Posted on 06/10/2018 4:55:39 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
Just over three years since the contract for their development was signed, the first EBRC Jaguar 6x6 vehicle prototypes developed as part of the French Army’s ambitious Scorpion modernisation programme have been rolled out.
The Jaguar is one of three new vehicles the French Army is acquiring as part of its far-reaching land modernisation programme, which will also include the VBMR Jaguar and as-yet-unnamed VBMR ‘Light’ vehicle, as well as a suite of new C4I systems.
The Leclerc main battle tank will also be upgraded under the Scorpion modernisation.
One of the new Jaguar prototypes was unveiled to media at Nexter’s Versailles facility in May. A French consortium made up of Nexter, Renault Trucks Defense and Thales was awarded a contract in December 2014 to develop both the Griffon and Jaguar.
The 25t EBRC will replace several vehicles including the AMX-10RC, ERC 90 Sagaie and VAB HOT.
The French government is expected to now purchase 300 vehicles, an increase from an initial requirement of 248. In the country’s 2018 Military Planning Law, the army will speed up the deliveries of EBRC by 50% up to 2025. A total of 150 units should be delivered by 2025, with an initial four units delivered in 2020.
Two prototypes will be displayed at this year’s Eurosatory held in France in June, one by the French Army and the other by the merged Nexter-KMW company KNDS. Both examples are expected to begin qualification trials soon after their appearance at the Paris exhibition.
One prototype is expected to be used by industry for testing, while the other will be used for parallel government testing by the French DGA procurement agency to speed up the overall qualification process.
Christian Richard, the Jaguar programme manager at Nexter, said during the unveiling that extensive testing had already been carried out on two test rigs, one to test the mobility components and the other to trial the turret and weapon system integration.
Testing on the mobility test rig finished six months ago, while turret testing for the Cased Telescoped CT40 cannon is ongoing on a surrogate chassis. Richard told Shephard that the first manned firing trials for the turret test rig was expected soon after Eurosatory this month and that live firing with the prototypes will likely take place at the end of the year.
Owing to its use as a reconnaissance platform by the French Army, the vehicle uses an extensive range of sighting systems that includes both direct optics and EO/IR technology. The commander and the gunner each have a direct-view optic specially designed for the Jaguar by French company Safran, along with the PASEO EO/IR sight with day/night capabilities.
The driver is sat centrally and utilises three periscopes to look out under cover; this includes a central periscope that can switch to IR vision during night operations (utilising an IR camera sited next to the driver position). There are also cameras around the vehicle, two on either side and a rear-view camera.
Situational awareness is also enhanced by two Antares 360 sensors from Thales, which can also provide a laser warning capability, as well as a Pilar V acoustic detection system from French company Metravib.
For firepower, the Jaguar utilises the CT40 cannon from BAE Systems-Nexter joint venture CTIA. Officials indicated that the vehicle utilises a bespoke fire control system from CTIA allowing for the use of programmable airburst ammunition, along with armour piercing and HE examples that can fire out to 2,500km.
The vehicle has 60 rounds ready to use in the vehicle’s autoloader, with total ammunition capacity being 180 rounds.
The commander can also utilise a specially-developed remote weapon station that rotates either with the commander’s EO/IR sight or independently. The Jaguar on display in Versailles featured a 7.62mm machine gun with a capacity for 550 rounds, along with two MBDA-developed MMP missiles on the right side of the turret.
RTD provides mobility kits to Nexter, which includes the axles, engine and transmission and a central tyre inflation system.
The Jaguar utilises a 500hp Volvo engine mounted at the rear, with a 7-speed ZF transmission configured in parallel to reduce vehicle length and weight according to an RTD official. Two transfer boxes enable power to be transferred from the engine to the transmission, and then to the axles.
The vehicle’s crew can also adjust its height and suspension settings, and has a run-flat tyre system from Hutchinson. It also features front and rear axle steering for a small turning radius in confined spaces, as well as 6x6 off-road and 4x6 on-road settings.
The vehicle will feature a full digital architecture along with new UHF ‘Contact’ high-bandwidth radios provided by Thales, allowing vehicle crews to share data and information across vehicles and up the echelons. A Battle Management System, known as the Scorpion Information Combat System will be supplied by Atos.
According to officials, the Jaguar is 3m wide, 3.5m in height and 7.8m in length and has a maximum weight of 25t.
Officials were not allowed to disclose the specific protection levels of the vehicle, although it is believed to have significant protection against IEDs as well as the capability to add additional armour packages to meet NATO ballistic and artillery STANAG requirements.
Safety is also enhanced with a fire-suppression system and CBRN environmental protection, along with air-conditioning.
Some small fire works like an M 80 could take care of that
along with armour piercing and HE examples that can fire out to 2,500km
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Say what? 1553 miles? Nice going, Mr Copy Editor ... divide by 10 and it is a more believable 1.5 miles
Will the crews be muslims?
Pronounced “ jag-you-are”.
CC
Looks great and scary for civilian population control.
But IMO it’s a large death trap. Betcha it could be mobilized with an RPG to one of the wheels.
What’s this called? Le Jagoff?
What did Yoda say to Harm?
“Jag-you-are”
I think they meant either 2500 m or 2.5 km. Europeans use a comma for a decimal point.
Does it come standard with a reverse gear and white flag?
Groan, I did.
CC
Jaguar? I prefer an XKE.
Try “divide by 1,000”. Meters, not KILOmeters...
Typo sorry.
Too tall for a scout vehicle. The tires limit it’s off road capability. Too much of the suspension is exposed.
Much of present-day fighting is urban combat. Tires last much longer than treads, and cost less to replace.
It’s a scout car. Its normal mission is to go sit in a bush and either ambush soft skinned vehicular targets of opportunity or go sit in a bush and report enemy activity/disposition. Its main defense isn’t armor but speed and agility - it’s supposed to run the hell away from anything that can kill it.
I disagree, more and more scout vehicles look like this and seem to work well. Look at the JLTV project we’re doing in the US.
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