Armada Artillery Compendium - April 20152

8/15/2019 Armada Artillery Compendium - April 20152

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03CompendiumArtillery 2015

What Is Artillery Today?Morethanever, artilleryisa complexensemble.Indeed,deliveringanexplosive payloadover a targetat theright timeand

synchronisingthefireactionwithall theotherelementspresent on thebattlefieldinvolvesmore thanjusta gun.This begins withlogisticand technicalsupport, effective surveillanceandtargetacquisition assetsandprocedures, followedbycommand, control andcommunicationsystems able tocoordinatea firingaction withthe complex environment theammunitionwill be travellingthrough

beforereachingitstarget,and finallybyeffective, reliable andaccurate weaponsystems.Thisbeingsaid, it is impossibleto incorporateall theaboveelements into a singleCompendiumwithout turningit into somethingakintoa thick multiple-volumeencyclopaedia.Quiteapart from thefactthat logisticand technicalsupport arefunctions thatarean integral partof themilitaryandindustrialsystem, targetacquisitionis entrustedtovehicles that arefor themostpart

equipped withsensors that allow themto pinpoint a targetandsendcoordinategrids upthecommandchain,notto mentiondrones, aircraft and, nottobe overlooked, satellites!

InthisCompendium, andas faras targethandling isconcerned,weshall thus limit ourselves tohandheldtargetacquisitionbinocularsandhandheld laser designators (and there aremany), althoughartillery-specificradarsare worthyof attention.

Thecommandand controlchain ismostlymadeup ofmultiple systems that aretightlyinterfaced, so here tooweshall mostlyprovidea generaldescriptionof what isnowadaysrequired toclear a fire mission ina joint-combinedenvironment.

Weapon systems andtheir ammunition,on theotherhand,constitute thecore of thisCompendium.Theyinclude self-propelledguns andhowitzers(bothwheeledandtracked), towedguns andhowitzers, self-propelledheavy mortarsas wellas towedrifled

mortars. Thelatterare nowoftenushered into artilleryunit service asalternativesystems.Rocket launchersclose themarch.

Greater Range and Accuracy What armieshave alwaysrequired fortheir artilleryisgreaterrangeandincreasedaccuracy—buttoday those twoimportant

elements that allow indirectfire tomaintainits importancehave todoso in scenarios where collateraldamagehasbecomea keyissueofconcernand wheredefiningthe whole area ofresponsibilityisnotalwaysclear-cut.Time ontarget is anotherissueand,asvolatileobjectiveshave become thenorm, thesensor-to-shootercycle needs tobeshortenedasmuch aspossible. Inother words, thewhole

chain, from targetdesignationto shellorwarheadterminal effect,hastightened.Althoughwestern armieshave endedupreducing their artilleryarsenals compared towhat theyhad in inventoryduringtheCold

Warera,otherarmiesarecontemplatingmassiveinvestments.A mainpotentialcustomer for artillerymanufacturersin thecomingyears isdefinitelyIndia—ifandwhen, itmust beemphasised, thisnation finallymanages tocomplete itslong-awaitedacquisition

process. InNovember2014, followingyearsofrequests forproposalsandcancellations, theIndianMinistryofDefenceapprovedtheprocurement ofoneof theelementsof theFieldArtilleryRationalisationPlan (aplanthatdatesbackto 1999).Thisincluded100self-

propelled trackedhowitzers, 180self-propelledwheeledhowitzers(withanoptionfor120 more),814truck-mountedguns, 1,580towedhowitzersand 145light guns—allin 155mmcalibre.Thefirst category tohave wonacquisition clearance is thetruck-mounted 155/52.Becausenationalproductionis a sinequa non,

numerousinternationalcontenders have clincheddealswithlocal companiesaspartof their bids.India,however, isnotthe onlynationlookingat investments in thefield of indirect firecapability. Polandis looking

at truck-mountedandself-propelledhowitzers, newmultiple rocket launchers, andeven self-propelledheavy mortars.Asia andLatinAmericaarealso areasof interest forartillerysalesmen.

Inaddition tonew systemsbeingthrownonthe market,it mustnotbeforgotten that asa resultoftheabove-mentioneddownsizing ofwesternforces, a considerableamountof hardware,includingstill state-of-the-art items,is hittingthe second-handsystems list. Moreover, assaid initially, artillerysciencegrowswell beyondthelengthof itsbarrels. Indeedneweffectorswillalso

mean newammunition,new targetingsystems,anda whole newstringofrulesandprocedures.

CONTENTTechnicaldata ofmain artillerysystemsaregivenin thisCompendium’s centrefoldouttablesin pure

Armadatradition. For ease ofreference, this Compendium hasalso beendividedinto eight main sections:

Target Location and or Designation Page 04Commandand Control Page 17Howitzer Ammunition Page 18On Wheels Page 23On Tracks Page 33Towed Page 37Mortars and their Munitions Page 41Rockets Page 47


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04 CompendiumArtillery 2015

J ust to give an idea of what the servicesare after, let’s consider the draftrequirementspublished bytheUSArmy in January 2014for itsLaser Target LocationModuleII,which should in duetime replacethe LTLM currently in service. The Army iscontemplatinga 1.8kg locator(butultimately 1.6 kg), although the overall system,including base system, cables, tripod, and

lens cleaning kit would tip the scales at 4.8kg, possibly 3.85 kg. In comparison thecurrent LTLM has a 2.5 kg base weight and5.4kg system weight.Threshold target errorlocation requirement is 45 metres at 5 km,

the same as the LTLM, objectiveperformancebeing10metresCEPat 10km.For day operations the LTLM II wil l haveboth a directview opticwith a x7 minimummagnification, a 6°x3.5° minimum field of

To generate the grid of a target, an acquisition system must first know its own position.From there it can establish the range of the target and the latter’s angle relative to thenorth. A sighting system, (preferably a day and night type), an accurate locatingsystem, a laser rangefinder and a digital magnetic compass are the usual componentof such a device. Its ability to identify a coded laser beam is also useful to confirm thetarget to the pilot and thereby increase safety and reduce communication traffic; this isthe role of spot trackers. Markers, on the other hand, are not sufficiently powerful toguide weapons, but allow to mark the target for ground or airborne designators thatin the end guide the munition’s semi-active laser seeker spot on target. Finally, artillery location radars allow to pinpoint enemy artillery positions even if, as often is thecase, they are not in direct view. As indicated in the introduction, only hand-held

systems are examined in this Compendium

Here seen in thehands of Italian Army 185th Target AcquisitionRegiment operators,the Elbit PLDR II is in service with many customers, includingthe US MarineCorpswhere

it is known as AN/PEQ-17. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

Finding the Target


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view, a hard reticle with 10 artil lery milincrements, as well as a colour day imager.The latter will provide a streaming videoand in wide field of view mode, more than6°x4.5°, ensuring a 70% probability of recognition at 3.1 km and of identificationat 1.9 km in fair weather. Narrow field of view should be at least 3°x2.25°, better2.5°x1.87°, with respective recognitionranges of 4.2 or 5 km and identificationrangesof 2.6or 3.2km. The thermal channelwould have thesame objective fields ofview,with 70% probability of recognition of 0.9and 2 km, and identification at 0.45 and 1km. Target data will be provided inUTM/UPS units, data and images beingexported via a RS-232 or a USB 2.0 ports.Power will be provided by L91 lithium AAbatteries. Minimum connectivity must beensured withthe PrecisionLightweightGPSReceiver and the Defense Advanced GPSReceiver, as well as developmental GPSsystems. TheArmy would however prefer asystem that can also be interfaced withthePocket Sized Forward Entry Device,theForward Observer Software/System, theForce XXI Battle Command, Brigade-and-Below, and the NetWarrior.

BAESystemsofferstwo target acquisitionitems. The UTB X-LRFis a derivative of theUTBX,towhicha5.2kmrangeClass1laserrangefinder has been added. Based on anuncooled thermal sensor with a 640 x 480pixels focal planearray at17 µm pitch, it canbe fitted with a 40, 75 and 120 mm focallength optics, providing respectively x2.1,x3.7 and x6.6 magnification, and 19°, 10.5°and 6.5° diagonal fields of view, a x2electronic zoom allowing to double theperformance. According to BAE Systems80% positive detection ranges on a 0.75 m 2

Nato target arerespectively 1,010, 2,220 and2,660metres. TheUTBX-LRFisfittedwitha2.5 metre-accurate GPS and a digitalmagnetic compass. It also includes a visibleand an infrared Class3B laserpointer. Upto100 images can be stored in uncompressedBMP format. Power is provided by four L91lithium batteries, ensuring five hours of operational time, though USB port allowsexternal power feed. The UTB X-LRF is 206mmlong,140mmwideand74mmhigh,andweighs1.38kg without batteries.

AnotherBAESystemsproductis theTrigr(for Target Reconnaissance Infrared Geo-Locating Rangefinder). Developed in co-operation with Vectronix, BAE Systemsprovides theuncooled thermal channel baseand the selective availability anti-spoofingmodule GPS with a government-providedGround-Based GPS Receiver ApplicationModule, while Vectronix provides the x7directview optic,the 5-km rangefibre-basedlaser rangefinder, and the digital magneticcompass. Accordingto thecompany theTrigrensuresa 45metresCEPtargetlocationerrorat 5 km. Day recognition range is 4.2 km, orover 900 metres at night. It weighs less than

2.5kg, twosetsofbatteriesensuringa 24-hourmission endurance. The overall system,including the tripod, batteries and cables,weighs5.5kg.ItisinusewiththeUSArmyasthe Laser Target Locator Module; in 2009 afive-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract was signed, the two latestorders being dated August 2012 andJanuary 2013, respectivelyworth$23.5 and$7 million.

NorthropGrummanMarkVIIhand-heldlaser target locator was superseded by theMark VIIE, the latter having a thermalimaging channel in place of the imageintensified channel of the previous model.The uncooled sensor considerably improves visionatnight andin difficultconditions, andfeatures an 11.1°x8.3° field of view, the day channelbeingbasedon anx8.2magnificationdirect view optic providing a 7°x5° field of view. A digital magnetic compass provides a±8 mill accuracy, the electronic clinometerhaving a ±4 mill accuracy, position beingprovidedby anembeddedGPS/SAASM.TheNd-Yag laser rangefinder with opticalparametric oscillation ensures a maximumrangeof20kmwitha±3metreaccuracy.TheMark VIIE weighs 2.5 kg with nine CR123commercialbatteries, andis fittedwithan RS-232/422 datainterface.

