Lemur RWS and Perimeter Defence - A Role for Air Defence Artillery.

[Kirkhill]

Saw this article about the Lemur RWS from BAE.

Eagles and Piranhas and Lemurs, Oh My!
Posted 26-Mar-2007 06:10 | Permanent Link
Related stories: BAE, Contracts - Awards, Europe - Other, General Dynamics, New Systems Tech, Remote Weapons Systems, Tanks & Mechanized, Trucks & Transport

Eagle IV, other RWS
(click to view full)Denmark's Defence Acquisition and Logistic Organisation has selected Remotely Controlled Weapon Station (RWS) for their newly purchased General Dynamics MOWAG Piranha III wheeled APCs, and Eagle IV light patrol vehicles. The winner was BAE Land Systems' Bofors division in Karlskoga, Sweden, who won the The SEK 330 million (approximately $50 million) contract with their LEMUR RWS. Deliveries will take place from May 2007 - fall 2008, with all assembly, final testing and delivery taking place at the DALO workshops in Denmark, at facilities in Hjorring and in Fredrikshamn.

The Piranha III is known as the LAV III in North America, and forms the basis of the USA's Stryker vehicles. The Eagle IV is based on a Duro truck frame, which allows more up-armoring and carrying capacity than earlier HMMWV-derived Eagle models. As previous DID article have noted, however, up-armoring is not the same thing as a fully blast-resistant vehicle.


LEMUR RWS
(click to view full)LEMUR is a fully stabilized weapon station, which means it can fire accurately even if the vehicle is moving. Like other RWS options, it is operated from inside the vehicle by a gunner, using a color display and a two-hand control handle. A thermal infrared camera coupled with a day camera, and a laser range finder round out the optics. LEMUR falls into the category of smaller RWS systems, with an extremely compact design that carries either a 12.7 mm/ .50 cal machine gun (200 rounds) or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher (48 rounds). Smoke grenade launchers are placed around the turret, including the area in front of the optics. BAE Systems' announcement of the Danish win touts LEMUR as modular design that can fit wheeled or tracked combat vehicles, naval protection systems, or even act as a sensor and fire control system for other weapons. In general, this is true for all RWS system, so long as their components are properly "navalized" to resist corrosion.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/

This is the BAE blurb on it

http://www.baesystems.com/ProductsServices/l_and_a_bof_lemur.html

I particularly liked the Under Armour feed system which would allow it to be equipped with the larger magazines as found on airborne machine gun systems.

What really interested me though were these lines....

The on-mount weapon can be used in a variety of tasks, such as engaging small surface and air threats in all levels of conflict. Lemur™ SW can be used as the main FCS or as an alternative redundant FCS for ground and naval carriers.

It is designed to match Bofors 40 and57 mm or other guns. Lemur™ has full capability to handle the programmable 3P all-target ammunition. The programming is controlled via the MMI and with customer defined firing doctrines.

Taken in conjunction with this:

Rheinmetall Protective Shield
Safeguarding military assets

Out-of-area operations, peace enforcement and peace keeping missions: foreign deployments are clearly on the rise, and 21st century armed forces find themselves faced with new challenges. Deployments abroad create the need for semi-permanent forward operating bases, airfields and similar facilities. Location and layout mean such military assets present obvious targets for terrorist attack. To protect them in high-risk regions, Rheinmetall Defence offers its own comprehensive, flexibly deployable system for force protection–Rheinmetall Protective Shield.

http://www.rheinmetall-defence.com/index.php?fid=614&lang=3

I continue to wonder if there isn't a role for the Air Defence Artillery to be rejigged into a Garrison Artillery/Perimeter Defence/Vital Point Protection force.  The ADATS/GDF-005 was a net-worked system for "permanent" defence of a position.  The Navy does the same job with its ships ..... the ship moves but the weapons are hard wired to the Fire Control and the Observers.

Why wouldn't it make sense to recreate that kind of capability against all perimeter threats - air and surface.  The weapons mix could be as broad as your imaginations (including fixed auto-loading 105mm tank guns or 155mm Bofors autoloaders or missiles from Javelins to ATACMS) or it could be used with only the surveillance gear, without weapons, for domestic security purposes.  Permanently mount on concrete or semi-permanently mount on pedestals transportable by trailer.