500 "light tank" for the US Army. MPF program
Since the mid-nineties in the US Army there are no lungs Tanks. However, new challenges and threats forced the command to introduce such equipment into the plans for the development of troops. The development of a promising light tank to strengthen infantry and airborne units is carried out as part of the Mobile Protected Firepower program. Not so long ago, she went into the construction phase of experimental batches of equipment, and next year the finished machines will be sent to the troops for testing.
General Dynamics Griffin III Light Tank
Currently, the US Army has several dozen new-look brigades, so-called. Infantry brigade combat team. Such a connection has various weapons and equipment, its main transport are cars and armored cars. Such material part ensures sufficient combat capability of the brigade and simplifies its transfer, but leads to some problems.
Several years ago, the command considered that the IBCT brigades needed their own tank, capable of providing fire support for infantry units. The use of regular army M1 Abrams was not possible due to their large mass and insufficient mobility, which led to the start of the MPF program. Its goal was to create a medium-mass armored vehicle with cannon-machine-gun weapons, combining good fighting qualities with high mobility.
MPF received bids from several US and foreign armored vehicle manufacturers. Offered as a completely new design, and recycled samples of already known types. Last December, the Pentagon selected the two best projects. The tanks from General Dynamics and BAE Systems were considered the best.
Also in December, there were two contracts for the continuation of work with a total cost of approx. 710 million dollars. According to them, two finalists of the MPF competition must build on 12 pre-production tanks of new types. Currently, two companies are busy with this order. Works should be completed no later than the start of 2020, after which comparative tests will start.
At the end of June, the press service of the US Army revealed the further fate of the MPF program. Events planned for the near future are directly related to the current construction of two dozen experienced armored vehicles.
In March of next year, new equipment will be available to one of the units of the 82-th Airborne Division of the US Army. The paratroopers will perform a comprehensive check of the new technology. In addition, they will have to compare two samples from different developers and make recommendations. For military comparative tests and analysis of their results will take a little over two years.
In the 2022 fiscal year, the Pentagon plans to make the final choice and determine the winner of the competition. The latter is to complete the finishing of its light tank and prepare mass production. According to current plans, the delivery of serial MPFs to troops will begin in 2025 FG.
The Army announces its intention to buy more 500 light tanks of the new model. This technique will serve in tank companies of fire support, 14 units each. In each brigade of the IBCT, one such company will appear. It is expected that units equipped with promising light tanks will provide infantry brigades with the required ratio of mobility and firepower. However, the full re-equipment of the brigades will take place no earlier than the beginning of the thirties.
MPF tank is intended for use in "light" brigades, because of which special requirements are imposed on it. This machine must provide fire support for infantry, destroying enemy emplacements, light and medium enemy armored vehicles or various structures. However, it should not impede the transfer of the brigade.
According to the specification, the combat weight of the MPF should not exceed 40 t, which will allow the Boeing C-17 military transport aircraft to carry two such vehicles. The right combination of powerful engine and tracked chassis should provide higher mobility than the M1 OBT. Armament should include 105-mm gun and a machine gun of normal caliber. Armor should provide protection against small arms. weapons and small-caliber artillery.
The command considered that a company armed with such light tanks would be able to effectively support motorized infantry on armored cars or cars. In fact, the MPF should be a variant of the “traditional” tank, redesigned to meet the special requirements of the IBCT.
The company General Dynamics passed to the final stage of the program with its project Griffin II. This model is based on the ASCOD 2 tracked chassis, already used in the British Ajax project. On such a chassis, a converted and lightweight OBT tower M1A2 SEP v.2 is mounted. The resulting sample has a combat mass of no more than 30 t and should show high mobility characteristics.
Experienced MPF tank from BAE Systems
In the recycled tank turret mounted installation with 120-mm smoothbore gun XM360 and coaxial machine gun. In terms of fire control systems, the Griffin II is partially unified with the existing armored vehicles of the US Army. It is expected that due to such weapons and MSA, the light tank will not yield firepower in the main Abrams.
