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Background
— Artillery — Mobile Artillery Vehicle System Project |
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With tracked self-propelled howitzers retired, all CF artillery is now towed by an MLVW or HLVW truck (AVGP
Grizzly gun tractors are also retired ). 'Transformation of the artillery' includes a proposal to
field a truck-mounted self-propelled 105mm howitzer – the Mobile Artillery Vehicle System. A
rebuilt 33-calibre C3 gun pedestal-mounted on the bed of a medium
truck , MAVS would rely upon 'shoot-and-scoot' tactics for its survival. [1]
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MAVS – Part of a 'System of Systems'
The MAVS concept hoped to address the threat of counter-battery fire through net- centric communications. MAVS
batteries could be dispersed but still concentrating fire. [2] If the opposing forces were also
'digitized', the advantage disappears and the MAVS battery is as vulnerable as any other. Assymetrical
warfare was assumed, but more Balkan-style than Afghanistan.
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MAVS Means MOBAT[3] Maybe?
RDM's MOBAT was offered to fill MAVS late in 2003 – having been demonstrated at Shilo
during that summer. MOBAT has the features demanded by MAVS including the advantages of
commonality but, in recent times, the CF has seen little reason to deploy their small calibre guns, preferring the
155mm M777s. Shoot-and-scoot has its place, but range and
shell-weight also matter – perhaps why little is now heard of MAVS. LAV-based self-propelled
guns mentioned as part of the Future Indirect Fire
Capability would seem to be more promising than MAVS.
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[1] As an example, under ideal conditions, the MAVS candidate MOBAT can stop and fire its first round within 90 seconds of receiving
orders and then be moving again in a further 30 seconds. Current maximum range (with C132 HEER rounds) is
19.2km but DND anticipates future ranges of 30km (or even 40km) presumably by using a rocket-assisted shell.
As shown above, the MOBAT carries 40 ready rounds.
[2] Being rather high off the ground and unarmoured, a MAVS would be more vulnerable under fire than
a well-emplaced towed gun. The point of MAVS, of course, is to be moving again before your previous position has been
identified. It is questionable whether the weight of fire which can be brought to bear on a target is worth the
effort expended. Available truck-mounted 155mm howitzers are much heavier.
[3] MOBAT is a modular system which can be mounted on any medium truck. The CF wants MAVS to be mounted on the MSVS (MLVW replacement). If MOBAT (which requires a 4t-to-5t carrier) were chosen for
MAVS, the most probably mount would be the 5-tonne FMTV.
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