EFSS Concept
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Posted on 03/11/2007 8:05:23 PM PDT by 68skylark
The V-22 Osprey has attracted both praise and criticism during its long journey through development toward front-line deployment. Its characteristics have also had an impact on other weapons programs being developed for use with the aircraft.
The United States Marine Corps says testing on American Growler, Inc.'s $74 million Internally Transported Vehicle (ITV) program is on track. The ITV - often incorrectly identified as the "Growler" - fits in the narrow belly of the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. The Marine Corps eventually expects to field about 600 to 700 of the two-ton, $120,000-a-copy tow trucks if they are accepted for fielding. ITVs will be delivered in two basic configurations: a Light Strike Variant (LSV), designed for Marine Corps infantry and reconnaissance battalions; and, the Expeditionary Fire Support System (EFSS) Prime Mover (PM), designed to tow the EFSS 120mm rifled mortar and the EFSS ammunition trailer. A decision to field them should be made by October 2007, a Marine Corps spokesman said.
EFSS commenced spiral acquisition with the award of the program to GD-OTS in October 2004. On November 10, 2004, General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) was awarded a contract for the development of a weapons system transportable to the field within the V-22 Osprey. The contract had an initial value of $18 million and a total value of approximately $300 million (including ammunition) if all options are exercised.
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems will play the prime contractor role for the EFSS program. They are cooperating with General Dynamics Canada for the EFSS ballistic fire control computers, Tec-Masters for integrated and contractor logistics support, and the Thales-EADS Deutschland joint venture TDA Armaments SAS for their RT 120 Rifled Mortar System and ammunition. The November 2004 contract includes options for initial production and fielding that potentially could raise its value to approximately $300 million.
The EFSS weapon system will consist of 2 tow vehicles, the RT 120 "Dragon Fire" rifled mortar, and an ammunition trailer. One vehicle will tow the RT 120 mortar, and the second vehicle will tow an ammunition trailer which holds up 36 mortar rounds in factory-recyclable steel containers. The RT 120 is a French-designed 120 mm mortar that can fire smoothbore or rifled ammunition. It has a range of 8.2 km/ 5 miles, or 17 km/ 10 miles with rocket assisted projectiles currently under development. The MO 120 RT is currently in service with the French Army and other 23 armies worldwide, including 3 NATO countries.
The vehicles are manufactured by American Growler, Inc. of Robbins, North Carolina. The company moved its 40-employee facility from Ocala, Florida to North Carolina in early 2007 to begin building test vehicles for the program. Currently the Marine Corps is in the final stages of testing 16 ITVs already purchased, Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Jeff Landis said.
EFSS represents the short-range leg of a "triad" of weapons that comprise the Marine Corps land-based fire support capability.
The medium-range leg is the BAE M777A1 air transportable 155mm howitzer. The lightweight 155mm howitzer is a joint British/US effort that uses titanium to bring its weight in at just 3,745 kg/ 8,240 pounds - 7,000 pounds less than the 155mm M198 howitzer it replaces. Maximum firing range is 25 km/ 15 miles with unassisted rounds, and 30 km/ 18 miles with rocket-assisted rounds, about the same as the M198.
In July 2004, the M777A1 successfully completed a series of tests with the V-22, where it was carried as an external load for a distance of 69 nautical miles.
On March 24, 2005 BAE Systems was awarded a $834 million contract for the full rate production of the M777A1 light weight 155mm howitzer. Under this contract, BAE will manufacture 495 howitzers to be delivered to the US Marine Corps Air Ground Task Forces and the US Army Stryker Interim Brigades from 2005 until 2009.
M777s will eventually replace all USMC cannon systems; ultimately, the USMC expects to procure 380 tubes and the US Army 273. Britain will also deploy the weapon, and a small number of M777A1s are currently serving with Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.
The long-range leg of the triad is the Highly Mobile Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), a smaller, truck mounted version of the M270 MLRS. Its launcher can mount a 6-pack of 227mm GPS-guided M30 rockets with a 70 km/ 42 mile reach, new P44 four-mode guided rockets that can hit moving targets from similar ranges, or 1 ATACMS missile with a 300 km/ 180 mile range.
In other words, the system provides enhanced firepower and range to satisfy General Support, General Support Reinforcing, and Reinforcing artillery roles. HIMARS is intended to provide the MAGTF commander a very mobile set of medium to long range artillery support throughout the battlefield, restricting the enemy's options while offering flexibility for the commander, and adding weight to the main attack or other points of emphasis. HIMARS can be employed as a battalion or battery, depending on the tactical situation.
At 12 tons, the HIMARS exceeds the V-22's cargo hook capacity limit of 15,000 pound/ 6,804 kg limit for external cargo. Movement into theater will be by aircraft, including C-130 Hercules tactical transports, and by amphibious shipping. Movement in theater will be by road. HIMARS is being produced by Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control and mounted on Armor Holdings' 5-ton capacity FMTV trucks. The US Marines plan to field 38 HIMARS, with 24 already under contract; total US procurement is expected to reach 900, and HIMARS has also been purchased by the UAE.