The latest addition to NorthropGrumman’s portfolio is the HHPTD, forHand Held Precision Targeting Device,which in less than 2.26 kg packs the typicalsensors of such systems. Compared to itspredecessors ithasa colourdaytime channelaswellas a non-magneticcelestialnavigationmodule thatconsiderably increasesaccuracy,at the level needed by today’s GPS precisionguidedmunitions.Thedevelopmentcontractworth $9.2 million was awarded in January 2013, work having been conducted incooperationwith Flir, GeneralDynamicsandWilcox. Developmental testing wascompleted at the White Sands missile rangeinOctober2014.

A derivative of the UTB X, the UTB X-LRF adds a laser rangefinder that allows it to become a full targeting location system. (BAESystems)

Known in theUS Army as Laser Target Locator Module, BAESystems Trigr includes an uncooled thermal channel and weighsless than2.5 kg.(BAE Systems)

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Flir has a range of hand-held targetingdevices in its portfolio and cooperates withother companies,providingthenight visionelement of such systems. The Recon B2featuresa mainthermalchanneloperatinginthe mid-wave band. Based on a 640 x 480InSb cooled array, it provides a wide field of viewof10°x8°,a narrowoneof2.5°x1.8°,andis fitted with a x4 continuous e-zoom. It isequipped with auto focus, automatic gaincontrol and digital data enhancement. Thesecondarychannel can either be fittedwith aday sensor (B2-FO) or with a long-waveinfrared ch annel (B2-DC). The former isbased on a ¼” colour CCD with a 794 x 494pixelarrayand a x4continuousdigitalzoom,and with two fields of view, similar to theprevious. The secondary thermal channel isbased on a 640 x 480 Vox microbolometerand provides a single18° field ofview, with a

x4 e-zoom. The B2 hosts a C/A code GPS;however, military GPS can be plugged in toincrease accuracy, a digital magneticcompass, and a 20 km range laserrangefinder, aswell asa Class3B laserpointeroperating in the 852 nm band. The B2 canstore up to 1,000 jpeg images that can bedownloaded via a USB port, but an RS-232/422 interface is also available, as areNTSC/PAL and HDMI ports for videooutput.Weight is lessthan4 kg includingthesix lithiumD rechargeable cells that providefour hours of continuous operation or overfive hours inpowersavemode.TheReconB2can be fitted with a remote control kitincluding a tripod, a panand tilt assembly, apower and communication assembly and acontrol station assembly.

The Recon B9-FO is a lighter systemfeaturingan uncooled thermalchannelwitha

9.3° x 7° field of view and a x4 e-zoom. Thecolour camera has a continuous x10 opticalzoom and a x4e-zoom,whiletheGPS,DMCandlaserpointerperformancesare similar tothose of the B2. What makes a majordifference is the rangefinder, which has amaximum range of 3 km. The B9-FO isdedicated to shorterrange operationsand isalsomuchlighter than theB2, at less than 2.5kg with the tworechargeable D cellbatteriesthatprovide fivehourscontinuousoperation.

Even lighter, thanks to the lack of a day channel, the1.8kg Recon V (with batteries)provides a six-hour run time with hot sapcapability. Its cooled 640 x 480 InSb seekeroperates in themediumwave infrared band,and is equipped with a x10 optical zoom(wide field of view being 20° x 15°). Itsrangefinder hasa 10kmreach whilea memsgyroadds imagestabilisation.

Sagem ofFranceproposesthreebinocularsolutionsforday-night targetacquisition, allfeaturing the same visible colour channelwitha 3°x2.25°fieldofview, aneye-safe laserrangefinder with a 10 km range, a digitalmagnetic compass with 360° azimuth rangeand ±40° in elevation, and a C/S-type GPSwith an accuracy of up to three metres CEP(itcanalsobe linkedto anexternalGPS).Themain differences arein thethermal channel.

At the lower end is the Jim UC, whichfeatures an uncooled 640x480 array with


TheHand Held PrecisionTargeting Deviceis oneof thelatest developmentsfrom NorthropGrumman and has completed developmental tests in late 2014. (USArmy)

The Flir Recon B2 family hasa main cooled channel, the B2-FOhere pictured in thehandsof Italian special operations personnel; it isfitted with a secondary day channel.(Armada/PaoloValpolini)

The lightertarget acquisitionoption from Flir is the Recon V, which includes a thermal cooled sensor, a rangefinderand the other typical sensors, packedin an 1.8 kg system.(Armada/PaoloValpolini)


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identicalnightand daynarrow fieldsofview,while the wide field of view is of8.6° x 6.45°.The Jim UC is fitted with a digital zoom,imagestabilisation, internalphoto andvideorecording; anoptional imagefusion betweentheday andthermalchannelsisalsooffered.Ithasa 0.8µm eyesafe laserpointer, plus analogand digital ports. It weighs 2.3 kg withoutbattery. The rechargeable battery providesover fivehoursof operational life.

Then comes the Jim LR of which,incidentally, the UC is a derivative. It is inservice amongotherswith theFrenchArmy,being partof theFélin soldiermodernisationsuite. The Jim LR features a cooled thermalchannel, with a 320 x 240 pixel sensoroperating in the 3-5 μm band; the narrow fieldofviewremainsthesameastheUC’s,thewideonebeingof 9°x 6.75°.A morepowerfullaser pointer is offeredonoption, increasingthe range from 300 to 2,500 metres. Thecooling system of course increases weight,theJimLR standingat2.8 kgwithout battery.A cooled sensor considerably increaseperformances though, detection-reconnaissance-identification ranges for ahumantargetbeingrespectively of3/1/0.5kmfortheUCand7/2.5/1.2kmfortheLR.

Closing the march is the Jim HR withfurther improvementsoffered byaVGA640x 480 pixelarrayprovidinghigherresolution.

Vectronix, a subsidiary of Sagem,proposes two observation platforms that,coupled to Vectronix and/orSagem systems,generate extremely accurate modular toolsfor targeting.

The GonioLight is a digital observationstationthe digitalmagneticcompassofwhichprovides an accuracy of 5 mil (0.28°).Whenfitted with the north-finding gyroscope,accuracy increases to 1 mil (0.06°). Thegyroscope is installed between the head and

the tripod adding 4.4kg to the assembly, theGonioLight and tripod coming at around 7kg. If the gyroscope is not installed, similaraccuracy can be obtained using embeddedsurvey routines on known landmarks orcelestial bodies. An embedded GPS and alink toan externalGPSarealso available.TheGonioLight is equippedwithan illuminatedscreen and has interfaces for computers,communicationsandotherexternal devices.In case of failure it is fitted with auxiliary scales that allow to determine the directionandvertical angle. Thesystem is designedtohost daylight or night observation andrangefinding,such as theVectorrangefinderfamily or the Sagem Jim described above.Special mounts also allow to install twooptronic subsystyems over the GonioLighthead.Overall weight goes from 9.8kg of theGL V configuration including GonioLightplus Vector, to the 18.1 kg of the GL G-TIconfiguration that includes GonioLight,Vector, Jim-LR and gyroscope. TheGonioLight was made available in the early 2000. Since then over 2,000 units have beendelivered to a score of countries, and havebeenused incombatin Iraq andAfghanistan.

Lessons learned led Vectronix to developthe ultralight Sterna non-magnetic targetacquisition system; while GonioLite aims atdistancesover 10km,theSternais consideredfortargets at4-6km. Togetherwith thetripodthesystem weighsaround2.5kg,accuracy of less than 1 mil (0.06°) at any latitude beingobtained when working using knownreference points. This provides a targetlocation error of less than four metres at 1.5km. If reference points are not available, theSternais fitted witha hemispheric resonatinggyroscope, jointly developed by Sagem andVectronix, that providesan accuracyof 2 mil(0.11°) in north finding up to 60° latitude.

Setup and orientation time is less than 150seconds,a ±5°roughlevelling being required.The Sterna is powered by four CR123Abatteries that ensure 50 orientationoperations and 500 measurements. Like theGonlioLight, theSterna isdesignedto acceptdifferent types of optronic systems. StillwithinVectronix’s wares,the lightestoptionisthe less than 3 kg PLRF25C, followed by theless than 4 kg Moskito. For more complex missions Vector or Jim packages must beadded,butweight then increasesto 6 kg.TheSterna has a dedicated interface for pintleinstallation on a vehicle although it can bequickly removedfordismounted operations.Numerous units have been sold forevaluation purposes. The US Army hasordered Vectronix hand-held systems andSternas as part of the Handheld PrecisionTargeting Devices solicitation awarded inJuly 2012. Vectronix foresees a consistentincrease ofsalesof itsSterna in2015.

In June 2014 Vectronix unveiled theMoskito TI featuring three vision channels,anopticaldaylightwith x6magnificationandanoptical low-lightCMOS, both with a 6.25°field of view, and an uncooled thermalchannel with a 12° field of view. A 10 kmrangefinder with a ±2-metre accuracy, andadigital magnetic compass with ±10 mil(±0.6°) azimuth and±3 mil (±0.2°) elevationaccuraciesarealsopartofthepackage.GPSisoptional, though a slot for a commercial ormilitary GPS receiver as well as Galileo orGlonass modules is included.Connection to

Sagem’s Jim Long Range has been supplied to French infantrymen as part of the Felin package; here it is here seen mounted on Vectronix Sterna non-magnetic target acquisition system. (Sagem)

Vectronix developed the Sterna, an ultra-light non-magnetic target acquisition system that deals with ranges of between four and six kilometres; it here seen fitted with aSagem Jim-LR.(Vectronix)



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externalGPS receivers is alsopossible, andalaser pointercanalso be added.TheMoskitoTI is provided with RS-232, USB 2.0 andEthernet interfaces, with Bluetooth onoption.Powered by three CR123A batteries,it hasover sixhours of operational life. Lastbut not least, all the above holds in a 130 x 170x 80 mmpackage weighing less than 1.3kg. This new product is an evolution of theMoskito, which at 1.2 kg offered a day channelandan image intensified channel,a10-km laser rangefinder, a digital magneticcompass, and as option a commercial GPSora link toanexternal receiver.

Thales offers a full suite of targetacquisitionsystems.TheSophieUFisa3.4kgsystemthatincludesax6magnificationopticalday sight with a 7° field of view. Therangefinderreachesupto20km,aP(Y)codeorC/Acode GPSbeingintegratedin theSophieUF, which can be linked to a DAGR/PLGR external system. A magnetoresistive digitalmagnetic compass with 0.5° accuracy inazimuth and a gravity sensor inclinometer,with0.1°accuracy, completethe sensor suite.Powered by AA batteries, it has an eight-houroperationallife.The system features fallof shot correctionand targetcueing modes,and is fitted with RS232/422 ports forexporting data and images. Among others,the Sophie UF is in service with the BritishArmy as theSurveillance System and RangeFinder (SSARF).

