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The Other Chris Profile picture
@TotherChris
Feb 1, 2023 • 26 tweets • 10 min read • Read on X
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⚙️ Tracked Boxer and the UK
---

Continuing yesterday's thread looking at some options for medium tracked vehicles that can be:

a) introduced "immediately" to the British Army; and
b) How that slots into the British Industry and Army.

Video © @KM_GmbH used without permission.
⚙️ Unlike M2 Bradley, there are no desert storage depots for the in-development Tracked Boxer.

There are, however, 5 production lines for the wheeled Boxer MRAV and a pooled supply chain run through OCCAR:

2 lines in Germany
1 in the Netherlands
2 in the UK
~1 in Australia also
⚙️ Why the sudden thought experiments surrounding medium tracked vehicles for the UK? Yesterday's thread covers part. But to expand there is still a land war ongoing in Europe, grumblings about budgets and I have a fear of knee-jerk UOR procurements.

⚙️ There are many options. We looked at M2 Bradley yesterday. This thread is about Tracked Boxer.

⚙️ Unveiled at Eurosatory 2022 but in development for some time before that, Tracked Boxer displayed two important features to an audience in the know:

➡️ A full recoil 120mm smoothbore uncrewed turret module; and
➡️ A Tracked Drive Module able to accept ANY Boxer Mission Module
⚙️ This is the USP. Any Mission Module developed for a given Role and carried by Boxer MRAV can now also be deployed by Tracked vehicle where the mobility/manoeuvre consideration favours it.
⚙️ This is not a new concept, the Anglo-Swedish SEP was briefly considered after the UK pulled out of MRAV initially also considered this approach but never cracked the implementation before cancellation.
⚙️ Tracked Boxer is also not a "sticking tracks on a Boxer" like the aborted Stryker-Tr.
⚙️ Instead this is a specially designed Tracked Drive Module that resolves issues with length vs width ratios. It comes in overall *smaller* than a Lynx or Redback (!).

Note additional width available for armour packs or storage.

Also note 8 dismounts under the 120mm turret...
⚙️ Similar to the Boxer Drive Module, it has also been designed to use the additional layers as protection. Spaced armour and layers built in, before armour packs are added. I was also guilty of misperceiving this as parasitic until very knowledgeable folks explained the system.
⚙️ Industrially, the UK is scaling to manufacture the majority of a Boxer, Drive and Mission Modules, right now. The British Army are also leveraging OCCAR and the other Production Lines to accelerate initial purchases built to an identical, common, spec.
⚙️ Horstman suspension and angled gearboxes with technology transfer from RENK, Rolls-Royce manufacturing Series 199 engines at East Grinstead where they manufacture Series 1600engines for Hitachi trains (made in the North East).
⚙️ Critically, Boxer is the heaviest weight armoured steel hull construction going on in the UK. It is not an easy line to ramp up. Maintaining armoured steel integrity through bending and welding is skilled, represented by certification that takes time and hard work to earn.
⚙️ Into this existing chain of hull welding Tracked Boxer would be dropped. Leveraging controls, electronics, cabling, lights, periscopes from the Boxer MRAV supply chain. Add in Horstman suspension and transmission, Soucy CRT or William Cook tracks...
⚙️ The prototype presented at Eurosatory has an MTU 880 series engine as KMW had one to hand, however a move to a 199 Series, preferably the TE20 if possible, would allow engine swaps with Boxer MRAV. TE21 commonality with Ajax. A Cummins VTA-903 is also possible (see M2 thread).
⚙️ How does the Army acquire Tracked Boxer immediately?

It doesn't.

Boxer MRAV delivery is accelerated instead, along with development of the Mission Modules.

As Tracked Boxer arrives, Mission Modules are moved off, shared or rotated between MRAV or Tracked Drive Modules.
⚙️ The Army stays on target delivering fully fleshed out and supported Mechanised Manoeuvre Units and pivots on these as the backbone until Tracked Boxer is ready. Units gain "Deep Expertise" with the systems. Production Lines mature and carries that skill to the Tracked version.
⚙️ By fully fleshed out, we mean moving beyond the IOC capability of APC's to turreted, fires, recce, SHORAD and beyond.
⚙️ These now-matured or maturing Mission Modules are then moved over from the MRAV Drive Module to the Tracked Drive Module as desired.
⚙️ The beauty of the "accelerating Boxer" approach to delivering a medium tracked vehicle is the low risk and lack of upsetting apple carts. Warrior carries on until EOL, no decision on Ajax needs to be forced. 1,000's of personnel do not have to change direction radically.
⚙️ Measured. Steady. Hold the line.

