Page 64 - Australian Defence Magazine June 2021

62 LAND FORCES LAND 400
JUNE 2021 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
30mm armour-piercing projectiles at 500 metres, or against a 155mm high explosive shell blast at 10 metres.
Underbelly protection at STANAG 4 and 4B protects against the 10 kilogram mine blast already referenced.
LETHALITY
So far as lethality is concerned, the Lynx’s Lance turret is in the same configuration as that selected for the Boxer CRV, fitted with a Mauser MK30-2 airburst-capable 30mm cannon firing proprietary ammunition, a coaxially-mounted RMG 7.62mm machinegun, and a two-round, dampened launcher for the mandated Spike LR2 antitank missile (ATGM).
The Redback’s T2000 turret, developed by Elbit Systems and Canberra company EOS, mounts a Bushmaster Mk44S 30mm cannon, a MAG 58 7.62mm coaxial machinegun, an integrated launcher for two Spike LR2s, and an EOS R400S Mk 2 remote weapon station that can be fitted with a M2QCB 12.7mm heavy machine gun, a MAG-58 7.62mm machine gun, or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher.
Lethality trials will provide Objective Quality Evidence of the accuracy and capabilities of the tendered turrets in a number of scenarios including static fir-
ing, firing on the move, and moving while
firing at a moving target.
These skills are critical to the project to ensure not only that the turret is safe to operate, but also that it provides a capabil- ity that is able to meet Defence’s stringent requirements. Some lethality trials have already been conducted at tenderers’ fa- cilities overseas, others are taking place at Defence ranges.
INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVE
Within the tight constraints necessary while RMA is un- derway, Rheinmetall Defence Australia has encapsulated to ADM the reasons it believes its Lynx KF41 should be selected by the Commonwealth for the Phase 3 Mounted Close Combat Capability requirement.
These include decades of proven IFV and Manoeuvre Support Vehicle (MSV) development.
“The Commonwealth would benefit from this develop- ment and delivery experience as the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of the Marder IFV, Puma IFV, Ko- diak MSV and Buffalo ARV (Armoured Recovery Vehi- cle),” the company stated.
“The complete Lynx mission and support system for Land 400 Phase 3 including vehicle, turret, ILS (inte- grated Logistics System), simulation and ammunition can all be provided from a single OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer).
“Rheinmetall’s heritage in Australia through Land 121 Phase 3B/5B (medium and heavy trucks) and Land 400 Phase 2 would bring local capability, commitment and ex-
The integration assessment enables De-
fence to confirm the tenderers’ ability to
integrate existing ADF communications
and other equipment. These assessments
are being undertaken predominantly
through a systems integration laboratory
which provides Defence with the required level of assurance regarding integration, but reduces the cost of tendering.
tronic architecture, simulation and training. The Rhein- metall support solution turns modularity and commonality into lower total cost of ownership through condition-based maintenance and whole of fleet management.
“Rheinmetall will deliver significant Australian Industry Capability (AIC). Lynx will be manufactured in the Mili- tary Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE), utilising and extending the Land 400 Phase 2 development team, and the qualified Australian armoured vehicle industry network. Rheinmetall is committed to the creation of an enduring Australian military vehicle ecosystem, with strong support and investment from the Queensland Government.
“Rheinmetall has already announced export contracts for Australian industry for the Lynx Hungary program. Australian-manufactured Lynx vehicles and core systems exported to the world offers significant enduring AIC and economic benefi . Further countries have expressed strong interest to date in the Lynx capability, resulting in multiple further potential export opportunities,” the statement concluded.
For its part, Hanwha Defense Australia describes the
“A LYNX AND A REDBACK WERE DISPLAYED SIDE BY SIDE OUTSIDE DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS ON 12 MARCH, BOTH WEIGHING IN AT MORE THAN 40 TONNES AND TOWERING OVER A WELL- PRESERVED EXAMPLE OF THE M113AS4 THAT THEY’RE COMPETING TO REPLACE.”
perience to bear for Land 400 Phase 3. “Lynx is a next generation platform with capability growth. A modular ve- hicle system with unmatched levels of protection, mobility, lethality, knowl- edge, suitability, sustainability and growth. Lynx is able to meet the 11 roles required for Land 400 Phase 3 and offers significant capability advan- tage to the Australian Army,” the com-
pany statement explained.
“Lynx is a highly modular solution
with high Boxer CRV commonality. A modular Lynx and Boxer Land Combat Vehicle System (LCVS) solution provides commonality of the Lance turret, vehicle systems, weapons, sensor systems, elec-
Defence is observing the maintenance tasks carried out by the tenderers throughout the RMA process, including validation of actions against maintenance procedures.
Failures will be tracked against sub-systems and kilome- tres. Reliability data will be captured as part of a longer- term reliability plan, which will allow Defence to char- acterise those subsystems that are more prone to failure.
Additionally, Defence has access to data from inter- nal reliability tests undertaken by both tenderers as part of the ongoing performance of their platforms, both of which are under consideration in a number of overseas programs.
Notably, Defence has disclosed that the RMA and other data will inform tailoring of an Acceptance Verification Program “including the contractually-binding Reliability Growth Program” as part of the Acquisition Contract prior to the start of full rate production.
This appears to contradict a recent media report criti- cising the lack of such a program in tender documents.