Thursday, December 04, 2008

Weapons Control System

IOC: December 2001
Total Production: 2,000

Protector

Production: 1,500

Also Known As
CROWS (Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station)
Protector M151 (US Army)
RWCS (Remote Weapons Control System)
Weapons Control System (early designation)

Origin
Norway

Contractor/s
Kongsberg Gruppen

Applications
AMV 8x8
Boxer
LAV II
M1126 Stryker ICV
M113
Piranha III 8x8
PMV Survivor II
RG-31
VAB

Family Members
Protector Lite
Protector NM221
Sea Protector

Description: The Weapons Control System (WCS), also known as Remote Weapon Station (RWS) or M151 Protector, was developed by Kongsberg of Norway to protect armored vehicles without exposing the vehicle's crew to enemy fire. Such a system enables the crew to effectively operate the weapon and sensor systems of the WCS well protected under armor. The Protector has been designed to integrate light and medium-caliber guns as well as missile and grenade launchers.

Protector Hellfire is a variant equipped with two AGM-114 Hellfire anti-armor missiles tested by the Royal Norwegian Navy in 2004. The Protector Javelin is a version provided with the Javelin anti-tank missile command launch unit (CLU) developed in cooperation with the US Army's AMRDEC, Redstone Arsenal, USA. The Protector family of weapon station is targeted at light and medium armored vehicles and small boats. More than 2,000 RWS have been produced for customers worldwide since December 2001.

To date, the WCS has been purchased by the armed forces of Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Switzerland and the United States of America. The US Army selected the M151 Protector to be integrated onto the Stryker wheeled multi-purpose vehicle primarily on the Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) variant, HMMWV and MRAP vehicles under the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) program awarded to Kongsberg in August 2007.

The basic M151 Protector weapon station integrates a 12.7mm (0.5 caliber) remotely operated M2 machine gun and several smoke grenades with a sensor package and sight system on a fully stabilized platform. So far, Kongsberg has produced more than 1,500 M151 Protector basic models. Its sensor package includes CCD-TV daylight camera, uncooled thermal camera and laser rangefinder.

On November 1st, 2005, General Dynamics Land Systems of Canada signed a contract valued at NOK 100 million ($17 million) with Kongsberg for the delivery of WCS for the Canadian Army. On 27 January 2006, the Irish Department of Defence signed a contract with MOWAG GmbH for 15 Piranha III 8x8 armored vehicles. Nine of the combat vehicles were set to be equipped with Kongsberg 12.7mm stabilized and remotely controlled weapon station and the remaining six vehicles with an OTO-Melara 30mm gun. Piranha III deliveries were expected to start in February 2007.

On June 1, 2006, the government of Canada awarded General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada a CAD $31 million contract for 25 additional RG-31 mine protected vehicles. The contract also included provision for the Kongsberg's M151 remote weapon stations valued at MNOK 51. Deliveries to the Canadian Army were planned between September and November 2006. These additional vehicles were an option from a previous contract awarded in November 2005 that called for the delivery of 50 vehicles.

Specifications
Guns: Main Gun Caliber 12.70 mm

Weights: Weight 128 kg (282 lb) excluding weapons and ammo

Performance: Azimuth Coverage 360 °, Coverage in Elevation 80 ° -20 to +60, FOV 45 °

Other: ZOOM 30

Protector - Contracts, Orders & Sales
Tuesday, August 21, 2007 US Army multi-year procurement order for Protector remote weapon stations (RWS) from Kongsberg. The five-year contract was valued at $292.89 million or up to $1 billion with all options exercised. The US Army contract was awarded to Kongsberg Defense under Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) program on August 21, 2007.

M151 Protector remote weapon station; items: 93; transferred from Norway to Canada in 2006
Items: 93

News
Kongsberg Awarded New Order for US Army's CROWS

Kongsberg Awarded New Contract for the US Army CROWS Program

US Army Places Two New Orders for Weapon Control Systems

Kongsberg Awarded US Army CROWS Weapon Station Contract for 2009

BAE Systems to Provide Thermal Imagers for US Army CROWS II Program

French VAB 4x4 to Receive Protector Weapon Control System

Netherlands Selects Protector Weapon Station for Boxer Armored Vehicles

Kongsberg Receives New Order for US Army CROWS

BAE Systems to Supply Thermal Sights to Kongsberg

Kongsberg and US Army Sign Multi-Year Agreement for Remote Weapon Stations

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Operators

see operators map | see family operators map

Australia

Provided to ASLAV vehicles

Canada

Provided to RG-31 vehicles

Czech Republic

Finland

Provided to AMV 8x8

France

Integrated on VAB

Ireland / 9

Integrated on Piranha

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Protector weapon stations provided to Dutch Boxer armored vehicles

Portugal

Switzerland

Protector weapon stations ordered for integration on the Swiss Army's Piranha vehicles.

United States of America

Integrated on Stryker, HMMWV and MRAPs

Image Gallery

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Internet Resources
Protector M151

Notes
(*) lead contractor
IOC: Initial Operating Capability
FOC: Full Operating Capability
CEP: Circular Error Probable
Comm: Commissioning Date
Meters (m) Kilometers (km) Nautic Miles (nm) Inch (in) Yard (yd) Foot (ft) Millimeter (mm)
Pound (lb) Kilogram (kg) kN (KiloNewton) Ton (t)
Meters per Second (mps) Kilometers per Hour (kph) Knot (kt) Miles per Hour (mph)
Liter (l) Galon (gl)
Year (yr) Minutes (min) Second (sec)
Shaft-Horse-Power (shp)

Last Updated: Saturday, November 22, 2008

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