The Protector RWS is a
remotely controlled weapons station (RWS) that can be mounted to vehicles and stationary platforms. It has been in full scale production since December 2001. It is manufactured by
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace of
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
.
Design
The system consists of a stabilized firing platform, a
fire-control system
A fire-control system (FCS) is a number of components working together, usually a gun data computer, a director, and radar, which is designed to assist a ranged weapon system to target, track, and hit a target. It performs the same task as a ...
and
control grips. Several weapons can be mounted to the platform, such as:
*
M2 Browning
The M2 machine gun or Browning .50 caliber machine gun (informally, "Ma Deuce") is a heavy machine gun that was designed towards the end of World War I by John Browning. Its design is similar to Browning's earlier M1919 Browning machine gun, ...
12.7x99
.50 BMG heavy machine gun
*
NSV 12.7x108
heavy machine gun
*
M240/
FN MAG 7.62×51mm NATO
The 7.62×51mm NATO (official NATO nomenclature 7.62 NATO) is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It is a standard for small arms among NATO countries.
First developed in the 1950s, the cartridge had first been introduced in U.S. service fo ...
general-purpose machine gun
*
M249/
FN Minimi 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun
A light machine gun (LMG) is a light-weight machine gun designed to be operated by a single infantryman, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. LMGs firing cartridges of the same caliber as the other riflemen of the ...
*
MK19 40×53 mm automatic grenade launcher
*
H&K GMG
The GMG (''Granatmaschinengewehr'' or "grenade machine gun") is an automatic grenade launcher developed by Heckler & Koch for the German Army. It is also often referred to as GMW or GraMaWa (''Granatmaschinenwaffe'').
Design details
The GMG fir ...
40×53 mm automatic grenade launcher
*
XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon
The XM307 Advanced Crew Served Weapon (ACSW) was a developmental 25 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher with programmable airburst capability. It is the result of the '' OCSW'' or ''Objective Crew Served Weapon'' project. It is lightweight an ...
*
Javelin anti-tank guided missile
*
Hellfire anti-tank guided missile (from a modified Protector)
Versions
Several versions of Protector have been developed with more than 20,000 units sold around the world in service with 23 countries. Between the M151 and M153 variants KONGSBERG has delivered more than 18,000 systems to the U.S. Armed Services. These systems are in-service within every branch of the U.S. military and many US agencies.
Overview
The Protector family includes the RS2, RS4 and RS6 Remote Weapon Stations, with weapons from light machine guns (5.56mm) to light cannons (30mmx113mm
M230 chain gun).
It also includes the Remote Turrets, designed for medium caliber cannons like 30mmx173mm and 40mmx180mm (
Mk44 Bushmaster II
The Mk44 Bushmaster II is a 30 mm chain gun manufactured by Northrop Grumman. It is a derivative of the 25 mm M242 Bushmaster, and uses 70% of the same parts as the M242 while increasing the firepower by as much as 50% with the 20% increas ...
).
M151 versions
* M151 Protector – deployed with the first
Stryker brigades
* M151 E1 (Block 1) – includes improved thermal cameras
* M151 E2 (Block 2) – stabilized version
* Several country specific adaptations
* Weight (kg): 135
* Height (mm): 749
*
Operating temperature
An operating temperature is the allowable temperature range of the local ambient environment at which an electrical or mechanical device operates. The device will operate effectively within a specified temperature range which varies based on the de ...
(in °Celsius): -46 to +65
* Storage temperature (in °Celsius): -51 to +71
The system also features 4 M6 Smoke Grenade Dischargers. Specifications (excluding weapons and ammo):
M153 Protector
M153 Protector is designed to meet
CROWS II requirement. Specifications (excluding weapons and ammo):
* Weight (kg): 172
* Height (mm): 762
* Operating temperature (in °Celsius): -46 to +65
* Storage temperature (in °Celsius): -51 to +71
Other variants
;Protector Lite
:Protector Lite is a lightweight version for 7.62 mm machine gun with 200 rounds of ammunition carried.
;Protector Super Lite
:Protector Super Lite is the lightest version currently available, and is a lightweight (30 kg), man-portable system that can be operated both remotely and manually. The Super Lite is fully stabilized and adaptable to any wheeled, tracked or stabilized platform, including tripods.
;Protector Medium Caliber RWS
:Protector Medium Caliber RWS is designed as a vehicle turret for 20 to 50 mm autocannons, with coaxial machinegun of 5.56 to 7.62 mm. Specifications (including weapons and ammo):
;Sea Protector
:Sea Protector is developed for naval applications.:
:In operation, maximum azimuth
slew rate >100°/s, with maximum elevation slew Rate >50°/s. Range of Elevation -20° to +60°
;Protector Dual RWS
Protector Dual RWS mounts two weapons. It provides a dual user functionality (Gunner / Commander). The coaxial weapon is mounted on the same axis as the main gun.
