I wanted to introduce this company and its Reconfigurable Integrated weapons Platform (RIwP) because I think it is the type of weapon system the Coast Guard needs to meet current and future threats, including countering unmanned systems, as the primary weapon on buoy tenders, ice breakers, and Webber class, and as a secondary mount on NSCs and OPCs.
This is the Reconfigurable Integrated-Weapons Platform (RIwP) mounted on a 39 foot long Unmanned Surface Vessel. This version includes launchers for four Stinger missiles, eight APKWS, and a 30mm M230 that can fire air burst munitions.
There are actually two versions,
- Standard RIwP: Built with armored steel, weighs approximately 2,500 lbs, hosts a 30mm cannon (with 115 rounds), and integrates with vehicles like the Stryker (used in the U.S. Army’s M-SHORAD Increment 1 / SGT Stout program), M-ATV, and AMPV.
- Lightweight RIwP (LW RIwP) / Mr. Sled: An aluminum-based platform weighing under 950–1,070 lbs that fits lighter vehicles like the Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV) to meet U.S. Army M-SHORAD Increment 4 requirements for defeating Group 1 through 4 unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
They are both platform and payload agnostic.
Payloads can be changed in minutes with organic maintenance personnel and minimal lift capability.
They are reconfigurable meaning both sensors and weapons can be changed or upgraded. The two arms can each hold either two loitering munitions, two Hellfire/JAGM, four stingers, or eight APKWS. It can also mount 7.62 mm in addition to a 30mm machine gun.
Thanks for sharing this Chuck.
It is an impressive platform
I went and looked at the full specs and here are a few basic highlights size wise.
The Standard Specification is reinforced steel and the weight is ~2,500 lbs.
The Lightweight Specification is aluminum and the wright is < 950 lbs.
Standard Base Assembly has a width of 64.7 in. and Total Width of 101.8 in.
Lightweight Base Assembly has a width of 49.6 in. and Total Width of 85.6 in.
The two things that caught my attention were these:
Proven Capability – RIwP is the centerpiece for the Army’s Maneuver Short Range Air Defense Increment 1 (SGT Stout) program, the Army’s mobile Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) program, and is supporting numerous other government operational needs.
Commonality – The RIwP family of remote turrets shares 85% commonality of subcomponents with all configurations thereby minimizing logistical footprint size and sustainment costs, maximizing training efficiency, and reducing total cost of ownership and allowing forces to do more with less.
Given all of, these would seem to be a no brainer for all of our white hull fleet. However, I could see us facing some resistance in getting them on the black and red hulls. However, those are not a large-size fleet, so cost shouldn’t be an issue. Counter UAS could be the express way to get these funded, approved and installed.
Having been on a pre and post FRAM 378, I am still baffled by the USCG reduction in armament to do even the most basic of tasks on cutters these days. As you’ve pointed out many, many times, we need some sort of basic capability to stop ships, a terrorist threat, of now, the latest threat drones.
Perhaps this system could be part of the answer to solving those issues.