[Blindés] Le programme de véhicules aéro-largables

[Serge]

Ça y est. C'est exprimé. L'US-Army pour consolider ses aptitudes expéditionnaires exprimé son intérêt pour un ensemble de trois programmes de véhicules aéro largables.

US Army Floats Requirements For Three Light Vehicles

Sep. 15, 2014 - 02:54PM | By JOE GOULD

New Light Vehicles: A prototype is shown of the winning contender for the Ground Mobility Vehicle program for Special Operations Command. The Army is pursuing a similar family of vehicles. (General Dynamics)

WASHINGTON — The US Army is looking to develop a family of three lightweight, highly mobile ground vehicles for a light infantry brigade as it conducts a joint forcible entry mission.

If the service proceeds, it would field an air-droppable light tank called the mobile protected firepower (MPF), and ultra-lightweight combat vehicle (ULCV) and a light reconnaissance vehicle (LRV). The two latter vehicles would be sling-loadable by rotary wing to replace the Humvee.

A competition for a Humvee replacement could reassemble the competitors for the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) light vehicle awarded to General Dynamics, and which also featured bids by industry heavyweights Oshkosh and Navistar, analysts said.

The vehicles align with Army efforts in recent years to become more expeditionary.

“Some of this is, ‘We desperately need to move back into the air-landing force role,’ ” as the Army recasts itself, said Atlantic Council analyst James Hasik.

During the Army’s yearly maneuver conference at Fort Benning, Georgia, ground vehicle requirements officials on Sept. 10 vetted plans for the three vehicles. At one point Col. Rocky Kmiecik, director of the Mounted Requirements Division at the Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence, questioned whether the Army might pursue its own vehicle or SOCOM’s Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) 1.1.

After SOCOM awarded a $562 million contract in August 2013 to General Dynamics for 1,297 GMVs, AM General filed a federal lawsuit against the command, since dismissed. AM General and fellow losing bidder Navistar had submitted formal protests with the Government Accountability Office, which denied the protests. Oshkosh Defense, which had also been eliminated from the competition, filed a protest and later withdrew it.

“Because of the volumes involved, more than SOCOM, [an ultra-lightweight combat vehicle competition] should attract more companies, companies who say they have an advantage in high-volume, low-cost production,” Hasik said. “The number of companies bidding on this could not be fewer than bid on GMV.”

The three vehicles are envisioned for an airborne infantry brigade combat team (IBCT) as it conducts a joint forcible entry mission, rushing forces from their airborne insertion point to the seizure of their objective. The objective would become a forward airfield for reinforcing and follow-on forces, a Stryker brigade combat team.

Conceptually, the IBCT’s ULCV and LRV would be backed up by a company unit with the MPF.

At the highest priority of the three, the ULCV would provide a nine-soldier infantry squad with tactical mobility, carried by sling load from a UH-60 Black Hawk or inside a CH-47 Chinook in high and hot conditions, and be air-droppable from a C-130 or C-17 aircraft. Its initial operating capability is slated for fiscal 2016.

A demonstration of the technology in June at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, validated the requirements, according to an Army information paper. Six vendors took part, comparing their vehicles to the Humvee as part of a global response force mission.

At a maximum of 4,500 pounds, and with a range of 250 to 300 miles on a full tank, the vehicle is meant to be light and fast, to deliver soldiers from a drop zone far from enemy air defense artillery or indirect fire systems. Five would carry a platoon headquarters, three rifle squads and a weapons squad.

As its name suggests, the vehicle would be light and fast, eschewing armor, advanced surveillance or communications gear or weaponry except for a squad’s crew-served weapon.

The vehicle is a departure from the joint light tactical vehicle, an armored Humvee replacement, which would carry five soldiers and can use only a CH-47 for vertical transport.

“Think of this as a 21st century jeep,” Hasik said. “To make it lighter, you can either make the whole thing out of titanium or remove the protection requirements, and it seems that they have gone with the latter.”

