SP, MLRS and SPAA Developments

[MarkSheppard]

PHL-16 MRL confirmed in service in Xinjiang earlier this week.



Basically, this started out as the AR-3 commercial/export MRL by NORINCO back in 2010.

It wasn't actually shown in Chinese service until the 2019 National Day Parade; where unlabelled units paraded.

The PHL-16 appears to be the replacement for the earlier 12x300mm PHL-03 MRL.

What makes the PHL-16 different is that the PHL-16 has two modular launch cells; with each cell carrying either:

5 x 300mm Rockets
4 x 370mm Rockets

The export version (AR-3) offers:

750mm Fire Dragon 480 Tactical Ballistic Missile
380mm TL-7B Anti Ship Missile

But it's not known if the PLA(N) bought these.

BTW -- Chinese Unit 742 A-100 Platoon is incorrect.

The PLA tested out the A-100 in trials in the early 2000s; but it wasn't selected for service with the PLA; that honor going to the PHL-03 (Type 03) system. However, if you want to keep it without deleting the unit entry; may I suggest changing the exit date to December 2003; so that the A-100 can represent the "trials" vehicles.

[MarkSheppard]

Next in the saga of 70 KILOMETRE GUNNERY

Izvestia reports that state trails of the 2S35 Koalitsiya-SV SPH will begin next year and are schedule to be completed on September 30, 2022. Koalitsiya-SV is fitted with a 152mm 2A88 gun with a reported max firing range of 70-80km (RAP).

https://iz.ru/1259811/aleksei-ramm-b...-koalitciia-sv

[Pibwl]

obat51 Slovakia:

143,144 RM-70 Modular - the first was delivered in 5/2005, the whole series was delivered by 2007 (now 114 or 116). https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/12992
I assume, the Slovaks got them with rockets and they should have been ready around 2007.

[MarkSheppard]

OBAT 066 Sweden

Unit 386 RBS-103 Patriot has IOCed with the Swedish military as of 17 December 2021.

Also:

Unit 189 RBS-56 TI ATGM
Unit 203 RBS-56B ATGM

It appears that the BILL system was removed from service in 2013 by the Swedish military as a cost cutting measure and the excess units sold to SAAB.

It seems that the Swedish armed forces have changed their mind on that. The RBS-56 BILL systems are being bought back from SAAB, albeit with new sighting systems and other modifications.

This is intended to be an interim solution until the MMP ATGM becomes available from 2025 onwards.

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

I believe of the systems from the following ref. only the SA-12 Gladiator S-300V 9K81 air defense missile system would amount to a new addition to the Ukraine OOB. The tracked launchers were built in Ukraine at the "home" of Soviet T-72 design & production. These are likely to be coming from Poland and possibly also the Baltic States. I would expect these to be either the S-300V3 or S-300V4 versions. https://www.armyrecognition.com/russ...res_video.html

The one "I'm on the fence about" is the SA-14 Gremin 9K34 Strela-3 (What version?) MANPADS Man-portable air defense missile system.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/russ...sile_data.html

The full article...
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...o_ukraine.html

The "No Fly Zone" and fighters are a dead issue here. However the conversation is shifting towards Med Rng. SAMs, I can see this on the horizon. We've seeded Poland and the Baltic states with our PATRIOTs and those countries have plenty of Soviet/Russian era Med and Long Rng. SAM systems available for use by the Ukrainians w/o the training down time.

Regards,
Pat

[FASTBOAT TOUGH]

Weapons in this thread in support of the Ukraine is starting to move more quickly in the last 2 weeks.

So, here's what's been sent thus far (The only thing new might be that the Ukraine is operating the SA-8 Gecko with the more advanced... "The 9M33M3 missile greatly enhances the altitude engagement envelope to 10 – 12,000 m, and as such are also able to fly further (about 15 km/9 miles) but the system is not able to engage targets at longer ranges, due to other factors such as the radar tracking of the missiles." This quote taken from the last ref. on weapon performance. And will be soon operating the UK Starstreak MANPAD.

Hopefully in timeline order (It is now) as posted by the ref.
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...o_ukraine.html
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...o_ukraine.html
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe..._airspace.html
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...e_systems.html
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...o_ukraine.html
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe...rn_europe.html
https://www.armyrecognition.com/defe..._the_past.html

That should catch it up from my last post.

Regards,
Pat

[wulfir]

Originally Posted by MarkSheppard

OBAT 066 Sweden

Unit 386 RBS-103 Patriot has IOCed with the Swedish military as of 17 December 2021.

Also:

Unit 189 RBS-56 TI ATGM
Unit 203 RBS-56B ATGM

It appears that the BILL system was removed from service in 2013 by the Swedish military as a cost cutting measure and the excess units sold to SAAB.

It seems that the Swedish armed forces have changed their mind on that. The RBS-56 BILL systems are being bought back from SAAB, albeit with new sighting systems and other modifications.

This is intended to be an interim solution until the MMP ATGM becomes available from 2025 onwards.

As of fairly late Sweden has ditched the "Farawayistan Doctrine" where smaller professional forces were meant to deploy to places like Kosovo or Affe (Afghanistan) and battle insurgents armed with AKs/RPGs/IEDs and has begun to reorient focus back to the defence of Sweden itself against a Russian threat.

In doing this some equipment previously in storage has been dusted off and put into units - this is called doing a "Bydén" after the current commander Michael Bydén.

This included truck mounted RBS-15 anti-ship missile systems, RBS-90 SAM systems and it seems the RBS-56 ATGM.

The 40 or so stored chassis for the aborted CV90 based AMOS SP-mortar systems were used for a less capable sp-mortar system pushed through quickly to give battalions something better than towed 120mm weapons.

A few remaining demonstration RBS 23 Bamse mid range SAMs were also brought out from storage and put into units and deployed to Gotland. This system was meant to cover the range beyond RBS 70/90 and the HAWK systems but was discontinued, except for the handful (about a platoon or company's worth) now on Gotland. The unit type does not exist in winSPMBT but there are only a handful and no news of any new production.

The Patriots were bought in competition with a French system and AFIKN Sweden's aims to buy another SAM-system with ground launched IRIS-T. No idea when though...

[blazejos]

Here is Ukrainian source about Swedish deliveries
https://en.defence-ua.com/weapon_and...tank-4038.html

Archer and RBS-70 are mentioned there]
https://en.defence-ua.com/industries...more-4048.html

[wulfir]

Originally Posted by blazejos

...received_swedish_pvpj_1110...

The pvpj 1110 nicknamed "Huggpipan" (roughly "Whack Pipe" or maybe "Slap barrel") was a common Bn level AT asset during the cold war. Some ended up in the Baltics when the infantry brigades were dismantled.

Ukraine now fields a major selection of the AT weapons in use or previously used by the Swedish army - though many were supplied by not by Sweden but by other nations...