Author: gdels.com|Caption: ASCOD 42
One of the largest security shows on the European continent - NATO and the Czech Air Force Days - is traditionally held at Leoš Janáček Airport in Ostrava Mošnov. This year the 20th edition will take place on the weekend of September 19 and 20. It is one of the few events of its kind to take place in Europe this year, despite the pandemic situation, and thus one of the few presentation opportunities for defense and security companies. General Dynamics European Systems (GDELS), which is one of their main marketing partners of the event this year, has also been participating in NATO Days for several years.
Over the coming weekend, GDELS will demonstrate the latest version of the ASCOD 42 Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which the company is offering to the Czech Army as part of a tender for new tracked vehicles, in a static exhibition and during dynamic demonstrations. During NATO Days in recent years, the ASCOD 42 vehicle was presented in dynamic demonstrations in the form of a Fire Support Vehicle with turret mounted with a 120 mm caliber weapon or as an Infantry Fighting Vehicle with the UT-30 MK2 unmanned turret.
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Last year, a technological demonstrator of ASCOD 42 Infantry Fighting Vehicle with the MT-30 MK2 manned turret and a three-member crew plus eight carried troopers was presented at Mošnov Airport. This coming weekend, GDELS will premiere another development stage of the technological demonstrator of the ASCOD 42 Infantry Fighting Vehicle with the MT-30 MK2 manned tower, which will also take part in the planned November tests of the vehicles for the Czech Army. All variants of the ASCOD 42 vehicle presented at NATO Days in recent years demonstrate the variability of the ASCOD platform and the possibilities of installing various combat systems and interior layouts.
The main armament of the vehicle is the 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II cannon charged from the interior of the turret. A 7.62 mm machine gun is the additional weapon. In addition, the MT-30 MK2 turret houses a retractable launcher for two Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missiles. A very important aspect in terms of logistics and unification is the fact that the ASCOD 42 tracked Infantry Fighting Vehicle offered to the Czech Army uses the same equipment as the Czech Army's Pandur II CZ 8x8 wheeled Infantry Fighting Vehicle, and therefore the ammunition and ammunition delivery system and ammunition belts are fully compatible with those used in Pandur II CZ. If the Army chose the ASCOD 42 type, all logistics related to ammunition and armaments would be the same for the wheeled and tracked platforms, including Anti-Tank Guided Missiles.
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The Mk44 Bushmaster II cannon in the MT-30 MK2 manned turret has an elevation range of -10 degrees to +60 degrees, which is of exceptional value among modern Infantry Fighting Vehicles with manned turrets. Thanks to the large elevation range and the high cadence of the main weapon and modern electronic observation or aiming systems, the ASCOD 42 can thus effectively act against air targets. This is amplified by the ability to use so-called air-burst ammunition.
ASCOD 42 in the design of Infantry Fighting Vehicle has a base weight of 38 t, but with the possibility of increasing it to 42 t. ASCOD 42 therefore has a large weight reserve for growth potential and modernization or special equipment. The crew of the vehicle consists of three people (commander, gunner and driver), and there is space for an eight-member infantry team. The vehicle, which will be presented at NATO Days, is powered by the 600 kW MTU 8V MT199 TE21 engine connected by a RENK HSWL 256B transmission, but it can also be equipped with a more powerful power unit with an output of up to 800 kW or a hybrid propulsion system.