Military Vehicle, Logistics & Through Life

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21 Feb 25. Milrem Robotics Partners with SteerAI to Power Unmanned Vehicles for UAE Land Forces Trial Program. Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, has partnered with SteerAI to power a fleet of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) as part of a program designed to integrate autonomous capabilities into the UAE land forces and better meet the needs of modern warfare.

SteerAI, an Abu Dhabi-based autonomous technology company powered by the Technology Innovation Institute, will equip 20 of Milrem’s THeMIS UGVs with its advanced, AI-powered autonomy kit, called CoreX. The partnership agreement was signed this week at IDEX 2025, the Middle East’s largest defence exhibition.

SteerAI’s CoreX makes existing fleets autonomous using AI, advanced perception sensors, cameras, and Lidar. Capabilities are further enhanced with an advanced fleet management system. Platforms using CoreX can navigate complex and challenging terrains autonomously, respond to threats in hostile environments, and provide real-time intelligence to remote operators—while keeping troops out of harm’s way.

“Milrem Robotics knows very well how challenging it is to develop reliable autonomous navigation for military purposes,” said Kuldar Väärsi, the CEO of Milrem Robotics. “TII and SteerAI have done excellent work with such development, and it’s great to integrate their solution into our vehicles for UAE customers.”

“By combining our technological and industry expertise with Milrem Robotics’ cutting-edge robotic platforms, we are delivering next-generation mission execution capabilities that will ensure troops can be agile, precise, and efficient while staying safe,” said Michael Sonderby, the Acting CEO of SteerAI. “We’re looking forward to working with partners throughout the country to further position the UAE on the leading edge of defence technology.”

The UAE program, led by Milrem Robotics, is specifically designed to evaluate and integrate unmanned capabilities into the armed forces, aligning with modern warfare needs.

In this program, Milrem Robotics will integrate THeMIS UGVs, VECTOR RCVs and different unmanned aerial platforms and manned vehicles into a combined functioning combat system through Milrem’s robotics command and control suite.

 

20 Feb 25. Moldova receives Humvees. On 18 February the Moldovan National Army’s Military Camp 142 received a batch of 29 Humvee vehicles donated by the US government, the Moldovan Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced later the same day. The ministry said the vehicles were produced in 2024 and delivered to the Moldovan National Army in January under an USD8.9m donation through the US Foreign Military Financing programme.

The Humvees will equip the Fulger (Lightning) Special Forces Battalion in order to increase interoperability with other armies in training and exercises, according to the Moldovan MoD.

The US has donated USD90 million to modernise the Moldovan National Army over the last five years.

Meanwhile, the Swedish government proposed on 30 January to donate AT4 anti-tank weapons to Moldova, the Swedish MoD and Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on their websites on 7 February after a visit by Moldovan Minister of Defense Anatolie Nosatîi to Sweden three days before. (Source: Janes)

 

20 Feb 25. Milrem Robotics and Vegvisir Sign MoU to Advance UGV XR-based Situational Awareness Systems. Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vegvisir, a mixed-reality situational awareness solutions pioneer. The MoU will enhance the integration of Vegvisir systems with Milrem’s cutting-edge unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). Through this agreement, the two companies will collaborate on new projects, conduct testing and experimentation, and develop innovative use cases for their respective products and services. This partnership aims to strengthen their technical capabilities and ensure seamless compatibility between Milrem’s autonomous ground platforms and Vegvisir’s advanced vision systems.

“This partnership marks an important step in advancing the capabilities of unmanned ground vehicles and situational awareness technology,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “By working with Vegvisir, we are reinforcing our commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness in complex environments,” he added.

Ingvar Pärnamäe, CEO of Vegvisir, expanded, “Collaborating with Milrem Robotics enables us to further develop and integrate our vision systems into industry-leading UGVs, enhancing their operational effectiveness. Our goal is to empower operators with the capability to manage everything from individual machines to entire fleets. We look forward to driving innovation and delivering next-generation solutions to global markets.

The MoU, signed on Wednesday at IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi, sets the stage for long-term cooperation between the two companies. It will foster innovation and technological advancements in unmanned ground systems and vision-based situational awareness.

 

20 Feb 25. Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, EM&E Group, a prominent defence technology provider, and Thales in Belgium, a subsidiary of Thales a global tech leader in defence, aerospace and cyber have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly address commercial cooperation in the United Arab Emirates. This MoU provides a framework that focuses on joint innovation and robotics capability integration projects. One of the main goals of this partnership is to integrate EM&E Group’s SECUTOR Remote Weapon Station together with Thales in Belgium’s 70mm rocket systems into Milrem Robotics’ THeMIS modular unmanned ground vehicle. This integration will enhance the operational capabilities of this platform, making it more versatile and suited to meet the specific needs of the UAE, particularly in terms of drones countermeasures (C-UAS). This system will be displayed by the EDGE Group at IDEX 2025, which will be held in Abu Dhabi from 17-21 February.

The agreement also outlines opportunities for further collaborative development projects that combine the expertise of all three parties to advance cutting-edge defence solutions.

“Milrem Robotics, EM&E Group, and Thales in Belgium share a vision of leveraging our combined technological strengths to address the evolving needs for robotic systems and to build efficient defence capabilities. Through this partnership, we aim to drive innovation, strengthen regional security, and contribute to the UAE’s defence and technological capabilities,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.

“We are excited to enter into this strategic partnership, bringing together cutting-edge technologies to meet defence needs in a rapidly evolving landscape. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to advancing security and technological excellence, in keeping with the UAE’s vision for innovation in defence,” said Alain Quevrin, CEO of Thales in Belgium

“It is an honour to participate in this strategic project, which will bring together the capabilities and technologies necessary for the development of a cutting-edge system such as the Secutor Rocket. This agreement reflects our shared commitment to respond to the needs of the ever-changing Defence sector”, said Javier Escribano, President of EM&E Group.

 

19 Feb 25. IDEX 2025: Flyer Defense relaunches smaller special forces vehicle. The US company Flyer Defense unveiled its Flyer 60-6 ultralight tactical vehicle at the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2025 held in Abu Dhabi from 17 to 21 February. The vehicle is an improved version of the company’s Flyer 60. The most obvious difference is that it can seat up to six people, which is reflected in its name. Flyer Defense says the 60-6 has enhanced engineering and modularity as the vehicle can be rapidly converted between troop carrier, light strike, casualty evacuation, and utility roles. It retains the 60 inch (152 cm)-wide chassis, enabling it to fit inside a V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft, but the new version is listed as having a 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) curb weight, which is 500 lb heavier than the original. Its gross vehicle weight is listed as 8,500 lb, 100 lb less than the original, so its payload has been reduced from 4,100 lb to 3,500 lb. Flyer Defense also displayed the Beast mobile fire-support variant of its larger Flyer 72 HD vehicle at IDEX 2025. This is fitted with the 120 mm Alakran mortar system made by the Spanish company NTGS, which uses a pneumatic system to deploy its tube from the back of the vehicle to give it a very short ‘shoot-and-scoot’ time. The Beast can carry up to 50 120 mm mortar rounds or 80 rounds when fitted with the 81 mm variant of the Alakran. (Source: Janes)

 

19 Feb 25. Milrem Robotics and Electro Optic Systems Sign Agreement to Advance Combat UGS Solutions. Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, and Electro Optic Systems (EOS), a global technology leader in remote weapon systems and optical technologies, have entered into a cooperation agreement to jointly develop and integrate advanced unmanned ground systems (UGS) and payloads for military applications. This agreement, signed today at IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi, signifies a shared commitment to innovation. By fostering close collaboration, both companies seek to implement new projects, test and experiment with emerging use cases, and enhance the capabilities of their respective products. Both companies seek to provide cutting-edge solutions for defence forces worldwide. Key areas of focus include a mature integration and productization of EOS’ R400 remote weapon system and Milrem Robotics’ THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle, specifically for a program in the United Arab Emirates, but also its possible deployment in Ukraine and NATO countries.

“This strategic cooperation highlights Milrem Robotics’ and EOS’ commitment to advancing unmanned combat technologies and delivering superior solutions for modern battlefield operations,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “Through continuous development and integration, both companies aim to shape the future of autonomous and remotely operated ground systems for global defence markets,” Väärsi added.

Dr Andreas Schwer, CEO of EOS, said: “EOS remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of innovation, delivering state-of-the-art remote weapon systems that enhance the effectiveness and safety of UGV operations. Our collaboration with Milrem Robotics brings together proven capabilities, integrating the EOS R400 with the Milrem THeMIS to provide a powerful, field-ready solution. By working together, we strengthen our commitment to supporting key defence initiatives in the UAE and other strategic markets.”

The companies will include monitoring market opportunities for combat UGS across different size categories and collaboratively establishing a joint product roadmap for these systems.

ABOUT ELECTRO OPTIC SYSTEMS (ASX: EOS; OTC: EOPSY)

EOS operates in two divisions – Defence Systems and Space Systems:

• EOS Defence Systems specialises in technology for weapon systems optimisation and integration, as well as ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance) and C4 systems for land warfare. Its key products include next-generation remote weapon systems, vehicle turrets, high-energy laser weapons (directed energy), as well as fully integrated and modular counter-UAS and C4 systems.
• EOS Space Systems specialises in applying EOS-developed optical sensors and effectors to detect, track and characterise objects in space. It includes capabilities in the domain of space control.

 

18 Feb 25. IDEX 2025: Russia pushes T-90MS main battle tank. This export variant has been upgraded, Rostec states, taking into account the range of anti-tank weapons used in Ukraine. Russia’s defence trade intermediary, Rosonboronexport, is displaying the exportable T-90MS main battle tank (MBT) at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2025) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The platform, built by the Rostec subsidiary Uralvagonzavod, takes centre stage in the Russia pavilion of the exhibition. Moscow’s weary war economy will try again to tap into the Middle East as a base for its foreign military sales. Russia has already attempted to coax the UAE into its market: most notably in 2021, when Sukhoi presented a prototype of the fifth-generation Su-57 Chekmate in Dubai. Likewise, the British government’s estimates of global defence exports indicate that Russia did make the top seven exporters since 2017. However, it should be noted there is no available data for the country in the last two years. The UK expect the figures to be limited due to the invasion of Ukraine and economic sanctions.

This is not the first time that the Eurasian power has showcased the T-90MS at IDEX either, having displayed the platform in Abu Dhabi back in 2013. Now, more than a decade later, Rostec assert that the model has grown more robust in recent years:

“It is protected, taking into account the combat experience of countering the entire range of modern anti-tank weapons,” said a press release from the Russian defence exporter, referring to the invasion of Ukraine which approaches its third anniversary towards the end of this month.

Russian lessons from Ukraine

According to the open source intelligence website, Oryx, 179 T-90 MBTs (A, AK, S, and M variants) have been lost in the war.

Notably, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies indicated the possibility that the export-build programme has been repurposed for Russia’s own conflict.

T-90s intended for the export market appear to have been diverted to be deployed in Ukraine. The Indian Army, an importer that currently operates 1,650 T-90s in 21 regiments, is waiting on the production of 400 more hulls according to GlobalData intelligence in a 2024 Indian Defence Market report.

A new design for greater protection

The MBT is visibly heavily protected: the MBT now includes explosive reactive armour; add-on slat armour; and electronic warfare equipment to jam enemy uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).

T-90MS is also equipped with a new digital fire control system, integrated command information systems, as well as increased firepower using APFSDS – air-bursting fragmentation projectiles and guided missiles.

“The general idea of our exhibit is to show Russia’s comprehensive approach to developing and upgrading all types of weapons, taking into account the experience of modern combat operations. This factor has already enabled us to sign contracts worth more than $4.5bn with 15 friendly countries in 2025,” suggested the organisation’s director, General Alexander Mikheev.

This goes for other systems in Russia’s arsenal, including the Pantsir-SMD-E air defence system with its new surface-to-air missiles. This system is designed to protected strategically valuable fixed installations from UAS. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

18 Feb 25. IDEX 2025: Calidus launches lighter 8×8 armoured vehicle. The Emirati company Calidus unveiled its new 8×8 light infantry fighting vehicle (LIFV) during the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2025 held in Abu Dhabi from 17 to 21 February. Petar Radulović, the director of engineering at Calidus Land Systems, told Janes that the LIFV has “huge commonality” with the Wahash 8×8 wheeled IFV that the company unveiled at IDEX 2019, although it has a significantly smaller profile, including the same engine and transmission. The LIFV does not have the IFV’s amphibious propulsion system but has the overpressure system for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) protection. Unlike the Wahash, which was designed from the outset to accommodate the two-person turret from the BMP-3 IFV, the LIFV can only be fitted with an unmanned weapon station, ensuring the smaller vehicle still has space for up to 10 soldiers in addition to a crew of three. The prototype displayed at IDEX 2025 had eight passenger seats and was fitted with the Turkish company Aselsan’s Nefer unmanned turret, which can be armed with a 25 or 30 mm main gun, a co-axial 12.7 or 7.62 mm machine gun, and optional anti-tank missiles. Radulović said the LIFV has a combat weight of 27 tonnes with the Nefer, but its gross vehicle weight (GVW) can be as high as 34 tonnes. (Source: Janes)

 

18 Feb 25. IDEX 2025: Updated T-90MS makes its debut with offers of licenced-production.  Russian armoured vehicle manufacturer Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) debuted an updated T-90MS main battle tank (MBT) at the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2025 held in Abu Dhabi from 17 to 21 February. UVZ said the T-90MS, an export variant of the T-90M MBT, has been updated in response to feedback from the T-90M’s operational use in Ukraine. UVZ pitched licenced-production of the T-90MS as an incentive to prospective customers. It was clear from both first impressions and UVZ’s press conference that increased survivability was the main marketing focus of the updated T-90MS. The upgrades were inspired by the domestic T-90M upgrade that was first publicly seen at the Russian Armiya 2023 exhibition outside Moscow. The T-90M model at Armiya 2023 featured extensive applications of additional armour and passive defence measures. UVZ said in an IDEX 2025 press conference address that the traditional concept whereby tank protection is greatest on its frontal arc, followed by its sides, and lastly with the rear having the least priority for protection is no longer valid on today’s battlefield. As threats are increasingly able to accurately target a vehicle’s more vulnerable side and rear sections, an increase in a vehicle’s survivability hinges on addressing such vulnerabilities, the company said. (Source: Janes)

 

18 Feb 25. U.S. Army Tank Crew Wins International Competition for First Time. A four-man Army tank crew from the 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 3rd Armored Brigade, 1st Armored Division, defeated teams from four other countries over the past week to achieve the first American victory in the U.S. Army Europe and Africa International Tank Challenge. Taking place in Grafenwoehr, Germany, the competition — which first ran from 2016 to 2018 before being paused due to other competitions and the COVID-19 pandemic — comprises 10 graded events designed to measure a tank crew’s physical fitness, marksmanship and mental acuity.

“It still hasn’t fully set in for me, yet, that we managed to win this competition in the manner that it happened,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Kevin Greene, the winning crew’s tank commander.

“The other crews that were behind and chasing … are really talented crews, and the fact that we’re the first American team to [win] on this stage is incredible,” he added.

Sponsored by the 7th Army Training Command, this year’s tank challenge hosted two teams from the U.S., as well as teams from Italy, Denmark, Slovenia and Switzerland.

Upon learning of the competition, the “Death Dealers” of 1-67 AR — who have been mobilized to Poland from Fort Bliss, Texas since last fall — took a somewhat unconventional path to build their team.

Rather than assembling a “dream team” from the battalion’s various tank crews and then making it their sole job to train for the competition, leaders looked across the battalion, searching for the most well-rounded crew, according to Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Jean, the battalion’s most senior enlisted leader.

“We looked across the entire battalion and … had a couple [of crews] in contention to go and compete, but ultimately Greene and his crew were the [most] well-rounded in terms of technical and tactical competency,” he said.

Jean said those competencies were proven by the fact that Greene and his crew went from fifth to first place in the final hours of the competition.

Battalion commander Army Lt. Col. Robert Humphrey attributes the victory to resiliency and the crew’s never-quit attitude.

“They never quit,” Humphrey said. “At 56 hours out, they were middle of the pack, and they could have just glided it out, but that wasn’t their mentality — that’s not the ‘Death Dealer’ mentality. They [were] going to finish it, and they [were] going to finish it strong.”

Greene acknowledged that his team initially got off to a slow start because it had not had much time to prepare physically after having just returned from three weeks of field exercises.

“We started off kind of slow in the first few tasks we had to accomplish, but when it came to actually getting onto the tank and doing what [the] job is — and that’s being lethal — that’s where my guys were thriving,” Greene said. Lethality is one of five focus points that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth underscored in his Jan. 25, 2025, message to the force (the others being  meritocracy, accountability, standards and readiness).

“Being a combat arms guy, especially on tanks my whole career, that’s always one of our foundations: being as lethal as we can, and I think this competition attested to that ability,” Greene said.

He added that the competition demonstrated the overall readiness of tank crews like his.

“If we [have] to send troops forward again and these tanks have to go into battle, the crews are in the right mindset to be as lethal as possible, using that ‘one shot, one kill’ mindset,” he said.

As a result of their victory at the competition, Greene and his team — which also included gunner Army Sgt. Graham Parker, loader Army Spc. Donovan Lavery and driver Army Pfc. Nicolae Lawson — received Army Commendation Medals and initiation into the U.S. Cavalry and Armor Association’s Honorable Order of St. George for armored excellence.  (Source: U.S. DoD)

 

19 Feb 25. With new MoU, GM Defense and EDGE Group’s team-up gets more ‘meat on the bone.’ GM Defense President Steve duMont told Breaking Defense the company has “been looking at this vehicle for application in the Middle East region, which is very important region for us.” American contractor GM Defense and Emirati defense conglomerate EDGE Group have announced a new agreement to explore “light tactical vehicle”-focused projects, in a move that came as the two firms put on display what one such team-up could look like: a GM Defense ride boasting an EDGE drone launcher.

“Under terms of the memorandum of understanding GM Defense, a General Motors subsidiary, would work with NIMR Automotive, an arm of EDGE, on potential opportunities,” GM Defense said in statement Tuesday, adding that it was eyeing customers in the Middle East, Africa, Malaysia and Indonesia, specifically.

“By uniting EDGE’s regional insight, operational excellence, and established infrastructure with GM Defense’s technical expertise and industry leadership, we aim to create a powerful synergy that will drive innovative projects and elevate operational capabilities across key markets,” said Khaled Al Zaabi, the president of Platforms & Systems at EDGE.

GM Defense’s exhibit at IDEX included what it calls its Next Generation Tactical Vehicle (NGTV) but with EDGE’s Hunter SP loitering munition launchers nestled in the back — the first such set-up viewed in a public setting.

In an interview with Breaking Defense, GM Defense President Steve duMont said that the MoU is “not just to bring [the NGTV] to the UAE as a product, but to bring it there as a vehicle to be produced in the region for the region’s needs, using an Emirati and regional supply chain to help us reduce the amount of transportation, bring jobs into the region, bring technology into the region.”

He highlighted that the MoU is the initial step. “We’ve had some really good discussions with UAE senior leadership for the past couple years,” he said. “This signing of the MoU kind of puts a little bit more a little bit more meat on the bone.” (Last IDEX, in 2023, GM Defense signed an MoU with the Emirati government’s Tawazun Council in an effort to expand the firm’s footprint in the region.)

Today other GM Defense representatives told Breaking Defense they expect the NGTV, which made its solo debut at the Association of the US Army conference in Washington, DC, last year, to be tested in the UAE.

“GM has plans for summer trials for this vehicle, probably won’t be in 2025, but we’re targeting probably a 2026 time frame,” Bradley Watters, vice president of international business development, told Breaking Defense. The NGTV already participated in an exercise earlier this month in Germany, which was “the first time that it had really been in a tactical environment.”

Additional trials in the Gulf will be by the “invite from the UAE [Ministry of Defense] and their general maintenance corps. But there’s a lot of interest coming from the Emirates, as well as others in that region.”

DuMont said the company has “been looking at this vehicle for application in the Middle East region, which is very important region for us, and I think there’s a lot of applications in this vehicle.”

NGTV uses diesel fuel to power a generator which then charges a battery, and “then that battery gives it that silent drive capability,” duMont said. He said this makes the vehicle quiet enough that it has the “ability to sneak up behind soldiers, and the soldiers didn’t even know there was a big truck behind them.” (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

 

18 Feb 25. BAE ACV is Making its Debut in the UAE. This marks a significant milestone, as the program aims at international expansion. The versatile platform is designed to operate in the most rugged and challenging terrain, making it an ideal solution for militaries around the world. “The ACV is a trailblazer for amphibious warfare, designed to have significant growth potential and the flexibility to meet mission roles of military forces around the world,” said Rebecca McGrane, vice president of Amphibious Programs, BAE Systems. “The 8×8 platform is a unique mix of true open-ocean amphibious capability and land mobility in the most challenging terrain, and we are confident we can enhance operational effectiveness for our allies.” BAE Systems leveraged its expertise and long-standing partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps to design and deliver the ACV to meet the unique requirements of modern expeditionary warfare. (Source: ASD Network)

 

18 Feb 25. L3Harris Robots Strike the Right Balance of Strength, Reach and Precision.  Both L3Harris T7 and T4 robot arms are powerful enough to lift heavy items while maintaining the dexterity and precision to complete intricate, complex tasks during challenging missions. It’s called the Goldilocks principle – striking the perfect balance as the namesake did with porridge temperature in the children’s tale. It’s widely used in science, medicine, design, economics and even astrobiology to denote ideal measures or outcomes.

With robotic systems, that balance is between strength and reach versus precision and dexterity. And the L3Harris T7 and T4 robots are the Goldilocks of robotics systems, achieving the right balance of powerful lift strength, unmatched dexterity, precision and reach. The large T7’s manipulator arm is able to lift up to 249-pound (113-kilogram) payloads with ease, with a vertical reach that extends as far as 9.8 feet (3 meters).

Built to enable big robot capability in a compact footprint, the medium-sized T4 provides the best available lift strength and reach for its weight class, lifting up to 121 pounds (55 kilograms) and reaching 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) vertically. The T4’s unique omni-directional and self-righting stabilizers further bolster this capability by enabling lateral stability for tasks that require heavy lifting.

Functional Strength Through Unrivalled Dexterity

In addition to their powerful lift and reach capabilities, T7 and T4 also provide functional strength with exceptional, human-like dexterity made possible by L3Harris’ unique intuitive haptic controller. The precision and versatility enabled by this controller is especially important for complex explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) missions, not only ensuring operators can pick up heavy explosive threats but gain access to and defeat these threats in hard-to-reach places.

Capable of lifting a 110-pound (50-kilogram) drum from a car trunk or retrieving unexploded artillery rounds, T7 can also easily move its manipulator arm through car windows to reach concealed threats. In addition to navigating narrow spaces such as trains and buses with ease, T4’s sizeable reach enables it to fire disruptors at devices stowed away on high shelves or luggage racks. T4’s manipulator arm is also agile enough to access low places such as the underside of cars or drainage pipes underneath roads to check for explosive threats.

Getting to Grips with Haptic Force Feedback

What really sets the T7 and T4’s manipulator arms apart are their unique force-sensing grippers. Exceedingly strong and robustly designed, the gripper can withstand a lot of abuse while still remaining incredibly adept. It provides high fidelity measurements of the contract forces encountered by the fingers, enabling haptic force feedback to the operator controlling it, allowing them to “feel” what the robot is feeling as it tackles different tasks. Depending on the need, the manipulator arm and gripper can act as anything from a highly dextrous scalpel to a powerful sledgehammer.

To truly gain the benefit of full, end-to-end robotic capability, it’s important to ensure systems achieve the right combination of strength, reach and dexterity aligned with mission requirements. L3Harris’ cutting-edge capability received a lot of interest and proved a significant talking point at Vanguard 2024, an annual capstone experiment hosted in the Arizona desert by the U.S. Army. Learn more about why our T7 and T4 robotic systems are trusted by world-leading EOD experts all over the globe. (Source: ASD Network)

 

18 Feb 25. Foxhound can resist IEDs and mines – but no planned date to leave Army service. Troop protection vehicles have been around for many years and advances in technology and better design have meant they can go further, faster and more places than ever before. The Foxhound was brought into service as a replacement for the Snatch Land Rover used in Northern Ireland and Iraq – after many servicemen and women lost their lives in what troops nicknamed the “mobile coffin”. Composite materials inspired by those used in Formula One were used to make the Foxhound’s protective pod, and the whole production line was modelled on the highly flexible ones used in racing – where to beat opposition teams, new developments need to be designed and implemented quickly. The Foxhound is similar to the Jackal in that it is a four-wheeled vehicle with protection against IEDs and resistance to mines, although its protection is in part a function of its unique V-shaped hull that deflects the force of any blast away from the vehicle. Also known as the Force Protection Ocelot, it is a kind of MRAP, or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle.  Foxhound has an attached GPMG and can carry six soldiers – a crew of two as well as four passengers – within its rear pod.  These pods are modular and can be rotated in and out based on the mission requirements, just like a Boxer. The Foxhound’s pods are designed for utility, weapons carrying, command and logistics roles. Classed by the British Army as an LPPV, or Light Protected Patrol Vehicle, it is designed to provide better protection against mines and Improvised explosive devises (IEDs), and it first appeared in Afghanistan in 2012. Each vehicle weighs 7,500 kg and costs around £900,000. Additionally, the vehicle can be mounted with an L7A2 General Purpose Machine Gun, or GPMG, allowing the Foxhound to provide fire support when required. As well as patrolling in Afghanistan, the Foxhound has been fully integrated into British Army service and has proven itself to be a reliable vehicle. It has been seen on the road in Kosovo, off road with 3 Rifles and away on exercises like Steadfast Defender and Steadfast Dart. However, some of the military’s hardware, including the Foxhound, has been earmarked for the scrapheap. Up to 19 different British military vehicle variants are set to be scrapped, according to the Ministry of Defence. Responding to written questions in February 2024, the then-Defence Procurement Minister, James Cartlidge, said the Army vehicles and aircraft would be removed from service by 2030. (Source: forces.net)

 

18 Feb 25. Hanwha Aerospace and Milrem Robotics Sign MoU to Advance Global Ground Robotics Initiatives. Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading developer of robotics and autonomous systems, and Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd, a leading, global aerospace and defence company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development and global marketing of Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCV) and other ground robotic systems. As part of this strategic partnership, Milrem Robotics and Hanwha Aerospace will cooperate to develop tracked RCVs to meet the performance requirements of initial customers. By combining their expertise, the two companies aim to enhance the vehicle’s capabilities to support mechanized units effectively. Additionally, Milrem Robotics and Hanwha Aerospace will jointly execute global marketing campaigns to promote the RCV and other ground robotics solutions. By leveraging their respective networks and market knowledge, both companies will work to expand the reach and adoption of their advanced robotic solutions across international markets.

