Canada's tanks

[markppcli]

Frankly we shouldn't touch Ajax with a 300ft pole until the vibration and sound issue is solved. Id rather not condemn a generation or two of troops to intentional hearing loss due to poor design.

Been solved for a while now hasn’t it?

 

[Rifleman62]

Id rather not condemn a generation or two of troops to battling with VAC due to intentional hearing loss due to poor design.

 

[AmmoTech90]

Been solved for a while now hasn’t it?

Yes, but no, according to the story Kirkhill posted above.

Soldiers injured in latest mishap with Ajax armoured vehicles

‘World-beating’ fleet of tanks has been plagued by litany of problems with several troops needing hospital treatment over hearing loss

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Might be at certain revs/speed that excessive vibrations/noise appears. Generally not great for the vehicle or crew. Harmonic dampers, track guides, changes in the drivetrain mounts might be needed.

 

[FJAG]

Yes, but no, according to the story Kirkhill posted above.

Soldiers injured in latest mishap with Ajax armoured vehicles

‘World-beating’ fleet of tanks has been plagued by litany of problems with several troops needing hospital treatment over hearing loss

www.telegraph.co.uk

It doesn't sound too excessive now based on the numbers reported. The vehicle has a reputation now and regardless of what the reality is will always become the focus of any medical claim by a soldier who has worked with them.

Military vehicles are noisy and vibrate. Tracked vehicles travelling at speed especially. It's inevitable. It can be controlled to a certain point but can never be eliminated.

We had ear defenders for all our gunners which were worn around the gun position when firing but rarely worn in the vehicles when traveling. Those needing to be on the radio or intercoms couldn't wear them because of the radio headsets which were inadequate. The others just didn't.

 

[KevinB]

It doesn't sound too excessive now based on the numbers reported. The vehicle has a reputation now and regardless of what the reality is will always become the focus of any medical claim by a soldier who has worked with them.

Military vehicles are noisy and vibrate. Tracked vehicles travelling at speed especially. It's inevitable. It can be controlled to a certain point but can never be eliminated.

Some tracked vehicles are deceivingly quiet.
The ones with full rubber tracks especially so.
I saw a prototype hybrid system that was for all intents and purposes silent when on electric drive

We had ear defenders for all our gunners which were worn around the gun position when firing but rarely worn in the vehicles when traveling. Those needing to be on the radio or intercoms couldn't wear them because of the radio headsets which were inadequate. The others just didn't.

These days with modern integrated headset earpro/comms and helmets, it’s hard to justify not wearing them.

 

[Kirkhill]

Brits still proceeding with AJAX

Introduced something new to me...

20 40 40

20% Survival Layer
40% Attritable/Reusable Layer
40% Consumable Layer


Survival Layer - Conventional Weapons (Challenger, Artillery, Attack Helicopters (Ajax))
Attritable/Reusable Layer - High End Surveillance, Reconnaissance Drones, AI Enabled
Consumable Layer - Loitering Munitions, Kamikaze Drones

Presumably that is the budget effort.

 

[Maxman1]

There's probably a Sunk Cost at play with it.

 

[KevinB]

There's probably a Sunk Cost at play with it.

Undoubtably - but I think the UK is in a tough spot regardless as they pissed away the work on the Warrior - and admittedly AJAX offers some capabilities they really need.
Remember when the Bradley was the worst possible Infantry Fighting Vehicle ever? Now it's considered the best performing IFV in Ukraine, in a two generations removed version from current issue M2A4 down here.

The UK has done a lot of work on the platform and from all reports the fixes to the modular armor packing (less modularity and a heavier base vehicle) as well as some other work, has solve the major issues.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

It doesn't sound too excessive now based on the numbers reported. The vehicle has a reputation now and regardless of what the reality is will always become the focus of any medical claim by a soldier who has worked with them.

Military vehicles are noisy and vibrate. Tracked vehicles travelling at speed especially. It's inevitable. It can be controlled to a certain point but can never be eliminated.

We had ear defenders for all our gunners which were worn around the gun position when firing but rarely worn in the vehicles when traveling. Those needing to be on the radio or intercoms couldn't wear them because of the radio headsets which were inadequate. The others just didn't.

M548 says hello......

