to finance the first stage of the project to be financed equally by France and Germany. However, the programme’s industry partners had been increasingly impatient over Berlin’s delayed support for this initial Phase 1A of the project.

There will be four strands to the demonstration programme, the most significant being the flight-testing of the technology demonstrator representative of the NGF design. Airbus will lead on the development of the remote carriers, with MBDA as a main partner. Airbus in conjunction with Thales will work on the development of the combat cloud network that will connect the NGF with other platforms including the remote carriers as well as other fighters, tankers and ISR assets.

The technology demonstrator will use an engine featuring technologies planned for the future NGF powerplant that is likely to be based on the Safran M88 from the Dassault Rafale.

Phase 1B to begin in 2022 will require considerably more investment, likely well in excess of € 1 billion. It will also involve the induction of Spanish companies into the programme, including Madrid’s chosen industry lead Indra, whose role has

Germany faces the challenges of rising costs and multinational co-operation in the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme. © Airbus

been protested by Airbus since the decision was announced last year.

“We think it’s a mistake to select Indra as the Spanish coordinator for the FCAS,” Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury told journalists, adding that the company lobbied for the decision to be reviewed.

He said that Indra lacks experience in the development of combat aircraft and the systems that will ultimately support the FCAS. Airbus had been widely expected to lead the programme in Spain, given its past experience of undertaking local assembly of the Eurofighter for the Spanish Air Force.

In the meantime, industry will be looking for a smooth transition from Phase 1A to 1B in order to meet a target of flying a NGF demonstrator as early as 2026. Prior to that, the three air chiefs have agreed to try to bring greater convergence between their operational needs and hoped to be able to sign a document “specifying this common vision” at the ILA Air Show in Berlin in May 2020, that has now been cancelled due to the COVID-19 emergency.

Apart for the overall cost of the European FCAS programme, which based on past experience may well increase, another issue is how to get the procurement agencies to work more effectively with the combat forces and in turn how to get better cultural integration across the multinational industries to support the transformation of governmental processes. There are additional challenges, not least their respective air forces differing approach to the operational deployment of their combat aircraft. France supports numerous NATO-led overseas operations, while Germany less so. Also, the French would like the NGF to be carrier capable, something the Luftwaffe would have no requirement for.

Lastly, there is a question of the will to commit to the development of two rival expensive European FCAS programmes. Following the launch of Team Tempest in 2018, Airbus’ former chief executive officer Tom Enders was reported as saying “It was time to seriously look at consolidating and coalescing efforts eventually to one. There is just no room for two different programmes.”

EDR | March/April 2020

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Combat aircraft’s DASS evolution in Europe

By Luca Peruzzi

The Eurofighter Typhoon’s EuroDASS Praetorian DASS was put to pace and has been protecting crews for over 20 years, including on peace-keeping operations in Libya and Syria. Š Italian Air Force

Maintaining the control of the electro-magnetic (EM) spectrum is fundamental to achieve freedom of movement, access and control of the air. The threat environment is becoming increasingly complex, congested and contested, further complicated by the proliferation of long range mobile networked surface threats. The operational signal environment for Defensive Aid Sub-Systems (DASS) is growing more complex and systems that were developed some 20 years ago need important enhancements and replacement in the short term. The new EM environment makes difficult for fighter aircraft to handle and recognize threat signals and differentiate them from other signals, in addition to defend airborne platforms with appropriate multi-domain countermeasures. The DASS system of the future should thus be able to operate in a congested, multi-domain and multi-national environment.

The main European electronic warfare industries are responding to these requirements, interacting with platform manufacturers and customers to develop new generation EW suite and provide data to be fused with those provided by other onboard sensors for both soft and hard-kill targeting as well as contributing to tactical intelligence.

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The EuroDASS Praetorian includes a fully integrated 360° coverage RESM/RECM comprising AESA jammers and two active Leonardo fibre-optic towed decoys, in addition to a pulse-Doppler active missile warner. © Leonardo

Typhoon’s Praetorian The Eurofighter Typhoon’s EW suite was put to pace and has been protecting crews for over 20 years, including on peace-keeping operations in Libya and Syria. At the heart of the Typhoon’s EW is the Praetorian DASS provided by the four companies’ EuroDASS consortium including Leonardo in the UK, Elettronica in Italy, Indra in Spain and Hensoldt in Germany, with Leonardo leading the team and sharing with Elettronica the system design authority. The Praetorian comprises a fully integrated 360° coverage RESM/RECM (Radar Electronic Support/Counter Measure) suite with

high sensitivity RESM/RWR sub-system featuring super heterodyne-based receivers, coupled to a pulse-Doppler active missile warner, and a solid-state ECM subsystem. The latter employs Digital RF Memory (DRFM) technology and actively electronically scanned antenna (AESA) arrays providing a full range of coherent and non-coherent ECM techniques, to offer aircraft digital stealthness and threats deception with on- and off-board transmission, the latter provided by two active Leonardo fibre-optic towed decoys (FOTDs). Together with the platform’s Defensive Aids Computer (DAC), chaff and flares dispensing systems based on Saab BOL and Cobham countermeasures dispensing systems (CMDSs) and a Leonardo laser warning system (only onboard UK and Saudi Arabia aircraft), it forms the Eurofighter Typhoon EW suite, which provides the pilot with situational awareness and active/passive countermeasures against RF and IR guided surface-toair and air-to-air missile threats. Although the Typhoon’s EW suite has been so far updated with customers’ common software and hardware enhancements, under the UK-only MoD’s Typhoon evolving roadmap programme, the platform will be equipped with Leonardo BriteCloud second-generation DRFM expendable active decoys (EAD). The UK MoD has successfully conducted trials in the UK and more are planned to be carried out in the US on board the in-service platform

The EuroDASS consortium is proposing the Eurofighter four-customers both an enhanced Praetorian DASS and a new generation suite to cope with present and future threats, as well as with hi-lo mix mission requirements. © Eurofighter

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The EuroDASS Praetorian suite includes an advanced RECM subsystem based on AESA antennas and DRFMs. The Typhoon is in service with seven customers and ordered by two additional countries. © Elettronica

to reach the initial operational capability as soon as possible. UK Typhoon FGR4s will initially use the BriteCloud 55 variant, while in the longer term, the latter and ‘square’ format BriteCloud 218 EAD will be integrated with a new Smart Dispenser System (SDS) being developed by Saab for the Typhoon FGR4 to replace Cobham integrated CMDS. The SDS will perform ‘smart’ priming of expendables and dispensing countermeasures according to optimised sequences and directions, significantly increasing self-protection capabilities. The early-1990s system architecture and the rapid evolution of adversary’s technologies and techniques, pushed EuroDASS to launch a so-far three-year long internally-financed programme to assess the capability growth potential of the existing EW suite in support of Typhoon customers’ present and future requirements. These activities are supporting a 19-month contract awarded to EuroDASS in March 2019 by BAE Systems with-

in the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) programme to keep the Eurofighter Typhoon up-to-date within the foreseen 2050 aircraft Out-of-Service Date. Thanks to this contract, the consortium is laying the ground work to ensure the aircraft EW system remaining up-to-date within the same timeframe. During the EuroDASS future capability conference in October 2019, the consortium briefed the four-nation customers on the internal studies developments to support them in selecting the future EW system architecture and technologies for future production and in-service Typhoon platforms. Based on budgetary constraints, EuroDASS has been looking to a mixed future fleet of Typhoon, where a number of platforms maintains the current DASS system architecture for less demanding operations while others will receive the new architecture to cope with the evolving threat thanks to its growth potential. Thanks to the current system design architecture and room for incremental enhancements, the EuroDASS is understood proposing the integration of a digital receiver into the existing ESM processor as well as the extension of the ESM