“Our collaboration with Hanwha aims to accelerate the development of cutting-edge robotic solutions that meet the evolving needs of modern armed forces, combining Milrem Robotics’ innovative technologies with Hanwha’s extensive experience in defence systems,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.

“As Hanwha grows internationally, we seek to bring our technology, speed, and industrial strengths and partner with innovative companies to rapidly address emergent requirements. This collaboration on robotic and autonomous combat systems leverages the expertise and capabilities from Milrem and Hanwha Aerospace,” said Michael Coulter, President & CEO (nominee) of Hanwha Global Defense, overseeing international aerospace and defence businesses for Hanwha Aerospace and other affiliates. “Through this collaboration, we intend to bring new capability and capacity to address rapidly evolving combat environments.”

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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

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Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/

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13 Feb 25. ISTEC wins major contract from Babcock to supply weapons integration solutions for 53 Supacat Jackal 3 Extenda Variants. ISTEC Services Limited, a British company with 36 years of operationally proven experience in the design, manufacture and supply of complex weapon integration solutions and smoke discharger systems (SDS) for military platforms, has recently won a contract to supply the Universal Gun Mounts (UGM), traverse control mechanism and swing arm systems, for 53 Supacat Jackal 3 Extenda variants being built in partnership with Babcock. Production will begin in early 2025.
ISTEC has a significant pedigree in providing robust weapon integration solutions for crew-served weapons such as the L7A2 GPMG, M2 HMG and other machine guns, across Land, Sea and Air domains. They also have an extensive operational record supplying Universal Gun Mounts (UGMs) for key vehicles such as WMIK, Mastiff, Husky and previous versions of the Jackal platform used for Land operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In September 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded Supacat a contract for 53 Jackal 3 Extenda vehicles, which is a variant of the High Mobility Transporter (HMT) series. This order followed a previous procurement in February 2023, when the UK MoD contracted Supacat to produce 70 Jackal 3 vehicles. The Jackal 3 Extenda offers enhanced payload capacity and can reach speeds up to 120 km/h. Its modular design allows for configuration as either a 4×4 or 6×6 vehicle, providing versatility for various mission requirements. The Jackal series has been integral to past British Army’s operations, particularly in Afghanistan, and excels in roles requiring high mobility and versatility. Following the order for the first 70 Jackal 3 vehicles, Supacat partnered with Babcock International Group to support the production, which further cements the relationship between these two organisations.
ISTEC will be supplying their globally renowned UGM and swing arm weapons integration systems for the GPMG and other crew-served weapons. The UGM is capable of accepting a range of light, medium and heavy weapons together with their dedicated soft mounts and, in addition, can be readily fitted with an adaptor to allow mounting of anti-armour weapons and even a 20mm cannon. The UGM is designed to provide a solid, backlash-free firing platform when clamped allowing for fine adjustment via a fine control Traverse and Elevation mechanism (T&E). This provides exceptional single-shot accuracy coupled with the ability to rapidly engage or track targets. The UGM is also modular, permitting the attachment of a variety of fitting kits and ancillaries; from frontal armour to folding interface equipment.
Mick Coulson, Managing Director of ISTEC said, “We have a long and successful history of working with Supacat and are extremely pleased to be supporting them again with our highly effective weapons integration solutions on this important project. I believe it is a testament to the quality of our products and support services that we deliver that Supacat has again chosen our UGM and swing arm solutions for the Jackal 3 Extenda variant. We look forward to working with them on this project and hopefully many more in the future.”
Lizzie Jones, Operations Director Supacat said, “We have a fantastic working relationship with ISTEC and have used their superb weapons integration solutions on multiple Supacat projects for nearly 20 years. We are really pleased to continue that relationship and provide the best possible weapon mount capabilities for the Jackal 3 Extenda Variant.”

 

17 Feb 25. Pearson Engineering and Milrem Robotics have signed an agreement at IDEX 2025 to combine their expertise to develop mission-specific uncrewed ground vehicles for the MENA region. Kuldar Väärsi, Founder and CEO of Milrem Robotics, a world leader in robotics and autonomous systems development, and Ian Bell, Group CEO of Pearson Engineering, a widely recognised leader in combat engineering capability, have today signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement formalises collaboration between both companies, which has previously seen earth-moving and IED-defeat equipment from Pearson Engineering integrated with Milrem Robotics’ Robotic Combat Vehicle. The agreement will underpin further co-operation to offer new technologies to Middle Eastern end-users. Key to the agreement will be exploring the integration of Pearson Engineering’s minefield breaching capability, specifically the RCV-Pioneer modular mission payload, with Milrem’s tracked Robotic Combat Vehicles. Pearson Engineering and Milrem Robotics will also work together to improve operational effectiveness and explore scenarios that robotic systems encounter in the hands of military personnel, ensuring that cutting-edge technologies offer a further operational and tactical advantage.

“Milrem Robotics is a valued partner of Pearson Engineering and our collaboration is bringing real advancements for our military end-users. Robotics and autonomous systems are the future in the land domain. Where we can take our soldiers further from the threat and deliver smarter uncrewed vehicles, we will do so. Milrem Robotics has tremendous experience, with the support of their parent company, EDGE Group, and we look forward to contributing our collective knowledge to deliver new, effective expertise.” – Ian Bell, Group Chief Executive Officer at Pearson Engineering.

“Pearson Engineering is a renowned leader in combat engineering solutions whose systems are deployed with different global customers. Combining our robotic systems with Pearson Engineering’s solutions will provide more reliable, cost-efficient and safer ways in many combat scenarios, increasing combat efficiency and reducing the cost of operations. Especially in the areas which pose an imminent danger to our warfighters – like combat engineering,” – Kuldar Väärsi, Chief Executive Officer at Milrem Robotics. The agreement has been signed at IDEX in the 25^th year of Pearson Engineering’s service to the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces alongside local partners Bin Hilal Enterprises and BHE Land Systems.

 

14 Feb 25. AM General, leading manufacturer of tactical military vehicles and mobility systems, will display the new JLTV A2 at the International Defense Exhibition (IDEX) February 17-21, 2025, Booth #02B-08, Hall 2, U.S. Pavilion, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre ADNEC in Abu Dhabi, UAE. In under two years, the company built a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility from the ground up where production has officially started on this next generation tactical vehicle.
“IDEX is a leading military exhibition which enables us to connect with our global customers and discuss how we can meet their evolving needs to support the Warfighter,” said John Chadbourne, AM General EVP – Chief Business Development Officer. “This year we are proud to display the first AM General-built JLTV A2 asset so our customers can see, first-hand, the myriad improvements we’ve made to the platform.”
The JLTV A2 on display is a testament to the company’s commitment to continuous innovation and partnership. In close collaboration with the US Army, AM General will implement over 250 engineering changes to vastly improve the vehicle for the end user. Key among the changes are the reduction of interior and exterior noise levels, improved corrosion protection, and improved fuel economy. The vehicle’s versatility and lethality are also featured by integrating a Hornet Air Guard Remote Controlled Weapon System (RCWS) with Counter-UAS concept by Hornet. The Hornet Air Guard concept offers anti-drone detection & neutralization capabilities to the Hornet RCWS which provides surveillance, fire, and self-protection thanks the use of air-burst ammunition and the addition of an independent drone detection ring.
Production of the JLTV A2 is already under way with initial deliveries beginning in the second quarter of 2025. AM General associates will be on hand to discuss international procurement of the vehicle via the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process as well as ongoing support of existing A0 and A1 fleets.

 

12 Feb 25. Hanwha Aerospace has completed the acceptance tests for a domestically-built 1,000-horsepower diesel engine to be equipped with the K9 self-propelled howitzer (SPH). This is a key milestone for further expanding K9’s presence in the international SPH market.
The year-long testing program, which took place in South Korea, Egypt and other nations, included extensive field trials covering over 10,000 kilometers of driving tests in different environments and road conditions, including desert areas.
“With the successful completion of the homegrown engine test, we can offer specialized engine to any potential K9 customers, which is expected to expand K9’s global presence” said Kim Dong-hyun, Head of the Land Systems Business Group at Hanwha Aerospace. “This is part of our efforts to diversify our portfolio meeting the evolving needs of global customers.”
Hanwha Aerospace signed a $1.7bn contract with Egypt in 2022 to supply hundreds of the K9 SPHs, K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, and K11 fire control vehicles. The first batch of K9A1EGYs equipped with the indigenous engine to Egypt is expected to be delivered no later than the first quarter of 2026.
The K9 is the world’s most popular artillery system adopted by 10 countries, including six NATO members. The K9 can deliver consistent, accurate, rapid effects at ranges of over 40km with high rates and volumes of fire. The K9 is optimized for ‘Shoot and Scoot’ tactics, where multiple rounds are fired before the tracked vehicle moves to a different location to avoid counter-battery fire.

 

11 Feb 25. The Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, announced on 10 February that it had ordered 530 Serval Appui (Support) SCORPION vehicles on 31 December 2024. The vehicles are planned to be delivered from the end of 2025 to 2031. Ninety-seven Serval Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Léger (VBMR-L) 4×4 light multirole armoured vehicles will be ordered in addition to the 530 vehicles under the same contract, which is worth over EUR1 bn (USD1.03bn). Work will be carried out by KNDS France at its sites in Satory, Bourges, and Roanne; Texelis in Limoges; MBDA in Plessis Robinson and Bourges; and CS Group in Plessis Robinson and Toulon.
In line with France’s Loi de Programmation Militaire (LPM) 2024–30 military funding programme approved on 13 July 2023, the order for 530 vehicles is part of the effort to put French Army units under armour and integrate them into the SCORPION transformation programme to command, support, and move in the zone of contact, operating at the combined arms brigade or divisional level.
Three versions of Serval will be developed and produced: défense sol-air d’accompagnement (accompanying surface-to-air defence: DSA), lutte anti-drones (counter-unmanned aerial vehicle: LAD), and nœuds de communication tactiques (tactical communication nodes: NCT).
The Serval DSA vehicle will be equipped with a turret from MBDA France allowing the employment of the Mistral missile under armour and also includea self-defence weapon in the turret. The LAD version will be equipped with a radar, a radio frequency detection system, a fire-control system, and a remote-controlled weapon station with a 30×113 mm cannon firing special ammunition. The NCT version will be equipped with the Syracuse IV satellite, a radio, and service communication systems. (Source: Janes)

 

10 Feb 25. On Lebanese border, Israel’s Plasan kept rolling out armored vehicles as war raged. Given the demand from the IDF, the company was charged with keeping production up at normal or higher rates, despite the potential dangers of being so close to the border.
The Israeli defense company Plasan makes armored solutions for military platforms, such as producing complex armored plates for vehicles. But the company had to think about a different kind of protection in 2024 — how it keep its facilities and staff safe as the war expanded into Lebanon. The company is located in the northern Israeli community of Sasa, around a mile from the Lebanese border, right along the front line of Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah. The company continued to roll vehicles off the line and keep up production throughout the war. During a visit to Plasan, representatives discussed how they kept up with orders and dealt with the disruptions of war.
The northern border of Israel is quiet these days. The rolling hills of the upper Galilee are preparing for spring, and some trees even have blossoms already. But for most of 2024 this area was a war zone. Israel evacuated more than 60,000 people from border communities in October 2023 when Hezbollah began rocket and drone attacks on northern Israel. Roads near the border were closed and concrete barriers were erected in many places where drivers or soldiers might be exposed to anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) fire.
“On October 7 [2023] the army came and took vehicles we had, those about to be delivered,” recalls Gilad Ariav, vice-president of marketing and business development at Plasan. And given the demand from the IDF, the company was charged with keeping production up at normal or higher rates, despite the potential dangers of being so close to the border.
The IDF needed ceramic plates for soldiers, and Plasan reopened an old line to produce them, working 24/7 to produce 35,000 plates while also increasing production of armored vehicles. While the members of the Sasa Kibbutz that is adjacent to the company were evacuated to the south, the company’s employees stayed at work. Around 15 percent of the employees were called up to IDF reserve duty. “It didn’t prevent us [from delivering]” says Ariav.
As the company provided a tour of its site, the evidence of the threats from the last fifteen months of war was still visible: In one section of the factory there are several window sections that have been impacted by various projectiles. There is also one vehicle that is missing a rear wheel and was hit by some kind of IED, and concrete barriers remain in place to protect against missile fire from Lebanon.
Members of the company described how one could often see and hear interceptions overhead during the war. Not only was Sasa targeted, but Mount Meron, which looms a mile away across a nearby valley, was often targeted because it has an IDF base near its peak. Many of the residents of the community around the company have not fully returned to their homes and schools. (Overall Plasan has around 450 employees in Israel and around 700 worldwide, with subsidiaries in the US, Australia and France.)
L3Harris is working to ensure our warfighters stay ahead of the rapidly evolving threat environment.
But officials are proud of the fact that despite the frequent sirens, need to go into shelters, and the constant threats, the work went on.
Today the company appears to be continuing to work at a fast pace to produce its armored solutions. In one area of a factory floor Ariav shows how armored plates for things such as doors of vehicles are produced. Small hexagonal ceramic pieces are placed as a layer and then they are sandwiched between metal, which the company says helps absorb blasts.
During a presentation, Ariav stressed how the company uses live trials to test its armor and solutions against explosions and projectiles, as well as running complex computer simulations. The simulations examine how different projectiles might hit a plate, or how an improvised explosive device would impact armor. This saves the cost and effort of blowing up numerous vehicles, Ariav says the simulations have proven effective in terms of final design and predicting how threats will impact armor.
In another area, the company showcased their FlexFence defense against RPGs, which looks like a kind of fence that can be draped around parts of the vehicle. The fence uses special technology to trigger the RPG and helps protect the vehicle from being penetrated, so that the damage of the blast is reduced.
The firm is also in production on a number of vehicles. One is the Sandcat, which is called the “Tigris” by the IDF. The company uses the chassis of F-550s and then adds an armored body on top of them. This is an armored solution the company calls Kitted Hull and it provides protection from all angles, including below for mines and above against small bomblets that drones can drop.
In one hangar the company is producing the Sandcats for both the IDF and what they said was another, undisclosed customer. Each has a different configuration, and employees work on the vehicles by hand, producing around ten vehicles a week.
Besides the Sandcats, a major focus for the firm are contracts for armoring JLTVs with Oshkosh as well as the Australian Redback infantry fighting vehicle, which is made by South Korea’s Hanwha. The company is also up-armoring a number of Piranhas, a family of fighting vehicles the originated in Switzerland in the 1970s and is now in its fifth generation and in use by a dozen countries.
In addition, Plasan is also working on a new system called an All-Terrain Electric Mission Module (ATeMM), which is an electric-powered “modular” system that can function as a kind of trailer for a vehicle, or be used as a four-wheeled robotic unmanned vehicle.
ATeMM was first unveiled in 2021 but was tested by the IDF in the recent war in Lebanon. It was one of many vehicles in the Plasan factory that seemed to encapsulate how technology is transforming not only armored vehicles but also solutions for maneuvering forces — the kind of lesson that comes from 15 months of a multi-front war. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Breaking Defense.com)

 

10 Feb 25. French Army orders 530 new Serval vehicles. The initial deliveries of Serval vehicles are expected for delivery from 2025 to 2031. The French Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that an order placement for procurement of 530 Serval 4×4 wheeled armoured vehicles for the French Army. This purchase, exceeding €1bn ($1.03bn), is a part of the SCORPION programme, which aims to revolutionise the French military’s capabilities. The programme encompasses the production and supply of the GRIFFON, JAGUAR, and SERVAL vehicles, as well as the modernisation of the LECLERC Main Battle Tank (MBT). It includes the integration of drones and robots into the combat system, enhanced communication with infantry, and the management of various sensors.
Initial deliveries of Serval vehicles are predicted for delivery from 2025 to 2031.
This procurement is anticipated to stimulate production activities across several locations including Bourges, Limoges, Plessis-Robinson, Roanne, Satory, and Toulon.
It will also engage a vast network of subcontractors.
French Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu stated in a X post that: “An investment in our rearmament of more than a bn euros, provided for in the military programming law, which will mobilise the activity of our defence industry in Roanne, Bourges, Limoges, Satory, Plessis-Robinson and Toulon, as well as a vast network of subcontractors.”
The Serval, categorised as a light armoured multi-role vehicle (Light VBMR), is designed to support light units in the contact zone, particularly during the early stages of operations under diverse conditions.
To effectively execute its designated tasks, the Serval is available in three versions: the armoured patrol vehicle (VPB), the tactical communication node (NCT), and the surveillance, acquisition, intelligence, acknowledgment (SA2R).
Earlier in 2024, the French Army procurement agency (DGA) placed an order for 30 Serval DSA (Défense Sol-Air, or ground-to-air defence) 4×4 armoured vehicles.
In addition, in July of 2023, France’s DGA commissioned 30 ground-based Syracuse IV satellite communication terminals from Thales.
These stations act as tactical communication nodes during halts, linking the French Army’s Serval armoured vehicles to the Syracuse IV satellite constellation.
A report by GlobalData titled “France Defense Market 2024-2029” outlines that France’s current defence budget is at $60.4bn and is projected to increase to $67.8bn by 2029, representing a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 1.4% over the next five years.
The acquisitions budget is expected to mirror this upward trajectory, having expanded at a CAGR of 5.4% over the historic period. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

11 Feb 25. Milrem Robotics Unveils Cutting-Edge 8×8 Robotic Combat Vehicle at IDEX 2025. Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, will launch its highly anticipated 8×8 Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) at IDEX 2025. Representing the pinnacle of next-generation hybrid unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) technology, the new HAVOC RCV is set to revolutionize modern combat operations.
“The HAVOC RCV has been engineered to deliver unparalleled agility and high-speed manoeuvrability, enabling commanders to project force effectively across extended distances,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “Its robust design and advanced hybrid propulsion system allow for integrating large-calibre weaponry while maintaining precision and superior lethality on the battlefield. As a versatile and reliable force multiplier, this platform redefines operational effectiveness for today’s dynamic and complex combat scenarios.”
At the heart of HAVOC is an advanced hybrid electric powertrain, which ensures an extended operational range and near-silent movement capabilities. These features enhance stealth and make the vehicle adaptable for various mission requirements.
By sharing common subsystems with other Milrem Robotics platforms, such as the tracked RCV, HAVOC significantly reduces development, procurement, and maintenance costs, ensuring cost efficiency and streamlined logistics.
Weighing substantially less than conventional manned 8×8 vehicles, the RCV boasts superior off-road performance, making it highly effective in rugged terrains. Its cutting-edge electric driveline delivers instantaneous torque, enabling faster response times and enhanced mobility. Additionally, the vehicle’s pivot steering capabilities allow for a dramatically reduced turning radius, ensuring optimal manoeuvrability in environments ranging from open deserts and urban combat zones to high-altitude mountain passes.
The 8×8 RCV is designed with a baseline payload capacity of five tons, offering exceptional flexibility for integrating mission-specific payloads or weapon systems. Importantly, modifications within this payload limit do not compromise the vehicle’s performance, ensuring seamless adaptability to operational needs. Furthermore, it operates on a unified autonomy ecosystem that aligns with Milrem’s existing platforms, guaranteeing compatibility and scalability across a diverse range of autonomous solutions.
“With the launch of the HAVOC RCV, we are setting a new standard in unmanned ground combat systems,” said Henrik Kotkas, Chief Product Officer at Milrem Robotics. “This platform combines cutting-edge technology with practical design considerations to deliver unmatched operational capabilities. It exemplifies our commitment to innovation and meeting the evolving needs of modern armed forces.”
The debut of the HAVOC 8×8 Robotic Combat Vehicle at IDEX 2025 underscores Milrem Robotics’ position as a pioneer in autonomous military technology. As defence forces worldwide seek solutions to enhance operational efficiency and survivability, the 8×8 RCV emerges as a transformative asset capable of reshaping the future of ground combat operations.
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05 Feb 25. European military mobility at the crossroads as funding dries up. With years until the next funding phase, the EU’s plans for enhanced military mobility appear fanciful. Funding for the European Union’s (EU) military mobility fund has run dry, with no finances available for additional projects in the final two years of a multi-year settlement to improve defence logistics and the transit of military equipment across member states’ borders. In an extensive audit of the EU military mobility programme, published on 5 February 2025 by the European Court of Auditors (ECA), detailed some of the issues with the implementation of the EU’s aspirations. Moving military capabilities quickly and efficiently across Europe is a critical aspect of properly defending the continent from potential threats. The ECA determined that the EU’s military mobility policy had evolved since a first action plan in 2018. For the first time, its 2021–2027 budget set aside a dedicated amount for military and civilian dual-use transport infrastructure projects. The game changer was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which turned the bloc’s strategic need for military mobility into a matter of urgency. Under time pressure, the EU published its second action plan in November 2022.

In 2023 EU member states spent a combined €280bn ($291.7bn) on defence, with the figure expected to rise to more than €300bn for 2024. The projects under the EU military mobility programme are 50% co-funded by the bloc and the member states.

Also damning was the scale of the €1.7bn funding set aside for dual military-civil use projects, compared to the overall €27bn set aside for civil-only mobility programmes.

However, the entirety of the €1.7bn ($1.7bn) EU’s military mobility budget has already been allocated, part-way through the funding period.

“There is no money in the pot,” said ECA president Tony Murphy in a press briefing attended by Army Technology, adding that, as a result, there could be a gap until the next funding period was agreed for 2027 and beyond.

“[An EU military mobility budget of] €1.7bn at the level of spending of member states is peanuts,” Murphy said.

Dual-use military-civil funding was “front-loaded” over the funding period, ECA officials said, leaving nothing left for the latter half of the timeframe. From the funding, 95 separate programmes across 21 member states were provided for, averaging around €18m per project.

In addition, one unnamed EU member state funding the first two stages of a military mobility programme, only to not apply for the finances to complete the critical third and final stage. Cross border cooperation was also limited, with just two programmes between Sweden and Finland, and Romania and Bulgaria, intended to harmonise transit of military equipment from one country to the next.

Further, little attention appears to have been given to the best use of the resources that were available for 2022 and 2023 funding requests. In the east of the EU, dual-use projects were approved in countries such as Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania, but none in southern countries like Greece.

ECA issues recommendations to EU military mobility

In its report, the ECA provided six recommendations for the European Commission and European External Action Service to enact in order to ensure future military mobility funding better provides for the necessary infrastructure improvements.

These include: improve the governance arrangements for military mobility in the EU; monitor and report on the progress of each action included in Action Plan 2.0; assess the possibility of using Connecting Europe Facility transport calls to finance dual-use infrastructure projects under the current MFF (2021-2027); take steps to improve the predictability of possible funding for military mobility under the post-2027 MFF; improve the selection process for dual-use infrastructure projects under the post-2027 MFF; and make the design of the EU’s military mobility actions more focused.

The first progress report for the action plan, published in November 2023, did not systematically include progress information, including on issues encountered, for each action but was more of a list of what had happened in terms of military mobility in the EU during the previous year. Member states were not asked to specifically give feedback via a formalised process on their invitations to act, the ECA found.

Overall, the ECA said that it found only four of the 29 key actions at EU level “could be considered completed”, while the vast majority remained a work ongoing.

“There is a lack of indicators and specific targets (with corresponding date), to be achieved for all actions. We therefore cannot give a precise overall assessment of the progress made on Action Plan 2.0, beyond indicating that implementation of actions is ongoing, and progress has been variable,” stated the ECA audit. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

05 Feb 25. Alstom to sell German plant to defence equipment maker KNDS. French train maker Alstom (ALSO.PA) has agreed to sell its Görlitz plant in Germany to defence equipment maker KNDS, the companies said on Wednesday. KNDS will start using the plant this year to produce assemblies for the Leopard 2 battle tank, the Puma infantry fighting vehicle and variants of the Boxer wheeled armoured vehicle, they said in a joint statement. Alstom’s production of trams and double-decker trains in Görlitz will either continue or be relocated during the transition, depending on the status of the project, they added. (Source: Google/Reuters)

 

04 Feb 25. Italy itching to drop $24bn on Lynx, Panther tanks, with amore. Italy’s defense chief has challenged Leonardo and Rheinmetall to deliver a massive, €23bn ($24bn) order of tanks and fighting vehicles as quickly as possible to get Italy ready for an increasingly dangerous world.

Gen. Luciano Portolano said time was of the essence in a speech to the heads of the Italian and German firms on Monday as they gathered to watch a Lynx fighting vehicle fire off rounds at Nettuno test range in Italy.

“We cannot protect you if you cannot support us,” said Portolano.

Leonardo and Rheinmetall announced a joint venture last October to build 1,050 variants of the German company’s Lynx vehicle as well as 272 variants of Rheinmetall’s Panther tanks to renew the Italian army’s near-obsolete tracked vehicle component.

At a briefing before the demonstration, officials from the firms said that once production was up and running there would be the capacity to build 700 vehicles for export.

In his speech, Portolano said, “We will help you export, but you have to help us get our national requirement.”

Officials from the new JV, named Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles, gave the first breakdown of their souped-up schedule, starting with the delivery this year of five Lynx’s which are already being assembled by Rheinmetall to supply the Italian program, which has been variously dubbed AICS and A2CS.