Moving up, theSophie MFfeaturesa 8-12µm band cooled thermal imager, with 8°x6°wideand 3.2°x2.4°narrow field ofviewand ax2 electroniczoom. A 3.7°x2.8° field-of-view colour daylight channel comes on option, asdoesa 839nm laserpointerworking. Itcomeswith a 10km range laser rangefinder, anintegrated GPS, connection for an externalGPS receiver and a magnetic compassproviding 0.5° accuracy in azimuth and 0.2°in elevation. The Sophie MF weighs 3.5 kg aruns for overfourhours onits setof batteries.

TheSophieXFisnearlyidenticaltotheMF,themain difference being thethermal sensorwhich operates in the medium 3-5 µminfrared band, with wide 15°x11.2° andnarrow 2.5°x1.9° fields of view, a x6 opticalzoom and a x2 electronic zoom. Analog andHDMI outputs are available for videos, theSophie XF being able to store up to 1,000photos or up to 2 Gb of videos. RS 422 andUSB ports are also available. The XF has thesameoptionalsandweightastheMF,althoughitsoperationallifewithasinglebatterypackisslightlylongeratsixorsevenhours.

Instro Precision in Britain, specialised ingoniometers and pan-and-tilt heads,developed the MG-TAS, for Modular GyroTarget Acquisition System, based on agyroscope allowing precision north finding.Accuracy exceeds 1 mil (being immune tomagnetic disturbances), and a digitalgoniometer offers an accuracy of 9 mildepending on magnetic environment. Thesystemalsoincludesalightweighttripodandarugged PDA-based targeting computer witha fullset of targetingtools.Aninterfaceallowsone ortwo targetingsensorsto beinstalled.

Airbus DS Optronics proposes twotargetingsystems,bothfromits SouthAfrica

productionsites, theNestorand theTLS-40.Originally developed forGermanmountaintroops the Nestor went into production in2004/2005. This 4.5 kg biocular systemincludes a day sighting channel with a x7magnificationanda6.5°fieldofview,witha5-mil increment glass reticle, and a thermalcooledchannel with a 640x 512 pixel sensorthat provides two fields of view, narrow (2.8°x2.3°) and wide (11.4°x9.1°). Targetdistance is provided by a Nd-Yag Class 1Mlaser rangefinder with a 20 km range and a±5-metre accuracy, fitted withan adjustablerange gate. Target directionandelevationareprovidedbya digitalmagneticcompasswitha ±1° accuracy in azimuth and ±0.5° inelevation, measurable elevation angle being±45°. A 12-channel L1 C/A GPS receiver isincluded, theNestor beingalso interfaceablewith an external GPS. A CCIR-PAL video

output is available. It is powered by rechargeable Li-Ion batteries, an external10-32 V DC external power supply beingalso usable. The cooled thermal sensorincreases the system weight, but also itsnight performances. It is in service withseveral European forces, including theBundeswehr, several European borderguardsas well aswith undisclosed NearandFar East customers. The company isawaiting several major contracts forquiteafew hundred systems 2015, but the new customersremain undisclosed.

Leveraging experience gained with theNestor, Airbus DS Optronics developed thelighter Opus-H with an uncooled thermalchannel. First deliveries started in 2007. It


TheThales Sophie XF allows oneto determinetarget grids and features a medium-wave infrared sensor for night vision. (Thales)

Developed for the German mountain troops,the4.5 kg Airbus D&S Nestor features a cooled thermal sensor. It is in service withseveral customers around the world. (AirbusD&S)

The last additionto the Vectronix range of target

acquisitiondevices is the

Moskito TI, whichfeaturestwo

daylightand onethermalchannel.

(Vectronix)


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maintains the same day channel, while themicrobolometer 640x 480arrayprovides an8.1°x6.1° field of view and a jpg snapshotcapability. The other elements remainsimilar, including the single-pulse laserrangefinder which not only increases long-range measurement without requiringtripod stabilization but also detects anddisplays up to three targets at any range. Itadds an USB 2.0 port the RS232 and RS422serial interface ports of theprevious model.Poweris here providedby eight AAbatteries.Weight saving is of about 1 kg, the Opus-Hbeing also smaller (300 x 215 x 110 mmcompared to the Nestor’s 360 x 250 x 155mm. Opus-H military and paramilitary customers remainundisclosed.

Duetotheincreasing needforlightweightand cheaper targeting devices, Airbus DSOptronics (Pty) developed theTLS 40series,which weighs less than 2 kg with batteries.Threemodelsareavailable,theTLS40withaday-onlycapability, theimageintensificationTLS 40i and the uncooled TLS 40IR. Theirlaser rangefindersandGPS aresimilar totheNestor’s. The digital magnetic compasscovers ±45° elevation angles, ±30° bank angles, and provides ±10 mils accuracy in

azimuth and ±4 mils in elevation. The bi-ocular day optical channel, common to thefirst two models models, has a x7magnification and a 7° field of view with thesame reticle as the Nestor. The imageintensifiedversionads a monocularchannel,based ona PhotonisXR5tube,providing thesamemagnificationof theday channel anda6°fieldofview.TheTLS40andTLS40ihaveexactly the same physical characteristics,theirdimensionsbeing187x173x91mm.TheTLS40IR isbigger, 215x173x91mm, albeit itmaintains the same weight. It has amonocular day channel with the samemagnification and a slightly narrower fieldof view at6°.The microbolometer640x 312array channel provides a 10.4°x8.3° field of view with a x2 digital zoom. The imageappears on a black-and-white oled. All TLS40models can optionallybe fittedwitha day cameratocapture jpgsnapshotswitha 0.89°x 0.75°fieldofview, anda voicerecorderwith a10-secondclipper snapshotcapacity inWAVformat. All are powered by three CR123batteries or by an external 6 – 15 V powersource, are fitted with a USB 1.0, RS232,RS422 and RS485 serial interfaces, can befitted to external GPS, and feature a

composite video output in PAL and NTSCoutput. The TLS 40 series has already beenintroduced in service by undisclosedcustomers,includingAfrican.

JenoptikofGermany developed theNyxusBird, a day-night recce and target locationsystemwhich isavailable inmediumandlongrange versions. The difference lies in thethermalchannel,whichin themedium range

Sagem’s Jim Long Range has been supplied to French infantrymen as part of the Felin package; here it is here seen mounted onVectronix Sterna non-magnetic target acquisition system. (Sagem)


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is fitted with a 11°x8° field of view lens.Detection, recognition and identificationranges against a standard Nato targetrespectively stand at5, 2 and 1 km. The longrange version, with 7°x5° optics has greaterranges, respectively 7, 2.8 and 1.4 km. The640x480-pixel sensor is the same. The day channel is a x7 magnification directviewjobwith a 6.75° field of view. The Class 1 laserrangefinder hasa typical rangeof3.5km, thedigital magnetic compass ensures 0.5°accuracyon360°inazimuthand0.2°on65°inelevation.The NyxusBird featuresa series of measurement functions and can store up to2,000 infrared images. Fitted with a GPSmodule, it can nevertheless be linked to aPLGR/DAGR system to further increaseaccuracy. There is a USB 2.0 port image and video transfer, while Bluetooth is on option.Including the3.0 V lithium battery it weighs1.6 kg, and is 180 mm long without theeyecups, 150 mmwideand 70mmhigh. TheNyxus Bird is part of the equipment of theGerman Army IdZ-ES programme. Theadditionof a “MicroPointer” tacticalmissioncomputer with full Geographic InformationSystemconsiderablyincreases targetlocation.Working oninternalor externalbatteries, theMicro Pointer is fitted with RS232, RS422,RS485 and USB ports, and can be optionally fittedwithan Ethernetport.Small (191 x 85x 81 mm) it weighs only 0.8 kg. Anotherpossible addition is a gyro system, whichincludes a gyroscope for non-magneticnorthfinding, providing most preciseazimuth information and precise targetcoordinates also over long ranges. The gyrohead hasthe same ports of theMicroPointer,canbe linkedtoaPLGR/DAGR external GPS,and its four CR123A batteries ensure 50orientations and 500 measurements. Thehead weighs 2.9 kg, and the entire unit withtripodtipsthescalesat4.5kg.

From Finland comes the Lisa, a hand-heldtarget acquisition system developed by

Millog, which in cludesanuncooled thermalimager and an optical day channel able todetecta vehicle at4.8 km, recogniseit at1.35km and identify it at 1 km. It weighs 2.4 kgwith batteries and has a run-time of 10hours. Itis entering servicewith theFinnishDefence Forces following receipt of acontract in May2014.

Developed some yearsagofor theSoldatoFuturo Italian Army soldier modernisationprogramme by what is now Selex-ES , theLinx multi-functional day/night hand-heldtarget locator has been improved and now features a 640 x 480 uncooled array. Thethermalchannelhasx2.8magnificationwitha10°x7.5°fieldof view, butalso includesx2andx4 electronic magnification. Day viewing is viacolourTV withtwo magnifications (x3.65and x11.75 with respective fields of view of 8.6°x6.5° and 2.7°x2.2°). A programmableelectronicreticle isinjected inthecolour VGAdisplay. Ranging is available up to 3 km,positionbeingprovidedby anintegratedGPSwhile a digital magnetic compass providesazimuthindications. Imageexport isviaUSB.A further evolution of the Linx isawaited formid-2015, and will include miniaturisedcooledsensorsandnewfunctions.

In Israel the military are looking atincreasing their firecoordinationcapabilities.To this end each battalion will be providedwitha teamforcoordinatingairstrikesaswellas ground fire support instead of the singleartillery liaison officer currently assigned atbattalion level. The national industry isalreadyproviding toolsforthe task.

Elbit Systems is very active both in Israelandin theUnitedStates. Its cooledCoral-CR features a 640x512 InSb medium-wavedetector, fitted with a 2.5°x2.0° to 12.5°x10°field of view optical zoom and a x4 digitalzoom. A black-and-white CCD day cameraoperating in visible and near infraredoperates between 2.5°x1.9° and 10°x7.5°fields of view. Images appear on a high-resolutioncolour oled throughan adjustablebinocular. An eye-safe Class 1 laserrangefinder, an integral GPS and a digitalmagneticcompasswith0.7° accuracy both inazimuth and elevation complete the sensorsset. Target coordinates are calculated in realtime, and can be transmitted to externaldevices,andup to40 imagescanbestored. ACCIRor RS170video outputis available. TheCoral-CRis281mmlong,248mmwideand95mmhigh and weighs 3.4kg including theELI-2800E rechargeable battery. It is inservicewith numerousNatocountries(as theEmerald-Nav in America).

