WEAPONS
BTR-90 armed with unified FCS and Berezhok fighting compartment
UNIFIED FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR ARMOURED VEHICLES ne of the main factors leading to increase of combat effectiveness of existing armoured vehicles is the use of more advanced fire control system (FCS). Therefore more and more often increase in combat effectiveness is reached by means of upgrading FCS of combat vehicles’ (CV) weapon systems. For decades development of fire control systems for light armoured vehicles (IFV, AAV and APC) lagged behind the development of tankmounted fire control systems. For firing BMP-1 IFV’s 73 mm gun coupled with a machine gun and for firing the Malyutka ATGM system the vehicle is equipped with a combined periscopic gunner’s sight with dependent (on the gun) LOS and non-stabilized electric drive motor. Hence, BMP-1 IFV is capable of firing all weapon systems only in stationary position. FCS for the BMP-2 IFV is the first fire control system for light combat vehicles featuring weapon system stabilizer which enables firing 30 mm gun and coupled machine gun both in stationary position and on the
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ARMS Defence Technologies Review
move, while firing ATGM only in stationary position. While tanks were already equipped with laser rangefinders and ballistic computers with fire conditions sensors, combat vehicles, like BMP-2 IFV for example, were not. Adopting BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicle by the Russian Armed Forces in 1987 was a qualitative leap for lightly armoured vehicles. the BMP3 weapon system was created at KBP Instrument Design Bureau. In terms of its composition and fire power it was a unique system, excelling both existing series production systems and future IFVs from all countries of the world. the system includes a 100 mm gun, a 30 mm gun, guided weapon with a tube-launched missile and FCS, whose specifications were not inferior to tank FCS being even superior in some aspects. For the first time BMP-3 FCS, as opposed to BMP-2 FCS, used analogue ballistic computer and gunner’s sighting unit with independent line of sight (LOS), the latter ensuring firing on the move both unguided and guided weapons. Some of the parameters were fed from sensors automatically, e.g. vehicle speed and az-
imuth, angular speed of the target in azimuth channel, vehicle roll, distance to target. Range was measured by laser rangefinder mounted on the barrel. the parameters which change slowly, like ambient air and charge temperature, atmospheric pressure and muzzle velocity deviation could be fed manually. Hence, development of BMP1–>BMP2–>BMP3 FCS demonstrates convergence of trends of tank FCS and lightly armoured vehicles (IFV in particular) FCS development. At the same time the BMP-3 adopted more than 20 years ago possessed a sufficient reserve for enhancement of performance characteristics. a new step in development of IFV FCS was the KBP-developed fire control system for BMD-4 airborne assault vehicle which in many aspects excelled tank FCS. The FCS consisted of the following major components: combined gunner’s day/night sight, commander’s panoramic sight, accuracy armament stabilizer, digital ballistic computer with sensor package and IR automatic target tracker. The combined gunner’s sight (GS) combines range-finding, thermal