CROWS

File:Permissions-Errors-Rg-33.jpg convoy with CROWS remote weapons stations attached]]

The CROWS system provides an operator with the ability to acquire and engage targets while inside a vehicle, protected by its armor. It is designed to mount on a variety of vehicle platforms and supports the Mk 19 grenade launcher, 12.7 mm M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun, 7.62 mm M240B Machine Gun, and 5.56 mm M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. The system is composed of two parts: the mount which is fixed to the exterior of the vehicle and the control group. The mount is capable of 360° rotation and −20° to +60° elevation and is gyro-stabilized. The sight package includes a daylight video camera, a thermal camera and an eye-safe laser rangefinder. It is also furnished with a fully integrated fire control system that provides ballistic correction.{{cite web|author=John Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/ground/m101-crows.htm |title=XM101 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) |publisher=Globalsecurity.org |date=19 November 2005 |access-date=27 May 2011}} The weight of the weapon station varies accordingly due to different armament modules: {{convert|74|kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} light, {{convert| 135 |kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} standard (including the naval version), and {{convert|172 |kg|lb|0|abbr=on}} for CROWS II.

The control group mounts inside the vehicle (behind the driver's seat on the Humvee). It includes a display, switches and joystick to provide full remote control of the weapon system. This enables the fighting crew to operate from inside armored combat vehicles, while still maintaining the ability to acquire and engage targets.{{cite web|author=Staff Sgt. Kristina Barrett |url=https://www.af.mil/News/story/id/123019644/ |title=CROWS gets Airmen out of the turret |publisher=Af.mil |access-date=27 May 2011}} Its camera systems can identify targets out to 1,500 m away, and the mount's absorption of about 85% of weapon recoil delivers an estimated 95% accuracy rate, as well as the ability to track targets moving {{convert|25|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. Large ammunition boxes enable for sustained firing periods, carrying 96 rounds for the Mk 19, 400 rounds for the M2, 1,000 rounds for the M240B, and 1,600 rounds for the M249. Each CROWS costs $190,000.[https://www.army.mil/article/181552/weapon_system_moves_reserve_gunners_to_the_safety_of_the_backseat Weapon system moves Reserve gunners to the safety of the backseat] - Army.mil, 30 January 2017

The first supplier for the CROWS program was Recon Optical (Barrington, IL) with their RAVEN SRWS product.[http://www.reconoptical.com/weapon/crows.asp Recon/Optical Inc.: Crows] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060811232307/http://www.reconoptical.com/weapon/crows.asp |date=11 August 2006 }} As part of the first CROWS contract, the Recon Optical RAVEN R-400 RWS was fielded in 2004 in Iraq, employed by special forces, military police, infantry and transport units.

File:CROWS are flying to the Army Reserve 170126-A-TI382-0656.jpg

File:The USCGC Sea Devil mounts a remote-controlled, gyro-stabilized machine gun on her bow.jpg mounts a Sea PROTECTOR MK50 with an M2 Browning .50 caliber machine gun.]]

