European Defence Industries: News

The success of the group BAE Systems in 2016

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2457773.html

MBDA introduced a new short-range air defense system Mistral ATLAS-RC



http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2494800.html

ROME and PARIS -- The consolidation of Europe’s naval industry has taken a first, hesitant step with the approval of the purchase by Italy’s Fincantieri of a 48 percent stake in the French shipbuilder STX.


The green light from the French government for the deal will put Italy’s state-controlled builder of frigates and submarines in the driving seat at the only European yard big enough to build aircraft carriers. 



Crucially, as part of the deal, the French government brought in state-owned DCNS with a shareholding reported to be some 12 percent, putting Italy and France’s top naval shipbuilders in the same corporate boardroom for the first time.

“Fincantieri and DCNS have teamed on naval programs before, but this means a more structural relationship in the running of a yard which recently built Mistral helicopter carriers, and it could be the first step towards a naval Airbus, built on an Italo-French foundation,” said Francesco Tosato, an analyst at the Centro Studi Internazionali think tank in Rome.



Acquiring the stake will not only win DCNS a seat on the board of directors but also help the French and Italian firms make joint offers on the export market, a DCNS spokesperson said.


“This will ensure the protection of France's strategic interests while strengthening our export capacity,” DCNS chairman and CEO Hervé Guillou said in a statement. The deal would help “our shared ambition to develop industrial cooperation between France and Italy in the naval sector," he added.



The deal, which was announced on Thursday by French industry minister Christophe Sirugue, will see Fincantieri take 48 percent in the yard and DCNS some 12 percent, while the French government will keep its 33.3 percent stake.

The remaining 6.6 percent will be taken by Italian investment body Fondazione CR Trieste. 

Promoted by Fincantieri as a blueprint for European integration, the agreement came close to being scrapped due to French public sentiment to protect jobs at the shipbuilder at Saint-Nazaire, northern France, a key base in regional politics. 



Things got underway last year when STX’s then-owner, Korea’s STX, went bankrupt, leaving its controlling 66.66 percent stake in the yard up for sale. Fincantieri was named as the preferred bidder, with the French state hanging on to its 33.3 percent stake. 



The prime objective of Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono was to take over the healthy, €12 billion ($12.7 billion) order book for cruise ships held by the STX French unit, a sector in which Fincantieri is also thriving. 



But opposition to the deal soon grew in France, with unions fearful of job losses, and politicians wary of losing votes ahead of presidential elections in just over a week. 



Several presidential candidates opposed a Fincantieri acquisition, and former prime minister François Fillon, the candidate for the conservative Les Républicains, called for the yard to be nationalized. 



That drew a fierce response from Claudio Costamagna, head of the Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, the state investment fund which controls Fincantieri, who called the resistance “shameful and unacceptable,” given the large number of Italian firms which have been snapped up by French buyers in recent years. 



“At the end of the day, the French likely decided not to be too protectionist since it would have put an end to further French investments in Italy,” said Tosato. 



The deal laid out this week by Sirugue requires Fincantieri to hold a stake below 50 percent for eight years, while pushing the Italian firm to find a smaller private shareholder “independent of Fincantieri”.



That explains the 6.6 percent share taken by Fondazione CR Trieste, which operates in the Italian northeast, close to Fincantieri’s headquarters, and was approached by Fincantieri’s Bono. 



The arrangement puts the Italian shareholding bloc above 50 percent, but split between two independent companies, as requested by France. 



“We are not on board to take orders from Fincantieri, we are there to support Italian industry to create a critical mass with French industry,” said a source at Fondazione CR Trieste. 



The French deal gives Paris the right of veto, allowing the government to block any big cut in work for the design office or the shipyard, transfer of intellectual property rights, and any strategy that undermines the defense interests of the nation.



The government will hold those veto rights for 20 years, with a review after 12 years. 

Fincantieri is also committed to allowing STX to respond independently to tenders. 

The deal is not done yet, as the pact needs to be submitted to labor unions for mandatory consultation, as required under French labor law.

There is concern among the unions that STX could cut French jobs if the Italian parent company fell into difficulty.

 Labor unions are also worried about Fincantieri’s joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corp., seen as opening the door to a transfer of sensitive French technology to the Asian partner.



DCNS and Fincantieri worked together as industrial partners and respective prime contractors on the French and Italian Horizon air defense frigate and multimission frigate. The level of joint procurement of subsystems fell sharply from the former to the latter.



