M1A2 Abrams

M1A2 Abrams (Main battle tank) – 1174

In service: 1980-present

Designer: Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems)

Designed: 1972-79

Manufacturer:

Lima Army Tank Plant (since 1980);

Detroit Arsenal Tank Plant (1982-1996)

Unit cost: $8.58 million (with inflation adjustment)

Produced: 1979-present

Number built: 9,000+

Specifications

Weight: 62 t

Length:

Gun forward – 9.77 m;

Hull length – 7.93 m

Width: 3.66 m

Height: 2.44 m

Crew: 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver)

Armor – depleted uranium mesh-reinforced composite armor:

Hull – 600 mm vs APFSDS, 700 mm vs HEAT;

Turret – 800 mm vs APFSDS, 1,300 mm vs HEAT

Main armament: 120 mm L/44 M256A1 smoothbore gun (42 rounds)

Secondary armament:

1× Browning .50-caliber (12.7 mm) M2HB heavy machine gun with 900 rounds;

2× 7.62 mm M240 machine guns with 10,400 rounds (1 pintle-mounted, 1 coaxial)

Engine: Honeywell AGT1500C multi-fuel turbine engine, 1,500 shp (1,120 kW)

Power/weight: From 20.05 kW/t to 17.74 kW/t

Transmission: Allison DDA X-1100-3B

Suspension: High-hardness-steel torsion bars with rotary shock absorbers

Ground clearance: 0.43 m

Fuel capacity: 1,900 L

Operational range: 426 km

Speed:

Road – 67 km/h (governed);

Off-road – 40 km/h

System Enhancement Package

M1A2SEP has upgraded third-generation depleted uranium armor components with graphite coating.

Tank Urban Survival Kit

The TUSK is a series of improvements to the M1 Abrams intended to improve fighting ability in urban environments.

M1A3

Under development, with prospective prototypes by 2014, operational by 2017. Improvements are to include a lighter 120 mm gun, added road wheels with improved suspension, a more durable track, lighter armor, long-range precision armaments, and infrared camera and laser detectors. A new internal computer system is also desired, with current wiring replaced by fiber-optic lines that could decrease weight by some two tons.

German Army begins modernizing its battle tank fleet with the Leopard 2 A7. They have ordered a total of 20 Leopard 2A7 MBTs and the last of these will soon be delivered from KMW's Munich facility and issued to Tank Battalion 203, which currently operates 44 Leopard 2A6s.

(http://www.dmitryshulgin.com/2014/12/12/leopard-goes-on-the-warpath/)

South Korean company Hyundai Rotem signed on 29 December a contract to supply an unspecified number of K2 (Black Panther) Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) to the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA). The company said that the contract – signed with the government's Defense Acquisition Program Administration – is worth $820 million and features the supply of a first batch of K2 MBTs fitted with indigenously produced engines and transmission systems.
(http://www.dmitryshulgin.com/2015/01/07/black-panther/)

ABRAMS M1A2

(http://www.dmitryshulgin.com/abrams-m1a2/)

M270A1 MLRS

M270A1 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) – 991

In service: 1983-present

Designer: Vought Corporation

Designed: 1977

Manufacturer: Lockheed Martin, Diehl BGT Defence

Produced: 1980-2003

Specifications

Weight: 24,950 kg

Length: 6.85 m

Width: 2.97 m

Height: 2.59 m

Crew: 3

Rate of fire:

Rockets – 12 rounds in < 40 sec;

Missiles – 2 rounds in 10 sec

Effective firing range: 64 km

Main armament: M269 Launcher Loader Module

Engine: Cummins Diesel, 500 hp (368 kW)

Operational range: 640 km

Speed: 64.3 km/h

MLRS rockets and missiles

M26: Rocket with 644 M77 Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICM) submunitions, range of 32 km:

M26A1 – Extended Range Rocket (ERR), with range of 45 km and 518 M85 submunitions (an improved version of the M77 DPICM submunition);

M26A2 – As M26A1, but using M77 submunitions. Interim use until M85 submunition entered service

XM29: Rocket with Sense and Destroy Armor (SADARM) submunitions. Not standardized

M30: Guided MLRS (GMLRS). A precision guided rocket, range over 60 km with a standard load of 404 M85 submunitions

M31: Guided Unitary MLRS. Variant of the M30 with a unitary high-explosive warhead for use in urban and mountainous terrain

M39 (MGM-140): Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). A large guided missile using the M270 launcher, with a variety of warheads

XM135: Rocket with binary chemical warhead (VX (nerve agent)). Not standardized.

