Eurosatory 2008
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Oshkosh SANDCAT Vehicle Displayed at Eurosatory
Designed to fill void between up-armored Humvee and JLTV
By kris osborn
Published: 16 Jun 19:19 EDT (15:19 GMT)
PARIS - Oshkosh Defense has built several prototypes of a new high-speed, four-wheel drive multi-role armored vehicle designed to fill a void between the up-armored Humvee and the anticipated Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), company officials said.
Built on a commercial Ford 550 commercial chassis, the 9-ton SANDCAT protected vehicle is designed for potential mass production. ( Kris Osborn / Staff)
Built on a commercial Ford 550 commercial chassis, the 9-ton SANDCAT protected vehicle is designed for potential mass production; the vehicle was publicly unveiled by Oshkosh June 16 at the Eurosatory exposition here.
Thus far, Bulgaria and Sweden have purchased SANDCAT vehicles and many other countries have expressed interest, Oshkosh officials said.
"We have a list of countries that are interested in this type of vehicle. The rapid equipping force [U.S. Army] has indicated an interest, the Israeli Defense Forces and a myriad of smaller countries throughout Europe," said Steven Zink, vice president of Oshkosh Defense.
Able to reach speeds of at least 90 miles per hour, the SANDCAT is designed to meet the need for a fast, lightweight, yet survivable vehicle.
"The Humvee has been a great vehicle for the U.S. Army, but it is in an environment right now that is wasn't originally intended for. With asymmetric warfare, they [enemies] are coming at them from all sides.
The SANDCAT is basically a Ford 550 chassis. We want to make sure we leverage some commercial high value production while still maintaining military performance," said Zink.
Although designed for speed, off-road mobility, reconnaissance, medevac and a host of light-strike missions, the SANDCAT is engineered for survivability.
"One of the real advantages of the vehicle is that the armor protection is designed within the vehicle so we took the chassis and built the armor around it. So it is integrated into the vehicle. There is a market for a light utility vehicle that has armor on it," said Joaquin Salas, Oshkosh marketing manager.
"This has scalable add-on armor with scalable protection. It can be scaled all the way up to the highest levels of protection for the military or it could be scaled down for a SWAT mission or homeland security team. A lot of lessons learned from MRAP went into this. You have suspended seats so that they can absorb the impact of the blast. The armor system does have an underbelly armor protection and a V-shaped hull," Salas said.
Designed to fill void between up-armored Humvee and JLTV
By kris osborn
Published: 16 Jun 19:19 EDT (15:19 GMT)
PARIS - Oshkosh Defense has built several prototypes of a new high-speed, four-wheel drive multi-role armored vehicle designed to fill a void between the up-armored Humvee and the anticipated Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), company officials said.
Built on a commercial Ford 550 commercial chassis, the 9-ton SANDCAT protected vehicle is designed for potential mass production. ( Kris Osborn / Staff)
Built on a commercial Ford 550 commercial chassis, the 9-ton SANDCAT protected vehicle is designed for potential mass production; the vehicle was publicly unveiled by Oshkosh June 16 at the Eurosatory exposition here.
Thus far, Bulgaria and Sweden have purchased SANDCAT vehicles and many other countries have expressed interest, Oshkosh officials said.
"We have a list of countries that are interested in this type of vehicle. The rapid equipping force [U.S. Army] has indicated an interest, the Israeli Defense Forces and a myriad of smaller countries throughout Europe," said Steven Zink, vice president of Oshkosh Defense.
Able to reach speeds of at least 90 miles per hour, the SANDCAT is designed to meet the need for a fast, lightweight, yet survivable vehicle.
"The Humvee has been a great vehicle for the U.S. Army, but it is in an environment right now that is wasn't originally intended for. With asymmetric warfare, they [enemies] are coming at them from all sides.
The SANDCAT is basically a Ford 550 chassis. We want to make sure we leverage some commercial high value production while still maintaining military performance," said Zink.
Although designed for speed, off-road mobility, reconnaissance, medevac and a host of light-strike missions, the SANDCAT is engineered for survivability.
"One of the real advantages of the vehicle is that the armor protection is designed within the vehicle so we took the chassis and built the armor around it. So it is integrated into the vehicle. There is a market for a light utility vehicle that has armor on it," said Joaquin Salas, Oshkosh marketing manager.
"This has scalable add-on armor with scalable protection. It can be scaled all the way up to the highest levels of protection for the military or it could be scaled down for a SWAT mission or homeland security team. A lot of lessons learned from MRAP went into this. You have suspended seats so that they can absorb the impact of the blast. The armor system does have an underbelly armor protection and a V-shaped hull," Salas said.