But Italian finance minister Pier Carlo Padoan said he was confident the deal would be “a big success for Italian shipbuilding,” adding, “This shows that large Italian firms which have invested in being competitive and building their international credibility can take positions of leadership in sectors which are strategic for the global economy.”

http://www.defensenews.com/articles/france-clears-large-shipbuilding-industry-venture-with-italy

In 2016, Italy almost doubled its arms exports

As Michel Cabirol writes in the article "Armement: Exportations record pour l'Italie en 2016", published in the newspaper "L'Opinion", the armament of the Earth brings profits not only to France and the traditional exporting countries like the USA, Russia or the United Kingdom. Italy recently published its report on arms exports, which shows that in 2016, the export of Italian arms increased by 85% to 14.63 billion euros from 7.88 billion euros in 2015 (2.6 billion euros in 2014) [We are talking about the amount of new contracting - bmpd]. At the same time, Italy's imports amounted to 612 million euros (82.2% of the US).

This impressive amount of 14.63 billion euros should be valued in comparison with the average sales level in 2011-2015 (4.42 billion euros per year), 2001-2005 (1.19 billion euros) and 1991-1995 (1 , 01 billion euros). In 2016, Rome issued 2,599 export licenses, compared with 2,775 in 2015 and 1879 in 2014. In 2017, Italy should also show good results. Companies Fincantieri and Leonardo should sign with Qatar final contracts for the supply of combat ships for the Navy of this country to the amount of 3.5 billion euros. The Middle East has become the "Eldorado" for Italian sales.

In 2016, Rome signed a contract for the supply of 28 Typhoon fighters (produced by the consortium Eurofighter: Airbus, BAE Systems and Leonardo) to Kuwait for a total of 7.3 billion euros. These planes will be assembled in Italy. Without this contract, the growth of Italian exports last year would have been only 7% compared to 2015.

Like most other arms dealers, more than half of the Italian contracts fell to the Middle East (58.82%), then to the EU and NATO countries (34.27%), and the smallest part fell to North America (2.61%). In the Middle East, Kuwait (7.706 billion euros), Saudi Arabia (427.5 million euros) and Qatar (341 million euros) have become one of the top 10 buyers of Italian arms. Kuwait is followed by Great Britain (2.3 billion euros), Germany (1.07 billion euros), France (574.5 million euros) and Spain (443.9 million euros).

The Leonardo concern won the most from the growth of Italian military exports. This company received new contracts worth 11.56 billion euros or 79.3% of all Italian arms exports in 2016. The second place belongs to the manufacturer of aircraft engines, GE Avio (985 million euros, 6.76% of the volume of contracts).

They are followed by the Italian branch of the German concern Rheinmetall - RWM Italia (489.5 million euros), MBDA Italia (314.94 million euros) and Iveco Defense Vehicles (189 million euros). Sales of Rheinmetall with the help of Italy amounted to 910 million euros. Thames Alenia Space Italia, whose military exports totaled 28.4 million euros, was ranked 13th.


The bmpd comment. As can be easily seen, the phenomenal growth of the contracting of Italian military exports in 2016 secured a contract for the supply of 28 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters from the Italian production line to Kuwait, yielding exactly half of the total volume - EUR 7.3 billion out of EUR 14.63 billion. The bulk of contracts for supplies to the UK, Germany and Spain (total 3.8 billion euros) is also associated with subcontracting the joint production of Eurofighter Typhoon fighters.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2624181.html

The first flight of the Gripen E fighter

According to the Swedish group Saab AB, on June 15, 2017, the first flight of the first prototype JAS-39E Gripen (Gripen E, board number 39-08) took place at the aerodrome of its main aircraft building in Linkoping, Sweden, the first "new generation" Gripen NG.




http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2673957.html

Deliveries of L-410 aircraft to Russia revived the Czech company Aircraft Industries

According to the ATO.ru website, the Czech aircraft manufacturer Aircraft Industries (owned by the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company, UMMC) overcomes the loss in 2016, receiving 46.7 million kroons (125 million rubles) in net profit. According to the Czech edition of Zlin.cz (published in Zlín Region, where the Aircraft Industries plant is located), the company's finances have improved thanks to the supply of L-410 turboprops (it concerns the modification of the L-410UVP-E20) to its most important sales market - to Russia.