The theory is that troops in a forcible entry mission would outpace an enemy’s ability to deploy roadside bombs, and heavier armored vehicles would be deployed later. According to Kmiecik, the light vehicles would not be used by the time troops had set up forward operating bases. “You’re not using this to do the supply from Taji to Baghdad, down the highway.”

Frost & Sullivan analyst Wayne Plucker credited the conceptual vehicles as more sustainable than the multi-ton mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, and said they might allow troops to operate a week without support, from an “airborne beachhead.”

“My Marine colleague here called this, ‘too light to fight,’ ” Plucker said. “The Marines have several layers they can bring in via sealift, and this is the Army saying, ‘we can do this too,’ but they might need to finagle on the weights and sustainability. ... If we were inserting ourselves into Africa, say, not near a coast, it would probably work for a while.”

The LRV, envisioned for a six-scout squad, would host basic and advanced surveillance systems. Infrared systems, ground surveillance radar and links to UAVs would be among them. This would replace Humvees kitted with surveillance gear.

Not meant as a fighting vehicle, it would have a medium-caliber weapon system and baseline protection against small arms, 152mm shrapnel and anti-personnel mines, with the ability to receive heavier armor.

The LRV’s capabilities development document is still in draft form; its estimated operating time frame is fiscal 2020. The platform is considered to be in the technology development phase with plans to hold a performance demonstration in the third or fourth quarter of fiscal 2015.

To be considered, the vehicles would have to be transportable inside or by sling load by a CH-47.

The MPF, envisioned for 2024, has an initial capabilities document scheduled for consideration in October by the Army Requirements Oversight Council.

In concept, the MPF would quickly engage enemy forces, protecting the infantry brigade’s freedom to maneuver.

The MPF would target bunkers, armored vehicles and objectives behind walls with modern infrared and fire control systems. Its base armor would protect it from 152mm shrapnel — which would also cover Russian-made artillery rounds — and a one-hour conversion to full combat mode would include underbelly blast protection.

The light tank would be maneuverable in urban, forest, jungle or mountainous terrain and be able to keep up with an infantry brigade’s organic vehicles. It would also carry enough fuel and ammunition to operate for 24 hours after arrival without a resupply.

“As long as the tank isn’t moving for the 24 hours,” Plucker said, “and does stationing and leap-frogging between them, which is a common technique, maybe. It’s stretching what we can do now by a decent measure.” ■

Email: jgould@defensenews.com

[BPCs]

Amusant ce besoin américain, quand on se decide à adopter un design monolithique pour l'EBMR

Heureusement qu'il subsiste encore des VBL voire des ERC.

Mais quel équivalent pour l'ULCV :

L'ALTV ??? ?

[Serge]

Les américains n'ont pas les même besoins que nous.

Ils ont une force aéro-largable d'une taille respectable et ils savent qu'ils ont besoin de véhicules adaptés. Ce n'est pas du tout notre cas.

ULCV pourrait très bien être nouveau véhicule du SOCom.

Pour le MPF, ils pourraient ressortir ceci des cartons :

avec en prime toute l'expérience du MGS.

[Serge]

Une petite vidéo et en turc s'il vous plaît :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yqxr3tqtog&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Je sais pas pourquoi mais les mécanos vont apprécier.

[BPCs]

Les besoins decrits ci dessus d'entrée de théâtre, de saisie d'aéroport , sont les mêmes pour tout le monde...

Et quand on a une brigade para, on a les moyens conséquents .

Il suffit juste de leur donner une monture adaptée ;)

[Serge]

Qui va payer pour un char aéro-largable ?

36 exemplaires ?

On lance un programme ?

[Conan le Barbare]

La résurrection en somme...

http://www.armyrecognition.com/images/stories/north_america/united_states/artillery_vehicle/nlos-c_gun_system/pictures/nlos-c_gun_system_United_States_US-Army_005.jpg

http://www.armyrecognition.com/images/stories/north_america/united_states/artillery_vehicle/nlos-c_gun_system/pictures/nlos-c_gun_system_United_States_US-Army_003.jpg

http://www.sinaimg.cn/dy/slidenews/8_img/2009_51/242_13566_947285.jpg

[Serge]

Attention.

