Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1281650
empty turret weighs only 2,140 kilograms. The weight goes up to 2,900 kilograms when ammunition and the crew are included. To meet the deployment requirements, the Rosomak turret received additional composite armor (40 mm thickness, 82 kg/sq. m weight), providing the platform with STANAG Level IV protection (14.5 mm API). The main armament is the Orbital ATK Mk 44 Bushmaster cannon. The Rosomak's turret features two ammunition magazines, housing 79 and 121 rounds (APFSDS-T and MP-T rounds respectively). Each of the two feed extension belts can also accommodate 34- 37 rounds each. The Hitfist-30P \ has space for around 270 rounds in total. Total capacity is "fluid" and greatly depends on the ingenuity of the commanders and the crew. By default, at least 300 rounds were available. During the Afghan deployments, however, the vehicles were carrying 500-700 rounds. One needs to remember, however, that the "Afghan" Rosomaks only carried 6 troops alongside the crew. The matters related to the FCS and the Hitfist-30P communication systems would be showcased in the third part of this article. The vehicle has proven its worth when on deployment. However, the turret still has some disadvantages. They are minor when it comes to the primary weapon, the turret protection, and its ergonomics. However, the issues related to the targeting systems, communications suite, situational awareness are difficult to be disregarded. And these matters will be discussed in detail in the next part of this article as well. The user feedback on the armament and the turret design is as follows: the motors in the turret are too weak and prone to overheating and malfunctions, in case of the turrets with extra armor. This is caused, partially, by the lack of a stabilized panoramic optical system for the commander. Hence, the crews had to rotate the whole turret to make use of a single thermal imaging system available and to maintain situational awareness. Also, the lack of ballistic protection for the main sight is often pointed out. If hit, the damaged sight practically eliminates the vehicle. No redundant targeting system is available. The main sight has no wiper and sprinkler - considering the Polish weather, this is ridiculous. A drying system could also be a useful addition. As mentioned above, no complaints were filed, when it comes to the Mk 44 gun. On the other hand, the ammunition provided by the domestic industry is viewed as a weakness. It is a rarity to fire a complete belt of ammunition from the machine gun or several rounds from the cannon, without at least one malfunction. The end-user could be blamed here, but when the trained crews do not record such issues when using ammunition supplied by a foreign entity the cause seems to be clear. The crews also note that loading a smaller quantity of ammunition is difficult, as it needs to be pushed into the feed by hand. However, this problem is only relevant in field conditions during the domestically undertaken training activities. The soldiers who were serving during the deployments also pointed out that installing a second GPMG on a ring hatch mount would also be useful. The small brass- catching bag of the GPMG coupled with the cannon is also ridiculous. The designer did calculate the volume correctly for 250 rounds, forgetting about thelinks. The bag becomes full after 200 rounds are fired. The crews handle this problem by increasing the volume of the bag on their own. When it comes to ergonomics and troubleshooting, the opinions tend to vary. The users are generally satisfied with the turret. However, the tank crew members who transitioned to Rosomak from the Leopard 2 MBTs do not have much good to say about the Italian design. Generally, though, it may be claimed that design- and armament-wise Hitfist-30P is a good product. When compared to the foreign design the turret is slightly below average in the class. Unfortunately, this cannot be said about the fire control system or the crew situational awareness. Here, the original requirement to procure an APC with great firepower at a reasonable price shows. The assessment of theFCS and situational awareness is far more challenging. The commander can use a hatch with 8 M17 prism- periscopes providing him with ANALYSIS