WCSP: Mid-Life Upgrade for Britain’s Warrior IFVs

WSCP Program, Technologies, and Bid Teams

WSCP: Program

The WCSP effort has 4 main sections; WFLIP (Warrior Fightability Lethality Improvement Programme) to improve turrets and sensors, and add firepower; WMPS (Warrior Modular Protection System) to add a modular armoring system; WEEA (Warrior Enhanced Electronic Architecture) to add a fully integrated set of modern, expandable electronics and communications gear; and ABSV (Armoured Battlefield Support Vehicle) to improve the repair and recovery variants that keep the fleet in the field.

Out of 789 Warrior IFVs received by the British military between 1987 – 1995, WCSP will upgrade 643 vehicles with WEEA electronics, and WMPS modular armoring upgrades. The latter offers a standard armor mounting system, giving the new Warriors the flexibility to fit different types of armor as future protection technology advances. Within that group, 449 vehicles (69.8%) will also get the WFLIP program’s new turret and weapon system. The remaining ABSV Warriors will be turretless, and carry out field repair and recovery roles using winch and crane attachments.

The UK MoD awarded its contract to Lockheed Martin UK in October 2011. The System Architecture Design Review was completed in November 2012. A future Critical Design Review will be followed by man-in-the-loop firing trials in 2014, and the demonstration phase will end in 2016. Production will follow, with 2018 set as the scheduled in-service date.

WSCP: Technologies

The core of the WFLIP weapons program will be a new gun, paired with an automated ammunition feed instead of manually-loaded 3-round clips. It will be mounted in a new, stabilized turret, capable of firing accurately on the move, and linked to advanced sensors, modernized targeting systems, and a built-in defensive aids suite. The promise is a 40mm system that combines the space requirements for a 25mm gun and ammunition with a 50mm gun’s killing punch.

The UK Ministry of Defence mandated the CT40 CTWS (cased telescoped weapon system) and its unique 40mm ammunition for both Warrior WCSP and Britain’s forthcoming FRES-SV scout vehicle. The system is produced by CTA International (CTAI), an Anglo-French joint venture between BAE Systems and Nexter. It fires a 1 kg HE (high-explosive) round with 3 times the terminal effect of the 30mm Rarden shell, and its high explosive air burst (HEAB) capability allows detonation in mid-air at precise ranges. This is very useful for dealing with urban strongpoints by firing through a window into a reinforced building, or for detonation above enemies hiding behind cover outdoors.

The system’s most unusual feature, however, is its ammunition – a projectile encased inside a cylinder, with the propellant packed around it. That cuts round length by about 50%, and improves volumetric efficiency by about 33% for a given level of performance. Storage space is always at a premium, and these efficiencies remove some of the natural penalties that accompany a larger 40mm gun. Telescoped ammunition also allowed CTAI to replace the normal breech arrangement with a static ammunition feeder that feeds into a novel rotating breech design, via a hollow trunion. Practical advantages include a feeder with less than 50% of the number of parts found in a standard system, all located farther forward, out of the crew’s way.

WCSP: Challenges & Teams

Despite this compartmentalization of the WCSP, the process must also be managed holistically. As BAE Systems’ Warrior campaign director Judith Eastwood, points out, changes in one area lead to changes elsewhere:

“For instance, as Warrior weight has grown, we have developed better brakes. These generate extra heat, which has to be managed to avoid knock-on effects.”

And so forth. Despite general agreement on this point, the competing bids represent different philosophies.

BAE Systems’ Team

BAE touted the need for a new turret into order to provide optimum structural integrity, protection and crew exit, and human design for the crew. BAE sees less value in keeping the Warrior’s exact current chassis. Crew stations and hatches, for instance, were re-designed to accommodate the extra bulk of infantry body armor, which has become ubiquitous in recent years and can make it hard for troops to escape the vehicle. Their “make it right” approach would have changed both the chassis and turret, while adding other improvements.

BAE’s WEEA offering is very similar to the open architecture system that BAE Systems is offering for is CV90 FRES SV, while its WMPS solution will provide a standard mounting system for the various armor fits that have been developed for the Warrior under recent UOR (Urgent Operational Requirement) rapid buys. A new blast-attenuating driver’s seat will improve earlier UOR mine protection measures, which included new belly plates, and stiffer suspension to restore the vehicle’s ride height.