Lighter and cheaper, the Mars is anuncooled thermal imager based on a VOx 384x288 detector, buthas target acquisitioncapability. Besidesthe thermalchannel,withtwo fields of view, 6°x4.5° and 18°x13.5°, itfeatures a colour day camera, with 3°x2.5°and 12°x10° fields of view, a laserrangefinderandbuilt-in GPS andmagneticcompass. Including thebattery the200 mmlong, 180 mm wide and 90 mm high Marsweighs only2 kg.

Turning to Rafael, the Haifa basedcompany developedtwosystems,thePointer


Acquired by Finland, Millog’s Lisa is fitted withan uncooled thermal and a day channel; at only2.4 kg, it has a detection range just short of 5 km. (Millog)

In Elbit’s fullset of target location systems theCoral-CR is the high-end item with its cooled thermalchannel. (ElbitSystems)

The Nyxus Bird Gyro adds to the NyxusBird qualities a gyroscope for non-magnetic north finding , which considerably increases target coordination accuracy at long ranges. (Jenoptik)


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andtheMicro-Pointer, which providesimilarperformances but at different weight. Theassembly is designed for tripod use andfeaturesatopadaptortoinstallpayloadssuchasday/nightsightingbinoculars.Thesystemsarefittedwithadigitalmagneticcompass,aGPS,andamissioncomputer.Angularaccuracyis1mRad on both axis, position accuracy being3-5metres,whilenorth finding accuracyis 1° viadigital magneticcompassand1 mRadvia visualnorthfinding.Thecomputerhasa four-inch colour touch-screen, a series of push-buttons, some of them user-defined on theright, while two handgripsare used to orientthe system and feature push-buttons foracquisition and payload control. To avoiddetection thePointerand Micro-Pointeruseapatented advanced digital target acquisition

technology that does not require a laserrangefinder, though rangefinders can beusedif required.After finding thenorthandhaving establishedaccuratepositionbyGPS,thesystemuses geographical infrastructures(Digital Terrain Model and digital 3DModels for the area) to accurately calculatethe target range optically, and thus remainstotally passive. The system uses digitalformat maps for the georefercing process.RS232 andRS422interfacesare providedforintegration with C4I systems. The Pointerhas a weight of 4.1 kg while the Micro-Pointer weighs 0.85 kg, both withoutbatteries. They are in service in Israel andother nations,including a Nato member.

Stelop, partof STElectronicsof Singapore,offers itsCoris-Grande.This two-kilosystem(including batteries) packs a day colourcamera, a 640 x 480-pixel uncooled thermalsensor, a 1.55 µm Class 1M eye-safe laserrangefinder with a 2 km range, a GPS and adigital compass. Images are generated on anSVGA colour display, where a reticle can beinjected, the system allowing to capture thesceneandtodownloadthepicturetoaPCviaa USB 2.0 port; a x2 digitalzoomis available.TheCoris-Grandeyieldsan accuracyof0.5° inazimuthanda CEPof five metres; thesystemcan provide MGRS or longitude-latitudegrids.Dataprovidedby Stelopindicate forthethermal channel a 90% detection probability range of over 1 km for a man-size target and2.3 km for a light vehicle, with respectiverecognition rangesof 380and860metres.Thedataforthe day cameraare1.2 km and 3 kmfor detection and 400 and 1,000 metres forrecognition.Withastartup timeoflessthan10seconds,theCoris-Grandeispowered byaLi-Ion rechargeable battery pack ensuring oversixhoursof operation.It iscombatproven,is inservice with the Singaporean Army and hasbeenexportedtoSouth KoreaandIndonesia.In order to cope with longer rangerequirementsStelop developed an improved versionof itsCoris-Grandetargetacquisitionsystem featuring a 5 km range laserrangefinder as well as a 35 mm focal lengthlens (instead of the original 25 mm) toincreasedetectionandreconnaissanceranges.First units of the new version are already available for demonstration and Stelop isready to provide them in six-eight monthstimeaftercontract signature.

NorthropGrumman’s catalogue containstwo items that allow the JTAC or JFO (JointFires Observer) to confirm the targetedlocation.Bothhave aweight oflessthan0.9kgwith batteries and can be used with a single

hand. The main difference between theCoded Spot Tracker (CST) and the Multi-Band Laser Spot Tracker(MBLST)is that theformerthermalseekeroperates in long waveinfrared while the latter operates in shortwave. The CST is fitted with an uncooled640x480 array, offers a wide field of view being of 25°x20° while a narrow field of 12.5°x10° is obtained with the x2 e-zoom. Itcantrackuptothreemarkerspotsatthesametime, three coloured diamond-shaped iconsshowing up on the 800 x 600 SVGA display,the red, green, blue icons corresponding tothe PRF code shown on the bottom of thepicture. The CSTis powered bythreeCR-123lithium batteries.

The MBLST SWIR imager benefits fromreduced atmosphericscatteringandfeaturespixel level laser pulse detection. Its 11°x8.5°wide field of view can be reduced thanks tothe x2 e-zoom, an external x2 optical zoombeingavailableasoption.A semi-transparentcoloured overlay is used to show the laserspot over the black and white image, with amarker around the spot to highlight it. TheMBLST allows theJTACto see thedesignatorspot at ranges of over 10 km. The system ispowered by four CR-123 or AA batteries,witha continuous runtime of twohours.

L-3 Warrior Systems produces the LA-16u/PEQ Handheld Laser Marker, a pistol-shaped device capable to emit Nato codedlaser beams for marking targets, the beambeing easily picked up by spot-trackerequipped platforms,reducingtarget handoff timesfromminutestoafewseconds.Aminired-dot sight is mounted over the pistol foraimingit at thetarget.

The EnhancedJoint TerminalAttackController Laser Target Designator (E-JTAC LTD) proposed by Elbit Systems of America is one of the lightest laser targeting/hand-off solutions available on the market.(Armada/Paolo Valpolini)

The Coris-Grande is the target acquisitiondevice proposed by Stelop,the optronic company part of ST Electronics of Singapore.(Armada/PaoloValpolini)

Rafael developed a passive target range measurement system based on geographical infrastructures that is implemented in itsPointer and Micro-Pointer target location systems. (Rafael)



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I LASER DESIGNATORS

In2009 the US military started looking for asystem to reduce the attack controllers’workloadandsimultaneouslyimprove theirabilityto acquire, locate,mark anddesignatetargets for GPS-guided and laser-guidedammunition. Thenewsystem wasknown asJointEffectsTargetingSystems (JETS), whichconsists of twomajor subsystems, theTargetLocation Designation System (TLDS) andthe Target Effects Coordination System(TECS). The TLDS is a hand-held targetacquisition and designation system; draftperformances required a day-nightidentification range greater than 8-4 km, alocation error less than 10 metres at 10 km,rangefinding greaterthan10km,an infraredmarker range greater than 4 km at night, alaser spot-tracker range greater than 8 km,and a designator range against stationary ormovingtargets greaterthan8 kmusing Natostandard codes. The base system had toweigh less than 3.2 kg while the overallsystem,including tripod,batteriesandcables,should not be more than 7.7 kg. The TECSinterfaces with the TLDS and providesnetworked and automated communicationcapabilities,allowingplanning,coordinationand delivery of fire support, as well asterminal closesupport guidance.Thesystemwill be distributed to Army, Air Force andMarine Corps JTACs. In Q2 2013 twocompaniesreceived a contract fora one-yearprogramme aimed at the development of aprototype system, the choice falling uponBAE Systems and DRS Technologies thatreceived respectively $15.3and$15.6millioncontracts. The twocompanies aredesigningand building prototypes as part of the full-scale development phase.First fielding of theJETSis forecast forlate2016.

For the JETS programme BAE Systemsdeveloped the Handheld AzimuthMeasuring, Marking, Electro-optic imagingandRanging—Hammer in short. Notmuchwas unveiled, only that it includes day andnight imagers, celestial compass, gyrocompass,digitalmagnetic compass,SAASMGPS receiver, an eye-safe laser range finder,a compact laser marker and an open digitalcommunications interface.The JETSversionof the Hammer completed the U.S. Army’sCriticalDesignReview inFebruary2014, andaccording toBAESystems itis not onlyhalfof the weight of current systems but it is alsomuch less expensive. The two companiesmust deliver20prototypeseach.

Northrop Grumman Special OperationsForces Laser AcquisitionMarker (AN/PEQ-1C SOFLAM), used during operations“Enduring Freedom” and “Iraqi Freedom”by US special operations forces, JTACs andFACs, is a 5.2 kg system that includes a Nd-Yag diode-pumped laser designator withpassive cooling, capable to mark a target atover 10 km distance. It works on the 1.064µm wavelength with an 80 mJ pulse energy,and is used not only for designating, withuser programmable PRF codes, but also forranging, its capacity in this role reaching 20km The system input-output is RS-422compatible. The day optic provides a x10magnification with a 5°x4.4° field of v iew;three Picatinny rails allow to install a night vision system. Powered by a single BA 5590battery, the SOFLAM is commercially known as the Ground Laser TargetDesignator III, or GLTD III, which is anevolution of the previous GLTD II,improvements mainly concerning theweight, 0.4kg less, andpower consumption,performancesremaining thesame.

Less portable, the Northrop LightweightLaserDesignatorRangefinder(LLDR)hasanoverall weight of 16 kg, and is made of twomajor sub-assemblies, the target locatormodule (TLM)weighing 5.8kg, andthe LaserDesignatorModule (LDM) weighing4.85kg.The TLM includes a cooled thermal sightwith a 640 x 480 array, providinga wide fieldof view of 8.2°x6.6°, and a narrow one of 3.5°x2.8°, the e-zoom allowing to reach a0.9°x0.7°field ofview. Theday sightis basedon a high resolution staring CCD andprovides a 4.5°x3.8° wide field of view, a1.2°x1° narrow one, a x2 e-zoom being alsoavailable. It also features a PLGR GPSreceiver, anelectronicclinometer, andan eye-safe Class 1 laser rangefinder with a 20 km

maximum range.The LDMYaglaser emittercan designate a target upto 5 km,using NatoBandIandIIaswellasAcodes.ItfeaturesanRS-485/RS-232 datainterfaceandanRS-170 video interface. Power is provided by a BA-5699 battery, a BA-5590 battery being usedforTLM-onlyoperations.

