British Army CVR(T) replacement confirmed.

[RoyalGreenJacket]

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a contract with South Wales-based General Dynamics UK to deliver the Specialist Vehicle (SV) for the British Army.



ASCOD SV, which is a modified military off the shelf (MMOTS) platform already proven in service with a number of NATO allies, will replace the ageing CVR(T) fleet and will introduce new vehicle roles.

read more and watch the videos on ASCOD SV here: http://www.generaldynamics.uk.com/ASCODSV/

looks like a decent bit of kit with some good pedigree - a welcome addition to the fleet however at upto 42 tonnes it is no lightweight recce vehicle.

[Goldie fish]

Great. We'll be able to keep or scorps going for another few years, there'll be no shortage of spares
The main thing is, like the CVR(T) it is a family of vehicles, for many roles.
Plus, its already in production for other nations.##What will it replace? Will it also replace Warrior?

[Buck]

Some "new" CVR(T)'s for us?

[hptmurphy]

Brits haven't used scorpions in years due to fume extraction problem with the 76mm.

Scimitar was upgraded some years back but the gun is useless...so why take a backward step.

[Goldie fish]

Brits haven't used scorpions in years due to fume extraction problem with the 76mm.

Scimitar was upgraded some years back but the gun is useless...so why take a backward step.

They don't use scorp, but what they do use has the same lower half as the scorp.

[GoneToTheCanner]

What's useless about the Rarden?
regards
GttC

[Goldie fish]

What's useless about the Rarden?
regards
GttC

It's magazine fed.

[paul g]

The British haven't actually ordered any production vehicles, they've only signed a contract for several prototypes for a demonstration phase and trials, which will take place in 2013, and then a decision will be taken about whether or not to order them.

http://www.generaldynamics.uk.com/ASCODSV/


it appears the brits are expermenting with putting the rarden turret on a different chasis as a stopgap ( or long term solution depending on the cuts).

[RoyalGreenJacket]

It's magazine fed.

3 round bursts - manually fed - still operates if the vehicle / power is disabled unlike many guns nowadays (we were told years ago).

seemed popular with the troops when we had them except when they caught their fingers whilst loading, and it's very accurate too.

i think we have opted for a new 40mm cannon on the new ASCOD.

[hptmurphy]

3 round bursts - manually fed - still operates if the vehicle / power is disabled unlike many guns nowadays (we were told years ago

Even the 20mm in the AML20 can and does operate without a power input and has a higer rate of fire and better optics thatn the rarden and it was only bought as in interim measure.

The only intrinsic problem with the Rarden being the ammunition supply.

30mm is the optimal round for this size of vehicle and what it might engage, the one fitted to the Mowags here is agood bit of kit..plus its not charger fed!

We even tried the rarden both on Amls Chassis and on Timoney chasis albeit from the 'Fox' turret but again the feed of the gun was the crux.

Other tiny problem we don't seem to have overcome is the Scimitar runns onda Cummins Diesel engine while were ares till stuck with the original thirsty jaguar petrol units.

Another logistics nightmare, thanks but no thanks.

[Kontroller]

i think we have opted for a new 40mm cannon on the new ASCOD.

That's also the cannon(with same turret) chosen for the Warrior upgrade, should the BA ever be able to afford it.



Here's the cannon(mock-up) on a Panhard...

[hptmurphy]

Looks more like a Saladin Armoured Car....but retro is good.....

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there
I was shown a Rarden with four 3 round clips in the feed tray and it, so I'm told, could have the feed tray topped up even as the gun fired. I was told that it was a derivative of an aircraft cannon (aden?)
regards
GttC

[hptmurphy]

The 30 mm RARDEN Gun was developed by the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock (which closed in 1988) and the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (now part of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency) at Fort Halstead during the mid-1960s, and the first prototype was produced in 1966.

The first preproduction version was produced in 1968 and the first service versions appeared during the early 1970s. The design philosophy of the gun was that it should have a restricted rate of fire so that it could be installed in relatively light armoured vehicle turrets but still fire accurately enough to deliver a sufficiently lethal projectile to destroy APCs and similar vehicles at ranges of over 1,000 m.

Proven accuracy is such that 1 m groups at a range of 1,000 m are achieved on a regular basis.

The RARDEN L21 gun fires ammunition developed from the Hispano-Suiza 831-L round, former Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE) and Royal Ordnance developed ammunition.

Under contract to the UK MoD Royal Ordnance was developing a new APFSDS-T round with enhanced performance. Due to technical problems development of this has been cancelled and a new competition will now be held.

The gun operates on the 'long recoil' principle in which the barrel and breech mechanism initially recoil together providing low trunnion loads. The empty cartridge case is extracted and a fresh round is loaded during the runout phase of firing. The system on the RARDEN is fully enclosed, and the internal section of the gun intrudes only 430 mm into the turret space. The gun can hold six rounds which are fed in three-round clips. The gun is charged by a small cocking/loading handle and spent cases are ejected forward from the gun. No firing fumes or cases can penetrate into the turret area. Normally, the gun fires single shots only but six-round bursts are possible. This ensures that the lightweight barrel has a low wear rate.

Recent production of the 30 mm RARDEN has been undertaken at Royal Ordnance Nottingham for the Alvis Vehicles (previously GKN Defence) Defence Warrior mechanised combat vehicle. Final deliveries of the Warrior were made to the British Army in February 1995.

The British Army also used the 30 mm RARDEN installed in a two-person turret on a number of FV432 APCs and on the Fox (4 x 4) armoured car, both of which have now been phased out of service.

The turrets from the Fox armoured cars have been removed and installed on refurbished Scorpion chassis with the new vehicle being known as the Sabre. The latter is now in service with the British Army in the reconnaissance role alongside the Scimitar which is also armed with a 30 mm RARDEN gun. The Fox remains in service outside the UK.


Status

Production as required. Installed in the FV107 Scimitar; FV721 Fox; Warrior; Sabre. Total production of the 30 mm RARDEN cannon has now exceeded 1,600 units.

Specifications
Property Value
Main weapon caliber (mm) 30
Length (mm) 3150
Barrel length (calibres) 81
Weight (kg) 113
Rate of fire (rds/min) 90

Firing range (m) 1000

Some useful stuff here might bust a few myths.

[easyrider]

That's also the cannon(with same turret) chosen for the Warrior upgrade, should the BA ever be able to afford it.



Here's the cannon(mock-up) on a Panhard...

Panhard Sphinx, intended to replace the AMX-10RC, which would mean replacing a 105mm gun with a 40mm gun and ATGMs.