The UK MoD ended up disqualifying BAE’s bid around February 2011, however, for reasons that weren’t made public. That left a different philosophy to guide the upgrades.

Lockheed Martin’s Team (winner)

In contrast to BAE’s approach Lockheed Martin UK touted the virtues of a WFLIP turret that’s a modified version of the current system. They point to lower acquisition costs by avoiding significant hull modifications, and better whole life costs from reuse of existing spares stocks. Their upgrade is designed to be achieved as part of the Warrior Base Overhaul process done by the UK Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO, which was later merged into the DSG).

In October 2011, that approach won the contract. Lockheed Martin UK’s Warrior Transformation team includes:

• UK’s Defence Support Group (and see Nov 19/09 strategic partnership entry)
  
• Caterpillar UK
  
• CTA International (40mm cannon, ammunition handling)
  
• Curtiss-Wright Antriebstechnik GmbH (electro-mechanical turret drive and stabilization system)
  
• Elbit Systems Kinetics
  
• Jenoptik ESW
  
• Lorica/ Plasan
  
• Meggitt
  
• MIRA (mechanical design, electrical design, systems integration and test)
  
• Moog (rotary base junction)
  
• NP Aerospace – portion now up for bid.
  
• Rheinmetall Land Systems (turret design, cannon mounting)
  
• SciSys (electronic architecture)
  
• Thales Optronics (Battlegroup Thermal Imaging; commander and gunner sights)
  
• Ultra Electronics (power distribution, driver instrument panel, cannon control unit, fire control computer)

Contracts & Key Events

November 12/19: Estonia Up-armored Alvis Warrior infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) have been deployed to Estonia as part of a rotation of the equipment for the UK-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup, Jane’s reports. The Warrior tracked vehicle family is a series of British armored vehicles. The Warrior family developed by Alvis Vickers, which is now BAE Systems Land Systems, has been proved in action with the British Army in operations in the Middle East during Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom and on United Nations duties in Bosnia. Warrior vehicles were also deployed to Afghanistan. The British Army has upgraded its Warriors to extend their service life to 2025. The upgrade included the General Dynamics UK Bowman tactical communications system and the addition of a night fighting capability in the form of the Thales Optronics battle group thermal imaging program. Until now the Warriors on duty in Estonia have been standard vehicles from the British Army training fleet with no theater-specific enhancements. The new Warriors appeared to be fitted with plates along the length of their hulls to defeat high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) warheads, which British Army sources said is designated Operational Equipment Standard 3 (OES3). This is an evolution of the theater entry standard armored packages developed for the Iraq and Afghan campaigns.

June 16/14: CT40. The WSCP’s 40mm Cased Telescoped Armament System (q.v. Feb 8/10) has achieved qualification certification from the UK and France for the 40mm cannon and 2 tracer round types: APFSDS armor piercing and TP full target practice rounds.

Qualification certification allows manned firing demonstration phases to begin for Britain’s FRES-Scout and WCSP programs, and for the French DGA’s EBRC wheeled light tank program. The program will work to certify the other initial ammunition types (A3B anti-aerial airburst, Point detonating and Airburst general purpose tracer rounds, and a low-cost reduced range TPPR-T training round) over the next 2 years, in time for the first delivery of the UK’s series production vehicles. The French EBRC program is expected to start full development in 2015. Sources: CTAI, “CTA International achieves Anglo-French qualification for the 40mm Cased Telescoped Cannon and Ammunition”.

Oct 30/13: Kuwait. The Kuwaitis are reportedly inquiring about a similar upgrade for their 250+ vehicle Warrior fleet. Reports indicate that they’re willing to run the same competition based on their own needs, rather than just picking the same solution as the UK. Sources: Tactical Report, “Kuwait: Desert Warrior, Lockheed Martin v/s BAE Systems”.

Nov 13/12: Update. Lockheed Martin UK offers a brief progress report. WCSP programme manager Colin Gilding says that they’re “integrating a number of new technologies into the existing platform around space, weight, height and power…” The System Architecture Design Review was completed in November 2012. The Critical Design Review will be followed by man-in-the-loop firing trials in 2014, and the demonstration phase will end in 2016. Production will follow, with 2018 set as the scheduled in-service date.