Tes liens renvoient à l'auto moteur d'artillerie du programme FCS. Il n'est pas aéro largable mais transportable. Si tu le lances par palette, tu vas récupérer des pièces détachées.

[Sovngard]

La 82nd Airborne Division va-t-elle enfin sécher ses larmes ?

Ça aurait été vraiment génial si ils avaient ressorti l'AGS de Teledyne Continental Motors mais bon, contrairement au M8 Buford, il n'a jamais dépassé le stade de prototype.

 

Edited September 17, 2014 by Sovngard

[Serge]

Pour l'heure, personne ne sait ce à quoi va ressembler le MPF.

La seul chose est que BAE dispose à cet instant du char léger le plus abouti. Ils peuvent présenter un candidat très vite.

[Sovngard]

La seul chose est que BAE dispose à cet instant du char léger le plus abouti. Ils peuvent présenter un candidat très vite.

 

BAE Systems, tu penses à quel char ?

[Conan le Barbare]

Attention.

Tes liens renvoient à l'auto moteur d'artillerie du programme FCS. Il n'est pas aéro largable mais transportable. Si tu le lances par palette, tu vas récupérer des pièces détachées.

C'est surtout que je me suis trompé de topic...

[BPCs]

Qui va payer pour un char aéro-largable ?

36 exemplaires ?

On lance un programme ?

On a déjà moult fois me semble-t-il proposé de

mettre fin au programme EBRC qui n'aura que tres peu de commonalité avec le VBMR pour splitter en un EBRC lourd sur base Vbci surbaissée et EBRC Light en lançant le CRAB qui servirait aussi aux Alpins et pour l'amphibie et s'appuierait sur le VBAE :

On n'est plus à 36 exemplaires ;)

[Drakene]

Une petite vidéo et en turc s'il vous plaît :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yqxr3tqtog&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Je sais pas pourquoi mais les mécanos vont apprécier.

 

Tient ça me fait penser que si des mécanos veulent apprécier jusqu'au bout, il y a une des variante de l'AGS en vente ;)

 

http://www.auctionsamerica.com/events/feature-lots.cfm?SaleCode=LC14&ID=r0083&Order=alphabetical&feature=&collection=&grouping=&category=Cars

[Serge]

Le CCVL avait une sacrée bouille.

[Scarabé]

Tiens à propos d'aérolargage

 

Lors de l'exercice Colibri 2014 le 1re régiment du Train parachutiste  à larguée 2 couple de mortier  de 120 Auverland A3, 1 VBL poste de commandement 2 Quads  Mag 58.

 

Photo sur le lien

 

http://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/actu-terre/colibri-2014

 

http://www.defense.gouv.fr/terre/mediatheque/phototheque/operations-preparations/colibri-2014

Edited September 19, 2014 by Scarabé

[TimTR]

Pas accessible pour les civils :/

Mais intéressant, j'ai souvenir que c'est une question qu'on se posait sur ce qui était réellement aérolargable à la 11°BP.

[Scarabé]

Pas accessible pour les civils :/

Mais intéressant, j'ai souvenir que c'est une question qu'on se posait sur ce qui était réellement aérolargable à la 11°BP.

Oups je corrige le lien

[Serge]

Le retour vers du plus léger :

Manufacturers offer vehicles that travel light

Sep. 23, 2014 - 06:51PM | By JOE GOULD

Boeing's Phantom Badger could be one candidate to meet military requirements that call for a light, fast, easily deployable vehicle. (Bob Ferguson/Boeing)

QUANTICO, VA. — Got a light? Two vehicle manufacturers are banking on their stripped-down, jeep-like, ultra-light vehicle offerings, on display at Modern Day Marine this week.

Boeing showed off its Phantom Badger, a 4,000-pound tactical vehicle slightly narrower than a Mini Cooper, and Polaris Defense had its deployable advanced ground off-road DAGOR, which weighs 4,500 pounds.