After an open solicitation Kongsberg Protech Systems (Kongsberg Gruppen, Norway and Johnstown, PA) won the CROWS II contract with a variant of their M151 PROTECTOR, which is also used on the Stryker M1126 infantry carrier vehicle.{{cite web|url=http://www.fbodaily.com/archive/2007/06-June/16-Jun-2007/FBO-01319609.htm |title=fbodaily.com |publisher=fbodaily.com |access-date=27 May 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://www.gao.gov/decisions/bidpro/310436.htm |title=U.S. GAO – B-310436; B-310436.2, Recon Optical, Inc., December 27, 2007 |publisher=Gao.gov |access-date=27 May 2011 |archive-date=4 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091104215601/http://www.gao.gov/decisions/bidpro/310436.htm }} Kongsberg received a framework contract of more than US$1 billion for the delivery of up to 6,500 CROWS systems to the US Army and a first purchase order exceeding US$300 million{{cite web |url=http://www.kongsberg.com/eng/kda/products/dynamicsystems/RemoteWeaponStation/ |title=Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace |publisher=Kongsberg.com |access-date=27 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211112605/http://www.kongsberg.com/eng/kda/products/dynamicsystems/RemoteWeaponStation/ |archive-date=11 February 2009 }} As of October 2009, the framework contract has been almost completely converted to fixed contracts.{{cite web |url=http://www.defpro.com/news/details/10791/ |title=defpro.com |publisher=defpro.com |access-date=27 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717062822/http://www.defpro.com/news/details/10791/ |archive-date=17 July 2011 }} At the very end of 2009 the agreement was extended to include 10,349 systems.{{cite web |url=http://www.kongsberg.com/en/KOG/News/2009/December/24_CROWS.aspx |title=Increased scope of CROWS II framework agreement |publisher=Kongsberg.com |date=22 August 2007 |access-date=27 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311111505/http://www.kongsberg.com/en/KOG/News/2009/December/24_CROWS.aspx |archive-date=11 March 2011 }}

Between the M151 and M153 variants KONGSBERG has delivered more than 18,000 systems to the U.S. Armed Services. These systems are in-service within every branch of the U.S. military and many US agencies.{{cite web|url=https://www.kongsberg.com/kda/news/news-archive/2022/u.s.-army-awards-usd-1.498-billion-idiq-crows-contract-to-kongsberg/ |title=U.S. ARMY AWARDS USD 1.498 BILLION IDIQ CROWS CONTRACT TO KONGSBERG |publisher=Kongsberg.com |date=31 October 2022}} It is employed in various versions of the Humvee, Buffalo MRVs, RG-31 Nyalas, RG-33s, the Army's M1126 Stryker APC, and was soon integrated into the Oshkosh M-ATV, JERRV, Caiman, and MaxxPro.{{cite web|url=http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2010armament/TuesdayLandmarkBTamilio.pdf|title=Project Manager Soldier Weapons Briefing for NDIA|last=Fuller|first=BG Peter N.|author2=COL Douglas A. Tamilio|date=18 May 2010|work=PEO Soldier|publisher=United States Army|access-date=28 October 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111114024552/http://www.dtic.mil/ndia/2010armament/TuesdayLandmarkBTamilio.pdf|archive-date=14 November 2011}}

A nautical version of the CROWS II weapons system has been developed and deployed by the U.S. Navy on its Mark VI patrol boats . It allows vessels to engage speedboats piloted by suicide bombers at longer ranges. Gyrostabilization is particularly important for a weapon carried by a small vessel being buffeted by waves when traveling at high speed. In Navy service, the CROWS II is referred to as the "MK50 Gun Weapon System (GWS)."[https://www.army.mil/article/159496/Army__Navy_link_up_for_sophisticated_weapon_install/ Army, Navy link up for sophisticated weapon install] - Army.mil, 4 December 2015

In May 2018, Stryker ICVs of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment deployed to Europe to test the CROWS-Javelin, a version of the M153 turret fitted with an FGM-148 Javelin anti-tank missile tube. This enables the vehicle gunner to detect and destroy heavy armor out to {{cvt|3|km|abbr=on}} without requiring a soldier to dismount. The Army plans to up-gun all its Stryker brigades by adding a 30 mm cannon to half of the ICVs in rifle and scout platoons while adding the CROWS-J to the other half, roughly 80 vehicles with each per brigade.[https://www.armyrecognition.com/september_2018_global_defense_security_army_news_industry/new_stryker_armored_with_crows-j_javelin_missile_turret_for_us_troops_in_europe.html New Stryker armored with CROWS-J Javelin missile turret for US troops in Europe]. Army Recognition. 4 September 2018.[https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/03/08/army-wants-a-new-remote-operating-system-for-its-ground-combat-vehicle-cannons/ Army wants a new remote operating system for its ground combat vehicle cannons]. Army Times. 8 March 2019.[https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/09/24/army-details-plan-equip-stryker-infantry-carriers-tank-killing-missiles.html Army Details Plan to Equip Stryker Infantry Carriers with Tank-Killing Missiles]. Military.com. 24 September 2019.[https://www.stripes.com/news/battle-group-in-poland-is-the-only-army-unit-to-use-upgunned-strykers-1.633340 Battle group in Poland is the only Army unit to use 'upgunned' Strykers]. Stars and Stripes. 11 June 2020.

