Escribano proposes Guardian 1.5 RWS for Chilean Army's Cromo project.

According to Infodefensa, the Spanish company Escribano Mechanical & Engineering (EM&E) has proposed its remote weapon station, the Guardian 1.5, for the Chilean Army's Cromo project. This project plans to acquire 36 8x8 personnel transport vehicles (PTVs), three 8x8 company command vehicles, and one 8x8 battalion command vehicle.
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EM&E has proposed its remote weapon station, the Guardian 1.5, for the Chilean Army's Cromo project. (Picture source: Escribano Mechanical & Engineering)

With a budget of $111.886 million, the program has attracted interest from various companies, including BMC and Otokar from Turkey, Excalibur Army from Czechia, Iveco from Italy, Patria Group from Finland, and General Dynamics Land Systems Canada. EM&E hopes to present the Guardian 1.5 in partnership with these companies. Initiated in 2018 by the Army's Project and Research Directorate (Dipride), the program aims to replace the over 30-year-old Mowag Famae 6x6 vehicles with a new generation of vehicles that are easy to operate and economical to maintain.

EM&E, a Spanish company, has extensive experience in developing and manufacturing Remote Weapon Stations (RWS), gyro-stabilized weapon systems that enable target acquisition and firing in various calibers for both land and naval configurations. EM&E has sold more than 8,000 RWS worldwide. EM&E's success lies in its vertical integration of production and engineering capabilities, allowing for the rapid delivery of customized solutions, technology transfer programs for client training, and cost control ensuring cutting-edge technology at competitive prices.

The Guardian 1.5 is a weapon station that includes a gyro-stabilized system with precision under 1 mrad, enabling firing while the vehicle is in motion, 360º continuous rotation through its slip ring technology, and a cradle elevation range of -20 to +60º. The electro-optics of the Guardian 1.5 system are divided into an uncooled IR sensor capable of detecting NATO-size targets (2.3m x 2.3m) at distances up to 11.4 km, a visible light sensor with a detection range of 14 km, and a programmable frequency laser rangefinder (LRF) offering distance measurement options of 8 km or 15.5 km.

The manufacturer highlights the system's tracking capabilities with its cameras; the possibility of integration with GPS, the Battle Management System (BMS), and external sensors, including C4I; a simulation system with an integrated training program in the system; and a low-maintenance architecture with user-replaceable units (LRUs) from the start.

The EM&E turret, weighing less than 185 kg without weapons or ammunition, allows the interoperability of various types of machine guns in calibers 5.56x45 mm, 7.62x51 mm, 12.7x99 mm NATO, and 14.5 mm KPVP, and the 40 mm MK19 grenade launcher, as well as smoke launchers, offering short and medium-range defensive capabilities.

It remains to be seen what other options vehicle manufacturers for the Cromo project will present. Additionally, the Chilean army's response to this proposal is awaited, making this a development to follow closely.