Selected rocket specifications

Caliber: 227 mm

Length: 3.94 m

Motor: Solid-fuel rocket

Weight:

M26 – 306 kg;

M26A1/M26A2 – 296 kg

Range (max):

M26 – 32 km;

M26A1/M26A2 – over 45 km;

M30/M31 – 70 km

Guidance: M30/M31 – GPS/INS

Warhead:

M26 – 644 M77 DPICM submunitions;

M26A1 – 518 M85 DPICM submunitions;

M26A2 – 518 M77 DPICM submunitions;

M30 – 404 M85 DPICM submunitions;

M31 – 90 kg unitary HE

The M993 is a derivative of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle chassis

MGM-140 ATACMS – Army Tactical Missile System

MLRS

(http://www.dmitryshulgin.com/mlrs/)

M109A6 Paladin

M109A6 Paladin (Self-propelled artillery) – 929

In service: 1963-present

Produced: 1962-2003

Weight: 27.5 tons

Length: 9.1 m

Width: 3.15 m

Height: 3.25 m

Crew: 6 (2 Loaders, Gunner, Assistant Gunner, Commander, Driver)

Shell: separate loading, bagged charge

Caliber: 155 mm L/39 caliber

Breech: interrupted screw

Traverse: 360°

Rate of fire:

Maximum – 6 rpm;

Sustained – 3 rpm

Effective firing range:

Conventional – 18 km;

RAP – 30 km

Main armament: M126 155 mm Howitzer

Secondary armament: Browning .50 caliber (12.7 mm) M2 machine gun

Engine: Detroit Diesel 8V71T, 450 hp (335.56 kW)

Power/weight: 18.7 hp/t

Suspension: torsion-bar

Operational range: 350 km

Speed: 56 km/h

M109A7

The M109A7 shares common components with the Bradley Fighting Vehicle such as the engine, transmission, and tracks. This creates commonality with other systems and maximizes costs-savings in production, parts inventory, and maintenance personnel. In October 2013, the Defense Acquisition Board approved the decision start M109A7 initial production.

PANZERHAUBITZE 2000

(http://www.dmitryshulgin.com/panzerhaubitze-2000/)

M249 LGM

M249 LGM (Light Machine Gun)

In service: 1984-present

Designed: 1976

Manufacturer: Fabrique Nationale de Herstal

Unit cost: $4,087

Produced: late 1970s-present

Specifications

Weight:

7.5 kg empty;

10 kg loaded

Length: 1,035 mm

Barrel length: 465 mm

Cartridge: 5.56×45 mm NATO

Action: Gas-operated, open bolt

Rate of fire:

Sustained rate of fire – 100 RPM;

Rapid rate of fire – 200 RPM;

Cyclic rate of fire – 800 RPM

Muzzle velocity: 915 m/s

Effective firing range:

700 m (point target);

3,600 m

Feed system: M27 linked belt, STANAG magazine

Mark-46 Mod 0

This is a variant of the special purpose weapon adopted by USSOCOM

Mk 48

This is a 7.62×51 mm NATO version of the Mark-46, used by USSOCOM, when a heavier cartridge is required

FGM-148F Javelin

FGM-148F Javelin (Anti-tank missile) – 950

In service: 1996-present

Designer: Texas Instruments and Martin Marietta (now Raytheon and Lockheed Martin)

Designed: June 1989

Manufacturer: Raytheon and Lockheed Martin

Unit cost: $246,000(FY2014)

Produced: 1996-present

Specifications

Weight: 22.3 kg (carry weight)

Detachable CLU: 6.4 kg

Length Missile: 1.1 m

Launch tube: 1.2 m

Diameter:

Missile – 127 mm;

Launch tube – 142 mm;

Crew: 2

Effective firing range: 75 to 2500 m

Maximum firing range: 4,750 m

Warhead: Tandem shaped charge HEAT

Warhead weight: 8.4 kg

Detonation mechanism: Impact force

Engine: Solid fuel rocket

Guidance system: Imaging infrared (IIR)

To make the Javelin more useful in these scenarios, the Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center developed a multi-purpose warhead (MPWH) for the FGM-148F. While it is still lethal against tanks, the new warhead has a naturally fragmenting steel warhead case that provides double the effectiveness against personnel due to enhanced fragmentation. The MPWH does not add weight or cost and has a lighter composite missile mid-body to enable drop-in replacement to current Javelin tubes.