The Rafale combat aircraft is equipped with Thales/MBDA SPECTRA EW suite. The first batch of Dassault Rafale combat aircraft, here depicted, was delivered to India last October. In addition to India, the aircraft is under delivery to Qatar and in service with Egypt. © Dassault Aviation

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The French Navy began receiving the latest Rafale F-3R standard last year. On June 2019, the French Minister of Defence announced the € 1.9 billion development and integration contract notification for the new F4 standard to the industrial team led by Dassault Aviation and including Thales and MBDA. © Dassault

operational frequency range by the introduction of the extended low-band enhancement. Besides the latter, which are to increase the Praetorian situational awareness, the consortium is also proposing interoperability and RECM improvements.

The increasingly complex, congested and contested electromagnetic environment together with complex, agile and reprogrammable integrated air defence threats and DRFM equipped adversary airborne platforms, require a new system architecture capable to address the following key operational capability requirements. The Preatorian Evolution will have a full digital architecture designed to provide capability growth through to the OSD, with high speed, wide bandwidth, fast data processing to centralised avionics bay processing capabilities as well as earlier as possible digitalistion in wing tip pods. The new system will be characterized by common hardware software-configured modules, as well as enhanced health monitoring, providing reduced through-life ownership costs in addition to reduced repair turnaround times. The introduction of a multi-channel digital receiver architecture, providing high quali-

The Thales/MBDA SPECTRA (Système de Protection et d’Évitement des Conduites de Tir du Rafale) integrated EW suite’s antenna can be identified on the wing roots, air intakes and vertical rudder of this Rafale for Indian air force. © Dassault

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ty and high-fidelity parametric data will allow the Typhoon to act as an ISR network provider, contributing to sensor correlation, confirmation and targeting neutralization process. This will require more on-board computing capacity and secure high-speed, wide bandwidth data exchange, and dedicated (off-boarding) EW datalink to provide distributed EW capabilities and interoperability. The latest generation threats require to move from traditional mission data construct to a more intelligent algorithm-based mission data construct. The Praetorian Evo architecture will provide a segregated software architecture that supports the safe introduction of applications and algorithmic mission data. The new suite will also include a new generation ECM subsystem with multi-function arrays covering 360° in azimuth and steerable both in azimuth and elevation, which could potentially provide off-board datalink capabilities, as well as a new hybrid missile approach

The imagery created by the MBDA-provided Détecteur de Depart de Missile Nouvelle Génération (DDM NG) passive infrared missile warning system. It also provides angle-ofarrival information, which helps with flare dispensing and potential DIRCM addition in the future. © MBDA

warner with both active and passive operating modes. Thanks to these key new architectural and sub-systems capabilities, the Praetorian Evo will be capable to offer a wider operational frequency range in a networked multi-platform co-operative environment, enhanced ECM capabilities, geolocation and unambiguous emitter identification, as well as low false rate missile warning capabilities.

The new generation EW suite is also expected to work in conjunction with the new CAPTOR-E EASA radar to be installed on newly built or retrofitted Typhoons of the latest tranches, although the EuroDASS consortium hasn’t highlighted and elaborated such capability. Looking to enabling technologies, the EuroDASS consortium has exploited the System-on-Chip (SoC) technology combining hardware and software processing into a single integrated chip, as well as ultra-fast sampling and digitisation behind the antenna, and novel antenna techniques to reduce large system designs. The technologies being developed by the EuroDASS consortium represent a “technological bridge” and are expected to support the sixth-generation combat aircraft development.

Rafale’s SPECTRA On June 2019, the French Minister of Defence announced the notification of the € 1.9 billion

development and integration contract for the latest F4 standard of the Dassault Aviation Rafale multirole combat aircraft to the industrial team led by Dassault Aviation and including Thales as main mission system integrator and provider and MBDA for the weapon package. Representing a technological leap over current generation and a first step towards the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), the F4 standard will introduce enhancements in the networking, weapon systems, sensors, availability and operational readiness areas. In service since 2001, the Rafale has demonstrated its capabilities on different missions and theatres of operations including Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Mali and Syria, under the protection and support of the SPECTRA (Système de Protection et d’Évitement des Conduites de Tir du Rafale) integrated EW suite. Developed by Thales in partnership with MBDA, the SPECTRA works across electromagnetic, laser and infrared domains, employing smart data fusion from multi-spectral sensors to provide identification, location, jamming and decoying against a wide range of threats. The SPECTRA receiver suite is based upon a digital wide band-receiver, improving the suite’s spectrum analysis as well as its instantaneous interception capability, and employing sophisticated techniques such as interferometry for high-precision directionof-arrival and passive ranging. The receiver suite also includes a laser warning system with direction-finding capabilities, and a passive infrared missile warning system called Détecteur de Départ de Missile Nouvelle Génération (DDM NG). Developed and provided by MBDA, the latter has been introduced with the F3 standard and features the latest infrared imagery technology, offering greatly improved field of view, detection range and higher probability of detection and lower false alarm rate compared to earlier systems, even against recent and totally passive IRguided weapons. It also provides angle-of-arrival information, which helps with flare dispensing and potential DIRCM addition in the future. Data from all three sensor suites are fused and processed by a central computer, which prioritizes and activates the relevant countermeasures, based upon comparison between the received signals and an onboard threat library. The SPECTRA suite EDR | March/April 2020

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Delivered last year to both the Brazilian and Swedish MoDs for tests, trials and evaluation, the Gripen E is equipped with a new generation Multi-Functional System-Electronic Warfare (MFS-EW) suite. © Saab

incorporates a solid-state RECM subsystem based upon DRFM and AESA antennas. According to Thales the use of this advanced technology allows the jamming signal to be concentrated in the sector where it is needed, not only increasing its effectiveness, but also reducing the probability of intercept by the adversary’s own sensors. The system is reportedly capable to digitally hide the aircraft, according to French industry sources. In addition to the RECM subsystem, the SPECTRA system incorporates mechanical countermeasures for the dispensing of chaff and decoys that are effective in either electromagnetic or infrared domains, being provided by MBDA together with a special management unit for threat level assessment. According to Thales, the angular localization performance of the SPECTRA sensors makes it possible to accurately locate ground threats in order to avoid them, or to target them for neutralization with precision guided munitions.

The Multi-Functional System-Electronic Warfare (MFS-EW) suite is based on Saab newly developed Arexis EW product family, employing latest sector’s technologies. © Saab

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While the current F3 standard has already incorporated improvements for the SPECTRA suite among other mission suite equipment, a major enhancement both in terms of passive and active capabilities will arrive with the F4 standard. The latter is being developed and adopted incrementally in two phases, F4.1 and F4.2, the latter to be qualified at the end of 2024, which among other improvements, will introduce Gallium Nitride (GaN) based technology for both the AESA radar and the SPECTRA RECM, significantly boosting the capabilities of both systems.