http://bmpd.livejournal.com/2796282.html

Presentation of the large European unmanned aerial vehicle MALE RPAS

On April 26, 2018, at the international aerospace exhibition 2018 of the ILA Berlin Air Show in Berlin, a public presentation of the developed European long-range European Long-Endurance Remotely Remotely Remotely Piloted Aircraft (MALE RPAS, also used by the EuroMALE designation) created under the agreement of May 2015 by Airbus. Leonardo and Dassault Aviation. The program is officially supported and funded by the governments of Germany, France, Italy and Spain and is carried out under the auspices of the European Defense Procurement Agency Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR). At the ceremony, the full-size model of the device was demonstrated.









https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3177146.html

Light combat aircraft F/A-259

At the international aerospace show that opened on July 16, 2018 in the UK at Farnborough, the Czech company Aero Vodochody presented another project on the topic of the profound modernization of its well-known training aircraft L-39 Albatros. Now, together with the Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a concert of a light one-seat F/A-259 combat aircraft, developed on the basis of the single-seat L-159A ALCA aircraft, produced in the 2000s for the Czech Air Force. It is reported that the project F/A-259 is aimed primarily at participating in the tender of the US Air Force for a light attack aircraft OA-X, the intention to join in which Aero Vodochody and IAI announced in June. However, F/A-259 will move forward to third countries.

In fact, the F/A-259 is an upgrade to the L-159A while maintaining the same Honeywell F124-GA-100 engine, but with the use of advanced IAI development equipment, including an AFAR side-mounted radar and a helmet-mounted target designation system. It is planned to use a wide range of weapons, including controlled weapons. The aircraft should be ready for serial production in 2020. In the event of a choice (however, apparently unlikely) of the F/A-259 aircraft in the OA-X program, its assembly is supposed to be fully conducted in the USA.



https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3273857.html

Naval Group and TKMS announce the creation of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries for submarines

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3391916.html

New Italian unmanned aerial vehicle Falco Xplorer

At the 53rd Paris Air Show, which opened on June 17, 2019 in Le Bourget, the Italian company Leonardo presented for the first time a large MALE-class unmanned aerial vehicle Falco Xplorer. It is reported that certification tests of the device in Italy should be started in June and completed by the end of 2019.


The first prototype of the Italian Leonardo Falco Xplorer unmanned aerial vehicle (serial number 0001, registration number XAV-SA-007) at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, 06/17/2019 (c) Mikhail Zherdev

The Falco Xplorer UAV, contrary to the name, has no direct relation to the famous Falco tactical Leonardo UAVs and is similar in appearance and size to the large General Atomics Predator unmanned aerial vehicles.

According to the data presented by Leonardo, the Falco Xplorer UAV has a maximum take-off weight of 1300 kg, a payload weight of 350 kg, a length of 9 m and a wing span of 18.4 m. The working ceiling of the BLA is from 7 thousand to 9 thousand meters, the flight duration is up to 24 hours.

UAV satellite control system. In the presented reconnaissance configuration, referred to as Block 10, the device is equipped with a Gabbiano T-80UL synthetic aperture side-looking radar, an LEOS electron-optical system, and a SAGE radio intelligence system. Currently, the UAV is not presented as armed (partly for Italian domestic political reasons), although equipping it with armament is considered an “option”.

The Falco Xplorer UAV does not yet have any customers, although the Italian Air Force will be involved in the certification process of the device.





https://bmpd.livejournal.com/3678520.html

Franco-German agreements on the creation of a promising main tank signed

The German Ministry of Defense announced on April 28, 2020 that German Minister of Defense Annegret Crump-Carrenbauer and French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parley signed two agreements regarding the implementation by both states of a joint program for the development of the promising Main Tank Combat System (MGCS).

A Framework Agreement was signed defining the basic conditions, organization and management structure of the MGCS program. It is agreed that the contracts concluded under the program will be based on 50 percent equal financing between Germany and France. In addition, both countries must obtain “sufficient” intellectual property rights in the program's R&D results.

The ministers also signed the 1st Implementing Arrangement 1, which serves as the basis for the start of the two-year stage of research to determine the architecture of the MGCS system. Based on the results of this stage, the development of a technology demonstrator will begin, with the help of which the German and French requirements for MGCS will be finally approved. In terms of research, Germany and France also share costs. On March 11, 2020, the budget committee of the German Bundestag approved the allocation of the German part of the financing for the stage of research.

