GBAD - The return of 'FOBS'

[FJAG]

The pilot shortage improves.

They'll all be needed for the EW build-up.

 

[Kirkhill]

US Navy being credited with being light of foot in developing and deploying VAMPIRE for Ukraine.

L3Harris’ VAMPIRE System Helps US Navy Fill Ukraine’s Counter Drone Gap - MilitaryLeak.COM

L3Harris Technologies’ Vehicle Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE™) multi-purpose weapons systems are having an immediate impact in

militaryleak.com

L3Harris Technologies’ Vehicle Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE™) multi-purpose weapons systems are having an immediate impact in Ukraine’s wartime efforts. VAMPIRE enables Ukrainian ground forces to target and destroy enemy drones and defend against adversary ground threats.

“Early customer reports say VAMPIRE is already having a positive effect in Ukraine thanks to the U.S. Navy’s ability to respond with ‘unprecedented speed and agility. As adversary tactics evolve, our customers rely on us to anticipate, design and rapidly deliver reliable mission capabilities. We’ll continue partnering with the Department of Defense to field critical capabilities that will help save lives,” said Jason Lambert, President, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, L3Harris.

VAMPIRE’s mission management system integrates an advanced company WESCAM MX™-10 RSTA targeting sensor with its weapons station, allowing an operator to engage targets quickly and accurately. It combines affordability with accuracy from the Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System rocket, selected specifically for use in Ukraine, which will incorporate L3Harris’ proximity fuze for increased system lethality for engaging ground and aerial targets. The company began field testing in 2021 and continued range and durability tests in summer 2022.

What would it take to bolt that onto the LRSS LAV?

Further delays to Canadian LAV recce vehicle as first units delivered

 

[FJAG]

What would it take to bolt that onto the LRSS LAV?

Further delays to Canadian LAV recce vehicle as first units delivered

Another 5 years.

 

[Kirkhill]

Another 5 years.

Too right.

 

[Furniture]

US Navy being credited with being light of foot in developing and deploying VAMPIRE for Ukraine.

L3Harris’ VAMPIRE System Helps US Navy Fill Ukraine’s Counter Drone Gap - MilitaryLeak.COM

L3Harris Technologies’ Vehicle Agnostic Modular Palletized ISR Rocket Equipment (VAMPIRE™) multi-purpose weapons systems are having an immediate impact in

militaryleak.com

What would it take to bolt that onto the LRSS LAV?

Further delays to Canadian LAV recce vehicle as first units delivered

Looks like a relatively affordable system that could be given to Canada's reserves to give them a real warfighting capability. Which means we'll never see them...

 

[Kirkhill]

Bushmaster Agnostic Gun Truck

KINGMAN, Arizona — Ukraine will soon receive a limited number of “gun truck” systems to enhance the nation’s counter-drone capabilities.

A Northrop Grumman-led team developed the “Agnostic Gun Truck,” which incorporates a lightweight 30mm M230 cannon currently used on Apache helicopters.

According to an industry source, the nine gun trucks will be delivered as three battery sets, with each battery consisting of three of the trucks and one Mobile Acquisition, Cueing and Effector (M-ACE) system.

M-ACE incorporates a mix of mast-mounted 3D radar with drone detection to 10 kilometers, tracking and identification cameras and other electronic capabilities.

“M-ACE provides the ability to detect, identify, track and defeat enemy UAS,” said Rob Menti, senior manager for business development at Northrop Grumman Armament Systems.

“The system is able to provide a cue to the gun trucks that puts the gun directly on the target, while maintaining a man-in-the-loop. This capability reduces the cognitive load on the operator, as the target is put directly in their sight, and they know that the UAS has been determined to be a threat.”

Kinetic counter-drone capabilities are optimized through the new 30x113mm M1211 High Explosive Proximity Self Destruct round. Firing demonstrations in October 2021 showed the effectiveness of the truck firing the new round against a range of challenging unmanned aerial system profiles that included Class 2-plus drones moving at speeds exceeding 30 kilometers per hour laterally from the firing location.

The original intent was to provide the system on Humvees. However, issues of availability and a desire for rapid fielding resulted in an initial Ukrainian configuration on the Ford F250.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/2023/05/22/us-made_counter-drone_trucks_head_for_ukraine_900866.html

The gun is the same gun selected for the US Army's M-SHORAD LAVs.



A pair of Agnostic Gun Trucks mounted in Toyotas with a M-ACE cuing system in the rear.

Controlling the Forward Aerial High Ground - Armada International

Stephen W. Miller looks at methods of countering UAS which are dominating at battlefield.

www.armadainternational.com

And here is the VAMPIRE system




The missile is the APKWS version of the 70 mm Hydra, which is also deployed on the Apache and used as a low cost alternative to the Hellfire for lower value, lighter targets.

The Ukrainians are finding them quite effective against both small aerial and ground targets.



These are the types of systems that I could see deployed on LAVs, BvS10s, PickUp Trucks and MRZRs in optionally manned configurations as well as dedicated UGVs.

And supplied to Infantry Battalions for their Weapons Coys as alternatives to LAVs and Bradleys if the primary objective is to hold and defend ground.

 

[FJAG]

I could see deployed on LAVs, BvS10s, PickUp Trucks and MRZRs

and TAPVs

Honestly, this is not only gear we should have but in fairly large numbers. Perfect for a domestic manufacturer.

 

[KevinB]

The 25mm rocks a Bradley or LAV, you aren’t going to get much stability on a lighter platform. It was tried on Up Armored Hummers, that’s significantly bulkier with better suspensions than pickup trucks, and they failed to provide a stable platform.

