Page 22 - Australian Defence Magazine Oct 2020

22 MRO ARMY
OCTOBER 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
These arrangements are unlikely to change significantly even if Army succeeds in its wish to increase the Abrams fleet to 90 to bolster the tank squadron attached to each of the three armoured cavalry regiments.
However, the decision to prioritise Australia’s defence pos- ture on the Indo-Pacific and a physical environment less tank- friendly than the Middle East could see the Abrams force re- main at its current size – the 2020 Force Structure Plan refers to upgrading the Abrams inventory but not to increasing it.
M777A2
Army’s 54 M777A2 155mm lightweight towed howitzers (LTH) are also maintained under an FMS arrangement, in this instance involving Army, CASG, Joint Logistics Com- mand and the US Project Manager Towed Artillery Systems – a joint US Army/US Marine Corps program office.
The arrangement is supplemented by an M777A2 Memo- randum of Understanding (MoU) involving Australia, Can- ada and the US. According to Defence, the MoU provides a
“ALTHOUGH DETAILS OF THE REPAIRS WERE NOT DISCLOSED, M777 CRACKS BETWEEN THE ELEVATION BLOCK AND THE MAIN CRADLE HAVE BEEN UNOFFICIALLY REPORTED IN THE US.”
collaborative forum for decisions on the configuration and management of the M777A2 which cover potential options such as enhanced power packs, run-flat types and improve- ments to the main ordnance, such as chroming the barrel.
Chroming of barrels, suggested as a means of mitigat- ing residue developed under specific firing conditions and significantly increasing barrel life, continues to undergo engineering review by the US.
Work beyond routine maintenance that can’t be conducted at unit level is completed by Joint Logistics units. Certain re- pairs require the damaged components to be returned to the US due to the requirement for niche equipment and tools.
A series of repairs based on an inspection of the guns was recently carried out by a joint Australian-US repair team and the manufacturer, BAE Systems’ Global Combat Sys- tems’ Division, who subsequently confirmed the satisfac- tory status of the fleet.
Although details of the repairs were not disclosed, cracks between the elevation block and the main cradle have been unofficially reported in the US.
AMMUNITION
Meanwhile live firing qualification testing of a new suite of 155mm ammunition that will provide the M777A2 with increased range and lethality is proceeding on schedule.
This follows the $100 million contract with Brisbane- based NIOA announced in March 2018 under Project Land 17 Phase 1C.2 for the supply of various projectiles from Rheinmetall’s Assegai family.
This is the first time that Assegai ammunition has been ordered for the M777A2 by any of the user nations – US, Canada, Australia, India and Saudi Arabia.
In what Defence says is an unprecedented level for the ADF of technical ammunition-gun integration, some 3,400 projectiles have been fired at the Port Wakefield Proof and Experimental Establishment and at Woomera over 18 months to capture trajectory data.
This will be used to develop precise models for incorpo- ration into the Raytheon Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), which provides general and fires command and control capabilities to ground forces, from mission planning to execution.
Defence says the US remains involved in the project and has begun developing the models and future integration with AFATDS under a FMS case established with CASG’s Explosive Materiel branch.
Army is also participating with the US in the M777A2 Long Range Cannon project which includes utilising a 58 calibre barrel instead of the standard 39 calibre barrel to boost range from 30km to 70km with supercharged propel- lant and a rocket-assisted projectile.
According to a report by the US Joint Program Execu- tive Officer for Armaments and Ammunition, US and Australian officials last year formed an integrated prod- uct team in which the ADF is collaborating on mobil- ity and transportability trials to support the Long Range Cannon project.
Australia has also acquired Extended Range (ER) kits that will be used for demonstrating the capabilities of the system in different terrain and climates. US engineers would pro- vide technical assistance as needed, the article said.
The ER kits were developed under a 2014 prototyping initiative that involved the longer cannon tube; a more efficient muzzle brake to minimise blast overpressure on the gun crew; a reinforced recoil yoke for higher firing loads; longer road arms to compensate for the increased tube length; an upgraded recoil system for extended-range charges; and upgrades to the balance system.
All are bolt-on assemblies that can be quickly retrofitted onto existing M777A2s.
A Defence spokesperson said Army was participating in the trials to gain further information on compatibility and tactical mobility, but noted the importance of main- taining a consistent fleet-wide configuration with the 39 calibre barrel. ■
ABOVE: A 1RAR Regiment M1A1 Abrams tank fires a 120mm round from its main gun in a Support by Fire serial during the Warfiighter activity at Shoalwater Bay Training Area, QLD.
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