The Most suitable Indonesian Armoured Personnel Carrier
for
United Nations Peacekeeping missions
A Model of How to choose a weapon system
Ir. Ade Muhammad, M.Han
Introduction
Armoured Personnel Carrier main role is to deliver safely the infantry into the battlefield. Battle Taxi if you prefer. Many military organizations around the world need this kind of armoured vehicle, including Indonesian military.
In the Indonesian preamble of the Constitution say’s that Indonesian Nation should proactive to contribute in the World Peace. There fore Indonesia
I would like to show you the best possible technical solution to find a new Indonesian APC for the United Nations missions as well other missions in Indonesia
Background
Short History of Indonesian in UN Mission
All of these made Indonesia Indonesia
Recent purchasing of Armoured Personnel Carrier
In January, 11th and February,17th 2007 The Government received totally 32 units of VAB (Vehicule de l’Avant Blinde) that already purchased, to be the battle transporters for Kontingen Garuda XXIII-A, a United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) base in their HQ in Indobatt Adshit, Libanon.
This quickly creating tension and question in national because the process was left in the dark. The medias ask about the decision of purchasing VAB instead the newer and more cheaper APS made by Indonesian state owned company Pindad.
Even though on January, 2nd the Ministry of Defence Dr. Juwono Sudarsono stated that only 40 would be purchased in total (not in the original deal of 150 units), due because the global financial crisis. Still relies the big question mark about the whole process of defence acquision in Indonesian Defence Department.
The APC category
With the analysis we would like to decide to acquire the most suitable category of the APC below with its general configuration in each category.
- The Light APC; 7 – 14 ton, light protection, high mobility, 4 x 4 or 6 x 6 wheeled vehicle, light firepower
(French AMX 10P, Austrian Pandur, Indonesian APS)
- The heavy APC; 15 – 25 ton, high protection, medium mobility, 6 x 6 or 8 x 8 wheeled or track vehicle, medium firepower
(Finland
- The Armoured Fighting Vehicle; 15 ton – 25 ton, high protection, medium mobility, 6 x 6 or 8 x 8 wheeled or track vehicle, high firepower
(MCV 80 Warrior UK , Bionix Singapore
Analysis
Need
The basic purpose is to transport personnel / cargo safely with high mobility in the light battle situation and rugged terrain.
Context
Consist of the problem/threat and the scenario
SOI WSOI Environment W Environment
Direct control direct influence indirect influence macro Env
System personnel logistic, support policy, strategy political decision
(SOI = strategic of impact, WSOI = wider strategic of impact)
The scenario
Scenario | Extended | Exceptional | |
Operation | Peace support, Peace enforcement, Power projection | Focussed intervention | Higher intensity operations |
Threats actors | Splinter groups | The main conflict actors | Extra forces joint to main conflict actors |
Urban landscape | Urban housing –apt, commercial – official building, high density population | More to sub urban, housing, 3-4 story buildings max, mid density population | Move to rural landscape, Village housing, low buildings, low density population |
Routes | Urban, rural roads | Rural roads, rugged cross country | Rural roads, heavy off roads |
Network coverage | High comm. Network | Low comm. Network | No comm. Network |
Expected weapon threats | 5,56 mm, 7,62 mm, left road over mines | Up to 12,7 mm, new road mine, RPG | Up to 12,7 mm, new road mine, RPG, IED ambush, Russian antitank missiles |
Situation NBC env potential Roles | Post conflict No Combat Patrol, Ambulance, Command Control | Conflict raising No Combat Patrol, Ambulance, CC, Intervention | Heavy conflict Yes Combat patrol, Ambulance, CC, Intervention, |
Capability
Be able to deliver and protect safely UN troops into any designated position in the urban and rural area with rugged terrain in the post conflict situation.
With extended capability – to intervene the emerge conflict between actors with up graded protection (using either package of slat armour or ceramics layer).
Capability of providing basic platform to be develops in the future in several configurations.