A departure from the multiton, heavily armored vehicles of the recent wars, which were required to protect against improvised bombs, these cheap, fast, ultra-light vehicles are meant to run down and destroy an enemy fleeing in a speeding four-by-four pickup truck. The Army in recent weeks made public the requirements — though yet to be approved by the Army — for such an ultra-light combat vehicle (ULCV), sling-loadable by rotorcraft and unarmored at 4,500 pounds or less.

“They need to take an infantryman from an off-set drop zone, with his 80-pound ruck sack, to a rally point, safely,” said Mark McCormick, director of US government sales for Polaris Defense. “They’ve recognized that they have people to do things on foot or do things in the heavy world, but what they’ve lost is the expeditionary capability that they are seeing a lot of the bad guys use.”

The Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence, which identifies the service’s mobility requirements, has told industry it needs a vehicle for light infantry movement, a light reconnaissance vehicle and a light tank. The DAGOR was among six vehicles that participated in an Army demonstration of the ultralight vehicle technology in June at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Not just a concept vehicle, the Phantom Badger has been fielded in a clandestine Pentagon program for an unnamed agency, said Garrett Kasper, a Boeing spokesman for Phantom Works, the company’s development cell. A Marine official confirmed it is a special operations vehicle.

One Phantom Badger fits inside a V-22 Osprey, two fit in a CH-47 Chinook, and more than a dozen can fit inside and be air-dropped from a C-17 Globemaster, Kasper said. Its adjustable suspension can be raised or lowered for a smoother ride or to make it fit inside an aircraft.

The Phantom Badger has four-wheel-drive, four-wheel steering, run-flat tires, a range of 450 miles and a top speed of more than 80 miles per hour, Kasper said. It was built with partner MSI Defense.

“If you are in a tight urban environment, in a mountain environment or in an environment where there are a lot of obstacles, your flexibility, power and mobility and speed are key to your survival on this vehicle,” he said.

Kasper said the Phantom Badger could compete to become the Army ULCV should the Army pursue such a vehicle, or as a replacement for the Marine Corps Growler internally transported vehicle, should the Marines pursue that.

Although Polaris has leveraged its consumer production line to build off-road vehicles for militarized all-terrain vehicles, the DAGOR represents the company’s first purpose-built military vehicle in the category, McCormick said. He said the DAGOR, like the Phantom Badger, was built for a military client that could not be named.

At 72-inches wide, the DAGOR would not fit inside an Osprey. However, McCormick said the DAGOR would meet all three of the Army’s criteria for the ULCV: weight, transportability and its ability to carry an infantry squad.

“We feel somewhat unique in that we care coming from the world of off-road experts … and feel in this ultralight combat vehicle class, we understand what it takes to meet that requirement,” McCormick said.

At the June demonstration, the Army sought a vehicle that could transport more than 3,000 pounds, and nine men, on rough terrain. It also had to be affordable enough that it could be disposed of — in essence, blown up and left — on the fly.

Officials at Humvee manufacturer AM General said they are watching the discussion over ultra-light vehicles carefully, but declined to discuss future initiatives.

“We’ve definitely got our eyes on the competitions that are out there,” said Jeff Adams, a spokesman for AM General. ■

Email: jgould@defensenews.com.

Le DAGOR de Polaris :

Edited September 28, 2014 by Serge

[Clemor]

Si c'est un petit char aérotransportable qu'ils ont besoin, il y a déjà entre autre le M8 et l'AGS Stingray qui avait été etudier, sachant que le Stingray équipe l'armée thailandaise (une petite centaine il me semble). Il doit bien y avoir un retour d'experience sur ces engins qui permettrait le cas écheans de mettre au point un véhicule adapté à l'armé US.

Pour ma part, dans cette catégorie de véhicule, je préfére le M8 car il y avait été étudier pour recevoir différent kit de blindage aditionnel, adapté à la mission dans lequel il aurait été engagé.   Cependant en configuration light c'est quand même dans les 22 tonnes et 25 en max.