Recall that a memorandum of understanding regarding the implementation by Germany and France of a joint program for the development of the promising main tank Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) was signed by the defense ministers of the two countries on June 19, 2018. The MGCS program provides for the creation of a new main tank to replace the Leopard 2 tank in the German army and the Leclerc tank in the French army. In the memorandum, the beginning of the stage of research on the program was indicated in 2019 so that the tactical and technical requirements for the tank were formulated by 2024. The launch of new tanks into service is planned for 2035. The program will be managed by the German side.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4010962.html

Spain joins new European corvette program

Spanish specialized media reported that Spain has officially joined the program for creating the promising European corvette European Patrol Corvette (EPC), led by Italy and France. The agreement on the accession of the Spanish side was concluded without much publicity on April 2, 2020. Spain became the second country after Greece, in addition to the initiating countries that joined the EPC program.

The program for creating the promising European corvette European Patrol Corvette (EPC) was launched in November 2019 on a bilateral basis by Italy and France as part of the so-called Permanent Structured Cooperation - PESCO - an initiative launched at the end of 2017 25 Member States of the European Union on joint defense projects. Now, under the auspices of PESCO, 17 different programs are being implemented. With the participation of more than three countries in the program, its participants can apply through PESCO for financing the project from EU funds.

The main executors of the program for the promising European corvette EPC are the Italian shipbuilding association Fincantieri and the French Naval Group with the leading role of the Italian side. In fact, the EPC will be the first project implemented by the recently established Fincantieri and Naval Group joint venture NAVIRIS. Greece joined the EPC program in January 2020, and it is reported that Portugal and Bulgaria are considering joining the program.

With Spain joining the program, the Spanish shipbuilding association Navantia will have to join R&D on a project implemented by NAVIRIS.

It is expected that the construction of the EPC lead ship will begin for the Italian Navy in 2025 with the commissioning of the Italian fleet in 2027. In general, the first joint series of EPC ships for the Italian and French Navy should include six ships with contracting from 2024 to 2027. The lead ship for the French Navy is supposed to be put into operation in 2030.

According to the joint tactical and technical requirements of the Italian and French Navy presented in June 2019, the EPC corvette should have an “open modular architecture”, standard displacement of not more than 3300 tons and total displacement of not more than 3500 tons, length 100-110 meters and draft not more than 5 -5.5 meters. The corvette is planned to be developed in three main options:

- multi-purpose corvette with the priority tasks of combating surface targets and providing air defense, with the capabilities of anti-aircraft defense - it is reported that the requirements of the Italian Navy for this option include equipping medium-range air defense systems MBDA CAMM-ER and towed ASG;

- “ocean” corvette with a long navigation range (requirement of 10 thousand miles at a speed of 14 knots) with predominantly anti-ship missile weapons;

- patrol ship.

It is reported that the Italian and Greek Navy are primarily interested in the multi-purpose corvette, while the French Navy is interested in the multi-purpose corvette and the "ocean" corvette. At the same time, Spain may be guided by the patrol version.

The Italian Navy plans to acquire eight EPC corvettes to replace four Comandanti type patrol ships and four Cassiopea type patrol ships.

The French Navy declares the need for 9-11 EPC ships - to replace the six "overseas" "patrol" frigates of the Floreal type (apparently, this is the version of the "ocean" corvette planned) and remaining in the Aviso fleet of the d'Estienne d type 'Orves - in the last case, three to five new multi-purpose corvettes are needed by the French Navy to support the deployment of Brest-based French nuclear missile submarines.

Spain needs six ships to replace four patrol ships of the Serviola type and two reclassified patrol ships of the last small frigates of the Descubierta type.

Greece presumably expects to have six to eight EPC corvettes to replace most of the former Dutch Kortenaer frigates in service.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4026612.html

First Airbus A330 MRTT tanker delivered as part of NATO's MMF program

On June 29, 2020, the Airbus group handed over the first Airbus A330 MRTT tanker at the airfield of its Getafe facility in Madrid, Spain, to be used as part of the joint multinational European-NATO program Multinational Multi-Role Tanker Transport Fleet (MMF) to create a jointly operated tanker fleet. The transferred aircraft with the official designation KS-30M and serial number 1830 (MRTT054, temporary Spanish registration EC-340, Dutch tail number M-001) will formally be part of the Netherlands Air Force, carry identification marks of the Netherlands Air Force and be based at the Dutch Eindhoven air base, where he should arrive on June 30th.