The vehicles will match the variants now being built for Rheinmetall’s other Lynx customer, Hungary, which also lent Italy the model used in the live firing at Nettuno.

Between 2026 and 2027, a further 11 to 16 Lynx’s will be delivered with the Leonardo Hitfist 30 turret that Italy wants on its vehicles, complete with Leonardo’s new 30mm X-Gun, representing the template for the Italianized version of the vehicle.

A slide shown at the briefing showed the first Panther tanks would start arriving in 2027, with the total order including 132 main battle tanks and 140 variants split between a bridge building, armored recovery and armored engineering versions.

As the joint venture awaits anti-trust approval, Leonardo and Rheinmetall will set up a temporary company in the next few days to accept a Request for Proposal from Italy which is the next step to formal contracts, the development of the variants and a ramp up in production using an assembly line in La Spezia, Italy.

The peak year for production, according to a slide, will be 2031 with 171 vehicles and tanks produced.

The Lynx will be produced in five variants which will in turn carry out 16 roles between them. The variants are: 120mm, 30mm, Mortar, Air Defense and Non-Turreted.

David Hoeder, Rheinmetall’s designated executive chairman for the joint venture, said he believed the 120mm “light tank” version would become a successful export.

Speaking to Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger and Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani, Gen. Portolano said of the Lynx, “I fell in love with this vehicle,” adding that “it meets all the requirements of the modern battlefield.”

He added he was particularly impressed at how the eight soldiers riding inside the vehicle would emerge “ready to fight” after hours of traveling.

Apart from the turret and 30mm gun, Leonardo will also supply the Lynx’s C4I system and electro-optic sensor and radar as well as radio.

On the 132 main battle tanks, Rheinmetall will produce 52 120mm guns while Leonardo will produce 80. Each firm will handle 50 percent of the work on the hulls, while Leonardo supplies the engine and a kit to adopt its Vulcano guided munition system.

“Using a 130mm cannon has not been excluded,” said Leonardo co-director general, Lorenzo Mariani.

Laurent Sissmann, the Leonardo official designed as CEO of the joint venture, said meeting the deadlines would be “hard work” but possible.

He told Defense News, “The prerequisites to achieve it are a clear requirement, good industry teaming and stable funding.”

(Source: Defense News)

 

04 Feb 25. Sisu unveils GTT all-terrain vehicle. Sisu unveiled its GTT all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at the SecD-Day conference and exhibition held in Helsinki on 29–30 January 2025. The high-performance, multi-purpose platform is designed to operate in all geographical environments, including extreme climate conditions and the harshest Nordic terrain. The Sisu GTT ATV programme combines the design and maturity of ST Engineering Land Systems’ Bronco with the technologies and solutions of the Sisu GTP 4×4 offroad vehicle, which the Finnish company expects to provide security of supply through provision of design and engineering expertise, local manufacturing, and in-country life-cycle support. Sisu said the modular vehicle is suitable for various operational roles and is available. Jyri Ahonen, Sisu Auto’s vice-president, Defence, told Janes on 3 February, “Numerous different configurations within the vehicle’s payload capacity would be possible. The twist lock interface can accommodate any 10 inch container-type system. [The] APC [armoured personnel carrier] cabin is [also] suitable for command, control, and communications use [and] medevac [medical evacuation].” In addition, the cargo platform configuration can accommodate any 10 inch container-type load up to a weight of 5 tonnes, such as a mortar module or any other mission-specific system, according to Sisu. Asked if the Sisu GTT was for a specific Nordic requirement, Ahonen said, “Nordic defence forces have ageing ATVs in their inventories. Sisu GTT would be a very suitable replacement for these ageing fleets.” (Source: Janes)

 

04 Feb 25. GDLS Successfully Demos ARV Prototype to USMC. On track to deliver SIL2.0 and 30mm variant of Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle. General Dynamics Land Systems announced today that it has successfully completed further testing of its Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) Command, Control, Communications, Computers/Unmanned Aerial Systems (C4/UAS) variant with the U.S. Marine Corps. The ARV is designed for the Marine Corps’ future Mobile Reconnaissance Battalions. Principal test locations from March to December 2024 included the Michigan Technological University Keweenaw Research Center (KRC) in Calumet, Mich., and the U.S. Army’s Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC), Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Mich. General Dynamics Land Systems’ C4/UAS ARV variant is built to serve as the Marine Corps’ “quarterback” on the mobile and multi-domain battlefield. It connects to an array of onboard and off-board sensors, plus UAS and, in the future, ground and water robotic systems. The General Dynamics Land Systems design ensures growth margins and modular open architecture to rapidly incorporate new technology as it develops. In anticipation of potential future requirements, it also incorporates the company’s Next Generation Electronic Architecture, enabling artificial intelligence functionality and control of robotic systems. Marine Corps-directed and company-led tests and demonstrations in 2024 included land mobility, maintenance, logistics and training systems, as well as automotive and mission-profile performance assessments. A focus area in 2024 involved a maintenance and logistics capability assessment by Marines using the ARV. To this end, General Dynamics Land Systems has incorporated modern digital maintenance and prognostic monitoring systems in the ARV. In addition to Marine Corps-directed testing, General Dynamics Land Systems enhanced its demonstrations by introducing its next-generation Digital Training System (DTS), which eventually will enable ARV training at the individual, crew and unit levels for tactical operations and maintenance activities.

“The testing and demonstration activities last year helped us collect additional data to ensure we can meet or exceed the Marine Corps’ requirements for ARV, especially in the critical area of maintenance, logistics and training,” said Richard Trotter, ARV Program Director at General Dynamics Land Systems. “We are confident we can achieve key performance requirements in these areas as we wholistically design the strategic ARV capability and competitively position ourselves for the next phase of the program.”

Testing has included Marines from across the Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) and maintenance communities.

“Partnering with the Marines in the ARV testing and demonstrations provides very valuable feedback,” said Marc Shepard, ARV Program Manager at General Dynamics Land Systems. “Their collaborative, constructive feedback is invaluable as we aim for a transformational, 21st century solution.”

“We have said this before, and it is worth repeating: The ARV is highly mobile on land and in the water, allowing Marines to sense, communicate and connect to kill webs on the future battlefield like never before,” Trotter added. “Recent tests were some of the most extensive to date for us to trial our innovative technologies. We pride ourselves on delivering capabilities for today and also are thoughtful, deliberate and innovative about realizing the future vision of the Marine Corps. We look forward to continuing our long partnership with the Marines and contributing to their efforts to ensure that ARV is a transformational reconnaissance capability.”

In 2025, General Dynamics Land Systems will complete manufacturing and delivery of an ARV-30mm prototype for testing and evaluation. The company also will deliver a second Systems Integration Lab (SIL) for the ARV program. The primary purpose of the SIL, designed to replicate the interior of the company’s C4/UAS vehicle, is to validate the integration of the Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4/I) systems and software. It is envisioned that the SIL also will serve as an immersive experience for ARV mission operators and crew to train and simulate real-world missions with full, representative vehicle functionality.  (Source: ASD Network)

 

31 Jan 25. France orders 100 upgraded Leclerc XLR tanks. The Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, announced on 28 January that it had ordered 100 more upgraded Leclerc XLR main battle tanks (MBTs) on 24 December 2024. With orders for 50 Leclerc XLRs each in 2021 and 2022, this will bring the total number being procured to 200. Under France’s Loi de Programmation Militaire 2024–2030 military funding programme approved in July 2024, 160 Leclerc XLRs are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2030 and 40 by the end of 2035. The DGA delivered the 34th Leclerc MBT to the French Army on 10 December, bringing the total delivered in 2024 to 21. The first prototype of the upgraded tank, designated Leclerc XLR, was delivered to the DGA at the end of 2022. The Leclerc XLR is equipped with vetronics, the SCORPION combat information system (SICS), CONTACT digital radio, and GPS so it can communicate in real time on the tactical situation with other SCORPION vehicles: Griffon 6×6 Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle (VBMR) heavy multirole armoured vehicles, 300 Jaguar 6×6 armoured reconnaissance vehicles, and Serval Véhicule Blindé Multi-Rôle Léger (VBMR-L) 4×4 light multirole armoured vehicles. SICS and CONTACT will allow voice and data to be exchanged simultaneously among network subscribers, vehicles, dismounted soldiers, and Tigre (Tiger) Mk 3 attack helicopters. (Source: Janes)

 

31 Jan 25. Shrinking SAAF budget puts Denel’s aircraft maintenance and repair facilities in jeopardy. Answering a Parliamentary question regarding Denel aircraft maintenance capabilities, Defence and Military Veterans Minister Angie Motshekga acknowledged the State-owned defence and technology conglomerate faced a skilled personnel shortage as well as having to put up with “a chronic shortage of funds”. She was replying to Democratic Alliance (DA) deputy defence and military veterans spokesman Maliyakhe Shelembe who wanted to know if the Irene, Centurion, headquartered State-owned enterprise (SOE) is able to ensure “combat readiness” of aircraft in the SA Air Force (SAAF) inventory. The current state of readiness of SAAF airframes Denel is responsible for stand at a lone C-130BZ authorised for South African airspace only, a miserly three of 33 Oryx medium transport helicopters and not one of 11 Rooivalk combat support rotary-winged aircraft fit to fly, according to the Ministerial response. As regards 28 Squadron’s long-serving C-130BZ medium lift aircraft Motshekga, in part, told her questioner it “has become difficult to maintain the expertise and plan for succession due to chronic under-funding”.

Denel, the Ministerial reply has it, supplies expertise to the SAAF which does all repairs and support on the C-130BZ fleet at Air Force Base (AFB) Waterkloof, where 28 Squadron is housed. She further pointed out “current funding levels” pointed to Denel losing its accreditation as an aircraft maintenance organisation (AMO) for the C-130BZ. Without the accreditation it will not be possible to maintain the airworthiness of the four-engined transport workhorse.

“A number of experts that Denel uses are employed on a contract basis as some have reached retirement age and have not been replaced due to the uncertainty of future funding being made to maintain the aircraft,” Shelembe was told with the rider that there is “currently no local alternative” to support the C-130BZ. Marshall in Cambridge, England, is one of two organisations – the other is in Portugal – that maintain the American-built military airlifter in addition to manufacturer Lockheed Martin. The SAAF is using Marshall to maintain and refurbish some of the C-130BZ fleet.

When it comes to the SAAF Rooivalk and Oryx helicopter inventory, Denel as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is the only entity able to maintain and support them.

This responsibility has seen an engine and mechanical workshop along with a blade spinning rig and autoclave for the rotary-wing aircraft set up at Denel.

The engine repair shop needs a minimum throughput – which the SAAF cannot provide – to remain operational. The same holds true for the mechanical workshop where helicopter gearboxes and drive trains are serviced and repaired.

A blade spinning rig doesn’t work anymore with lack of funding and the loss of what the ministerial response labels “specialist resources” to blame. This is the human component which is no longer there thanks to either retirement or exit of experienced personnel. Helicopter blades needing balancing are now shipped to France. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

 

31 Jan 25. ICP marks 20 year anniversary with new vehicles and strategic expansion. With 20 years of experience under the company’s belt, ICP (Integrated Convoy Protection) has been modernising and expanding its fleet, recently launching several new military and security vehicles.

CEO Nadine Rynners said ICP has experienced a significant resurgence, as highlighted by the multiple new vehicles it has developed after substantial investment.

The armoured vehicle specialist’s updated range includes:

A new 6×6 Armoured Utility Vehicle

A new 4×4 Armoured Utility Vehicle

A new 4×4 Armoured Personnel Carrier

A range of Cash-in-Transit Vehicles

The Armoured Utility Vehicles are mine-protected logistical vehicles equipped with integrated ISO container locks, enabling the transport of standard ISO shipping containers in hostile environments. ICP said these vehicles offer high mobility and share common spare parts with the REVA armoured personnel carrier (APC) range, enhancing logistical support.

Additionally, the Armoured Utility Vehicles can be fitted with specialised modules, such as a containerised ambulance or a light recovery crane. They appear to be entering service in the Middle East as the Kasser II (4×4) and Kasser III (6×6). According to Asian Military Review, the Kasser II was unveiled in the Middle East by M4 Industries at IDEX 2021 and is currently in service with the UAE military.

Asian Military Review further added that the Kasser II is the Emirati version of the 4×4 REVA V APC, but featuring a revised grille, two-piece windscreen and other cosmetic changes. It has been fitted with the Raad I remotely operated weapon station that the UAE has acquired from Spain’s Escribano.

ICP could not comment on its clients due to non-disclosure agreements but said it only manufactures vehicles in South Africa. According to National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) annual reports, South Africa exported 27 armoured vehicles to the UAE in 2019, ten in 2020, two in 2021, one in 2022, and two in 2023, but NCACC reports do not specify vehicle type.

The REVA V is ICP’s flagship and the biggest armoured vehicle in its range with full independent suspension. This vehicle is available in various configurations to suit customer requirements. It can seat between six and eight people in the rear in addition to two crew members in the front, and is equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. A V-shaped hull provides protection against landmines and IEDs (ballistic protection is to BR7 level Level 4A/B against IEDs and mines). The REVA V is just over seven metres long and weighs 16 tonnes unladen.

ICP is renowned for its REVA range of vehicles, an acronym for Reliable, Effective, Versatile, and Affordable. The REVA III 4×4 APC remains the company’s most popular and best-selling model, with over 2 000 units manufactured in South Africa. ICP has also expanded its manufacturing capabilities globally, establishing a plant in Iraq in 2005 where REVA vehicles were successfully produced.

REVA vehicles have been deployed across various regions worldwide, including Iraq, the UAE, Yemen, Somalia, Equatorial Guinea, Sudan, Egypt, Nigeria, Thailand, and South Africa.

In 2023, ICP introduced two new vehicles to meet the growing demands of the security market: the REVA Bulk Carrier and the REVA Light Security Vehicle (LSV). The LSV, based on the Mahindra Pick-Up, features an armoured cab, while the Bulk Carrier is built on a Tata chassis.

(Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

 

31 Jan 25. Germany Takes Final Step to Full Member of CAVS Programme. Germany has joined the Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) Framework Agreement. By joining this stage of the programme, Germany enables the serial procurement of CAVS vehicles based on Patria 6×6 vehicle. After Finland, Latvia and Sweden, Germany is the fourth nation to access the Framework Agreement.

Germany started its journey within the CAVS programme in 2022 by signing the statement of intent and followed up by joining the Technical Arrangement in 2023. In 2024, Germany joined the programme’s research and development agreement, after which joining the Framework Agreement was the final step towards full accession.

“Patria is very pleased to see Germany moving forward towards the serial procurement phase. The determination and steady progress of Germany taking steps within the CAVS programme has been an excellent example of modern multinational cooperation targeting increased interoperability and the security of supply between allied nations. Together with our German teaming partners KNDS, FFG and JWT we are ready to set up local production with a rapid time scale,“ says Hugo Vanbockryck, Senior Vice President, Market Area Europe of Patria.

Within the CAVS programme, the 6×6 armoured vehicle system development is led by Patria, that has more than four decades of experience in developing and delivering state-of-the-art protected troop transportation and system integration. Vast majority of supply of the vehicles is conducted by utilising the member nations’ local industry capabilities and every new nation is inherently reinforcing the security of supply for the whole collaboration system. Patria has already received orders for over 800 Patria 6×6 vehicles and has delivered more than 200 vehicles. The programme is open to European countries with similar equipment requirements, by mutual consent of the participating countries.

(Source: ASD Network)

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30 Jan 25. French Army receives first MEPAC armoured mortar carrier. The French Army received its first Griffon Mortier Embarqué Pour l’Appui au Contact (MEPAC) 6×6 self-propelled 120 mm mortar carrier on 19 December 2024, the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), France’s defence procurement agency, announced on its website on 24 January. The agency delivered the vehicle to the Satory-based detachment of the French Army’s 8e Régiment du Matériel responsible for maintaining the service’s equipment in operational condition.

Ten more vehicles are planned to be delivered in 2025, with completion of deliveries of all 54 by the end of 2028. Another 25 are earmarked for Belgium under the Franco-Belgian Capacité Motorisée (CaMo) programme.

The Griffon vehicle that MEPAC is based on is manufactured by the temporary consortium composed of KNDS France, Arquus, and Thales, with the latter producing the system’s semi-automatic Rifled Recoiled Mounted Mortar (2R2M). It also has a remote controlled weapon system armed with a 7.62 mm machine gun.

The 24.5 tonne MEPAC will support French groupement tactique interarmes (GTIA) joint tactical battlegroups in the zone of contact with the enemy. With a crew of four, the armoured vehicle is designed to be well protected and mobile in all terrain.

MEPAC is completely integrated in the chain of the ATLAS automated field artillery fire support system, allowing it to quickly provide fire support. The French Army claims that MEPAC can shoot-and-scoot in less than a minute. The system features the same vectronics as other vehicles of the SCORPION programme. (Source: Janes)

 

29 Jan 25. Italian Army KF41 Launches Armoured Force Renewal.  The Italian military announced last week it would be acquiring 1050 KF41 based armoured vehicles from the joint venture between Rheinmetall AG and Leonardo S.p.A., which was recently approved by the German Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) under its Army Armoured Combat System (A2CS) program.

The details were offered during the Defence IQ International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) conference held 21 – 23 January 2025 in Farnborough in the United Kingdom. The intent is to replace the current 1980’s vintage VCC-80 Dardo infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and various other mechanized combat and combat support vehicles with a range of sixteen mission role vehicles all utilizing the KF41 as a common baseline. These variants will be configured as infantry transport/fighting, command and control, air defence, anti-tank, 120mm mortar carriers, reconnaissance, combat engineering, maintenance/recovery and logistic support. This will be facilitated through a modular approach that intends to provide for reconfiguration between variants.

The Army has set an aggressive A2CS program schedule with the initial prototypes to be provided as early as 2026 through 2029. Italy’s initial budget of €5.2bn for the program is now projected to rise to €16 bn over fourteen years.

The KF41 is a designed to address not only current battlefield requirements but to offer a platform that can accommodate future technologies and system advances. Currently, Hungary is acquiring two-hundred and eighteen KF41 Lynx a portion of which will be manufactured in country. In addition, Lynx are reportedly being provided to the Ukraine with the first vehicles delivered early in 2025. Lynx is also a contender in the US Army Bradley replacement program.

KF41 variant configurations introduced to date have included: the Infantry Fighting Vehicle with 35mm WOTAN autocannon in the Lance 2.0 turret carrying up to eleven soldiers, the Reconnaissance, an Armoured Personnel Carrier with remote weapon station, recovery with RWS and crane, command, 120mm smoothbore fire support, and ambulance.

The common chassis has an 850 kW (1140hp) Liebherr engine and a Renk transmission and suspension system from the Australian firm Supashock. The combination assures the KF41 Lynx retains its mobility with any of the provides mission role modules and survivability packages being proposed.

The Lynx KF41 in the IFV weighs 44 tonnes yet provides a power-to-weight ratio of 26 hp/tonne. In addition to modular scalable ballistic and mine/blast protection the design minimizes the passive and active visual, thermal and acoustic signature of the vehicle reducing the possibility of detection. In addition, active countermeasures including ROSY and active defence systems can be provided.

The Lynx can have a road speed of 70 km/h and cruising range of 500 km. The commonality across the Lynx family assures that all elements of the force have compatible mobility and survivability inherent in the design offering a major benefit on the battlefield.

The Italian ground force modernization being represented by the substantial investment in the KF41 and in the A2CS program in total, which may also include a new Main Battle Tank, will give not only the Italian Army a significant capability but may also lay the foundation for a broader ground force step forward across NATO and Europe, as well as the potential for unprecedented interoperability with the United States. (Source: Armada)

 

30 Jan 25. Need for mission readiness to drive maintenance expenditure on in-service military platforms in Asia-Pacific in 2025, says GlobalData.

The evolving nature of warfare and threat perceptions in the Asia-Pacific region has increased the demand for robust maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) practices substantially. Disciplined MRO practices ensure higher operational availability rates of military platforms such as fixed-wing aircrafts, helicopters, naval vessels, and land vehicles. Against this backdrop, the cumulative maintenance cost burden of the military platform fleet of Asia-Pacific countries is estimated to be about $44bn in 2025, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData’s dashboard on Annual Maintenance Cost (part of the Fleet Size database) reveals that, with 28% share of the total addressable market (TAM), the Asia-Pacific region will provide most number of opportunities for maintenance service providers throughout this decade. Within Asia-Pacific, China, India, and Japan are the top three countries with highest maintenance cost burden owing to their large fleet of in-service defense platforms as of January 2025.

Harsh Deshmukh, Aerospace & Defense Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The governments in the Asia-Pacific region have the highest maintenance cost burden on the Military Land Vehicles segment, which is estimated to be about $15bn for 2025. This cost is further aggravated due to the large inventory of aging Soviet-origin main battle tanks, armored personnel carriers, and tactical trucks. Leading Asia-Pacific companies catering to this market segment include China North Industries Group Corp Ltd (Norinco), Dongfeng Motor Corporation Ltd, Poly Technologies, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Ltd, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, and LIG NEX1 Co.”

The annual maintenance cost burden on Asia-Pacific’s Military Fixed Wing Aircraft fleets is estimated to be about $13 bn for 2025. As countries in the region try to address the perennial issues related to the low availability rate of their Fixed Wing Aircraft fleet, significant opportunities exist for global primes and subcontractors.

Deshmukh concludes: “Growing tension and territorial disputes across the Asia-Pacific, especially in the South China Sea, will not just drive the countries to procure new defense platforms but will also compel policymakers to pay more attention to the maintenance of their in-service fleet. India, China, and Pakistan have seen several border skirmishes in recent years, which have necessitated the respective governments to increase their spending on maintenance activities. The efforts made towards the improvement of the defense readiness levels by these countries will continue to pave the way for maintenance contracts to both domestic and international companies with relevant product portfolios.” (Source: GlobalData)

 

30 Jan 25. Latvia signs up for 42 ASCOD infantry fighting vehicles.

General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) has been awarded a contract by the Latvian Ministry of Defence for the delivery of an initial batch of 42 ASCOD infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) including logistic support.

Announcing the contract on 30 January 2025, GDELS stated that the IFV would be the “latest generation” of the ACSOD family of armoured vehicles, with “customer specific features” for the Latvian Land Forces.

The acquisition, which was conducted through an international competition, is valued at approximately €373m ($464m), or around $11m per vehicle.

“We are grateful… that our ASCOD infantry fighting vehicle has been selected by the Latvian National Armed Forces as the winner of an international competition,” said Thomas Kauffmann, vice president GDELS Global Sales.

Kauffmann added that the ASCOD family had more than 1,100 vehicles in different variants in the global market.

What is the ASCOD armoured vehicle?

According to GDELS the ASCOD is a modular vehicle based on the Common Base Platform concept, able to be fitted to a variety of lethality and protection packages.

GDELS states that it delivers the ASCOD to customers with open architecture across a variety of variants and mission roles, all utilising the same base platform, reducing complexity and cost.

Regarding firepower, the ASCOD can accommodate a range of turrets from different manufacturers ranging from 25mm to 120mm calibre, as well as anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM).

Among notable operators of the ASCOD design will be the British Army, which will acquire 589 vehicles across multiple variants, led by the Ajax IFV.

IFVs leading global market demand

The procurement of IFVs was forecast to be the most popular segment of the global military land vehicles market over the next decade, according to analysis conducted by GlobalData, with a market share of 30.9%, followed by the main battle tanks segment with a share of 27.1%.

The global military land vehicles market, valued at $31.6bn in 2024, is expected to reach $48.3bn by 2034.

(Source: army-technology.com)

29 Jan 25. Indonesian firm PT Sentra Surya Ekajayais (PT SSE) has unveiled a prototype of its new P2 Tiger armoured personnel carrier (APC) to meet requirements in the Indonesian Army and export markets. The vehicle features an armoured hull produced by PT SSE mounted on the 4×4 Celeris tactical vehicle produced by French company Texelis.

A press release by the two companies said the P2 Tiger APC prototype, which was formally unveiled on 23 January after being built at PT SSE’s facility in Tangerang near Jakarta, has been designed and developed for troop transport but can be configured for several operations. The vehicle can carry a crew of two plus up to eight dismounts and their equipment.

Depending on its configuration, the P2 Tiger provides NATO STANAG 4569 protection from Level 1 to Level 4 and has a gross vehicle weight (GVW) ranging from 13 to 18 tonnes. The P2 Tiger APC version weighs 18 tonnes.

Kits

The P2 Tiger prototype was produced following Texelis’s supply of a series of Celeris kits, which comprised components including axles, powerpack, transmission, and steering system. Up to 30 kits are optional depending on the procured vehicle’s configuration.

The Celeris vehicle features Texelis T750 axles, a Cummins ISL9 Euro 3 diesel engine with an output of 375 hp, and an Allison 3200SP transmission with a two-speed-plus-neutral transfer case.

“A contract was signed in 2024, which determined the delivery to PT SSE of a first Celeris kit,” the press release said. “A team of Texelis experts assisted PT SSE with the industrial process, assembly, and first steps.” (Source: Janes)

 

30 Jan 25. The Latvian MoD has awarded GDELS – Santa Bárbara Sistemas a contract for the delivery of an initial batch of 42 ASCOD Infantry Fighting Vehicles.

Latvian MoD Press Release, Riga. On Thursday, January 30, Latvian National Armaments Director Major General Andis Dilāns and the Vice President of the Spanish company “General Dynamics European Land Systems – Santa Bárbara Sistemas” Alejandro Page Hernandez signed a 370 m euro contract to procure 42 ‘ASCOD’ infantry fighting vehicles for the Latvian National Armed Forces.

“Procurement of new and modern infantry fighting vehicles marks a new chapter in the mechanisation of the Latvian Army’s Land Forces. At the same time, this is a great agreement for our national military industry, which will take part in the provision of new fighting vehicles,” said Defence Minister A. Spruds, who attended the contract signing.