Gripen-E’s MFS-EW With the delivery of the first series-production Gripen E last year to both the Brazilian and Swedish MoDs for tests, trials and evaluation, the Saab group is providing both customers with a new generation version of the Gripen combat aircraft. The latter is characterized by a completely new avionic and mission suite including the MultiFunctional System-Electronic Warfare (MFS-EW) suite. This is based on the Saab newly developed Arexis EW product family that are adapted to fighter aircraft installation and environmental requirements. The MFS-EW system provides the aircrew with essential situation awareness for self-protection and platform survivability with the appropriate countermeasures, the system also acting as a target acquisition sensor thanks to the

The MFS-EW is centred on an RESM/RECM main sub-system which elements are shown in the diagram. © Saab

incorporation of full ESM functionalities. Thanks to the latter capabilities, the system is also able to collect a vast amount of data for post-mission analysis and emitter-database support. According to Saab, the MFS-EW is based on wideband RF technology specifically developed for robustness in today very complex signal environment. The core technology “building blocks” of the MFS-EW are ultra-wideband digital receivers and digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) devices, gallium nitride (GaN) solid state active electronically scanned array (AESA) jammer transmitters and interferometric direction-finding systems. The MFS-EW RWR/ESM offers extended waveband monitoring and interception capabilities against both new generation radar and missile threats, while the level of threat direction-finding and geolocation provides details that allow it to act as targeting sensor in a way not allowed by the current generation Gripen’s mission suite. Moreover, the new GaN jammer allows to simultaneously counter a higher number of airborne and land-based RF threats compared to the current generation suite.

These sensors are integrated into a higher sensor fusion layer that becomes a powerful situational awareness system for the pilot. According to the diagram released by Saab, the radar warning and ECM AESA antennas are concentrated in wing-tip pods and on the vertical fin, while the signal processing unit is positioned in the avionic bay behind the cockpit area, together with the underneath radar warning antenna. In addition to the RESM/RECM package, the Gripen-E EW suite also includes a next generation missile approach warning system with detectors distributed around the airframe and an extensive CMDS suite for chaff, flares and expendable active decoys (EAD) such as the Leonardo BriteCloud, also provided

by Saab including BOP-G and BOL 739 systems, the latter installed in the rear section of the underwing pylons. The Gripen-E is being delivered in two mission software standards: the MS-21 and MS-22. The first one will feature only the RWR/ ESM capabilities of the MFS-EW suite, while only the second will be delivered with the full EW package, including the AESA RECM. While the MS-21-standard aircraft will be available from 2021 on, the MS-22 will be extended to all in-service Gripen-E by 2026. However, the MFS-EW will continue to evolve after the MS-22 thanks to the split avionics of the Gripen E, allowing the system upgrading without time-consuming requalification of safety-critical flight avionics.

The Saab Gripen E’s MFS-EW also includes a MAWS and a CMDS suite for chaffs, flares and active expendable decoys, such as the Leonardo BriteCloud. © Saab

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The Swedish Army has ordered 40 BAE Systems Hägglunds Mjölner twin barrel 120 mm turret mortar systems for delivery through 2020. © BAE Systems Hägglunds

120 mm mortars on the move

By Ian Kemp A growing number of European 120 mm self-propelled mortar systems are competing for orders on the European and international markets.

Nordic trio On 20 September 2019, the first four production examples of the BAE Systems Hägglunds Mjölner (the name of the god Thor’s hammer in Norse mythology) twin barrel 120 mm turret mortar system mounted on the company’s tracked CV90 combat vehicle were formally transferred to the Swedish Army. Crews from the Skaraborg Regiment (P4) immediately began training on the system and conducted live firing in December.

The company received a US$ 68 million contract from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) to supply 40 Mjölner systems in December 2016. The first four pre-production examples were delivered in February 2019 for training and were followed by the first production batch of four in August. Deliveries will continue in batches of four every two months through 2020.

The army’s mechanised infantry battalions, equipped with the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle, now rely upon the long serving Tampella 120 mm Grk m/41 mortar which is carried in a trailer and dismounted for firing. The army originally intended to acquire the Patria Hägglunds 120 mm AMOS (Advanced Mortar System) and ordered 40 new CV90 hulls for the project in 2003. However, in 2008 Sweden cancelled plans to buy the AMOS because of budgetary restrictions and the hulls have since been in storage. A 2011 analysis by the Swedish Army’s Land Warfare Centre validated the army’s operational requirement that a selfpropelled (SP) 120 mm mortar integrated with the CV90 would provide the best combination of firepower, mobility and protection, as well as providing a faster into and out of action time than a towed system.

The muzzle-loaded Mjölner is operated by a fourstrong crew - the commander who also serves as the gunner, two ammunition handlers and a driver - and carries 56 rounds inside the turret.

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a BAE Systems Hägglunds Bv206 tracked allterrain vehicle (ATV) that will carry additional ammunition. A platoon will be able to come into action and begin a fire mission in about two minutes, compared to the 10 minutes it now takes a Grk m/41 platoon to prepare for action, and be ready to move within about a minute after the mission is completed.

The Mjölner turret can also be integrated on the Patria Vehicles 8x8 Armoured Modular Vehicle (AMV) or comparable tracked or wheeled vehicles for export customers.

The twin barrel BAE Systems Hägglunds Mjölner 120 mm turret mortar system can fire the first four rounds within six seconds and achieve a maximum rate of fire of 16 RPM. © BAE Systems Hägglunds

of 60° across the front of the hull with larger adjustments made by pivoting the vehicle. When a loader places a round on the feed tray it is mechanically pushed outside the turret, rotated to align with the mortar tube and then dropped to fire. The Mjölner can fire the first four rounds within six second, achieve a maximum rate of 16 rounds per minute (RPM) and maintain a sustained rate of six RPM. The Mjölner can fire all the Swedish Army’s current inventory of 120 mm high explosive (HE), smoke and illuminating projectiles, as well as the Saab Dynamics Strix 120 mm top attack mortar bomb.

Each of the army’s five mechanised battalions will receive eight Mjölner systems to equip two platoons with each weapon supported by

The Patria Hägglunds AMOS twin barrel 120 mm breechloading mortar turret is designed to be mounted on medium-sized wheeled or tracked vehicles, and fast combat boats. © Patria

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The Finnish Defence Forces are equipped with 18 Patria Hägglunds AMOS 120 mm mortar turrets integrated on the Patria 8x8 AMV. © Finnish Defence Forces

Finnish twins The 120 mm AMOS was developed by Patria Hägglunds, a joint venture between Patria Land Systems and BAE Systems Hägglunds, formed in June 1996, with the former responsible for the turret and the latter for the actual mortar.

AMOS is a twin-barrelled, 120 mm breechloading mortar turret, weighing approximately 3.5 tonnes, which is designed to be mounted on medium-sized wheeled or tracked vehicles, and fast combat boats.