 

[Rifleman62]

The Army's newest tank is officially in service – eight years late after making troops deaf.The Ajax fighting vehicle is five times heavier and at least 50 times more expensive than the Scimitar recce vehicle it replaces.But troops insisted its game-changing advantage is gun sight that can spot and track enemy targets from more 5 miles away.It also has bigger main gun – a 40mm canon – that can fire on the move at fast moving targets, as well as better armour.The Anglo-French canon fires “telescopic rounds” that do not have shell cases like ordinary bullets which saves on weight and space. Army chief General Sir Roly Walker hailed it as the “world’s first truly digital armoured fighting vehicle”.One soldier boasted Ajax’s sensors “broke Salisbury plain,” the Army’s largest training area because it could spot targets so far in advance.Major James Faire, 35, who commands the Army’s first Ajax squadron in the Household Cavalry Regiment said there was “no comparison” between Ajax and the old Scimitar family of vehicles it replaces.But he said Top Brass were still understanding how best to use armoured vehicles in war zones like Ukraine that are “saturated with drones”.He said: “There will always be a place for armour on the battlefield and I would much rather be in an Ajax than a Scimitar.”At least two of Britain’s Challenger 2 tanks – which have the heaviest armour – have been hit and destroyed by Russian drones in Ukraine.The Army is set to buy 589 Ajax vehicles for £5.5bn – roughly £10m each. More than 165 have been delivered.

 

[GR66]

South Korea continues to show its willingness to set up licensed production facilities for its armoured vehicles in other countries.

Peru launches armored vehicle production with South Korea

Peru has taken a major step toward building a modern defense industrial base, inaugurating a new assembly plant that will produce advanced armored vehicles under a long-term partnership with South Korea. Peruvian President Jose Enrique Jeri Ore officially opened the

defence-blog.com

Peru has taken a major step toward building a modern defense industrial base, inaugurating a new assembly plant that will produce advanced armored vehicles under a long-term partnership with South Korea.

According to the announcement, the plant will assemble the 8×8 K808 armored personnel carrier and the KLTV 4×4 light tactical vehicle. Both platforms originate from South Korea’s defense industry and are already in use across the region. The government states that the new facility is intended to support Peru’s transition away from an aging armored fleet and toward modern systems that can be produced and sustained locally.

Peru’s own plan is far more extensive. The government intends to replace its ground combat systems through a combined import-and-production model built around Hyundai Rotem’s K808 and K2 families. The timeline begins with imports: 99 K808 armored vehicles and 46 K2 tanks are scheduled to arrive between 2026 and 2028. Beginning in 2029, the new FAME plant will start domestic production under license, manufacturing an additional 181 K808s and 104 K2s between 2029 and 2040.

So Peru with a population a little smaller than Canada (35 million vs 42 million in Canada) but a substantially smaller GDP ($222 Billion vs $1.7 Trillion for Canada) will be getting a fleet of 150 x K2 MBTs with 104 of them to be domestically produced (along with a variety of other wheeled AFVs and LTVs).

While my preference has always been to replace our Leopards with the next gen Abrams for commonality with the US (and possible GDLS-C) assembly/maintenance, it might be worth our while to get a Hyundai plant here for domestic production...and produce enough for all three of our Armoured Regiments to be Tank Regiments (plus additional Reserve vehicles) to give the plant enough ongoing production to make economic sense. Maybe we could even shift to the K3 MBT if/when it comes online.

 

[Kirkhill]

South Korea continues to show its willingness to set up licensed production facilities for its armoured vehicles in other countries.

Peru launches armored vehicle production with South Korea

Peru has taken a major step toward building a modern defense industrial base, inaugurating a new assembly plant that will produce advanced armored vehicles under a long-term partnership with South Korea. Peruvian President Jose Enrique Jeri Ore officially opened the

defence-blog.com

So Peru with a population a little smaller than Canada (35 million vs 42 million in Canada) but a substantially smaller GDP ($222 Billion vs $1.7 Trillion for Canada) will be getting a fleet of 150 x K2 MBTs with 104 of them to be domestically produced (along with a variety of other wheeled AFVs and LTVs).

While my preference has always been to replace our Leopards with the next gen Abrams for commonality with the US (and possible GDLS-C) assembly/maintenance, it might be worth our while to get a Hyundai plant here for domestic production...and produce enough for all three of our Armoured Regiments to be Tank Regiments (plus additional Reserve vehicles) to give the plant enough ongoing production to make economic sense. Maybe we could even shift to the K3 MBT if/when it comes online.

Is South Korea replicating Kia?

Setting up franchises around the world. Sales and service facilities that make money from keeping vehicles running and selling consumables. The only difference is the cars are shipped in parts and locally assembled.

The rate of production and the nature of the assembly process doesn't require a Henry Ford chain. It reaquires space, common tools, cranes and robots. And mechanics.

The space and mechanics are locally provided. Everythimg else comes from South Korea.