A first evolutionary step came with theLLDR 2 which maintained the same TLMbutaddeda newdiodepumped lasermodule(DLDM).The latter wasconsiderably lighter,weighing 2.7 kg, while providing the samerange. A further step led to the LLDR-2Hhighaccuracy targetingsystemwhichadoptsa new target location module, the TLM-2Hthat weighs 6.6 kg, and a slightly modifiedDLDM module, at 2.8 kg; the whole systemwith tripod, battery and cables weighs 14.5kg. The TLM-2H day channel is based on ahigh resolution CCD with 4°x3° wide and1°x0.8° narrow fields of view, a x2 e-zoombeing available,dayrecognitionrange being


Known as the AN/PEQ-1C Soflam, for Special Operations Forces Laser Acquisition Marker,this system has been intensively usedin

operation both in Iraqand Afghanistan.(Northrop Grumman)

BAE Systems does not say much about theHammer except it hasa celestial compassto increase accuracy. (BAE Systems)


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ofover7 km.The thermal channelprovides awide8.5°x6.3° andnarrow 3.7°x2.8° fields of view, a x2 and x4 e-zoom allowing toincrease magnification, giving a vehiclenight recognition range of over 3 km. A 20kmlaserrangefinder is included, aswell asaGPS/SAAMS receiver, a digital magneticcompass and a celestial high accuracy azimuth device. Using the latter targetlocation error is reduced to less than 10metres at 2.5 km. The DLDM provides aday/night designation range of 5/3 kmagainst stationary targets, and a 3 kmday/night range against moving targets; theTLM-2His capable ofpicking thedesignatorspot at 2 km day and night. Power isprovidedbythesamesetof batteriesfor a 24-hourmission.

L-3 Warrior Systems–Advanced LaserSystems Technologies developed the ScarabTILD-A,a diode-pumpedNd:Yaglaser targetdesignator capableofgenerating80to120mJof energy to illuminate targets at 5 km. Itincludes the designator, backpack, tripod,batteriesand remotecontrol. Thedirectview optics module fitted on the left side has a x7magnification and a 5° field of view withmission data overlapped on the display.Compliant withBand I and IINatocodes, theScarab ensures 60 minutes of continuousdesignation with a single battery. A thermal

and see-spot add-on can be fitted via thePicatinny rail, adding less than 1 kg to thesystem.Basedonan uncooled640x480cooledmid-waveinfrared,ithasadetectionrangeof5kmand a recognition range of3 kmagainst astandard 2.3x2.3 metres target. In late 2013Warrior Systems-ALST bagged an exportorderfromSouthKorea,foraninitialvalueof 30millionUSdollars,designatorsbeingaimedattheAirForceandtheMarineCorps.

Thalesoffersa lessthan5 kgsolutionin theformof theTyr, whichprovides anover70 mJoutput energy. Maximum rangingperformanceis20km,nodesignationrangesbeing available. It has a 2.5°x1.9° sight withreticleinjectedin thedisplay. TheTyr isfittedwith Picatinny rails and can be easily interfaced withotherThales observation andtargeting systems. The LF28A is a slightly heaviersolution,up to6.5kg,which ensuresa10 km designation range. It is fitted with anoptic sight with a x10 magnification and 3°FoV, and is powered by Lithium or Nickel-Cadmiumbatteries that snaponto thesystem.

CILAS of France has developed alightweight version of its DHY 307 groundlaser target designator, the DHY 307 LWwhich, at4 kg ishalf the weight of the earliermodel and is more compact. Fitted with aninternal spot camera, it can be coupled tohighprecisiontargetinggoniometersas wellas tothermalimagers, itsperformancesbeingeven higher than the original system,designation range shifting from 5 to 10 km,pulse energy remaining over 80 mJ. It canmemorize Nato,RussianandChinesecodes.

Elbit’s Rattler-G is a lightweightdesignator, with a version known as theDirector-M in America. Aiming is donethrough a direct view x5.5 optic, an OLED

overlayshowing thePRF code, batterystatusand laser modes. The lasermarker/designator has an energy of 27 mJper pulse, pulse width being 15 ns anddivergence being less than 0.4 mRad, targetdesignation rangebeing 3 km againsta Natotarget and 5 km against a building. Codedmarkingrange is6kmwhilepointing range is20 km; the Rattler-G is fitted with a 0.8 W,0.83 µm band and a 3 mW, 0.63 µm visiblepointer. A Picatinnyrailontopof thesystemallows toinstallotheropticalsystems, whichcan be boresighted using the laser pointers.The Rattler-G weighs 1.7 kg including theCR123rechargeablebatterythatensuresa 30minute operation time at standardtemperature. The Director-M maintainsmost of the characteristics of the Rattler-Gbut is slightlymore powerful,over30mJanda 1W pointer. The system is 165 mm long,withoutconsidering thesingle eyepiece, 178mmwideand76mmhigh.

To further reduce the soldier’s burdenElbit Systems developed the Rattler-H, apistol-like designator with a 30 mJ energy pulse and similar ranges as the Rattler-G.Withoutany optical channel,an aiming sightis installed ontopof the Picatinnyrail, whilean interface allows it to be installed on atripod for long range targeting. The key advantageof theRattler-H is itsweight– just1.3kgwiththe CR123battery.

On a wholly different level comes thePortableLightweightDesignator/RangefinderII,PLDRIIinshort.Heretheheadweighs6.7kg,designation performances increasing to 5km against a tank-type target and 10 kmagainst a building, with a laser pulse energy adjustable between 50 and 70 mJ. Aiming isdone through a direct view sight with x8

The Lightweight LaserDesignator Rangefinderis madeof a target locator module and a laser designator module, and can designate a targetat a range of5 km.(NorthropGrumman)


The L-3 Warrior Systems Scarab Tild-A is alaser designator that can illuminatetargetsatranges ofup to5 km. (L-3ALST)

A British soldier ready to designate a target using a ThalesTYR, here installedover aGonioLight digital observationstation. (Thales)


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14

magnification and a 5.6° field of view (a 2.5° viewlaserspot camera isavailable withimageshownona 3.5-inchdisplay. ThePLDRII hasbuilt-in GPS, electronic compass and atactical computer for target locationcalculations, two Picatinny rails foradditional sensorssuchas a thermal imager.Designed for long-range designation, thesystem includes a panandtilthead and a lighttripod. In use in several armies, it has beenacquired in 2011 by the US Marine Corps,where itis knownas AN/PEQ-17.

The Serpent, also fromElbit Systems, has evenlonger designating ranges,respectively 8 km for tanks

and11forlargetargets,anda20km distance measurement capacity

witha 5-metrerange accuracy. Itssightcharacteristics are similar to those of the PLDR II, but here the laser spotcamera is an option. The designatorhead weighs 4.63 kg, a pan and tilthead, light tripod,batteryandremotefire switch beingpartofthekit.

To ensure guidance to its laser-guided ammunition RussianRosoboronexport offers a portableautomatedartilleryfirecontrolsystemknown as Malakhit, which is dividedin threepacks containing respectively the laser designator/rangefinder, thecommander’s station and the radiostation. Outputenergy isnotprovided

but ranges are considerable, 7 km againsttank-like targets in daylight and 4 km atnight, and 15 km against large targets. Thesystem is all but light, in day operation theoverallweight, tripod included,being of28.9kg, which increase to 37.6 kg for night use,when the thermal imager is added. Forpositioning the Malakhit of course relies ontheRussianGlonass rather than GPS.

I MENSURATION

To reducetheoverall errorbudget ina firingaction the three main factors that have to betaken into consideration are target locationand size, weapon and ammunitioninformation and finally firing unit locationerror. Mensuration is one of theproceduresusedespeciallyto improveaccuracy in targetlocationand size. According to theNationalGeospatial-Intelligence Agency targetcoordinate mensuration is “the process of measurement of a feature or location onEarth to determine an absolute latitude,longitude, and height. For targetingapplications, the errors inherent in both thesource for measurement and themeasurement processesmustbe understoodandreported. Mensuration toolscanemploy a varietyof techniquestoderivecoordinates.These may include, but are not limited to,direct read from Digital Precise PointDatabase(DPPDB)stereo-pairs in stereo ordual mono mode, multi-imagegeopositioning, or indirect imagery correlation to DPPDB.”

United States Special Forces use thePrecision Strike Suite as mensuration

programme at unit level, not much beingknown of that system as it is classified.Artillery firing units deployed downrangehave been provided with suc h a suite undercertainconditions, suchas the useof a secretinternet protocol router network. Thisallowed mensuration time of 15-45 minutesof operations Iraqi Freedom and EnduringFreedom (when this capability was availableat Corps level) to be cut to around fiveminutes now that battalion can do itautonomously. Similar capabilities are alsoavailable at higher echelons using systemssuch as BAE Systems’ CGS (CommonGeopositioning Services) modular set of software geopositioning services capable of calculating accurate, three-dimensionalgeographic coordinates as well as SOCETGXPgeospatial-intelligencesoftwarepackagebythesamecompany.

I RADARS

Finding a target might not need eyes,especially in an artillery system context.Counterbattery radars are essential actors,particularly in force protection missionswhere theyprovide warningtothetroopsandallow friendly effectors to react in near-realtime. They also provide adjustment data tofriendlyartillery.

In theUS Army inventory theAN/TPQ-36 Firefinder has been around for sometime. Originallydevelopedby Hughes, now part of Raytheon, the system is now produced by Thales-Raytheon-Systems.Installed ona trailer it is towedby a Humveethat also carries the operation controlshelter. A second Humvee carries thegenerator andtows spare generator, while athird vehicle for reconnaissance and cargoduties completes the d etachment. TheFirefinder can locate up to 10 targetssimultaneously, with ranges of 18 km formortars, 14.5 kmfor artilleryand 24km forrockets.Themostrecentversion, the(V)10,is fitted with a new radar processor thatreduces the number of cards from nine tothree and provides an unlimited growthpotential. This processor is the same as theAN/TPQ-37’s. This is a longer range trailer-mounted radar pulled by a 2⅓-tonnetruck.The latest version is the (V)9 also known asRMI featuring a wholly redesignedtransmitter, now including 12 air-cooledpower amplifier modules, a high power RFcombiner anda fullyautomated transmittercontrol unit. A Humvee-borne new operations centralwith twoconsoles is alsobeingintroduced.


