• Previously known as 'Scout', a British Army's AJAX IFV at a GDLS facility in South Wales. Credit: Patrick Olner
    Previously known as 'Scout', a British Army's AJAX IFV at a GDLS facility in South Wales. Credit: Patrick Olner
  • Seen here the first pre-production prototype of the then Scout Specialist Vehicle (SV) at the UK’s biggest military vehicle demonstration, Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD). Credit: UK MoD
    Seen here the first pre-production prototype of the then Scout Specialist Vehicle (SV) at the UK’s biggest military vehicle demonstration, Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD). Credit: UK MoD
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GDLS considers Land 400 Phase 3

4 September 2016
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General Dynamics Land Systems has revealed that it will propose three vehicles for the Land 400 Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) requirement under Phase 3 of the program.

Nigel Pittaway | Melbourne

GDLS-C’s International Programs manager David Tunney said that the company has followed the guidelines laid down by Phase 2 of the program, which calls for a ‘MOTS’ and ‘MOTS-Plus’ solution, but the Commonwealth had also asked for a wheeled-IFV proposal.

“The RFI quite explicitly asked for a tracked solution, but they also asked for some supporting information on how a wheeled-vehicle might respond to this capability,” Tunney explained to ADM.

“Although it was explicit in the RFI we followed the same model that they had in the RFT, which was a MOTS and MOTS-Plus.”
For the MOTS solution, GDLS is proposing the 42-tonne Ajax tracked, medium-weight IFV, which will shortly commence production in the United Kingdom.

 

“The 30-tonne ASCOD is actually a modular family of vehicles, which first entered service in 2002.”

 

The only changes proposed to the standard British vehicle would be an ADF communications suite.Previously known as Scout SV, Ajax is a development of GDLS’ ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Co-operation Development) IFV, but is extensively modified to meet UK requirements. General Dynamics UK was awarded a £3.5 billion ($6.24 billion) contract for the delivery of 589 Ajax vehicles to the British Army.

The first Ajax fitted with a 40mm cannon developed by BAE Systems and Nexter was unveiled at the Defence Security and Equipment International (DSEI) show in the UK in September 2015 and production vehicle will begin being delivered to the British Army in 2017.“From our perspective, Ajax is an immediately available, proven, capable vehicle against the RFI requirements and it is about to enter production in the UK right now,” Tunney said.

“It’s Generic Vehicle Architecture (GVA) compliant, it has high levels of protection and an advanced 40mm turret, so it’s right up there in terms of its capability.”

The MOTS-Plus offering is based on the tracked ASCOD IFV developed by Spain and Austria, but stretched to accommodate the standard Australian Army eight-person rifle section and fitted with a modified Ajax 30mm Kongsberg Protector turret.

The 30-tonne ASCOD is actually a modular family of vehicles, which first entered service in 2002 and is known as the Ulan in Austria and Pizarro by the Spanish.

“The next element of our response is the ‘MOTS-Plus’, where we take that ASCOD base platform (and) tailor it to the Australian requirement, and also realise some synergies with the LAV(CRV) that we have proposed for Phase 2,” Tunney explained.

Seen here the first pre-production prototype of the then Scout Specialist Vehicle (SV) at the UK’s biggest military vehicle demonstration, Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD). Credit: UK MoDSeen here the first pre-production prototype of the then Scout Specialist Vehicle (SV) at the UK’s biggest military vehicle demonstration, Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD). Credit: UK MoD

“So we will put the Kongsberg 30mm turret back on the platform, stretch it a little bit so they get the eight guys in the back for the IFV role, and tailor the systems to match the Commonwealth’s requirements.”

The Australian variant would be known as ASCOD(IFV).

For the wheeled IFV proposal, Tunney said that GDLS-C is offering the next generation of LAV, known within the company as the LAV(IFV), which would leverage the LAV(CRV) development and again be fitted with the Kongsberg MCT-30 30mm turret.

“For the wheeled proposal we have offered what is essentially a next-generation LAV, we’ve looked ahead over the next three to six years and asked what the LAV might look like at that time,” he said.

“It might not meet the RFP requirements, but we think it could still meet the mission requirement.”

Tunney said that, with a full range of solutions for Phase 3, GDLS has the latest generation of fighting vehicles on offer.

“GDLS has a portfolio of vehicles ideally suited to the Land 400 missions, and designed for the future,” he summarised.

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