“We are grateful that our ‘ASCOD’ infantry fighting vehicle has been selected by the Latvian National Armed Forces as the winner of an international competition. We are looking forward to collaborating with the national defence industry to jointly strengthen Latvia’s military capabilities and to proudly deliver this great vehicle to our new customer,” said A. Page Hernandez, Vice President of “General Dynamics European Land Systems – Santa Bárbara Sistemas”.

Infantry combat machines come with NATO STANAG 4569 level four armour, automatic cannon, anti-tank weapons, machine gun and other state-of-the-art technologies that will ensure soldiers situational awareness on the battlefield. The infantry fighting vehicle’s crew consists of three soldiers, and it is capable of transporting and deploying six soldiers with full combat equipment.

The procedure for procuring infantry fighting vehicles was launched in early 2023, with several potential suppliers selected as part of a thorough feasibility study. Functional tests of supplier infantry fighting vehicles were conducted in autumn 2023 to obtain data on the operational capabilities of the platforms.

Following the functional tests, the National Armed Forces carried out an in-depth assessment of the results obtained in accordance with their operational needs. Platform costs, available equipment, meeting local industry engagement requirements, delivery deadlines and other aspects were also assessed.

Under the State Defence Concept, the National Armed Forces must develop capabilities by increasing fire capacity and distances that prevent an adversary from operating freely in the air, sea and ground. At the same time, the capabilities of anti-aircraft defence, coastal defence and long-range missile artillery and drones should be further developed, as well as infantry fighting vehicle platforms should be procured. Infantry Fighting Vehicle capability is also set as one of the priorities within the framework of NATO Capability Development Goals.

 

28 Jan 25. Dutch navy receives first modernised LCUs. The Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) took delivery of its first two upgraded Mk II landing craft utility (LCUs) on 23 January, the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed.

Work was carried out by De Haas Shipyards at its shipyard in Rotterdam. De Haas Shipyards is conducting the mid-life upgrade (MLU) programme for four Dutch Mk II LCUs in total under a contract awarded in 2022. The remaining units will be redelivered later in 2025 and in 2026, the MoD said.

The MLU will enable the LCUs to remain in service until at least 2032, as well as increasing their endurance and providing the capability to support small craft.

Work includes modernisation of the crew and mess facilities to enhance endurance, a complete overhaul of the hull and structure, upgrading the machinery and propulsion systems to increase range, the provision of stores to enable a logistic support capability, improvements to the command-and-control system, and the addition of ballistic protection. As part of the effort, the vessel has been equipped with new sleeping quarters, new generators have been installed, the exhausts have been moved towards the stern of the ship, and the wheelhouse has been replaced.

The RNLN has a total of five heavy LCU Mk IIs, each of which can carry a full company of 130 marines ashore or transport 65 tonnes of equipment. Four (two each) of the LCUs are allocated to the RNLN’s landing platform docks (LPDs) Rotterdam (L 800) and Johan de Witt (L 801). The remaining craft is used for training and maintenance. (Source: Janes)

 

28 Jan 25. UK trials cope cages for Challenger 2 tanks

The proliferation of small FPV drones on the battlefield is driving a fundamental shift in how to protect valuable assets like tanks.

Richard ThomasJanuary 28, 2025

The UK is testing the efficacy of so-called ‘cope cages’ on British Army Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBT), as combat experiences in the Ukraine-Russia war highlight the vulnerability of armoured vehicles to the new era of small drone warfare on the battlefield.

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Information revealed at DefenceIQ’s International Armoured Vehicles exhibition and conference, which took place from 21-23 January, detailed some of the methods that the British Army was looking at the defeat small drone threats, including soft kill countermeasures as well as hard deterrents, such as cope cages.

During the show, it was disclosed that cope cages were under assessment, looking at specific capabilities such as obscuration, drone flight path interference, and physical protection. Design considerations include weight, robustness, function, and deployment.

It is understood that cope cage trials are ongoing on the Challenger 2, and potentially other amoured vehicles, at an Army Training Unit (ATU) site. These trails are examining areas like vehicle function and sightlines, crew ingress and egress, stowage, and maintenance tasks.

In addition, technical trials are ongoing to determine threat impact and implications to the host platform’s signature.

The UK is currently in the process of upgrading its 148 of its Challenger 2 MBTs to the Challenger 3 standard, incorporating a new turret and main gun system. It is thought the Challenger 3 could feature new composite armour, as well as fielding an active protection system.

However, it is unclear whether there are any plans to test cope cages on the Challenger 3 when it begins to enter service, with its initial operating capability not expected until 2027.

Ukraine is an operator of the Challenger 2 tank, which has seen active combat against Russian forces, with at least one vehicle confirmed to have been destroyed on operations. The Sultanate of Oman is also an export customer of the Challenger 2 MBT.

What is a cope cage?

The use of small, first-person-view (FPV) drones, fitted with a variety of explosives and munitions, in the Ukraine-Russia war has had a significant impact on attrition rates of military and armoured vehicles.

Social media outlets are flooded with videos showing small FPV drone use, which are often deployed in teams with a spotter drone to direct strikes against opportune targets.

Militaries around the world are also waking up to the role that FPV drones will play on the battlefield, with countries establishing dedicated units within their armed forces to develop and eventually field such capabilities.

Given this proliferation, militaries are in a race to find cost-effective ways to protect or deter such attacks using a variety of means. At its most basic, cope cages can physically prevent a munition from impacting on a weak point on an armoured vehicle, such as the engine bay or open hatch.

UK operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the 2000s saw the widespread use of bar armour around the sides of armoured vehicles in order to affect a premature detonation of munition such as RPGs.

A cope cage takes this one step further, with particular emphasis on bar armour covering the turret roof, while extreme examples also see the armoured vehicle operating fully inside an ablative shell.

(Source: army-technology.com)

 

28 Jan 25. Daimler Truck focuses on growth in the defence sector.

• Daimler Truck intends to meet the increased demand in the defe.nce sector with a larger supply
• Within Daimler Truck, the business unit Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks is responsible for implementing the growth strategy in the defence sector
• A broader product range, the qualification of the sales and service network and the expansion of partnerships are in focus
• Franziska Cusumano, Head of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks:

“Step by step, we are expanding our business in the defence sector. We have developed a clear strategy for this following the motto ‘Grow and Invest’. The contracts concluded and the vehicles handed over in large numbers last year underline that our logistics solutions are tailored to the needs of different customers and their various deployment scenarios.”

• Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks presents a part of its defence portfolio at the IDEX trade fair in Abu Dhabi in February

Leinfelden-Echterdingen/Wörth am Rhein/Molsheim/Abu Dhabi – Daimler Truck follows a clear growth strategy in the development, production and sales of military commercial vehicles for logistics applications. With the introduction of new vehicle variants and the further qualification of the existing sales and service network, Daimler Truck wants to respond even faster and with a broader range to customer requirements from the defence sector. In addition, the increased manufacturing competence as well as the expansion of partnerships regarding new technologies, development projects and sales should lead to offering the right portfolio for users.

Within Daimler Truck, the business unit Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks is responsible for the defence segment, as well as for the fire fighting, disaster relief and civil protection segments. At the production plants in Wörth am Rhein and Molsheim (France), Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks conducts its own research and development, implements individual customer requests and produces high volumes for large orders.

From the extreme off-road Unimog and Zetros to the Atego, Actros and Arocs truck model series and heavy-duty tractor units – Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks offers a wide range of complete vehicles in various variants from Euro III to Euro VI and can also implement special equipment on request. Only recently, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks has invested in the further development of the Zetros model series and can now offer all variants from two-axle 4×4 to four-axle 8×8, with or without protected cab, with single or twin tires and in various emissions standards. The manufacturer also sells the Unimog-based FGA chassis for protected bodies and supplies so-called CKD vehicle component sets with which the vehicles can be built independently at local production sites in the customer’s country.

Franziska Cusumano, Head of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks: “Step by step, we are expanding our business in the defence sector. We have developed a clear strategy for this following the motto ‘Grow and Invest’. The contracts concluded and the vehicles handed over in large numbers last year underline that our logistics solutions are tailored to the needs of different customers and their various deployment scenarios. We also want to meet this demand at the IDEX fair in Abu Dhabi with vehicles specially designed for use in this region.”

Daimler Truck has been rooted in the African, Arab and Asian regions for decades with its dealer and service network and works closely with local partners and bodybuilders. With the “Middle East/Africa” Regional Center in Dubai, the manufacturer offers long-term customer proximity and fast and uncomplicated vehicle and spare parts availability. At IDEX in Abu Dhabi, one of the world’s leading trade fairs for security and defence, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks will be showcasing an excerpt from its portfolio from 17 to February 21. At booth 08-D48, visitors will find four vehicles for defence deployment, which are especially designed for robust use in high heat and dusty, sandy areas: two trucks from the Zetros off-road model series, an Arocs heavy-duty tractor unit and the variable chassis for protected bodies (FGA).

What will be on display at IDEX: From the Mercedes-Benz Zetros model series. The Mercedes-Benz Zetros is built for military operations in regions with limited infrastructure. In the hooded vehicle, the driver’s cab is positioned behind the front axle. This ensures a low overall height, significantly reduced vibration and shock loads for personnel and loads, greater driving safety and higher speeds on unpaved terrain. For work in the engine compartment, the cab does not need to be tilted, parts of the crew can remain in the vehicle and ensure the use of communication systems and other vehicle functions during this time.

All Zetros models are equipped with the OM 460 in-line six-cylinder diesel engine, which offers an output of up to 375 kW (510 hp) and is also suitable for operation with NATO fuel F-34. A maximum torque of up to 2,300 Nm is available from a displacement of 12.8 liters. 16-speed transmission or Allison automatic torque converter transmission, two-stage transfer case, engageable differential locks, large approach/departure and ramp angles and fording capability make traction and propulsion possible even in sand, mud, when crossing rivers and on steep terrain. The Zetros can be used as a semitrailer tractor to achieve gross combination weights of up to 120 tons and, thanks to numerous body solutions, to solve a wide range of transport tasks.

At IDEX, Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks will be presenting the Zetros 3351 AS 6×6 as a semitrailer tractor for the transportation of wheeled or tracked vehicles. The vehicle offers space for three people in the cab behind the front axle as well as a sleeping area and storage space for equipment.

Powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM 460 Euro V engine with 375 kW (510 hp) and Allison automatic transmission 4500 SP with retarder, the vehicle dynamics are high even in demanding off-road applications. Thanks to fully automatic gear selection, the six-speed transmission control enables fast and smooth moving off and acceleration without interruptions in tractive power. The differential locks on all axles and the tire pressure control system provide additional traction off-road. The diesel tank holds 780 liters, which makes long deployments without refueling possible.

The Zetros is equipped with the TLS 2.25 transport loading system with double winch from HPC Maschinenbau. The tensile force per winch is up to 250 kN, enabling wheeled or tracked vehicles with total weights of up to 50 tons to be loaded.

The Zetros can be seen with a gooseneck low loader trailer from Louault, which allows a maximum speed of 80 km/h with a net payload of 70 tons. Hydraulic outriggers, tie-down elements, additional storage space on the frame and cargo area and the tire pressure control system make the trailer a transport specialist for high loads, even on unpaved terrain.

Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks is also showcasing the Zetros 2036 A 4×4 with Euro III engine and 265 kW (360 hp). The chassis is equipped with a Mercedes-Benz G 260-16/11.7-0.69 transmission with double-plate clutch. The compact dimensions of 8.840 mm in length, 2.550 mm in width and 3.560 mm in elevation and the comparatively small wheelbase of 5.100 mm make the truck relatively maneuverable. The permissible gross weight of the two-axle vehicle is 16.5 tons. The cab with center seat offers space for three people and has additional storage space with fastening points in the cab, so that even extensive equipment can be carried easily. The Zetros is designed as a material and troop transporter with a low-torsion platform body.

From the Mercedes-Benz Arocs model series

The Mercedes-Benz Arocs offers customers a great diversity of drive variants, cab sizes and equipment elements. This individual configuration allows the vehicle to be adapted to different customer requirements and deployment scenarios. Powerful engines, highly resilient drive components and the solid chassis and suspension design ensure high off-road capability.

The Arocs is available with efficient Euro VI engines. The range of engines ranges from 7.7 liters of displacement with 175 kW (238 hp) to 15.6 liters of displacement with 460 kW (625 hp). This makes it possible to transport heavy loads with gross combination weights of up to 250 tons. For use in regions with lower emission requirements or poorer fuel qualities, the Arocs is also available with Euro III and Euro V exhaust gas certification.

A turbo retarder clutch can be installed as an option. It enables smooth power transmission, even under high loads. For the driver, this means more driving comfort when moving off and stopping and more sensitive maneuvering with input torques of up to 3,000 Nm and full utilization of the engine output up to the traction limit. Reduced gearbox wear and increased service life of the drive components contribute to increased maintenance-free uptime

The Mercedes-Benz Arocs 4042 AS 6×6 exhibited at IDEX 2025 is a heavy-duty tractor unit with twin tires and twin winch suitable for heavy-duty off-road transport, for example as a tank tractor unit. The double cable winch can also be used to recover broken-down vehicles and load and unload them onto the low loader trailer.

The Arocs 4042 AS 6×6 has the same engine as the Zetros models. The OM 460 in-line six-cylinder diesel engine with Euro III emissions standard delivers 310 kW (421 hp) in this variant with a displacement of 12.8 liters. The Mercedes-Benz Powershift 3 transmission shifts fully automatically for a fuel-saving driving style and at the same time relieving the driver. If the driver wants to rely on their own fingertip sensitivity when changing the gears, they can optionally use manual mode.

The dimensions of the three-axle Arocs 4042 AS 6×6 are 8.200 mm in length, 2.500 mm in width and 3.500 mm in elevation with a wheelbase of 4.200 mm. The three-axle vehicle has a permissible gross weight of 40 tons (nine tons on the front axle and two times 16 tons on the two rear axles) and a gross combination weight of 250 tons.

Special equipment for defence operations includes the roof hatch, which can be opened and closed instead of having to be folded, and the blackout lights, which minimize visibility during night-time driving. The Arocs also has a tire pressure control system with infinitely variable pressure adjustment for improved off-road capability.

Special chassis for protected bodies (FGA)

The FGA chassis is the basis for armored tactical vehicles (Armored Personal Carrier, APC) with protected cells up to 14.8 tons permissible gross vehicle weight. Numerous military vehicle manufacturers build their products on this chassis derived from the Unimog and thus benefit from the Unimog DNA, which has proven itself for decades: portal axles with thrust tubes and coil springs. These components enable the high off-road capability of a Unimog, with extensive service and spare parts supply and support from the experts of Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks.

The drivetrain of the exhibited FGA chassis 14.8 is equipped with the Euro III six-cylinder diesel engine OM 926 LA, which offers an output of 240 kW (326 hp) and is coupled with the Allison 3500 six-gear automatic transmission. The chassis contains mechanical, electrical, hydraulic and pneumatic interfaces that are suitable for various bodies.

 

27 Jan 25. Brazilian Army RFI for Special Vehicles. The Brazilian Army has just announced an RFI (Request for Information) for the acquisition of Special Engineering Vehicles, marking a significant step towards the modernization of its engineering capabilities. This is urgent news for military defense engineering companies looking to expand their presence in the Brazilian market and participate in high-impact projects.

The RFI requests quotes for newly manufactured vehicles, with detailed specifications that will be provided to interested companies. This is an invitation to present innovative and high-quality solutions aligned with the needs of the Brazilian Army.

Participation in this RFI offers companies the opportunity to:

Access a major contract: The Brazilian Army is one of the largest buyers of defense equipment in the region.

Showcase your technology: Demonstrate what your company does best in developing cutting-edge engineering vehicles.

Establish strategic partnerships: Build connections with a major customer and strengthen your position in the market.

Contribute to national security: Actively participate in the development of Brazil’s infrastructure and military capabilities.

(Source: Paulo Dominonni via LinkedIn)

 

27 Jan 25. Babcock collaboration with Atlas Elektronik UK. Babcock signed a commercial framework agreement with Atlas Elektronik UK (AEUK) a global maritime high technology enterprise who are experts in the fields of hydroacoustics, sensor engineering and information technology. The signing of this important document further builds on our longstanding collaborative partnership and follows a charter signing in 2023.

This framework agreement, signed by our Supply Chain and Logistics Director, David Tytherleigh and Head of Service Division AEUK Samy Mehsen, is the next step in formalising this positive partnership between our two organisations.

We’ll be combining our expertise and using innovation to deliver enhanced capabilities, with a focus on the technical support and packages of work relating to the complex machinery on board the V and A Class submarines. This partnership demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our readiness to deliver submarine availability to the Royal Navy, both now and in the future.

John Howie, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, commented: “Babcock and Atlas Elektronik UK have complimentary capabilities that can combine to deliver critical outcomes to our customers. We previously signalled our intent for a deeper and more collaborative relationship with the signing of a Charter and I’m delighted that this has been followed up with the signing of a commercial framework that puts our intent into action. Our relationship demonstrates strong collaboration across the maritime enterprise, delivering for defence and our purpose of creating a safe and secure world, together.”

John Weale of AEUK, added: “This agreement will facilitate greater collaboration across the support enterprise, and in the development of new and enhanced capabilities for ships and submarines by bringing together the experience and knowledge from the two companies at an earlier stage of equipment development.

“The strategic intent for supporting the Royal Navy is evolving, they require a support ecosystem that balances the need for a sustainable sovereign capability with commercial opportunities that delivers agile, global warship support. This is being delivered through the Naval Support Integrated Global Network (NSIGN) programme and this framework between Babcock and AEUK will deliver the necessary efficiency and agility to support this strategic aim and is a positive and conscious enabler by both companies to prepare for this future.”

 

27 Jan 25. Hungary plans to procure more Lynx IFVs.  Hungary plans to procure 172 more KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and support vehicles, Janes learnt at Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2025 conference held under the Chatham House Rule in Farnborough from 21 to 23 January. The additional IFVs will be produced by the Rheinmetall Hungary joint venture in Zalaegerszeg at the end of the decade.

The Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF) received its first domestically produced Lynx IFV on 24 July 2024. The vehicle was completed in December 2023 and handed over to the HDF after receiving functional, performance, and quality acceptance.

A total of 209 Lynx vehicles will be supplied to the HDF under an August 2020 Hungarian Ministry of Defence contract worth EUR2 bn (USD2.1 bn). In addition to the IFV version, the HDF will receive command post, reconnaissance, joint fires observer, mortar carrier, and driver training variants, as well as nine Lynx Skyranger air-defence vehicles under a separate contract.

The company is building the first 46 Lynx IFVs and command-and-control vehicles for Hungary in Germany. Hungary received its first Lynx, an IFV, for the HDF at Petőfi Sándor Barracks in Budapest on 15 October 2022 and is scheduled to receive all 46 German-built vehicles by the end of 2025.

The Lynx vehicles will give the Hungarian army an armoured infantry capability, with driver, gunner, commander, technical crew, and dismounted training under way. (Source: Janes)

 

27 Jan 25. Milrem Robotics reveals armed UGV to be supplied to Ukraine and teases launch of 8×8 RCV. Estonia-based Milrem Robotics revealed the upcoming supply of its first armed THeMIS unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) at Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2025 conference held in Farnborough, UK, from 21 to 23 January.

THeMIS is a family of medium UGVs designed for logistics support, transport, surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat support. Since 2022 the AFU has deployed the THeMIS Cargo casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) UGV and THeMIS Route Clearance Unmanned System (ROCUS) to support transport, evacuation, demining and logistics, and combat engineering teams.

Milrem Robotics’ director of industrial partnerships, Paul Clayton, said that tests of THeMIS armed with a grenade launcher are expected to be completed in February, after combat trials in Estonia. Additional tests of THeMIS include counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) capabilities and extended communication and control range using Starlink satellite communications (satcom).

Milrem’s announcement further consolidates Ukraine’s position as the single largest user of THeMIS while for the first time adding a combat support variant of the platform to the AFU’s inventory, with these classed as medium.

The use of unmanned platforms by the AFU has been reported since the opening stages of the conflict with Russia, gaining momentum especially in 2024, with new combat UGVs being developed, tested, and deployed. Clayton said the AFU’s use of UGVs included spoofing command post signatures, provoking Russian forces into launching attacks with Iskander ballistic missiles, thereby revealing their launch sites.

Milrem Robotics, said Clayton, intends to have 200 UGVs in Ukraine by the end of 2025 to be locally manufactured by its upcoming partnership plant inside Ukraine. (Source: Janes)

 

27 Jan 25. Indra Presents to NATO Countries and Allied Armies the 1st Next-Gen Mission System for Military Vehicles in Europe

• The Maestre mission system developed by Indra for the Spanish Ministry of Defence acts as the brain of the vehicles, providing intelligence and increasing mission survivability and effectiveness
• The company has been invited to show its system to one of the most important specialized forums on the continent (IAV 2025), which was held this week in the United Kingdom

This week, Indra has showcased its new Maestre mission system at one of the most important international forums for armored vehicles in the world, namely the 25th International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) Conference, held in the United Kingdom and attended by commanders of the main allied armies of NATO and other countries. Indra’s Maestre system has been designed to serve as the backbone and brain of armored vehicles and has become the first next-generation solution in Europe to go into serial production for operational deployment.

The European defence industry has been working on the development of systems such as this one, which meet the demanding architectural requirements defined by NATO (STANAG 4754, etc.). This open and scalable inter-operable solution allows controlling, in a simple and intuitive way, the growing quantity of systems and sensors carried by modern armored vehicles.

Indra designed the Maestre system for the Spanish Army’s 8×8 Dragon vehicle, which is currently in the production phase, and has already integrated it into the first units that have been manufactured, with the main objective of facilitating operations. In particular, the identification of alerts and threats through the use of Artificial Intelligence and advanced 360º artificial vision models, operations management, targeting and firing on targets and driving the vehicle. All this with the aim of increasing mission survivability and effectiveness.

Indra’s system has thus become the first of its generation in Europe to reach this level of maturity and begin mass production with a view to their use in real deployments. Its implementation also constitutes a turning point in the development of the military vehicles of the future, whose progress depends on the evolution of this technology. Mission systems are key to securing the degree of interoperability required to carry out multi-domain operations in which multiple platforms and systems are coordinated to act simultaneously in different land, air, cyberspace and, in some cases, marine domains. First and foremost, the foregoing requires much smarter and more inter-connected vehicles equipped with systems such as Maestre, which allow data to be exchanged at huge speed via a combat cloud.

Ignacio Ruiz, Indra’s deputy director of Land Systems, was tasked with presenting the Maestre system at the forum held at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre. He stated that “Indra is one of the main players in the armored vehicle systems market in Europe and it’s evolving towards a role as a top-level integrator, after acquiring a majority stake in the Tess Defence military vehicle integration company. It also plays a key role in the Spanish Army’s armored vehicle programs and the main development projects driven by the European Commission through the European Defence Fund (EDF), including Marte, Famous I and II and Commands”.

The Indra executive explained that Maestre is here to comprehensively transform how an armored vehicle is operated, and he compared the progress of this implementation with the difference between flying a World War II aircraft, equipped with direct analog controls and numerous indicator devices, and a modern aircraft, endowed with digital architecture controlled via computers. “Maestre automatically coordinates all of the systems, merges the information and presents it to the crew and guarantees degrees of ease and immediacy in the vehicle’s operation that have been unimaginable until now, substantially improving decision-making and reliability and, in turn, leading to greater safety for both the crew and the mission”, he emphasized. (Source: ASD Network)

 

27 Jan 25. F-35 Project Expands Capabilities at FRCE. Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) celebrated the completion of its F-35 Lightning II expansion project with an informal ribbon cutting ceremony Jan. 14. The expansion project offers space and aircraft bays to support the increasing F-35 modification workload.

Commanding Officer Capt. Randy Berti said this milestone will directly enhance the depot’s capabilities and strengthen the nation’s defense system. “As we celebrate today’s milestone, it’s important to reflect on what this expansion means for the F-35 mission readiness and, most importantly, for our warfighters,” said Berti. “The F-35 is the most advanced fighter aircraft in the world, and ensuring its mission capability is critical to national security. FRC East is a vital part of this process, ensuring these aircraft are maintained and ready to perform at the highest level. This expansion is a direct investment in our ability to meet the increasing demands of the F-35 program,” he continued. “It will allow us to continue providing high-quality, timely support to the Joint Program Office (JPO), the men and women operating the aircraft and our partners across the globe.”

FRCE is the lead site for depot-level maintenance on the F-35B Lightning II and has conducted modifications and repair on the Marine Corps’ short takeoff-vertical landing variant of the aircraft since 2013. The depot also performs work on the Air Force’s conventional takeoff and landing F-35A variant and Navy’s F-35C carrier variant.

Since standing up capability for the F-35 in 2013, FRCE has successfully inducted 158 aircraft and delivered 145 back into operational service. The space offered by the expansion project is scheduled to support an additional 337,000 hours of work through fiscal year 2028. The 158 induction is set to be the first aircraft to be serviced in the new space.

F-35 Joint Program Office Modifications and Induction Lead Jeanie Holder said the F-35 Joint Program Office had a vision for this expansion project back in 2022 and knew FRCE was the right facility for the job.

“FRC East was selected due to its proven track record in depot performance, skilled labor force and their ability to deliver aircraft on time,” Holder said. “We knew they would be the depot for the job, and they did not disappoint. Soon, this dock expansion will be filled with aircraft.”

Holder said the success of this expansion project lies with the dedicated individuals at FRCE and the F-35 Joint Program Office.

“I want to personally acknowledge and thank FRC East leadership, past and present, their facilities team, and the Joint Program Office’s project support manager and Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command for everything they have done to make this happen,” said Holder. “Meeting a deadline of this magnitude is a testament to your dedication, expertise and unwavering commitment to excellence.”

