I don't know if you have more info about this.
The French magazine RAIDS, dedicated its special issue N°73 to the "Secret Projects of the French Armoured Forces" published during winter 2019-2020.
I haven't managed to get hold of the magazine yet, but it mentions the AMX-APX ALLARM project with the title "The Himars before its time". From what we can see in the attached pictures, it is an MLRS on a 6-wheel chassis.
After reading the dedicated article, here is a short article summarizing the concept.
ALLARM
Source: Marc Chassillan, RAIDS Hors-série No. 73. A military engineer by training, Marc Chassillan is one of the few technical specialists in armored vehicles in France. He spent just over 25 years with GIAT and then with Nexter.
The APX is the concept of Lieutenant-Colonel Hatier, in response to a ‘challenge’ issued by Marc Chassillan to his students. To provide fire support in external theaters of operations with a system that can be projected by air and has a small logistical footprint. The system uses the same M26 rockets as the M270 MLRS in a basket containing 6 rounds. The concept is called ALLARM for Automoteur Léger Lance-Roquettes Multiple (Multiple Light Self Propelled Rocket Launcher). An artillery battery consists of 4 ALLARMs and 4 supply vehicles, each carrying 3 baskets of rockets. An ALLARM fire support battery can therefore fire 96 M26 rockets. Air transportable, it would have been possible to deploy a complete battery on 12 C130 sorties.
The challenge was to use an existing chassis. The study focused on the following chassis: ACMAT 6x6 and 8x8 trucks, TRM, VA, Sagaie, AMX-10 RC, AMX-10 RTT. The latter was chosen as the basis for the work. A two-seater cab is installed at the front, above the Powertrain. The latter is accessible, as the cab can be tilted. The concept envisaged a weight of 16 tonnes in combat configuration. Additional armor plates could be mounted on the cabin to achieve a STANAG 4569 level 2.
From an alternate history standpoint, the ALLARM was therefore a HIMARS 20 years ahead of its time. Two ALLARMs could have been fitted into an A400M. The system could have been updated to use the same Renault Sherpa 5 chassis as the CAESAR.
Length: 6.29 m
Width: 2.78 m
Height: 2.6 m
Weight: 16 tonnes
Armament: 1 basket of 6 M26 rockets
Propulsion: Baudouin Diesel Model 6F11
Range: about 800 km
Maximum speed: about 85–90 km/h on road, about 40–45 km/h off-road
Very interesting idea. Not sure that they picked the right chassis -- HIMARS use of an all-terrain truck seems more efficient -- but the general concept is excellent.
I've been wondering about other alternative chassis myself. I think the Korean Chunmoo is essentially a two-pod MLRS system on a truck chassis, and I'm wondering whether the Volvo truck used for Archer could also hold 2 MLRS pods.
Very interesting idea. Not sure that they picked the right chassis -- HIMARS use of an all-terrain truck seems more efficient -- but the general concept is excellent.
I've been wondering about other alternative chassis myself. I think the Korean Chunmoo is essentially a two-pod MLRS system on a truck chassis, and I'm wondering whether the Volvo truck used for Archer could also hold 2 MLRS pods.
I was thinking along similar lines TomS, but not so much for mobility and commonality of fleet, but more about identification and targeting reasons. I think the Soviet's and South African's always appreciated this reality with their BM-21 and Valkiri designs, keeping the look/shape of the truck as inconspicuous as possible.
TBF I imagine the AMX-10 wheeled chassis has improved mobility over the FMTV. More ground contact area, amphibious, and armored. At the very least it can ford a river or something.
The actual king of truck MLRS is the LIMAWS(R) which is CH-47 sling load transportable.
TBF I imagine the AMX-10 wheeled chassis has improved mobility over the FMTV. More ground contact area, amphibious, and armored. At the very least it can ford a river or something.
The actual king of truck MLRS is the LIMAWS(R) which is CH-47 sling load transportable.
I doubt the AMX-10 chassis could swim with the HIMARS launcher on it. AMX-10RC floats with the waterline right at the hull top as it is. Take away that enclosed volume at the middle and rear of the chassis and it's a sinker. It might ford deeper than HIMARS but not a lot deeper.
LIMAWS (R) is interesting. I guess the ability to sling load it would be handy for a ship-to-shore movement. The USMC Future Fires concept gets to the same place by mating an MLRS pod with the same unmanned platform as NEMESIS (basically a JLTV chassis, I think.)
VCA, Véhicule de Combat Aéromobile has unusual layout - asymmetric gun mounting along with two stage cabin. Seems, that this project doesn't has any further development?
VCA, Véhicule de Combat Aéromobile has unusual layout - asymmetric gun mounting along with two stage cabin. Seems, that this project doesn't has any further development?
VCA, Véhicule de Combat Aéromobile has unusual layout - asymmetric gun mounting along with two stage cabin. Seems, that this project doesn't has any further development?