Lockheed Martin UK’s Ampthill facility has received GBP 2.5 million in investment, including a GBP 1 million motion test rig with 8t capacity. It incorporates advanced aircraft simulator technologies, and will be used instead of outdoors vehicle tests for turret stabilization testing, turret servo testing, human factor assessments, training, and shakedown testing.

Nov 13/12: Sub-contractors. Lockheed Martin UK announces some new suppliers and responsibilities. MIRA will help Lockheed Martin UK with mechanical design, electrical design, and systems integration and test, working side by side at their dedicated new facility at Nuneaton. They’ll start with about 20 engineers and support staff, which will grow as the program matures.

Ultra Electronics is already a partner, and their Precision Air & Land Systems unit at Cheltenham now has a contract that includes the Warrior Power Distribution System, the Cannon Control Unit and Fire Control Computer (FCC). Ultra is already well underway with the development of the FCC, and will deliver the first Warrior units early next year. Their team will grow to 30 people during peak periods, and the recent contract will help them secure their supply chain.

June 19/12: Weapons. At the Eurosatory 2012 show, French operators give the Javelin anti-tank missile high marks for performance in Afghanistan, and the Javelin JV is in talks with 2 French firms to integrate Javelin with the BAE/Nexter CT40 turret. Nexter is the first firm, of course.

At the same time, Panhard General Defense is working with Lockheed Martin UK to develop its Sphinx medium 6×6 wheeled armored vehicle concept for France’s EBRC light tank competition. Lockheed Martin UK expects to leverage its turret work from the British FRES-SV and WCSP programs for EBRC, and the Javelin missile is already a mainstay in British service. Which means that any Javelin integration work performed for the French market could eventually filter back to those British armored programs. Sources: Army Recognition, “Lockheed Martin at Eurosatory 2012”.

Jan 31/11: Is there a future for WCSP? Even after the recent Strategic Defence and Security Review, Defense News reports:

“The Warrior program, a top British Army priority, is at serious risk of being descoped, delayed or even shelved as budget cuts bite deeply into equipment plans. If the money is available – and that’s a big if – the revamped Warrior could have an initial operating capability of 2015, defense sources here said… Depending on whom you listen to, the WSCP program is either dead, almost dead or facing big changes.”

Some accounts have the number of remaining Warrior vehicles cut to just 270.

Jan 5/11: LMCO. Lockheed Martin UK announces that its Warrior Transformation Team (WTT) has successfully completed the latest series of live WCSP turret firing trials at the Faldingworth Test Range in Lincolnshire, confirms that they’ve submitted their Revise and Confirm proposal for the delayed WCSP upgrade program, and touts commonality benefits given their FRES-SV win.

In detailing its partner firms, the Lockheed Martin UK release no longer mentions NP Aerospace. Questions to Lockheed Martin UK received the response that: “The element that was NP is now being competed”.

March 3/10: WSCP Delay. Funding shortfalls have led the MoD’s Investment Approvals Board (IAB) to call for a 1-year delay before launching the WCSP program. The recommendation was made following the IAB’s Feb 25/10 meeting, which also covered the MoD Defence Equipment & Support’s recommendation in the FRES-SV competition. Jane’s report | PURCON | Defense News re: IAB’s agenda.

Feb 26/10: BAE. Jane’s reports that the FRES-SV industrial programs have become an issue in the Warrior competition, and could elbow it out. At the same time, BAE Systems had warned that its UK military land vehicle concerns will become a “dwindling support services business” should the group fail to be selected to meet the UK FRES-SV and the Warrior Capability Sustainment Plan. In other words, significant layoffs.

Feb 22/10: BAE. BAE Systems announces that they’re starting to build a GBP 4.5 million Turret Test Rig (TTR) for the FRES Scout and Warrior upgrade programs. The rig is closely modeled on BAE Systems’ Mission Equipment Vibration Table (MEVT) in Minneapolis, built for the US Future Combat Systems program. Indeed, systems modeling and analysis manager Vince Whelan relocated from Minneapolis.

