Now let’s look at everyone’s favourite: the Bradley & derivatives (will do M88 separately). AMPV now means that a massive chunk of the ABCT. 1/

https://twitter.com/2805662/status/1790627429427580928

Evolution of the Bradley - what an impressive & disciplined approach to fleet management. 2/

As I talk to soldiers, engineers, ammunition techs, & procurement folk about the US Army’s recently-fielded Next Generation Squad Weapon program, it’s clear that it’s easier to focus on the firearm than on the ammunition.
To the uninitiated, these rifles look broadly similar. 1/ Ignore calibres for this discussion. Even if each of the five rifles illustrated were in the same calibre, only one can fire the hybrid cartridge case ammunition. It is this ammunition, regardless of calibre, that delivers such a fundamental change to the soldier. 2/

Revolution incognito - how dramatic changes in technology, performance, & effectiveness can pass relatively unnoticed at the time, becoming noticeable in hindsight.

Another infantry small arms thread.

With a side of stalwarts & holdouts protecting their patch. 1/





Standard caveats, this is an overview, generalisations are made in good faith, only public domain information is sourced or used, &, wherever possible, I’ve referenced public domain information, not internet opinion…though this is one! 2/

Upping operating pressures, increasing kinetic energy, chopping barrels, changing cover into concealment, & the small arms ballistic technology revolution that passed you by. Or, how the Next Generation Squad Weapon’s calibre is a distraction. 1/ Standard caveats, this is an overview, generalisations are made in good faith, only public domain information is sourced or used, &, wherever possible, I’ve referenced public domain information, not internet opinion…though this is one! 2/

After a bit of a chat with the relevant PM, I’ve learnt a little more about the AbramsX concept demonstrator.
Sadly, I’ll be unable to illustrate with a lot of pics, but I’ll do my best. 1/

https://twitter.com/2805662/status/1580082185985757185

Let’s talk powerpacks. A diesel electric hybrid has a couple of benefits. It can travel quietly & stand watch. It also enables the same range using half the fuel. A benefit of this is that the fuel cells flanking the driver on a conventional Abrams can be deleted. 2/

Thread covering operational availability, HUMS, & how non-obvious factors affect infantry small arms. Like the Tiger tank, there’s no point in having the ‘best’ if it’s inherently unreliable, disproportionately expensive or difficult to maintain to the point of irrelevance. 1/ Standard caveats, this is an overview, generalisations are made in good faith, only public domain information is sourced or used, &, wherever possible, I’ve referenced public domain information, not internet opinion…though this is one! 2/

Super brief overview of the what the US Army terms ‘enhanced projectile rounds’, how they came to be, what they are & aren’t, what they do, the problems they caused & solved, & how EPRs became the default standard round in the US Army. 1/ Standard caveats, this is an overview, generalisations are made in good faith, only public domain information is sourced or used, wherever possible, I’ve referenced US Army public domain information, not internet opinion…though this is one! 2/

Hands up anyone who hadn’t heard “chamber pressures” referred to when discussing small arms before the US Army Next Generation Squad Weapon result?
Does it matter? Why is important? What are the misconceptions? Simply put, the barrel & bolt of a rifle or machine gun form a pressure vessel. This pressure vessel is designed to contain the force of the deflagration of propellant to propel a projectile out of the muzzle to hit a target some distance away. 2/

Short, introductory, thread to silencers (h/t Hiram Maxim, the inventor), more recently known as ‘suppressors’ & the requirements surrounding them. This thread is within the modern conventional military context. Won’t be discussing suppressor performance measuring. 1/ Caveat: this is non-technical & non-scientific thread - very much the basics required enhance understanding. As with everything pertaining to firearms, ballistics, & engineering, there’s no free lunches. Lots of compromises are the name of the game. 2/

A characteristic common to evolving smart/digital sights is the necessity for the fire control system to control the release of the shot in some modes.
You can see on my 📸 of SMASH in the orange dummy that this is more than “just a sight”.
The patent documents confirm this. 1/

https://twitter.com/nicholadrummond/status/1462024710045196292

Refer to the “Firing Actuator”. Similar on concept to a tank fire control system, this iteration of sight, in some modes, only releases the shot once the first has pulled the trigger *&* the prerequisites for shot release have been met (e.g. barrel passing in front of target). 2/

Let’s talk composite rubber tracks.
DSEI was the public debut of a Warrior IFV fitted with @DefenseSoucy 530mm wide tracks, that had completed an 8,000km/5,000 mile trial. These replaced the legacy Cook Defence Systems TR30 steel tracks. Why CRT?
-Direct weight savings of 1,500 kg (5% GVW reduction).
-Increases vehicle average range 28%.
-Reduces overall noise by 57%.
-Reduces average vibration by 42%.
-Improves Mobility Index by 24%.
-Has a better Vehicle Cone Index.
-Reduced road wheel replacement by 66%.