Thanks for clarification! Now, we could see, that French companies not build and L'Armée de terre doesn't have in its inventory vehicles, represented in this magazine. However, different types, directly or indirectly suited for the same purposes, actively used: from AMX-10 RC to VBL. Perhaps, the above mentioned project eventually lead to the current set of Army vehicles?
P.S. I'm not military vehicle' specialist, just curious on the unusual projects
VCA, Véhicule de Combat Aéromobile has unusual layout - asymmetric gun mounting along with two stage cabin. Seems, that this project doesn't has any further development?
Thanks for clarification! Now, we could see, that French companies not build and L'Armée de terre doesn't have in its inventory vehicles, represented in this magazine. However, different types, directly or indirectly suited for the same purposes, actively used: from AMX-10 RC to VBL. Perhaps, the above mentioned project eventually lead to the current set of Army vehicles?
P.S. I'm not military vehicle' specialist, just curious on the unusual projects
The article "Genesis of the SCORPION armoured vehicles (1997-2000)" have direct ties to current French inventory and include insert about studies that lead to the current program.
After reading all the article, it appears that most of these studies led direct to the current French vehicle.
The ALLARM, V3T, Armoured tactical refuelling vehicle, ERAC 120mm, VAAF, SCORPIO, VCA didn't lead to anything.
There is an insert about a proto-CAESAR concept that have no known link to the current CAESAR.
RTD-UVZ ATOM is a cooperation between RTD and UVZ using some of the technologies from the VBCI to propose a replacement for the BTR. There was a prototype. Some of the ideas were integrated into the VBCI2
There was a prototype of the CRAB T40, but no sales to my knowledge.
On my side, I plan some recreation of some vehicles from the book. I don't know when I'll finish any of theme.
As we widened the topic discussed, I've renamed the thread to match the title of the magazine: Secret Projects of the French Armoured Forces.
Here is a turret design, called Pitbull, which never got beyond the study stage. It is not the subject of a full article, but is covered in an insert.
Article in French here.
A translation of an insert in the article dedicated to ALLARM. This is also a hint on the French Secret Projects that I will post in a few days.
Source: Marc Chassillan, RAIDS Hors-série No. 73.
Twelve years before the CAESAR (i.e. around 1992), the Matenin company proposed a light air-transportable self-propelled vehicle based on the chassis of the mine burier in service in the army at that time. RAIDS can find the ‘plans’ for this. The platform was stabilized during firing by two lateral supports. The artillery piece was the European FH70 gun of 155 mm and 39 calibers.
A translation of an insert in the article dedicated to ALLARM. This is also a hint on the French Secret Projects that I will post in a few days.
Source: Marc Chassillan, RAIDS Hors-série No. 73.
Twelve years before the CAESAR (i.e. around 1992), the Matenin company proposed a light air-transportable self-propelled vehicle based on the chassis of the mine burier in service in the army at that time. RAIDS can find the ‘plans’ for this. The platform was stabilized during firing by two lateral supports. The artillery piece was the European FH70 gun of 155 mm and 39 calibers.
Excellent work once again TomTom; I presume the V3T shall be your next work (assuming you will be continuing with the concepts mentioned in the magazine?)
Excellent work once again TomTom; I presume the V3T shall be your next work (assuming you will be continuing with the concepts mentioned in the magazine?)
V3t is one of the projects I want to work on, but before that I've a few turrets to draw as I'm going to use them in some "what if" inspired by the magazine.
T40 turret
105 TML turret
120 FER/POLE turret
Hornet turret
Tarask turret
(I'f you have some okayish blueprint of Hornet & Tarask turret that I can use as a base, it would be helpful)
Regarding vehicles, I plan to draw:
V3T
CRAB T40
CV90 with 105 TML turret
AMX-10 with 105 TML turret
AMX-10 with T40 turret
Leclerc T40
VBM Vextra (with various variants)
VBCI with 120 FER/POLE turret
RTD/UVZ ATOM
VAAF (with various variants)
Not part of the magazine, but still a French tank I want to draw:
AMX-40
Leclerc T4
Why?
First because they are cool.
Secondly, because I will reuse some of them in some of my alternate histories, use them as base for other concept.
When?
When I've time, because I work on a good deal of stuff, but it's a hobby.
Brilliant work TomTom!
However, I must point out that as the ALLARM only has one pod, it would only have one crane unlike the M270 which had two side-by-side as seen in your illustration...
Edit: On another note, perhaps is it just me, or did the blueprints/diagrams (and subsequent illustrations they were based upon) miss that the turntable seems to be positioned too low, which would hence cut into the wheels when rotated, especially for reloading (see inset)? Perhaps it should "sit" on something to ensure greater clearance?
ALLARM was imagined using the AMX10 (RC/RTT) chassis as a basis. Which means that it have oleopneumatic suspension with variable ground clearance and ride height.
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