The John Cockerill CSE 90LP is a two-man weapon system that delivers the serious fire-power and fexibility of the proven 90mm low-pressure weapon to mechanized forces. It does this in a compact package well-suited to light armoured vehicles. More than 2,300 guns of the Mk3 family are in operation all around the world, mounted on various range of wheeled and tracked armoured vehicles. The original design used hydraulic controls, which have been replaced with electric controls on new models, and to differentiate from earlier models the letter ‘E’ has been added to the turret’s designation. The Cockerill CSE 90LP Weapon System is the latest evolution of the CM90 turret equipped with the famous Cockerill Mk3 90 mm low pressure gun. The turret is spacious, comfortable, and ergonomic, with low weight and profile. The CSE90 is compatible with a wide range of light armoured vehicles of 7 tons and above.
The John Cockerill CSE 90LP turret offers highly effective direct organic fire-support by day and by night. These fires are accurately delivered around the clock using electrically-powered gun drives and a night/day digital fire control system. The weapon is aimed at target using an electro-mechanical gun and turret drive system. The Cockerill® CSE90 LP gun-turret significantly increases the Unit Commander’s tactical options and autonomy of operation. Hard-hitting, rugged, yet easy to operate and maintain, the Cockerill® CSE 90LP is a real “soldier’s system”. A laser range finder and ballistic computer permit precise target engagement. The Gunner’s sight image may be displayed at the Commander’s station to permit full command and control. Optional equipment includes commander’s cupola with vision periscopes for improved all-round observation, and various types of sights for the commander and gunner including day, image intensifier, thermal sight, laser range-finder and ballistic computer. The Cockerill CSE 90LP turret provides a basic protection against small arms firing 7.62mm NATO caliber STANAG 4569 Level 1 and to maximum STANAG 4569 Level 4 with ballistic protection against 25mm APDS-T (M791) or TLB 073 ammunitions at 500 meters with 1258 m/s. The CSE90 is powered by a electro-mechanical control system allowing fast and precise turret and gun movements.
The turret was installed on all the CMI 162 SIBMAS Armoured Fire Support Vehicles (AFSV-90) bought by the Malaysian Army in the early eighties. CMI is no longer involved in the design, development or production of armoured vehicles. CSE90 weapon system 90 mm turret armoured armored cockerill gun vehicle design development production manufacturer Belgium Belgian industry CMI Defence. For trials the Cockerill CSE 90LP turret has also been installed on the BAE Systems Land Systems Valkyr (4 × 4), BAE Systems Land Systems Warrior, Steyr-Daimler-Puch Pandur (6 × 6) and an M113A2 APC. Early in 1985, CMI Defence purchased an M113A1-B APC from Belgian Mechanical Fabrication (BMF), which was subsequently fitted with the Cockerill CSE 90LP turret and demonstrated as a fire support vehicle. In this version the vehicle can still carry 10 fully equipped infantry plus its crew of three, the commander, gunner and driver. To enable the vehicle to remain amphibious, flotation panels have been attached to the hull sides.
As far as is known, the only production application for the Cockerill CSE 90LP turret is the SIBMAS vehicle. The Malaysian Army placed an order for 186 SIBMAS vehicles in 1981, as part of an $84 million deal with Belgium, about 162 SIBMAS AFSV-90s were manufactured. In June 2010, CMI Defence has announced a new contract for the supply of 22 Cockerill CSE 90LP Weapon System to the Indonesian Department of Defence. These turret systems will equip the new Doosan 6×6 “Tarantula” (as also known as Black Fox) vehicle. At IndoDefence 2010, the Indonesian Defence Company PT Pindad has showed a version of its Badak Fire Support Vehicle 6×6 armoured vehicle equipped with a CMI Defence Cockerill CSE 90LP turret weapon system. At Eurosatory 2014, a Cockerill CSE 90LP fitted on a Textron Commando showed on CMI Defence booth aroused interest of lots of delegation. 2015, CMI Defence and Ukroboroprom integrate the Cockerill CSE 90LP turret with the BTR-3E 8×8 vehicle. The resulting system offers robust organic direct firesupport to current and future BTR-3 users. BTR-3E 90LP was recently tested by the Royal Thai Army in Thailand.