(Story effort by Nat Helms)
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Thanks for the information. That's why I like FR so much.
It's sort of a "donkey", neither true "horse"(airplane)or "mule"(helicopter). In REAL war it's shortcomings will become all too apparent, but too late of course as these ospreys, like the turkeys they are, sit....grounded as death traps from advanced RPGs/terrorist ground fire. There are better ways to do the V22 mission....but as with the mexican priest and his burro....
Millions for de fence (at the border) but not one cent for illegals.
I think you got your 'donkeys' and 'mules' confused. The mule is the hybrid -- but I get your point...
Mexican priest and his burro : Father Pepe gets word that one of his parishoners is dying at his home out in the countryside. This means extreme unction pronto. He grabs his rosary beads and bible, runs out of the church and jumps on burro. Vaya burro, Vaya. Burro stands there, unmoving.
He spurs burro in the ribs, VAYA burro, ARRIBA. Burro just stands there, unmoving. He jumps off, prays to burro's face : por favor burro, god's work must be done pronto. Burro just stands there, unmoving. Finally in frustration he picks up a big tree limb and HITS burro on the nose.
Burro jumps up and trots off. Father Pepe jumps on and away they go. Nino pablito has taken this all in and shouts to Father Pepe, "Holy Father, you are such a gentle man, why you hit burro?" I know my son, I know. First I spurred burro, then I prayed to burro, pleaded with burro, to no effect; then I finally realized that first I had to get the JACKASS'S ATTENTION!!!
Donkey, mule, burro, JACKASS...it will take a few RPGs/cheap shoulder held missiles bringing down V22s to illustrate that it is just as vulnerable as any other aircraft to hostile ground fire. Only then will they realize that this hybrid design was a dead end road, a BURRO, a MULE that is neither true aircraft nor true helicopter. A lot of our guys will die proving it.
There are better design concepts that will do the V22 mission but are much safer. Fielding the V22 only encourages the proliferation of RPGs/small missiles and a continuation of what we see now. A "burro" that shrugs off that hostile ground fire would "cool their ardor" for violence, thus bringing PEACE to that violent, demon-filled region. Wouldn't that be nice?
I'm an agnostic when it comes to the V22. It definitely does have some advantages over conventional rotary-wing aviation: chiefly speed & range. I can see major applications for Special Operations. That said, I'm skeptical that this particular craft will replace the medium-lift helo for most jobs. Looks like the Pentagon has placed its bets, however.
In the WOT it's a battle between technical quality vs cannon fodder quantity. Technological superiority is our edge, the only thing that keeps the USA alive within an entire world that hates us. If we make a major mistake like putting all our eggs in the V22 basket, there won't be a second chance to get it right NEXT TIME, there won't be a "next time".
Look at iraq right now : RPGs bring down advanced helicopters that don't fly fast-erratic courses. The V22 will die in just the same way. An 18" to 24" thick kevlar skin is what's needed. But that will only DAWN on them after many troops are lost, and it will be too late then...
Are you an engineer? Do you have any idea how much that would weigh & what THAT would do to the fuel capacity & payload of ANY aircraft, much less the V22?
You can build heavily armored attack helicopters, this is true. But when the object is to build a troop carrier you immediately get into tradeoffs... The V22 & any troop carrying helicopter is essentially a flying truck. Trucks are not designed for battle either & so the operational planner must be careful how close 'trucks' get to the actual shooting.
This is why I think the V22 has a lot of promise in SpecOps & other roles like ASW & Minesweeping. Troop carrying? Not sure that the range, speed & payload advantages are worth the price of a lack of self-defense armament & apparent fragility. (On that much we agree).
Of course the aircrews that will deploy the Osprey in combat and are all too well versed in the tactical shortcomings and vulnerabilities of the platforms they used to fly, mostly CH-46E and CH-53D, are laughing their a$$es off at ignorant comments like yours.
Things move pretty fast, relatively, in Marine TacAir. That's why one needs to pay close attention.
Has their been any ideas floating around of a gunship configuration? or using it as an airborne laser platform?
Since it has the capacity of a good sized payload I would think it would be great for a Close in Weapons platform using either high speed gatling guns or the Australian designed Metalstorm systems.
Was on the beach in NC just south of Camp Lejuene and saw a formation of 15 of em fly by. Pretty impressive. They really can haul a## compared to a chopper.
The trade off is range.
Acoustic signature of the Osprey is 1/3 that of the Sea Knight.
If, a big IF, the world survives the 21st century, there will be a smithsonian museum somewhere that features past ways of getting around. People will LAUGH at the V22 osprey, the shuttle, nuclear powered aircraft carriers : did they REALLY get around in those things mommie? WOW! How primitive they were, imagine that....
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