The backing of 5 production lines and redundant supply chains. No need for a UOR splurge here beyond funding further supply line acceleration and Mission Module procurement.

Leaves the UK with one hell of an IP held, exportable AFV industry.
⚙️ Accelerating Boxer also provides the UK with options surrounding Warrior and Ajax should the Army and MOD choose to exercise them. Takes the pressure off.

Here's my personal preference for the two fleets:

⚙️ Please read @thinkdefence's piece on what other components of an AFV can be new-built in the UK here, many already supplying the Boxer MRAV programme:

thinkdefence.co.uk/2023/01/lets-b…
⚙️ Yesterday's thread on the M2 Bradley can be found here for further reading:

⚙️ Original, higher quality video from the first tweet here:

/FIN

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More from @TotherChris

The Other Chris Profile picture
Sep 23
⚙ CAVALRY, TURRETS & CANNONS

The KNDS team very kindly provided an in-depth tour inside the RCT30 equipped Mission Module pictured below. Within was held an invaluable, and frank, discussion about both the equipment and the roadmap moving forward.

The Mission Module is currently configured for the Bundeswehr requirement. As such there is much similarity with their latest Puma S1 including turret equipment itself and the "office" where the commander and gunner sit. The uncrewed turret approach provides more room inside the cell for dismounts and equipment.

To move from Puma S1 standard to RCT30, with features such as dual land and C-SAT target engagement, the turret's modularity was intentionally matured and here's where the conversation deepened.

1/Image
Sensors

The optical and optronic sensors, together with the MUSS tower, can easily be replaced with alternatives.

At the moment, Challenger 3 and Ajax both share Thales Catherine and Orion sights. These are GVA enabled for the British AFV's and the RCT30 turret can accommodate.

3/Image
Cannons

KNDS themselves are in deep discussion as to which cannon would best suit the British Army in a Cavalry or an IFV configuration, whether Mechanised or Armoured.

Three cannons dominate the conversation:

The Rheinmetall MK30-2/ABM is the most seen on Puma and RCT30 (PuBo). It has a growing user base with German Puma's and Boxers being joined by Australian and now Netherland Boxers. It is considered proven the most accurate of the three. Compatible ammunition is made solely by Rheinmetall for now, but UK selection would also see cannon, barrel and ammunition production licenses.

It is not widely known but the Mk44 Bushmaster II has been confirmed as already integrated with the RCT30. Bushmasters advantage is it can fire a range of 30x173mm including the MK30-2/ABM natures.

Finally CT40 is also a possibility though would take longer, the RCT40 not being as mature as the RCT30. Ammunition (below) is produced in the UK and France.

3/Image
Read 6 tweets
The Other Chris Profile picture
Sep 22
⚙ BRITISH ARMY BOXER VARIANTS

At DVD this week we learned more about the official Build Configurations for the Boxer's Mission Modules that will plug into the Boxer Drive Module (currently A3 standard) via the Boxer Strategic Pipeline.

🟠 BC01 Infantry Carrier
🟠 BC02 Command & Control
🟠 BC03 Specialist Carrier
🟠 BC04 Ambulance
🟠 BC05 Repair & Recovery
🟠 BC06 Armoured Mortar Vehicle
🟠 BC07 Bridging (TYRO)
🟠 BC08 RCH155
🟠 BC09 C-SAT
🟠 BC10 Radar (SERPENS)
🟠 BC11 Overwatch (MCCO)

All pictures below for illustration purposes only and not necessarily the final configurations.Image
BC01 Infantry Carrier

The primary carrier of mechanised infantry.Image
BC02 Command & Control

Deliberately similar to other Mission Modules.Image
Read 13 tweets
The Other Chris Profile picture
Feb 21
The Bundeswehr have ordered 19 Skyranger 30 air defence systems.

1 x Prototype
18 x Skyranger 30 on Boxer
8 x MAN 15t armoured resupply vehicles
8 x Workshops
18 x Training systems

1/ Image
Like Gepard before it, Skyranger is a sensor and communications heavy system. German package is the "Skyranger 30 A3" including:

AHEAD ammunition
Stinger missiles with proximity sensors
IR search and track
Hensoldt AESA

€650M

2/
Prototype delivery this year. Delivery to units in 2026. Further order of 30 Skyranger 30 systems expected.