The Opus-H retains many of theNestor features, but is fitted withan uncooled thermal imager andis thus aroundone kilogram lighter. (Airbus D&S)

The 1.3kgElbit Rattler-H is able to mark a target to the benefit of airborne platforms. (Elbit Systems)


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Initially known as the EQ-36 (E forenhanced), the AN/TPQ-53, or Q-53 forshort, is a LockheedMartincounterfireradardeveloped in 2007 in cooperation with SRCand quickly acquired and deployeddownrangeforforceprotection. Eighty-foursuchradarshavebeenordered todateby theUSArmy, Singaporehavingrequiredsixsuchsystems through FMSS. The Q-53 canoperate in 360° or 90° modes, the formerproviding a rangedetection ofaround20 kmagainst mortar, rockets and artillery. Whenused in the 90° mode it can pick firingpositions at up to 60 km for rockets, 34 kmforgunsand 20kmformortars.Mountedona 5-tonne FMTV (which the energy stationon tow), the Q-53 and its second truck carrying the control station and the sparegenerator, requires only fourmencomparedtosixfortheQ-36and12fortheQ-37.

American special forces also needed acounterfire radar, possibly compatible withairborne operations. Starting from theAN/TPQ-48 Lightweight Counter-MortarRadar, SRCTec developed a more rugged version, theAN/TPQ-49whichis basedonanon-rotating, electronically steered aerialwith a 1.25-metre diameter that can bemounted on a tripod or on a tower. Awarning is sent when an incoming round isdetected, and as soon as sufficient data arecollected toestablish thepoint oforiginthisissent totheC2 station.

Heavierand installed on an Humvee, theAN/TPQ-50, also by SRCTec, maintainssimilar ranges but considerably increasesaccuracy, point of origin being located witha 50-metre error at 10 km, compared to the75metresat5 kmfor theQ-49.Aprogrammeof record of the US Army, it has beendeployed as a gap filler where bigger radarscould notgo.

The company is now proposing itsAESA50 multi-mission radar with anelectronically scanned array of over a 100transmit/receive modules. Together withLockheed Martin, SRC also developed theMulti Mission Radar (MMR), whichcurrently is at prototype level. Capable of ±45° scan in azimuth and ±30° in elevation,and with an antenna rotation rate of 30revolutionsper minute, it can be used for airdefence surveillance and air traffic control,fire control, as well as counterfire targetacquisition. In the latter role the antenna isstatic,covering90°, andcanfollowup to100projectiles simultaneously, providing a firesourcelocation accuracyof 30metresor0.3%of the range. It can easily be installed on aHumvee-classvehicle.

Both the Q-53 and Q-50 will be part of Army programmesthat will run in FY14-18to improveforceprotection.

In late 2014 the US Marine CorpsawardedNorthrop Grummana $207millioncontractfor low-rate initialproduction of theAN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task OrientedRadar (G/ATOR). Fitted with an activeelectronically scanned antenna based ongalliumnitridetransmit/receivemodules,thenew S-band 3D radar will provide the USMarine Corps with multiple functions, as itwill ensure air surveillance, air defence,ground weapon locating and air trafficcontrol capabilities, replacing in due timethree in-service radarsandthefunctionality of two retired types, namely the AN/TPQ-36/37 artillery locating radar, the otherbeing related to air defence and airoperations. The US Marine Corps plans tofield it in three blocks, Block1 asshort-rangeair defence/surveillance radar, Block 2addressing counterfire targeting missions,and Block 4 expeditionary airport

surveillance. Block 3 will feature technicalenhancementsof theair missions. Theradarconsists of three major subsystems, thetrailer-mounted radar equipment grouptowed by an MTVR which hosts the powerequipment group. The communicationsequipment group on the other hand isinstalled on an M1151A1 Humvee. The late2014 contract covers four systems withdeliveries expected in 2016/17. Additionallow-rate production contracts areanticipated, followed by multiyear, full-rateproductionitemsaround2020.

On the other side of the pond one of themost popular counterbattery radars is theSaab Arthur. This has scored orders from atleast a dozen customersincludingtheCzech

The AN/TPQ-53 counterfire radar wasdeveloped in thelate2000sby Lockheed Martin and is in service with the US Army and Singapore. (Lockheed Martin)

An AN/TPQ-50 radar installed over aHumvee; this radaris mainly used as a gapfiller to cover deadsectors where bigger radars cannot be deployed. (SRC)

The AN/TPQ-49 is a counter-mortarradar based on a non-rotating aerial developed by SRC for US specialforcesunits. (SRC)



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16

Republic, Greece,Italy, Norway, SouthKorea,Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom,withmany deployeddownrange. Ithasbeenintegratedondifferent vehicles, SwedenandNorway deploying it on board the BV-206,other nations having chosen a sheltered versioncarriedby a 5-tonne truck.Ready foraction in less than two minutes it hasdemonstrated an availability of 99.9%. Theaerial ismadeof 48slotted ridgewaveguides,which ensure redundancy if the antenna ispart ially hitby shrapnelorrounds.

Another European system in thatcategory, albeit much bigger, is the Cobra(Counter Battery Radar) developed in thelate 1990s by a consortium known as Euro-Art, which includescurrent AirbusDefense& Space, Lockheed Martin and Thales.Mountedon an8x8, theradarcomesas a self-contained system that includes the activephased array antenna with 2780transmitter/receiver modules, electronics,power supply and command and control

station. Aerial rotation can extend coverageto270°,upto 240weaponsbeingacquirable inlessthan 120 seconds. Run by a crew of only two, it is deployable in less than 10 minutes,can operate in stand-alone mode ornetworked withothersensorsand commandandcontrol systems.

A highly mobile system from IAI Elta of Israel comes in the form of the ELM-2138MGreenRockpulse-dopplertacticalradar.Thiscanbe used both for C-RAMorfire location.Itstwo phased-arrayaerials, cove ring 90°eachin azimuth and 90° in elevation, can beinstalledevenonverysmall platformssuch asATVs.Declaredrange is10km.

IAI Elta also developed the ELM-2084multi-mission radar, which canbe usedbothfor air surveillance and artillery location.Also equipped with a flat electronically scanned aerial, in target location mode itoperates in a fixed position providing a 120°azimuthanda 50°elevationcoverage,with arange of around 100 km. Precision is 0.25%of the range, the radarbeing able topick 200targets every minute.

Outside the western world, examplesinclude theChinese704-1,with a maximumlocating range of20 kmfor 155mm artillery and an accuracy of 10 metres under 10 kmand 0.35% of range for higher distances.Fitted with an electronic scan aerial with a

sectorof±45° inazimuthand 6°inelevation,the antenna also rotates ±110° in azimuthand –5°/+12° in elevation. One 4x4 truck hosts the 1.8 tonne antenna-transceivershelter assembly and the 1.10 tonne powersupply unit, a second similar truck carryingthe4.56 tonnes operationcontrol shelter.


The SaabArthur counterbattery radar is in service with numerous countries and integrated on different platforms, such astheBV206 shownin this picture.(Armada/PaoloValpolini)

Still a prototype, the Multi Mission Radar developed by SRC andLockheed Martin is intended for artillery, air defence and air trafficcontrol applications. (SRC)

The IAI Elta ELM-2084 S-band Aesa multi-

mission radar can be used for artillery location, air defence,fire controland air traffic control.(Armada/EricH. Biass)

The Arthur screen, pictured during a mortar live firing exercise, allows one to seetheimpacts; in a defensive mode it ispossible to trackenemy incoming roundsto accurately extrapolate the firing position. (Armada/Paolo Valpolini)


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O nce the target is hit damageassessment will eventually providecorrections forfurther firing action,eitherto hitthe targetwithgreateraccuracyorto reiterate the mission as the desired effecthadnotbeen reached.

However, what is described above is a very simplistic scenario that applies only whenthe sky isclean ofthe myriadof flyingobjects that nowadays tend to saturate thebattlefield airspace: the presenceof blimps,drones, helicopters, aircraft must be bornein mind before unleashing fire. This adds afurther problemto theartilleryman, whoin

a certain way becomes part of the ATO, theAir Tasking Order, used by airmen to plananddeconflict airmissions.The differenceisthat usually air strikes are planned well inadvance, while artillery fire missions tendto be carried out in support of the groundmanoeuvre, mostly to provide immediatesupport to troops that came into contactwith theenemy. Also,comparedto thepast,accuracy and timingare keyelements giventhe sensitiveness of collateral damage;indirect fire is often called upon toneutralise time-sensitive and even now mobile targets.

Battle space management, dynamicsynchronisation,prioritisation,deconfliction,coordination, and targeting cycle are all key functions that makean artillery firemissionmuch more complex than the simpleshootingof a gun. All this has an impact ontechnical command and control assets aswell as on personnel training, land indirectfire being oneof thecomponents of theJointFireSupport.

The complexity of the command andcontrol issue does not allowto deal with thatsubject in this Compendium. Tools arecontinuously evolving, doctrines areadapted to new contingencies and assets,and it would thus be impossible to properly describethem. Theaimof thisshortchapteris just to remind all of us that without theproper brainandcomputerworkdone at thenumerous joint cells that deal with theaforementioned tasks, target acquisitionassets as well as effectors suddenly becomeuseless, at leastamong developed armies.

Command and ControlFinding the appropriate target, establishing its grids withthe maximum possible accuracy, providing those grids tothe command post, elaborate firing data consideringtarget grids and effectors positioning as well as choosingappropriate effectors, transmitting firing data to theselected firing assets, and give the green light for firing,this is in simple terms the firing cycle that an artillery command and control system must manage.

While they providea considerable contributionto the targeting process, drones are alsoone of the elements that considerablycomplicateartillery C2 procedures, flying objectsoften being obstacles to timelyfire. (Armada/P.Valpolini)

Thetactical command post of an Istar task force. Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisitionand reconnaissance are all functions that contribute to the artillery targeting process. (Armada/P. Valpolini)



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The first XM982 Excalibur was fired inMay 2007 by an M-109A6 Paladinhowitzer close to Baghdad; developedby Raytheon, together with BAE SystemsBoforsandGeneralDynamicsOrdnanceandTactical Systems, the round has a guidanceunit just behind the fuse, followed by theguidancesectionfeaturing fourcanardwingsopening forward. The round’s rear end isequipped with a base-bleed aggregate androtatingstabilizationwings.