The standard AMOS crew consists of a commander, gunner, loader and driver, and various fire control systems (FCS) can be integrated to meet customer requirements. A high degree of automation enables the AMOS to be brought into action within 30 seconds of coming to a halt and

A high degree of automation enables Patria Hägglunds AMOS twin barrel 120 mm breech-loading mortar turrets to achieve an eightround MRSI. © Finnish Defence Forces

and budget. The 1.5 tonnes turret can be installed on a wide variety of 6x6 or tracked chassis, as well as naval fast attack craft, and was unveiled at Eurosatory 2006 mounted on the company’s AMV which is typically able to carry up to 60 rounds. The NEMO’s semi-automatic loading system achieves a maximum rate of fire of 10 RPM and a sustained rate of seven RPM. Less than 30 seconds after the vehicle halts the first rounds can be fired and the vehicle is ready to move again less than 10 seconds after the last round is fired.

scoot in less than 10 seconds. The AMOS can fire the first four rounds in five seconds enabling it to achieve an eight-round multiple rounds simultaneous impact (MRSI) and continue a sustained rate of 12 RPM. The turret rotates through 360° and can fire at elevations between -3 and 85° enabling the weapon to be used in the direct fire role at short ranges.

The Finnish Defence Forces, after conducting extensive trials with four AMOS turrets integrated on the Patria 8x8 AMV, ordered 18 production standard systems in 2010. The AMV carries 48 rounds inside the hull. The army is keen to acquire more AMOS systems when funding is available.

Patria developed the NEMO (NEw MOrtar) 120 mm single barrel smoothbore turreted mortar system as a company funded venture to provide a less expensive alternative to the AMOS. The modular design enables Patria to tailor a solution to suit a customer’s operational requirements

Patria developed the NEMO (NEw MOrtar) 120 mm single barrel turret mortar system to provide a lighter and less expensive alternative to the AMOS. © Patria

The Patria NEMO Container can be mounted on flatbed trucks, such as the Sisu ETP E13 shown, and ships for transport and operational use. © Patria

There have been three NEMO customers to date.

The Slovenian Ministry of Defence became the launch customer in December 2006 with an order for 12 systems as part of an order for 135 AMVs however for budget reasons this was reduced to 30 AMVs in 2012 and no production NEMOs were delivered. The Saudi Arabian National Guard placed a US Foreign Military Sales contact in 2009 for 724 General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada 8x8 LAV II vehicles including 36 vehicles equipped with the NEMO and the UAE Navy bought eight NEMO Navy turrets for installation on six of its Ghannatha-class fast missile boats.

Patria unveiled its NEMO Container mortar system, which is being developed in association with the UAE Navy, at IDEX in February 2017.

The NEMO Container integrates a NEMO EDR | March/April 2020

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The HSW Rak 120 mm turret mortar systems can be integrated on wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles. © HSW

turret onto a 20 ft ISO (International Standards Organization) shipping container which can be transported by a high-speed boat, a ship or a truck, and fired from any of these carriers as well as positioned at forward operating bases and other static locations.

The NEMO Container is operated by a crew of three, two loaders and a gunner, who also serves as the commander. In the transport position, the turret is completely hidden by a transport cover.

The container has space for a power unit, an air conditioning unit and 100 mortar bombs, twice the number typically carried on an armoured vehicle. Customers can specify the level of ballistic protection, made either of steel plates or ceramic armour. To absorb the weapon’s recoil the container is fitted with a reinforced tubular structure between the external and internal cladding.

Polish Rak Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) unveiled the Rak 120 mm mortar turret, which is designed to be integrated onto any suitable tracked or wheeled AFV chassis, at the 2008 MSPO defence exhibition.

Mounted on the Polish Army’s Rosomak 8x8 chassis, a license-built version of the Patria AMV, the system is designated the M120K. The breech-loaded mortar is fed by a rotary magazine holding 20 rounds and laid onto the target using a computerised Topaz FCS developed by Poland’s WB Electronics which enables the Rak to fire its first round within 30 seconds of coming to a halt.

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HSW has delivered 64 Rak 120 mm turret mortar systems, integrated on the 8x8 Rosomak, to the Polish Land Forces and has received an order for another 18 systems. © Polish MoND

A further 26 rounds are carried in the chassis magazine. The turret, of all-welded steel armour, can be traversed through 360° and the barrel elevated from -3 to 80° enabling it to be used in the direct-fire mode. In 2012, HSW displayed the Rak mounted on a tracked chassis of its own design, with the complete system designated the M120G, and at MSPO 2013, it unveiled a Rak integrated on a Rheinmetall Marder 1A3 chassis which gives the German manufacturer the ability to offer an SP mortar to Marder users.

HSW received a US$ 260 million launch contract in April 2016 to supply 64 Rak mortars and 32 AWD command vehicles, also based on the Rosomak, enough to equip eight company fire modules (CFMs). Assigned to each mechanised brigade, a Rak CFM consists of eight M120Ks, four AWDs, two AWR artillery reconnaissance vehicles, three AWA ammunition supply vehicles, and an AWRU mobile workshop vehicle. The army received its first Rak CFM on 30 June 2017 and deliveries of the eighth CFM were completed in October 2019 when Poland placed a US$ 71.1 million contract for 18 additional M120K mortars and eight AWDs, enough to equip two additional CFMs to equip the 12th and 17th Mechanised Brigades.

Through the hatch In parallel with turreted systems new open hatch 120 mm mortars are also being fielded. RUAG MRO Switzerland is anticipating a Swiss Army order for 32 Cobra 120 mm smoothbore mortar systems. The company unveiled the Cobra,

which it began developing in 2012, at the IDEX exhibition in February 2015 and the following year delivered a prototype to the Swiss Army for trials.

The turntable-mounted mortar, which weighs 1,350 kg, can be mounted in a suitable tracked or wheeled APC. General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) will integrate the Cobra in its 8x8 Piranha 3+, designated the Piranha 4 by the Swiss Army, fitted with a raised roofline over the rear compartment. In Swiss service the Cobra will be operated by a crew of four driver, commander, and two loaders. The Cobra is fitted with a computerised FCS coupled to an inertial navigation system (INS) to provide an automatic laying capability and is equipped with an all-electric elevation and traverse system, with manual back-up controls. The Cobra is equipped with a load-assist device to reduce crew fatigue and enable it to achieve a rate of fire of 10 rounds in 62 seconds. The system can come into action and carry out a fire mission in 60 seconds.

A French industry consortium comprising Arquus, Nexter Systems, and Thales is expected to deliver some 1,722 6x6 Griffon VBMR (Véhicule Blindé Multi Role) vehicles, in at least 10 variants, to replace the French Army’s 4x4 VAB (Véhicule de l’Avant Blindé) with the baseline APC as the first to enter service. On 30 December 2019, Thales received a contract to supply 54 Mortier Embarqué Pour l’Appui au Contact (MEPAC) variants equipped with the Thales 120 mm turntable-mounted 2R2M Recoiling Rifled Mortar. Developed as a private venture, the 2R2M has been bought by Italy for use on its 8×8 Freccia vehicles, Malaysia (FNSS tracked ACV-19 and 8x8 AV8), Oman (upgraded A Polish Land Forces company fire module is equipped with eight HSW Rak 120 mm turret mortar systems integrated on the 8x8 Rosomak AFV. © Polish MoND

On 30 December 2019, France ordered 44 6x6 Griffon MEPAC 120 mm mortar variants as part of the Scorpion programme. © Thales

6×6 VAB) and Saudi Arabia (upgraded M113).

The MEPAC will be equipped with Sagem’s ATLAS (Automatisation des tirs et liaisons de l’artillerie sol/sol) FCS and a semi-automatic loading system which enables the mortar to fire up to 10 RPM. The first MEPACs are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2023 with the remaining deliveries scheduled for 2024-27.