On est trés loin des 2.3 tonnes requis, si j'ai bien tous compris si dessus: le programme serait pour équipé les brigades légéres d'un petit véhicule rapide et tenant dans un V22 ou un CH47. ^-^

[Serge]

Présentation du DOGAR, l'un des prétendants :

Presenting The Polaris Defense DAGOR

October 6th, 2014

During May’s Special Operations Forces Industry Conference I was taken to an offsite warehouse on the edge of Downtown Tampa’s in order to see the Polaris Defense DAGOR. What I saw was a vehicle larger than anything Polaris had ever offered. You could definitely see that it was a Polaris design, but it was a step up in size from the familiar MRZR. Under development for the past year, the DAGOR was originally created for an undisclosed customer, but it turned out that it fit two other niches quite well.

One of those niches is reflected in the full name of the vehicle: Polaris Defense DAGOR ultra-light combat vehicle. The Maneuver Center of Excellence is working on a requirement for an Ultra-Light Combat Vehicle. Primarily focused on the Global Response Force mission (aka airborne forced entry), the ULCV must be airdroppable and then derigged in two minutes, cannot weigh more than 4500 lbs, offer a 250 mile radius and carry 9 troops with equipment (3200 lbs).

The Army had just released a Sources Sought notice in January of 2014. The DAGOR was one of six vehicles to participate in the Platform Performance Demonstration (ULCV-PPD) from 9-13 June, at Ft Bragg which was used to validate those threshold requirements we just laid out. While the UCLV has been referred to as a “21st century Jeep” it’s actually being asked to do more than the Jeep ever could. For instance, as you can see from these photos taken during the PPD, you can actually fit an Infantry Squad in the DAGOR.

The DAGOR has already had limited public exposure during last month’s Maneuver Conference at Ft Benning as well as Modern Day Marine at Quantico Marine Base but Polaris Defense believes in the DAGOR so much that they started low rate initial production over the Summer.

Intentionally simplistic design of the DAGOR allows for maximum capability on a light-weight platform. It also allows for ease of operation, maintenance and sustainment in support of combat operations. Some of you will note the lack of armor. This is by design. The vehicles already at the Army’s disposal include armored mobility systems. Soldiers in the UCLV will be protected from kinetic threats by their Personal Protective Equipment and will rely on speed and maneuverability to avoid threats. Remember, the UCLV is intended primarily to satisfy a mobility requirement for airborne forces. It is meant to be light, fast and inexpensive.

The DAGOR weighs less than the 4,500 lbs requirement to maximize aircraft transport, operational range and increase vehicle payload. Most of the components that make up the DAGOR include readily available commercial off the shelf (COTS) driveline, controls and components. In fact, the initial customer insisted on such a design so that they could procure spares virtually anywhere. The engine too is a COTS component which burns diesel/JP8. These offer streamlined maintenance and operator training. But that doesn’t mean this is some simple pick-up. The DAGOR introduces a trophy truck-inspired suspension to carry 3,250 lbs of payload or an infantry squad at a higher rate of speed over terrain usually traveled on foot. The current ULCV requirement calls for 10% movement on primary roads, 10% on secondary roads, 75% cross-country and trails, and 5% in urban, rubble environment.

As you can see, it’s pretty straight forward and incorporates an open design in the cargo bed offering adaptability, plenty of room for cargo and ready access for to it. Although I wasn’t able to take any photos of the DAGOR during my brief time with the vehicle in May and I wasn’t able to drive it, I was allowed to sit in the various crew positions. To me, it is very much like a HMMWV except, smaller. In the driver’s seat, you have better visibility than with the HMMWV and the door threshold is very low. It’s very easy to ingress and egress, including the rear cargo area. Everything is closer at hand than with a HMMWV meaning it is a bit more cramped but you don’t have to reach as far for anything either.

