SP, MLRS and SPAA Developments

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

It's good to see we can get it right, M-SHORAD is no more; the system is now officially called the Sgt. Stout as of Saturday 15 June 2024.

From Ref. 2
"The first two SGT STOUT battalions are in Germany and at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and the Army recently fielded its third battalion at Fort Cavazos, Texas, in February. In April of 2024, six SGT STOUT vehicles and more than 40 Soldiers provided effective short-range air defense during live-fire exercises as part of DEFENDER 24's Saber Strike exercise in Poland, demonstrating the ability to protect Soldiers like its namesake."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ar...85886340&ei=48
https://www.army.mil/article/277291/...onor_recipient
https://crsreports.congress.gov/prod.../IF/IF12397/11
(I used this source as a primary reference dealing with TRICARE For Life.)

I had posted on this system early but quite frankly haven't tracked it for a while. I only knew the Army was fast tracking the system since it's using both an existing platform and weapons. What's new is the Radar and FCS.

As supported by Ref. 3
". In April 2021, the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment received the first four of its M-SHORAD systems, becoming fully equipped by late 2022."

If we go with the above and Ref. 2 using the word "fielded" that mean START JAN 2023.

But others are saying 2025 for full fielding. The refs. are in line that the only system out there is the Sgt. Stout increment 1 systems of which Ref. 3 goes into detail on that and more.

I think the safe bet here is to "split the difference" and use START JAN 2024.

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

We have the Taiwanese CM-32 however it seems like we missed both the CM-33 and CM-34. along the way.

Not so much worried about the CM-33 but, the CM-34 though sharing the same chassis as its predecessors; comes in at 2 tons heavier part of that is due to the turret but the rest has to be I suspect due to some kind of applique armor upgrade as well.

They are in service as APC/IFV and 120mm mortar carrier in regard to the CM-34.

Track for 120mm/82mm mortar carrier for the CM-32 and likewise in regard the CM-34 also with the 81mm mortar carrier.

Starting with the CM-32 tests and a PROTOTYPE(s) were built for a "Fire Support" version with both a 105mm and 120mm.

This did not materialize for the CM-32. For the CM-34 PROTOTYPE testing should've been completed by the end of last year or very early this year.
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights...v-for-delivery
"The vehicle is derived from the common 6.35 m long, 2.7 m wide, and 2.2 m high welded steel hull also used by the in-service CM-32 and CM-33 Cloud Leopard armoured personnel carriers (APCs), although the CM-34 has a combat weight of 24 tonnes as opposed to the 22 tonnes of the earlier variants."

What perplexes me is why there are no AT versions.

They have the following NOW for their helos they wouldn't to modify them much also they've been operating TOW for decades.
TAIPERS as noted is in the field and placing TOW in the process.
"Comprising four major sub-sections (seeker, propulsion, control mechanism, and battery) and the optical fibre cable at the rear, the missile has a smokeless solid-propellant rocket motor, which gives it a cruise speed of about 200 m/s and a maximum strike range of 8 km. Hanwha has said the missile can penetrate up to 1,000 mm of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA).

The DAPA spokesperson said the missile will arm the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) and MUH-1 Marineon helicopters of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps (RoKMC) from 2024."
https://www.janes.com/osint-insights...-tank-missiles

Yeah, just realized I got this in the wrong thread @^!-****!

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

Methinks unit 39 should be the CM-34 with some further adjustments. We go with the data we have at the time and as usual things change. The first version of this went in 2 decades ago

Both need to be reworked and additional vehicles added.....on the list

[MarkSheppard]

Lithuania is starting the groundwork to withdraw from the cluster munition pact.

A draft resolution was put forth by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense; if it's ratified by the President and Parliament, Lithuania will withdraw from the Convention and the country will no longer be prohibited to procure, stockpile and use cluster munitions.

[MarkSheppard]

Originally Posted by MarkSheppard

Lithuania is starting the groundwork to withdraw from the cluster munition pact.

A draft resolution was put forth by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense; if it's ratified by the President and Parliament, Lithuania will withdraw from the Convention and the country will no longer be prohibited to procure, stockpile and use cluster munitions.

https://www.delfi.lt/ru/news/politic...asov-120037152

Google translated

Lithuania withdraws from convention banning cluster munitions

On Thursday, the Seimas decided to denounce the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use. After Lithuania's withdrawal from this international agreement, there are no longer any restrictions on the purchase, stockpiling, and, in the event of war, use of cluster munitions. The withdrawal from the convention was supported by 103 members of the Seimas, one deputy voted against, and four abstained.

