# G WAGON UPGRADE - TURRET / GUN SHIELD



## geo (23 Sep 2005)

G-Wagens outfitted with gun shields in Afghanistan
Thursday, September 22, 2005

The Geländewagen (G-Wagen) from Mercedes-Benz are used to provide tactical control transport in the fields of command and control, liaison, military police and reconnaissance.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Within less than three months, Canadian Forces G-Wagen vehicles in Kandahar have been fitted with a new armoured turret.

This is an important step, as this turret will improve the machine-gunner's protection in the hostile environment of southern Afghanistan. 
The command and reconnaissance variant of the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen has a gunner's hatch cupola and a pintle mount for a machine-gun. The challenge was to provide additional protection for the machine gunner while respecting his visibility and the integrity of the vehicles. 

Some key concerns for a gun shield were protection and the ability to maintain wide engagement arcs. Additionally, human factors had to be considered, because the ergonomics of the soldier/machine interface had to be optimized without compromising performance. Definitely a tall order, but in the spirit of "Red Green" a small cadre of like-minded military professionals set out to build a better mousetrap.

The story of obtaining more protection for deployed troops, in record time, has three main players. Sergeant Chris Thombs and Master Warrant Officer William Bolen, two infantrymen from 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, had the initial idea to develop gun shields for the G-Wagen. They were assisted by Corporal James Land, a materials technician from 1 Service Battalion.

"Before going to Ottawa, we sat down and drew a prototype. MWO Bolen had the idea to add a ballistic glass window to the turret to improve the gunner's visibility. He remembered a program that he had watched on the Discovery Channel where a Canadian company was identified as one of the best producers of ballistic glass. We had a warm feeling that we could improve the visibility by adding those windows," said Sgt Thombs.

The three men went to Ottawa and met with representatives from the Directorate of Support Vehicles Program Management and the National Research Council. A prototype based on the M113 gun shield had been fabricated, but it did not meet the key concerns. With the assistance of the rest of the team they completely overhauled the gun shield design. Once the prototype was completed, it was reverse engineered to ensure the appropriate mounting installation on the G-Wagen, which became the standard package that was replicated and shipped to Afghanistan.

"We, the military personnel, were an integral part of the development team. This turret surely represents what the gunner's need here, in Kandahar, to conduct their daily tasks. I am really proud of the result," says MWO Bolen.

In Kandahar, it takes approximately one hour for a team of three military personnel to install a gun shield. By the time this article has been published all the G-Wagen command and reconnaissance variants have been converted.

The gun shield is an unqualified success story. It shows that even complex pieces of equipment like the G-Wagen can benefit from the ingenuity and drive of Canadian soldiers. The personnel involved in this project can be justifiably proud of their accomplishments.

"Other nations have commented on the ballistic glass for the front shield. I believe we are the first to do this, and it provides the best visibility possible," said Cpl Land.

The best acknowledgement on the merits of the gun shields comes from the gunners themselves. "The new gun shields are awesome, I feel more protected, yet still able to do my job. Patrolling or escorting convoys in the streets of Kandahar poses many challenges, but the gun shield gives me one less thing to worry about," said Private Charlie Burge.

http://www.army.gc.ca/lf/English/6_1_1.asp?FlashEnabled=1&id=669


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## Part-Timer (23 Sep 2005)

Interesting. Gives the gunner great visibility, while still providing protection. Any idea how much protection? (yes, I know it's been discussed on another thread, but couldn't find it)


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## George Wallace (23 Sep 2005)

Good to hear.  The Americans are doing similar things. 





> Army to Expand Array of Armored Vehicles in Iraq
> 
> By Sandra I. Erwin
> 
> ...


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## Kirkhill (23 Sep 2005)

Wasn't there some concern expressed on other threads on this site about the practice of piling one piece of metal on top of another on top of vehicles and the impact on center of gravity, stability and manoueverability?


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## Big Red (24 Sep 2005)

"'Other nations have commented on the ballistic glass for the front shield. I believe we are the first to do this, and it provides the best visibility possible,' said Cpl Land."

Nope, I've seen almost identical armoured windows on the machine guns of Bradleys, Mambas, and PSD Land Rovers.

"called the multipurpose troop transport and carrier (MTTCS)â â€"

Had a chance to take a close look at one of the prototypes a few times.  It did have a turret but as mentioned was quite tall. The sides of the vehicle were still vertical and the bottom the same as a standard troop carrier. I think something like the Casspir or Reva could survive an IED better because of the angled hull of the vehicle.

The Rhino Runner is a disaster waiting to happen. 23 REMFs or civis in one vehicle? Not such a hot idea if there's a contact, especially at the hours of day they use these things.  I had an option to take one down the Airport road, I decided to go in a Humvee patrol instead.

The REVA mentioned in the article is an awsome vehicle though it needs to be upgraded to get to highways speeds.  It can also mount significantly more armament than the 'LMGs' mentioned in the article.  The pricing in the article also seems a bit low, though maybe that is a bare bones model they are marketing.

Maybe DND would have been better off selling the AVGPs to PMCs in Iraq than giving them away to the Sudan...


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## Kyle (24 Sep 2005)

Kirkhill said:
			
		

> Wasn't there some concern expressed on other threads on this site about the practice of piling one piece of metal on top of another on top of vehicles and the impact on center of gravity, stability and manoueverability?



Yes, the G-Wagen does tend to be top-heavy, especially when that cargo rack up top is full. The turret isn't that big or heavy, since I think it's just polycarbonate. More designed for protection against shrapnel than direct fire. A weapons tech might be able to tell you more than I could, though.


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