FRCE’s support of the F-35 platform has expanded significantly since its first airframe induction more than a decade ago. In 2020, FRCE declared capability on its first F-35 component, making the facility a verified source of repair and testing for that item. Since then, FRCE has declared capability on 76 F-35 components, and continues to stand up capability.  In 2023, FRCE personnel became the first within the Department of Defense to perform the successful assembly of an F-35B Lightning II lift fan clutch outside of the original manufacturer’s facility. The F-35 workload will continue to increase as more of the fifth-generation fighters are fielded on the East Coast, with FRCE’s F-35B vertical lift fan testing and processing facilities scheduled to come online later this year, and the F-35 aircraft sustainment facility is projected to be operational sometime around 2028.

FRCE is North Carolina’s largest maintenance, repair, overhaul and technical services provider, with more than 4,000 civilian, military and contract workers. Its annual revenue exceeds $1 bn. The depot provides service to the fleet while functioning as an integral part of the greater U.S. Navy; Naval Air Systems Command; and Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers. (Source: ASD Network)

 

27 Jan 25. Upgraded Ukrainian Leopard 1A5 Tank Endures Dozen Hits from Russian Drones Before Being Disabled. This equipment is part of the Very High Readiness Joint Taskforce of the NATO Response Force (NRF). The NRF is a technologically advanced, multinational force made up of land, air, maritime and Special Operations Forces components that are rapidly deployable. (NATO photo by Junior Specialist (OR-2) Synne Nilsson, NOR-A).

A Ukrainian Leopard 1A5 tank, upgraded with additional protection, endured at least eight direct hits from Russian first-person-view (FPV) drones and potentially three more before being disabled, according to Ukrainian sources.

A video published by the Ukrainian Militarnyi news outlet demonstrates the effectiveness of the modifications made to the Cold War-era tank by Ukrainian engineers.

The tank, originally positioned in a wooded area, was first targeted by Russian drones that struck its frontal armor three times and hit its left side and rear twice. The crew managed to move the tank to a road to escape further attacks but stopped for unknown reasons.

At that point, three additional drones struck the engine compartment, though the vehicle continued to move. It was finally immobilized after two more strikes, reportedly causing a fire.

Ukrainian reports suggest the crew likely escaped during the intervals between the attacks, as most of the strikes targeted areas away from the crew compartments.

The Leopard 1A5, developed in the 1960s, is known for its mobility and firepower but has thin base armor, with its thickest point being 70 millimeters. Recognizing this vulnerability, Ukrainian engineers enhanced the tanks with additional protective features after they were delivered by a German-Danish-Dutch consortium in late 2023.  (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)

 

23 Jan 25. Mack Defense today announced that the US military has ordered 103 Mack Defense M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs). The additional vehicles are part of the previously announced firm-fixed price $296 m contract over seven years that the Army awarded Mack Defense in 2018, which allows for up to 683 trucks. For this new order, 74 HDTs will be purchased from the presidential budget and 29 are being purchased by the National Guard.

The HDTs play a vital role in construction and upkeep of infrastructure assets, including airfields, roadways, landing strips, supply facilities and motor pools.

“Our military continues to field Mack HDTs into various operations around the world, so these vehicles have been put to the test and continue to meet demanding requirements,” said Dave Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “For that reason, the Army, Army Reserve and the Army National Guard continue to invest in these modern HDTs to ensure our soldiers have the right truck with the highest level of capabilities needed to ensure mission success.”

The Army previously had ordered 446 HDTs, which are based on the commercially available Mack Granite model but spec’d with heavier-duty rear axles, all-wheel drive, increased suspension ride height and other ruggedised features to meet the unique requirements of the US military. The Mack Granite HDT model features advanced technology including ABS, modern control interfaces for user-friendly operation, and active safety systems. Compared to older Army HDT models, these modern features and improved sustainability were key factors in the Army’s investment in these new HDTs, according to Hartzell. Both the Mack Granite-based HDTs and the production line at the Mack Experience Center (MEC) in Allentown, Pennsylvania have undergone rigorous inspection by government quality auditors to ensure these mission-critical trucks exceed expectations.

Production of the HDTs at the MEC began in Q1 2021, following an investment of $6.5 m to create a dedicated HDT production line at the facility. The production line helps fulfil the M917A3 contract, while allowing Mack Defense to produce other vehicle variants.

The production line in the MEC is in Mack’s former Customer Adaptation Center, where vehicle modifications occurred. The Customer Adaptation Center has since moved to Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where all Mack Class 8 vehicles for North America and export are assembled. (Source: joint-forces.com)

 

24 Jan 25. Estonia receives NMS and Otokar Arma armoured vehicles from Türkiye. Estonia is receiving deliveries of the Nurol Makina NMS 4×4 vehicles and Otokar Arma 6×6 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) it is procuring, Janes learnt at Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2025 conference held under the Chatham House Rule in Farnborough from 21 to 23 January.

Estonia ordered the NMS and Arma vehicles on 18 October 2023. At the time, the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) announced that it had signed contracts worth EUR200m (over USD208m) with the two Turkish companies for 230 vehicles, plus documentation, training, special tools, equipment, and spare parts, while Otokar said that the Arma contract was worth EUR130m.

The NMS and Arma vehicles are equipping the Estonian Defence Forces’ (EDF’s) 2nd Infantry Brigade, with the 1st Infantry Brigade also receiving the NMS.

The contracts are valid for 10 years and allow for the procurement of additional armoured vehicles and spare parts, and for requests for maintenance, repairs, and the development of the vehicles. Four NMS vehicles are also being procured for the Estonian Rescue Board’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Centre. The Estonian NMS is the extended wheelbase (EWB) model, and most of the NMS and Arma vehicles are standard troop carrier versions while some are command-and-control vehicles, according to the ECDI.

Deliveries began during the second half of 2024 and are planned to take one and a half years, Janes learnt at IAV 2025. (Source: Janes)

 

24 Jan 25. Germany and Netherlands plan procurement of more Boxer armoured vehicles. Germany and the Netherlands are planning to jointly procure more Boxer armoured vehicles, Janes learnt at Defence iQ’s International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2025 conference held under the Chatham House Rule in Farnborough from 21 to 23 January. The order for 150 Boxer infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) versions for Germany and 72 for the Netherlands has been delayed by the German national elections, to be held on 23 February, to the second or third quarter of 2025.

Joint procurement of the 222 Boxer IFVs is expected to result in economies of scale. Germany has so far ordered 551 Boxers, and delivery of 200 of the vehicles to the Netherlands was completed in 2014.

The Royal Netherlands Army deployed Boxers configured as IFVs to Lithuania starting in mid-2017. The vehicles were modified engineer variants, which are armed with the Kongsberg M151 Protector 12.7 mm machine gun, however there is a formal Dutch requirement to up-arm them with an automatic cannon of at least 30 mm in calibre.

The Dutch-German Boxer IFV will have minimum modifications, but separately, the two countries also plan to procure the Boxer Knifefish jamming variant in two versions: ultra-high frequency (UHF)/very high frequency (VHF) and high frequency (HF).

The UK is another country that plans to increase the size of its Boxer fleet. The first Boxer produced in the UK in December 2023 was displayed at IAV 2025. (Source: Janes)

 

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16 Jan 25. Swiss join continental military mobility project. The neutral nation at the heart of Western Europe will join the EU PESCO project to ‘standardise’ administrative processes. Switzerland, a neutral nation, has joined Europe’s Military Mobility project, intended to remove obstacles during military movements and to speed up travel times within the EU. The PESCO project, formed in 2018, functions as an active forum among 29 nations, led by the Netherlands, for the exchange of information and best practices regarding improvements on military mobility.

This applies to transport by road, rail, air and inland waterways.

Moving equipment and troops can prove to be a monumental task. These logistical missions are often delayed by administrative and infrastructural problems: customs formalities or narrow roads and bridges.

Moreover, there are other forms of threats to cross-border logistical movements, for example, the Western intelligence community has previously warned of growing Russian cyber threats to the critical flow of allied security assistance bound for Ukraine.

Removing these obstacles is usually the responsibility of each individual country. However, the PESCO project helps participating countries to coordinate and exchange information about their national efforts.

In joining the project, Switzerland aims to improve administrative processes through more ‘standardisation’. This should benefit the unity around the defence apparatus of the Alpine country.

Transatlantic military mobility

In 2024, a new military transport corridor also formed, spanning the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland born out of concern for the smooth supply of troops and equipment to Eastern Europe. Particularly in the Baltic States, where Nato allies exercise a persistent collective forward presence.

In Nato’s northern reaches – spanning Norway, Sweden, and Finland, from the North Sea to the Baltic – another military transport corridor was established in June 2024. It is worth noting that the three northern partners are members of both the PESCO Military Mobility project and Nato.

“Previously, we have thought in terms of north-south when planning the transport of military personnel and equipment,” stated Norway’s Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre. “Now we will also be thinking west-east to a greater extent.”

Transportation exercises are also taking place besides the alleviation of cross-border movements. One notable convoy rehearsal took place on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea – a major grey-zone region of contention between Nato and Russia.

The US Sixth Fleet and the Danish military coordinated a convoy transporting a modular containerised missile launcher. The portable, shore-based system is said to increase the Navy’s flexibility to move and deploy weapon systems to support maritime security along sea lines of communication. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

15 Jan 25. Slovakia considers CV90120, Leopards to replace Soviet-era tanks. As Slovakia readies to acquire new battle tanks for its military, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák has announced his ministry is considering the CV90120, a light tracked vehicle, as one of the options.

Meanwhile, local opposition politicians say that, while the vehicle could be an alternative to purchasing main battle tanks, the Slovak defense budget is already strained, and funding for the acquisition is at risk.

Last year, Bratislava unveiled plans to buy new tanks, and local observers say the nation intends to purchase up to 104 such vehicles. Made by BAE Systems Hägglunds, the CV90120 would compete against other tracked vehicles considered by the Slovak ministry, which are said to include new Leopard 2A8 tanks from German manufacturer KNDS or used 2A4s, an older Leopard variant that would be modernized by Slovakia’s defense industry.

Kaliňák claims that buying CV90120s would be significantly less expensive than acquiring Leopard 2A8s, which are pursued by neighboring Czech Republic. Slovakia has not bought new tanks since declaring independence in 1993, and it needs to replace its outdated Soviet-designed T-72M1s. Germany transferred 15 2A4s to Slovakia after the nation donated its BVP-1 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine.

Jaroslav Naď, Slovakia’s former defense minister who chairs the opposition Demokrati (Democrats) party, told Defense News that, during his term at the ministry, a deal to buy 152 CV90 MkIV vehicles was signed, and Bratislava started to analyze the potential benefits of using the same platform to cover light tank needs.

“The CV90120 is an interesting offer because it uses the same platform as the CV90 that Slovakia will operate, but has a different cannon. However, it is a light vehicle, as opposed to the heavy Leopard tank which weighs around twice as much,” Naď said.

“The CV90120 would be cheaper than new Leopard 2A8s, but not by as much as Kaliňák claims,” he added. “Slovakia’s defense budget is already undermined by cuts and inefficient spending on construction projects outside the ministry’s scope.”

The cuts could amount to €700m, or $718m, in 2025, Naď said, citing documents released by the government’s Finance Ministry.

Defense News has contacted the Slovak Ministry of Defence for comment. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

 

13 Jan 25. The Complex Decision-Making Process of the Military High Command on Defense Vehicles. Decision-making in the military high command for the acquisition and improvement of defense vehicles is a strategic process that goes beyond simply choosing the “most advanced” equipment. It is a multidimensional analysis that considers operational needs, potential threats, technological advances, budgetary constraints, political and geopolitical factors, and the complete life cycle of the equipment.

This complex process aims to ensure that the armed forces are adequately equipped to face present and future challenges, in an ever-changing global scenario.

The initial starting point lies in accurately identifying the operational needs of the forces, analyzing likely conflict scenarios and defining the performance requirements for new vehicles.

Assessing threats, including adversary capabilities, is crucial to determining how the equipment should counter these threats. Monitoring technological advances is also imperative, seeking to incorporate innovations that improve the effectiveness of vehicles.

However, military decisions must also balance the pursuit of excellence with budgetary constraints. The allocation of resources is carefully planned, seeking the best cost-benefit and a balance between what is desirable and what is financially viable. In addition, political and geopolitical factors can influence choices, such as cooperation agreements, alliances, and the development of a national defense industrial base. (Source: Paulo Dominonni via LinkedIn)

 

13 Jan 25. UK MoD issues industry RfI for Light Mobility Vehicle. The LMV would replace in service platforms like the Land Rover and Pinzgauer used across the UK military. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued a Request for Information (RfI) for a Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) platform, itself part of the wider Land Mobility Programme (LMP) being undertaken by the British Army in a bid to consolidate disparate vehicle fleet designs. Published on 10 January 2025, the MoD stated a requirement for the production, supply, support, and training for an LMV solution, which would “explore multiple options” including the possible delivery of a wheeled utility platform to modernise capability in roles currently filled by Land Rover and Pinzgauer with a “Common Based Platform”.

By Taulia

As part of the process, the MoD has invited industry to participate in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in support of the development of its acquisition strategy, looking at areas such as the potential for an Off the Shelf (OTS) solution, and through life costs of ownership.

Despite the age of the UK military’s light vehicle fleet, with platforms such as the Land Rover and Pinzgauer many decades old, progress to find replacement options has been slow.

As reported in 2024, the British Army is still to formally define the scope of the wider LMP, with the MoD not due to complete the formal change request until February 2025 ahead of an outline business case at some point between March-October the same year.

The programme does not include acquisitions being sought under the Light Tactical Mobility Platform (LTMP) Medium and LTMP Light programme, through which the MoD is currently seeking industry responses to the potential purchase of more than 1,000 4×4 and all-terrain vehicles, valued at a combined total of £91.3m.

What LMV prospects for UK industry?

The prospect of an OTS solution for the LMV programme points towards a desire to expedite the procurement process, although the approach could see the acquisition of a non-UK design that involves little to no domestic participation.

However, the new UK government has stated a preference towards local manufacture and participation, offering a degree of promise for the country’s commercial and military vehicle suppliers.

In late-2024, UK defence vehicle prime Supacat unveiled its tactical Light Mobility Vehicle, intended for use by light role and very-high readiness forces, aimed towards operations with 3 Command Brigade of the Royal Marines or the British Army’s Ranger regiment for any UK requirement.

The LMV combines Toyota automotive components with a bespoke chassis and a ‘Combat Cell’ shell and is available in 4×4 or 6×6 configurations.

The Combat Cell, developed by Armoured Car Systems in Bavaria, Germany, is configurable depending on mission requirements, and features a crew served main weapon such as a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) mounted on a 360° slewing ring and commander’s GPMG on a dash mounted swing arm.

(Source: army-technology.com)

 

10 Jan 25. Thales UK and MoD successfully test lightweight multi-role missile. The missile was launched from a vehicle-mounted, lightweight fire control and launching system developed by Thales in the UK.

Thales UK, in collaboration with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), has conducted successful back-to-back firings of the Lightweight Multi-role Missile (LMM) against air and sea targets.

The recent firing event is said to have marked a significant milestone by showcasing the weapon’s capabilities in both air defence and surface attack.

The LMM, a versatile and precision-guided missile, is designed to engage a variety of threats such as armoured personnel carriers, fast in-shore attack crafts, and uncrewed aerial systems.

Its precision laser guidance system minimises collateral damage, making it suitable for urban warfare.

With a speed of Mach 1.5 and a range exceeding 6km, the LMM features a triple effect warhead and proximity fuse.

The company states that LMM set a new standard in short-range defence by neutralising both an aerial drone (Banshee UAV) and a sea-based target (fast inshore attack craft) with two missiles launched in less than a minute.

During testing, the missile was launched from a vehicle-mounted, lightweight fire control and launching system developed by Thales in the UK.

The test also received support from the British Army and Royal Navy, which presented various static equipment, including shoulder and tripod launchers, and a Wildcat helicopter equipped to carry 20 LMMs, referred to as Martlet in naval operations.

Separately, Thales Australia announced that the Albanese Government’s plan to invest A$100m ($62m) in the production of an additional 44 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles (PMVs) at the Thales Protected Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Bendigo, Australia.

This investment is part of a larger A$300m commitment to defence by the Albanese Government.

The new Bushmasters will serve the Australian Army’s second long-range fires regiment at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct in South Australia, within the 10th Fires Brigade.

More than 1300 Bushmaster vehicles have been produced in Bendigo, with exports made to eight countries.  (Source: army-technology.com)

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10 Jan 25. UK LMV RFI. The UK Ministry of Defence has a requirement for the production, supply, in-service support and training for a Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV). The Ministry of Defence has a requirement for the production, supply, in-service support and training for a Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV) as part of the Land Mobility Programme (LMP).

LMV will explore multiple options including delivery of a wheeled utility platform to modernise capability in roles currently filled by Land Rover and Pinzgauer with a Common Based Platform delivering warfighting roles across the Joint Force.

As part of this option analysis, the Authority is inviting industry to participate in a Preliminary Market Engagement (PME) exercise in support of the development of our acquisition strategy. Specifically, we seek information from industry to help us:

1. Establish the potential for an Off The Shelf (OTS) solution to meet the LMV requirement.
2. Obtain a greater awareness of what the market can currently provide to inform the LMV requirement.
3. To inform through life cost and cost of ownership.
4. To potentially inform further pre market engagement activity.

This Request for Information has been issued to enable industry to receive the PME and to respond within a specific timeline.

¤ Next Steps ~ Any suppliers who have an interest in this PME should express an interest to: DES-LandMobilityProgramme-LightM[at]mod[dot]gov[dot]uk (Source: joint-forces.com)

 

09 Jan 25. The South American market for armored vehicles is expected to increase from US$417m in 2024 to US$563m in 2029, at a CAGR of 6.2%. With a cumulative spending of US$3.1bn through 2024 2029..
Brazil is the largest market in the region, with a cumulative spending of US$1.9 bn over the period 2024-2029, followed by Columbia – US$434m, and Argentina – US$386m.
The leading programs include Brazil’s procurement of 1,416 VBTP Guarans APCs for US$2.4bn and 221 Centauro II tactical vehicles for US$2.1bn, Colombia’s acquisition of 55 light armored vehicles for US$313m, Argentina’s acquisition of 120 6×6 Guarani for US$201m, and Chile’s 280 MARDER 1A3 IFVs for US$140m.
ARGENTINA APC, IFV and Tactical and support vehicles In February 2023, Argentina announced its plan to procure 156 domestically produced 6×6 Guarani VCBR TP vehicles in APC, IFV and tactical vehicle variants from Iveco.
In the following months, the Argentine Army conducted an extensive technical-operational evaluation (ETO) of the Guarani test vehicles across various geographical environments, successfully passing all tests. However,
Argentina has been unable to finalize the procurement due to Brazil’s reluctance to fund the project. Meanwhile, Argentina is considering proposals for several 8×8 wheeled armored combat vehicles, including the M1126 Stryker from the US, the Pandur II from Israel, and the LAV 5 model 2003 from New Zealand.
A contract is anticipated to be signed by the end of 2024 or early 2025. MBT: TAM 2C modernization In June 2022, domestic company Industrias Mecánicas Pescarmona SA (IMPSA) won a contract from the Argentine army to upgrade the turret of the Argentine Medium Tank (TAM) as part of the TAM 2C modernization program.
This program involves the modernization of the FCS and commanders/gunners’ optics and stabilization of the 105mm gun, which would allow the TAM MBT to detect and engage targets under various weather conditions or at any time of the day/night. It also includes a new sighting system, much like the Commander Open Architecture Panoramic Sight (COAPS) system made by Elbit Systems, and a new detection system.
The first modernized TAM was delivered to the Army the following October, with all 126 units expected to enter service by 2029. The total program value has been estimated at around US$189m
BRAZIL LMV: BR2/VBMT-LR program In July 2024, the Brazilian army signed a US$257.3 m contract with Italy’s Iveco Defense to acquire 420 LMV-BR 2 light multirole vehicles, referred to domestically as “Guaicurus.” These vehicles are anticipated to enhance the army’s tactical readiness across diverse terrains.
The LMV-BR 2, introduced in 2001, is a 4×4 light armored vehicle designed for transport, reconnaissance, combat, and peacekeeping missions. It features a V-hull and a collapsible sandwich structure for protection against mine blasts, while its modular design allows for customizable armor based on specific needs.
Under the contract, Brazil will receive two variants of the LMV-BR 2: one featuring a manual weapon system and the other with a remote-controlled weapons station. Production will occur at Iveco’s facility in southeastern Brazil, with deliveries slated to start in 2026 and continue through 2029. Tactical and Support Vehicles: Centauro II – VBC Cav-MSR In November 2022, the Brazilian army contracted a Leonardo and Iveco consortium to search for around 98 Centauro II tactical vehicles, with the total procurement expected to increase to 221 vehicles over the long term.
The Centauro II was selected over other competing designs, such as the LAV 700 with a Cockerill turret by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), the Tigon by Hanwha, the ST-1 by NORINCO, the Eitan by Ares-Elbit Systems, and the Kestrel by Tata Motors. The vehicles are expected to replace the Army’s aging fleet of EE-9 Cascavel armored cars. The total program is expected to value over US$2bn, with around US$420 million being spent over the period 2024-2029.
APC: Guarani VBTP-MR 6×6 ARMORED VEHICLE GLOBAL DEFENCE ACQUISITION REPORT 2025-2029 In December 2009, the Brazilian army contracted Iveco to procure as many as 2,044 VBTP-MR Guarani APCs for a total consideration of around US$3.4 bn.
However, financial considerations trimmed this number to 1,416, with deliveries spread out until 2037. IDV is currently producing 60 Brazilian vehicles annually at the plant in Sete Lagoas. Each vehicle is 6.91m long, 2.34m high, and has an overall width of 2.7m. It has an empty weight of 14.5t and a gross vehicle weight of 17.7t for amphibious operations. It is also equipped with a turret built by Elbit Systems and features electric drive and stabilization systems, fire control systems, gunner and commander sights, and life support systems. The total program value has been revised to US$2.4 bn, with US$629m expected to be spent over the period 2024-2029
CHILE APC: Bastion 4×4 armored vehicles In December 2023, France’s Arquus secured a contract to supply five Bastion 4×4 armored vehicles to Chie.
The Arquus Bastion is a modular 12.5-ton armored vehicle built on the 4×4 chassis derived from the company’s VLRA light tactical vehicle family. It is designed to provide a blend of tactical performance, durability, and easy maintenance, accommodating a crew of two and eight additional personnel.
Production of the Bastions has already commenced at Arquus’s New Vehicle Production Center of Excellence in Limoges, with deliveries scheduled for the end of 2024. While the contract value has not been disclosed, Chile is expected to invest approximately US$5m in this program in 2024
PERU Wheeled Armored Vehicle (WAV) – K808 In May 2024, the Peruvian Army signed a contract with a consortium of South Korean defense manufacturers, STX and Hyundai Rotem, for the procurement of K808 wheeled armored vehicles.
Under the terms of the contract, Peru’s Arms and Ammunition Factory (FAME SAC) will collaborate with the Korean manufacturers, and a new vehicle assembly plant will be set up at FAME headquarters to produce a range of advanced special units.
This agreement positions STX-Hyundai Rotem as a primary supplier of defense and specialized vehicles for the Peruvian Army. The Army is set to receive 120 K-808 White Tiger 8×8 wheeled armored vehicles by 2029, with the initial batch of 30 units expected by the end of 2025. The K-808 is designed with puncture-resistant tires and an automatic control system that adjusts tire pressure based on terrain. It also features an amphibious propulsion system, allowing it to navigate rivers.
Peru is anticipated to invest around US$240 m in this program from 2024 to 2029. (SOURCE: DEFENCEIQ)

 

07 Jan 25. PIK-AS Austria GmbH Invests Again in Expanding Manufacturing Capacities. PIK-AS Austria GmbH, a leading international manufacturer of electrical products for special-purpose vehicles, has made another significant step towards sustainable growth by investing in the expansion of its production, storage, and office facilities. With the acquisition of a new production site in Mariasdorf (Austria), PIK-AS Austria GmbH is positioning itself to meet the growing demands of the market and future challenges. Through this investment in Mariasdorf, the company is also making a commitment to regionality, taking responsibility for the local economy and job security in the region. By strengthening its local presence, PIK-AS Austria GmbH contributes to the sustainable development of the area and reinforces its role as a dependable regional employer.
Managing Director DI(FH) Christina Polster, celebrating these days her 10-year anniversary in this role, expressed her pride in the company’s achievements. “We reflect on more than 40 years of company history, built with foresight and dedication by founder Franz Polster. His focus on reliability, customer proximity, and high-quality products has laid the foundation for our current position as a leading provider.” The investment in the new production facility is part of a long-term strategy to meet the increasing demand for robust, high-quality solutions for special-purpose vehicles. In addition to expanding production capacities, the company plans to invest in state-of-the-art testing equipment and advanced production tools. “We are confident that these actions will not only allow us to maintain our market leadership but also open up new markets and further solidify our position as a preferred supplier for OEMs worldwide,” Polster emphasized.
Among PIK-AS Austria’s most popular products are its high-performance connectors (VG96917, VG96923, VG96921, STANAG4047), LED interior lights, light switches, followed by high power contactors. These products are particularly valued in the military sector for their durability, reliability, and user-friendliness. From the early stages of product development, the company ensures compliance with international standards and rigorous testing procedures to meet the highest customer expectations. While technological advancements remain a key focus, PIK-AS Austria GmbH continues to prioritize customer satisfaction. “Our goal is to make our customers’ project workflows as smooth as possible. We achieve this through collaborative partnerships, tailored solutions, and reliability. Handshake-quality has been a hallmark of our company for decades,” Polster explained.
Long-standing partnerships with customers and suppliers are the base for this approach. “We are honored that our partners have trusted us for many years. This trust motivates us to continue developing innovative solutions that meet the high demands of our customers,” Polster added. With this latest investment, PIK-AS Austria GmbH underscores its commitment to being a reliable partner for high-quality products, not only today but also in the future. The expanded capacities enable the company to respond flexibly to market needs while strengthening its position as a leader in innovation. “We look to the future with great confidence and are excited to continue supporting our customers with high-quality, customized products and exceptional service,” Polster concluded.
(Source: Defense Arabia)

