The US Army is once again looking for vendors to provide an Integrated Fire Control System (IFCS) for its M3E1 Multi-Role Anti-Armor Anti-Personnel Weapon System (MAAWS) recoilless rifle but with a few changes.
In a 16 September market survey, the service updated a 2018 sources sought notice for an IFCS with two “major revisions”. First, it can now be a digital only solution and not just a direct-view optic, and, secondly, it now must have an integrated night vision capability.
“Warfighters require a fire control device to increase probability of hit…and decrease engagement time when using the M3E1 MAAWS against both static and moving targets,” the army wrote. “The fire control device described provides target acquisition, gun sighting, range to target, and an in-scope ballistic firing solution. The IFCS shall be used for engagements of targets in both day and night conditions, adverse weather, obscured visibility, and dirty battlefield conditions.”
Saab Dynamics’s 84 mm Lightweight Carl Gustaf rifle currently fills the army’s M3E1 MAAWS programme. The recoilless rifle designed to engage lightly armoured targets at ranges out to 500 meters and soft targets out to 800 meters.
Saab’s Lightweight Carl Gustaf recoilless rifle, which it markets as the M4, is sold to the US Army as the M3E1 MAAWS. The service is looking for an IFCS for the weapon. (Saab)
By adding an IFCS to the weapon, the service wants users to be able to recognise and acquire range to vehicle-sized targets out to 1,300 m in the day and 800 m at night and be able to track targets moving up to 20 km/h.
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