CROWS

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Remote control system for heavy fire arms

title: "CROWS" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["remote-weapon-stations", "military-equipment-of-the-united-states", "kongsberg-gruppen", "military-equipment-introduced-in-the-2000s"] description: "Remote control system for heavy fire arms" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CROWS" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Remote control system for heavy fire arms ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox weapon"]

FieldValue
nameCROWS
imageCROWS XM312 0064.jpg
image_size300px
captionCROWS with the XM312.
typeRemote controlled weapon station
originUnited States
is_rangedyes
is_artilleryyes
variantsSee Variants
::

| name = CROWS | image = CROWS XM312 0064.jpg | image_size = 300px | alt = | caption = CROWS with the XM312. | type = Remote controlled weapon station | origin = United States | is_ranged = yes | is_artillery = yes | service = | used_by = | wars = | designer = | design_date = | manufacturer = | developed_from = | unit_cost = | production_date = | number = | variants = See Variants | spec_label = | mass = | length = | part_length = | width = | height = | diameter = | crew = | passengers = | cartridge = | cartridge_weight = | caliber = | barrels = | action = | rate = | velocity = | range = | max_range = | feed = | sights = | breech = | recoil = | carriage = | elevation = | traverse =

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/M153_CROWS_II_190719-Z-HT454-1216.jpg" caption="Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) mounted with [[M2 Browning]] .50 caliber machine gun fitted with a blank firing adapter" alt=""] ::

The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is a series of remote weapon stations used by the US military on its armored vehicles and ships. It allows weapon operators to engage targets without leaving the protection of their vehicle. The US military has fielded both the M101 CROWS and M153 CROWS II systems.

System overview

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Permissions-Errors-Rg-33.jpg" caption="An [[RG-33]] 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. The weight of the weapon station varies accordingly due to different armament modules: 74 kg light, 135 kg standard (including the naval version), and 172 kg 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. 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 25 mph. 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.

Variants

M101 CROWS

The first supplier for the CROWS program was Recon Optical (Barrington, IL) with their RAVEN SRWS product. 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.

M153 CROWS II

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/CROWS_are_flying_to_the_Army_Reserve_170126-A-TI382-0656.jpg" caption="Soldier posing with an M153"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/The_USCGC_Sea_Devil_mounts_a_remote-controlled,_gyro-stabilized_machine_gun_on_her_bow.jpg" caption="USCGC ''Sea Devil'' (WPB-87368)]] 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. 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 As of October 2009, the framework contract has been almost completely converted to fixed contracts. At the very end of 2009 the agreement was extended to include 10,349 systems.

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. 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.

Sea PROTECTOR MK50

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 .

CROWS-J

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 3 km 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.

CROWS III

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.

References

| 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

| 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

References

  1. John Pike. (19 November 2005). "XM101 Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS)". Globalsecurity.org.
  2. Staff Sgt. Kristina Barrett. "CROWS gets Airmen out of the turret". Af.mil.
  3. [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
  4. [http://www.reconoptical.com/weapon/crows.asp Recon/Optical Inc.: Crows] {{webarchive. link. (11 August 2006)
  5. "fbodaily.com". fbodaily.com.
  6. "U.S. GAO – B-310436; B-310436.2, Recon Optical, Inc., December 27, 2007". Gao.gov.
  7. "Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace". Kongsberg.com.
  8. "defpro.com". defpro.com.
  9. (22 August 2007). "Increased scope of CROWS II framework agreement". Kongsberg.com.
  10. (31 October 2022). "U.S. ARMY AWARDS USD 1.498 BILLION IDIQ CROWS CONTRACT TO KONGSBERG". Kongsberg.com.
  11. Fuller, [[brigadier general (United States). (18 May 2010). "Project Manager Soldier Weapons Briefing for NDIA". United States Army.
  12. 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
  13. [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.
  14. [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.
  15. [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.
  16. [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 (newspaper). Stars and Stripes]]''. 11 June 2020.
  17. [http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htweap/articles/20130912.aspx The Relentless Terminator] - Strategypage.com, 12 September 2013
  18. (11 September 2013). "The Sea Protector MK50 Supporting the U. S. Navy". [[Defense Aerospace News]].

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

remote-weapon-stationsmilitary-equipment-of-the-united-stateskongsberg-gruppenmilitary-equipment-introduced-in-the-2000s