Aselsan unveiled its Alkar 120 mm mortar system, initially known as the AHS-120, at the May 2017 IDEF exhibition and less than two years later the system was in production for the Turkish Gendarmerie integrated with the BMC 4x4 Vuran mine-protected vehicle. The Alkar is a 360° turntable-mounted muzzle-loading weapon that can be integrated with any suitable wheeled or tracked AFV or dismounted for use at forward operating bases when it relies upon its own batteries for power. Early examples are fitted with a 120 mm rifled barrel from MKEK, the same used in the company’s HY-12 towed mortar in service with the Turkish Land Forces Command, although a 120 mm smoothbore barrel could be fitted to meet customer requirements. The Alkar is fitted with an automatic loading system that only requires the loader to place a mortar bomb on the loading device, and is equipped with an Aselsan’s computerised FCS which is linked to an INS and a muzzle velocity radar, and can also be integrated with the Aselsan Fire Support Automation System (AFSAS).

Later this year, the Danish Army will receive the Elbit Systems Soltam CARDOM 10 (Computerised Autonomous Recoil rapid Deployed Outrange EDR | March/April 2020

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The French Army’s 6x6 Griffon MEPAC will be armed with the Thales 120 mm turntable-mounted 2R2M Recoiling Rifled Mortar. © Thales

Mortar) system being integrated in the GDELS 8x8 Piranha 5 vehicle. The CARDOM combines the Israeli company’s K6 120 mm smoothbore mortar and Recoil Mortar System mounted on a 360° turntable with a computerised FCS. In March 2017, Denmark awarded Austria’s ESL Advanced Information Technology, a subsidiary of Elbit, a contract to supply and integrate 15 mortars, with an option for another six, in the Piranha 5. With CARDOM installed the Piranha 5 will be able to carry 40 mortar bombs. The DKK 107 million (US$ 16.66 million) contract includes the supply and integration of the mortars, spare parts, documentation, and a training package.

The CARDOM 10/Piranha 5 will represent a

A early customer for the Thales 120mm turntable-mounted 2R2M Recoiling Rifled Mortar is the Italian Army which mounts the weapons in its 8x8 Freccia IFV, first unit firing having started in fall 2019. © Italian Army 24

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The Swiss Army plans to order 32 RUAG Defence Cobra 120 mm smoothbore mortar systems mounted in the General Dynamics European Land Systems 8x8 Piranha 3+. © GDELS

considerable boost in capability. The army now operates 20K6B1 120 mm towed mortars, given the Danish designation MT M/10, which were acquired in 2010 to provide fire support for the Danish battle group then serving in Afghanistan.

At Eurosatory 2018, ST Engineering and Hirtenberger Defence Systems (HDS) signed a cooperation agreement to pursue business opportunities for 120 mm mortar systems in Europe. The companies will market ST Engineering’s 120 mm Super Rapid Advanced Mortar System (SRAMS) in conjunction with an FCS and 120 mm ammunition from HDS. In October 2019 Hungarian state-owned company,

The Danish Army has ordered 15 Elbit Systems Soltam CARDOM 10 120 mm smoothbore mortar systems integrated in the new GDELS 8x8 Piranha 5 vehicle. © DALO

HDT Defence Industry Ltd, acquired HDS as part of the Hungarian government’s plan to rebuild its defence industry.

US Army plans BAE Systems and Patria are among the mortar manufacturers that are keenly following the US Army’s search for a new self-propelled 120 mm mortar system. In 2018, the US Army released a market survey to identify manufacturers capable of developing and producing a 120 mm Mortar Future Indirect Fire Turret (FIFT) that can be mounted on its 8x8 Stryker, the Armored MultiPurpose Vehicle now being fielded to replace its remaining tracked M113 variants, and the Next Generation Combat Vehicle that is planned to eventually replace its M1 Abrams tank and M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle. The army is seeking “a 120 mm turret that provides protection from enemy counter battery systems and insulates soldiers from the effects of both noise and blast overpressure. This turret shall be capable of firing heavier projectiles at a greater range than the current Battalion Mortar System (BMS) or Recoil Mortar System - Light (RMS-L). The 120 mm Mortar FIFT will be able to mass fire from a single platform (Multi-Round Simultaneous Impact)

The Turkish Gendarmerie is the launch customer for the Aselsan Alkar 120 mm turntable-mounted mortar system that is integrated in the BMC 4x4 Vuran mine-protected vehicle. © Aselsan

(MRSI), be able to engage targets in a direct fire fashion, and facilitate the mounting of developing reach-back effects, such as the Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) or Single Multimissile Attack Munition (SMAMS).”

The FIFT, which can be manned or unmanned, must feature a high degree of automation enabling it to perform a fire mission within 60 seconds of the receipt of an order if moving and achieve a ‘threshold’ of a six round MRSI within four seconds with an objective of 12 rounds.

It “must provide a maximum rate of fire (MROF) of at least 16 rounds per minute at maximum increment for 1 minute followed by a sustained rate of fire (SROF) of 6 rounds per minute at maximum increment indefinitely (Threshold).

It is desired that the weapon be capable of being fired at the MROF of 24 rounds per minute for 2 minutes and maintain a SROF of 12 rounds per minute indefinitely (Objective).” The threshold maximum range is at least 8,000 meters with an objective range of 20,000 meters.

The Patria NEMO 120 mm mortar turret was demonstrated at Fort Benning, Georgia on 11 September 2019 as the US Army examines technology for its proposed 120mm Mortar Future Indirect Fire Turret project. © US Army EDR | March/April 2020

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ian

Among the various categories of small arms sniper rifles are becoming more and more important, new calibres allowing to considerably extend their ranges. Š Accuracy International

Small arms: towards a new calibre?

By Paolo Valpolini There are evolutions and there are revolutions; in the small arms field one of the latter took place in the early 1960s, when the M193 ammunition in 5.56x45 mm calibre was adopted in the US, NATO adopting the evolutionary SS109 in the same calibre some 10 years later. Will the US decision to adopt the 6.8 mm calibre for its Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) have the same impact within the western military community?

The US Army NGSW programme

The 5.56 mm round used in the M16A2 and in the M4A1, in the picture, is outranged by the 7.62x39 calibre, thus the US military is looking for light weapons in new calibres. Š US Army

Originally aimed at replacing the light machine gun, the scope of the programme was widened adding the NGSW-R (Rifle) to the NGSWAR (Automatic Rifle), to replace respectively the M16A2 rifles and M4A1 carbines, and the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) in US Army frontline combat units. The 6.8 mm calibre is based on a DoD-designed bullet, each competitor proposing a different round while using that same bullet. On 29 August 2019 the EDR | March/April 2020

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A derivative of the FN Minimi, the M249 is chambered for the 5.56x45 mm round, a light machine gun using a more effective round being sought by the US Army. ©US Army

Army announced the shortlist, selecting three of the five original competitors, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, AAI Corporation Textron Systems and SIG Sauer. Not many details were unveiled, however something starts to emerge.

SIG Sauer was definitely the most talkative, unveiling its solutions at SOFIC 2019. Both weapons are gas operated, using a short-stroke piston; the company defines its round as 6.8 mm Hybrid, its case being made of brass with a metal base kept in place by a locking washer.

