Share this page!

Jon Hawkes Profile picture
Twitter logo
5 Jul, 25 tweets, 8 min read
I have a tendency to write unsolicited threads on AFV tech that interests me or comes up in Twitter interactions.

Here is a long overdue index thread of threads for anyone stumbling across my profile and loyal followers alike!
A primer on the critical dimensions of AFV design, the overall dimensions that constrain most other dimensional/volumetric elements of an AFV, and a lot of the inherent capabilities too.

The start of an open-ended (9 parts at the time of writing) series on tracked AFV running gear and mobility. Some interesting nuances that people don't always realise:

A primer on the wonder tech that is Composite Rubber Tracks (CRT). Why any AFV within GVW limits wouldn't mandate it in any new buy or upgrade is madness.

Hammering at the trope that 8x8 and tracks can ever be considered peer mobility, even if CTIS does do wonders for wheeled vehicles.

AFV Weight trends.

AFV tyre designs and the implications.

Bar armour intro and squashing some widely held tropes around its mechanism of defeat and efficacy.

A light intro to Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA).

The challenges of engaging APFSDS ammunition with Active Protection Systems (APS).

Why the age of a vehicle and whether its turret is unmanned or not is largely irrelevant to the "next-gen" moniker.

How Boxer's modularity can be (should be if used right) far more than a party trick.

A series of threads summarising current Russian military vehicles

Tanks: bit.ly/2VcCFOX
IFV: bit.ly/3fObphN
Arty: bit.ly/2A7p4kU
Air Defence: bit.ly/3AsORhv
Is a modern IFV like a Kurganets better for most situations than a conventional tank?

The UK's Challenger 3 tank upgrade - what is included?

The Netherland's marvellous CV9035NL upgrade and how it compared to the now cancelled WCSP upgrade.

Israel's Carmel programme - why its not an M113 upgrade and is in fact a tremendously exciting programme.

Moving from unwieldy tented villages to compact, vehicle-based mobile command posts, courtesy of Leonardo DRS' TITAN OBVP

Are there any legs in fielding a majority of lighter 105 mm tanks with a small grouping of heavy 130 mm armed tanks?

The magnificent but ultimately failed efforts to produce a high-speed amphibious assault vehicle in n the US - the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV)

Light summary of American Counter UAV capabilities and programmes.

A summary of the amazing transparency and data published by the US DoD on their equipment, programmes and spending.

A brief history from early 2020 on the US' many attempts to replace the Bradley.

A summary of the tragic UK Challenger 2 accident in 2017 and some of the broader takeaways to chew on around crew safety and evacuation.

A list of silly or ludicrous AFV naming conventions.

• • •

Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to force a refresh
　

Keep Current with Jon Hawkes

Jon Hawkes Profile picture

Stay in touch and get notified when new unrolls are available from this author!

Read all threads

This Thread may be Removed Anytime!

PDF

Twitter may remove this content at anytime! Save it as PDF for later use!

Try unrolling a thread yourself!

how to unroll video
  1. Follow @ThreadReaderApp to mention us!

  2. From a Twitter thread mention us with a keyword "unroll"
@threadreaderapp unroll

Practice here first or read more on our help page!

More from @JonHawkes275

Jon Hawkes Profile picture
4 May
1/ Some data from the US CBO on their AFV programmes, showing the average age of a US Army M1 tank was at time of data collection 8.3 years.

Why is that an interesting fact? A slightly rambling thread:
2/ There was exciteable discussion a few weeks back around age of AFV designs which was largely reductive and a bit misguided by the original author but prompted interesting discussion.

