In 1994, GIAT Industries (now KNDS France) and Royal Ordnance (now BAE Systems) created CTA International, a 50-50 Franco-British joint venture. France and the United Kingdom will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the CTAI creation next October, and it is therefore an opportunity to take a snapshot of this successful European cooperation.
COMPETITION
Under the Ajax and Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP) programmes, 515 guns have been delivered to the British MOD as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE).
In France and Belgium, a total of 360 Jaguar is planned, of which around eighty have already been delivered. The choice of the French Marine Nationale in favour of the Thales-KNDS France RapidFire system to arm the Jacques Chevallier-class Fleet Supply Vessels and future Ocean Patrol Vessels corresponds to approximately 50 additional guns. As of today, the cumulative sales and backlog lead to be in excess of 900 weapons and more than 200,000 munitions of all types.
THE STRENGTH OF THE CTAS SYSTEM
The Jaguar incorporates the comprehensive CTA System, or CTAS. The CTAS is a turnkey, stand-alone system which includes the fire-power function (cannon), the ammunition supply/storage function (Ammunition Handling System or AHS), the electrical elevation and azimuth turret drive function (Moog supply) and the management of the system (status, safety features, built-in-test, operating modes, ballistic calculation and fire control system) thanks to a digital computer with secured software operating on a real-time operating system. You “just” need to interface an optronic suite for target detection and a shell, and you obtain a turret. The adoption of the CTAS was the approach followed by KNDS France and Thales in two different versions adapted to land warfare for one, naval requirements for the other. For the latter, the RapidFire barrel is slightly heavier to adapt it to the firing constraints of the anti-air dedicated KE-AB ammunition and to provide a very high aiming and firing accuracy when rapid targets are engaged. Its centring device into the cradle has also been modified.
Finally, electrically driven (not gas-operated), the 40CT cannon proposes a significantly reduced maintenance burden. For memory the 40CT Cannon has been qualified in 2014 after 15,000+ firings through the UK-FR qualification programme.
A COMPLETE RANGE OF AMMUNITION
The CT40 ammunition range includes seven natures. The APFSDS-T tungsten projectile penetrates more than 140 mm of RHA at 1,500 meters, which is well beyond STANAG 4569 Level 6. This provides Ajax and Jaguar with the ability to destroy all IFVs in service or in development. The GPR-PD-T (point detonating) explodes by direct impact on the target. It has the capacity to penetrate and blow-up part of reinforced concrete walls (>200 mm). Its effectiveness is also demonstrated on light or softly protected targets such as light armoured vehicles. The GPR-AB-T “airburst” has a programmable fuse which allows it to be detonated at a given distance. It is effective against entrenched infantry, and to some extent against aerial targets. The KE-AB, which does not contain any explosive charge, was developed to increase effects on an aerial target. The payload, made of tungsten pellets, is heavier than that of the GPR-AB-T. It is the preferred ammunition of naval RapidFire for destroying drones and missiles threatening a ship. It projects forward a shower of shards, which helps compensate for possible range finding errors. The GPR-KE-T is an inert, non-explosive ball that can neutralize non-hardened targets without collateral effects, punch a hole in a wall to neutralize a sniper or stop a car entirely by shooting into the engine block.
The Jaguar can host 64 ammunitions in its AHS, while the RapidFire has 71 ready rounds. The AHS allows to mix any type of ammunition in the same firing. Fire control calls up the ammunition chosen by the operator in the turret, and it is automatically loaded into the breech. It is possible to fire several types of ammunition in the same burst and on the same target to obtain assured neutralization. For example, APFSDS and explosive rounds onto an armoured vehicle. Fire control automatically adapts the aim of the weapon in real time without specific action for the gunner.
MORE TO COME
CTAI declares itself agnostic regarding its potential prospects. The CTAS, the weapon and the ammunition are offered to foreign turret integrators/prime contractors and are not reserved exclusively for KNDS and BAE Systems. The diffusion of the CT40 standard involves licenses granted to other countries and long-term industrial cooperation agreements.