https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4074548.html

Airbus Future Jet Trainer (AFJT) promising combat trainer

On October 16, 2020, the Spanish division of the Airbus group officially presented the concept of a promising single-engine supersonic jet trainer aircraft Airbus Future Jet Trainer (AFJT). Design image of a promising combat training aircraft Airbus Future Jet Trainer (AFJT) with the Spanish Air Force (c) Airbus insignia

AFJT is offered primarily for the Spanish Air Force as a promising training aircraft of the advanced training stage and combat training transitional, to replace the old modernized Northrop F-5ВМ combat trainer fighters and CASA combat trainers used in this capacity in the Spanish Air Force. C-101 Aviojet. Spain's needs are reportedly estimated at 50-55 AFJT aircraft, with deliveries expected to begin in 2027-2028. The first flight of the AFJT prototype is possible in 2025.

It is stated that "AFJT is a program developed by and for Spain, which is positioned as a solution for operational, industrial and technological development that will allow the country to continue to be a leading player in the aerospace and defense sector."

However, AFJT is also positioned as a potential pan-European solution for training pilots as part of the program to develop a promising European fighter FCAS. In addition, on the basis of the new aircraft, it is planned to create a light single-seat fighter and an attack unmanned aerial vehicle.

No details have yet been given regarding the characteristics and construction of the AFJT. It is reported that the aircraft will have a single engine (presumably of the Eurojet EJ200 type) and be capable of a maximum speed slightly exceeding the speed of sound.

The training / combat training version with a two-seater cockpit will be offered both with and without a built-in cannon, as well as in versions with or without a multifunctional radar.

The main contractor for the development and production of the AFJT aircraft will be the Spanish branch of Airbus (formerly CASA). The program for the creation of the aircraft is expected to widely involve Spanish companies: Indra - onboard equipment and systems; Tecnobit - aircraft communication and control systems; ITP Aero - engine; GMV - software; and Compañía Española de Sistemas Aeronáuticos SA (CESA) - chassis and drives. Project image of a promising combat trainer aircraft Airbus Future Jet Trainer (AFJT) with identification marks of the Spanish Air Force (c) Airbus The alleged participation of Spanish companies in the program of a promising combat training aircraft Airbus Future Jet Trainer (AFJT) (c) Airbus





https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4167629.html

France and Great Britain received a new air-based anti-ship missile Sea Venom

The French Navy and the Royal Navy of Great Britain received the new Sea Venom air-launched anti-ship missile. This was reported by the press service of the MBDA consortium, which developed the new ammunition.

As stated in the consortium, the new aviation The anti-ship missiles have successfully passed the stage of qualifying firing tests and will soon enter service with the French and British navies. In british navy AW159 "Wildcat" helicopters will be carriers of the Sea Venom anti-ship missiles, and the H160M "Cheetah" helicopters in the French fleet. The new missile will replace two types of anti-ship missiles at once - British Sea Skua and French AS15TT.

Sea Venom ("sea poison") - subsonic anti-ship missiles "hundred-kilogram class", designed to be launched from helicopters. Due to the presence of a warhead with an infrared guidance system, it can be used to destroy various types of surface and ground targets.

Sea Venom length - 2,5 m, diameter - 200 mm, weight - 110 kg. The declared range of destruction is 20 km. Warhead - armor-piercing fragmentation weighing 30 kg.

The missile, after separation from the carrier, includes an uncooled thermal imaging seeker developed by Safran with advanced image processing (with the possibility of integrating an additional channel for laser semi-active homing) and a two-way communication channel for involving the operator in the control loop.

It has several autonomous flight modes, including flight at extremely low altitude above the sea surface. In addition, there is an operator control mode with which you can re-target the missile during flight, correct the aiming point or safely terminate the mission.

https://en.topwar.ru/177659-francija-i-velikobritanija-poluchili-novuju-pkr-aviacionnogo-bazirovanija-sea-venom.html

Not sure why a Czech product would boast about tracking a B-2 . Planning ahead perhaps

Defence Decode
@DefenceDecode
·
7h
Czech VERA S/M PASSIVE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

Capable of detecting stealth B-2 from a distance of 250km.
It uses measurements of the time difference of arrival (TDOA) of pulses at 3 or 4 sites to accurately detect and track airborne emitters

Specifics: VERA NG

System composition: 4 stations (1 central; 3 remote sites) and CPS
Frequency: 50MHz–18 GHz
Tracking capability:3D
Tracking capacity:200 real-time tracks
Antenna unit power "central/remote site": 230 W/190 W
Range: up to 400km
Target library: 10,000 targets

The well-known Belgian company-developer and manufacturer of small arms FN Herstal has presented a new "ultralight" belt-fed FN EVOLYS light machine gun, offered in versions chambered for NATO cartridges in 5.56 x 45 mm and 7.62 x 51 mm calibers.