Ultimately a modern tank is just a metal box to be iteratively retrofitted with newer bits.
3/ Thats a slightly reductive statemeent too admittedly, but step changes no longer require complete fresh slate designs as they used to. The modern tank is at the size and weight limits, so its now a case of more efficient packaging inside that space.
Read 28 tweets
Jon Hawkes Profile picture
19 Mar
Only a day on from IR release to the first big land news – reports via @FTusa284 yesterday that Rheinmetall confirmed Challenger 2 LEP awarded, official details TBC but 148 tanks looks good

A thread on whaqt LEP is, largely taken from my feature on it last month for @JanesINTEL
A Pocket History: LEP, like all UK programmes, has a lengthy backstory but in the contemporary space emerged in 2013 as a pure obsolescence management project, replacing equipment that was no longer manufactured or supported and extending functional life without capability lift
With this modest scope, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) issued two GBP23 million (USD31.23 million) assessment phase contracts in December 2016 to BAE Systems and Rheinmetall Landsysteme for the development of digital prototypes.
Read 32 tweets
Jon Hawkes Profile picture
18 Mar
@MilremR and Marduk Technologies have announced a so-called autonomous counter-UAS system to provide mobile defence against loitering munitions and ISTAR unmanned aircraft 1/
Base platform is Milrem's THeMIS, which is becoming rather popular and being developed into an increasingly vast range of roles across combat, logistics and recce roles. 2/
The CUAS element is the Marduk Shark. This uses optical sensors to identify 'suspicious' flying objects at up to 5km, track and classify, then allow engagement via unspecified soft kill effectors. Hard kill via the addiiton of a directed energy weapon is suggested as an option 3/
Read 5 tweets
Jon Hawkes Profile picture
17 Mar
NP Aerospace has re-engineered 12 Ridgback & Mastiff platforms for £7m under an Urgent Capability Requirement (UCR) in Mali, Africa, under the Protected Mobility Engineering & Technical Support (PMETS) contract.

Just look at that ground clearance contrasted with regular Mastiff! ImageImage
Mods include independent suspension (nice clear view here) incorporating ride height control, along with upgraded driveline, steering and braking systems, CTIS and increased diameter tyres.

Just look at that ground clearance contrasted with regular Mastiff! Image
Whilst only a handful of vehicles, what a cracking story of UK industry providing very responsive big capability lift to existing assets at low cost (bearing in mind includes initial R&D) and very short time - first wave delivered in just over 80 working days and already deployed
Read 4 tweets
Jon Hawkes Profile picture
17 Mar
Following up on my bar armour thread (bit.ly/3h8nZIV), a shortish primer on explosive Reactive armour (ERA). Other reactive armours (NxRA, NERA, SLERA, Electric) to follow another day. No exciting tropes to quash like bar armour, but perhaps some useful nuance to offer.
Usual disclaimer - this is Twitter, I don’t have much space and so some things are simplified or omitted for simplicity. This is a hugely complex science; I’m just giving a flavour of the considerations inherent in AFV design. With that out the way…
Discovered by Manfred Held in early 70s, ERA is simple and elegant. In basic form, a pair of steel plates sandwich a layer of high explosive. This sandwich is typically housed in a mild steel box to protect against damage and provide standoff from the vehicle hull as appropriate
Read 34 tweets
Jon Hawkes Profile picture
3 Mar
APS are a step change capability in the world of protection, offering high probability defence against ATGM and RPG threats. However, reliable defence against kinetic energy APFSDS long rod penetrators remains challenging. A thread on why #miltwitter #tanktwitter
A successful APS defeat is the result of a sequence of key events – detection, tracking, intercept. Each of these is uniquely challenging when facing an APFSDS threat compared with an ATGM or RPG.
Detection of the APFSDS launch against the host platform is straightforward - optical sensors can detect the substantial infrared and thermal flare from a tank gun firing, and due to APFSDS being direct fire line of sight weapon it will always be in view of the defended platform
Read 24 tweets

Did Thread Reader help you today?

Support us! We are indie developers!

This site is made by just two indie developers on a laptop doing marketing, support and development! Read more about the story.

Become a Premium Member ($3/month or $30/year) and get exclusive features!

Become Premium

Too expensive? Make a small donation by buying us coffee ($5) or help with server cost ($10)

Donate via Paypal Become our Patreon

Thank you for your support!

Follow Us on Twitter!

Like this author's thread?

Get emails when @JonHawkes275 has new unrolls!

Check out other threads from @JonHawkes275!

Read all threads by @JonHawkes275

:(