This allows increasing pressure, hence muzzle velocity, and permits to lower the weight by 20% over an all-brass cartridge. The NGSW-R is a derivative of the MCX Medium Range chambered for the 7.62x51 mm round, and is known as MCX Spear. Charging is made by a side non-reciprocal folding handle or from the rear M4-style T-handle,

SIG Sauer developed what it defines a “hybrid” 6.8 mm round, the case using brass with a steel base, which allows lowering the weight and increasing muzzle velocity. © P. Valpolini

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the weapon being fitted with an M4-like folding and extendable buttstock. It features a 13-inch (330 mm) barrel and the standard magazine can host a maximum of 20 rounds. All commands are M4-like, a bolt catch having been added on the right side, while the gas piston regulator has two position, normal and suppressed, the suppressor being designed by SIG Sauer and being different from that of the light machine gun.

Coming to the NGSW-AR, SIG Sauer declares a weight reduction of 35% over the Mk 48 Mod 1 (the 7.62x51 mm version of the M249), the new weapon weighing around 5.4 kg, with a recoil 77% lower than that of the M240B in 7.62x51 mm calibre, that is close to the M4 recoil, thanks to a proprietary recoil system. The weapon is fully ambidextrous and can be fed either from the left or the right, the tray cover having small flaps on each side, however the feed change

SIG Sauer has publicly exhibited its NGSW proposals: here the MCX Spear, the assault rifle that will be tested as the NGSW-R, on show at Milipol Paris last November. © P. Valpolini

The machine gun, left, and the assault rifle, right, proposed

by SIG Sauer for the NGSW bid. These weapons will soon start trials with the US Army. © SIG Sauer

must be carried out at armoury level. The 6.8 mm cartridge uses the same links of the 7.62 mm one, and a specially designed ammo box can be fitted underneath the weapon, two versions being available, for 50 or 100 rounds. Here too the commands are M4-like. The selector features also a semi-automatic position; considering that such a weapon is normally used in automatic, we find a safe-automatic-semiauto sequence, hence to fire single shot the operator must fully rotate the lever. The top of the NGSW-AR is fitted with a full-length Picatinny rail, while M-LOK interfaces are located on the sides. The bipod can be folded either forward or backward. A suppressor is provided by SIG Sauer, the operator rotating the gas selector in the adequate position when using that accessory. At Milipol 2019 the NGSW-AR was fitted with a ROMEO8T 1x38 red dot sight, while the NGSW-R was equipped with a Tango4 1-4x24 mm scope.

GD-OTS opted for a bullpup configuration, which allows maintaining a long barrel while reducing the overall length.

Obviously this does not allow having a foldable stock. According to available information the company NGSW-AR is fitted with a 22-inch barrel (559 mm), two inches longer than that of the M249 SAW, while the R version has a 20-inch barrel (508 mm), 5.5” longer than that of the M4A1.

The company insists on the weapons compactness, however no length figures being available

GD-OTS, teamed with Beretta Defense Technologies and True Velocity, is proposing a bullpup solution for both the NGSW-R and the NGSW-AR, all magazine-fed. © GD-OTS

it is impossible to make a direct comparison with in-service ones. Both weapons, known as RM277, are magazine-fed. The GD-OTS team exploits the expertise of Beretta Defense Technologies for the weapon, the Italian company declining to comment, and that of True Velocity for the round. The latter is a polymer-case ammunition that ensures a 30% weight saving over traditional ammo. According to True Velocity the company 6.8 mm round will also ensure substantially increased effective range and muzzle energy over standard brass-case ammunition.

An even more exotic round is at the basis of the AAI Textron proposal: the company exploited the development work done in the past years on cased telescoped ammunition, CT in short, in which the bullet is seated in a cylindrical case. According to AAI Textron this configuration ensures a 37% weight reduction

A key advantage provided by the bullpup configuration chosen by GD-OTS for the NGSW programme is the compactness versus the barrel length. © GD-OTS

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A prototype of the NGWS solution proposed by AAI Textron, which leveraged its experience in the cased telescoped ammunition acquired in the LSAT programme. © AAI Textron

on ammo. As part of the LSAT (Lightweight Small Arms Technologies) programme AAI Textron developed some prototype weapons for this type of ammunition, a 5.56 mm light machine gun, a 6.5 mm carbine and a 7.62 mm machine gun, from which it evolved its NGSW proposals, obtaining considerable weight saving due both to the weapon and the ammunition design.

Not many details were unveiled so far by AAI Textron, the team also including Heckler & Koch and Olin Winchester, which bring in their know how and production capabilities in weapons and ammunition manufacturing.

Cased telescoped ammunition, developed by AAI Textron in the last decade, ensure considerable weight reduction. © AAI Textron

on 23 October 2019, the NGSW-FC “increases the soldier’s ability to rapidly engage man sized targets out to 600 meters or greater while maintaining the ability to conduct Close Quarters Battle.

This objective is achieved by leveraging technologies to calculate and display a disturbed reticle to the User.” It must provide an adjusted aiming point (disturbed reticle) that considers range to target, atmospheric conditions, and weapon/ammunition ballistics, and to send and receive data via a wired port, through which it can also get software update. The system should also provide intra-soldier wireless communication, and have a start time within 1.0 second from off to fully active. According to the latest information the first IBCT (Infantry Brigade Combat Team) should be equipped with NGSW weapons in Q1 2023.

On 10 February 2020 the Army announced its requests for FY21 that include 111.2 million US$ for the NGSW programme, 35.8 million being devoted to procurement while the remaining is for the last phase of development. Initially the competitors were to deliver 36 NGSW-R and 28 NGSW-AR, together with 660,000 rounds, these Which type of 6.8 mm round will become the numbers having been increased respectively to issue ammunition in the US Army will be decided 58, 42 and 845,000, deliveries being expected probably in 2021, when the US DoD will select in mid-2020. FY21 funds include the delivery of the winning team and will start providing both 3,983 weapons, indicating a selection within that the NGSW-R and NGSW-AR from the same year, numbers increasing in the next years with company. Will this round ever become a NATO 11,370 NGSWs in FY22, 29,888 in FY23, 46,129 standard as it happened decades ago for the in FY24 and 54,056 in FY25, National Guard and 5.56 mm? Or will interoperability between the Reserve starting getting some NGSWs from FY23 US Army front-line units and those of the other on. The total number already exceeds the originally planned 85,986 NGSWs, the total number of NGSW-FCs fire control systems, the evolutive aiming sight under development by the DoD, being 121,773. According to the Prototype Project Beside the new weapons developed for the NGSW programme, SIG Sauer is also promoting Opportunity Notice issued its MG-338, chambered for the .338 Norma Magnum round. © P. Valpolini in May 2019 and updated 30

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In early 2020 Accuracy International announced some new products, such as the AX MKIII multicalibre sniper rifle that replaces the AXMC in its catalogue. © Accuracy International

western armies become a thing of the past?

Even if the Cold War ended over 30 years ago combined operations regularly see armies of different countries operating alongside, exercise Defender Europe 20 being the last example, and this could be a thrust towards an evolution that would however require considerable investments.

Therefore for the time being the two standard calibres of the western world, the 5.56 mm and the 7.62 mm, will remain for quite some time, although new calibres might be added to expand forces’ capabilities.

