A remote controlled weapon station (RCWS), or remote weapon station (RWS), also known as a remote weapon system (RWS), is a remotely operated weaponized system often equipped with
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 ...
for light and medium-
caliber
In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the finished bore matc ...
weapons which can be installed on
a ground combat vehicle or sea- and air-based combat platforms. Such equipment is used on modern military vehicles, as it allows a gunner to remain in the relative protection of the vehicle. It may also be retrofitted onto existing vehicles; for example, the
Crows
The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is a series of remote weapon stations used by the US military on its armored vehicles and ships. It allows weapon operators to engage targets without leaving the protection of their vehicle. ...
system is being fitted to American
Humvee
The High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV; colloquial: Humvee) is a family of light, four-wheel drive, military trucks and utility vehicles produced by AM General. It has largely supplanted the roles previously performed by the or ...
s.
Examples
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Electro Optic Systems
*
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FN Herstal
Fabrique Nationale Herstal (), trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium. It is currently the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe.
...
: deFNder Family
*
**
REMAX
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Rheinmetall Canada:
Fieldranger
*
** UW4A
** CS/LK4
** H/PJ17
*
**Hornet
**Hornet Lite
**Hornet S
*
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Patria:
PML 127 OWS
* :
** DRWS-1
** DRWS-2
** RWS-23
* :
**
FLW 100, FLW 200 and FLW 200+
* :
** BEL RCWS
** MDSL RWS
** SHARANG RWS
*
** ARIO-H762
**
Raad - 30mm remote control turret
* :
**
Typhoon Weapon System
The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station (Samson RCWS), a land-based sys ...
**
Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station
**
Rafael Overhead Weapon Station
* :
**
Hitfist
Oto Melara Hitfist is a two-man turret, for armored vehicles, developed by the Italian Oto Melara.
The turrets are designed to mount a 25mm Oerlikon KBA or 30/40mm ATK Mk44 Bushmaster II autocannon. The main armament may mount a co-axial machin ...
**
Hitfist OWS
Hitfist OWS is a remotely operated turret, for armored vehicles, developed by the Italian Oto Melara and derived from Hitfist.
The turrets are designed to mount a main armament of an autocannon of 25 or 30 mm. The main armament may mount a ...
**
Hitrole
The Hitrole is a remote weapons station manufactured by Italian arms company Oto Melara (merged into Leonardo S.p.A., previously Finmeccanica since 2016).
The ''"role"'' portion of the name is short for "''R''emotely ''O''perated, ''L''ight ''E' ...
*
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Kongsberg Defence Systems
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace is one of three business units of Kongsberg Gruppen (KONGSBERG) of Norway and the supplier of defence contractor, defence and space technology, space related systems and products, mainly anti-ship missiles, military c ...
:
Protector (RWS)
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ZSMU Kobuz
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XTR-101/102 - 20mm remote control turret
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Bumerang-BM
The Bumerang-BM ( rus, Бумеранг-БМ) or DUBM-30 Epoch is a remotely controlled turret for the T-15 Armata heavy IFV, Kurganets-25 and Bumerang platforms. It was first seen in public in 2015 during rehearsals for the Moscow Victory Day ...
- 30mm remote control turret
**
AU-220M - 57mm remote control turret
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**
Сервал
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BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa
BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa is a South African defence company and a subsidiary of BAE Systems Land Systems, itself part of BAE Systems Land and Armaments.
Land Systems South Africa is organised into three divisions: Land Systems OM ...
:
TRT-25 remote weapon station
The TRT-25 is a Remote weapon station (RWS) made by BAE Systems Land Systems South Africa incorporating a M242 Bushmaster 25 mm (25×137mm) autocannon. The turret is designed as a self-protection and fire support weapon for Light Armoured Vehi ...
**
Reutech Solutions:
Rogue
A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior.
Rogue or rogues may also refer to:
Companies
* Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon
* Rogue Arts, a film production company
* Rogue Entertainment, a software co ...
