Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The German Army is set to procure 700 GreenLiner 4x4 vehicles to enhance its unprotected military vehicle fleet.
The GreenLiner procurement programme began in August 2019 with initial delivery of the trucks set to begin from September 2020, according to the Bundeswehr website.
The design of the vehicle is based on the G-Class Mercedes-Benz with a six-cylinder 135kW engine. It offers all-wheel drive and automatic transmission making it suitable for exercises and operations including for off-road terrains. Full air-conditioning with cooling package and auxiliary heating makes it suitable use in a range of climatic environments.
GreenLiner cabins can host up to four soldiers along with their equipment.
Assembly of the GreenLiners is completed by Mercedes-Benz G Daimler and the Knapp Service in Graz, Austria whilst additional military technology is installed in Koblenz.
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.
Germany has ordered 84 RCH 155 self-propelled guns, as system incorporating Boxer 8×8 vehicles and the Artillery Gun Module, and 200 Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles while the UK has committed to a single Early Capability Demonstrator RCH 155.
While integration of guided weapons on modern armoured vehicles usually takes the form of a podded launcher on the turret exterior, recent developments suggest the concept of firing missiles from a tank’s main gun could be seeing a revival.
The order is a further boost for the Common Armoured Vehicles System programme which has notched notable successes in the past 12 months. The first vehicle, made in Finland, will be delivered next year with local production expected to ramp up in 2027.
The French and German governments signed an agreement in June 2018 to cooperate on the development of a new main battle tank under the Main Ground Combat System programme but the effort has struggled. This new agreement may damage it further.