One of the initiators of the issue, Minister of Defence Laurynas Kaščiūnas , claims that the change in the geopolitical situation prompted the withdrawal from the convention.

"Such conventions are significant when all countries adhere to them. In this case, the problem is that the Russian Federation, which is carrying out aggression against Ukraine and has imperialist ambitions, does not follow these rules," L. Kaščiūnas said at a session of the Seimas. "When we ratified this convention and joined it, it was a different era. Now everything is much more complicated. Therefore, it would be very wrong if the state, preparing for its defense, immediately said what capacities it will not use for its defense," the Minister of Defense noted.

L. Kaščiūnas also assured that modern cluster munitions are much safer, and the consequences they cause can be controlled. Discussions about Lithuania's withdrawal from the Oslo Convention banning the use of cluster munitions began last summer, when then-Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas expressed such an expectation. The Defense Ministry called for a reassessment of the provisions of this international document for reasons of national security. Lithuania ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2010.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Still cleaning!

USA: I completely forgot the next as the date of the article will clearly show. That being said it has happened and we got them. I speak of the French BONUS rounds. Concerning Ref. 1 & 2 we purchased additional BONUS rounds on Mar 03, 2020.
https://www.edrmagazine.eu/u-s-army-...om-bae-systems
https://www.baesystems.com/en/product/155-bonus
(Good review of capabilities an "click" on News to confirm above and additional orders.

So, we have the above date for what I believe to be the second order.

I found a couple of sources to show the USA and by extension the USMC (I had posted an article of Marines in an exercise I believe in Africa with the French firing the BONUS from our 155mm about the time of the above date.) had these rounds in 2000. I've thrown the BS Flag in the air when I saw that date. That was the year that France and Sweden put them in service. In 2008 the French used them in combat for the first time.

I can't find an initial START for them but, based on the above information I feel comfortable in recommending A START for BOTH the USA and USMC of UPDATED NOW TO JAN 2019. See next.

Found the following during my UK BONUS informational search. This dated 09 OCT 2018.
https://www.baesystems.com/en/articl...ided-munitions

And like the tanks the CORPS had, they get their ammo from the Army as well; they "own" the arsenals (Picatinny, N.J. etc.) and are responsible for the procurement of the same from private industry.

UK: Are operationally now using what is considered probably still the best SPA out there ("Shoot and Scoot" 30s or slightly less. ). The British Army has been training on these for quite some time so they're ready to use them now.
UK/ADD/ARCHER/COPY/SWEDEN/BW L52 ARCHER/UNIT 416/START JUN 2024/END DEC 2030/AMMO/BONUS ALSO PROCURED. //
https://www.armyrecognition.com/news...oogle_vignette

As a side note SWEDEN has purchased the latest version of ARCHER 8x8.
https://www.edrmagazine.eu/additiona...ion-for-sweden
(This will require further research, seem to remember posting a different article from Military-Today on it-miss that site from the Ukraine.)

MBT will have to wait it's late I'm tired and go back to work later this afternoon.

So Good Whatever!!

Regards,
Pat

[DRG]

The Archer is already in the Brit OOB. albeit 2 months early. both as an on and off map unit

[MarkSheppard]

Some data on the Belgian M109A2/M109A3 upgrade program into the M109A4BE standard:

https://x.com/ChungTzuW/status/18198...587476/photo/3

Includes a decent angled away top photo from the rear.

https://x.com/ChungTzuW/status/18198...587476/photo/2

Data on the Semi Automatic Loader (SAL) they put into the M109A4BE modernization.

What happened was that as soon as the modernization of all 64 x M109A4BE was completed in 2015; they were immediately put up for sale by the (then) Defense Minister André Flahaut.

The private company that bought them in 2015 then turned around and sold them in 2022 to the UK who further rehabbed them and sent them to Ukraine.

https://armyrecognition.com/news/arm...yed-in-ukraine

[Masters]

Russia's missing Buk-M1-2, Buk-M2, Buk-M3, S-350 Vityaz', S-500 Prometheus, Tornado-G (BM-21 Grad's successor with newly developed ammo, increased range up to 40 km, faster firing capability with better precision and armor pen).

[blazejos]

Proposition to use OOB Red for store Soviet Union/Russian weapons of less importance in similar way like in SPWW2 store rare German equipment in Blue OOB that may free many necessary slots in soviet/Russia OOB