Land 17 awash with rumour and gossip

Mobility, firepower and protection: essential attributes in a tank, and also increasingly in field artillery. The Australian Army is spoiled for choice in assessing potential contenders for Project Land 17.
With the RFT for the Land 17 Artillery project now deferred until January 2007, and with functional and performance statements proving less than revealing about some important aspects of the requirement-a sanitised Concept of Operations document would be a help-it is no surprise that, encouraged perhaps by this project's slow pace to second pass approval, rumours abound as to how the business case is being developed. Some industry hopefuls may ask whether it will properly reflect the long term support costs of tracked self propelled systems over wheeled systems? Others, with a different axe to grind, question whether wheeled SP systems can keep pace with heavy armour in cross country tactical operations?

But the rumours go beyond this: there is talk of government-to-government deals on the German PzH 2000, that the Dutch Government is offering PzH 2000 NL in part exchange for ADI Bushmasters, that surplus M109s are being offered at giveaway prices, and that the Light Gun requirement will be cancelled in favour of acquiring PGM rounds for the Army's 105mm Hamel guns leveraging Raytheon's Excalibur's unitary projectile technology.

Not so long ago ADM speculated that there appeared to be only two viable contenders for the 155mm self propelled (SP) howitzer requirement. Our reading was due to changed requirements which emerged with government first pass approval, which were to the effect that consideration was now to be given to replacing the current towed artillery systems with a mix of 'protected' self propelled and lightweight towed howitzers.

It seemed then that only Tenix with the Bofors Archer system, and GDLS Australia with the Denel G6, provided armoured protection for their crews during operations. But that was when wheeled, self propelled 155mm gun systems were in and tracked systems out. Or so it was assumed - a view encouraged by what was understood to be the long term maintenance cost of tracked systems and their prime cost compared with wheeled SP systems, as well as the reduction in estimated phase expenditure from $750m down to $600m. Also, wheeled systems had superior self-deployment capabilities, boasted impressive off-road capabilities and did not require expensive road and rail transporters.

And while these changes caused a number of potential contenders to retire from the fray-GIAT's Caesar truck mounted artillery system was one high profile departure, another the truck-mounted Soltam ATMOS, offered by Boeing Australia-those offering tracked systems, with their high level of protection, merely smiled.

And now rumour has swung their way-tracked systems are in, according to the rumour mill. But ADM is assured that, at this stage, the project office does not favouring tracked over wheeled systems, or vice versa. Nevertheless rumours of support for a tracked self-propelled 155mm gun system persist and it seems there was much gossip along these lines at Eurosatory last month in Paris.

It is timely therefore to look at the SP 155mm artillery systems on the market which are likely to be contenders for this segment of the Land 17 artillery requirement and see how they compare with the protected wheeled systems available.

South Korean Samsung Techwin is regarded as a significant player on the international self-propelled artillery market. Responsible for licensed production of the M109A2 and the design, development and production of the all new K-9 Thunder, this company accounts for some 25 percent of all new production of tracked, self propelled 155mm artillery.

Samsung Techwin was the prime contractor to the ROK for the co-production of 1,040 M109A2 tracked SP howitzers. The ROK then sought a new 155mm/52calibre tracked SP howitzer whose key operational requirements included higher rate of fire, longer range, more accurate fire, faster into and out of action times and greater mobility, all of which lead to a significant increase in battlefield survivability of the weapon system. Following a competition, Samsung Techwin was selected as prime contractor for the K9 Thunder 155 mm/52calibre SPH development.

First production vehicles were completed in 1999 and by late 2005 more than 250 K9s have been fielded for fire support of a corps of artillery without replacing the existing towed and self-propelled systems. One K9 Thunder battalion has three batteries, each with six weapons. Each battery is normally controlled by one battery fire-direction centre.

The standard HE projectile has a maximum range of 18km. This is extended to 30kms when firing the HE Rocket Assisted Projectile (RAP). Firing the new locally developed K307 projectile with a modular-charge of six zones gives a maximum range of over 40km.

It can fire a three-round burst in 15 seconds, with a maximum rate of fire of six to eight rounds a minute for three minutes. Sustained rate of fire is two to three rounds a minute for one hour. Each K9 Thunder can undertake the multiple (three) round simultaneous impact (MRSI) mission. Operated by a crew of four the 46 ton K9 has a maximum speed of 67 km/hr and a range of 40km. It boasts automatic loading of the 48 rounds carried and can fire the first round within 30 sec of emplacement.

Under a deal with Turkey, South Korea supplied a first batch of K9 systems with progressive licensed production then being undertaken in Turkey with the first system fielded in 2004.

