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| MOWAG MID-LIFE UPGRADE |
and improved stowage compartments for personal equipment such as patrol packs. This internal system was designed in tandem with the Infantry corps “ Fight Light” concept and will aid how we deploy from these platforms going forward.
Initial Platform Delivery and Training
The first upgraded APCs were delivered to 1 MIC in June 2018 where a period of instructor and operator level up skilling was key to the future delivery of training on the newly upgraded vehicles. Several APC instructor and operator staff from 1 MIC began up skilling on the current CRV platform to begin to use and become comfortable with the remote weapon station concept for the first time in the Infantry Corps. On completion of this course the project group from 1 MIC completed numerous manufacturer- based courses here in Ireland to become competent with the new systems which would make up the upgraded APC platform. This involved 4 weeks of advanced and highly condensed training with civilian instructors from Norway, Switzerland, Denmark and the UK. This period of instruction culminated in the first ‘on-island’ shoot with the first five of the newly delivered DRWS APCs with the manufacturers present to assist with the initial use of the platforms and to ensure that the level of expertise achieved by the 1 MIC project group was of as high a standard and as in depth as possible. This process at all times was hugely supported by technical personnel from the Ordnance Corps who have been vital in the development and delivery of the new system. Interaction between the end users in 1 MIC and supporting technical units has been vital in bringing the project to where it currently exists. Also, the input from units such as 1 ACS in the DFTC was vital in the initial up skilling phase which has brought about a much more integrated and highly scalable training package moving forward with the new vehicle.
From this point on the roll out of training to support the project became key. In order to facilitate this vital next phase, the current suite of MOWAG Piranha based syllabi had to be redrafted to allow for changes to current training and qualifications to support the new deployment of these vehicles in Quarter 4 of 2019. Initially this took the form of the creation of a DRWS conversion course for currently qualified APC instructors and crewman. This was finalised as a four-week course which consists of two training modules which deal with new APC systems and driving upgrades, and then DRWS gunnery training respectively. This syllabus was then used as the marker for changes to the current Crewman course, Crewman instructor course, Command course and Dismount course syllabi.
To date two conversion courses have been successfully run and the successful students from these will staff the MOWAG Crewman instructor course which will be run in November/ December of this year in 1 MIC for the first time since 2014. The students who complete this instructor course will be the core instructor pool who will deliver the DRWS skillset to the greater Defence Forces throughout 2019 prior to the first planned deployment of the new vehicles to UNDOF with the 60th Infantry Group in October 2019. Conversion onto the new vehicle will be a requirement for all the crewman who deploy on this trip so this is the current operational goal for 1 MIC with regards to training targets for the upgrade project.
Initial Feedback
The deployment of these vehicles on overseas service will inevitably be the true test of the upgrade project. Currently the initial feedback on the upgrade from an operator, instructor and commander level on a DF wide basis has been hugely positive. The upgrade project has brought our current fleet of
APCs right to the modern day and has given us exposure to market leading components and manufacturers which are being utilised and are developing some of the most robust and operationally active armoured vehicles which are currently deployed worldwide.
The concept of an increased force protection capability for Irish troops has always been to the forefront of this project and has delivered a vehicle which will allow us to be more mobile, more protected and better equipped to not only conduct operations in modern conflict zones, but to observe and report accurately on the modern operational theatres which the Irish Defence Forces finds itself deployed in. The upgrade package to the new DRWS APC fleet will now allow commanders at all levels to make accurate, calculated and confident decisions about how we engage with the operational environment around us which can only improve and make more efficient the means by which we conduct ourselves as a modern force both at home on operations and when deployed overseas.
One of the upgrades to the external vision systems
42 | | WINTER ‘18 |