While the DAGOR was not designed as an Internally Transportable Vehicle for the V22 Osprey, its narrow width allows rapid loading into rotary wing aircraft (CH/MH47) under ‘other than ideal’ conditions. It can also be sling loaded with the Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk in high altitude, hot weather conditions and naturally, can be rigged for Airborne insertion via fixed wing just like the MRZR. This narrow body also means it is highly maneuverable through areas inaccessible by other vehicles with its capacity.

Polaris Defense Family of Vehicles

As you can see from this slide of current and future technologies provided to the SEC last year by Polaris Defense, the DAGOR fits nicely into an expanded family of light vehicles. It also gives you an idea of its size in relation to the other Polaris Defense vehicles. In addition to the US Army’s ULCV requirement, it might well help round out USSOCOM’s Family of Special Operations Vehicles. That’s the other “niche” I mentioned at the beginning of the article.

FOSOV

All-in-all, the DAGOR is an interesting platform that can rapidly be procured and adapted to a wide variety of light vehicle duties that have been abandoned along with the entire CUCV and majority of the HMMWV fleets. No matter the branch of service or type of unit, everyone has a requirement for a light utility vehicle. Perhaps that solution is the Polaris Defense DAGOR. Be sure to check the DAGOR out at AUSA next week in Washington, DC.

http://soldiersystems.net/2014/10/06/presenting-polaris-defense-dagor/ Edited October 6, 2014 by Serge

[Serge]

 

IDEX – Polaris Defense DAGOR Debuts Internationally

February 18th, 2015

We’ve mentioned the Polaris Defense DAGOR in the past. It’s gained a lot of interest here domestically and now it’s making its international debut.

Polaris was the first ATV manufacturer to supply militarized off-road vehicles to the U.S. Special Operations Command and the U.S. Army over 20 years ago. The extensive success of those vehicles in theater led to the introduction of a complete line of military-specific vehicles, including several successful contracts throughout the Middle East. Polaris Defense continues to work closely with the United States and Allied forces, with products operational in over 70 countries.

Throughout EMEA, the Polaris Defense family of ultra-light vehicles is aligned with the region’s broad, emerging ultra-light mobility needs. To meet light mobility requirements, Polaris Defense provides a family of ultra-light vehicles: the MV850 all-terrain vehicle (ATV), the MRZR lightweight tactical all-terrain vehicle (LTATV), and the DAGOR ultra-light combat vehicle (ULCV), which is making its international debut at IDEX. These vehicles all provide off road mobility at full payload, and with ease of transportability using tactical air assets.

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD-PJfpn0aE

With the ability to carry a nine-man infantry squad, DAGOR is Polaris’ largest offering in size and payload. DAGOR was designed for light infantry and special operations forces to be easily transported by tactical air and to carry its full 3,250 lbs of payload in extreme off-road terrain to be mission effective. DAGOR also is supported with a COTS supply chain making it easy to use and easy to maintain anywhere in the world.

Polaris Defense has been a leader supplying a family of ultra-light, off-road vehicles that are widely adopted within the U.S. military, and have been sold to more than 20 countries worldwide, including here in the Middle East. U.S. Special Forces also recognized and thanked Polaris in 2014 for the company’s rapid delivery and support of the Lightweight Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (LTATV) contract with their MRZR platform. The USSOCOM contract and MRZR contracts here in the Middle East, include support of user evaluation and government testing, delivery of vehicles with tactical accessories, and providing training and sustainment parts.

At IDEX 2015, Polaris Defense is showcasing the MV850 ATV, MRZR LTATV, and DAGOR ULCV. With a robust global network of dealers, distributors, and subsidiaries, Polaris Defense provides full life-cycle support of these vehicles throughout the world.

polarisdefense.com

[Serge]

Entraînement avec le LTATV :

[French Kiss]

J'ai l'impression que pour mettre 9 gusses dans un DAGOR il faut monter un numero de cirque, parce qu'on voit seulement 4 sieges...? Enfin l'engin fait plutot pataud, par contre le ltatv a l'air pas mal du tout dans le genre qui passe partout.

[Serge]

Ce sont de gros fardiers.