Put them on dismount setups sure, but without rather cumbersome suspension supports and outriggers they will be impractical on anything smaller than a LAV.

The rockets - MRZR’s sure, with a GMG or GAU-19 or GAU-21.

 

[daftandbarmy]

Looks like a relatively affordable system that could be given to Canada's reserves to give them a real warfighting capability. Which means we'll never see them...

The guns, or the Reserves?

Both are a bit of a 'chimera' - Corps 86 pun intended

 

[GR66]

Personally my preference is to have equipment commonality with the US so M-SHORAD on a LAV would make sense to me, but there are other options available:

Rheinmetall to develop new air defense system for Hungary

German defense conglomerate Rheinmetall has secured a significant contract with Hungary for the conceptual development of the Skyranger 30 turret designed for the future Lynx KF41 Mobile Air Defence Vehicle. In an official statement, the company announced that the €30 million contract, signed in...

defence-blog.com

 

[ueo]

Another 5 years.

About 57 meetings of various alledged stake holders.

 

[Kirkhill]

The 25mm rocks a Bradley or LAV, you aren’t going to get much stability on a lighter platform. It was tried on Up Armored Hummers, that’s significantly bulkier with better suspensions than pickup trucks, and they failed to provide a stable platform.

Put them on dismount setups sure, but without rather cumbersome suspension supports and outriggers they will be impractical on anything smaller than a LAV.

The rockets - MRZR’s sure, with a GMG or GAU-19 or GAU-21.

Picking through some OS stuff

Recoil Forces

FN M3M 12.7 x 99 1.7 to 2.8 kN
M230 LF 30 x 113 7.4 kN
M44 30 x 173 35 kN
M242 25 x 137 40 kN

It looks as if the M230 LF (aka XM914), judging from the videos, rocks the little Toyotas but the Ford Tremor F150 seems to manage the recoil well enough.

That would seem to make it compatible with the GM Defense offerings.



I believe the ISV is based on the Colorado which would be in the 150 class while the Milverado is in the 250/350 class.

The Roshel Senator is based on the F550.

Standardizing the LUV in the 350/3500 range would seem to result in a useful general utility platform.

 

[GR66]

Chinese SHORAD system with 6 barrel 25mm gun and quad missile launchers:

China shows its drone-killing monster in action

China recently demonstrated its cutting-edge short-range air defense system, the Type 625, during drills. During a live-firing exercise by the PLAGF 150th Synthetic Brigade, part of the 77th Group Army in the Western Theater Command, the advanced Type 625 systems were showcased. These systems...

defence-blog.com

I wonder if the Chinese have 25mm airburst ammo that works with the gun?

 

[FJAG]

Chinese SHORAD system with 6 barrel 25mm gun and quad missile launchers:

China shows its drone-killing monster in action

China recently demonstrated its cutting-edge short-range air defense system, the Type 625, during drills. During a live-firing exercise by the PLAGF 150th Synthetic Brigade, part of the 77th Group Army in the Western Theater Command, the advanced Type 625 systems were showcased. These systems...

defence-blog.com

I wonder if the Chinese have 25mm airburst ammo that works with the gun?

Those appear to be very large vehicles for that role.

Here's another article on it

This Is China's Beastly New Air Defense Vehicle

Short-range air defenses are now top of mind, and China is moving fast in this space as highlighted by its new Type 625E system.

www.thedrive.com

and a video

 

[GR66]

Those appear to be very large vehicles for that role.

Here's another article on it



and a video

From the video clip it looks like it does use airburst ammunition. I wonder if the large vehicle size and wide wheel base is required to control the recoil of the gatling gun? I'd imagine vehicle rock would play havoc with a radar controlled system as far as accuracy for a small, agile airborne target but maybe the airburst ammo compensates for that?

 

[FJAG]

From the video clip it looks like it does use airburst ammunition. I wonder if the large vehicle size and wide wheel base is required to control the recoil of the gatling gun? I'd imagine vehicle rock would play havoc with a radar controlled system as far as accuracy for a small, agile airborne target but maybe the airburst ammo compensates for that?

It certainly seems to rock quite a bit when it fires. I think that's a characteristic of many wheeled vehicles which you do not get in tracked vehicles with lower suspensions and centres of gravity. There's also a fair bit of gear and ammo that goes inside that shell.

 

[KevinB]

The payload on a 25mm is fairly limited, then add the proximity fuzing and you get a very small bursting area. I suspect that the volume of fire from the 6 barrel cannon is needed to get an effective engagement area.

I suspect it acts much more like the old M163 Vulcan Air Defense System, than say a Gepard or SkyGuard type gun system.

 

[GR66]

Sweden is buying an MSHORAD solution from Saab using RBS 70NG missiles (looks like a 3 missile launcher) and a Giraffe 1X radar. System is integrated on a BvS10 platform.

Saab to supply Sweden with MSHORAD Mobile Short Range Air Defence systems integrated on BvS10 armoured vehicle | Defense News January 2024 Global Security army industry | Defense Security global news industry army year 2024 | Archive News year

Saab to supply Sweden with MSHORAD Mobile Short Range Air Defence systems integrated on BvS10 armoured vehicle

www.armyrecognition.com

I think a BvS10-based MSHORAD solution would make a lot of sense for Canada. Something transportable by C-130 and capable of arctic mobility. A system with a gun in addition to missiles makes more sense to me though as with missiles only you're very limited in your response to lower-end air threats like quadcopters.

 

[MilEME09]

And the UOR picks Saab!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/russian-nato-canada-latvia-1.7115841

 

[OldSolduer]

And the UOR picks Saab!

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/russian-nato-canada-latvia-1.7115841

Does that company have more than 2 people?

Joking….