Inthe ascendingpartonly inertial sensorswork, canardwingsbeing deployedwhentheround reaches its apogee, instants after theGPS receiver is activated. Mid-coursetrajectory is then optimised according totargetgridsandtimeofarrival, canard wingsallowing notonlyto directthe roundbutalso

providing sufficient lift from the body ensuring shaped trajectories, increasing therange compared to standard ammunition.The terminal trajectory is then optimisedaccording to thetype of warheadand target.Increment Ia-1 rounds used in Iraq andAfghanistanlacked thebasebleed aggregatetheir range beinglimitedto 24km. Datafromthe field showed a reliability of 87% andaccuracy better than 10 metres. With theaddition of the base bleed Increment Ia-2rounds,knownas M982, could reach targetswell over 30 km. Reliability problems withModular Artillery Charge System (MACS)propellantcharge5 limitedhoweverits range;deployed to Afghanistan in late 2011, they were fired with charges 3 and 4. These firstExcalibur rounds attracted heavy criticism

for their cost, which was also due to thereduced acquisition of Ia-2 rounds from30,000 to6,246 units.

Since2008theUSArmy sought improvedreliabilityand lowercosts, issuing twodesignand maturation contracts. It selectedRaytheonin August2010 tofullydevelopandproduce theExcalibur Ib,whichinApril2014replaced the Ia-2 on Raytheon’smanufacturing lines, and is now in full-rateproduction. According to the company theprice has been cut by 60% while capabilitieshavebeen increased,acceptancetestshavingshown11rounds fallingat anaveragedistanceof1.26 metresfromthe target, and30 roundsfalling atan average0f 1.6metres.Overall760combat shots have been fired between Iraqand Afghanistan. The Excalibur features amulti-role fuse whichcan beprogrammedaspoint detonation, point detonation delayed,orairburst.Besides theUSArmyandMarineCorps, the Excalibur is in service also withAustralia, Canadaand Sweden.

For the international market Raytheondecided todevelopa round, theExcalibur-S,which also featured a laser seeker, providingsemi-active laser homing capability. Firsttesting wascarriedout inMay 2014 atYumaProving Ground. Following the sameguidancesteps as theExcalibur, it activatesitslaser seeker in thelastphase to lock onto thecoded laser beam reflection. This allows to

Guided Ammo...Guided ammunition stepped relatively late into thehistory of howitzers, because this involves electronics thathave to resist not only the crushing effect of firing, butalso the devastating twist effect imparted by the rifling. Inaddition, receivers able to rapidly catch GPS signalsunder such circumstances and upon exiting the muzzlestill needed to be invented.

Used in action by US forces,Raytheon’s Excalibur has beenfired fromM109A5 Paladinsand M777A2s. (US Army)

US Army artillerymen getready to shoot an Excalibur round.In production since April 2014, the Ib version is cheaper but more accurate. (US Army)

18 CompendiumArtillery 2015


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guidetheammunition withutmostprecisiononto its intended target, or a different targetwithin the seeker field of view should thetacticalsituationchange, or a movingtarget.No in-service date has been announced fortheExcalibur-S, Raytheon awaiting a launchcustomer to finalise concepts of operationbefore starting the qualification process.Raytheon leveraged the Excalibur effort todevelopa naval 127mmguided ammunition,known as Excalibur N5 (for Naval 5-inch)that exploits 70% of the 155 mm roundtechnology and 100% of its guidance andnavigation system. According to Raytheonthe newround will morethantreblethe rangeof the Mk45 naval gun, the company statingthat testing“has providedRaytheon thedataneeded toprogress toa live fire guidedflighttest in thenear future.”

BAE Systems MS-SGP (Multi Service-Standard Guided Projectile) is partof a jointprogramme aimed at providing bothshipborne and ground artillery with a longrangeguidedartilleryammunition.The new roundis a 5-inch (127 mm) affairwhich inaland version would be known as a sabotedround. The guidance system leveragesexperience acquired with the LRLAP (LongRange Land Attack Projectile), the 155 mmdeveloped for the Zumwalt-class destroyersandfiredby BAE Systems155 mmAdvancedGun System. The guidance system is basedon GPS and inertial systems, an uplink allowing re-targeting the round in flight(time of flight to 70 km being three minutes

and15 seconds). TheMS-SGP rocketmotorhas been tested and a round performed aguided flight test from a naval Mk 45 gun,reachinga targetat a range of36 km with anerror of only 1.5 metres and an angle of 86°.BAE Systems is ready to manufacture testprojectiles for ground platforms; thechallenge here is to verify the correctfunctioning of the breechblock with the 1.5metrelongand 50kground(16.3kgofwhichrepresent the HE warhead). According toBAE Systems the accuracy and angle of fallovercompensate the reduced lethality of theunder-calibreammunition,whichalsoallowsto reduce collateral damages. Another key role of incoming tests is to verify theperformancesof theretention deviceusedtokeep front canard guidance wings and rearwingscloseduntil theroundhas come clear of the muzzle brake, a problem that does notexist on naval guns. The angle of fall, whichcanreach 90°compared tothetypical62°of aballistic ammunition, allow the MS-SGP tobe used in “urbancanyons”hitting relatively small targets,whichuntilnowrequired tobeneutralisedby muchmoreexpensiveweaponsystems—the round is said to be well below the $45,000mark.BAESystemsis gatheringadditional test data that allowedto refinetheMS-SGP maximum range estimates. Basedon our current test data maximum range is85 km fired from a 39 calibre gun withModular Artillery Charge system (MAC) 4and 100km withMAC 5 (which increases to120 km from a 52 calibre gun). As for thenaval version it has a 100 km range whenfired from a 62 calibre gun (Mk 45 Mod 4)and 80km froma 54calibre(Mk 45Mod 2).According to BAE Systems and US Army data, 20 MS-SGPscan achievewhatrequires300 current 155 mm shells on a 400x600-metre target. Inadditionthe MS-SGPshouldreduce to one third the number of artillery battalions.A spiralprogrammeis foreseentogive the MS-SGP increased performances,witha low-costEO/IRseekerbeing envisagedto cope with moving targets. The US Navy plans to initiate an acquisition programmefor the 127 mm guided round in FY2016,whilethe Army should follow ata later date.

The Oto Melara Vulcano family of ammunition was developed with a view toincreasing land and naval gun range andaccuracy. Following an agreement between

Germany and Italy, the programme is now carried out jointly with Diehl Defence since2012. While navaldevelopment swerecarriedout with 127 mm, and later 76 mm calibres,land variantworkfocussedon 155mm. Three versionsof theVulcano155mmarein thelastdevelopment stage: an unguided oneknownas the BER (for Ballistic Extended Range), aGLR(for GuidedLong Range)availablewithIMU/GPS terminal guidance, and anadditional variant with semi-active laserguidance(afar-infraredseeker isalsoforeseenbut will be limited to naval rounds). Theguidance sectionis locatedat frontwith fourcanards ensuring steering. Increasing rangewhile keeping internal ballistic, chamberpressure andbarrellength unchangedmeantimproving external ballistics and thereforereducing drag. A 155 artillery shell has adiametertolengthratioofabout1:4.7.Asub-calibreoptionwasthusadopted,bringingtheratio to about 1:10. A roll-decoupled tailsection was also adopted to improve the

aerodynamicaspectand reduce sensitivitytolateral wind. The only downside came fromthesabots,whichrequirea relativelywidesafefrontal area. TheVulcano BERis fittedwithapurposely developed fuse which, for the 127mm calibre, features four modes: impact,proximity, time,and height ofburst.

For the 155 mm the proximity mode isdropped. In the height of burst mode amicrowave sensor allows to feel thedistancefrom the ground, activating the explodingchain according to the programmed height.The fuse is programmed through electric

Nowin full production, the Excalibur IB

aims at the international market. A laser guided version is under development.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

A mock-up of Oto Melara’s 155m Vulcano round that comes in extended range and guided versions, with respective ranges of 50and80 kmwhenfired froma 155/52 mmgun.(Armada/P.Valpolini)

The Multi Service-Standard Guided Projectile is a 127 mm naval ammunition which,fittedwith a sabot,canalso befiredby 155 mmhowitzersto reach out toa mere120kmwith a 52 calibre gun. (BAE Systems)


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contacts, a portable programming devicebeing available when the gun system is notfitted with an integrated programmingsystem. Programming is used also for timeand impact, as for the latter functiona delay can be set to optimise terminal effects. As asafety measure, at impact theproximity fusewill always be activated to avoid duds.Vulcano IMU/GPS rounds feature a fusesimilar to that of the 155 mm BER, with aslight difference in shape. As for SAL/IR Vulcano rounds, these are obviously equipped with an impact fuse only.Leveraging work on those fuses, OtoMelaradevelopedthenew 4AP(4 ActionPlus)fusetobe used with full-calibre 76,127 and155 mmammunition, and which has all four modesdescribed above. The 4AP is in its very finalstages of development, qualification trialsbeing expected in the first half of 2015. OtoMelara expects first production batches tobe delivered in Fall 2015. Vulcano roundshave a high-performance preformed-frag-mented warhead with defined tungstensplinters of various sizes and insensitivemunition characteristic. This, togetherwiththe optimised fusing mode programmedaccording to the target, ensures a terminallethality that Oto Melara declares is twicethat of a conventional grenade, even if thewarhead dimension is smaller due to thesmaller calibre.

The BER round is fired ballistically, andcan reach up to50 kmwhen firedfrom a 52calibre barrel. The GLR Vulcano isprogrammed via a fire command unit(portable or integrated in the gun system).After firing, its thermal battery and theGPSreceiver are activated and the munition isinitialised withpre-programmeddata.Oncethe apogee is reached the GPS/IMUmidcourse guidance/navigationsystemfliesthe shell towards the target. Incaseof a SAL

munition thesemi-active laser seeker picksthe lasercodedbeamforthe finalphase. TheGPS/IMU guided GLR can reach 80 km if fired from a 52calibrebarrel,and around55km from a 39 calibre, the GPS/IMU/SALround having a marginally shorter rangedue to the least aerodynamic shape of thelaserseekerhead.

The 155mm Vulcano hasbeenselectedby the Italian and German armies for theirPzH2000s.InJuly 2013demonstrationswerecarriedout inSouthAfrica,showing that theBERversion landedwellwithin the20 metresCEP of the 2 x 2-metre target, while theGPS/SAL hit theplate locatedata rangeof33km.A complex test programme wasstartedin January2015 and willlastuntilmid-2016to complete qualification. This is jointly carried out by Germany and Italy in firingranges in the two countries as well as inSouth Africa. Oto Melara, which remainsthe main design authority for the Vulcanoprogramme,wants todeliver its first roundsto the Italian Army in late 2016/early 2017.Other countries have shown interest in theVulcano,with theUnitedStatesparticularly looking at thenavalround.