As with the K9 in South Korea, the PzH 2000 was developed in Germany as a replacement for the M109 series which have been in service for some 30 years. German industry was asked for proposals to build a new design. The Krauss Maffei-Wegmann (KMW) design was selected and KMW and Rheinmetall are npw building close to 600 PzH 2000s for the German Army and the system has since been selected by the Italian, Dutch and Greek armies.

Rheinmetall designed the 155mm 52-calibre gun, which is chromium-lined for its entire 8 metre length and uses a new standardised charge system with six different charges, which can be combined to provide exactly the power needed and no more. Primer is loaded separately via a conveyor belt, and the entire loading, laying and clearing is completely automated. KMW supply the chassis, sharing some components with the Leopard 1, and the turret for the gun. KMW won a first contract for 185 to be delivered to Germany's rapid reaction force, followed by another 410 for the main force.

It is arguably the most powerful conventional artillery system currently deployed and is particularly noteworthy for its very high rate of fire. In burst mode it can fire three rounds in 9 seconds, ten rounds in 56 seconds, and can fire between 10 and 13 rounds per minute continuously depending on barrel heating. Loading is automated with two operators able to load 60 shells in 12 minutes.

The system has good cross-country performance and considerable protection in the case of counter-fire. The turret includes a phased array radar on the front glacis for monitoring outgoing rounds and correcting for windage. Laying can also be automatically provided via encrypted radio links from rear area command.

With a combat weight of 55.5 tons, and a crew of five, the PzH 2000 has a top road speed of 60 km/hr, a maximum off road speed of 45 km/hr and a range of 420 km. The maximum range of the gun is 30km with the standard HE round, about 35km with base bleed rounds, and up to 40 km with assisted projectiles. In April this year a PzH 2000 shot Denel V-Lap shells over 56 km with a probable maximum range of over 60 km.

Rumours include the possibility of this country acquiring surplus M109s from countries such as the Netherlands and Germany, where they are being replaced by the PzH 2000. In case second hand M109s are being offered as an interim low cost HNA solution we have included a brief description of that system as well.

The M109 is a US self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, first introduced in the early 1960s. It has been continually upgraded and improved to today's current version, the M109A6 Paladin which is only in use by the US Army. The US still maintains a number of M109A5s in its forces. The M109 family has been the primary indirect-fire support weapon of manoeuvre brigades of armoured and mechanised infantry divisions of the Austrian, Belgian, Danish, Dutch, German, Israeli, Norwegian, Pakistani, Swiss and US Armies. The British Army replaced the M109 with the AS90 Braveheart in 1993.

Significant upgrades to the M109 have been introduced by the US and Switzerland (KAWEST). With the cancellation of the Crusader Program in the US, the M109A6 Paladin remains the principal self-propelled howitzer of the United States until the NLOS-C from the US Army's Future Combat Systems program becomes available circa 2010.

The crew of the M109 consists of a section chief, driver, gunner, three cannoneers who prepare the ammunition, load, and fire the weapon, and two gunners who aim the cannon. The M109A6 Paladin needs only one cannoneer and two ammunition handlers for a total crew of six.

Weighing 27.5 tons and operated by a crew of six, the M109 has a top speed of 56km/h and a range of 350km. Rate of fire is four rounds/min (max) and one round/min sustained fire. Shooting range is 18km with standard HE and 30km with rocket assisted projectile (neither of which meet the L17 FPS).

The FH77 BW L 52 self-propelled 155mm artillery systems is integrated with a 6x6 Volvo articulated all terrain vehicle making it an extremely powerful, highly mobile artillery system. Volvo articulated haulers are widely used by the mining industry in Australia.

The howitzer is equipped with fully automatic magazines for 20 complete rounds with additional ammunition boxes. Automatic firing rate is 20 rounds in 21/2 minutes at a rate of 9 rounds/minute.

The FH77 BW L52 has its own land navigation system, own ballistic computer and own muzzle velocity radar giving the gun full autonomy on the battlefield. This new design includes an automated ammunition handling system, a crew cockpit where the crew of three (or four if it is acting as the Artillery Battery Command Post) can control and fire the howitzer under upgraded ballistic protection.

The FH 77BW is designed to fire current 155 mm projectiles, including the BONUS artillery projectile developed by Bofors Defence and now in service with Sweden and France. Additionally, the howitzer is designed to fire the new Excalibur 155 mm artillery munition and able to attack targets out to 40 miles. Back in May Raytheon and Bofors successfully test fired the Excalibur munition in the north of Sweden. Australian Army representatives from DGLD and the Defence Materiel Organisation were present. The official results will be released shortly.

