APC Development and related topics.

[DRG]

Right now the start date for Ajax and Ares is October 2025

When either of them ACTUALLY enters service is crystal ball materiel

" AI Overview" claimes

The Ares platform, which is a troop carrier variant of the Ajax program, is on track to achieve Initial Operating Capability by December 2025

SO..... moving the start date two or three months further away SEEMS TO BE at this point in time a "reasonable" possibility

EDIT-- https://www.army-technology.com/news...december-2025/ claims "British Army’s Ajax programme IOC not expected until December 2025 "

SO... FOR NOW Dec 2025 is the "new" start date for Ajax and Ares BUT I don't expect the update to be ready before the start of Dec this year so when Dec 1 rolls around we'll see what's happening

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Sounds Good!

Been on it since start of FRES Program so what's a few more months
after that?

Regards,
Pat

[blazejos]

Just d'like to add some technical informations about Borsuk APC

The vehicle weighs 28 tons. The maximum speed on the highway is up to 65 km/h. The power plant is a German diesel engine MTU 8V-199-TE20 with a capacity of 720 hp. The basic version of the BMP provides for a crew of three and a landing compartment for six soldiers.

taken from there
https://militarnyi.com/en/news/mk44-...-us-to-poland/


And here Borsuk's on military parade 15th August 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmz_4VQx1y0 as we can see there is already small numbers existing.

Ratel an new Heavy APC planed for polish army with the same ZSSW-30 tower but new hull https://militarnyi.com/en/news/model...ted-in-poland/

[MarkSheppard]

Supposedly a new PLA Airborne IFV family coming:





The new PLA Airborne armoured combat vehicle family consists of an IFV, APC and gun-mortar fire support system. This is the infantry fighting vehicle variant. (Weibo)



This is the fire support vehicle version of the PLAAF Airborne Corps’ new tracked vehicle family. It has what may be a 120mm gun-mortar in its turret. (Weibo)

We don't know if they're actually real real (beyond just manufacturer test rigs) or if they'll be procured in quantity to replace the existing 15+ year old Airborne IFV family...

[blazejos]

After finishing with BWP Borsuk Poland starts to project his heavier version is called BWP Ratel will be armed in the same tower and gun heavier armour and probably without ability to swim.

https://defence24.pl/sily-zbrojne/ms...piechoty-wideo
https://x.com/DRatka1/status/1962535205131997591

[MarkSheppard]

https://www.twz.com/news-features/us...ars-of-service

The U.S. Marine Corps recently marked the formal decommissioning of the tracked Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) family after more than five decades of service. Since 2018, the Marines have been working to replace the AAV fleet with new Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV), an 8×8 wheeled design.

The Marines held a sundown ceremony for the AAV at the Assault Amphibian School at Camp Pendleton, California, on September 26, according to an official release put out yesterday. Whether any AAVs technically remain assigned to units as the service continues to work out plans for their final disposition is unclear.

The retirement event at Camp Pendleton featured a small parade of the vehicles, one of which had an individual in an alligator suit standing in an open hatch, as seen at the top of this story. Alligator and gator have been common nicknames for tracked amphibious vehicles, in general, since they first began entering U.S. military service during World War II. The term amtrac, a portmanteau of amphibious tractor, is also commonly used in the United States to refer to vehicles of this type.

[DRG]

OH this is going to be "fun"..............