With the acquisition of ammunitionmanufacturersMecar (Belgium)andSimmel

Difesa (Italy)in Spring2014,Nexterof Franceis now able to cover 80% of all munitionsstandards, frommediumto heavy calibreandfrom direct to indirect fire. The 155 mmbusinessremainstheresponsibilityofNexterMunitions, whose portfolio features oneexisting guided ammunition and one underdevelopment. The former one is the BonusMkIIdesignedforanti-armourengagementsas it deploys two 6.5 kg submunitions eachfitted with an infrared seeker. After beingejected the two submunitions descend at 45m/s speed, spinning at 15 revolutions persecond, scanning a 32,000 m 2 surface each.Once the target is detected, an EFP isgenerated at the ideal above-target height topenetrate the vehicle’s top armour. In servicewith France,Swedenand Norway, theBonusMk II has recently been acquired in smallquantities by Finland. In addition itscompatibility with the Polish Krab SPhowitzerhasalready beendemonstrated.

In cooperation with TDA, Nexter is now busy with the preliminary andfeasibility studies of a laser guided munitionaimingataCEPoflessthanonemetre.Knownas 155 mm MPM, for Metric PrecisionMunition, it will be fitted with a strapdownsemi-active laser seeker, canard controls andan optional mid-course navigation. Withoutthelatterrangewillbelimitedto28kminsteadof40km. The round will be shorter thanonemetre and will be compliant with JBMoU 39and 52 calibres. The MPM demonstrationprogramme was concluded as planned in2013; this should have been followed by thedevelopment phase, which has beenpostponed to 2018. The French DGA hashowever provided funds to pursue work onGPS-based navigation, thus confirming afutureneedfortheMPM.


The sub-calibre body of theOto MelaraVulcano ballistic extended rangeammunition, which production should start in late 2015. (Armada/P. Valpolini)

The semi-active laser version of Oto Melara’sVulcano ammunition is developed together with Diehl Defence, the latter providing thelaser sensor. (DiehlDefence)

The Nexter Bonus shell carries two smart submunitions designed to attack heavy armoured vehicles from the top. It hasbeenadopted by France and Scandinaviancountries. (Armada/P.Valpolini)


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In Russia KBP of Tula has been workingon laser-guided artillery ammunition sincethe late 1970s. In the mid-1980s the RedArmy adoptedtheKrasnopol,a 20kmrangeammunition capable of reaching a targetmovingatamaximumspeedof36km/hwitha 70-80%hitprobability. The1,305mmlong2K25 152 mm weighed 50 kg, with 20.5 kgaccounted for by the HE-fragmentationwarhead and its 6.4 kg of explosives.Midcourse inertial guidance directed theround over the target area, where the semi-active laser seeker was activated. A 155 mm version,theKM-1,is alsoavailable, withvery similar physical characteristics. Theseammunition required not only a designatorbutalso radio setsand synchronisationaids,designation being effective at rangesof 7 kmagainst static targets and 5 km on mobiletargets. To make things simpler, an updated version has been developed for export, the155 mm KM-1M. Slightly shorter at 1,200mm and heavier at 54.3 kg with a 26.5 kgwarhead and 11 kg of explosives, it has amaximum range of 25 km, with a hitprobabilityagainsta moving tankincreasedto80-90%.It isguidedbytheMalakhitartillery firecontrol system, which includes the laserdesignator. Norinco in China hasdevelopeditsown versionof theKrasnopol.

I … GUIDED KITS…

AlliantTechsystems’PrecisionGuidance Kit(PGK) isbattleproven. Some 1,300 kitswerebeendelivered toAfghanistanin theSummerof 2013 to US Army and US Marine Corpsunits. This led to the first export contract,Australia requesting over4,000kits,followedby 2,000 more in FY14. Self-powered, thePGKis screwed onthe artilleryshell inplaceof the fuse, the kit itself acting as proximity or point detonating fuse. Being 68.6 mmlonger thanUSMulti-OptionFuze, Artillery (MOFA) the PGK is only compatible withdeep intrusion projectiles.Starting from theback we find the MOFA booster, the M762safe and arm device, then comes the thread

ensuring theinterfacewiththe projectile.Thefirst external part hosts the GPS (SAASM)aerial, followed by four canards and by theheightof burstsensorof theproxyfuse.

TheguncrewscrewsthePGKontheshell,keepingthecoverinplaceasthisalsodoublesas the interface to the fuse setter. The Epiafs(EnhancedPortableInductive Artillery FuzeSetter) is the same as the one used for theRaytheon Excalibur and comes with theplatform integration kit that allows to plug itintoafirecontrolsystemorintoaDAGRGPSreceiver. The setter is positioned above thePGKnoseandallows toswitch onpowerandtoinsertall necessarydata such asgun-targetlocation, trajectory information, GPS cryptokeys, GPS information, exact time and fusesettingdata.Thecoveris thenremovedbeforeloading and ramming the shell and goingthroughthestandardfiringprocedures.

The kit has a single moving part, thecanardassembly, whichcan onlyrotatealongthelongitudinalaxis,the wings havinga fixedcant; twocouplesof opposite wings have thesame direction and thus provide lift, whilethe two despin wings provide counter-rotation. The assembly being coupled to analternator, counter-rotation produceselectricalpowerand initiatesthe battery. Thesystem then acquires the GPS signal, andnavigation is then established, thus startingthe 2-D guidance with the GPS comparingthe shell position to the reference bal listictrajectory. This is ensured by thedespinningof the canard assembly, which startsproducing lift; the signals coming from theguidance unit rotate theassembly inorder toorientthe liftvectorfor2-Dcontrol,guidancecontinuing until the impact takes placewithin the required 50 metres CEP. Shouldthe round lose the GPSlinkorget off coursedue to wind anomalies, the PGK wouldautomatically make it inert, dramatically reducingcollateral damages.ATKdevelopedthe final version of the PGK, which workswith the new M795 round with insensitivemunition fill. This version passed theperformance and safety First ArticleAcceptance Tests at Yuma Proving GroundinJanuary2015; fired from M109A6Paladin

and M777A2 howitzers, it easily passed the30-metreCEP test,most ofthe roundsfallingwithin 10 metres of the target. The PGK isnow approvedfor lowrate initialproductionand the company is expecting a productioncontract by mid-2015. To increase thepotential users base, the PGK was fitted toGerman artilleryshells in October2014 andfiredfrom a GermanPzH2000, a first from a52 calibre barrel, with some rounds fired inthe multiple rounds simultaneous impactmode: many shells fell within five metresfrom thetarget, wellunderthe forecast CEP.

BAE Systems is developing its own 155mmkit, theSilverBullet. Guidanceis basedonGPS, the kit coming as a nose add-on with

Nexter andTDAare working on a 155 mm Metric Precision Munition which, as its name indicates, should provide a CEP of lessthan one meter. (Nexter)

A few years ago, KBP developed a155mm calibre version of the Krasnopol fitted witha French laser spot seeker.(Armada/EricH. Biass)

TheNorinco GP155A laser guided ammunition is derived from the RussianKrasnopol and hasa range of between6 and 25 km.(Armada/P. Valpolini)

ATK’s Precision Guidance Kit is here seenfitted on two different ammunition, a 105mmartillery shell (left) and a 120 mm mortar round (right). (Armada/P.Valpolini)


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four moving canard wings. The shell is stillunpowered when it leaves the muzzle, thenduring the first five seconds the head isstabilised; after eight seconds navigation isactivatedto correct thepathall theway tothetarget. The declared accuracy is less than 20metres; however BAE System’s goal is a 10-metre CEP. The kit can be used inconjunction with other additional devicessuch as rocket-assisted projectile or basebleed elements, to add accuracy to longerranges. The Silver Bulletis considered atTRL6-7. It has already been demonstrated, andthe next step is environmental testing andqualification. BAE Systems expects it to beready in twoyearsfrom now.

Althoughit cannot be described as a trueguidancesystem, Nexter’s Spacido isa coursecorrection systemthat considerably reducesrange dispersion, which is usually muchgreater thanlateral dispersion.Developed inco-operation with Junghans T2M, it isinstalled in place of the fuse, since theSpacido has its own fuse; when fitted on anHE round the Spacido is equipped with amultimode fuseworking inpreset time, pointdetonation impact, delaytime andproximity mode, while when used for cargoammunition the Spacido is available withpresettimemodeonlyfuse. When theroundis fired, the radar installed on the weaponsystem tracks the round during its first 8-10secondsofflight, establishestheroundspeed,andsendsout a radiofrequencycodedsignaltotheSpacido.Thissignalcontainsthetimeatwhich the three Spacido discs will rotate toincrease drag and thereby ensure that theshell will drop onto the target. The system iscurrently at TRL8, Nexter seeking a firingrange where testing at maximum rangeswould be possible. Final qualification testsshould becarried out inSweden during2015.

A very similar system was launched by Yugoimport in the recent past, fulldevelopment being still on hold awaitingfundingfromtheSerb ministryof defence.

I … AND CONVENTIONAL AMMO

New developments do not concern only guided ammunition. The Norwegian Army and the Norwegian Defence LogisticsOrganisation contracted Nammo for thedevelopment of a wholly new family of insensitive 155 mm munitions. The HighExplosive – Extended Range is a 100%Nammo product and can be fitted beforeloading with either base bleed orhollow baseelement, respectivelyyieldinga 40kmand 30kmrangewhen fired from a 52calibre barrel.The warhead contains 10kgofMCX6100IMmulticast explosive provided by ChemringNobel, fragments being optimised fordamagingvehicleswith10mmRHAarmour.TheNorwegianArmy’splanistohavearoundthat can partly cover the effect of the now forbidden bomblets. It is currently beingqualified and a pilot lot is expected by mid-2016withfirstdeliveriesplannedforlate2016.

The second round is an Illuminating –Extended Range, developed with BAESystems Bofors. In fact tworounds are beingdeveloped, using the Mira technology, oneproducing white light and the other infraredillumination.Theroundwillopenata350-400metres height (reducing cloud and windproblems) and flare up immediately withconstant burning intensity and followed by abrupt cut-off. Burning time for the white versionis 60seconds,whilethelowerburningrateoftheIR compositionallowsa 90-secondillumination. Thetworoundsareballistically very similar. Qualification should becompleted by July 2017, with a pilot lotavailable in January 2018, deliveries beingexpected in July 2018. The smoke round,whichalso involvesBAE Systems,will runsix months later. It contains three canisters,currentlyfilledwithredphosphorus,Nammolooking for more effective compositions.When leaving the shell canisters open six petal-like brakes that have different effects:


The PGKseen here separated fromthe round clearlydisplays its rear shape,which is only compatib

Armada Artillery Compendium - April 20152

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