FLW remote weapon station

Fernbedienbare leichte Waffenstation FLW
A FLW 100 mounted on top of a Dingo 2 ATF
Type	Remote Weapon System
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
Used by	German Army, Military of Qatar
Wars	War in Afghanistan (2001–14)
Production history
Designer	Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
Designed	2000s
Manufacturer	Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
Produced	Since 2008
Number built	More than 980
Variants	FLW-100, FLW-200, FLW-200+
Specifications
Weight	80 kilograms (180 lb) to 400 kilograms (880 lb), depending on variant
Crew	1
Caliber	7.62 mm, 12.7 mm, 20 mm, 40 mm grenades
Elevation	-15° to 70/75°
Traverse	360°
Maximum firing range	1,000 metres (3,300 ft) to 2,000 metres (6,600 ft)
Sights	CCD camera and thermal imager

Under the name fernbedienbare leichte Waffenstation (abbreviated with the acronym FLW) the German defence company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann brands its family of remote weapon stations. Fernbedienbare leichte Waffenstation stands for "remotely operated, light weapon station".

Development of the FLW 100 started in the mid-2000s to meet the requirements of the German Army. The slightly larger FLW 200 with greater weapon compatibility was designed shortly after. In 2008 the initial 230 light FLW 100 and 190 heavy FLW 200 weapon stations were delivered to the German Federal Office for Defence Technology and Procurement.

The FLW series can automatically detect the fitted weapons after replacement and will set the ballistic tables in the fire computer accordingly. None of the three versions require a penetration of the vehicle roof, which allows easier retrofitting of older vehicles with a FLW weapon station. All versions feature electronical dual-axis stabilization, where the weapon and the optronics are separately stabilized. The FLW is operated from the inside of the vehicle. The operator can view the output of the thermal imager or the camera on a 12-inch colour screen. A multi-position operation capability was being implemented in 2013, which allows the output of the sensors to be shared on multiple screens, allowing more than one soldier to observe the area with the FLW's optics and to operate the weapon station. Due to a high elevation the FLW 100 and the FLW 200 are well-suited for urban combat and operations in mountainous terrains.

The ammunition load is depending on the armament and the fitted ammo boxes, while the optronic systems are fitted in accordance with the costumers needs. The German Army has chosen the Rheinmetall LAZ 200 and LAZ 400L systems from Rheinmetall for the FLW series. Both systems feature a thermal imager, a high-resolution day CCD camera and a laser rangefinder. In case of the LAZ 400L the laser rangefinder is eyesafe and the thermal imager is cooled.

Future improvements might include a counter for the available ammunition, an automatic cleaning system for the optics and the integration of networking with a battlefield management system and warning sensors. Additionally the FLW remote weapon stations allow the adaption of ballistic armour protection and, command and simulation systems. A scan mode and new sensors (like a sniper detection system) can be integrated as well.