The UK can't be the only ones making this type of drone.

British-built solar powered drone that can fly at 70,000ft for a YEAR will be used to monitor troop movements and environmental disaster zones when it enters service in 2025

The unmanned drone will be able to operate to a maximum altitude of 70,000ft
It can carry a payload of up to 15kg of sensors, cameras an communications
The drone will be able to operate for up to 20 months day and night anywhere
It operates in the stratosphere and can reach any point on Earth in two weeks
The vehicle could be used by the military to monitor troop movements
It can spend months at a time flying over a specific area such as a forest or ice cap to monitor for changes, or provide communications during a disaster





https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-9713465/British-built-solar-powered-drone-fly-70-000ft-YEAR.html

One of big failures of european industry. Greece also faced the same difficulties with its ordered NH90s

Reports on continuing problems with low availability of helicopters NHIndustries NH90 of the French Armed Forces.

NH90 helicopters in service with the armed forces of other countries are also experiencing difficulties. This is the case for the Australian Navy, which is reportedly planning to replace this type of helicopter purchased in the 2000s (MRH-90 Taipan) with US MH-60R Seahawk naval helicopters. Or even the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces, which in 2020 decided to gradually decommission its four TTH transport helicopters.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4427384.html

Spain orders three Airbus A330 MRTT tankers

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4428424.html

On November 24, 2021, the Swedish group Saab AB officially presented the first six single-seat production fighters of the new modification JAS-39E Gripen at its site in Linkoping, intended for the transfer of the Swedish Air Force (two aircraft) and the Brazilian Air Force (four aircraft), and announced the beginning of the "phase deliveries "of these aircraft to both specified customers. The ceremony was attended by the Commander of the Swedish Air Force, Major General Karl-Johan Edstrom and the Commander of the Brazilian Air Force, Lieutenant-Brigadier of Aviation Carlos de Almeida Baptista Junior

Austria signs an agreement to acquire 18 Italian AW169 helicopters

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4441752.html

New Czech 155-mm/52 Morana self-propelled howitzer

Presented by the Czech company Excalibur Army, a prototype of the new 155-mm / 52 Morana self-propelled howitzer on a wheeled chassis at the Eurosatory 2022 defense exhibition in Le Bourget, 06/13/2022




https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4545939.html

Slovakia chooses BAE CV90 to become thier new main IFV.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220628005726/en/Slovakia-selects-BAE-Systems%E2%80%99-CV90-for-new-combat-vehicle

Demonstrator of a promising Franco-German tank E-MBT

At the regular defense exhibition Eurosatory 2022, held in Paris in June 2022, the KNDS association, formed by the German company KMW and the French group Nexter Systems, presented a demonstrator of the promising E-MBT main tank, made on "existing technologies". The European magazine "EDR Magazine" published a new article by Paolo Valpolini "KNDS: from the Leo-clerc to the E-MBT" about this project, which was one of the central exhibits of Eurosatory 2022 along with the demonstrator of the competing KF51 Panther tank presented by the German group Rheinmetall.

At Eurosatory 2018, the link between the two exhibition areas at the KNDS, KMW and Nexter booths was a hybrid main tank consisting of a Leopard 2 tank chassis and a Leclerc turret. Dubbed "Leo-clerc" by many, it was to showcase the first collaboration between the two companies, which merged under the umbrella brand KNDS in 2015. Purely an engineering exercise with no intention of becoming a product, a teaser of sorts, it nonetheless elicited comments from many official visitors which were used to better define the next step, the one that led to the E-MBT tank presented by KNDS at Eurosatory 2022 and which was kept secret until the official opening of this exhibition.

