Chinese Infantry may Outgun American Troops

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China claims to have entered its QTS-11 OICW into service.  

The QTS-11 is of the same breed as the now cancelled OICW the US Army was pursuing, but could not get to work: it involved an air bursting 25mm grenade launcher mated to a 5.56mm assault weapon.  That proved to be too heavy, by US Army standards and they went with just developing the grenade launcher as a standalone weapon.  Due to some weird legal wrangling - HK wanted the US gov to grant some statements regarding international law about explosive projectiles below a certain diameter and the US gov didn't - HK refused to continue with the manufacture of the weapon.  Orbital ATK was the contract holder with the US Army - having teamed with HK - and failed to deliver the weapons.  The US Army then cancelled the contract last April.  Orbital ATK is now in legal hell with HK to pursue another manufacturing partner to try to win back the contract.

However, in the mean time, if the Chinese have successfully pulled off the introduction of an effective OICW, the US Army Infantryman is outgunned.  Big time.  Really big time.  

And we have a very serious problem.

Poland to Embark on $1 Billion Program to Replace Infantry Fighting Vehicles

The Polish government is planning to spend up to 80 billion zloty (US $21 billion) to replace its military’s Soviet-designed BWP-1 and BWP-2 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) with new tracked vehicles, Deputy Defense Minister Bartosz Kownacki told local news agency PAP.

“This is a major undertaking for the next dozen years which, according to various estimates, will generate a cost of between 20 and 80 billion zloty if we decide to acquire two types of infantry fighting vehicles, lighter and heavier units,” Kownacki said.

According to the deputy defense minister, the government is considering various partnerships on the project. This includes launching a joint procurement with the neighboring Czech Republic, as well as using the license for South Korea’s K9 chassis, which was acquired by Polish manufacturer Huta Stalowa Wola for its ASM Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzer.

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Australians Seeking new Tracked Vehicles for Army (IFVs Primarily)

A request for information (RfI) for 450 tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to meet the mounted close combat requirements of the Australian Army was released by the Department of Defence (DoD) on 13 November.

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In the first official confirmation of the number of platforms under consideration, the Phase 3 RfI refers to 312 turreted direct-fire high-survivability IFVs, 26 command-and-control vehicles, 16 Joint Fires vehicles, 11 engineer reconnaissance vehicles, 14 ambulances, 14 recovery vehicles, 18 repair vehicles, and 39 combat engineer variants.

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British Decide to Scrap new Tank Program, Prolong Life of Challenger 2 due to Cost

Deciding that purchasing a new main battle tank would be too expensive, the British Army will likely stick with what has long been its plan A and proceed with a Challenger 2 life extension project (LEP) starting early next year, the Ministry of Defence said.

“During the concept phase of CR2 Life Extension Project (LEP) all options, from do nothing to buying a new tank, have been considered. As it stands, the manufacture and costs of a new main battle tank make it unlikely that the Army would seek this option. CR2 will be taken forward and the LEP is scheduled to enter the assessment phase in early 2016,” an MoD spokesman said.

Challenger 2 was essentially sidelined in the 2010 strategic defense and security review (SDSR), with the number of operational tanks slashed and capabilities allowed to atrophy. The question of how to keep Challenger 2 viable was given new impetus by the re-emergence of Russia as a strategic threat and the appearance of the new T-14 Armata main battle tank at a Moscow military parade in April.

The admission that a new tank was probably beyond the reach of the Army follows a recent media report that said the Army was considering such a move.

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British Looking to Build new Tank to Replace Challenger 2 in Response to T-14 Armata

Senior British Army officers and procurement officials are examining the future of the BAE Systems Challenger 2 main battle tank (MBT), including possibly buying a new vehicle.

The effort is a continuation of a project launched more than a decade ago to upgrade the British Army's tank fleet, but earlier this year army chiefs ordered a wider effort to look at radical solutions to the increasing obsolescence of the service's 227 Challenger 2s.

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British Future Soldier Equipment Concept

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Germany, France to Collaborate on NExt Gen Tank (Leopard 3)

Germany and France are considering cooperation on developing a successor to the tank "Leopard 2." The current model has been in service since 1979, and aging Bundeswehr equipment is currently in stark focus.

The German Defense Ministry announced its plans for the "Leo 3" (as it's likely to be nicknamed in Germany) in a report on Friday to the Bundestag, which was obtained by multiple media outlets.

"Technologies and concepts will be investigated between 2015 and 2018 in joint studies also involving German industry," Markus Grübel, a deputy minister in the German Defense Ministry told his parliamentary colleagues. He cited the Leopard 2's long years of service as the reason that a new battle tank was required.

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Note: The Germans and French are just getting started, so they are going to take a bit of time to sort out what they want (3 years).  Then do the design.

The above is a fan art.   Its amusingly close to what fans imagined the T-14 Armata was going to look like (but lacking a pair of crazy 20mm guns).  The reality of the T-14 is rather different than the fan conception.