*
**
Saab
Saab or SAAB may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Saab Group, a Swedish aerospace and defence company, formerly known as SAAB, and later as Saab AB
** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab AB
* Saab Automobile, a fo ...
:
Trackfire
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Aselsan SMASH
The SMASH is a type of remote controlled weapon station manufactured by Aselsan of Turkey. The system is fitted with 30mm Mk44 Bushmaster II auto-cannon.
Overview
The weapon is mounted on a stabilized pedestal mounting which allows it to remain ...
: It is a stabilized weapon station manufactured by
Aselsan and fitted with 30mm
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 ...
autocanon.
**
Aselsan STOP
The STOP is a type of remote controlled weapon station manufactured by Aselsan of Turkey. The system can be fitted with either a 25 mm Oerlikon KBA
The Oerlikon KBA is a 25 mm (25×137mm) autocannon, developed as a close range multipurpose ...
: It is fitted with either a 25 mm
Oerlikon KBA
The Oerlikon KBA is a 25 mm (25×137mm) autocannon, developed as a close range multipurpose weapon for the mechanised battlefield, originally made by Oerlikon (now Rheinmetall AG) and currently produced in Rheinmetall Italia S.p.A. facilities. I ...
or a
M242 Bushmaster
The M242 Bushmaster chain gun is a 25 mm (25×137mm) single-barrel chain-driven autocannon. It is used extensively by the U.S. military, such as in the Bradley fighting vehicle, as well as by other NATO members and some other nations in grou ...
autocanon.
**
Aselsan STAMP
The STAMP is a lightweight remote controlled weapon stations manufactured by Aselsan of Turkey. It can be fitted with either a 7.62 mm / 12.7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher.
Overview
The system stabilizer allows gun ...
,
Aselsan STAMP-2: These can be fitted with either a 7.62 mm / 12.7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm grenade launcher.
**
Aselsan STAMP-G: It can be fitted with either a 12.7 mm
GAU-19
The GAU-19/A (GECAL 50) is an electrically driven, three-barrel rotary heavy machine gun that fires the .50 BMG (12.7×99mm) cartridge.
Technical specifications
The GAU-19/A is designed to accept standard NATO .50 caliber M9-linked ammunition ...
gatling gun or a 7.62 mm / 12.7 mm machine gun or a 40 mm
Mk 19 grenade launcher.
*
**Combat module SPYS-SYNTEZ, NATO nomenclature code: 2510-61-015-0429
**Parus
** Doublet
** Taipan
** Shturm-M
** Kastet
*
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MSI-Defence Systems:
Seahawk DS Remote
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Thales
Thales of Miletus ( ; grc-gre, Θαλῆς; ) was a Greek mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and pre-Socratic philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. He was one of the Seven Sages of Greece. Many, most notably Aristotle, regarded ...
:
SWARM
Swarm behaviour, or swarming, is a collective behaviour exhibited by entities, particularly animals, of similar size which aggregate together, perhaps milling about the same spot or perhaps moving ''en masse'' or migrating in some direction. ...
*
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CROWS
The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is a series of remote weapon stations used by the US military on its armored vehicles and ships. It allows weapon operators to engage targets without leaving the protection of their vehicle. ...
**
Typhoon Weapon Station
The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station (Samson RCWS), a land-based ...
: including Typhoon models designated MK38 MOD 2
and later MK 38 MOD 3,
and the Mini-Typhoon models designated MK49 MOD 0 ROSAM (Remote Operated Small Arms Mount)
and later MK49 MOD 1.
See also
*
Gun turret
A gun turret (or simply turret) is a mounting platform from which weapons can be fired that affords protection, visibility and ability to turn and aim. A modern gun turret is generally a rotatable weapon mount that houses the crew or mechanis ...
*
Sentry gun
A sentry gun is a weapon that is automatically aimed and fired at targets that are detected by sensors. The earliest functioning military sentry guns were the close-in weapon systems point-defense weapons, such as the Phalanx CIWS, used for det ...
References
External link
{{Commonscatinline
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*RWS