It's Alive! (CROWS - common remotely operated weapon stations)

strategypage.com ^ | December 11, 2008 | NA

[Travis McGee]

Is the CROWS a jamamatic? And who goes out to clear jams? I'd take the 40/50 mount on the ASV, you can reload from behind armor without "going outside" when the sierra is flying both ways.

A 50 caliber Ma Deuce next to an M19 40mm belt fed automatic grenade launcher, YEAH!

63MPH, drives away from 12 pound mines under the wheels, and survives RPGs. Plus, a 249 SAWs on a pintle mount for "backstratching" other ASVs, and taking care of pests.

Along with the Stryker it is the vehicle everybody wants in the sandbox, being about ten times more survivable than an uparmored hummer.

A CROWs mount is nice, when it works, as long as nobody is shooting when you have to reload it! And mounted on a hummer, you're still in a hummer!

[Travis McGee]

What happens to a Ma Deuce if you try to shoot 450 rounds in a minute?

Better put on your asbestos suit!

[EternalVigilance]

If all it takes is one bullet in the right place to disable it, how is that any different than killing the gunner?

Well, I'm sure it's a whole lot different for the gunner...

[Travis McGee]

41, for your consideration.

[Squantos]

Man I have some baaaad memmories in a older V100 caddy gage that looks just like that........you say that will stand up to a PG7 ??

[Travis McGee]

So far they have. Check out this IED on an ASV video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTXrN5hfrdo

Other cool ASV videos. The troops love em, that’s what counts. The Army ordered like 100, saw how great they were for modern low intensity/counterinsurgency, and put in a rush order for like 800 more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-shd3kn_8M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvLFwwjTa9w

[Matthew James]

Many Tanks!

[Tailback]

Well, I'm sure it's a whole lot different for the gunner...

Very true, but either way you have a main weapons system that's combat ineffective.

[Travis McGee]

And if a CROWs is mounted on top of a hummer, you’re still only in a hummer, not the most survivable gun platform, that’s for sure.

[Centurion2000]

Only thing that even looks vulnerable on that weapon system is the optics panel just underneath the barrel.

[Squantos]

Did some reading , it did stand up against a PG7 series RPG.......thanks for the videos !

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/asv.htm

[freema]

No. I was on the committee that developed that unit and helped train the EO on the effective us of linguistics in creating a git 'er done mentality. But here's a pic of me in camo.

[PAR35]

If all it takes is one bullet in the right place to disable it, how is that any different than killing the gunner?

You equate scrap metal to a dead soldier?

[Tailback]

And if a CROWs is mounted on top of a hummer, you’re still only in a hummer, not the most survivable gun platform, that’s for sure.

Exactly. Hummers still being used as combat vehicles is a tragedy. The Strykers, other than being overbudget, overweight, overpriced, and without a stabilized gun system, are better but not perfect. The MRAP's are OK also but still don't have a stabilized gun system. The ASV's are awesome but don't carry an infantry squad. It's too bad the procurement system is so dysfunctional.

[omega4179]

What about the box of ammo. Then again the ambushers probably don’t have a heavy MG to do serious damage to crow.

[ma bell]

Smile!

[Tailback]

Good grief, of course I don’t equate that to a dead soldier. Only officers in the Pentagon do stuff like that.

Regardless if whether the bullet takes out a live gunner, or a CROW system, the weapon system is combat ineffective.

How much money does it take to buy an up-armor Humvee, buy a CROW system, and then retrofit the Humvee? If one round from a Dragunov into that shiny optic on the CROW takes it out, what good is it?

Compare that cost to a brand new ASV with an actual armored turret that is a much more flexible vehicle for this type of conflict.

I want not only the soldiers to stay alive, but for the US military to remain the best equipped in the world.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Umm...I must have missed this version. LOL!

[PAR35]

Just because you have lost your video doesn’t (or at least shouldn’t) mean that you can’t either lay down suppressing fire, or get guidance from someone acting as a spotter. Effectiveness may suffer, but it’s still an asset.

[TXnMA]

I really like your tagline! :-)