New Artillery Program for Australian Army.

[Aussie Digger]

ADI Limited and Giat Industries Team with Caesar for Land 17


(Source: GIAT Industries; issued Sept. 28, 2004)


MELBOURNE --- ADI Limited (Australia) and Giat Industries (France) have signed a cooperation agreement to offer the proven Caesar artillery system to the Australian Army for its Land 17 Artillery Replacement program.

The teaming agreement, signed at this year’s Land Warfare Conference, will enable the most advanced wheeled, self-propelled artillery system to be a key element of the networked system solution ADI is proposing for Land 17. This agreement covers both delivery and through life support of the system and the ability to provide ongoing development to meet the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) future needs.

The agreement follows a long assessment by ADI of the most flexible, effective and mature systems that meet Australia’s strategic and tactical requirements of the ADF’s future indirect fire weapons system.

“Caesar has achieved what its competitors are still striving for. It is a cost-effective, low-risk, balanced system that offers a quantum shift in Army’s current capability. It would take the Army to the forefront of current developed technology. It provides substantial manpower efficiencies and much lower support costs compared to competing systems.†said Lucio Di Bartolomeo, ADI’s Managing Director.

“Both the French Army and United Defense, Giat's U.S. partner, have come to the same conclusion as ADI, added Luc Vigneron, CEO of Giat Industries. The French Army is on the eve of signing a contract for of 72 units and we are working with United Defense to offer Caesar to the US Army.â€

Caesar is a lightweight 52 calibre, 155mm howitzer that is mounted on a 6x6 truck. Its ordnance is derived from the battle proven Giat 155mm gun systems used in previous towed and tracked configurations in the 1st Gulf War and Balkans War in particular. Caesar provides both strategically agile air transportable firepower and the flexibility of a modular system that can be adjusted to meet changing battlefield requirements now and in the future.

ADI Limited is Australia’s oldest, largest and most diverse defence company with annual revenues in excess of $A700m. ADI is Australia’s pre-eminent defence prime contracting and systems integration company. It is a major supplier to the Australian Army and is actively engaged in providing product which will enable the army to meet its hardening and networking objectives. It constructs and maintains naval ships; designs and supplies command support systems, aviation mission systems and naval communications equipment; designs and manufacturers high mobility and protected military and emergency response vehicles; and supports the ADF’s small arms and its medium and large calibre guns systems. ADI is also the primary supplier of munitions to the ADF.

Heir to more than three centuries of land armament, Giat Industries' mission is to meet the requirements of the French Army as well as other armies worldwide. Giat has acquired unrivalled expertise in all the components of modern air-land systems: protection, command, mobility, fires, and support. Giat Industries generated revenues of 729 million euros in 2003 and allocates 20 % of sales invested in research and development. Giat Industries equipment and customer's services (MBTs, armoured vehicles, artillery systems, munitions, information terminal systems, product support and upgrades) is in service in over 100 countries.


Here's the Tab data for the Caesar:

CAESAR 155MM SELF PROPELLED ARTILLERY SYSTEM - SPECIFICATION


Crew 6 including driver
Length 10 m
Width 2.5 m
Height (travelling) 3.26 m
Weight in combat order 18.5 tons
Weight in air transport configuration 16.2 tons
Firing rate 3 rounds in 15 seconds, 6 rounds in one minute
Target range with ERFB-BB ammunition 42 kilometres
Ordnance 155 mm/52 calibre
Elevation +66 degrees
Traverse 30 degrees (15 degrees to the left or right)
Setting time into and out of action less than 1 minute
Loading semi-automatic
Ready to fire ammunition 18 complete rounds
Chassis Daimler Benz Unimog 6x6
Engine OM 366 LA 6 turbocharged diesel, 240 hp
Vehicle range (unrefuelled) 600 km
Air transportability air transportable by C-130
Sea transportability sea transportable with no preparation
Maximum road speed >100 km/hour
Typical track speed 50 km/hour
Equipment ballistic computer
Inertial/GPS navigation system
muzzle velocity radar
hydraulic laying equipment
radio communications

Here's the pics:

 

[tatra]

What are the other contenders? (if any)

 

[Aussie Digger]

This is the first one announced. Others will probably include the M777 Towed Lightweight Howitzer, The G6 155mm howitzer and Bofors FH-70. These news guns will replace Australia's current M198 155mm howitzers and hopefully our older M2A2 105mm towed howitzers still in use in low readiness reserve units...

 

[neel24neo]

how many units are aussies buying and at what price?GIAT is hardpressed for some sales,i heard.

 

[tatra]

Singapore Technologies Kinetics is developing the LWSPH program, a 7 ton system utilizing a 39 Cal 155 gun mounted on a light, air transportable chassis which can be delivered by C-130 aircraft and heavy lift helicopters. Soltam Defence Industries of Israel offer ATMOS, a light weight, truck mounted, self propelled 155mm artillery system. The externally mounted gun accommodate various calibers including 39, 45, 52 cal. Barrels. Russia could offer MSTA-K, a truck mounted SPGH available in both 152mm or 155mm versions. Serbia is working on a 155mm 52 ordnance on the back of a FAP 2832 8x8 truck chassis. Bofors offering might the 155mm FH77BD, with FH79 on articulated 6x6 Volvo chassis. In a similar weight class as the FH77 BD there are also the DANA based Czech 155 mm SPG in 46 and 52 caliber. A real heavy weight is the LIW G6, now also in 52 caliber. With India in mind, Denel of South Africa is working on a 52 caliber G5 ordnance on a wheeled Tatra chassis (named Condor or T5-52). Denel has also proposed to place its 105mm Light Experimental Ordnance (a way cool 105mm) on a truck chassis, much like the Dutch MOBAT but with longer range. As for the 105 mm, RDM of The Netherlands began marketing the MOBAT 105, a low cost, highly mobile, autonomous weapon system using 33 caliber 105mm ordnance

Complete guide to howitzers here: http://www.armadainternational.com/archive/2003.cfm

 

[Aussie Digger]

We currently operate 2 Medium Arty Regiments with 18 guns each, plus a 4 Gun detachment with a Field Arty Regt (1 Field Regt) and a detachment at the School of Artillery. They'll be looking for a direct 1 on 1 replacement for these guns, (around 48 or so in total) plus our Reserve (Vietnam era) M2A2 105mm battery's require replacement.

In addition to this, our current L118 "Hamel" 105mm towed guns will need to be replaced or upgraded. The original thinking was to replace all our 105mm guns with new build 155mm SPG's (except for the Parachute Battalion's 105mm guns, due to their lightweight), however this may be beyond the allocated budget, so I'm thinking a compromise will be reached where the 105mm Hamel guns are upgraded with new fire control, barrel and ammunition natures, new build SPG's acquired to replace our M198 in our Medium Regt's and the M198 will replace the M2A2's...

Tatra, the ADF will be looking for 52Cal, 155 guns, due to the extended range that they can provide. The M198's are 39 Cal, and they are limited to 30klm's with rocket assisted rounds. The base-bleed rounds fired by the Caesar range in excess of 42klm's, a significant advantage over our current arty.