“Our goal was to show the market what a modern main tank could look like, produced using available technologies,” says engineer Jean-Philippe Albert, who is responsible for the development of the E-MBT at Nexter Systems since Eurosatory 2018. The first phase of the project was devoted to a thorough and in-depth conceptual study, the main limitations of which were to limit the introduction of technologies still in development as much as possible and to preserve the traditional architecture. In addition, the development team could discuss a purely industrial basis, since potential operators were not involved in this stage of the process. “We took into account the feedback from Eurosatory 2018, considered the available elements, and we had to convince KNDS to invest in the project,” says Albert.

In fact, development began in parallel, even before the design type was fully defined. The main characteristics of the design, as determined by KMW and Nexter, were weight, survivability and firepower. “We decided to keep the mass between 60 and 62 tons, which is lower than many current tanks. The chassis of the Leopard 2 has a significant payload capacity and the Leclerc turret is much lighter than a German tank, so we got a lot of room to grow from them,” explains the Nexter person in charge. - “As for survivability, we considered stealth to be the key issue, so we tried to reduce the height of the tank. Moreover, we had to take into account the growing number of threats coming from the third dimension, ”he says. In terms of lethality, the 120 mm gun currently used on the Leclerc tank,

One of the main topics of discussion was the crew. Using a Leclerc cannon and an automatic loader, the original idea was to have three crew members like on the Leclerc. However, the developers came to the conclusion that the amount of information provided by the onboard sensors and the network information system would overload the capabilities of the tank commander. Two solutions were considered: to integrate elements of artificial intelligence, which, however, were considered insufficiently mature, or to add a fourth crew member, which was eventually accepted.

“Then we worked on the demonstrator in detail, so it can't be considered a 'concept', but it's pretty close to what it could become a product, although we didn't work out some of the details because we want to be able to adapt them according to the needs of the customers. Leaving the Leopard 2 chassis and Leclerc turret as the original elements, we have redesigned them in a fully integrated manner to create a fully coordinated system,” explains Albert. Once the design was completed, the chassis was produced at the KMW plant in Munich and the new turret was built at the Nexter facility in Roanne and they were joined together shortly before Eurosatory 2022.

The E-MBT chassis, while largely based on Leopard 2 automotive components, has many differences at the same time. First, it accommodates two crew members instead of one. The driver is placed in front on the right, and to the left of him we find an additional seat that accommodates the systems operator. Although physically he sits in the case, "philosophically" he is in the tower, since at his workstation he manages high-performance information, as well as some weapons.

Another change is the introduction of a new EuroPowerPack engine compartment, consisting of an MTU 883 engine and Renk 295 TM transmission, which, compared to the original Leopard 2 power unit based on the MTU MB 873 Ka-501 engine, provides the same 1500 hp. power, but is more compact and economical and lighter. Since the power plant is shorter, this allowed the internal layout to be changed, moving the turret ring about 0.2 m back, which increased the space available for two crew members in front, in accordance with the height accessibility requirement for 95% of military personnel. The slightly rearward turret created no center of gravity problems, the company says, as the new turret is much lighter than the Leopard 2. “Another positive aspect of adopting the MTU 883 is that

The chassis is equipped with 23 wide view cameras, one of which shows the tracks to improve driving in urban environments. The driver and systems operator can observe the forward hemisphere through optical periscopes, so the E-MBT did not use a fully circular digital viewing system. Stereo cameras are also installed, which will be useful in case of robotization.

In terms of protection, it has been upgraded to protect against mines and IEDs, although no details are given. When asked about the management of thermal signatures, Albert replied that this issue will be considered in the next stage of development.

Tower

Keeping some common look with the Leclerc tank turret, the E-MBT turret is completely new. The concept remains, with the gunner on the right and the tank commander on the left, but their seats in the turret basket have been lowered as much as possible to provide them with better protection.

The height of the turret sides is about 80 mm lower than the Leclerc turret to reduce the silhouette of the tank, while the central part of the turret could not be lowered, its height is due to the need to have a negative gun depression angle of -8°,” explains Albert. Work on the architecture of the tower was also carried out taking into account the development of advanced weapons, which made it possible to make the most of its design for the possibility of integrating the 140-mm Ascalon gun into the future tower.