SIG Sauer is proposing, i.e., a new machine gun chambered for the .338 Norma Magnum that can fit any existing NATO standard cradle, and which can be easily converted in 7.62x51 mm. It features M4-like controls, the prototype working only in automatic mode, an auto/semiauto production version being foreseen. The technology adopted allows lowering the recoil feeling at that of the M4, while the effective range is increased at 2,000 meters, outranging the 7.62 mm. A key figure is weight, which is 25% less that of the M240B. Named MG-338, it is fitted with the SIG RK 2000 red dot sight that includes a ballistic calculator

The two new rifles recently unveiled by Accuracy International, the AX MKIII in the background and the AX50 ELR in the foreground. © Accuracy International

and a laser rangefinder, automatically providing aiming dot correction.

GD-OTS also developed a new machine gun known as LWMMG, for Light Weight Medium Machine Gun, chambered for the same .338 Norma Magnum round.

New sniper rifles Currently no major re-equipment programmes concern European armies. That said, companies based in the Old Continent are pretty active in proposing new weapons in various categories, one of them being that of sniper rifles.

Accuracy International recently introduced its new AX MKIII multicalibre rifle, which is offered in six different calibres, .338 Lapua Magnum and Norma Magnum, .300 Norma Magnum, Winchester Magnum and Winchester, and 6.5 Creedmore with different barrel lengths available (see table); the new model replaces the AXMC, offering 16 different combinations compared to the 3 of the older model.

Victrix of Italy has renewed its catalogue replacing previous models with similar ones that exploit lessons learned by customers, here the Pugio V, the shortest of the family, the V indicating the top-quality series, the standard one being the T series. © Victrix EDR | March/April 2020

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AX MKIII calibres and barrel options .338 LM

.338 NM

.300 NM

.300 WM

.300 WIN

6.5 C

Barrels [inch]

20 – 27

20 – 24 – 27

20 – 24 – 26

24 – 26

20 – 24 – 26

20 – 24 – 26

Rifling

1 in 9.35”

1 in 9.35”

1 in 8”

1 in 11”

1 in 12”

1 8.5“

The rifle is provided in .338 Lapua Magnum, conversion kits allowing quick change of calibre thanks to the patented Quickloc system.

Magazines have identical dimensions and host 10 rounds in double stack. The bolt-action rifle features an improved 6-lug 60° bolt with leaf spring extractor and a two-stage trigger adjustable in reach and weight, the latter between 1.5 and 2 kg. The AX MKIII has a right side folding stock with full adjustable cheekpiece, the standard version, .338 LM with 27-Inch barrel, being 1,255 mm long, 1,030 mm with stock folded. It weighs 7.64 kg with empty magazine, no scope and no bipod, but with the tactical double chamber muzzle brake, a threaded one being available for installing an AI suppressor. A full-length 30 MOA Picatinny rail is available on top, with an RRS standard dovetail rail at the forend bottom for bipod attachment, KeySlot being available on the sides. The AX MKIII has a Cerakote finishing and is available in five different colours, dark earth, AI pale brown, Green, Black and elite sand. The new bigger brother, the AX50 ELR (Extra Long Range) anti-materiel rifle has similar features albeit in bigger scale, and is available in three different calibres, .50 BMG, .408 Chey Tac and .375 Chey Tac. Dimensions are 1,383 mm, length decreasing to 1,145 mm with stock folded, weight being 12.06 kg. Accuracy International is finalising the configuration of the two new models, their production being expected to start in Q4 2020 with first deliveries by year-end; although the production of the previous models will be discontinued, the company will continue to supply and support military contracts.

Victrix of Italy has completely revised its portfolio, although product names remain similar. Two

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lines of products have been launched, one characterised by the letter “V” which includes premium weapons, featuring new advanced surface treatments, improvements based on lessons learned from military and police operators, and which can be fitted with a host of accessories, the “T” series being the standard one, which weapons compete with mass produced sniper rifles available on the market. All new V Victrix products are based on a new chassis and a new improved bolt, and are available in three finishing, dark grey, dark olive drab green and medium flat brown.

A still of the Gladio V, the Victrix multicalibre sniper rifle proposed in 7.62x51 mm, 6.5 Creedmor and .260 Remington. © Victrix

The shorter rifle is the Pugio V, a 7.62x51 mm weapon fitted with a 16-inch (406 mm) lapped barrel and featuring a short action threelug asymmetric bolt. A new bolt lever with interchangeable knob is fitted, the rifle being fed from a single stack magazine containing seven rounds. The foldable buttstock is fully adjustable.

The forend has a full length Picatinny rail machined from billet on top and M-LOK interfaces on the side, the company-developed Parvus bipod being attached at the bottom. The barrel is usually equipped with a Victrix ProAngle muzzle brake, with three forward-canted chambers, which can be replaced by a dedicated silencer. Length open is 960 mm, 714 mm with stock folded, the Pugio V weighing 5.7 kg with empty magazine, no scope and muzzle brake.

depending on barrel, length being 902/1,148 mm or 1,004/1,250 mm.

The US Army and the USMC are acquiring in numbers the MRAD, the multi-calibre sniper rifle developed by Barrett in the past years. © Barret Firerarms

OIP Sensor Systems of Belgium won the FPSA bid for the French Army, based on the FNH SCAR-H PR. The team was led by the sensor company providing night vision systems rather than by the weapon or ammunition manufacturer. © OIP Sensor Systems

The Gladio V is available not only in 7.62 mm but also in 6.5 Creedmor and .260 Remington, the latter two calibres being among those considered

by Special Forces to improve their operational capabilities. The rifle can be fitted with a 22-inch (559 mm) or a 26-inch (660 mm) barrel, retaining all the characteristics of the Pugio, including the dual-stage trigger which standard military setting is 1,000 grams. Length varies depending on the barrel, 868/1,113 mm for the 22-inch and 969/1,215 mm for the 26-inch, respective weights being 6.25 and 6.55 kg.

The same length of barrels is used in the Scorpio V, which can be chambered in .338 Lapua Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum or .300 Norma Magnum. Mechanically similar to the previous models, its weight is of 6.4 or 6.7 kg

The Tormento V is the long-range member of the family, chambered either in .375 Chey Tac or .408 Chey Tac and fitted with a 30-inch (762 mm) fluted barrel. It features a new symmetric threelug bolt as well as a new single feed single stack magazine, which also contains seven rounds as all those of previously described rifles. A stronger bipod named Caligo is provided while no silencer is available. The weapon is 1,201/1,447 mm long and weighs 11.5 kg.

Shifting to the 12.7x99 mm calibre, the Corvo V exploits the upgrades of the family, keeping the five-rounds magazine, and can be fitted with a silencer, which is marked ROME, standing for Rottigni Officina MEccanica, the company that owns the Victrix brand. It weighs 13.2 kg and has a 27-inch (686 mm) fluted barrel, for an overall length of 1,174/1,426 mm.

The Pugio, Gladio and Scorpio are available also in the “T” version, fitted with a symmetric six-lug bolt, the Gladio and Scorpio being available only with the 26-inch barrel.

