Remote Control

There has been an increased demand for Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) and unmanned turrets in recent years. These systems provide a range of benefits, and are seen as particularly useful in certain roles where an inhabited turret may not be necessary.

- Gerrard Cowan

RWS have increasingly replaced the cupolas, the shielded pintle-mounted machine guns, previously previously furnishing almost all types of combat vehicles, said Oykun Eren, weapon systems and core engineering manager at FNSS, a Turkish joint venture between BAE Systems and Nurol Holding. This means the gunner can be moved “practically from outside the vehicle, in harm’s way, to the inside, surrounded by armour.” There are differences within the broader family of remote systems, said Mr. Eren: in most cases, whilst unmanned turrets can be accessed from within the vehicle, the classic RWS cannot. Additionally, an RWS will not have the same degree of all-round armoured protection as an unmanned turret, he said.

Unmanned turrets are becoming the preferred choice for the medium calibre segment in particular, Mr. Eren continued, especially in the 30mm and 40mm categories. However, RWS are also gaining increased lethality in this segment, with some being armed with Orbital ATK’s M-230LF 30mm chain gun, for example: “The older versions of RWSs are being replaced by systems with (a) stabilisation capability, to enable surveillance and firing-on-the-move,” he added. FNSS has been involved with RWS and unmanned turrets for a decade, Mr. Eren added starting with a programme launched in 2007 to develop the CLAW; a 25mm unmanned turret. The company has now replaced this with a remote version of its TEBER turret, known as the TEBER Remote Controlled Turret (RCT), which can be armed with weapons in the 30mm, 35mm, or 40mm Super Shot calibre ranges. The company is also working on lightweight unmanned turrets that can be integrated onto lighter four-wheel and six-wheel drive platforms, he noted.