Denel/GDLS Canada LAV III/T7 (LAV III Light SP Howitzer)

     Notes: Though using the LAV III as a base, this version with a compact turreted 105mm howitzer was developed primarily by Denel.  (Users of the LAV III and Stryker are reportedly already interested in the design.)  Denel approached GDLS Canada after the cancellation of the UD NLOS-C, which South Africa was to be a major player in.

     The T7 turret makes the LAV III a useful fire support platform, while keeping the advantages of the LAV III.  Key to the development of the T7 turret was the development of a new lightweight howitzer cannon, including the incorporation of new materials such as composite laminates in gun and mechanism as well as technology borrowed from the G-6 1A3 Rhino heavy artillery vehicle, particularly the electronics.

     The LAV III/T7 relies greatly on automation; the crew is only three and one is the driver.  The commander also serves as the gunner and there is a loader.  The resulting vehicle is small, and can be airdropped from a C-130 aircraft. Virtually all rounds are autoloaded and autorammed.  The autoloading elements and fire control elements have a high degree of redundancy.  All functions are controlled from flat panels displayed around the turret; even the driver has a screen displaying vehicle state, fuel, and mapping information.  The 105mm howitzer does not require any sort of jacks or outriggers to be lowered.  The rear door doubles as an ammunition replenishment door.

     As with the LAV III the LAV III/T7 has a Caterpillar 31236 turbocharged diesel developing 350 horsepower and coupled to an automatic transmission.  The driver is in the front left with conventional controls, and a night vision block. The drive is 8x8 and has a central tire inflation system, traction control, and antilock braking. The commander/gunner is on the right side of the turret, with the loader on the left; the commander/gunner has a manually-operated cupola with a weapon mount.  The loader can also operate as a gunner/loader if needed.

     Add-on appliqué armor as well as MEXAS ceramic appliqué armor is available.  (In both cases, this includes an antimine panel on the floor.) The gun itself is actually a gun/howitzer, designed for both direct fire and indirect fire with equal aplomb.  It is meant to reduce fortifications as well as fire support missions, as well as the occasional engagement of enemy vehicles and personnel by direct fire. A new line of ammunition was developed to take advantage of this fact.  In recognition of the reduced crew, the ammunition is unitary, with combustible shell casings.

    Also in recognition of the reduced crew, computers reduce the workload as much as possible, though they allow the LAV III/T7 to act as its own FDC, it can also rapidly and digitally take data from FISTs and FDCs and send them directly to the gun, which at the push of a button will slew and elevate/depress itself to the correct coarse position, requiring only fine adjustments. A GPS and backup intentional navigation system is supplied, along with a mapping computer module.

*Floor AV is 5; Roof AV is 3.

**Floor AV is 5Sp, Roof AV is 4.

***Floor AV is 5Cp, Turret Roof AV is 4Cp, Hull Roof AV is 4.

Denel T5-52 Condor

     Notes: The T5-52 is sort of a counterpart to the French Caesar, but the similarities quickly end as the T5-52 is based on a larger, heavier truck, about a heavy truck. During development, the T5-52 was called the Condor and it still retains that name amongst many of its users and even the chain of command.  The T5-52 is offered for export, and has taken part in many Arms Expositions, but so far only India had bought more than evaluation versions.

     The Condor is based on the Tatra WN 8x8 truck chassis. Before firing, three stabilizers are lowered; two of these have steps in them to enter the fighting compartment, while the rear jack has a ladder.  In testing, the Condor was to have an L/45 gun, but production versions have an L/52 gun. The gun has a compact muzzle brake and a fume extractor.  The gun is fed by a magazine; the autoloader takes the projectile from the magazine and a power rammer pushes the projectile into the breech, where manually-loaded charges are added.  The gun has the G-5-2000 top carriage of the ground-mounted G5.  The gun turntable may rotate 360 degrees for travel, but may normally be fired in a 40-degree deflection from the centerline (Emergency shots may be taken outside of that 80-degree arc.)  The gun also has a direct fire capability, with a maximum depression of -3 degrees and a maximum elevation of 75 degrees. The T4-52 has considerable computer power to calculate position of the gun given fire control coordinates; among these is an enhanced artillery ballistic computer allowing the gun to execute MRSI fire and may use any sort of Western or Chinese 155mm ammunition.  The normal crew for the Condor is eight, but only four travel with the Condor, and are in the cab when traveling.  Four others are transported on ammunition or supply trucks. No commander’s machinegun is mounted. The armored versions sometimes mount a light machinegun, but this is not standard.

