[Mishka Zubov]

A disclaimer: I was trying my best to faithfully translate this article from the publication "Raport-wto 09/2007". While the depth of technical knowledge of the Author should be well appreciated his peculiar style constitutes a real challenge to both: a reader of the original Polish text and yours truly, as a translator. Long-winged paragraphs with many parentheses, off cuff comments and subordinate sub-sequences make it hard to handle it comprehensively. My apology to the Author for some shortcuts and possible misinterpretations of his original ideas and to the readers for some clumsy sentences of mine.

Raport-wto 09/2007

Time to buy vehicles for missions abroad

Grzegorz HOŁDANOWICZ

Polish Land Forces have finally started a procedure for procurement of new well armored patrol vehicles, resistant to mine explosion - a process that we have suggested many times before when writing about preparations to the mission in Afghanistan (see, for example, RAPORT-wto 01/07).

On August the 18th, Department of Supplies of Military Forces (DZSZ) of Ministry of National Defense sent a request to potential suppliers to declare their earliest possible delivery date of 120 Lightly Armored Patrol Vehicles (LAPV).

Such declarations were to be submitted before noon of September the 3rd. The vehicles have to satisfy the detailed and often exorbitant requirements, prepared by Land Forces Command. They have to conform to both: Polish and European norms - including the requirement that the propulsion system should satisfy the European norm Euro 3, which practically eliminates the vehicles from the other side of the pond.

Polish formal requirements narrow down the choice to three types of vehicles: Italian Light Modular vehicle from Iveco DVD (aka Lince in Italian army), Swiss Eagle IV from Mowag - the biggest and the most powerful candidate, and Polish Tur from AMZ Kutno. The latter is however in the relatively early phase of development and - even though it has been given some sympathy and good press in the past few months - it is not unequivocally destined to be a winner.

Even though the principal initial criterion of eventual negotiations is a delivery date of 120 vehicles one has to remember about the bid value. And this can be quite big: standardly equipped Lince costs at least 350,000 Euros, Tur - possibly 200,000, Eagle IV is even more pricey than the Lince. And we are just talking about bare vehicles, which have to come with special equipment. In addition, the special requirements of the client would require some changes to be made (probably the least ones in Tur). The potential contract may be between 25 and 50 millions Euros.

LAPV requirements

The main task of LAPV is patrolling and protection of convoys - as in stabilization missions, transport of soldiers, fire support of recce and assault groups - every hour of the day, under any conditions, all year round. It has to be able to provide fire support for foot soldiers, and to respond with fire to attacks - while in motion. Its weapons should be able to destroy lightly armored stationary and moving enemy targets at the distance of at least 400 meters, also at night, and low flying aircraft targets.

LAPV should weigh no more than 6.5 tones and should be able to carry no more than five persons: a driver, a commander, a gunner and two soldiers. It has to be protected against small caliber shells up to 7.62mm x 54R B32 API with initial velocity 854m/s, and 7.62 mm x 51 AP (WC) Vp=930 m/s (STANAG 4569, Level 3); against explosion of 6 kg TNT mine (STANAG 4569, Level 2A); and against IDEs in the form caliber 155 mm artillery shells exploding 25 m away (4 wg STANAG 4569).

What's interesting, the specification takes into account the users' postulate about passing the documents of the thickness up to 10 cm through the door - without necessity of opening the door.

[1] Actually, two new prototypes have been already presented at Kielce Fair - MZ.

The undeniable asset of Tur is the fact that it uses many domestic subsystems, including elements of communication and command systems, as well as exploitation materials - according to expectations of Military Forces. Its disadvantage is its relatively early phase of development - even though the AZM declares that it can start the delivery of serial production vehicles no later than in the middle of 2008 - at the rate of several vehicles per month.

LAPV has to move with speed at least 100 km/h on roads (acceleration 0 to 80 km/h in 30 s) and at least with 60 km/h off roads. It must be able to move with a minimal stable velocity of 4 km/h - allowing the crew to freely board it and exit it while in motion. Its integral tank capacity should allow for 650 km range on roads and 300 km range off roads. It's chassis' clearance should be at least 300 mm and uphill climb and downhill descent angles at least 35 degrees. It should be able to ford water obstacles of at least 70 cm deep as is and 120 deep after a preparation for such task.

Its tires must be minimum 16 inches in diameter, all terrain, adaptable for winter chains. They should be equipped with inserts allowing for at least one hour travel with a minimal speed of 40 km/h, after the tires have been shot through.

Mini battle vehicle?

The battle tasks of the vehicle - cited above - imply a necessity for remotely controlled weapon module. And this is indeed a part of the spec - LAPV should be equipped either with turntable or zsmu[? MZ], adapted to installation of a 7.62 mm machine gun, a 12.7 mm large caliber machine gun, or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher - with supply of 2000, 800 and 120 shells, respectively.

The requirement that the ammunition of the weapon must be fed from below the armor is somehow doubtful: currently most practical solutions imply feeding from external magazines - with the exception of Norwegian Protector Kongsberg, mounted on their M113, and Polish OBRSM Kobuz - to be demonstrated at the 15th IDIE at Kielce Fair.