KMW Testing New Version of Leopard 2
PSO designed for counterinsurgency, peacekeeping operations
By kris osborn
Published: 17 Jun 18:33 EDT (14:33 GMT)
PARIS - The German Army is now testing prototypes of an urban, asymmetrical warfare-styled variant of the 62-ton Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW)-built Leopard 2 main battle tank. The new variant, called the Leopard 2 Peace Support Operation (PSO), is being engineered specifically for new mission scenarios such as peacekeeping and counterinsurgency in light of the of the irregular warfare-style conflicts expected in years to come, KMW officials said.
A new variant of the Leopard 2, above, is being engineered specifically for new mission scenarios such as peacekeeping and counterinsurgency. ( AFP)
Referring to what it calls the military unpredictability of the 21st century, KMW Leopard 2 PSO documents say "the threat does not necessarily come from an Army; it could come from organized fundamentalists, terrorists and even from individuals."
As a result, the Leopard 2 PSO is designed with additional add-on armor to counter urban mine and improvised explosive device threats and improved digital sensors and fire controls.
Built with an urban camouflage design and additional cameras for day and night reconnaissance, the Leopard 2 PSO variant adds a second weapons station to the turret for added firepower and protection from overhead threats. The second turret on the tank also allows mounted weapons to be controlled from underneath armor cover inside the vehicle.
The PSO variant is also the first Leopard 2 to have an attachable bulldozer placed on the front of the chassis for stability, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations.
Armed with a 120mm cannon, Leopard 2 main battle tanks have been in service since 1979; nearly 3,500 Leopard 2 tanks have served for up to 14 nations including Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Spain, Greece and Canada.
PSO designed for counterinsurgency, peacekeeping operations
By kris osborn
Published: 17 Jun 18:33 EDT (14:33 GMT)
PARIS - The German Army is now testing prototypes of an urban, asymmetrical warfare-styled variant of the 62-ton Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW)-built Leopard 2 main battle tank. The new variant, called the Leopard 2 Peace Support Operation (PSO), is being engineered specifically for new mission scenarios such as peacekeeping and counterinsurgency in light of the of the irregular warfare-style conflicts expected in years to come, KMW officials said.
A new variant of the Leopard 2, above, is being engineered specifically for new mission scenarios such as peacekeeping and counterinsurgency. ( AFP)
Referring to what it calls the military unpredictability of the 21st century, KMW Leopard 2 PSO documents say "the threat does not necessarily come from an Army; it could come from organized fundamentalists, terrorists and even from individuals."
As a result, the Leopard 2 PSO is designed with additional add-on armor to counter urban mine and improvised explosive device threats and improved digital sensors and fire controls.
Built with an urban camouflage design and additional cameras for day and night reconnaissance, the Leopard 2 PSO variant adds a second weapons station to the turret for added firepower and protection from overhead threats. The second turret on the tank also allows mounted weapons to be controlled from underneath armor cover inside the vehicle.
The PSO variant is also the first Leopard 2 to have an attachable bulldozer placed on the front of the chassis for stability, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations.
Armed with a 120mm cannon, Leopard 2 main battle tanks have been in service since 1979; nearly 3,500 Leopard 2 tanks have served for up to 14 nations including Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Spain, Greece and Canada.
KMW Unveils Donar Artillery System
Vehicle touted as faster, more powerful replacement for PZH 2000
By kris osborn and thomas newdick
Published: 16 Jun 18:16 EDT (14:16 GMT)
PARIS - Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and General Dynamics European Land Systems publicly unveiled on June 16 their new DONAR artillery vehicle, an all-terrain, high-mobility, 35-ton armored 155mm howitzer with automatic loading and a rotating turret.
The Donar is capable of simultaneously placing four 155mm artillery rounds on one target by varying the angle and height of projectiles fired, a KMZ spokesman said. ( Kris Osborn / Staff)
On display at the Eurosatory exposition here, the Donar is designed to be a faster, more powerful and more efficient replacement for the KMW-built PZH 2000 artillery vehicle used by Germany, the Netherlands, Greece and Italy
"We have a muzzle velocity radar integrated the same as PZH 2000. We have an autocorrect after each round, so we have a very precise weapon," KMW marketing manager Patrick Lenz said.
The DONAR is built for a crew of two, with an automatic loader and a combined independent and automatic firing module; the howitzer has hit targets up to 40 kilometers away in tests, Lenz said.
Similar to the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems newly built Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, the DONAR is capable of Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact, a term describing the weapon's ability to simultaneously place four 155mm rounds on one target by varying the angle and height of projectiles fired, Lenz said.
In development for several years, the DONAR will go through additional firing tests in coming months at Mappen Proving Grounds in Germany to fine-tune the electronics and targeting, Lenz said.
The DONAR is a tracked vehicle with a specially designed 360-degree rotating turret that allows gunners to quickly adjust to emerging targets.