Light tank from BAE Systems is a substantially revised and modernized version of the machine M8 Armored Gun Systems, created at the turn of the eighties and nineties. The architecture of the tank remained the same, but the armament, protection and instrumentation equipment underwent the most serious changes. The result of this was a modern light tank, only outwardly similar to the base machine.
BAE Systems offers a tank with modular protection up to 25 tons. The tower is equipped with an 105-mm M35 cannon with an automatic loader that provides firing speeds up to 12 shots / min. The power plant is designed as a single unit, rolling out of the hull for maintenance. As well as in the competing project, use of the most modern electronics is provided.
To date, the companies participating in the project managed to build prototypes of their equipment and conduct some tests. Now they are engaged in the construction of the first batches of equipment for comparative tests based on the 82 airborne division. 24 light tank will go to the military unit in the spring of next year.
According to the latest reports, the two types of armored vehicles will spend about two years on testing, and after that they will choose the most successful one. Which of the two current samples will receive approval is unknown. The results of the competition will be announced in 2022.
The design of the light tank Griffin III from General Dynamics may be of interest to more powerful weapons and unification with existing models. The use of the existing chassis, the upgraded production turret and the borrowed electronics give the car certain advantages.
Its competitor from BAE Systems has less powerful weapons, but is equipped with a high-performance automatic loader. In addition, this light tank is based on the M8 AGS project, well known to the US military. In the mid-nineties, the M8 tank was even officially put into service, but then the program was closed for financial reasons.
In their current form, both promising tanks have pros and cons. Each of them is superior to its competitor in some characteristics, but inferior to him in others. For this reason, the comparison of the technology will be carried out within the framework of the pilot military operation in one of the combatant units. Thanks to this, the Pentagon will be able to compare not only the table data of two samples, but also the real features of their operation.
With the successful completion of the current MPF program, the "light" brigades of the army will be able to get modern equipment that fully meets the new requirements of command. Nevertheless, the real results of current work will appear only in the distant future - in the second half of the twenties.
General Dynamics Griffin III Light Tank
Reform and rearmament
Currently, the US Army has several dozen new-look brigades, so-called. Infantry brigade combat team. Such a connection has various weapons and equipment, its main transport are cars and armored cars. Such material part ensures sufficient combat capability of the brigade and simplifies its transfer, but leads to some problems.
Several years ago, the command considered that the IBCT brigades needed their own tank, capable of providing fire support for infantry units. The use of regular army M1 Abrams was not possible due to their large mass and insufficient mobility, which led to the start of the MPF program. Its goal was to create a medium-mass armored vehicle with cannon-machine-gun weapons, combining good fighting qualities with high mobility.
MPF received bids from several US and foreign armored vehicle manufacturers. Offered as a completely new design, and recycled samples of already known types. Last December, the Pentagon selected the two best projects. The tanks from General Dynamics and BAE Systems were considered the best.
Also in December, there were two contracts for the continuation of work with a total cost of approx. 710 million dollars. According to them, two finalists of the MPF competition must build on 12 pre-production tanks of new types. Currently, two companies are busy with this order. Works should be completed no later than the start of 2020, after which comparative tests will start.
Plans for the future
At the end of June, the press service of the US Army revealed the further fate of the MPF program. Events planned for the near future are directly related to the current construction of two dozen experienced armored vehicles.
In March of next year, new equipment will be available to one of the units of the 82-th Airborne Division of the US Army. The paratroopers will perform a comprehensive check of the new technology. In addition, they will have to compare two samples from different developers and make recommendations. For military comparative tests and analysis of their results will take a little over two years.
In the 2022 fiscal year, the Pentagon plans to make the final choice and determine the winner of the competition. The latter is to complete the finishing of its light tank and prepare mass production. According to current plans, the delivery of serial MPFs to troops will begin in 2025 FG.
