At
the international defence exhibition IDEX 2011, the French
Company Nexter announced to have received an order from
the armed forces of the United Arab Emirates, for the delivery
of a protection kit for the main battle tank Leclerc tank,
named “AZUR”.
|
AZUR®
KIT (ADAPTATION OF THE LECLERC TANK TO ACTIONS IN URBAN
ZONES)
STAT
initiated the operation at the end of 2005 for the official
opening of CENZUB (Centre d'Entraînement aux actions
en Zone Urbaine - Urban Operations Training Centre) planned
for September 2006. The objective was that when the training
centre was opened, ABC equipment would be
presented “equipped” for the situation.
The basic principle of the project was REACTIVE ADAPTATION
of armoured vehicles to the very specific context of ACTION
IN URBAN AREAS.
This principle of reactive adaptation implied the use of
simple and efficient solutions that can be developed quickly
and installed (in the form of a kit) on the vehicles concerned
since the need is specific and limited in time and space.
The concept of action in urban areas is fundamentally opposed
to combat in urban areas, and the objective was to have
a graduated response capability beginning at the "crowd
control" level using non-lethal weapons without reducing
the full capability of the tanks.
In addition, wherever possible, the developed kits should
be common to the different vehicles and installable on armoured
vehicles in open areas by the crew in less than half a day,
in order to reduce the logistics footprint.
After working to make a common analysis of operational needs
based on feedback from experience, technical solutions were
produced in order to make a functional demonstrator for
each equipment item loaned by EMAT (Army Headquarters) so
as to make an operational evaluation at the CENZUB at the
end of 2006 – beginning of 2007.
The study made on "needs of an inter-army tactical
group engaged in urban area" identifying 42 threats
and/or risks classified according to treatmen priorities,
concluded that LECLERC AZUR demonstrator should have the
following functions on an S2 tank:
- Remotely operated 7.62 cupola independent of the gunner
with an integrated sight camera.
- 4 VAB, VBL, and VBCI compatible multi-purpose jettisonable
boxes suitable for carrying standard military replenishment
equipment: munition boxes, water jerricans, stretchers,
etc.
- 360° "near" vision capacity around the tank;
GALIX NL or ALR carrying capacity eventually with differential
control of launcher pots by "zone".
- Ability to supply civil and/or military "accessories"
including a spot light, megaphone, telephone charger, video
camera, drink warmers etc.
- Ability for "wireless" communications up to
200m with 1 to 3 offboard infantrymen.
- Add-on special protection (non-reactive) against the RPG7
threat around 360°.
- Protection of engine and air conditioning accesses, and
exhaust, against "incendiary" type aggressions
- Add-on signalling system for "mutual identification
of different vehicles "
- Signalling system during tank reversing movements (safety
of infantry men). |