Part of the wider NNbS air defence programme.

Several export customers evaluating:

Denmark - Piranha
Austria - Pandur
Hungary - KF41 Lynx

3/ Image
Read 5 tweets
The Other Chris Profile picture
Oct 24, 2023
The penny-wise pound-foolish Apache/JAGM saga continues.

The UK is now buying 3,000 JAGM missiles for $957.4M.

That equates to $319,000 per missile for a system already integrated onto our AH-64E's, that the UK has already trained on, which the UK has already paid for and received examples of for handling, from an Ally who is supposedly covering all extra costs of development, leaving little to no NRE expectations for the UK to bear.

Even if we go with the highest Brimstone 3 cost of £175,000 per missile which is meant to include Brimstone 3 R&D amortisation, even if we go with double the integration cost the UK was meant to "save" at £150M, the UK would have saved £110M by sticking with our own developed and proven system.

This does not even go into details such as re-investment in industry via procurement, tax recovery to Treasury or potential for exports (Poland's own AH-64E purchase is a vast missed opportunity). The UK already knows how to use and handle Brimstone eliminating most of the NRE with the system, and we have heard from defence ministers on the record in Parliament of the superior and battleproven hit rate of the Brimstone in active Operations compared to Hellfire based systems such as JAGM repeatedly over the years.

If we do take the lower of the purchase price per missile that is known for Brimstone and the £70M quoted as being "saved" by not integrating Brimstone on Apache, then for integration and purchase of 3,000 Brimstone on British AH-64E's we would expect to see a lower end cost, using DE&S own figures, of around £385M, saving almost £400M on this purchase compared to JAGM.

Even the £110M saving at the higher prices is desirable right now and would lead to further savings in future.

It is quite clear that the promised JAGM price reduction has not occurred.

BS was called at the time of the claims and these calls have clearly, demonstrably, been borne out.

This huge expense on an unproven foreign supplied missile with variations in reliability of supply, when a higher performing and perception-busting lower cost British missile exists and is in production, does not meet the claims at the time that JAGM would save the taxpayer money and should be both questioned and investigated.

@FTusa284 @JohnHealey_MP @nicholadrummond @Gabriel64869839 @thinkdefence @jedpc @JonHawkes275

Article on the purchase here:


Image
Meanwhile the Army is at great pains to show us WOLFRAM and the Mounted Close Combat Overwatch (MCCO) money being spent on Brimstone 3 integration onto their ground vehicles. With so much effort in Brimstone on Ajax, Boxer and Coyote, it is reasonable to expect the AAC to follow.

Image
Image
Image
With the first of the planned 16 Protectors arriving, the RAF already has faith in the Brimstone missile and has not signalled that they do not intend to use it.

As an aside, Protector aircraft cost "just" £15M a piece based on the last contract, again with NRE mostly paid for now. By saving money integrating Brimstone on AH-64E instead of JAGM, the RAF could have the funds to double the number of Protector aircraft and integrate more equipment onto them while still having cash to spare.

Read 5 tweets
The Other Chris Profile picture
Sep 19, 2023
⚙️ An approach to improving both Fleet Husbandry and Industrial Capability Husbandry for Army.

⏺️ Low Rate Production
⏺️ RESET Programme

1/ Image
⚙️ It is no secret that the Army's fleets have not received adequate TLC. Vehicles left outside in the British climate, insufficient spares ordered, vehicles cannibalised routinely.

2/ Image
⚙️ Similarly, it is no great secret that the very industrial base that the Army relies on has withered due to lack of engagement and orders. Infrastructure, sites, facilities, plant and skills have been allowed to erode.

3/ Image
Read 13 tweets
The Other Chris Profile picture
Sep 6, 2023
⚙️ How the US Army's RESET program interacts with the M2A3 Upgrade and M2A4 Acquisition Programmes.

Oversimplified for illustration:

RESET rebuilds an M2 to pre-combat condition.

M2A3 upgrade takes rebuilt subsystems/parts and assembles/integrates them with new subsystems.

1/ Image
Red River Army Depot handles most of the RESET program for Bradley.

RESET restores to pre-combat condition, the work does not extend to zero-mile.

A Bradley is stripped into parts bins. Parts are refurbished and only replaced if defective or overly worn.

2/ Image
These parts are then passed to BAES in Pennsylvania where they go through Final Assembly, Integration and Testing before being returned to inventory in a pre-combat condition.

3/ Image
Read 7 tweets

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