Turning to sights, both Nexter Systems and KMW decided that for a tank, an optical channel for direct vision is mandatory, since when working with targets at a distance of more than 3 km, the quality provided by such a system cannot be replaced by optronics. Thus, the gunner has an optical channel along with an electro-optical day/night sight; according to Nexter, it is state of the art and not a ship-ready system, so the E-MBT can be fitted with gunner's sights from various third party vendors. Turning to the tank commander, we note that he does not have direct vision optics and relies on the commander's Safran Paseo periscope panoramic sight, which in the armed version is equipped with a 7.62 mm machine gun coaxial with the sight. The machine gun can take a safe position with lowering to the roof of the tower when working in "asymmetric" situations. To increase firepower, the E-MBT is also armed with a 12.7mm machine gun mounted in pair with the main gun - however, before hitting the threat with a 120mm projectile, another option is available to the crew.

On top of the turret, we can see Nexter's newly developed medium-caliber ARX 30 remote weapon station armed with a 30mm 30M781MPG autocannon, also made by Nexter, which is a ground version of the electrically operated 30 x 113mm cannon used on the Tiger helicopter. “This gives the tank crew more flexibility when hitting various types of targets, 30x113 mm air-blasted shells are already almost available,” Albert states, “these ammunition are effective not only against infantry, but also against drones, and radar may be added in the future to the existing opto-electronic kit of the ARX 30 module to give it full anti-UAV capabilities. The ARX 30 module is controlled by the system operator from the tank hull. At the same time, there are 22 120-mm projectiles ready for firing in the tank turret; “The ARX 30, with 150 rounds of ammunition, can hit many targets for which 120mm projectiles would be overkill, thereby providing more correct use of main gun ammunition. Moreover, with a maximum elevation angle of 60°, the ARX 30 becomes a key weapon in urban environments,” notes Jean-Philippe Albert.

The Paseo panoramic sight in the armed version and the ARX 30 module are mounted on the roof of the tank diagonally running from the front left to the rear right corner, the Metravib Pilar V acoustic sensor is also located along this line. “We studied the best layout to minimize blind spots and maintain visibility in the most important sectors and came up with this solution,” explains Albert.

The E-MBT Windbreaker is largely based on Jaguar's new French Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (6x6) which is of course much more modern than the Leclerc developed over three decades ago. The all-digital architecture ensures that all crew members can display images from the many available visual sensors on their displays, providing optimal situational awareness. “The crew positions are very specific to the role of a crew member, so they don't have much in common,” says Nexter's E-MBT Program Manager. The architecture makes it easy to install subsystems at the request of the customer. The demonstrator shown at the Eurosatory 2022 exhibition was equipped with a standard set of communications equipment and an automated combat control system. This area is waiting for further development,

Another key element of the main tank, protection, is also usually developed according to customer requirements. Since the prototype was developed entirely at the expense of KNDS itself, it was pointless to overdo it in this area, so the Leclerc tank protection concept was adopted for the turret, and the latest Leopard 2 hull armor package was installed for the chassis.

In addition to passive protection, the E-MBT is equipped with the Trophy active protection complex developed by the Israeli company Rafael - more specifically the Trophy MV, which provides the same protection as the Trophy Heavy previously installed on Israeli Merkava tanks, but with a reduced size and weight derived from from what was the Trophy Medium designed for lighter armored vehicles. Because the E-MBT turret has been completely redesigned, the Trophy sensors are built into the turret in a much more integrated way compared to the Leopard 2A7's Trophy installation, where KMW had to mount them on the existing turret. In the four lower corners of the E-MBT turret, we find niches that house not only Trophy radar antennas, but also Elbit Systems ELAWS laser warning system sensors, as well as Optsys 360° vision system cameras.

The tank demonstrator presented at Eurosatory 2022 should show what KNDS considers possible to implement in the near future using the existing technologies of the two companies, KMW and Nexter. You can add a few more elements; in particular, the tank seen in Villepinte had a niche for UAVs and special antennas for data transmission. Nexter used the experience gained by integrating such UAVs into other vehicles such as the Titus (6x6). “This will allow the drone to be controlled from under the armor, the UAV will be able to conduct reconnaissance at a distance of up to 10 km ahead of the tank, but we need to further develop a return system for this drone,” says Albert.

After Eurosatory 2022, the E-MBT test program began to test all possibilities, and for now this will mean the end of development, waiting for a customer interested in advancing the concept. The work done in creating the demonstrator will save several years in the development phase, which will reduce the time required to launch a new tank into mass production.





At the beginning of September 2022, KNDS released a new video about E-MBT:


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