The TTR is designed to take a turret through a 20-year life-span in 12-18 months by subjecting it to “shake, rattle and roll” tests under extremes of temperature. Electronic components in particular tend to dislike vibration, but the life of an armored vehicle makes a lot of vibration inevitable. Testing must be done, but field testing is inefficient and expensive. Hence the development of facilities like TTR/MEVT.

Dec 15/09: LMCO. Lockheed Martin UK announces that their team has successfully tested its design for the Warrior Capability and Sustainment Programme (WCSP) in a series of limited live firing trials, at the QinetiQ Test Range in Shoeburyness, Essex, UK. These tests were designed to prove structural integrity, accuracy, and integration. See also Dec 3/08 entry.

Nov 19/09: LMCO. Lockheed Martin UK signs a Strategic Partnering Agreement (SPA) with the UK government’s Defence Support Group (DSG). It provides an overarching partnership framework that sets out key terms between the 2 organizations, which will be supplemented by specific teaming agreements, as opportunities arise. Specific teaming agreements for the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) and the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) are part of the initial SPA. Lockheed Martin adds that:

“This Strategic Partnering Agreement underpins Lockheed Martin UK’s commitment to the Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) Sector… Our plan, if we are successful in our bids on the WCSP and FRES programmes, is to co-locate with DSG at their Donnington facility.”

DSG launched on April 1/08 and brought together the Army ABRO and Navy/RAF DARA trading fund organizations into a single new defense Trading Fund, whose primary focus is in providing expert in-house maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade services for the through-life support of UK Armed Forces equipment. DSG’s Head Office is located in Andover and provides strategic direction to the main sites in Bovington, Catterick, Colchester, Donnington, Sealand, St Athan, Stafford, Stirling, Telford and Warminster. Smaller support sites are located in Aldershot, Bicester, Kinnegar and Sennybridge ; and small support teams are permanently embedded at other UK military sites, as well as supporting operations at home and abroad. Lockheed Martin UK | UK DSG.

March 30/09: Cannon. Defense News reports that Britain and France have agreed to a common process to qualify CTAI’s CT40 gun and ammunition, as the culmination of a 15-year, EUR 100 million development effort by the BAE Systems/ Nexter joint venture. Testing is expected to involve around 20,000 rounds, and could clear the cannon and most of its ammunition types for action by 2012.

Dec 3/08: Cannon. BAE Systems announces the successful completion of a demonstration and trials at the Kirkcudbright range in Scotland, using their MTIP2 40mm turret and its Cased Telescoped Armament System (CTAS). MTIP2 is a BAE Systems-funded project to lower risks for both both the Warrior Fightability and Lethality Improvement Programme (WFLIP) and the FRES-SV Scout vehicle. While the company’s offerings will use different turrets, they’ll share many common systems. BAE:

“Over the course of 3 trials open days, visitors saw the system perform static and moving firings against static and moving targets, using both training and armour-piercing rounds. 90 rounds were fired from the 40mm gun and 600 rounds from the chain gun [coaxial machine gun], achieving high levels of accuracy and reliability.”

Dec 5/07: LMCO. Lockheed Martin UK announces successful testing of its WFLIP turret design, which combines ATK’s Bushmaster 30mm Mark 44 Cannon, on a modified Warrior turret with a dual axis stabilized BGTI (Battle Group Thermal Imaging) sight from Thales Optronics Limited. Rhinemetall Defence has designed the cannon, the mounting structure and the Ammunition Handling System. Curtiss-Wright is responsible for the turret stabilization.

The series of limited live firing trials was conducted at the Cranfield Ordnance Test & Evaluation Centre on Salisbury Plain Training Area. Through rapid prototyping Lockheed Martin has taken its WFLIP turret from an idea, through concept design, physical prototyping to live firing in just 33 weeks.

Additional Readings

• UK MoD – Medium Armoured Tracks Team (MATT). 2011 snapshot.

• British Army – Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

• Army Technology – Warrior Tracked Armoured Vehicles, United Kingdom.

• Wikipedia – Warrior Tracked Armored Vehicle.

• Lockheed Martin UK – Warrior fightability and lethality improvement programme (WFLIP). 2010 snapshot.

• Defence Management Journal (Issue 40) – The WFLIP dilemma. Discusses the choice of gun: ATK’s Mk44 30mm cannon, or the Franco-British CT40?