;Protector with Non Lethal Effectors
:Protector with Non Lethal Effectors is designed to close a capability gap in peacekeeping, peace enforcement and humanitarian operations as well as today's asymmetric warfare.
;Protector Nordic
:Protector Nordic is claimed by the Norwegian remote weapon station developer as the most technically advanced Protector RWS ordered to date, and is a key element in the foundation for cooperation in the Nordic material programs. The extended functionality includes the Day Camera VIS 95 with 95 field of view and the Infrared Aim Laser (850 nm), both developed by Kongsberg.
;Protector NM221
:Protector NM221 includes internal ammunition feed.
Users
* –
ASLAV PC vehicle
* – Currently installed on the
RG-31
The RG-31 Nyala is a 4×4 multi-purpose mine-resistant ambush protected infantry mobility vehicle manufactured in South Africa by Land Systems OMC (the division of Denel SOC LTD, located in Benoni, South Africa) and in Turkey by FNSS Defenc ...
and
TAPV fleet. Additional units are on order for integration on the
ACSV fleet, with deliveries starting in late 2020.
* –
Patria AMV, 175
* –
LMV
* –
CV90 family
* –
Patria AMV vehicle
* –
Renault VAB
* –
TATA Kestrel
* – Unknown
* –
Mowag Piranha IIIH CRV and
RG-32M LTV
* – Currently only a few for testing
* –
VBL Mk 2
* –
Dingo 2
The ATF Dingo is a German heavily armored military MRAP infantry mobility vehicle based on a Unimog chassis with a V-hull design, produced by the company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW). The first prototype of the Dingo 1 was completed in 1995 and t ...
vehicle
* –
Boxer vehicle
* – Unknown
* –
CV90 family (Protector Nordic),
NM205F3 APC (Protector NM221),
Iveco LMV (Protector Lite),
Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate
The ''Fridtjof Nansen''-class frigates are a class of frigates that are the main surface combatant units of the Royal Norwegian Navy. The ships are named after famous Norwegian explorers, with the lead ship of the class bearing the name of Fri ...
(Sea Protector),
HNoMS Maud and
Skjold-class corvette
''Skjold''-class corvettes (skjold means "shield" in Norwegian) are a class of six light, superfast, stealth missile corvettes in service with the Royal Norwegian Navy. The boats were formerly classed as MTBs ( motor torpedo boats) but, from 20 ...
(Sea Protector)
* –
Pandur II
* – Unknown
* –
Patria AMV
* –
Piranha I vehicle cdmt,
Mowag Duro IIIP and canot-patrouilleur 16
* –
Sisu Pasi,
Patria AMV,
ARCHER Artillery System
The Archer Artillery System, or Archer – FH77BW L52, or Artillerisystem 08 is a self-propelled gun system for Sweden and Norway. The heart of the system is a fully automated 155 mm/L52 gun howitzer and a M151 Protector remote controlled weapo ...
,
RG-32M
* – Unknown
* – Unknown
* – used on Mastiff vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan,
Ajax family of vehicles
* –
Stryker,
M1A2 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation American main battle tank designed by Chrysler Defense (now General Dynamics Land Systems) and named for General Creighton Abrams. Conceived for modern armored ground warfare and now one of the heaviest ta ...
, and numerous other vehicles
* – to be used on 490
VCBI IFVs.
* – used on
Joint Light Tactical Vehicles.
* – Used on
Piranha V
The Piranha V Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) is one variant of the fifth generation of the Mowag Piranha family of vehicles. It was designed by General Dynamics European Land Systems - Mowag GmbH.
Design
Mobility
While the Piranha V is avai ...
vehicles.
Gallery
File:SEC Det X ASLAVs.jpg, Australian ASLAV-PCs in Iraq
File:Remote Weapons Station on a Canadian Nyala -a.jpg, Canadian RG-31s in Afghanistan
Image:Rws stryker interiorscreen.jpg, Interior control station for M151 Protector Remote Weapon Station in Stryker ICV
Image:Stryker 25th ID Iraq DF-SD-05-12693.JPEG, Stryker ICV on patrol in Iraq
File:Slovenians Patria AMV.jpg, Slovenian Patria AMVs with 40mm Mk 19 automatic grenade launchers.
References
External links
{{commons category
Kongsberg Protector RWS webpage
Vehicle weapons
Remote weapon stations
Kongsberg Gruppen
Goods manufactured in Norway
Goods manufactured in France
Military equipment introduced in the 2000s