 

09 Jan 25. “Telford is at the heart of UK Defence” – Minister visits site behind next generation of tanks and armoured vehicles.
Telford’s skilled manufacturing base is helping equip soldiers with high-tech equipment and drive the government’s growth mission, Defence Minister Maria Eagle has said.
* State-of-the-art facility in Telford plays a key role in delivering cutting-edge armoured vehicles to the British Army.
* Investment in defence has attracted over £56m for defence manufacturing facility in Telford.
* New Defence Industrial Strategy to help secure Britain’s growth mission and create high value jobs across UK.
Telford’s skilled manufacturing base is helping equip soldiers with high-tech equipment and drive the government’s growth mission, Defence Minister Maria Eagle has said.
Her comments came on a visit today to Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL)’s Hadley Castle Works Factory in Telford, where she met crucial defence procurement staff and chaired a roundtable with defence industry leaders from the Telford area, as part of consultation for the new Defence Industrial Strategy.
The site is at the forefront of producing the Army’s newest tank, the Challenger 3, which is at the heart of the Army’s armoured warfighting force and will serve as the most lethal tank ever used by British Armed Forces.
Under a £950m contract, Challenger 3 production has generated nearly 300 highly skilled jobs within RBSL, including 130 engineers and 70 technicians, as well as an additional 450 roles supported across the UK supply chain.
Contracts like this are a key part of the UK Government’s Plan for Change, safeguarding national security whilst raising living standards across the UK with good, skilled, productive jobs.
Defence investment continues to make a substantial contribution to the local economy, supporting over 1,500 skilled jobs and nearly 40 apprentices and graduates in Telford and Wrekin.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle MP, said: “Telford is at the heart of UK defence, and I was pleased to witness first-hand how our defence industry is equipping the Armed Forces with 21st-century armoured fighting vehicles.
In the face of global threats, the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will drive economic growth, boost British jobs, and strengthen national security. £5bn is being invested in equipping the British Army with 148 Challenger 3 tanks and 623 Boxer armoured vehicles, planned to be in service by the end of 2030. These investments continue to solidify the UK’s position as a global leader in defence innovation and manufacturing.”
Will Gibby, Managing Director of RBSL, said: “We are proud to welcome Maria Eagle MP to our Telford facility. Through programmes like Boxer and Challenger 3, RBSL is committed to providing sovereign capability for the UK, supporting the British Army, and investing in the workforce of tomorrow through our apprenticeship and graduate schemes. Today’s visit highlights the value of UK-based manufacturing and the expertise we bring to the defence industry.”
Nick Taylor, Head of Combat Vehicles at DE&S, the MOD’s procurement agency delivering Challenger 3 and Boxer said: “This has been a great opportunity for the Minister to experience the close collaboration that exists between RBSL, the Army, and DE&S colleagues to re-establish armoured vehicle manufacturing in Telford and deliver our two major programmes – Challenger 3 and Boxer.
The Defence Industrial Strategy underlines the government’s commitment to forging long-term partnerships with the defence industry. This strategy will ensure economic growth, regional prosperity, and resilience by supporting skilled jobs and apprenticeships.”
Defence investment continues to make a substantial contribution to the UK economy. Over 1500 (200 RBSL and 1,497 Leidos) businesses across the UK are sustained through the supply chain because of defence investment.
Findings from the British Army’s Oxford Economic Report highlight the major contributions Armed Forces spending makes to the UK economy. For every £1 directly contributed by the Army, a total of £2.70 is stimulated through multiplier effects.
There has also been £169m in R&D investment and the upskilling of over 12,000 recruits through apprenticeship programmes, with 1,400 enrolled in higher education schemes.
Alongside her visit to the factory and industry talks, Minister Eagle also had the opportunity to tour the cutting-edge Defence Fulfillment Centre (DFC). The £83m DFC at MOD Donnington plays a crucial role in supporting the UK Armed Forces by ensuring the efficient delivery of critical equipment and supplies across the globe.
Operated by DE&S in partnership with Leidos, the DFC exemplifies innovation within defence logistics and supports operational readiness. It is one of two major storage and distribution locations for the Ministry of Defence, the other at MOD Bicester, with a new facility at Longtown currently in construction.
Simon Hutchings, VP Logistics Commodities Services Transformation Programme (LCST) at Leidos, said: “I am immensely proud of what Leidos has achieved to date on the development of the Defence Fulfilment Centre in Telford and as the prime integrator for LCST. The flexible capacity and strategic network resilience we’ve established have significantly bolstered defence resilience and enhanced our ability to support the war fighters with better, more agile adaptive logistics.”
Since 2015, the LCST, based at the DFC, has delivered over £1 bn worth of products to the UK Armed Forces, getting everything from food rations to boots exactly where they need to be, at the right price and at the right time.
The LCST contract has helped bring the UK MOD into 21st-century, by identifying how the private sector can be leveraged to support UK Defence in distributing equipment to military personnel so they’re able to carry out their critical duties, all while delivering significant value for money to the taxpayer. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

 

08 Jan 25. 40 new Bushmasters to secure 250 Aussie jobs. Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy has announced the government will build more than 40 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles as part of a $100 m contract.
Thales Australia will manufacture the Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles (PMV) in Bendigo, Victoria, continuing the city’s proud tradition of producing these iconic vehicles for over 20 years. Renowned for their robust design and battlefield effectiveness, Bushmasters have served in operations worldwide, providing life-saving protection for troops in diverse combat environments.
The latest production contract, valued at over $100m, will not only bolster the Australian Army’s capabilities but also support hundreds of local jobs in Bendigo and stimulate economic activity across Victoria’s supply chain.
Minister Conroy said, “The Bushmaster vehicles will contribute to the acceleration of a land-based long-range strike capability for the Army, demonstrating a commitment to modernising the Australian Defence Force.”
These newly built Bushmasters will be assigned to the Army’s second long-range fires regiment, based at the Edinburgh Defence Precinct in South Australia under the 10th Fires Brigade. The vehicles will play a critical role in supporting a multi-mission phased array radar battery, enabling advanced command and control capabilities essential for modern warfare.
“This contract underscores the Albanese government’s commitment to providing the Australian Defence Force with the capabilities and equipment it needs to keep Australians safe,” Minister Conroy said.
Jeff Connolly, CEO, Thales Australia and New Zealand, welcomed this announcement, saying, “This is an important investment by the Government in Australia’s industrial base that will deliver the capabilities our army needs – a battle-proven and locally-made platform that will get the job done for decades to come.
Since taking office, the Albanese government has committed over $300 m to contracts for new Bendigo-built Bushmasters, resulting in the delivery of more than 130 additional vehicles to the Australian Army.
Minister Conroy said, “This additional investment will support hundreds of jobs, underscoring the Albanese government’s commitment not only to the people of the Bendigo region but to building Australia’s future.”
Mr Connolly added, “What makes the Bushmaster so special is our nationally critical manufacturing facility at Bendigo and its unique blend of the engineering expertise, technical skills, and dedicated workforce who do such a great job for the nation. The Bushmaster is an excellent example of what we do at Thales Australia as a trusted partner of the Australian government, utilising local skills, design, engineering and technology to protect the interests of Australia, our allies and partners.”
The Bushmaster PMV is a trusted platform for nine nations, offering exceptional protection and mobility, making it a preferred choice for militaries worldwide, it has reinforced its reputation underscored by its life-saving performance on operations, credited with safeguarding Australian soldiers and now protecting Ukrainian forces in the ongoing conflict. (Source: Defence Connect)

 

02 Jan 25. The revolutionary KIA ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) Powered by Hydrogen made its first appearance outside of Korea at MSPO 2023 in Poland, writes Bob Morrison. It is probably unsurprising that Korean manufacturer KIA chose the annual Kielce defence expo for the foreign launch of its futuristic defence vehicle prototype, as not only was Korea the Lead Nation Exhibitor at the Polish event but just the month before around 400 Korea Light Tactical Vehicles (KLTV) were ordered for Poland’s Border Guards. The KIA ‘ATV Powered by Hydrogen’ (a temporary name) would also make an appearance last February at World Defense Show 2024 in Saudi Arabia, where we had a second chance to snap it on a company stand, though as of yet we have not managed to photograph it on the move.
Some basic specification and dimensional details were released at Kielce and from these we know that the ATV, which is based on the second generation KIA Mohave / Borrego SUV, has a 2895mm wheelbase and measures approximately 5000x1900x1900mm. Approach and Departure Angles are 30° and 25° respectively and Ground Clearance is 220mm. Using Hyundai parent company technology the KIA ATV is powered by a 90kW / 120hp electric motor from a hydrogen fuel cell stack, with 6.3kg hydrogen tank and 1.56 kWh battery giving a stated range of 480km. It will be interesting to see where the KIA ‘ATV Powered by Hydrogen’ turns up next and if we get the chance to photograph it on the move. Hydrogen-powered vehicle technology is advancing fast as the world turns away from fossil fuels and it is probably only a matter of time before we see the first military vehicles using this power source entering service. (Source: joint-forces.com)

 

07 Jan 25. GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, is introducing a new level of sophistication to covert armored vehicles in the Middle East by providing next generation armored Suburban Shields to the Qatar Armed Forces. Please read the full press release here (also pasted below), including an image of the Suburban Shield. Additional defense and government entities in UAE have expressed interest in our next generation protected vehicle.
GM Defense leverages the advanced technologies and global supply chain of its parent, General Motors, to bring modern solutions to UAE. For example, the business’ Infantry Squad Vehicle was one of three vehicles to complete the UAE Summer Trials two years ago on its first time at the Trials. Please let me know if you have any questions or need a high resolution image. Thank you!
GM Defense is providing next generation Suburban Shield armored vehicles to the Qatar Armed Forces and Special Forces Command for protected diplomatic security and VIP transport.
The Suburban Shield is based on General Motors’ full-size pickup truck and sport utility vehicle architecture. The vehicle features a high percentage of commercial parts, including the body, exterior, propulsion, interior, and brakes.
Suburban Shield includes a new and unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension system, designed to support increased vehicle weight and performance requirements. The vehicle leverages digital engineering and GM’s global quality management system to realize efficiencies throughout the development phase while ensuring the highest levels of quality and performance.
“GM Defense’s next-generation Suburban Shield offers the Qatar Armed Forces unrivaled performance thanks to GM’s advanced technologies,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “We engineered the Suburban Shield from the ground up as a protected vehicle using GM’s world-class process and tools to deliver the reliability and quality expected from a GM vehicle. We’re confident the vehicle will help the Qatar Armed Forces effectively carry out their important diplomatic security missions and are excited to see Suburban Shield introduce a new level of sophistication to protected vehicles in the region.”
GM Defense incorporates protective armor into the original design and manufacturing process, diverging from previous after-market, tear-down and rebuild practices. New design features help ensure the vehicle is safe and reliable, while meeting GM’s stringent commercial standards.
“Our OEM-provided solution benefits from GM’s world-class technologies, engineering and validation capabilities, and global quality management systems that traditional defense contractors don’t offer,” said Bradley Watters, vice president of international business development for GM Defense. “With Suburban Shield, GM Defense delivers a one-of-a-kind solution that outperforms previous generation vehicles. We’re proud to offer this capability to the Qatar Armed Forces that will help replace their legacy platforms.”
Suburban Shield includes independent armoring certification with options and configurations to suit customer requirements.
GM Defense also provides customized Suburban Shields to the U.S. Department of State’s (DoS) Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) in support of its Heavy-Duty armored Sport Utility Vehicle program. The company recently completed some of the first production vehicles for the law enforcement and security arm of the DoS.
For the latest GM Defense news, please visit www.GMDefenseLLC.com, and follow GM Defense on LinkedIn.
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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

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Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/

 

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02 Jan 25. Italy gets Lynx fighting vehicle for testing ahead of first contract. Germany’s Rheinmetall has loaned a Lynx tracked vehicle to the Italian army to test, as Italy prepares to sign a half-billion euro contract ($513 million) for a first batch of the vehicles by mid-2025.

The Lynx fighting vehicle was shipped on Dec. 30 to the Italian army’s Montelibretti testing facility near Rome, where it will be put through its paces by experts from the army and from Italian defense giant Leonardo.

“Army engineers and testers will get to know the Lynx and carry out a series of evaluations to test the mobility, protection, fire power and interoperability of the vehicle,” the Italian army said in a statement.

“The loan shows the speed with which the deal is being managed and is also a sign of goodwill to the Italian army,” a source knowledgeable of the arrangement told Defense News.

As it replaces old vehicles and keeps up with NATO requirements, Italy plans to acquire 1,050 new fighting vehicles based on Rheinmetall’s Lynx in a €15 billion program, with the first to be delivered in two years. The Italian army will also buy 280 tanks based on Rheinmetall’s under-development Panther KF51 in an €8bn euro program with the first tank planned for delivery in two and a half to three years. In October, Rheinmetall and Italy’s Leonardo announced a new joint venture through which they will team on development and construction of both vehicles, with the Italian firm contributing armaments and electronics to create Italianized versions of the vehicles. The Lynx KF41 loaned to the Italian army hails from Hungary, which is the only previous buyer of the vehicle. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity while discussing ongoing deliberations, told Defense News the joint venture would likely be up and running by the end of January, with the first contract for a first batch of Italy-configuration fighting vehicles the next step. Worth about half a billion euros, the contract could be signed with Italy’s defense ministry by the summer, the source said.

“If things move fast, the first contract for tanks could be signed this year,” the source added.

Leonardo and Rheinmetall have said they see export potential for the Italian-version vehicles, beyond purchases from Rome. In an interview with German publication Börsen Zeitung in December, Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger predicted the joint venture would see orders worth €50bn over the next ten years. (Source: Defense News)

 

02 Jan 25. The Iveco – Oto Melara Consortium Signs the Contract for the Supply of 76 VBM PLUS for the Italian Army. Signed on 30th December 2024, the contract comes as part of the ongoing supply (“Phase 2”) of Medium Armoured Vehicles to the Italian Army’s Second Medium Brigade and includes an upgrade to the “PLUS” version for the VBM platform, as well as long-term integrated logistics support for all platforms purchased, along with “10×10” rescue and recovery vehicles, ensuring logistical communality among the different tactical platforms in service and representing state-of-the-art vehicles in terms of mobility and protection.

The upgrade of the VBM Combat and Antitank in the “PLUS” version see changes to both the vehicle and the turret.

As regards the vehicle, changes include:

• upgrades to common rail technology for the engine, taking it from 550 HP to 720 HP ready for a future hybrid-electric traction system;
• the implementation of a new generation hull, result of the experience gained over the years with the Centauro II and VBM platforms;
• upgrades to the driveline and suspensions with a significant improve in terms of mobility and an increase in growth potential.

These updates will also ensure a further increase in the ballistic and anti-mine protection of the hull through cutting-edge technological solutions.

With respect to the turret, it has been introduced a Leonardo’s new X-GUN 30mm armament capable of using all types of ammunition from 30mmx173 to NATO standards, including the new ABM (Air Burst Munition) ammunition also suitable for anti-drone use.

The main upgrades in the turret mainly refer to the shooting system by Leonardo, with the introduction of latest generation electronic components compliant with the new NGVA (Nato Generic Vehicle Architecture) standard and capable of interfacing with the new digitized optronics of targeting and search “Janus D” and Lothar SD”.

The new turret provides the crew with an increased level of ballistic and anti-mine protection compared to the previous version. The contract also includes the supply of the new digital intercom and a completely updated CIS system which involves the use of the SDR VQ1 four-channel radio and the new Command and Control system, called C2D/N Evo, both from Leonardo.

The new VBM PLUS distinguishes itself by increased mobility, protection, lethality and integrated C4I, allowing the Italian Army to face the challenges of the coming years with a truly state-of-the-art vehicle, integrated into the net-centric architecture of the digital battlefield. The vehicle will also be equipped with Galileo PRS technology developed in Italy as part of the European Union secure satellite navigation system. In specific terms this means the VBM will be equipped with a newly developed satellite receiver, the first of its kind capable of receiving secure satellite navigation services from both the US GPS and European Galileo PRS systems. (Source: ASD Network)

 

31 Dec 24. Poland buys Krab SPHs, K9 support vehicles, and Rosomak APCs. Poland’s Armaments Agency (AA) within its Ministry of National Defence (MND) has contracted Polish defence company Huta Stalowa Wola SA (HSW) for around PLN16.5 bn (USD4 bn) for Krab self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) and support vehicles for South Korean-bought K9 SPHs. The K9 contract is for over 250 accompanying vehicles such as command vehicles and artillery reconnaissance for the Polish army, with delivery from 2027 to 2029.

The PLN7.6 bn contract includes a training and logistics package.

The contract will be implemented by a consortium composed of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA (PGZ), HSW, and Rosomak SA, HSW said in a 27 December press release.

As part of the expansion and modernisation of its army, Poland is procuring at least 654 artillery systems from South Korea.

The K9PL is initially being produced in South Korea before switching to Poland in 2026.

Krabs

In another deal, HSW was contracted for 96 Krab SPHs, scheduled for delivery between 2027 and 2029.

As well as the Krabs, the PLN8.9 bn contract includes dozens of command and staff vehicles, ammunition vehicles, armament and electronics repair workshops, training, and logistics.

While some of the Krabs will be supplied with the REGINA fire-control module in the same configuration as one agreed under a 2022 contract, others will undergo significant modification with the debut of a version with full-automatic loading, HSW said.

Since 2016 HSW has been supplying Krabs and accompanying equipment to the Polish Armed Forces under contracts concluded in 2016 and in 2022 for a total of over 170 of the SPHs. (Source: Janes)

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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/

 

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18 Dec 24. Today Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė met with representatives of the Swedish manufacturer BAE Systems Hägglunds to discuss acquisition of the CV-90 tracked infantry fighting vehicles and closer cooperation with the Lithuanian Defence industry.

“Important aspects are a quick and effective implementation and timely delivery of the IFVs because we cannot afford delays in the current security situation. Lithuania’s objective is to have the national division at Full Operational Capability by 2030 and IFVs are inseparable part of the process that leads up to it. We will form a sustained and long-term industrial collaboration which will include Lithuania in the supply chains of the programme and ensure and effective CV90 maintenance and servicing in Lithuania,” noted Minister after the meeting.

The Swedes were debriefed on the Government’s decision to increase the limit on borrowing for defence to EUR 800 m next year and assured of comprehensive Government-level support for cooperation with the company if the negotiations were successful ad met Lithuania’s interests.

Lithuania will join the IFV acquisition programme with Finland, Sweden and Norway. The model and terms of industrial cooperation will have to be approved by all the participant, therefore, the negotiations are planned to be completed in the end of 2025. (Source: joint-forces.com)

 

20 Dec 24. Challenger 3 MBT prototypes 3 and 4 ready for British Army trials. Recent cuts to UK defence capabilities have raised the prospect that the Challenger 3 programme may not upgrade 148 tanks as planned. The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) joint venture has provided a new update on the British Army’s Challenger 3 programme, with Pre-series vehicles 3 and 4 recently completing commissioning in readiness for field trials. Announcing the step on social media on 19 December 2024, RBSL said the two latest prototype Challenger 3 main battle tanks (MBT) will be “put through their paces” in a test plan, which will mirror trials already performed by the first two Pre-series platforms. An additional four Pre-series vehicles would “soon join the fleet”, ahead of an eventual move to full-rate production. However, it will be several years before the British Army is able to field the platforms on operations, with an initial operating capability (IOC), effectively the equipping of a full MBT squadron, not due to be met until 2027 at the earliest. A total of 148 of the British Army’s approximate 200 Challenger 2 MBTs are due to be upgraded, with early prototypes having undergone firing trials in Germany in May 2024. However, persistent messaging by the UK government of fiscal problems and recent cuts to defence capability could lay the scene for a reduction in Challenger 3 MBTs in 2025, when the Strategic Defence Review is announced.

Challenger 3 a halfway house to Leopard 2 series?

Upgrades from the Challenger 2 MBT include the L55A1 smoothbore gun from Rheinmetall, a new turret with multiple day and night sensors, an active protection systems, new modular armour, and improved power generation and suspension. Programming to cost around £1.3bn ($1.62bn) in 2021, should expenditure remain on track it will mean an outlay of £8.8m on each Challenger 2 upgraded to the Challenger 3 variant. By comparison, a recent Czech deal for additional Leopard 2A4 MBTs came to around $11m per tank, a price similar to a 2023 deal that saw Denmark and the Netherlands acquire 14 Leopard 2A4 tank for Ukraine, at a cost of $172.9m. Converted to dollars, each Challenger 3 upgrade will cost about $11.2m, or as much as an entire Leopard 2A4. By the time the programme reaches IOC the average age of the vehicles on which the upgrade will be based will be around 27 years old, with the Challenger 3 tanks expected to serve until 2040, when the base platforms will have been in service for over 40 years.

Full operating capability is not expected to be achieved until 2030. This means that Challenger 3 will be a decade-long stopgap until a next-generation European platform becomes available, at which point the UK will almost certainly look to join a multinational effort. This will see the end of tank design in the UK, as its industrial base shifts to license built MBTs or outright off-the-shelf acquisition from a European country.

(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/

 

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17 Dec 24. Lithuania pushes Leopard 2A8 tank acquisition under new government. Four days after she was sworn into office, Lithuania’s defense minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, signed an agreement to purchase 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks during her Dec. 16 official visit to Germany.

Over the course of her visit to Berlin, Šakalienė met with her German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, with whom she discussed issues related to the two countries’ defense cooperation. These include the heavy maneuver brigade of 4,800 personnel that the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, is to deploy to Lithuania next year. The move is designed to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The agreement on the acquisition of Leopard 2 tanks is the largest [military] contract in the history of Lithuania,” Šakalienė was quoted in a statement released by her ministry.

“This is a critically important stage in the modernization of our military and strengthening regional security. These tanks will open up opportunities to strengthen the integrity and interoperability of the Lithuanian and German armed forces,” she said.

The value of the forthcoming acquisition was not disclosed by the Lithuanian ministry.

Šakalienė was appointed to her post in Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas’ cabinet following Lithuania’s Oct. 27 general election. The vote was won by the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, for which she is also a lawmaker. Shortly before the election, the State Defence Council, Lithuania’s top defense decision-making body, authorized Šakalienė’s predecessor Laurynas Kasčiūnas to initiate the acquisitions of Leopard 2A8 tanks and CV90 infantry fighting vehicles for the nation’s army.

Manufactured by KNDS and BAE Systems Hägglunds, respectively, both types of tracked vehicles are to become part of Lithuania’s new Infantry Division comprising two battalions. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

 

16 Dec 24. Taiwan receives first batch of M1A2T Abrams tanks. Taiwan has taken delivery of a first batch of M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) from the United States, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported on its official social media channel on 16 December.

The MND showed images of M1A2Ts being inspected and rolled onto transporters, however, it did not elaborate. Taiwan’s state-owned Central News Agency (CNA) reported that 38 out of 108 on-order M1A2T tanks were delivered to the Republic of China Army’s (RoCA’s) Army Armor Training Command at Hsinchu in northwestern Taiwan.

Citing the MND, CNA reported that 42 additional tanks will be delivered in 2025 and the remaining 28 will arrive in Taiwan in 2026.

Taiwan ordered the 108 M1A2T tanks in 2019. The cost was USD2.22 bn and included 250 Block I-92F Stinger missiles, BAE Systems M88A2 armoured recovery vehicles, and Oshkosh M1070A1 heavy equipment transporters.

According to Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Armoured Fighting Vehicles, the M1A2T variant of the M1 Abrams is fitted with a 120 mm smoothbore gun and bespoke gas-turbine engine. The M1A2T resembles the Abrams System Enhancement Package version 3 (SEPv3) and has been designed to meet RoCA requirements.

The M1A2T has a reconfigured turret with unspecified modifications to its survivability, a modified electrical system and auxiliary power unit, and a new ammunition datalink. (Source: Janes)

 

16 Dec 24. Fort Moore is continuing its construction and implementation of active vehicle barriers (AVB) across several access control points on the installation, further enhancing security measures. Planning and initial construction began in June 2024, with work scheduled to be completed in April 2025.

Fort Moore began the months-long construction process starting with the installation of an AVB system at the Plumley Access Control Point 3, Fort Moore’s main gate, on Lindsey Creek Parkway/I-185. Major testing was completed Dec. 11, 2024. Plumley ACP is fully operational for traffic and the active vehicle barrier system is expected to be fully operational by mid-January, pending the completion of endurance testing and personnel training, according to Jim Webster, physical security chief, Directorate of Emergency Services.

“The active vehicle barriers enhance the overall security for the installation,” said Webster. “If there was ever a threat vehicle and it needed to be stopped, we will have the capability to stop the threat, once construction is complete.”

Three additional access control points will receive the upgraded security measures: Grange Access Control Point 2, Cashe Access Control Point 5A, and Childers Gate Access Control Point 8.

Construction of the AVB at Grange ACP will begin in mid-January 2025, followed by Cashe ACP in early February 2025. Childers Gate ACP is still in the design phase, with completion anticipated in April 2025.

 

13 Dec 24. US transform maintenance while the UK cuts its surface fleet. Gecko Robotics are modernising maintenance of the US Navy fleet with robots and AI; meanwhile, the UK Royal Navy kicks the can down the road.

Naval industry is stifled by the new demands for a larger surface fleet in a new age of strategic competition. Existing capacity simply cannot deliver new vessels while maintaining old ones at the point of need.

There are, however, two solutions to this dilemma which the US and UK navies have separately pursued in recent months. While the UK Royal Navy (RN) has resolved to cut down its fleet and implement a smaller forward-presence model, the US Navy has turned to new methods of ship maintenance.

With the help of Gecko Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based small-to-medium sized enterprise, US Navy (USN) maintenance is overcoming the enduring inefficiencies of conventional ship maintenance.