     The truck chassis has a 355 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine.  Normally, the truck has no armor protection; however, a kit of light armor able to stop assault rifle rounds and shell splinters may be added.  Despite this, the crew, when working on the gun, has no armor protection.

*The AV value listed is primarily for the cab; however, the underside of the vehicle also benefits from the armor kit.

LIW G-6 Rhino

     Notes:  This is the standard South African self-propelled howitzer, and is also in service with Oman and the United Arab Emirates. It is essentially a mobile version of the G-5 howitzer.

     The electronics are just short of being able to act as it’s own FDC – The G-6 still requires an FDC for proper firing information, but once the coordinates are transmitted, the G-6’s own electronics calculate the fire solution.  These are collected into the indirect fire computer, and the gunner must then only push one button for the gun and turret to automatically lay itself.  The gun also has a telescopic sight for direct fire out to 3 kilometers, plus the gunner’s night vision gear.  Both L/45 and L/52 systems are in service with South Africa, who is in the process changing to L/52; most other countries that use the G-6 use the L/52 barrel.  In addition there is the G-6/52, which has more advanced systems. The commander has a heavy machinegun on his manually-operated cupola.  Eight smoke grenades launchers round out the armament; these are four per side. The ammunition bins have blow-off panels.  The gun is capable of firing any Western or Chinese 155mm ammunition. The gun has a large muzzle brake and a fume extractor made of glass fiber; this is the subject of some controversy, as an few fume extractors have been discovered with cracks in them. The turret has a rear door on the right for ammunition replenishment. The gun has a maximum elevation of +75 and a maximum depression of -5 degrees.

     Armor is fairly decent for its type of vehicle, able to usually stop 20mm hits from the front, and 7.62mm and grenade and artillery shell splinters all around the vehicle.  The G-6 has an MRAP hull, and is capable of surviving a blast from a TM-46 antitank mine (though it may roll the vehicle over).  Power is provided by a 525-horsepower turbocharged diesel, with an automatic transmission and conventional controls.  The engine is located behind the driver. Originally, the G-6 had 4x6 suspension, with the front axle not being powered; however, this was quickly upgraded to a 6x6 configuration. The crew is protected by an NBC overpressure system and an automatic fire detection and suppression system. Navigation is by GPS.  One striking feature of the G-6 is a powerful 34kW APU, and the G-6 is capable of conducting a fire mission on only the APU as power.

     The G-6 has an interesting driver’s position: it is at the front center, self-contained, with unusually large (for an armored vehicle) armored windows, giving the driver excellent visibility.  He has a swing-down night vision scope.  The driver benefits from an automatic transmission; the driver may also select manual or semiautomatic modes as desired.  He has conventional driving controls.  The large ballistic glass windows can be protected by swing-down armored panels with vision slits in them.  In front of the driver is a wedge-shaped bin that normally stows extra ammunition and doubles as a brush cutter. The driver has no direct access to the fighting compartment; should he wish to go back there, he has to climb out of his compartment, climb up on the turret, and enter through one of the hatches there.

  The commander is on the top of the right side of the turret, with a manually-operating cupola and all-around vision blocks.  One of these blocks has a night channel.  The second hatch is essentially for everyone else in the crew.

G-6/52

     In addition to having a longer barrel, the G-6/52 has additional electronics, self-surveying capability, and the ability to generate its own fire coordinates, thus being able to act as its own FDC.

G-6 1A3

     In addition to the improvements of the G-6/52, the G-6 1A3 features a steel fume extractor instead of the glass fiber fume extractor.  Additional safety interlocks are installed; for example, it is no longer possible to double-load the gun.  The power rammer has been improved, allowing fire every four phases, or a burst rate of about 3 minutes firing at the rate every phase.  This pace puts an additional level of fatigue on the crew (except for the driver).  The vehicle state is monitored; the driver has a Windows-based touch screen which allows him to monitor all aspects of the vehicle’s operation.  The commander’s touch screen functions integrally with the GPS and mapping module. The gunner has a digital rangefinder and display, meaning he can aim without having to look into eyepieces.  The G-6 1A3 is capable of MRSI firing.  The driver has a simple screen which allows him to drive in the correct route and range, and monitor systems such as the fuel, engine, and transmission.