Eurosatory 2016
Prototype of a VBCI 2 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle with a two-man turret armed with a 40 mm 40 CTC cannon.
This year's Eurosatory took place under exceptional circumstances, namely during the European Football Championship, part of which took place at the Stade de France in Paris. All RER trains from the city center towards the exhibition pass next to it. In addition, fears of new terrorist attacks in the French capital were widespread, and a few days before the start of the Eurosatori, a record high flood wave on the Seine passed through the city (the first floors of some Parisian museums were evacuated!). The country was devastated by strikes and protests against the government's plan to introduce a new labor law.
This year's exhibition was also shaped by the exceptionally bad relations between Western Europe and Russia, which saw Europe's largest and world's second largest arms exporter represented at the event in an almost symbolic way. For the first time, two large European companies: the French Nexter and the German Kraus-Maffei Wegmann appeared together under the name KNDS. In practice, the large combined pavilion of the new company was divided into two parts: "Nexter on the left, KMW on the right." Today and in the near future, companies will continue the programs started in the recent past and retain their names. The first joint program could be the development of a new European tank, ie. response to the emergence of the Russian Armata. In the past, such attempts have been made several times and always ended in failure - each partner ended up building a tank himself and for his armed forces.
Sensations and news of the Salon
The surprise, although announced for some time, was the demonstration of the “little brother” of the German BW Puma, nicknamed Lynx. Officially, Rheinmetall Defense did not give specific reasons for its development, but unofficially pursued two goals. Firstly: Puma is too expensive and difficult for the vast majority of potential foreign users, and secondly, the Australian army is preparing a tender under the Land 400 Phase 3 program for the purchase of 450 next-generation tracked combat vehicles, and Puma in its current form does not fit very well into anticipated requirements. The machine was presented in a lighter version - KF31 - with a mass of 32 tons, dimensions of 7,22 × 3,6 × 3,3 m and an engine power of 560 kW / 761 hp, designed for a crew of three and a landing crew of six. . It is armed with a 35 mm Wotan 2 automatic cannon and a twin Spike-LR ATGM launcher in the Lance turret. The Desant has classic seats, not the "bags" of fabric, which is perhaps the most controversial solution used in the Puma. The heavier (38 tons) and longer KF41 should carry an eight-seat assault force. For comparison: "Puma" for the Bundeswehr has a weight of 32/43 tons, dimensions 7,6 × 3,9 × 3,6 m, an engine with a capacity of 800 kW / 1088 hp, space for nine people (3 + 6 paratroopers) and an armament complex with a 30-mm MK30-2 / ABM cannon and two Spike-LR ATGM launchers.
The second star of this year's Eurosatory was undoubtedly the Centauro II wheeled combat vehicle, which was first shown to the public by the Iveco-Oto Melara consortium. The premiere was accompanied by an unprecedented detailed presentation of the design solutions of the new car. It should only be remembered here that in the early 90s, the Centauro was the forerunner of a new direction in the development of armored weapons - a wheeled tank destroyer armed with a classic large-caliber tank gun. Centauro II proves that the Italian military is convinced of the feasibility of using this type of equipment in the future. Both cars are very similar to each other, and also do not differ in size (Centauro II is only slightly higher). However, the new machine achieves an incomparably higher level of ballistic protection, and above all, mine protection. The main gun is a 120-mm smooth-bore gun (the Centauro has a 105-mm cannon with a rifled tube) with a semi-automatic power system.
