CASR

Canadian
American
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Armoured Vehicles  –  Danish CV9035s Prepare for Afghanistan  –  January 2010 Afghan South 2010:  Danish Forces Preparing to Deploy to Helmand Province with Adapted, More Capable, and Uparmoured CV9035 DKs In an earlier page, CASR  noted  Danish preparations for the deployment of new CV9035 infantry fighting vehicles to Afghanistan. As the Danes get ready for  the February 2010 rotation, more features of  their soon-to-deploy IFVs have been revealed.  These state-of-the-art vehicles  have been fitted with slat-armour cages for RPG protection and tawny Barracuda  'thermal mats' for both camouflage and vehicle interior heat reduction.  Interesting that  these are features to be seen on Canadian Forces Leopard 2A6Ms. The Danes have been learning from  CF tankers  in Afghanistan and  make no bones about  it. Perhaps the question should be:  Are the Canadian Forces,  in turn,  learning from the Danes? DND was offered the opportunity to lease CV90s from Sweden. The Department turned down that chance. So, the Danes will replace their M113s with CV9035s while the CF carries on with TLAVs. It's not that the CV90 is not well regarded by the CF. Nor is DND indifferent to IFVs – that is precisely what their new Close Combat Vehicle concept is. It seems to be more a worry that buying something twice-as-good  today  may not match all of  their dreams for tomorrow. Missed in all this hand-wringing is that the Conservative caucus haven't approved spending on any new armoured vehicle yet. And, since DND has timed the CCV purchase to come after the Harper government intends to pull combat troops out of Kandahar, it might be suggested that DND has left things a tad late. Put another way, DND bureaucrats might not view leasing used vehicles from abroad as an ideal solution but  it may just  be the CCV project's last hope. Below is a  translation of  the article published  by HOK ,  the Hærens Operative Kommando: Heavier Danish Armour for Helmand  ( Tungere panser til Helmand ) 10-01-2010  Oksbøl:  The Danish Army  has introduced  the Danish media to  9 upgraded  infantry combat vehicles  [ infanteri kampkøretøjer  or IKKs – some official sources are now calling them IKK 9035s]  intended  for Denmark's  ISAF mission in Helmand. A total of 10  CV9035 DK  vehicles are to go to Afghanistan  [ presumably one  of  these CV9035s  will act as a back-up].  The IKK represents an  entirely new concept for the Danish Army, where its infantry can  fight effectively both  from the vehicle and  while dismounted. "It is a very good vehicle," says Konstabel (Private 1st Class) Torben Nielsen of his CV9035. KS  Nielsen was particularly impressed by the smooth-running performance of  the CV9035 in rough terrain where  –  with the tracked vehicles of his previous experience [1]  –  there would have been considerably more rocking movements.  Danish CV9035s for Afghanistan get additional equipment  On the Oksbøl exercise track, CV9035s are in standard Danish  configuration. But, before deploying to Helmand in February  2010,  they will  be upgraded with  thermal cameras  for vision  around the vehicles in the dark. [ Monitors are placed in crew  positions and the rear compartment so both vehicle crew and  dismounts can see all around the vehicle both day and night.] Deployed CV9035s will be fitted with cages of slat armour to protect their hulls against rocket- propelled grenades. Barracuda thermal mats will also be applied –  acting both as camouflage and to deflect heat, helping to cool the vehicle interior. The Barracuda system is already used by Danish Leopard 2A5 tanks in Helmand.  [ As well as on CF Leopard 2A6Ms in Kandahar.]  The IKK turret armament consists of  a stabilized  35mm maskinkanon [ the Bushmaster III ] with a  coaxial 7.62mm machinegun [an FN MAG, essent-  ially the same machinegun as the CF's coaxial C6].  The rear compartment has roof  hatches installed  with mountings for  three  light  support weapons  allowing mounted soldiers to fight from inside the  vehicle. Those six infanteers riding in the rear can also dismount to fight as conventional infantry. [All extra gear is carried by support vehicles.] Intelligent ammunition The monitor screen  in the rear compartment  that provides general situational awareness also allows everyone in the vehicle, dismounts included, to see what the turret gunner is aiming at. With thermal sights, any target can be tracked/engaged just as well in darkness as in daylight. The 35mm automatic cannon can fire programable  ' intelligent munitions ' as well as high-explosive and armour piercing discarding sabot rounds for use against other armoured vehicles. [ These "intelligent munitions" are 35mm x 228 KETF ABM (or 'Kinetic Energy Time Fused – Air Burst Munitions' )  from Rheinmetall Defence. It has a programmable electronic base fuse which can compensate for muzzle velocity variations upon firing.  As the 'air burst' suggests, the KETF ABM was first devised for anti-aircraft use. When a shell bursts, cylindrical tungsten sub-projectiles are ejected in a dense, expanding cone – rather like a high tech shotgun. ISAF faces no air threat, so the Danes clearly intend to use KETF ABM against ground targets in Helmand. Their effect on Taliban caught in the open would be devastating.] Hærens Operative Kommando [1] The Danes have been using the PMV (pansret mandskabsvogn) in Afghanistan. The PMV is based on the M113 APC (its other designation is M/113 G3) and is equivalent to CF TLAVs.