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2RHPZ
06-15-2004, 12:59 AM
CTA Intl. 40mm CTA armed two-man turret ordered
One of the first steps in the WARRIOR Upgrade programme.............

15 June 2004
UK orders 40mm turret
Christopher F Foss

http://eurosatory.janes.com/docs/eurosatory/images/daily/Warrior.jpg

The UK's Defence Procurement Agency has awarded CTA International a contract for the Manned Turret Integration Programme (MTIP) for the British Army's Warrior infantry combat vehicle (ICV).
By the end of 2006, CTA International will deliver a Warrior ICV fitted with a new turret armed with a fully stabilised 40mm Case Telescoped Weapon System (CTWS), ammunition handling system, computerised fire control and day/thermal sighting system.
This will undergo extensive trials with the British Army and funding permitting, it is expected that part of the British Army fleet will be fitted with the 40mm CTWS. Some Warrior vehicles are expected to be re-rolled into Armoured Battlegroup Support Vehicles (ABSV).
The British Army's current Warrior ICV is fitted with a two-man turret armed with an unstabilised 30mm RARDEN cannon, which is laid onto the target using day/image intensification sights. The latter have now started to be replaced by the Thales Battle Group Thermal Imaging (BGTI) system.
The upgraded Warrior will be able to engage a wider range of targets at longer ranges under day and night conditions with a much higher first round hit probability.
Earlier this year CTA International was awarded a contract from the French Délégation Général pour l'Armement (DGA) for an unmanned weapon system, which will be fitted to a new hybrid electric drive demonstrator being developed by Giat Industries.
By the end of this year, development of the CTWS, ammunition handling system and two operational rounds, armour piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot and point detonating high explosive will be completed. These will be followed by the more advanced general purpose round fitted with a programmable fuze with an air burst capability.
CTA International is a joint venture company funded by Giat Industries of France and RO Defence of the UK to design, develop and manufacture the 40mm CTWS plus its ammunition handling system and a family of ammunition. It is also now moving into the turret business. There will be a full exchange of information between France and the UK during these two development programmes for the 40mm CTWS.
According to CTA International, there are a number of future applications for this weapon system, including the British Army's Future Rapid Effects System and the upgrade market.

Michael RVR
06-15-2004, 01:07 AM
Its interesting that there's cooperation on weapons development at many levels between the UK and France.

CAG is there any info on the performance increase the new round will have over the existing 30mm?

Tony Williams
06-15-2004, 03:17 AM
You will find some details of the weapon, plus photos of the turrets and ammunition, on the article on my website here: http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk/DSEi2003.htm

More details of the performance are included in my 'Rapid Fire' amendments page, as follows:

"The development of the CTA continues. Vickers have announced a new turret for the Warrior MICV which takes a 40mm CTA1, and it appears that an upgrade to this vehicle is now planned. More details of this are now available. It is now known as the CTWS and the 40mm cased telescopic round measures (approx) 65 x 285 mm. The APFSDS-T penetrator weighs 450 g and is fired at 1,600 m/s. Penetration of the APFSDS is quoted as more than 150 mm / 1,500 m (presumably at 90 degrees) , while the GPR-T HE round (with a very blunt, round nose) weighs 1 kg, contains 120 g HE, is fired at 1,000 m/s and features airburst fuzing. The first prototype started testing on a Warrior MICV in Feb 2002, with the second prototype due to start testing in Sept 2003, a full service demonstration by end 2004 and in-service date 2006. The weapon is also being offered in an unmanned turret in which the French are reportedly interested), and is being developed for naval use. Benefits claimed for the 40 x 285 CTA cartridge include a large propellant capacity for the length (500g, compared with: 50 x 330 Supershot = 500g, 35 x 228 = 360g, 40 mm Supershot = 260g, and 30 x 173 = 160g). Armour penetration of other APFSDS rounds at 1,500m compared with the 40mm CTA is quoted as follows: 50mm Supershot = 96%; 35mm = 77%; 40mm Supershot = 70%, 30mm = 60%. The 40mm CTA is claimed to be able to penetrate all AFVs up to the T55 over the frontal arc at 1,500m. The CTA's airburst HE round is also stated to be several times better than the equivalent 30mm round. The CTA Warrior turret (which is fully stabilised to fire on the move) weighs 3,923 kg, is 2.35m wide and 5.29m long (including gun barrel). It has two magazines with a total of 42 rounds (one with 12, one with 30, plus another 78 rounds stowed in racks), plus a 7.62mm Chain Gun. The unmanned turret being developed for the French weighs 1,500kg and contains a 78 round magazine. The manufacturers state that: "By 2006 fully integrated 40mm CTWS turret systems will be available to support all major UK and French LAV platform developments."

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk) and discussion
forum (http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/)

ArmyReco
12-15-2005, 04:55 AM
Hello,

See more info to this link :

http://www.********************/News/2005/December/Military_News_december_2005_UK.htm

Greetings.

Alain

Tony Williams
12-15-2005, 11:10 AM
While it has been decided to upgun the Warriors, and the CTA is the front-runner, there is no guarantee that it will be chosen. A competition will be held, which could well include the Bushmaster III (firing the "Super Forty" round - a necked-up 30x173) and/or the Bushmaster IV (firing the 40x364R mm Bofors round).

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk) and discussion forum (http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/)

ArmyReco
12-15-2005, 02:34 PM
Hello,

This info come from Jane's Defense.

Greetings.

Alain



While it has been decided to upgun the Warriors, and the CTA is the front-runner, there is no guarantee that it will be chosen. A competition will be held, which could well include the Bushmaster III (firing the "Super Forty" round - a necked-up 30x173) and/or the Bushmaster IV (firing the 40x364R mm Bofors round).

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk) and discussion forum (http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/)

Praet
01-03-2006, 10:49 AM
Bushmaster III (firing the "Super Forty" round - a necked-up 30x173)
Isn't the Bushmaster III a 35x228/50x330 Supershot weapon not unlike the Rh 503?
IIRC the Bushmaster Mk44 was the one conceived for 30x173 and able to be converted to 30 mm Rarden and 40 mm Super Forty.

Tony Williams
01-05-2006, 10:14 AM
This info come from Jane's Defense.
I work for Jane's :)

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk) and discussion forum (http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/)

Tony Williams
01-05-2006, 10:19 AM
Isn't the Bushmaster III a 35x228/50x330 Supershot weapon not unlike the Rh 503?
IIRC the Bushmaster Mk44 was the one conceived for 30x173 and able to be converted to 30 mm Rarden and 40 mm Super Forty.
Correct. The 35/50mm concept was invented by Rheinmetall, and the Rh 503 was supposed to be the armament for the Marder replacement many years back - but that was cancelled. Then there was an agreement between Rh and a US company (they've changed names so often I can't recall which one it was) to coo-develop the ammo, and the Bushmaster III was developed to use it.

Now the new Marder replacement will carry the Mauser MK 30-2 in 30x173, while the CV9035 with the Bushy III in 35mm has been ordered by Denmark and the Netherlands, so I guess that the Rh 503 is probably dead.

The Super Forty concept essentially copies the 35/50mm one on a smaller scale, in being a straight-cased version of the 30x173.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website (http://www.quarry.nildram.co.uk) and discussion forum (http://forums.delphiforums.com/autogun/messages/)