The LAPV must be equipped with a roof hatch to fire manually in case of emergency. It has to have six launchers of 81 mm smoke grenades - as part of its self-defense system.

The communication system must be able to cooperate with the system used by Polish Land Forces, and it must include UHF, VHF and individual crew broadcasting equipment (a minimal range of 800 m, as in Fonet PNR-500, used in Rosomaks). Everything must be managed via system of internal communication, as in Fonet.

One has an impression that electronics should be a responsibility of the user rather than the producer of the vehicle, as so-called "Government Furnished Equipment". This practice prevents the latter from inflating the price of the base product and it is being applied world over, as in the case of MRAP vehicles in USA. This also make it easier to handle financial calculations and reduces level of difficulties facing the producer of the vehicle.

Challenges and doubts

The requirement of high yield air conditioning system and fire protection system can be troublesome because of the space limitations. In typical vehicles of this class the flames are allowed to spread beyond the crew cabin. For example, their fuel tank is typically placed beyond the direct fire protection zone.

The vehicle must have the ventilation system with NBC filters, which must create positive pressure of 200 Pa and yield minimal 30 cubic meters per hour. The impression is that such requirement is more appropriate for armored transporters rather than for light patrol vehicles.

Swiss decided that the American design reached its limits. Danes bought 85 Eagle IV in 2005 for 28 mln USD. The entire project was worth 65 mln USD - with logistic and training package, the communication and command systems, additional protection package and zsmu. The contract was signed on December 9, 2005 and the first six Eagle IV for training were delivered on September 28, 2006. The last vehicles must be delivered from Kreuzlingen in Switzerland by the end of 2007.

Eagle IV has been tested by Bundeswehr for many months now, and its competitor is Caracal, that is Italian LMV. What's interesting, Mowag claims that Eagle IV is able to survive an explosion of 6 kg TNT mine - even though it has a flat floor. According to experts from RSA, which has been developing for years the modern constructions resistant to explosions of big mines, it is lowly probable that Swiss had been able to achieve this with their flat floor - unless they had found a highly refined method of escaping the laws of physics. Mowag however sticks to its claims.

Allowing for manual gear shift is, without doubts, a bow towards Tur, which does not have an automatic gearbox in any of its prototypes.

The service life of the LAPV vehicles has been specified as 30 years, and the body should survive a 12-month exposure to elements. The warranty should not be shorter than 24 months.

Of course, all possible Polish defense norms - including justifiable expectation of interoperability with domestic equipment and logistical system - will make it difficult for foreign offerings to satisfy the requirements.

The vehicles must also satisfy national road safety rules. LAPV must be transportable by Hercules airplane, version C-130J, which is a bit bigger than C-130E - bought by Poland. This requirement is a bit surprising.

The basic criterion of delivery date is a two-stage verification of the vehicle, with costs carried by the provider - according to a MoD decision no. 57/MON from March 9, 2005. The first stage involves the resistance tests on a model unit, which does not have to be equipped with weaponry, electronics and other costly elements. This was a lesson learned from the last Spring tests leading to "execution" of fully equipped Rosomak.

The second stage involves testing two completely equipped vehicles. During traction trials the maximally loaded vehicle must drive 15,000 kilometers - including 8000 on hard packed roads. After the both test phases the additional military-exploitation tests will be carried and if they are successful - the full procurement of LAPV will commence.

As quickly as possible to Afghanistan

It seems that it will be necessary to relax some requirements - especially those related to tests, which are lengthy and expensive. Otherwise, the vehicles will not be ready to Afghanistan - not only with the 3rd but also with the 4th rotation of Polish Military Contingent. But they are needed as quickly as possible.

In meantime, no formal MND agreement has been received to send a prototype of Tur to Afghanistan - even though such idea has been long announced. But delaying such decision week by week increases a chance of sending such version of vehicle that is best suited to expectation of Land Forces, and which represents a realistic offering to the users - at the highest safety level in its class.

The number of newly wanted vehicles uniquely indicates that a decision was taken to replace 100 vehicles M1025P1/1026P1 of HMMEV family, leased from USA and currently in use in Afghanistan - even though there are negotiations with US government about leasing 57 stronger vehicles M1114/1151 HMMWV, with kit Frag Kit5 (better protected sides and the roof) and better protection of floor and body-fixing plate.

It should be recalled that process of mounting of additional armored floor sheets in older version of HMMWV has already started last August in Afghanistan.

The negative experience from last months made it clear that the command of Land Forces has no will for further exploitation of HMMWV. The command is convinced that the under-armored older units already bought and currently used by 18th Air Assault Battalion (217 vehicles) should be transfered to other units of Land Forces, which have different operational character.

The Command of Land Forces would like to buy more than just 120 LAPVs. They would be part of standard equipment of 12th and 17th Mechanized Brigades and 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade; that is, the units exploiting the Rosomaks - as well as of both aero-mobile brigades (6th and 25th), special units, reconnaissance units and military schools.

We will know more about LAPV procurement process at the beginning of September. Negotiations with providers should start in October. The contract could be signed not sooner than the end of November. This will be a real test for Department of Supplies of Military Forces.

Grzegorz Hołdanowicz

By the way

source: http://www.altair.com.pl/
translated by MZ