How It Works - UK (2020-02)

http://www.howitworksdaily.com How It Works 081

DID YOU KNOW? 589 Ajax vehicles, in all six variants, have been ordered for the British Army

SCAN HERE

R ZONE!

Pre-field preparation

BeforeputtingAFVstouse,theyneedto

gothroughrigoroustestingtoensurethey

cantackledifficultterrain,weapon

exposureandharshconditionswithout

degradation.Ajaxvehicleswereput

throughtrialsinSweden,duringwhich

theyweresubjectedtotemperaturesof

-40degreesandthefiringofover3,500

cannonstotestweaponcapability.

Thereis nousehavingvehiclesfitforall

circumstancesif thosedrivingit aren’t

completelyconfidentinmanoeuvringit.To

preparesoldiers,mostofthetrainingis

doneusingsimulation.Thisallowsthe

vehiclestobepreservedforthebattlefield

andmeansthatthemajoritycanbeputto

practicaluseratherthankeptintraining

grounds.Theheavysimulationincludesall

thedigitalaspectsofthevehicleandeven

providesrealisticsensationsoftheforces

experienced.Around 80 percentofthe

trainingis carriedoutonthesesimulators.

Usingthesimulators,driversareableto

connecttoothervehicledevicesto

practiceoperatingandcommunicating

togetherasa troopofuptofourvehicles.

S

©Andrew Linnett/MOD

What components prepare Ajax for

unknown territory?

Ajax anatomy

© Illustration by Adrian Mann

Laserdetector

Equippedwitha laserwarning

system,thecategorisationand

locationofanylaserthreatscan

beautomaticallyprocessed.

Smokegrenade

launchers

If dangeris detected,

suchasbeinghitbya

laser,anautomatic

smokecloudis initiated

torestrictenemyvision.

Acousticdetectors

Ajaxhasthree‘ears’– twoatthefront

andoneattheback– topickup

surroundingthreatsandtheirlocation.

Automatic

cannon

The40mmcannon

is integratedinto

thevehicle’sturret

witha 7.62mm

machinegun.

Primarysightingsystem

Themainsightingdeviceis placedat

thetopofthevehicletogivethe

commander360-degreeviews.

Secondarysighting

system

Thesecondarysightis forthe

gunner,whocanspottargets

fromgreatdistancesand

accuratelyengagewiththem.

Driver’speriscope

Withoutgoingabovethearmour,

thedriveris abletoseea

360-degreeviewofscenes

outsidethrougha periscope.

Surveillancesystem

Thedigitalwide-areasurveillance

systemrotatesaroundthewhole

viewonceeverysixseconds.

Cameras

Therearethreecamerasforthecrewto

lookat,andeightaroundthevehicle,all

suitablefordayandnightconditions

andwitha widefieldofview.

Remoteweapon

station

Workingwiththe

stabilisationsystems,the

remoteweaponsystem

rapidlyfixestheturret

ontotargets,evenwith

thevehiclein motion.