Philippines Receives 41 First Batches of M11A2 RCWS-Equipped APC From Elbit Systems

Philippine army receives 41 first batch of upgraded M11A2 RCWS equipped apc from albert systems. On 2021 GMA News reporter Rafi Tima posted a report and an accompanying video from his twitter account on the deployment of additional philippine army PA assets in Holo Sulu to beef up security before the upcoming midterm elections this coming monday.

The video shows one of five M113 A2 armored personnel carriers equipped with a 12.7 millimeters machine gun on a remote controlled weapon station our CWS as it Disembarks from the Philippine Navy Bacolod City class logistics support Vessel BRP Buccolot City LS550. A corresponding photo was also posted by GMA News as profile photo of their report in their facebook page.

The said photo shows that there are slight differences with the philippine army's existing fleet of RCW's armed M113 A2 APCS and the units that arrived in Holo. Upon closer inspection and upon checking with our sources it was confirmed that the philippine army is indeed in possession of additional M113A2 APCS with our CWS.

Overview in 2021 the department of national Defense DND awarded a contract worth php 1.051 billion with israel's albert systems land and C4I for the M113 APC firepower upgrade project of the philippine army. This project involves the upgrade of 44 units of existing M113A2 armored personnel carriers of the mechanized infantry division by equipping them with a new remote controlled weapon station. Our CWS and converting five existing M113 A2 APCS to armored mortar carriers.

Both upgrades will include installation of battlefield computers connected to a networked system as part of the Pac-4 Easter System. Information received by Max Defense is that albert will supply the already proven dragon overhead remote controlled weapon station. ORCWS mounted with a 12.7 millimeters heavy machine gun which already proved its worth during the battle of Marawi in 2017 and in other skirmishes on operations against terrorists groups.

More information can be read from max defense previous, more comprehensive blog regarding the project which can be found on the link below. Albert systems wins contract to upgrade philippine army M113 A2 with RCWS and mortars first posted on june 14 2018. Albert systems will deliver the RCWS to the philippines and installation and modifications on the existing M113A2 platforms will be done in the philippines by a combined team from albert systems and philippine army's mechanized infantry division.

This setup allows the midzone maintenance personnel to be familiar with the installation and the entire rcws system, enabling them to properly identify and conduct maintenance works without relying on albert's personnel. Initial delivery confirmed Max Defense previously mentioned in our past blog entry that albert systems will deliver a first batch of around 19 vehicles by february. But this appears to have been moved and on march last 2021 Max Defense received information that only 17 will be delivered starting april 2021.

Originally some of the vehicles were supposed to be demonstrated to president Duterte during the philippine army's anniversary in last march, but the plan was shelved. With the photo of the M113 A2 with RCWS and Holo coming out and observations made by community it appears that Albert Systems was able to deliver the first 5 5 units of upgraded M113A2 with dragon 12.7 mm ORCWS only on the last week of april which were formally accepted by the mechanized infantry division.

12 12 other units which were part of the 17 units for first batch delivery will be handed over to the mechanized infantry division this coming last june. Albert systems will deliver the rest of the 27 units with RCWS in two more batches with all expected to be delivered to the PA mid before the end of 2021. Observations among those observed in the units that were deployed to holo was the positioning of the rcws.

Viewed from the front the rcws is positioned in the center where the Cupola is located. The position is different on those delivered by albert systems a few years ago which are located on the right side of the armored vehicle. This is due to the position of Cupola in the different M113s in service with the philippine army. The ones delivered by albert systems a few years ago were former Belgian land component, Belgian army, M113A vehicles, wherein the cupolas are located off-center towards the right of the vehicle based on Belgium's requirements. To allow for an extra commander's Cupola just behind the driver's hatch.

The current M113 A2 being upgraded by albert systems or former us army models whose Cupolas are centered visibis the vehicles with as they do not have the extra commanders cupola found on belgian examples another observation was that the RCWS delivered then and now look different. Upon checking with our sources it appears that the RCWS delivered by albert systems to the philippine army this year are updated models of the dragon ORCWS which uses a different body with improvements over the older variant.

The newer dragon orcws variant does not have an ammunition chute and were raised further from the vehicle by using a longer neck. Raising the gun's elevation several centimeters higher than the older variant. The new variant are also painted olive drab while the older RCWS are painted in black. Based on our sources the newer RCWS also uses a better, updated camera with better video and photo resolutions than the previous model which means clearer videos for feeding the gun operator and connection to the information sharing network.

The X belgian M113 A2 plus armored vehicles supplied by elbit systems also have smoke grenade launchers in the front end of the vehicle will X-US Army M113 M2 used for the current RCWS upgrade do not have them. It is also clear that albert's upgrade did not include the installation of smoke grenade launchers on these vehicles. Only X-US Army variants are among the 44 units being upgraded by albert systems in the current project.