Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1281650
2005 – Meet the Rosomak APC Platform of the Period Everything is relative. The assessment regarding the given type of armament needs to be placed on the canvas of the context of the given period and theater. In the case of the Hitfist-30P-fitted Rosomak, it needs to be said - when introduced into service and over the first years of use, this was a modern and successful wheeled APC design. Of course, changes resulting from the Afghanistan and Chad deployments are also worth mentioning. The vehicle can be assessed in two dimensions - regarding the turret and regarding the hull. The Hitfist-30P body is made out of turned aluminum plates with thickness ranging from 17 to 25 mm. As a result of the abo- ve, the armor inclined at +/– 60° only protects the vehicle from the 14.5 mm rounds, and 7.62 mm rounds when the angles are different. The empty turret weighs only 2,140 kilograms. The weight goes up to 2,900 kilograms when ammunition and the crew are inc- luded. To meet the deployment requirements, the Rosomak tur- ret 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 30 mm cannon. The Rosomak's turret featu- res 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. The 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 or even 700 rounds of ammo. The vehicle has proven its worth when on deployment. However, the turret still has some disadvantages, for instance, 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 comman- der. Hence, the crews had to rotate the whole turret to make use of a single thermal imaging system available and to maintain situational awareness. As mentioned above, no complaints have been made when it co- mes to the Mk 44 gun. However, the system is not perfect. 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 do- mestically 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 correc- tly for 250 rounds, forgetting about the links. 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. www.fragoutmag.com