Ripsaw (vehicle)
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Ripsaw | |
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300px | |
Type | Light tank |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
Used by | United States Army |
Production history | |
Designer | Howe & Howe Technologies |
Manufacturer | Howe & Howe Technologies |
Unit cost | 250,000 |
Produced | 2009-present |
Variants | MS1 (unmanned), MS2 (driver optional) |
Specifications | |
Weight | 9,000 lbs |
Height | 70 in |
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Armor | None (aluminum frame) |
Engine | 6.6 duramax diesel 750 hp |
Power/weight | 1000 ft/lbs |
Payload capacity | 2,000 lbs. |
Suspension | 16 in. Travel |
Ground clearance | 24 in |
Speed | 95 Mph |
The Ripsaw is a developmental unmanned light tank designed and built by Howe & Howe Technologies for evaluation by the United States Army.[1]
The Howe brothers started the Ripsaw as a small family project in 2000. They introduced it at a Dallas vehicle show in 2001, where it caught the interest of the U.S. Army. Later that year the U.S. Military ordered a prototype MS-1 to be made and shipped to Iraq.[citation needed]
The Ripsaw is intended to perform various missions including convoy protection, perimeter defense, surveillance, rescue, border patrol, crowd control, and explosive ordnance disposal. For perimeter defense or crowd control, a belt of M5 Modular Crowd Control Munitions (MCCM) can be mounted around the vehicle to break up crowds or non-lethally engage personnel with flash-bang effects and rubber bullets. Multiple cameras provide 360-degree coverage for situational awareness for the operator.[2][3]
The Army has tested the Ripsaw while remote-controlled by a soldier in another armored vehicle up to 1 km (0.62 mi) away. Its weapon system is modified to fire remotely using the Advanced Remote Armament System (ARAS), a gun that self-loads its own ammunition and can swap out various types of ammunition, such as lethal and non-lethal, in just a few seconds. These capabilities allow manned vehicles to send the Ripsaw out in front of them and engage targets without exposing soldiers to threats.[4]
Variants
- Ripsaw UGV (non-militarized) prototype could accelerate to 65 mph in about 3.5 seconds, since it was lighter, but it wasn’t as strong/rugged.
- Ripsaw MS1 tactical UGV utilizes a powerful oversized and customized 650-horsepower Duramax 6.6L V8 diesel engine that delivers 900 ft-lbs (~ 1,220 Nm) of torque.[5] The Ripsaw MS1 was a test platform made to test off-road capabilities. It was exclusively unmanned, cost $200,000 and could accelerate from 0-65 mph in 3 seconds.[2][3]
- Ripsaw MS2 UGV is made to be larger, faster, and more modular than the MS1. It weighs 4.5 tons and can carry a one-ton payload. The lightweight tubular chassis design is powered by a 6.6 liter duramax diesel engine generating 600 hp and 1000 ft/lb of torque. Fully loaded, the MS2 can accelerate from 0-50 mph in 5.5 seconds and has a top speed of 60 mph. The vehicle can traverse 50 degree gradients and 45 degree slopes. It can be optionally manned or tele-operated from a nearby command vehicle. Armament can include an M240 machine gun or M2 .50-caliber machine gun, and it has been tested with the Javelin missile. If the Ripsaw is damaged or destroyed, parts can be "cannibalized" in the field and re-assembled quickly. An MS2 vehicle costs $750,000.[2][3]
- Ripsaw MS3 UGV is being tested by RDECOM under the Remote Armed Maneuver Platform (RAMP) initiative to integrate the M153 CROWS remote weapon system onto an unmanned vehicle.[6] RAMP was demonstrated at Fort Benning, Georgia in October 2013 as part of the Army's Armed Unmanned Ground Vehicle (AUGV) program.[7]
See also
- Black Knight (vehicle)
- Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle
- Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle
- Wiesel AWC (45 mph fast, manned armoured tracked weapons carrier)
References
- ↑ Teel, Roger A.. "Ripsaw demonstrates capabilities at APG." The United States Army Homepage. N.p., 16 July 2010. Web. 4 Aug. 2010. <http://www.army.mil/-news/2010/07/16/42405-ripsaw-demonstrates-capabilities-at-apg/>.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Weaponized RipSaw-MS2 UGV Evaluated for Convoy Security & Support - Defense-Update.com, 14 December 2009
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 A 9,000-Pound Tank That’s Faster Than a Ferrari - Industrytap.com, 25 September 2013
- ↑ Ripsaw could lead Soldiers into battle someday - Army.mil, 6 May 2015
- ↑ "Ripsaw." Howe & Howe Technologies. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Aug. 2010. <http://www.howeandhowetechnologies.com/ripsaw.php>.
- ↑ Remote Armed Maneuver Platform
- ↑ UGV models face off over firepower, load carrying - Armytimes.com, 12 October 2013
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