System requirement
Protection system
Armoured steel with side slope of 35° angle profile and 60° hull slope
Should be sustain hit from 7,62 mm calibre rounds from any direction at 25 m and survive from any pressure landmines blast
Should be escape running with 1 wheel damage for 60 km,
Smoke screen grenade launcher system,
Front protection on top access for commander observation,
Front and side gunner protection
Rear gunner protection
One hydraulic back ramp door and 2 emergencies door on each side
Mobility system
Mobility with cruise speed of 90 km/hr on road and 30 km/hr off road,
Combat radius minimum 200 km,
Power-to-Weight ratio minimum of 20 HP,
Able to carry 1 combat squad (10 personnel), with 3 crew (commander, driver, main .50 gunner),
Max combat weight 15 ton,
Adaptable with additional protection system (with slat armour, reactive armour or ceramics layering or reactive armour system),
6 x 6 wheeled tires system with run flat tires.
The dimension and weight should be fitted in the cargo of C 130 Hercules for airborne deployment and LAPES landing capability.
Firepower system
Aim elevation -9 to +20° also 360̊ turn cupola main gun
The main gun could be Heavy machine gun 12,7 mm or 14,5 mm or Automatic Grenade Launcher
The rear gun should be 7,62 mm General Purpose Machine Gun
The cupola should be adapted with remote control turret machine gun system
The side gun for assault rifle holes, 4 on each side with armoured glass windows for visibility of aiming
Telecommunication system
Communication with mil spec HF & VHF,
Hopping frequency system that enables to avoid detection and enemies radio monitoring
Design requirement of the system
Should be the universal flexible platform (especially the hull design)
Anticipate the further development; these include the development of
The medevac version,
The marines’ version,
The hull of bridge layering system,
The support engineering version,
The platform of anti aircraft missile version,
The light armoured fighting vehicle version and
The battlefield C4I version.
Mandatory Technology
Light armoured vehicle category would be need integrated mandatory technology to be applied in protection, high mobility, and firepower and VH & VHF communication.
The technology of protection should be mandatory of using Monocoque High-alloy single steel sheets level IV (Nato Spec - standards for ballistic, mine, artillery burst and improvised explosive device protection)
Slope angle technique for each side 35° slope and also front hull 60°.
The floor also will use the mild steel 10 mm and square steel of 3,5 x 40 x40 mm.
This technology intended to deflect energy from mines explosive also from IED model explosive blast.
The smoke grenades will use .60 cal consist of 3 tubes launcher in each of front sides.
The technology of mobility should be mandatory of using Turbo diesel engine 6 cylinder of commercial / industrial engine 260 – 300 HP,
200 litre fuel capacity,
Suspension Independent Modular with Torsion bar, transmission 6 forward – 1 reverse and
Run Flat tires technology.
The technology of fire power should be mandatory of using two heavy machineguns or automatic grenade launcher (front), rear machinegun and sides shooting holes.
The main gun in front 12,7 mm Nato or 14,5 mm Russian machinegun system, the Automatic Grenade Launcher (AGL) also can be installed as main gun. The support gun in rear should be using 7, 62 mm Nato or Russian machinegun system.
The side of APC will be having 4 shooting holes each side.
The technology of telecommunication radio should be mandatory of using Frequency 2 - 30 Mhz, 100 Channels,
Speed of hopping freq. 50 Hops / sec (Programmable),
Power out put 20W/150W PEP (Vehicle ), Power Supply 18 - 30 VDC,
Tech base Software Defined Radio (SDR),
High Frequency – Ultra High Frequency technology system.
The mil spec GPS technology also needed.
Functional
Transportation
The APC should be performing basic functional of transportation with cross country in rugged terrain mobility, provide specific capacity (configuration 3 crew and 1 infantry squad) to accommodate crew - troops or cargo or both and can reach specific range (minimum range 200 km) and cruise speed (90 km/hour in road or 30 km/hour cross country). The APC expect have to function with one tire severely destroyed by the pressurize mines.