Back over the pound, both the Army and the Marine Corps intend following the USSOCOM (US Special Operations Command) path, choosing the Barrett MRAD (Multi-Role Adaptive Design) as their new sniper rifle. Using a single tool it can be easily converted in many

The Heckler & Koch HK416 has become the issue assault rifle of many services, among them the USMC, in the picture, and the French Army. © USMC

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According to Romanian sources a JV involving Beretta will soon start producing the ARX160, here in the hands of an Italian Army Soldier, in Romania. © P. Valpolini

The Polish Army ha ordered a new batch of Grot C16 5.56 mm assault rifles for its troops.

The weapon is produced by Fabryka Broni «Łucznik», which is part of the PGZ group. © PGZ

The Carmel filled a gap in the IWI portfolio, which lacked a modern non-bullpup assault rifle in 5.56 mm calibre. © IWI

calibres, such as .338 Lapua Magnum, .338 Norma Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, .308 Winchester, 6.5 Creedmoor, .300 Norma and .300 PRC. The rifle in .338 LM can be fitted with three different barrel lengths, 20-, 24 and 26-inch, weight ranging from 5.9 to 6.6 kg. The remaining calibres are provided with a 24inch barrel, with the exception of the .308 Win (22-inch) and .300 PRC (26-inch). Designated Mk22 by USSOCOM and Precision Sniper Rifle by the Army, the latter should get 493 rifles in FY20, followed by 536 in FY21, 650 in FY22, and decreasing quantities in the following years, the total forecasted cost in the FY20-25 bracket being over 45 million US$. As for the Marines the ASR (Advanced Sniper Rifle) is forecasted for FY21, when 260 rifles will be acquired for a total value of 4 million US$.

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EDR | March/April 2020

Semi-automatic, assault rifles and others Shifting to semi-automatic rifles, one of the most recent contracts for precision weapons in Europe is that obtained by OIP Sensor Systems and by its co-contractor Telefunken-Racoms for the French Army. The Belgian-German team was awarded a contract by the French DGA to deliver 2,620 SCAR-H PR (for Precision Rifle), produced by FN Herstal of Belgium, fitted with PM II ShortDot Dual CC sights from Schmid & Bender, new OIP Tigris clip-on night sights, both in Image Intensification (with Photonis 4G tubes) and Infrared (with Device-ALab thermal cores with Lynred infrared detectors) versions, and 7.62 mm ammunition produced by MEN of Germany.

Known in France as FPSA (Fusil de Précision

Considering the requirement of Special Forces IWI of Israel developed the Arad, which is available in 5.56 mm and .300 Blackout. © IWI

Semi-Automatique), the rifle has been adopted in the semi-automatic version and is fitted with a 508 mm barrel, its overall length being 1,071 mm, while the weight without magazine and accessories is around 4.81 kg, 6.75 kg in combat order. Deliveries started in early 2020 and will be completed within 2022, the FPSA replacing the FR-F2 currently in service, which has the same calibre but is a bolt-action rifle.

Coming to Designated Marskman Rifles, on 20 December 2019 the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation published a contract notice for a DMR in .260 Remington calibre. Candidates had to file their proposals by 20 February 2020.

With a slightly higher muzzle velocity compared to the 7.62 mm, of which it retains the case, the .260 has better aerodynamics thanks to the smaller section, minus 25% compared to the NATO round, therefore velocity reduction along the path is lesser, giving a flatter trajectory and a reduced wind deflection.

As for assault rifles Heckler & Koch has seen its HK 416 becoming the standard issue rifle of the US Marine Corps and of the French Army among others. Coming to Beretta, in March 2019 the Romanian Minister for Economy, Niculae Badalau, announced the creation of a joint venture, with 80% shares detained by Romania,

Originally developed by IWI for the US market, the Tavor TS12 shotgun in 12-gauge calibre is now marketed also on the military and paramilitary market. © P. Valpolini

which will produce under license two types of weapons, one of them being the 5.56 mm ARX160 that will replace the AK-based Pușcă Automată model 1986. The local partner will be the Plopeni Mechanical Plant. No more information has emerged since, although production should start soon. In Poland an add-on contract to that signed in 2017 will increase the total number of Grot C16 5.56 mm assault rifles from 32,000 to 50,000, deliveries of the weapons acquired under the first contract, the rifle being produced by Fabryka Broni “Łucznik”, part of PGZ. In Turkey MKEK proceeds with the delivery of the 5.56 mm MPT-55 and MPT-55K rifles, nearly two third of the 70,000 on order having been handed over to the services, the 7.62 mm MPT-76 being also in production.

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3-inch 12-gauge rounds or five 2¾-inch rounds, considering the chambered round this makes a maximum of 16 rounds. When the tube in use is empty the bolt remains open; you must then press the catch in front of the trigger, inside the trigger guard, and rotate the magazine, and when the loaded tube is in place the round is automatically chambered. The Tavor TS12 has a bullpup configuration and is 720 mm long, with a 420 mm barrel, its weight unloaded being 3.6 kg.

The triple tube magazine of IWI’s Tavor T12 can host up to 15 2¾inch rounds providing a considerable firepower. © P. Valpolini

In Israel IWI, part of the SK Group, recently launched its Carmel and Arad. The former is a 5.56 mm rifle developed for customers who do not like bullpup, and is fitted with a foldable and telescopic buttstock. It is available with three different barrel lengths, 12-, 14.5- and 16-inches (305, 368 and 406 mm), with a weight without magazine between 3.34 and 3.52 kg. The thrust to develop the Arad came from Special Forces, who wanted an accurate weapon that could work in dirty conditions. Commands are M4-like, and in 5.56 mm two barrels are proposed, 11.5- and 14.5-inches (292 and 368 mm), while in .300 Blackout the barrel is 9.5 inches long (241 mm).

According to IWI the less than 1 MOA accuracy is retained even after 20,000 rounds, the floating barrel and the two-stage trigger contributing to that accuracy. However the most innovative weapon recently made available on the military and law enforcement market by the company is the Tavor TS12 tactical 12-gauge shotgun, which filled a void in the company portfolio. Originally developed for the US market, it features a triple tube magazine, each tube containing up to four

The AK-203 developed by the Kalashnikov concern will be produced in India in a simplified form, over 750,000 being required by the local services. © D. Fediushko

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EDR | March/April 2020

Back to assault rifles, following numerous attempts to develop a nationally designed assault weapon, and after a number of cancelled bids, India has apparently decided to go for the AK-203 design by Kalashnikov. The Indian version has a folding buttstock which is not telescopic, the Picatinny rail is limited to the upper receiver and does not extend on the upper handguard, and the magazine has no transparent windows to check rounds. India intends procuring 750,000 rifles, the majority of which will be locally produced by a JV known as Indo-Russian Private Limited.

On 6 December 2019 the Japanese MoD announced the choice for the new Japanese Self Defence Forces assault rifle; the contract went to the Howa 5.56 designed by Howa Kogyo, which is producing sporting rifles and already produced the Type 89 rifle currently in use by the JSDF. Not much was unveiled of the new rifle, however it will overcome a series of limitation of the current individual weapon, which is not ambidextrous, does not have a telescopic buttstock making it difficult to adapt it to individuals, especially when a body armour is worn, and lacks a Picatinny rail to install day and night sights as well as accessories.

A first batch of slightly over 3,000 rifles is being ordered for troop trials, the requirement being for about 150,000 weapons.

The Japanese Self Defence Forces are about to replace their Type 89 rifle with the new Howa 5.56, which will provide ambidextrous capabilities as well as Picatinny rails to allow the use of optical and night sights. © Howa

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