Using robots topped with advanced sensors to scour hull structures, the company will use the data collected and processed by artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a high-fidelity digital twin representation known as a ‘rich asset model’. This constitutes Gecko’s Cantilever network of AI and Robotics, or ‘AIR’ solution.

“You’re continually managing and predicting all the damaged areas, and you can understand it from health report. Just like when you or I would go to a doctor to do a complete body scan,” explained Gecko’s co-founder and CEO, Jake Loosararian.

In an exclusive, Loosararian spoke to Naval Technology about the need to improve ship maintenance with these new tools, while overcoming the problematic incentives behind traditional maintenance procedures.

Benefits in data

At present, the USN only has about two-thirds of its surface fleet available right now, Loosararian acknowledged. According to recent figures, as of September 2024, the service included 297 battle force ships in total; this would put nearly 100 ships either in maintenance or idle.

Moreover, the USN anticipate that this total ship count will decline by nine units in the next fiscal year 2025.

Gecko’s AIR network solution is a “game-changing way of approaching speeds and schedule adherence,” he emphasised, having supported dozens of USN surface vessels.

Their new methods cut labour by 85% in mapping hulls, and the USN indicated that their technology saved the service “more than four months of maintenance time.”

Current inefficiencies

Traditionally, engineers would do the work of Gecko’s robots in searching hulls for any signs of wear and tear or any defects and subsequently map them out.

In contrast, Gecko use high definition cameras to create photogrammetry. These point clouds (3D model of the structure) allow them to see different defects. From 30 metres out you can see these different weld lines and dents. This allows Gecko to pre-empt future problems ahead of time.

“There is bureaucracy and primes that are blocking this because it messes with the incentive models that currently exist that are good for large contractors.”

Jake Loosararian, Co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics.

Using the old methods, naval primes are “doing these cycles going on 18, 20, even 24 months,” Loosararian pointed out. “How do you predict and prevent this in the future? How do you create strategies to increase the lifespan of the asset? How do you avoid having some sort of cash-out failure?

“There is bureaucracy and primes that are blocking this because it messes with the incentive models that currently exist that are good for large contractors… It obviously hampers us in a lot of ways,” he added.

Countries like China, with whom the US are contesting in the Indo-Pacific region, are able to build much faster. “We are not able to do that,” he added, “we have to ensure that we modernise and improve the inefficiencies.”

UK fails to adapt

“It baffles me that the UK Royal Navy is not picking up on this right now because it solves an immediate and very important problem.”

Instead, the RN has started to double down on cuts at the end of November. The Defence Secretary, John Healey, ended the life of the Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland and axed two Albion-class amphibious assault ships. The Ministry of Defence has since deployed fewer ships and sailors for a nimbler forward presence abroad.

Recently, the RN even considered deploying commercial ships in a multi-purpose capacity as “floating bases for certain operations.” This was suggested after SD Northern River – a commercial, offshore supply vessel – facilitated the trial of a prototype mine counter measure boat in Scotland this month.

Undaunted, Gecko Robotics is currently engaging with British defence primes to find a way to bring its offerings across the Atlantic. Early discussions have taken place with a number companies.

“The speed of maintenance has been unprecedented because of how clear the results are having in terms of an impact – a huge impact – on the most important problem right now for the Navy and for navies all around the world.” (Source: naval-technology.com)

 

12 Dec 24. US Army seeks hundreds more Bradley IFVs amid ongoing rearmament. The US Army has contracted BAE Systems Land & Armaments to produce further M2A4 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and M7A4 Bradley Fire Support Team (BFIST) platforms, as part of an ongoing series of awards for US defence requirements.

Announced in a 11 December contract notice published by the US Department of Defense (DoD), the $656.2m deal will complete by 30 November 2027, with US Army Contracting Command listed as the contracting activity.

In September 2023 the US Army awarded a $274.1m contract to produce 109 M2A4 Bradley IFVs and the conversion of six M7A4 BFISTs from existing vehicles, with deliveries expected to begin from early 2025.

Modernised M2A4 Bradley IFVs at Fort Stewart, Georgia, in 2022. Credit: US Army

While exact platform numbers for the latest deal have not been revealed, extrapolating the 2023 figures indicate the new BAE Systems’ award could be for up to 272 M2A4 and over a dozen M7A4 vehicles.

However, in 2018 a similar contract award to BAE Systems Land & Armaments to a value of $348m would see the production of up to 473 Bradley M2A4 and M7A4 vehicles, additional spares, and packages for legacy component repair using M2A3, M7A3 and Operation Desert Storm-Situational Awareness (ODS-SA) vehicles as a baseline.

Ukraine has been an ongoing recipient of the Bradley and other equipment from the US since the outbreak of large-scale fighting against Russia in 2022, with over 300 of the IFVs provided through to 1 November 2024, along with four BFIST vehicles.

Vehicle insight: the Bradley IFV

According to the US Army the M2 Bradley IFV provides cross-country mobility, mounted firepower, communications, and protection to mechanised infantry when mounted, and overwatch support when dismounted.

The Bradley has multiple variants: the M2A3 and A4 IFV, and the M2A2 Bradley ODS-SA, with the A4 replacing the ODS-SA variant. Vehicles already in stock will be used to produce new A4 platforms.

The M7A4 Bradley Fire Support Team (BFIST) Vehicle is an integrated Bradley-based fire support platform that enables company Fire Support Teams to plan, coordinate, and execute indirect artillery and mortar fires. Created through an engineering change proposal that incorporates new suspension and track upgrades, the A4 variant improves on existing Bradley mobility and power, providing an ability to host Active Protection Pystems (APS) and communications technology in the future.

The latest Bradley offering from BAE Systems comes in the form of the M2A4E1 variant, which incorporates an APS, improved gunner sight, and more efficient air conditioning for crew comfort. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

13 Dec 24. The British Army has taken an early Christmas delivery of 20 Rheinmetall MAN support trucks bought under a rapid procurement process. The Field Army has taken an early Christmas delivery of 20 support trucks bought under a rapid procurement process. They are the first of 500 multipurpose Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle trucks, bought under a £282 m contract, which will allow troops to transport essentials such as ammunition, food, water, and support materiel, to operational locations. The newly delivered vehicles are from the HX family, which are a range of purpose-designed military trucks equipped with a multitude of protection capabilities, keeping our most important asset safe – our people. A rapid procurement process was pioneered by Defence Equipment & Support, Army Headquarters and the Field Army, which secured all 500 trucks in just 7 months. The first trucks were received by troops one year after contract signature at 7 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps based in Dalton Barracks, who will now start training on the vehicles. Another 40 vehicles will be utilised for training prior to April 2025 with all 500 fielded to the Field Army by September 2025.

Brigadier Matt Wilkinson, Defence, Equipment and Support said: “The joint team across Army Headquarters, Field Army, DE&S and our industry partners have risen to the challenge of rapidly delivering capability to meet Defence requirements. The procurement of an additional 500 palletised load system trucks has significantly increased the Field Army’s tactical logistic lift.”

Colonel Andy Elliott, HQ Field Army said: ‘Field Army welcome the fielding of these critical vehicles to begin to close the gap in the logistic lift capacity required to deliver and sustain war fighting at scale. Delivering capability at pace challenges procurement processes and policies and lessons from this project can be applied to streamline future acquisitions, vital as the Army seeks to double lethality by 2027.’

Rebecca Richards, Managing Director of RMMV-UK added: “This collaborative venture, between Rheinmetall and the UK MoD, to deliver military capability at pace has been a supreme effort by both teams. It sets the bar for delivering new capabilities and highlights what is possible when NATO allies operate on a bi-lateral basis in their procurements.”

The rapid procurement of the Rheinmetall HX Vehicles comes at an essential time, as the British Army continues to face increased commitments through Op MOBILISE and its offer to the NATO New Force Model. (Source: joint-forces.com)

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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/

 

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12 Dec 24. India’s BEML to supply high-mobility vehicles to Indian Army. India’s state-owned BEML, formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited, has signed contracts with the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to deliver an unspecified number of 8×8 high-mobility vehicles (HMVs) and 50 tonne heavy-duty trailers to the Indian Army. In a filing to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 11 December, BEML said the contract for 8×8 HMVs is valued at INR1.36 bn (USD16 m). One day earlier in a separate filing the company said the trailer deal is worth INR835.1m. BEML did not disclose the number of HMVs and trailers it will deliver to the Indian Army, nor did it provide details about the timing of deliveries. The company had not responded to Janes questions about the programmes at the time of publication. In its NSE filing, BEML said the 8×8 HMVs will “play a pivotal role” in India’s Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS) project, a mobile automated surveillance system being developed by India’s Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). According to Janes C4ISR & Mission Systems: Land, the BSS is designed to integrate inputs from all battlefield surveillance devices to aid commanders’ decision making. The Indian Army reportedly aims to deploy BSS surveillance centres to all field formations by December 2025. The BSS is likely to be mounted on the 8×8 HMVs. (Source: Janes)

 

11 Dec 24. Türkiye reinforces defence industry consolidation with regional diplomacy. Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed further defence co-operation with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on 8 December.

Türkiye’s defence connections with Oman have increased in recent years. In July Turkish defence contractor FNSS’ Pars III 8×8 armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), in service with the Royal Army of Oman, were part of military exercises conducted by the Omani Armed Forces.

In July 2022 FNSS announced it would build a depot-level maintenance and repair facility for Oman’s fleet of Pars III armoured vehicles, including infrastructure that will enable the facility to be expanded and help Omani companies produce spares.

The contract helped fulfil industry participation and offset obligations for a large vehicle contract, which saw the delivery of 172 Pars III vehicles (145 8×8s and 27 6×6s) in 13 variants to Oman from 2017 to 2020.

Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are also significant clients for Turkish defence equipment.

FNSS changes

Turkish industrial conglomerate Nurol Holding secured full ownership of Turkish defence contractor FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. in October after reaching an agreement to acquire the remaining 49% stake it did not already own from BAE Systems.

FNSS Savunma Sistemleri was established as a joint venture (JV) between Nurol Holding and US company FMC Corporation in 1985. The first contract FNSS won was for the construction of 1,698 armoured personnel carriers for the Turkish Land Forces Command.

This acquisition concludes Nurol’s more than three-decade-long JV with BAE Systems. (Source: Janes)

 

11 Dec 24. US approves $300m armoured vehicle maintenance sale to Kuwait. Kuwait seeks to acquire services and equipment for the refurbishment of existing infrastructure. The US State Department has approved a potential foreign military sale to Kuwait, encompassing military vehicle maintenance repair sustainment capability and associated equipment, with an estimated cost of $300m (Kd93m).   The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has formally notified Congress of this potential transaction.  Kuwait seeks to upgrade its maintenance facilities, acquiring services and equipment for the refurbishment of existing infrastructure.   The request includes a range of items such as sustainment maintenance, tools, repair parts, shop equipment, material handling devices, initial repair parts supply for two years, mandatory replacement materials, and the capability to repair arms up to 100mm.   Additionally, the package covers cables, wiring harnesses, hydraulics, fuel oil pumps, starters, generators, AGT1500 engine parts, testing and limited repair services for communication systems, fire control, night vision, and laser devices.   The proposed sale also includes a TIGER Process for enhanced AGT1500 engine repairs, five years of facility operation and maintenance, field service representatives, technicians, mechanics, and other support personnel, on-the-job training, and more.  This sale is aligned with US foreign policy and national security goals, reinforcing the infrastructure of Kuwait.   The equipment and services will support the upkeep of M1A2 and M1A2K Abrams main battle tanks, M88A1 and M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles, M113A1, M113A2, and M113A3 armoured personnel carrier, and others.  It will bolster Kuwait Land Forces’ ability to maintain its military readiness to face current and future threats.   The Abrams M1A2 is a combat system with a 120-mm main gun, designed for shoot-on-the-move capabilities and interoperability.   Kuwait’s armed forces are expected to integrate these new acquisitions without difficulty, and the sale is not anticipated to disrupt the existing military balance in the region.  The principal contractors involved in this sale are BAE Systems, U.S. Ordnance, DRS Technologies, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and RTX.  The country’s acquisition budget is expected to increase from $819.4m in 2024 to $1.5bn in 2029, at a CAGR of 7%.  Previously in 2022, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency informed Congress about a foreign military sale of M1A2K tank operational and training ammunition to Kuwait. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

10 Dec 24. SVI six-wheeled Land Cruiser amongst new SANDF equipment spotted at Exercise Vuk’uhlome. New hardware is slowly making its way into the hands of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), with a modified six-wheeled Land Cruiser, new assault rifles and machineguns amongst the equipment seen for the first time at the SA Army’s biggest annual exercise this month. Exercise Vuk’uhlome III was held at the SA Army’s Combat Training Centre in the Northern Cape and culminated in a Distinguished Visitors’ Day on 21 November. Although dominated by Ratel infantry fighting vehicles, R4 assault rifles and other equipment that has been in service for decades, the SANDF did reveal some new acquisitions, primarily for the Special Forces. These included CZ Bren 2 assault rifles, chambered in both 5.56 NATO and 7.62×39 mm. These were seen carried by Special Forces members, while Kord 12.7 mm heavy machineguns were seen mounted on some of the Special Forces’ Hornet vehicles – others were seen with the more traditional 12.7 mm Browning machineguns. Not for the first time were modified 4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers seen, fitted with armoured cabs and 23 mm cannons on the back. These were supplied by SVI Engineering, which also provided armoured Land Cruisers fitted with Scorpion automated mortars for the Special Forces. The SANDF in early 2024 acquired half a dozen MAX 3 armoured vehicles from SVI to help combat border crimes during Operation Corona deployments. Two are 4×4 and four are six-wheeled MAX 3s, fitted with rear cargo cabins on the loadbed. These were not seen at Vuk’uhlome 2024, but a six-wheeled Land Cruiser was spotted during the exercise, fitted with a modified loadbed carrying a 23 mm cannon and machinegun turret. Earlier this year Armscor issued a tender for the development of modified 6×6 Land Cruiser vehicles for the South African Special Forces to enhance their firepower during operational deployments but it’s not clear if the vehicle at Exercise Vuk’uhlome 2024 was one of these. Much of the defence budget (65%) is going towards the compensation of employees, but some funds are being allocated for equipment maintenance and new acquisitions. To safeguard the integrity of South Africa’s borders, the department of defence will continue to prioritise the acquisition of vehicles and technology that will serve as a force multiplier. National Treasury has allocated nearly R1 bn to improve SANDF border security capabilities over the next three years. R200 m worth of sensor technology will be acquired for the border safeguarding Operation Corona in 2025/6 including a geographic information system (GIS) capability (R22.5m); intelligence collection and processing capabilities (R47 m under Project Baobab); upgraded Chaka command and control system (R7.2 m); Reutech RSR 903 radars (R57 m); 60 observation posts (R16 m under Project Dominate); 16 quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicles (R16m) and two long range UAVs (R24m). Troop pack vehicles (over 400 Land Cruisers were originally acquired) will be replaced with off-the-shelf vehicles and R500 m will be spent in 2024/25 for this. Armscor in July issued an invitation to bid for nearly 500 armoured vehicles for border patrol: 210 Section variants, 144 Command variants, and 108 Ambulance variants. Deliveries are expected before 15 March 2025, although industry has expressed concern that this deadline is unfeasible. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

 

09 Dec 24. Lebanon Receives M113 Armored Personnel Carriers from Jordan. At the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a ship carrying 62 M113 armored personnel carriers arrived at the port of Beirut.  This shipment is a generous gift from the Kingdom to the Lebanese Army. The donation was received in the presence of a representative from the Jordanian Embassy and a representative of the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, General Joseph Aoun. It will contribute to enhancing the capabilities of the army, particularly in terms of operational deployment and missions carried out in various Lebanese regions, amid the exceptional circumstances that the country is going through.” The M113 armored personnel carrier is one of the primary pieces of equipment in the Jordanian Armed Forces, where it has been used for decades as part of efforts to modernize and develop its military capabilities. Jordan acquired these carriers through military cooperation programs with the United States and other countries, and they have been modified to suit the needs of the Jordanian Army and regional challenges. The M113 armored personnel carrier is considered one of the most widely used armored personnel carriers in the world, having entered service with the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. Designed to provide protection for ground forces while moving on the battlefield, it has gained widespread recognition for its versatility and reliability. (Source: Defense Arabia)

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06 Dec 24. BAE Systems has signed individual contracts worth a total of approximately $2.5bn with both Sweden and Denmark for new CV90 combat vehicles. These contracts come under a new three-party framework agreement with the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) and the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration (FMV) to expand the acquisition of new CV9035MkIIIC combat vehicles for both countries. This builds on an initial contract signed between BAE Systems and Sweden’s FMV in May 2024. Under these contracts, Denmark is procuring 115 new CV9035MkIIICs, while Sweden has agreed to acquire a total of 50 new vehicles. The agreement also includes further vehicles for Ukraine financed by the two governments. Together, this takes the total value of CV9035MkIIICs contracted under the framework agreement to approximately $2.5bn, including spares, support, logistics, and training.

“The infantry fighting vehicle is an essential component of the heavy brigade we are currently building. The 115 new vehicles will significantly enhance Denmark’s contribution to collective security and international operations. With the 44 existing vehicles, we will have a total of 159 vehicles, providing us with substantial strength – also from an international perspective,” said Major General Peter Boysen, Chief of the Royal Danish Army.

“These new CV9035MkIIICs will extend the capabilities of the armed forces of Sweden and Denmark. They will also provide their crews with improved situational awareness and increased mobility, protection, and lethality,” said Tommy Gustafsson-Rask, managing director of BAE Systems Hägglunds, which designs and produces the CV90.

The new version of the CV9035MkIIIC is built to the same standard as the latest CV90 mid-life upgrade program for the Netherlands. The vehicles will be equipped with the new CV90 turret, which provides a leap forward in design and functionality. The vehicle is built on years of combat-proven experience, continuous improvements, and data gathering from the CV90 User Club, which comprises the 10 nations operating CV90 fleets. The commonality of the CV90 platform offers the users interoperability within as well as between nations.

BAE Systems’ CV90 infantry fighting vehicles provide world-leading combat capability in the 20-38-ton class. It can integrate a wide range of weapon systems, providing all-target capability to land forces around the world. With a total of 1,900 vehicles ordered in 17 different variants, the CV90 has covered more than eight million kilometers. It has been selected by 10 European nations, eight of them NATO-members, and has seen combat in Afghanistan and Ukraine, as well as operations in Liberia.

 

06 Dec 24. ST Engineering marks a new milestone in its International Defence business with a strategic agreement with Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering (KPE). ST Engineering will collaborate with KPE to set up in-country production capability for a new 8×8 amphibious multi-purpose armoured vehicle. This includes engineering and technical support for the design and production of the vehicle, based on ST Engineering’s field-tested Terrex Infantry Fighting Vehicle, capable of operating effectively in open water conditions. The partnership represents another success for the Group’s international defence business strategy as it continues to pursue growth through localisation, in-country operations support, as well as licensing with industry partners. This approach will also address the needs of customers looking to strengthen indigenous military capabilities and build resilient supply chains.

“This marks a breakthrough for our Land Systems business in terms of securing its first significant international land platform contract in recent years, as well as entry into a new market in Central Asia.” said Lim Kok Ann, President of Land Systems business at ST Engineering. “We look forward to a successful collaboration with KPE and we are confident that the new platform will meet the operational needs of its users.”

Aibek Baryssov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering said, “KPE’s production capabilities stand at 500 units of various types of armoured vehicles per year per shift and our extensive experience in deep localisation, scientific research, and the operation of armoured vehicles in Kazakhstan’s unique geographic conditions, together with ST Engineering, will enable us to fully meet the needs of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan for amphibious 8×8 vehicles.” He added, “Looking ahead, we have plans for new stages of collaboration on various projects.”

The new vehicle will be manufactured at KPE’s production facility in Kazakhstan starting from 2025. With decades of expertise in military technology and engineering, ST Engineering’s armoured vehicles are proven in battlefield mobility, personnel protection, and firepower. In recent years, the Group has invested and developed integrated solutions to enhance connectivity, computing and sensors for a range of defence platforms, including fully digitalised vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles as well as hybrid electric drive solutions.

 

05 Dec 24. KNDS Deutschland orders Trophy APS for German Army’s future Leopard 2A8 fleet. KNDS Deutschland has ordered 123 Trophy active protection systems (APSs) for the German Army’s future Leopard 2A8 main battle tank (MBT) fleet, EuroTrophy announced in a press release on 4 December. The order includes initial spare parts packages and services to integrate Trophy in the technical, operational, and logistic chain of the German Army, EuroTrophy said. The Bundeswehr will receive its first of 123 Leopard 2A8s, for which Trophy is standard equipment, in 2025. The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr: BAAINBw), signed a contract with KNDS Deutschland on 25 May 2023 for 18 Leopard 2A8s, with an option for 105 more, including spare parts and maintenance for five years, with deliveries of the MBT planned from 2025 until the end of 2026. The first Leopard 2 MBT equipped with Trophy was rolled out on 29 October for the German Army. It was the Leopard 2A7A1 version and will be delivered to the German Army in mid-2025, followed by 16 more by the end of that year. It is undergoing testing by industry and Germany’s Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 41 military technology centre. Development of the Leopard 2A7A1 has provided important insights for the design of the Leopard 2A8, according to the Bundeswehr, which expects the integration of Trophy into a Leopard 2 to allow industry to make the Leopard 2A8 variant available to the Bundeswehr much more quickly. EuroTrophy said KNDS Deutschland’s Trophy order was the second in the last 12 months after the Norwegian Army selected the APS for its Leopard 2A8s. Norway is procuring 54 of the tanks. (Source: Janes)

 

03 Dec 24. The UK Ministry of Defence has outlined its ongoing efforts to modernise the British Army, emphasising investment in advanced platforms like the Ares armoured personnel carrier and the Boxer mechanised vehicle. In response to recent parliamentary questions, Defence Ministers Maria Eagle and Luke Pollard MP detailed steps being taken to enhance the Army’s lethality, protection, and mobility. The Ares platform, a variant of the Ajax Armoured Cavalry Programme, remains on track to achieve Initial Operating Capability by December 2025. Maria Eagle esaid that the Army’s modernisation is guided by a programme of investment worth bns of pounds over the next decade. The upcoming Strategic Defence Review in early 2025 will further refine future capability priorities. While Ares will provide a critical capability for armoured cavalry, the focus for infantry battalions remains on the Boxer platform. Eagle directed those seeking further clarification to a related answer provided by Luke Pollard, which detailed the structure of future heavy mechanised infantry units.

“The Army is currently undergoing a combined programme of work to ensure our Land Forces will have the lethality, protection and mobility to fight and win against any adversary. Whilst the Army’s modernisation will continue over the next decade with a programme of investment worth bns of pounds, future capability development priorities will be guided by the Strategic Defence Review. The ARES platform is a variant of the Armoured Cavalry Programme (Ajax) and remains on track to deliver Initial Operating Capability by December 2025.

With regards to the current steps being taken to equip infantry battalions, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 21 November 2024 to Question 14825, which explains that planned future operational establishment will see Infantry Battalions equipped and structured around the Boxer platform.”

Pollard had previously said: “The Army is currently undergoing a combined programme of work to ensure our Land Forces will have the lethality, protection and mobility to fight and win against any adversary. The outcome of the Strategic Defence Review in early 2025 will also guide future capability development priorities. Planned future operational establishment will see the British Army have four Heavy Mechanised Infantry Battalions across two Armoured Brigades. These Battalions will be equipped and structured around the Boxer platform, with the first Battalion due to reach Initial Operating Capability in 2025.”

The British Army is set to establish four Heavy Mechanised Infantry Battalions across two Armoured Brigades. These battalions will be built around the Boxer armoured vehicle platform, which is known for its modular design and operational flexibility.

Luke Pollard explained that the first of these battalions is expected to achieve Initial Operating Capability in 2025. This transition reflects a broader shift towards a more agile and survivable mechanised infantry force capable of addressing modern battlefield challenges.

The combined programme of work for the Army encompasses both mechanised and armoured capabilities. The Ares and Boxer platforms represent key investments designed to ensure that the UK’s Land Forces can operate effectively in a range of environments. (Source: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

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28 Nov 24. USMC approves design for autocannon recce vehicle. The US Marine Corps (USMC) has approved the prototype design for the Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) 30 mm autocannon variant, a spokesperson told Janes on 27 November.

Initial contracts for the prototype development were awarded to Textron Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems in March 2024. A contract modification for Textron worth more than USD10 million was awarded on 25 November, and General Dynamics is expected to receive a “similar” contract, USMC spokesperson Morgan Blackstock said on 27 November.

Taking place in Hunt Valley, Maryland, work on the prototype is expected to be completed by January 2026, according to the 25 November press release.

The original contracts awarded indicated that prototypes would be delivered by fiscal year (FY) 2025. However, there will be no delay in prototype activity because of the way the initial contract was designed, Blackstock told Janes .

“The contract was always structured with a design component as a base effort, with the build option to be exercised once the design was approved,” she said. “The effort is on schedule to meet its objectives.”

The design was approved “recently”, she noted.

The contracts’ funding comes from FY 2025 research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E), according to the press release.

Marines want the prototype to combine the turret and weapon system found on the amphibious combat vehicle (ACV), officials have said. The ACV-30 – designed by BAE Systems – is equipped with the Mk44 30 mm automatic cannon inside of the Kongsberg stabilised, medium-calibre remote turret system, according to the USMC. (Source: Janes)

 

28 Nov 24. Netherlands and Sweden receive new bridging systems. The Netherlands has received the first of three IRBs ordered from GDELS on 30 June 2023. (GDELS)

The Netherlands and Sweden have received their first new bridging systems from General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS).

The Dutch Ministry of Defence announced on its website on 25 November that the Royal Netherlands Army’s 105 Bridge Company in Hedel had received its first bridging system, which the Dutch Engineering Training Centre’s Engineer and Pontoon School will include in training courses for the first time in January and February. This will be followed by the introduction of the bridging system into the first platoon in May. Two more bridging systems are scheduled to be delivered by the end of June 2026.