Self protection
Self protection or passive protection means that the APC have the capability of protection by its design integrated in the vehicle. This consists of 4 main functional features, the armoured steel, the protected windows, the shapes and the smoke grenade system.
The armoured steel is using the 10 mm hardened steel with monocoque body system. The protected windows with 40 mm armoured glass, give the clear view for the crew (with bigger windows) and the inside gunner (with smaller windows as well protect them. These two functional features will stop the burst of 7,62 mm direct shooting from the enemy at range of 25 m.
The V shapes in the hull intended to deflect the energy from mine blast, meanwhile the upper body angle shape intended to deflect any horizontal shooting from 7,62 machine gun and make a thicker effect of the steel.
The smoke grenade system, using the 3 launching tube each front side to provide smoke protection from the aiming of direct shooting of machine gun or rocket propelled grenade. Meanwhile the APC could perform the role for the first 3 minutes.
Active protection
Active protection function means that the APC have the limited capability of firepower for defend it self. The active protection consists of two main parts, the main weapon system in front and the support weapon system in rear the APC. The purpose of main weapon system is solely to neutralize the potential threat from the front and sides in the range of maximum of 500 meters. In the urban warfare also important to have elevation capability of the main weapon system to neutralize the threat from the building besides the APC routes. This kind of threat have already advantages of shooting from the higher position, and could aim the most vulnerable soft top of the APC, therefore should be neutralize with bigger fire power by using .50 calibre machine gun or AGM.
Meanwhile the support weapon system role is to clear the 06.00 hour position (the rear) of the APC, from any kind of potential threat.
This role need the lighter calibre machine gun, 7,62 mm calibre class machine gun to neutralize the threat at range of maximum 200 m.
Additional features of active protection will be the 4 shooting hole each sides of the APC, for shooting from the troops inside with their assault rifles. This troop’s participation is intended to be added some active protection to clear threats from each sides.
Non Functional
Human
The human relationship with the machine system should be measure in the sense of ergonomics. From the control panel, seats for the drivers, commander and the gunner should be in the first priority of ergonomics, because they are the operator of this APC system all the time. Then the accommodations of the troops come into the second priority, because they will be embarking to some designated place. Some empty space behind the troops should be able to accommodate the troop’s individual cargo (the rug sacks, helmets, ammos). Indonesian posture with specific average tall of 165 – 175 cm should be considered in the ergonomics measurements features in this APC.
The heavy ramp door should be using hydraulic system and also the instalment of 3 air conditioner units (1 in front and 2 in trooper accommodation) to add some comfort for the crew.
The engine noise control also important, with installation of noise/vibration-proof walls will protect the human ear inside the APC. So the crew and troops can verbally communicate with standard voice. But however still need the crew have the protected helmet from the bump injury as well from the noise of the engine near them.
All of these features intended to avoid / lengthen the fatigue and stress of the human inside the system. So the human can more focus on their roles.
Logistic
In logistic, requires the agile logistic management, especially when deployed abroad under UN mandate. This will perform the precise stock management (enough spares, and support but not too abundant), because the working area will be far away from Indonesia
The applications of platform system also reduce the complexity of logistic and support in the future. The cost of the spare parts is using the principle of the whole life cost. That in the totally is economically enough to be using in the whole life cycle of the system to reach the highest Value for Money.
The engine is from commercial / industrial engine for easy access to spare parts anticipating the embargo situation.
The APC should be able to carry some essential parts and additional fuel for far operation in the rear or top side. This allows crew to make light repairmen in the field.
The assurance of continuity of supply from the country and the manufacturer is also important in this logistic point of view.
Safety,
The safety issues of the APC design have to consider the crew and the troops inside.
The all time personnel in the open position are the main gunner and second the rear gunner. These require the protection of front and sides of the main gunner, also the safety from changing the box round without going outside the protected area.
Inside additional safety for the crew is also provided by the helmet for the shock blunt trauma injury and fire extinguisher system for fire.
