Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1519846
The inclusion of Poland in ASCA was announced during the asso- ciation's conference, happening between March 6th and 14th in Ko- blenz, Germany. The event was a concluding milestone for a process that took months. The first announcement on the upgrade of the TOPAZ ICMS to the TOPAZ(+) standard, developed to allow for ASCA interface implemen- tation, was announced in November 2022. Back then, an agreement was signed by and between the WB Group, and the Armament Agen- cy, on the implementation of relevant modifications. Further activities were ordered on July 7th, 2023, when both parties expanded the sco- pe of work. Within the framework of the undertaken effort, it was con- firmed that TOPAZ can work with the IFATDS-PL (procured by Poland with the Lockheed Martin M142 HIMARS), and the AFATDS systems, operated by the US Armed Forces. Further tests took place in the US, and Canada, as a part of the certification. In 2020 it was stated that the US would introduce Poland, while Canada was to become a part- ner who would approve the solutions used. During the test program organized in Poland, more than 200 tests and 160 live fire tests were conducted, with the use of howitzers, mortars, and rocket launchers employing guided missiles. During the phase hosted in Camp Pendleton, USA (August 25th - September 22nd, 2023), within the framework of Bold Quest 23, TOPAZ was used in sync with another Polish C2 system. The whole process and approval were concluded after the data col- lected had been analyzed. This was done by two committees, one handling the technical matters, and the other handling the operatio- nal matters. Formally, the status was assigned by the ASCA Steering Committee, during the last day of the conference in March. Poland has become the fourteenth full-fledged ASCA member. The list of na- tions interested in joining the group includes at least another 10 states. As the manufacturer shows, TOPAZ(+) (with ASCA interface) has been introduced already in two fire modules equipped with 155 mm howitzers. This refers both to the Polish-made Krab systems, and K9A1 Thunder howitzers delivered from Korea. In the latter case, this refers to extra equipment for vehicles that have been received by the Polish Army since late 2022. According to the assumptions adopted, the TOPAZ ICMS is to become a standard-issue piece of inventory for artillery elements, including the ones using the HOMAR-A (HIMARS launcher on Jelcz 6x6 platform), and HOMAR-K (K239 launcher on Jelcz 8x8 platform) MLRS systems. www.fragoutmag.com www.fragoutmag.com www.fragoutmag.com