The Army announces its intention to buy more 500 light tanks of the new model. This technique will serve in tank companies of fire support, 14 units each. In each brigade of the IBCT, one such company will appear. It is expected that units equipped with promising light tanks will provide infantry brigades with the required ratio of mobility and firepower. However, the full re-equipment of the brigades will take place no earlier than the beginning of the thirties.
Special requirements
MPF tank is intended for use in "light" brigades, because of which special requirements are imposed on it. This machine must provide fire support for infantry, destroying enemy emplacements, light and medium enemy armored vehicles or various structures. However, it should not impede the transfer of the brigade.
According to the specification, the combat weight of the MPF should not exceed 40 t, which will allow the Boeing C-17 military transport aircraft to carry two such vehicles. The right combination of powerful engine and tracked chassis should provide higher mobility than the M1 OBT. Armament should include 105-mm gun and a machine gun of normal caliber. Armor should provide protection against small arms. weapons and small-caliber artillery.
The command considered that a company armed with such light tanks would be able to effectively support motorized infantry on armored cars or cars. In fact, the MPF should be a variant of the “traditional” tank, redesigned to meet the special requirements of the IBCT.
Applicants for victory
The company General Dynamics passed to the final stage of the program with its project Griffin II. This model is based on the ASCOD 2 tracked chassis, already used in the British Ajax project. On such a chassis, a converted and lightweight OBT tower M1A2 SEP v.2 is mounted. The resulting sample has a combat mass of no more than 30 t and should show high mobility characteristics.
Experienced MPF tank from BAE Systems
In the recycled tank turret mounted installation with 120-mm smoothbore gun XM360 and coaxial machine gun. In terms of fire control systems, the Griffin II is partially unified with the existing armored vehicles of the US Army. It is expected that due to such weapons and MSA, the light tank will not yield firepower in the main Abrams.
Light tank from BAE Systems is a substantially revised and modernized version of the machine M8 Armored Gun Systems, created at the turn of the eighties and nineties. The architecture of the tank remained the same, but the armament, protection and instrumentation equipment underwent the most serious changes. The result of this was a modern light tank, only outwardly similar to the base machine.
BAE Systems offers a tank with modular protection up to 25 tons. The tower is equipped with an 105-mm M35 cannon with an automatic loader that provides firing speeds up to 12 shots / min. The power plant is designed as a single unit, rolling out of the hull for maintenance. As well as in the competing project, use of the most modern electronics is provided.
To date, the companies participating in the project managed to build prototypes of their equipment and conduct some tests. Now they are engaged in the construction of the first batches of equipment for comparative tests based on the 82 airborne division. 24 light tank will go to the military unit in the spring of next year.
Five thousand tanks
According to the latest reports, the two types of armored vehicles will spend about two years on testing, and after that they will choose the most successful one. Which of the two current samples will receive approval is unknown. The results of the competition will be announced in 2022.
The design of the light tank Griffin III from General Dynamics may be of interest to more powerful weapons and unification with existing models. The use of the existing chassis, the upgraded production turret and the borrowed electronics give the car certain advantages.
Its competitor from BAE Systems has less powerful weapons, but is equipped with a high-performance automatic loader. In addition, this light tank is based on the M8 AGS project, well known to the US military. In the mid-nineties, the M8 tank was even officially put into service, but then the program was closed for financial reasons.
In their current form, both promising tanks have pros and cons. Each of them is superior to its competitor in some characteristics, but inferior to him in others. For this reason, the comparison of the technology will be carried out within the framework of the pilot military operation in one of the combatant units. Thanks to this, the Pentagon will be able to compare not only the table data of two samples, but also the real features of their operation.
With the successful completion of the current MPF program, the "light" brigades of the army will be able to get modern equipment that fully meets the new requirements of command. Nevertheless, the real results of current work will appear only in the distant future - in the second half of the twenties.
Information