Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1407425
spare space is still available inside. The above translates into a decent upgrade potential. The primary armament, as well as the auxiliary gun, are both backward compatible with Hitfist-30P. The same goes for the turret bearing. The internals can be accessed quickly and easily for servicing, reloading, handling malfunctions, or emergency operation. ZSSW-30's ammunition is separated from the crew entirely. The Spike ATGMs in the external container are separated from the turret structure as well. With the system placed close to the right side of the turret, it is easy to safely reload it out of the hatch. Furthermore, arrangement as such does not increase the height of the vehicle. The compact silhouette of the turret is another advantage since all of the crucial assemblies are embedded within the turret structure. Some of the foreign manufacturers decide to use a "semi-open" design, where the primary sight, coaxial machine gun, or some of the sensors are all mounted externally. This exposes the turret to damage. Survivability and CRBN protection levels are also diminished. The compact ZSSW-30 design seems to be advantageous here. Protection The ZSSW-30's protection can be divided into active and passive protection. The former one is based on the armor used. The latter stems from the use of the active protection system. The manufacturer did not disclose any data on the armor. However, the photographs tell us a lot about the design: the turret body is welded with the use of 3-4 mm Armox/Armstall 500T sheets. The individual segments are covered by an aramid fabric. All of the above is covered by HHS Armstal 600 high- hardness panels, mounted with the use of hex screws. This results in STANAG 4569 Level 2 protection class - the turret is resistant to 7.62x39 BZ rounds, at a velocity of 695 m/s. As the HHS-aramid- Armox layout may work, in some circumstances, in a manner similar to a simple NERA armor, and as the technology associated with the manufacturing of armor plates has made it possible to heighten the protection levels, the turret may withstand Level 3 threats (7.62x51 mm API, V=930 m/s; or 7.62x54R mm B32, V=854 m/s). Steel- ceramic armor would be required to further increase the protection levels. ZSSW-30 is ready for such improvement - thanks to the modular nature of the screw-mounted armor, and thanks to the payload reserve - the motors of the turret can easily handle 400 kilograms more. The armor of the Spike ATGM container offers a protection level similar to the main armor. Furthermore, the container can be rapidly removed, in less than 5 minutes, even in field conditions. This comes in handy if it is seriously damaged, and when the damage in question has a detrimental impact on the usability of the turret. It is also an advantageous design feature to place both of the ATGMs, with explosive warheads and rocket fuel, outside of the turret structure. The turret is also fitted with a Deugra fire-extinguishing/ anti-explosion system. Obra soft-kill active protection system has also been integrated on RTCS-30 - it uses four sensor blocks all around the turret. Each of the sensors utilizes 0.6 μm ÷ 11 μm bandwidth, providing 360 degrees detection in the azimuth plane. The detection elevation ranges from -6 to +30 degrees. The sensors are capable of detecting impulse laser beams emitted by target designators, and laser rangefinders. Then, a relevant signal is fed into the control unit that displays the azimuth optically and also plays an audio message, referring to the threat location, type of the threat, and time elapsed from the beginning of the emergence of the said threat. This allows the crew to dispense multispectral smoke grenades - manually, semi- automatically, or in a fully automatic manner. Having a closer look at the protection levels offered by the ZSSW-30 turret, one can conclude that it is at least decent - especially when it comes to the portion for which the HSW company has been responsible. The amphibious Rosomak and Borsuk platforms would be unable to utilize turrets with combat weight (with ammunition, fluids, equipment) exceeding 2,400 kilograms which means that there is little room to play with when it comes to the armor alone. Despite the above, the STANAG 4569 Level II protection required by the military has been delivered. More than 90% of the turret's surface complies with the said requirement. Should a necessity as such emerge, the modular design of extra armor allows the user to heighten the above level up to Level IV. Noteworthy, the ZSSW-30 armor is cost-effective - in manufacturing and maintenance. The rational and sufficient primary armor is somewhat in a contrast with the Obra self-protection system - unfortunately. Soft- kill systems based around laser warning receivers have one, major disadvantage. They are helpless in acting against passive guidance ATGMs - such as Spike, or ATGM. The same applies to SACLOS weapons www.fragoutmag.com