"We have a high mobile chassis with a well-protected crew cabin and a 720 horsepower engine," Lenz said.
GDLS president John Ulrich said production and workshare agreements with European customers would lead to a new cross-border program.
"The Donar meets European political needs for collaboration in the sector," Ulrich said.
He said the Donar got its start in KMW and GDELS's collaboration on the Leopard tank in Spain, and a prototype was developed in just over one year, sped by off-the-shelf components for chassis and armament.
The Donar's 155mm howitzer is built on KMW's PzH 2000 tracked howitzer with a new automatic breech-block drive, said Frank Haun, CEO and president of KMW. The cross-country-capable chassis is derived from a GDELS ASCOD 2 infantry fighting vehicle.
The Donar can be carried by the Airbus A400M airlifter, but not the C-130 and Transall C-160 transports. The delays to the A400M could hurt Donar orders.
The Donar was recently tested by Germany's Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement, with successful results, Haun said.
KMW and GDELS say they can increase the rate of fire from six rounds per minute to seven or eight, and to build an add-on armor kit that would raise the level of protection for the two-man crew cabin from the Level I standard to Level III without exceeding the 31.5-metric-ton limit for A400M. Haun said a production version would be able to accept secondary armament.
KMW officials said the gun turret might be mounted on wheeled vehicles and other platforms. This modular concept could also extend to production, with the possibility of mixing and matching components to meet customer requirements.
The export-oriented Donar supersedes KMW's Artillery Gun Module (AGM), which allied the PzH2000's armament with an MLRS chassis in a platform aimed at the German market, a KMW spokesman said.
Vehicle touted as faster, more powerful replacement for PZH 2000
By kris osborn and thomas newdick
Published: 16 Jun 18:16 EDT (14:16 GMT)
PARIS - Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) and General Dynamics European Land Systems publicly unveiled on June 16 their new DONAR artillery vehicle, an all-terrain, high-mobility, 35-ton armored 155mm howitzer with automatic loading and a rotating turret.
The Donar is capable of simultaneously placing four 155mm artillery rounds on one target by varying the angle and height of projectiles fired, a KMZ spokesman said. ( Kris Osborn / Staff)
On display at the Eurosatory exposition here, the Donar is designed to be a faster, more powerful and more efficient replacement for the KMW-built PZH 2000 artillery vehicle used by Germany, the Netherlands, Greece and Italy
"We have a muzzle velocity radar integrated the same as PZH 2000. We have an autocorrect after each round, so we have a very precise weapon," KMW marketing manager Patrick Lenz said.
The DONAR is built for a crew of two, with an automatic loader and a combined independent and automatic firing module; the howitzer has hit targets up to 40 kilometers away in tests, Lenz said.
Similar to the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems newly built Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, the DONAR is capable of Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact, a term describing the weapon's ability to simultaneously place four 155mm rounds on one target by varying the angle and height of projectiles fired, Lenz said.
In development for several years, the DONAR will go through additional firing tests in coming months at Mappen Proving Grounds in Germany to fine-tune the electronics and targeting, Lenz said.
The DONAR is a tracked vehicle with a specially designed 360-degree rotating turret that allows gunners to quickly adjust to emerging targets.
"We have a high mobile chassis with a well-protected crew cabin and a 720 horsepower engine," Lenz said.
GDLS president John Ulrich said production and workshare agreements with European customers would lead to a new cross-border program.
"The Donar meets European political needs for collaboration in the sector," Ulrich said.
He said the Donar got its start in KMW and GDELS's collaboration on the Leopard tank in Spain, and a prototype was developed in just over one year, sped by off-the-shelf components for chassis and armament.
The Donar's 155mm howitzer is built on KMW's PzH 2000 tracked howitzer with a new automatic breech-block drive, said Frank Haun, CEO and president of KMW. The cross-country-capable chassis is derived from a GDELS ASCOD 2 infantry fighting vehicle.
The Donar can be carried by the Airbus A400M airlifter, but not the C-130 and Transall C-160 transports. The delays to the A400M could hurt Donar orders.
The Donar was recently tested by Germany's Federal Office of Defense Technology and Procurement, with successful results, Haun said.
KMW and GDELS say they can increase the rate of fire from six rounds per minute to seven or eight, and to build an add-on armor kit that would raise the level of protection for the two-man crew cabin from the Level I standard to Level III without exceeding the 31.5-metric-ton limit for A400M. Haun said a production version would be able to accept secondary armament.
KMW officials said the gun turret might be mounted on wheeled vehicles and other platforms. This modular concept could also extend to production, with the possibility of mixing and matching components to meet customer requirements.
The export-oriented Donar supersedes KMW's Artillery Gun Module (AGM), which allied the PzH2000's armament with an MLRS chassis in a platform aimed at the German market, a KMW spokesman said.