AH-64 Apache

AH-64 Apache (Attack helicopter) – 741

Manufacturer:

Hughes Helicopters (1975-84);

McDonnell Douglas: (1984-97);

Boeing Defense, Space & Security (1997-present)

Designer: Hughes Helicopters

First flight: 30 September 1975

Introduction: April 1986

Produced: 1983-present

Number built: 2,000 as of March 2013

Unit cost:

AH-64A – $20M (2007)

AH-64D – $65M (2010)

AH-64E – $35.5M (FY2014)

Variants: AgustaWestland Apache

General characteristics

Crew: 2 (pilot and co-pilot/gunner)

Length: 17.73 m (with both rotors turning)

Rotor diameter: 14.63 m

Height: 3.87 m

Disc area: 168.11 m²

Empty weight: 5,165 kg

Loaded weight: 8,000 kg

Max. takeoff weight: 10,433 kg

Powerplant:

AH-64D – 2× General Electric T700-GE-701C turboshafts, 1,890 shp (1,409 kW) each;

AH-64E – 2× General Electric T700-GE-701D turboshafts, 2,000 shp (1,490 kW) each

Fuselage length: 15.06 m

Rotor systems: 4 blade main rotor, 4 blade tail rotor in non-orthogonal alignment

Performance

Never exceed speed: 365 km/h

Maximum speed: 293 km/h

Cruise speed: 265 km/h

Range: 476 km with Longbow radar mast

Combat radius: 480 km

Ferry range: 1,900 km

Service ceiling: 6,400 m minimum loaded

Rate of climb: 12.7 m/s

Disc loading: 47.9 kg/m²

Power/mass: 0.31 kW/kg

Armament

Guns: 1× 30 mm M230 Chain Gun with 1,200 rounds as part of the Area Weapon Subsystem

Hardpoints: 4 pylon stations on the stub wings. Longbows also have a station on each wingtip for an AIM-92 Stinger twin missile pack

Rockets: 4× 19 Hydra 70 (70 mm), and CRV7 (70 mm) air-to-ground rockets

Missiles:

4× 4 AGM-114 Hellfire variants;

AIM-92 Stinger may also be carried

Avionics

Lockheed Martin / Northrop Grumman AN/APG-78 Longbow fire-control radar

AH-64D

The AH-64D Apache Longbow, is equipped with a glass cockpit and advanced sensors, the most noticeable of which being the AN/APG-78 Longbow millimeter-wave fire-control radar (FCR) target acquisition system and the Radar Frequency Interferometer (RFI), housed in a dome located above the main rotor.

AH-64E

The AH-64E features improved digital connectivity, the joint tactical radio system, more powerful T700-GE-701D engines with upgraded face gear transmission to accommodate more power, capability to control Unmanned aerial vehicle, full IFR capability, and improved landing gear. New composite rotor blades, which successfully completed testing in 2004, increase cruise speed, climb rate, and payload capacity.

Airbus Helicopters has completed official delivery of the first two Tiger helicopters in the new HAD-E version (Helicoptero de Apoyo y Destrucción, Support and Destruction Helicopter) for the Spanish Army Airmobile Force. The Spanish Army purchased a total of 24 of these helicopters, which offers numerous advantages compared to the HAP-E Tigers (Hélicoptère d'Appui Protection, Support and Escort Helicopter) currently in service.

(http://www.dmitryshulgin.com/2014/12/23/crouching-tiger/)

Cougar H / Cougar HE

Cougar H / Cougar HE (Infantry Mobility Vehicle) – 487

Designer: Technical Solutions South Africa

Manufacturer: Force Protection Industries

Unit cost:

Cougar H – $475,000;

Cougar HE – $644,000

Produced: 2002

Weight:

Curb:

Cougar H – 14.5 t;

Cougar HE – 17.2 t

Gross max:

Cougar H – 17.2 t;

Cougar HE – 22.2 t

Length:

Cougar H – 5.91 m;

Cougar HE – 7.08 m

Width: 2.74 m

Height: 2.64 m

Crew:

Cougar H – 2+4;

Cougar HE – 2+10

Armor: All-round protected from Browning .50 cal

Main armament: Optional remote weapon station

(Common Remotely Operated Weapon System II)

Secondary armament: Optional firing ports

Engine: Caterpillar C-7 Diesel I6, 243 kW (330 hp)

Payload capacity:

Cougar H – 2.72 t;

Cougar HE – 5.90 t

Transmission: Allison 3500SP automatic

Suspension:

Cougar H – 4×4 wheeled;

Cougar HE – 6x6 wheeled

Ground clearance: 410 mm

Operational range: 966 km

Speed: 105 km/h

Cougar HEV – Hardened engineer vehicle

Cougar JERRV – Joint EOD rapid response vehicle

Cougar MRAP – Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (US Defense secretary Robert Gates demanded that 4,000 vehicles be ordered after the Marines reported in 2004 that no troops had died in more than 300 IED attacks on Cougars)