BRIDGING THE GAP


ENTER THE C-DAEM PROGRAM OSD has directed a phase-out of cluster munitions with dud rates greater than 1 percent, meaning more than 1 percent of their submunitions fail to function, leav- ing unexploded ordnance that is a threat to military forces and innocent civilians alike. Industry partners responded by quickly creating alternatives to address immediate requirements while main- taining a modular design to support the Army’s modernization plan. As a result, C-DAEM became one piece of the Army’s modernization triad of propellant, projec- tile and cannon to increase range and lethality of artillery systems.


The modernization plan requires the projectile to be compatible with more than just the current 39-caliber systems like the M109A6/7 Paladin. JPEO A&A plans for C-DAEM to enhance the Army’s next- generation 58-caliber long-range cannon system. In fact, JPEO A&A streamlined the acquisition process for C-DAEM to synchronize with the future weapon system. Until


then, JPEO A&A will


reward innovation by developing a bridg- ing strategy to help smooth the transition to the program of record.


With a two-projectile solution, the


C-DAEM program addresses both the armor defeat and anti-personnel mission sets served by cluster munitions. Te Army


has prioritized armor defeat as a key capa- bility that requires immediate attention, and it is being addressed through a bridg- ing strategy until a more effective solution is developed.


THE BRIDGING STRATEGY Donald Rumsfeld correctly stated that “you go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” JPEO A&A, under- standing this lesson from the Iraq War and acknowledging that even the most efficient path to an initial operating capability of the Army’s cluster munition replacements would require time to develop, consid- ered multiple anti-armor capabilities and determined that the Bonus munition from Sweden provided the most timely and effective solution. Te purchase of these projectiles as a commercial off-the-shelf item is the C-DAEM bridging strategy to fill the current need until a more effective solution is available.


Buying commercial off-the-shelf items using the NATO Support and Procure- ment Agency allows the Army to take advantage of a known legacy solution that has established performance and few uncertainties. The Bonus projec- tile, produced by BAE Systems Bofors and Nexter, is a sensor-fused munition. Unlike conventional cluster munitions, the Bonus projectile releases two submu- nitions, each containing its own sensor to detect targets. Its ability to detect targets improves lethality while reducing collat- eral damage. Redundant self-destruction modes,


including target engagement, ARTILLERY IN THE FIELD


The C-DAEM program was looking for a new munition to use in multiple artillery systems, and found a commercial solution that will work well until the Army can develop its own replacement. (U.S. Army photo by Gertrud Zach, Training Support Activity Europe)


point detonation, time out and battery drainage make it compliant with the new OSD directive. Tese features, along with others, set the minimal standards for C-DAEM follow-on efforts—what- ever product the Army develops to replace the Bonus projectile will need to do what Bonus does, and more.


82 Army AL&T Magazine Summer 2019


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