Land Forces
Programmable Ammunition for the Rosomak Armoured Vehicles
The Armament Inspectorate began a technical (although technological would be a better term) dialogue procedure, the goal of which is to obtain consulting services which would make it possible to acquire the 30×173 mm ammunition with a programmable round featuring the ABM tracer. The rounds are expected to be used with the ATK Mk44S/ABM Bushmaster II cannon which, primarily, is going to be utilized within the ZSSW-30 remote control turret module of the modernized Rosomak vehicle. There is also an option of modernizing the existing, older Rosomak APCs, in order to allow them to use the programmable ammunition.
The dialogue procedure carried out by the Armament Inspectorate concerns procurement of almost 29 thousand examples of the 30×173 mm rounds of programmable ammunition, with the ABM tracer, for the 30 mm ATK Mk44S/ABM Bushmaster II cannon. The cannons in that variant are to be installed on the new ZSSW-30 remote control turrets dedicated for the Rosomak APC and for the prospective Polish IFV designs, which are being developed by a joint consortium formed by HSW and WB Electronics. There is also an option of modernizing the existing Mk 44 cannons, used on the vehicles fitted with the Hitfist-30P turrets, in order to tailor the weapon for utilizing the programmable ammunition.
According to the specification, the ordered round is to be used to act against the enemy infantry in the open or behind covers, as well as against the materials and combat equipment, including non-armoured and light armoured vehicles, sensitive elements of the armoured vehicles (optronic sensors, fire control system elements) and helicopters, UAVs or light field fortified structures, at distances of up to 3.5 kilometres.
It shall be noted that potential introduction of the programmable ammunition could contribute to significant expansion of the scope of attack capabilities remaining at the disposal of the combat vehicles. Similar rounds will be utilized, e.g. in case of the German Puma IFV.
The ABM round design shall be tailored to the 30 mm ATK Mk44 ABM Bushmaster II Stretched cannon, integrated with the fuse programming system embedded within the gun control unit, and a ring within the ammunition feeding system. In the light of the conditions above, the round should be able to explode in line with the programmed spatial assumptions, explode on impact, or explode with a delay, after impact. Moreover, option to detonate the round at a specific distance or time, or both, should also be available.
The technical dialogue in question will cover, in particular, the following areas:
- Assessment of the ability to meet the requirements by the offered equipment;
- Definition and determination of the conditions pertaining to logistics, delivery certainty and training;
- Estimates pertaining to the cost of procurement, operation and withdrawal;
- Initial estimates referring to the timeline needs related to the acquisition process.
The term, during which the technical dialogue is expected to take place, has been defined as the period between 21st November 2016 and 31st January 2017. There is a chance that the aforesaid period would be extended.