 

Japanese Military Embraces its Anime Side, Begins Military Powered Armour Project

Last December, Japan’s defense research organization proposed allocating $7.5 million of its 2015 budget towards research into “highly mobile powered suits.”

Which sounds awesome. If anyone can craft Iron Man style robotic armor, it’s Japan, right? Don’t hold your breath. As the U.S. military has learned, exoskeletons are still a long way from the battlefield.

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And War is Boring, especially James Simpson, is very, very skeptical.

Australia Will Hold Open Tender for Infantry Fighting Vehicle, etc

Australia will hold an open tender for a multi-billion dollar project to replace the army's current light armored vehicles with a next-generation ground combat system, Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said on Thursday.

The proposed LAND 400 project to replace a fleet of light fighting vehicles could be worth as much as A$10 billion, media has reported. The government called it a "multi-billion dollar" project in a statement.

Britain's BAE Systems, which earlier this month won a contract to do heavy maintenance in Australia on Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 stealth fighters, has been mentioned as a possible contender for the contract.

U.S. defense giant General Dynamics Corp has also been mentioned in Australian media, as well as France's Thales and German technology group Rheinmetall AG.

The contracts will be seen as a boon for Australia's struggling manufacturing industry, which has been battered in recent years by thousands of job losses and the departure of its automotive industry.

At the same time, Industry Minister Ian MacFarlane issued an opaque warning not to view the tender as simply a jobs package and warned that Australian firms that did bid would be held to the highest standards.

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An Assessment of the Ukrainian Army From the End of September 2014

At the start of the conflict in Donbas, the Ukrainian military appeared to be almost completely incapable of defending its territory. Kiev’s forces were unprepared for Russia’s annexation of Crimea and seemed powerless to prevent it. In recent months, it has become a somewhat more effective war-fighting force, though not one that is powerful enough to withstand a full-scale future Russian military invasion. If the current ceasefire fails and Russia intervenes fully in Donbas, the Ukrainian military will not have the capability to defend the country.

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Meet Britain Scout Armoured Fighting Vehicle

The first pre-production member of the General Dynamics UK Scout Specialist Vehicle (Scout SV) family of tracked armoured fighting vehicles (AFV) for the British Army was shown for the first time at Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) on 25 June 2014.

This was the Protected Mobility Reconnaissance Support (PMRS) model that was rolled out at the facilities of General Dynamics European Land Systems - Santa Bárbara Sistemas in Spain on 12 June. The PMRS will soon return to Spain for its extensive trials programme.

The Scout vehicles are the intended replacement for the Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) - CVR(T) - family of vehicles and are expected to enter service from later this decade as a key part of Army 2020.

Speaking at DVD, Philip Dunne, the UK minister for defence equipment, support, and technology, refused to be drawn on whether he would place a production contract for Scout before the country's general election in 2015, saying only that the project was currently in the demonstration phase and that progress was "so far, so good".

The PMRS is fitted with a Kongsberg Protector Remote Weapon Station (RWS) armed with a stabilised .50 M2 HB machine gun (MG) with a fire-on-the-move capability and banks of grenade launchers.

General Dynamics UK is quoting a combat weight of 38 tonnes for the PMRS but with a proven stretch potential to 42 tonnes to take into account any future requirements.

PMRS has a maximum crew of six including commander, gunner, and driver, plus three dismounts.

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BREAKING REPORT: Ukraine, It has Begun

Big news?  Reports are the Ukrainian army has attacked Slavyansk. Reports are all the check points have been taken. There is a report a helicopter was downed by the Little Green Men.   Good luck guys!  Most if not all of this seems to be based on radio chatter (and...hell, its about time!) 

Chervonoarmiysk, Antratsyt and Amvrosiivka were taken over today by LGM.

There were further clashes in Donetsk.

Ukraine has closed off the land routes from Crimea.

However, we'll see what happens at Slavyansk.  Hopes and prayers.

Seen on the Freeway From Gorlovka to Donetsk

China has or is Developing an Object Individual Combat Weapon

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Ukraine Update: Fuse Lit?

The risk map returns!  Except is not Euromaidan which has put it out.  Its Reuters.  If anything this is not good.

Yanukovich supposedly signed the law granting amnesty if the protestors vacate the buildings in 15 days.  This went up on the presdient's website but there has not been an accompanying presidential decree.

Dmitri Bulatov.  A protestor tortured and crucified.  And now turned loose. Words fail.  Outrage is totally inadequate. Sadly, this is just the most extreme version.  Others are worse.

Two protestors in Dnipropetrovsk were arrested for "planning a terrorist act."

Police have been trying to arrest an unconscious protestor "for questioning" in Kyiv.

Most ominously, the army is calling on the president to restore order.  That can only end well.  Most are taking it as a sign the army will support Yanukovich.  That's bad.  No matter what the army getting involved is bad.

South Koreans Mount Belgian 120mm Cannon on Doosan IFV

CMI Defence and Doosan have teamed up to market a light tank/direct fire vehicle that mates the former's XC-8 turret system with the Doosan K21 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) hull, currently in quantity production for the Republic of Korea Army.

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