By September 2013, the U.S. Army had over 8,000 CROWS systems in use. The new CROWS III incorporates a laser dazzler to temporarily blind suspicious individuals rather than needing to open fire, additional cameras on the side and rear of the turret to expand situational awareness without rotating the turret, and an infrared laser pointer to paint objects at night. The larger version of CROWS is equipped with a Javelin missile launcher.[http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/20130912.aspx The Relentless Terminator] - Strategypage.com, 12 September 2013

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite news

| url = https://seawavesmagazine.blogspot.com/2013/09/sea-protector-mk50-supporting-u-s-navy.html?spref=tw

| title = Sea PROTECTOR MK50 supporting the U. S. Navy

| work = Sea Waves magazine

| date = 12 September 2013

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180720165903/https://seawavesmagazine.blogspot.com/2013/09/sea-protector-mk50-supporting-u-s-navy.html?spref=tw

| archive-date = 20 July 2018

| access-date = 20 July 2018

| quote = The Sea PROTECTOR MK50 has been undergoing testing this fall and features the latest technology from KONGSBERG, such as the VIS95 day camera providing enhanced situational awareness, as well as compatibility for an array of ammunition and weapons.

}}

{{cite news | url = http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/147866/kongsberg-wins-new-protector-rws-contracts.html | title = The Sea Protector MK50 Supporting the U. S. Navy | work= Defense Aerospace News | date= 11 September 2013 | access-date = 20 July 2018 |quote = In April 2013, the U.S. Navy announced the order of a marinized version of the M153 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) from Kongsberg Protech Systems to fulfill requirements for its remotely operated Stabilized Small Arms Mount (SSAM) weapon systems program. }}

{{cite news

| url = https://chuckhillscgblog.net/2014/07/02/precision-machine-guns/

| title = Precision Machine Guns?

| work = Chuck Hill's blog

| author = Chuck Hill

| date = 2 July 2014

| access-date = 20 July 2018

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180720165722/https://chuckhillscgblog.net/2014/07/02/precision-machine-guns/

| archive-date = 2018-07-20

| url-status = live

}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.kongsberg.com/en/kog/news/2013/september/the-sea-protector-mk50-supporting-the-us-navy/

| title = The Sea PROTECTOR MK50 supporting the U. S. Navy

| publisher = Kongsberg

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180426144305/https://www.kongsberg.com/en/kog/news/2013/september/the-sea-protector-mk50-supporting-the-us-navy/

| archive-date = 26 April 2018

| access-date = 20 July 2018

| url-status = live

}}

}}

• {{commons category-inline|CROWS (RWS)}}
• {{commons category-inline|CROWS II (RWS)}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20161031070236/http://asc.army.mil/web/portfolio-item/common-remotely-operated-weapon-station-crows/ Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) at U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center]
• [https://peosoldier.army.mil/newpeo/Equipment/Temp.asp?id=CSW_Crows XM153 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS)]{{dead link|date=April 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
• [http://peosoldier.armylive.dodlive.mil/tag/crows/ PEO Soldier Live] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150523073529/http://peosoldier.armylive.dodlive.mil/tag/crows/ |date=23 May 2015 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070625035100/http://peosoldier.army.mil/factsheets/SW_CSW_CROWS.pdf U.S. Army Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier description of the CROWS]
• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rv2tPNdEfL0 Youtube video of Future Weapons: CROWS episode]

Category:Remote weapon stations

Category:Military equipment of the United States

Category:Kongsberg Gruppen

Category:Military equipment introduced in the 2000s