Claimed to be the most advanced artillery system available, the G6-52 is a 155mm long-range gun developed and produced by the LIW division of Denel, mounted on a 6x6 wheeled chassis. The G6-52 155mm self-propelled howitzer is a highly autonomous system with 700km vehicle fuel range, extended weapon range using velocity enhanced long range projectiles and the ability to fire the first round within 60 seconds of the vehicle stopping.

The G6-52 achieves a range of up to 67 km using the new Velocity enhanced Long Range Projectile (V-LAP) and the new M64 bi-modular charge system. V-LAP combines base bleed and rocket motor technology, while the M64 charge system increases muzzle velocity to 910m/s VLAP is part of Denel's new Assegai range of 155mm ammunition. Denel claims the G6-52 can be operated by a reduced crew of 3-5 compared with the G6's six-man crew. The G6 is in service with the South African Army (43 systems) and has also been exported to the United Arab Emirates (78 systems) and Oman (24 systems).

The decision to limit consideration of towed guns to the Lightweight 155mm Towed Howitzer takes account of the requirement for the 3rd Brigade's artillery batteries to be capable of rapid strategic and tactical deployment, including deployment by CH-47D Chinook helicopter, especially in an amphibious environment. A structure of no more than four batteries of lightweight towed guns, plus additional platforms for training, repair and attrition, with an estimated total of 35 platforms, has been endorsed by government. However Defence Minister Nelson has indicated that more SP systems might be required in place of lightweight towed systems.

The BAE Systems M777 muct be a strong contender to win the Lightweight Towed Howitzer, not because it is necessarily the best light gun available but because of its adoption by the US military; this may be a significant factor in its favour. But this has not deterred Singapore Technologies from proposing its lightweight 155mm gun.

The M777 is the world's first 155mm howitzer weighing less than 10,000lbs (4,218kg) achieved through innovative design and the use of titanium and aluminium alloys. It is designed specifically to meet the growing requirement for flexible and accurate artillery fire support being capable of rapid re-deployment by battlefield helicopters and of being towed by lightweight limber or utility vehicles. M777 is fully developed and in production and the first 2 US Marine Corps units to be equipped have taken delivery to achieve an initial operational capability (IOC) earlier this year.

Equipped with a fully integrated digital fire control system the howitzer can be brought into action in less than one minute, and moved to an alternative firing position in less than three minutes. The M777 is designed to fire the most modern types of ammunition currently in production and development including the Excalibur' precision round, allowing it to achieve high levels of accuracy with targets over 40km away.

Weighing 5.4 tons, the 155mm Singapore Light Weight Howitzer Pegasus is both self-propelled and heli-portable by the CH-47D. This 39-calibre howitzer offers better range and firepower than the 105mm Hamel Light Guns which it will replace.

The Pegasus was jointly developed by the Singapore Armed Forces, the Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) and Singapore Technologies Kinetics (ST Kinetics) to meet the Army's operational requirements. It is a highly automated and efficient system that delivers range and firepower comparable to heavier systems such as the Primus and the FH88.

Pegasus incorporates several sophisticated sub-systems in its design. These include an auxiliary power unit (APU) which provides the gun with a short range self propelled capability, enabling the system to maneouvre over terrain at 12km/h. It also boasts an ammunition loading system, powered by the APU, which reduces crew fatigue and enables them to operate the Pegasus for a longer period while maintaining a burst rate of three rounds in 24 seconds.

Each gun is also equipped with an advanced mechanical sight that can withstand firing shocks of up to 90G, critical for sustained operations given the system's structure based on lightweight materials like titanium and high alloy aluminium that provides the strength and stability required to withstand the recoil force of a 155mm system.

Finally, an issue that needs to be raised concerns the linkages between Projects Land 17, JP2072 and Land 75/125. Depending on the final acquisition strategy, Land 17 has the potential to morph into a defacto, networking project for Army. On current schedules, by Land 17 contract signature (May 09), Land 75/125 and JP 2072 will have passed their milestones and their solutions selected, if not fielded.

There are important linkages between JP2072 and Land 75/125 and Land 17 that have yet to be coordinated and these relationships and responsibilities properly articulated to industry. Given that the first two projects sit within the Electronic Systems Division of DMO and Land 17 comes under DMO's Land Systems, there is a need for the establishment of a higher level coordination role to ensure the Chief of Army and CCDG can achieve the networked vision for the Hardened and Networked Army.

These linkages already exist in our major coalition partner so a low risk solution, that guarantees interoperability, could well be to acquire the BMS-F as an FMS case and then provide it as GFE to industry players contending for the SP platform. Do we have a big enough Defence Force (and enough dollars in Land 17) to seek our own stand-alone solution and then pay for the integration with coalition partners ourselves?

By Tom Muir, Canberra