British Army to get 100 extra Boxer armoured vehicles
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Gone are your FV 432 Trojans...
Does this mean that we won't have tracked APC's anymore as it sounds like the Warrior APC''s will get scrapped?
Warrior: Whys the Army retiring the military vehicle?
We've been using the wheeled AFVs since the early '80s and they do OK if you don't do stupid crap. We used them in Afghanistan and although they did call the M113 back into service while there, we still used the wheeled AFVs almost completely and still do. They sure move better on hard surface compared to a full track. That hard surface is anything without cat tail swamp...
The wheel on tank design has come full circle, back to the future in designs.
They look almost like the Churchill tank square turret which will take a side on hit instead of a glancing blow from an AT weapon.
The AJAX programme is in hell of a mess with only 14 of 589 delivered,years late, issues on noise internally etc the list goes on.............sad in this day and age.
Yep, in 20 to 30 years someone will say "Why don't we create an armoured vehicle with sloping sides to deflect A.P. rounds and put tracks on it for greater cross country ability and manoeuvrability?" And people will say "What a brilliant idea. Why didn't we think of that before?"Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
Does anyone know how many "changes of mind" there has been over the Warrior APC's, between replacing them and reconditioning them?
Sad that the AJAX programme has been such a disaster, when you consider the UK have been leaders in defeating anti tank weapons for years such as in the use of Chobham armour and rifled barrels. Tank design has been at the core of what we do best in Military design and I am left speechless, when you see the issues with AJAX including welfare of the crew, especially in sound levels internally generated by the engine!!
AJAX was always intended to replace WARRIOR but sadly the issues surrounding its performance grow longer by the day. They have been trying to use every requirement the base unit could role in military service and IMHO spent too much time doing that. It is important it fulfils the "middle ground" not become a replacement for the CHALLENGER programme by fitting 120mm guns to the ASCOD frame!!
I wouldn't be at all surprised if the order for the Boxers gets cancelled in about 6 months time, to "save money", and the Ajax vehicles are back on the cards and or it is decided to refurbish the Warrior APC's (again).
It's a shame we aren't getting the 30mm bushmaster cannon equipped version with a fully stabilised turret for shooting at speed over rough ground, with a very sophisticated full Hunter killer sensor fit Gil...Quote:
Originally Posted by Gil Boyd
It's a hell of a piece of kit, a few hundred of those would be great for the Army.
The Ukraine shows us that your APC had better be equipped with a first rate sensor fit and rapidly trainable, accurate and serious firepower, or you're going to end up in a smoking pile of scrap....
John,
Thats common sense, these civvies at the MOD don't seem to have that, albeit they are supported by those that should know better, and often its too far gone to cancel the order!!
Gil why would they give the power of acquisition to some one who knows the score based on experience and knowledge we see it here in our armed services over here money being drained away on well fruitless stuff like the vehicles to move our 2nd hand Abrams around. The bean counters did not look at the axle loading of the transporter thus the front axles were above the allowable limits for the bridges and roads.
We won't mention our submarines.
I guess every world armed service has similar things going on one can only scratch their head in disbelief, the real sad part is that the end user the soldier, airman or naval person suffers from these ppl who are to remote from the actual sharp end.
It's hard to see why there has been so many alleged problems with AJAX when the vehicle is apparently based on a design already in service with Spain and Austria.