The British Ministry of Defense is upgrading 449 of its 786 Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles through the Warrior Capability Sustainment program. Several companies are competing for this contract, called the Warrior Lethality Improvement Program, which involves replacing old turrets and weapons. Contenders are demonstrating upgraded turrets at exhibitions, including ones from Selex Sensors and Lockheed Martin that would incorporate new sights, armor, and cameras to support troops until 2035.

1. WLIP – Warrior Lethality
Improvement Program
Oct 26, 2007
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Armored vehicles at DSEi 07: The British MOD has set a higher priority for
the modernization and upgrading 449 of its 786 Warrior Infantry Fighting
Vehicle, and is currently planning to begin fielding the upgraded vehicles by
2010 – 2011 timeframe, about two years ahead of the original schedule. The
upgrade will sustain the vehicle’s operability until 2035.
Major upgrading of the British Army Warrior Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) is
underway at the MoD under the Warrior Capability Sustainment program.
Several industry teams are competing for the program, aiming particularly at
the weapon upgrade segment known as Warrior Lethality Improvement
Program (WLIP) to include improved electronics architecture, introduction of
a new low-profile turret and replacement of the current 30mm Rarden
cannon. WLIP attracts turret and gun manufacturers due to the significant
number of turrets required (449 turrets) and potential cost (about £0.5
billion) and the fact that a similar weapon could also be fielded wit the scout
variant of the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES).

2. Among the teams competing for this program are BAE Systems Land
Systems and CTA International (its joint venture with the French Nexter
company), General Dynamics, Selex Sensors and Lockheed Martin UK Insys.
The upgrade is expected to sustain the vehicle’s operability until 2035.
Several competitors associated with the program displayed their hardware at
the exhibition, including Lockheed Martin Insys, BAE systems and Selex
Sensors & Airborne Systems.
MoD is evaluating several concepts proposed and
demonstrated with under each company’s initiative
and funding. Among these was the demonstration
of the Manned Turret Integration Program (MTIP)
and CTA’s 40mm cannon, firing Case telescoped
ammunition. Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems
(Selex S&AS) is offering the HITFIST 30 two-man turret from its sister
company Oto Melara, both subsidiaries of the Italian Finmeccanica group.
The turret is fitted with an ATK MK44 30mm cannon (with growth potential to
40mm) and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun.
According to Andrew Folley, Selex S&AS campaign director, the turret offers
a mature (TRL9), low risk solution that will require only minimal
modifications. The turret will use enhanced armor protection to meet specific
UK requirements, bringing the turret weight up to 3.2 tons. HITFIST is one of
the more popular new-generation manned turrets, currently in service with
the Italian, Polish and Irish armies. The turret will incorporate independent,
stabilized, multi-sensor optronics for gunner and commander, and
installations for Bowman radios. At DSEi Selex also demonstrated panoramic
thermal cameras, providing the crew 360 degrees ‘see through’ capability
day and night.

3. Lockheed Martin Insys unveiled their latest WLIP design at DSEi. The
company offers a German turret designed by Rheinmetall, armed with
stabilized 30mm ATK MK44 gun and 7.62mm coaxial machine gun. The turret
mounts two stabilized sights for the commander and gunner, with an option
to add an independent panoramic sight for the commander. The new turret
will also be fitted with panoramic vision using multiple cameras installed
around it. Installation of Javelin guided missile launchers is optional. If
selected for the British Army, the German turret will also be fitted with
enhanced armor protection meeting NATO STANAG Level 4 specification.
Nigel Morris, Warrior LIP deputy program manager at Insys anticipates that
his company’s solution for WLIP will provide the most cost effective and far
reaching option available for this program. The new turret is designed to
incorporate and reuse major assemblies and components, making the turret
very familiar and intuitive to Warrior operators and maintainers. The new
controls and displays are logical, intuitive and flexible, requiring minimal
modifications to existing Warrior training, documentation and support.
Other modifications are planned for the FV432 Mk3
(Bulldog) armored troop carrier, which has recently
received enhanced armor protection. To sustain the
heavier load, the vehicle is fitted with Darlington-built B-
series Cummins engines 186kW (250hp) engines,
extending the vehicle’s service life until 2025. The old FV432 Mk2 also
provides a platform for system integration evaluation by Selex S&AS. As part
of the company funded Vehicle Systems Integration Lab (VSIL),

4. demonstration and evaluation program, the APC was fitted with integrated
electronic, optronic and communications devices providing tactical
navigation, situational awareness, mapping and communications. Situational
awareness is enhanced both for ‘battlefield awareness’ as well as covering
the immediate vicinity of the vehicle and even on board, using multiple,
panoramic thermal cameras. These capabilities could be enhanced by sharing
situational awareness with dismounted infantry, over a wireless link. The
vehicle also uses an integrated weapon system (demonstrating the RAFAEL
Mini Samson platform fitted with a 0.5″ Cal heavy machine gun). Further
integration currently underway includes hostile fire detection systems.