Environment,
The APC noise will alert the hostile potential to be prepared. Mostly come from the track and the exhaust system noise.
The track problem can be solve with using 6 x 6 wheeled system and the exhaust system can be solve with using sound muffler, that can reduce the sound signature.
Reliability
Combination of system requirements integrated with monocoque chassis, powerful engine, good protection and comfort will create of total reliability of the APC.
Constrain
The limitation of this APC could be identified from the scenarios. The category of this APC is Light APC.
It is suitable for the post conflict role but for the high intensity conflict will not. This because this system cannot withstand from being shoot by 12,7 mm calibre machinegun, direct hit of RPG or higher anti tank missiles.
The slat armoured system and ceramics on the will be adding some survivability for the short period of initial conflict scenario, but certainly cannot be using safely in the next escalation to become the main vehicle for the high intensity conflict.
In the high intensity conflict, the role of this APC would be automatically changing due the limitation, to become support of the battle component, such as role of combat ambulance or engineering vehicle.
Also the limitation to become developed as 155 mm artillery platform or armoured fighting vehicle. Because need to redesign the hull as a standard platform.
Trade of
In technology
Between medium protection, high mobility, limited firepower and standard mil VH & VHF communication
In this case the mobility playing the most important role, the second would be the protection and the least would be the firepower. The telecommunication will be enough just using basic standard VH & VHF radio.
In economical choice
Whole life cost vs. low initial cost.
The choice of whole life cost is calculating the total cost of the system, the lowest price possible with the highest usage is the aim. The effort is to getting the highest Value for Money.
The low initial cost is suitable for the short period of use. Cheap price in the beginning would attract the sudden need for the system for the usage of short period of time. Because most likely the support and spare parts are higher in further maintenance.
This problem usually found in the case of second hand system and eastern made system.
In this case, the APC should be meet the whole life cost for the mid and longer operation use, because intended not only use in the UN mission role also in the National defence role
Evaluation of contender
The contender in this case would be French VAB 6x6
and the Pindad’s APS 6x6
and the Pindad’s APS 6x6
Basic Score Score x Point
Priorities Point VAB APS àVAB APS
Mobility 1.0 10 10 1.0 1.0
Protection 0.9 10 10 9.0 9.0
Telecommunication 0.8 10 09 8.0 7.2
Firepower 0.7 10 10 7.0 7.0
Comfort 0.6 08 10 4.8 6.0 APS has 3 AC/heater units
Support 0.5 06 10 3.0 5.0 VBL vurnerable to embargo
Total Cost 0.4 05 09 2.0 3.6 APS Rp. 7 billion VAB US$ 1 mil
Initial Price 0.3 05 10 1.5 3.0
36.3 41.8
From the benchmarking the conclusion are:
- VAB has the similar capability that APS has
- VAB has uncertainty supply assurance due because the politics
- APS has certainty supply assurance due because the state owned company
- APS has lower Initial Price and Total Life Cycle cost than VAB
- VAB is a recondition second hand system and APS is a new manufacture system
- APS has overall point higher than VAB
Recommendation
In this case, APS is most likely to become the next armoured personnel carrier for Indonesia
The Pindad’s APS is the most suitable system to respond the system requirement of UN. Peace Keeping missions.
The Pindad’s APS is the recommended system that Republic Indonesia has to consider to acquire.
Sources ;
Lecture from Prof Dr Chris Couldrick from Cranfield University
When was this analysis done? Since all the recommendation points are moot points. The APS has been operational for a few years now and being deployed in Lebanon as part of the UN force.
ReplyDeleteIf the analysis was done for an exercise, than it is probably sufficient, but if was intended to serve a an actual recommendation, then it is late by a few years.
You might want to focus on other defense systems
this analysis was done last year, in order to fulfill my assignment on defense innovation lecture by Dr. Chris Couldrick.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, the actual recommendation needs time to do it, due because have to make some tests.
thank you for your advice and input.
regards,
ade muhammad.