The Netherlands signed a contract for three new Improved Ribbon Bridges (IRBs) with GDELS–Bridge Systems on 30 June 2023. The procurement of a wet wide-gap crossing capability for the Dutch Engineer Corps consists of pontoons, bridge erection boats to move the pontoons and keep them in position in the water, WLS trucks to transport the pontoons and boats by land, and bridge adapter pallets to launch and recover them from the water. The contract comprises IRB sections with a total length of 225 m and bridge erection boats from US company Birdon.

GDELS said in a press release on 19 November that it had handed over the first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets materielverk: FMV) on 14 November at the company’s Kaiserslautern site in southwestern Germany where it is being built. (Source: Janes)

 

28 Nov 24. On November 27, 2024, Otokar signed the agreement through which Romania’s Ministry of National Defense awarded the company the supply of the 1,059 COBRA II 4×4 light tactical armored vehicles at a value equivalent to approximately 857m euro (excluding VAT). Within the scope of the contract, the first 278 COBRA II 4×4 tactical light armored vehicles will be manufactured in Türkiye while the rest will be manufactured in Romania. The deliveries are planned to be initiated in the last quarter of 2025 and be completed in batches over 5 years. The tender also includes some integrated logistics support services in addition to 1,059 4×4 Light Armored Tactical Wheeled Vehicles. On March 20, 2024 Otokar had submitted its bid for the tender for the purchase of 4×4 Light Armored Tactical Vehicles initiated by C.N. Romtehnica S.A., as a representative of the Ministry of National Defense. Following the successful completion of the technical evaluation, field tests and financial evaluation phases, on October 4, 2024 Otokar was informed that it had been declared as the winner of the tender.

COBRA II IS ACTIVELY USED IN 13 COUNTRIES

The COBRA II 4×4 tactical armored vehicle, produced by Otokar, is actively used by more than 20 users in 13 countries.

With Otokar’s nearly 40 years of defense industry experience and capabilities, COBRA II is designed as a modular platform which can be developed for different mission requirements. Added to the Otokar product range in 2013, COBRA II has been designed and produced in more than 30 different versions In line with the requirements and needs of its users. COBRA II, which was offered to the tender will be equipped according to the technical and tactical requirements of Romanian MoD.

In addition to its superior mobility, COBRA II provides high protection against ballistic, mine, and IED threats. With high power to weight ratio COBRA II delivers high performance. COBRA II is suitable for the integration of wide range of weapon and mission equipment options.

 

27 Nov 24. New Tanks Arrive in Townsville. Just three months after arriving on Australia shores, the first of the newly acquired M1A2 system enhanced program v3 (SEP v3) main battle tanks have been rolled out to 3rd Brigade. The 2nd Cavalry Regiment received four out of the regiment’s assigned 14 tanks on November 14, with the rest to be delivered by the end of 2025. The new tanks are essential for the Army’s combined arms fighting system and will enable land forces to control key strategic positions. Officer Commanding C Squadron Major Trent Lam said the new tank had increased firepower protection and mobility when compared to the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank.

“It has the ability to employ its weapon systems to a greater degree and provides additional weapon systems that can now fire on the move,” Major Lam said.

The tank also features a commander’s independent thermal viewer and improved situation awareness systems that provide the crew with enhanced visibility and threat detection.

“This enables both the commander and gunner to be looking in two separate locations,” Major Lam said.

It is also equipped with advanced fire control systems, including a digital ballistic computer, laser range finder and thermal imaging sights, allowing for effective targeting and engagement of enemy.

“The regiment now has additional ability to identify targets and then prosecute those targets in support of 3rd Brigade’s mission,” Major Lam said.

Major Lam said the tank’s capabilities made it a formidable asset on the battlefield, effectively combining fire power, protections and mobility.

“We’re feeling really positive. It’s sort of a new-car feeling; a new piece of equipment, which we can now use on exercise,” he said.

The tanks will be incorporated in field training early in the new year. (Source: ASD Network)

 

27 Nov 24. Project Hoefyster ‘deferred.’ Speaking to members of the media at Exercise Vuk’uhlome 2024, Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, the Chief of the South African Army, revealed that Project Hoefyster has been deferred.

“Where we are standing with all the role players Hoefyster has been deferred in the simple terminology,” noted the Chief, but added “it has been paused, not stopped.”

Noting that “It is a quite long, outstanding project,” the Chief did not give a reason for the deferment, but stated “the need for a mechanized capability is still there.”

“That capability must be brought into place. So, where we are standing, what we face at this stage, it has been deferred,” said the Chief.

Project Hoefyster, which initially came into effect in June 2007, was aimed at developing a new generation of Badger infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for the South African Army. The project focuses on creating a highly mobile, versatile, and modern combat vehicle designed to meet the evolving needs of the military in terms of protection, mobility, and firepower.

Phase one – for the design and development of five main variants – came into effect in 2007 with delivery expected in May 2012. This was to be followed by phase two – industrialisation and production of 238 Badgers – with a completion date of November 2023.

Earlier this year, it was reported Denel was still busy “executing the outstanding development actions” for Project Hoefyster, with Armscor expecting “all issues for clarification and anomalies in the proposal will be resolved by the end of February 2024.”

By the end of April 2024, it was revealed Denel was still busy concluding development, but revised production costs saw the order decreased, with quantities only sufficient for a single battalion (88 vehicles) and not the three originally planned.

Further, Arsmcor noted it was executing a parallel study “into the possibility of performing a life extension of the Ratel infantry fighting vehicle.”

With the deferment of Project Hoefyster, a modernisation for the Ratel appears to be the South African Army’s only option to maintain its key mechanised capability.

At the African Aerospace and Defence Expo 2022, The OTT Group revealed the development of a “Ratel Service Life Extension Plan (SLEP) to keep these ageing vehicles in South African Army service for longer due to the non-delivery of the Badger vehicle under the Hoefyster programme.”

Funded internally and engineered by ADGM, the initiative aimed to provide maximum value for money and improve performance. The main upgrades focus on the engine and transmission, replacing the original components with a 360 hp commercial engine paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox and a new transfer case. A new cooling system protects these upgrades, resulting in a 30% increase in engine power, a lighter and smaller powerpack, and greater maintainability using readily available commercial parts.

In addition to the driveline improvements, the SLEP includes the addition of applique armour, upgrades to obsolete braking and pneumatic components, and new crew compartment insulation to protect against noise, heat, and fumes. The vehicle also receives new military-grade tires and an updated seating arrangement. The Ratel SLEP retains its 20 mm GI2 automatic cannon but introduces significant improvements in first-round accuracy through a partially stabilized and electrically assisted gun drive. Furthermore, a new day/night sighting system with a laser rangefinder and an independent commander’s sight enhances targeting capabilities, enabling both the gunner and commander to engage, observe, track, and designate targets effectively.

Although the SLEP is not considered the ideal approach for modernizing the South African National Defence Force’s (SANDF) capabilities, OTT sees it as a practical and viable solution to maintain combat readiness given the current limitations facing South Africa.

Other local companies offer similar capabilities, with Jorsin bringing its new Tau 4×4 armoured personnel carrier to Exercise Vuk’uhlome 2024 at the SA Army’s request. Jorsin has been working on Ratel maintenance and upgrades for decades, and is able to fit a modern engine, transmission and suspension to the Ratel, amongst others. Jorsin believes upgrading the Ratel would be a cost effective and capable solution for the SA Army.

(Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

 

26 Nov 24. No room for error: Ajax and Boxer must keep pace with timeline. Both armoured vehicle programmes are expected to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2025, a senior UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) official claims. If either one of the British Army’s armoured vehicle programmes slip this year, its capability gap will continue to run well beyond the early 2030s. In a parliamentary written response on 21 November, a senior MoD official laid out the planned operational structure. The Army will deploy four Heavy Mechanised Infantry Battalions across two Armoured Brigades. These battalions will be equipped and structured around the Boxer platform, with the first battalion due to reach Initial Operating Capability at the end of 2025. Likewise, the long-awaited Ajax vehicle faces a similar time frame. In the interim, the Army is left to operate the tracked Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle, which the Army has said the Boxer is not a direct replacement, and is a legacy platform approaching 40 years of service, according to GlobalData’s United Kingdom Defence Market report. Nevertheless, last month, the MoD indicated that Warrior will remain effective until new capabilities are introduced. Not only is the Warrior not designed to fit neatly into a new digitally connected network of land assets (Ajax, Boxer, Challenger, Apache), the UK Government says that its out of service date was in 2023, and that this was extended from 2014. Ahead of the Strategic Defence Review, which is meant to set out priority guidelines in the spring of 2025, the UK Government has acted without a discernible plan of action. Last week, the Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, announced a new round of cuts for certain close-to-obsolete defence programmes. It has left the British Army without a tactical drone capability and the Royal Navy with fewer surface ships as part of a cost-saving measure for the department.

Clearly, the British budget, since the end of October, does not allow the government to make any promises when it comes to cuts to legacy programmes such as the Warrior.

“Getting Boxer and Ajax to the IOC stage is an important step to modernising the capabilites, interoperability and deterrence of the British Army. But these are drops in a very large bucket when we consider the rate of expenditure and the massive quantitative scale required to dominate on a high-intensity battlefield,” observed GlobalData defence analyst Tristan Sauer.

“The UK has nowhere near enough equipment, personnel and budget to make its force effective against a real threat (i.e. Russia).” This is particularly concerning given that some defence observers expect Britain to fight the Russians by 2028 at the earliest.

“If Ajax does face delays, I can foresee Boxer being used to try and fill any capability gaps (wouldn’t be optimal, but make the best of a bad situation) because RBSL’s production is seen as reliable,” Sauer added. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

25 Nov 24. Czech Army tanks: T-72M4 CZ vs Leopard 2A4. The Czech Army will obtain an additional 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks, enabling it to decommission its remaining Russian-designed T-72s.

The Czech Army will grow its Leopard 2A4 main battle tank (MBT) fleet by 30% with the acquisition of 14 additional units in a move that paves the way for the retirement of the ageing, Russian-origin, T-72M4 CZ MBTs.

In a 20 November statement, the Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated deliveries would be completed by the end of 2026, bringing the Czech Army’s future Leopard 2A4 force up to 42 MBTs, in addition to two Büffel 3 recovery vehicles.

The VAT-excluded CZK3.98bn ($165.3m) deal, which will be signed by the end of 2024, includes an initial supply of ammunition for the Leopard 2A4 120mm smoothbore main gun.

“We continue to modernise not only our tank army, but also the entire army. This is another step to get rid of old Russian armaments and at the same time to increase our capabilities,” said Defence Minister Jana Černochová.

The Czech MoD is also negotiating a service contract deal that will enable the Leopard 2A4s to be serviced in the Czech Republic by local defence companies.

At over $11m per tank, the price is similar to a 2023 deal that saw Denmark and the Netherlands acquire 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks for Ukraine, at a cost of $172.9m

Czech Army fulfills commitment to Nato

In acquiring 42 Leopard 2A4 MBTs, the Czech Army will be able to equip its 73rd Tank Battalion up to Nato standards as part of a national commitment to provide a heavy armoured brigade to Nato.

The delivery of the first batch of 28 Leopard 2A4s will be completed by the end of 2025, according to the Czech MoD. These first MBTs were provided free-of-charge by Germany after the Czech Republic’s earlier provision of between 90-105 T-72B/EA tanks to Ukraine.

“Although these are older versions of [Leopard 2] tanks, they clearly increase the combat capabilities of tank troops compared to the T-72s used. In addition, the 2A4 machines can be upgraded,” the Czech MoD stated on 20 November.

It is not clear what will happen to the remaining T-72s in Czech service once decommissioned, although a further donation to Ukraine is a distinct possibility.

Why go for the Leopard 2?

Operated by a range of Nato militaries, the Leopard 2A4 is a widely-used variant of the German-designed MBT. Distinguishable from the more advanced Leopard 2A5 models onwards through the vertical turret armour, the Leopard 2A4 tanks are still considered to be capable MBTs and are a step up from the T-72M4 CZ platforms.

Providing its reasoning for the selection of the 2A4s, the Czech MoD said the combat capabilities of the current in-service T-72s, both in terms of firepower and armour, was “very limited”, with lessons being gleaned from the Ukraine-Russia war emphasising the importance of crew protection.

In addition, logistical considerations and Nato fleet commonality drove the purchase of the additional 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks.

“The T-72M4 CZ also contains mostly technologies from the 90s of the last century and is not upgradable further,” the MoD added. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

22 Nov 24. NZFD contracts Spain’s UROVESA for 60 new utility vehicles. UROVESA is set to deliver 60 VAMTAC ST5 light and CK3 medium-sized unarmoured utility vehicles starting in 2027. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZFD) has finalised a contract with Spanish military vehicle manufacturer UROVESA for 60 new VAMTAC ST5 light and CK3 medium-sized unarmoured utility vehicles.   Secretary of Defence Brook Barrington signed the agreement at Defence House, marking the first procurement from Spain in the Land Domain. It also marks the start of replacement of NZFD’s most frequently deployed operational utility vehicle fleet.  The current fleet comprises Unimog and Pinzgauer vehicles, which are used by NZDF units for both domestic training and overseas operations.   The Government has approved the first tranche of the Ministry of Defence-led project, with a budget allocation of NZ$100m ($58.38m) as part of Budget 24. This development is part of the Protected Mobility Capability Project (PMCP), which has already introduced Bushmaster and Polaris fleets to the New Zealand Army.  UROVESA is set to deliver the vehicles in 2027.   The first tranche includes 40 medium CK3 variants and 20 light ST5 variants, replacing 25% of the New Zealand Army’s Pinzgauer and Unimog vehicles in operational roles.   This tranche covers the purchase of vehicles, spare parts, computing and communications equipment, support equipment, project costs, and introduction into service costs.   The new vehicles will feature integrated rollover protection and a tyre inflation system for challenging terrains.  The VAMTAC ST5 light utility vehicle has a maximum authorised gross vehicle weight of 6000kg, a payload capacity of 1,700kg, and a maximum speed of 110km/h.   It measures 2.62 metres (m) in height and 5.68m in length.   The VAMTAC CK3 medium utility vehicle has a maximum authorised gross vehicle weight of 9,950kg, a payload capacity of 4,000kg, and a maximum speed of 110km/h. It measures 3.03m in height and 6.34m in length.  Earlier this year, GlobalData’s ‘New Zealand Defense Market 2023-2028’ report provided insights into New Zealand’s defence strategy.   The report highlighted the country’s approach to increasing defence spending and addressing procurement challenges across the Army, Air Force, and Navy.  (Source: army-technology.com)

 

22 Nov 24. March delivery of first new SANDF border protection vehicles “a stretch”. Twelve months after bringing their prospective vehicles to an SA Army exercise, and subsequently submitting bids for new vehicles, South African armoured personnel carrier (APC) manufacturers still await an Armscor successful bidder decision. In January 2023, Armscor issued a Request for Information (SA Army/R/403/6) for a 2+8 seat APC capable of counterinsurgency operations with variable ballistic and mine protection able to defeat an 8 kg mine. Sixteen local defence companies were invited to respond, with eight doing so. The intention was to evaluate the different vehicles along the South African borderline in operational conditions in October/November and afterwards demonstrate the vehicles during Exercise Vuk’uhlome in November 2023. However, this was postponed as Armscor revised specifications, reducing the combat weight specification as the original user requirement was mostly taken from that of the Badger infantry fighting vehicle for the SA Army, and this was not practical for the vehicles required for border patrol. A Request for Bid (RfB) (ELWS/2024/71) was issued in July this year by Armscor. A bidders’ conference for the no-name project took place on 8 August, postponed from 31 July with answers to questions supplied a mere two days before the 23 August submission date. Armscor extended the submission date to 13 September with one reason seemingly due to “significantly changed” vehicle system requirements, according to James Kerr of Orion Consulting. The tender, now long closed, is still under evaluation as of this month, according to Armscor. It is for the supply of 462 personnel carrier vehicles for use in counter-insurgency and other SA Army operations (210 Section variants, 144 Command variants, and 108 Ambulance variants.) The participation at last year’s division exercise Vuk’uhlome II was seen by some in the South African defence industry as indicating a change in approach with a potentially quicker turnaround time in the product evaluation and bidder decision process. This appears not to be the case, with bidders expressing frustration at Armscor’s delays, changing requirements, and short timelines. Kerr maintains the delivery dates set are “a stretch” with the first vehicles required two months after receipt of order to start testing. These, if approved, would provide a manufacturing baseline. Then, Kerr has it, 20 of each variant – 60 vehicles – are required by mid-March next year. That looks unlikely as the Armscor response to a defenceWeb inquiry this month states bids are being evaluated with “any interested person” to be informed “once the final procurement process has been concluded”. No date is given when the 11 bidders can expect to find out which of their submissions has been successful. The new APCs will replace the troop pack vehicles previously acquired for border patrol – over 400 Toyota Land Cruisers were originally bought for this purpose. National Treasury allocated R500m in 2024/25 for the procurement of vehicles to replace the troop packs. (Source: https://ukdefencejournal.org.uk/)

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From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

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21 Nov 24. Australian Government announces next-gen Army Landing Craft Heavy. Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery Pat Conroy has announced the selection of the preferred option for the Australian Defence Force’s Landing Craft Heavy under a program that will bolster national defence by establishing a new littoral fleet.

Defence Connect can reveal the selection of the Damen Shipyards Group LST100 design as the Australian Army’s new littoral manoeuvre fleet, which provides the mobility essential to the restructure and reposture of the Army.

This announcement is a significant step in the establishment of a littoral fleet, which is expected to create 1,100 direct jobs and more than 2,000 indirect jobs under the Albanese government’s plan for continuous naval shipbuilding in Western Australia.

Eight Landing Craft Heavy vessels, based on the LST100, will be built by Australian ship designer and builder Austal at the Henderson Shipyard in Western Australia, subject to acceptable commercial negotiations and demonstrated performance.

These vessels, along with Landing Craft Medium, designed by Australia-based ship builder and designer Birdon Marine, and amphibious vehicles, will support a strategy of denial, which includes deploying and sustaining land forces with long-range land and maritime strike capabilities in littoral environments.

Minister Conroy said: “Importantly, these vessels will be built in Australia, from Australian steel. This not only underscores the Albanese government’s commitment to keep Australians safe but also to a safer future made in Australia.”

The LST100 vessel design has a 3,900-tonne displacement and is 100 meters long and 16 meters wide. The vessel will be capable of operating with other vessels to undertake a range of tasks, including troop insertion and extraction, logistics movements and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

This includes being capable of carrying more than 500 tonnes of military vehicles and equipment – it is intended to carry six Abrams tanks,11 Redback infantry fighting vehicles or 26 HIMARS – and will be fitted with self-defence weapons systems and Australian military communications.

“This project is an important part of our plans for continuous naval shipbuilding in both South Australia and Western Australia, which is creating thousands of well-paid and high-skilled jobs,” Minister Conroy said.

Funding for new littoral manoeuvre vessels is part of the Integrated Investment Program (2024–34), which is helping to grow the Australian industrial base and supply chains and create highly skilled, well-paid jobs.

Construction of the first Landing Craft Heavy is expected to start in 2026. (Source: Defence Connect)

 

21 Nov 24. Milrem Robotics Has Selected Texelis as a Strategic Supplier for the Development of Next-Generation Robotic Combat Vehicles. Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, has selected Texelis, a global supplier of advanced mobility systems for defence and security, as a strategic supplier to manufacture mobility subsystems for a new generation of robotic combat vehicles (RCVs) Milrem Robotics is developing.

Texelis will supply Milrem Robotics with a cutting-edge Tank Electrified Drivetrain to assist in creating highly capable, modular, 12+ ton robotic platforms designed to meet the demands of modern warfare. The new RCVs will be tailored to enhance the operational capabilities of armed forces, providing unprecedented mobility, protection, and advanced technological integration on the battlefield.

“Selecting Texelis as our strategic supplier of mobility subsystems is a crucial step in developing our next-generation robotic combat vehicles. Their proven expertise in delivering advanced mobility systems will ensure our platforms are unmatched in their ability to traverse complex terrains and operate in the most challenging battlefield scenarios,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.

“Milrem has excellent cooperation with the French defence industry already, and cooperating with Texelis will enhance this further,” Väärsi added.

“Texelis is thrilled to have been selected by a company such as Milrem Robotics, the undisputed world leader in robotics and autonomous solutions. Working on their new generation of combat systems is a fantastic opportunity for us to keep growing as a partner of choice for mobility. Getting aboard is a huge strategic step to see us getting into the tracked vehicle market, a new universe to add to our core expertise. Alongside a customer like Milrem, mobility has no limit!” commented Jean Vandel, CEO , Texelis.

Texelis will provide a high-performance Tank Electrified Drivetrain based on its extensive experience producing drivetrains and suspension solutions for armoured vehicles.  This drivetrain will enable the new RCVs to operate in highly challenging terrain with superior endurance and manoeuvrability.

Leveraging Texelis’ technology, Milrem Robotics will utilize its established proficiency in developing unmanned ground vehicles to create a robust, scalable, modular, and mission-flexible RCV platform.

The cooperation allows Milrem Robotics to leverage France’s renowned vehicle mobility and engineering expertise. The cooperation will contribute to the European defence ecosystem, fostering greater industrial cooperation and ensuring the continent’s defence forces have access to state-of-the-art, homegrown robotic solutions. The collaboration aligns with broader European defence objectives, including autonomy in key technologies and increased regional security through strategic partnerships.

 

20 Nov 24. 1st M3 System Handed Over to Sweden. General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) – Bridge Systems has handed over the first M3 amphibious bridge and ferry system to the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (SDMA) at its Kaiserslautern site. A ceremony was held last Thursday with Brigadier General Jonas Lotsne as representative of the SDMA and Dr. Christian Kauth, Managing Director of GDELS – Bridge Systems, among others.

The amphibious rig now handed over is part of the first M3 batch for the Scandinavian country. With the delivery of all four contracted lots, Sweden will become one of NATO’s three major M3 users alongside Germany and Great Britain. It will operate a fleet capable of negotiating a total of 400 meters of obstacle width. Using coupling adapters, the M3 can also be used together with the IRB (Improved Ribbon Bridge) and SRB (Standard Ribbon Bridge) pontoon bridge system. Besides Sweden, other states such as the USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Brasil, and South Korea are equipped with these systems. With the youngest NATO member upgrading its stock of fully interoperable gap-crossing means, the alliance will experience a significant increase in its overall combat engineering capabilities.

The amphibious bridge and ferry system M3 is the fastest available means for wet gap crossing within NATO. It can be used as a floating bridge or ferry to carry even the heaviest main battle tanks to negotiate wide wet gaps. The all-terrain M3 is ready for use within minutes – a vital factor on today’s transparent battlefield. The system has proven itself in use under a wide range of climatic and topographical conditions, from tropics to arctic. (Source: ASD Network)

 

18 Nov 24. Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) Programme Received Eur 60m in Funding from EDIRPA which Promotes European Defence Procurement

Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme, based on the Patria 6×6 vehicle and led by Finland, has received EUR 60 m in funding from the EDIRPA funding instrument that promotes joint defence procurement by European member states.

The announcement was published by European Commission.

In addition to Finland, the joint EDIRPA procurement proposal prepared by the Finnish defence administration includes Latvia, Sweden and Germany. The funding will be used for multinational cooperation between the CAVS vehicle user countries. The joint CAVS programme strengthens European defence and NATO cooperation.

“The CAVS programme has been moved forward quickly and promptly under the leadership of Finland and the excellent cooperation between Patria and the countries participating in the programme. The joint programme enables the development of the Patria 6×6 vehicle platform as well as the cost-effectiveness of life-cycle support, quick procurement and equipment compatibility, strengthening defense cooperation in Europe. The EDIRPA funding received now will promote the programme even further”, says Jussi Järvinen, Executive Vice President of Patria’s Finland Division.

Within the CAVS programme, the 6×6 armoured vehicle system development is led by Patria, that has more than four decades of experience in developing and delivering state-of-the-art protected troop transportation and system integration. Vast majority of supply of the vehicles is conducted by utilising the member nations’ local industry capabilities and every new nation is inherently reinforcing the security of supply for the whole collaboration system. Patria has already received orders for over 750 Patria 6×6 vehicles. (Source: ASD Network)

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TEK Military Seating Limited

 

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

 

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

 

Contact: Paul Fleming

 

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Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

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15 Nov 24. Jorsin launches new Tau 4×4 armoured personnel carrier. At a glance what appears to be a 4×4 version of the famous Ratel infantry combat vehicle is in fact Jorsin’s new Tau armoured personnel carrier (APC), which made its first public appearance at the recent Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD) exhibition. The prototype was completed just in time to take part in late September’s AAD 2024 at Air Force Base Waterkloof in Pretoria. The Tau can accommodate up to thirteen crew (ten in the rear crew compartment plus a driver, a commander and a gunner in an optional turret). A horizontal double rear door functions as a flip-up/drop-down ramp, facilitating easy entry and exit. Roof-mounted hatches provide alternative access points, while side-mounted armoured glass windows with integrated shooting ports offer good visibility. As with the Ratel, the driver is positioned in the centre of the vehicle, avoiding the need to offer the vehicle in left or right hand drive configurations. “This placement offers full frontal visibility through armoured glass, significantly enhancing offroad manoeuvrability. A dedicated hatch provides the driver with easy access to the vehicle,” Jorsin explained.

The vehicle is powered by a Cummins 157 kW (210 hp) turbocharged and intercooled diesel engine driving an Allison six-speed automatic transmission through a Meritor two-speed transfer gearbox, giving a maximum speed of 115 km/h and range of 800 km plus. A Meritor fully independent suspension provides enhanced off-road mobility and “superb” on-road stability, eliminating the wobble the Ratel is known for. The ground clearance of 600 mm in front and 570 mm below belly of vehicle are class leading parameters, Jorsin’s Johan Lamprecht told defenceWeb.

The power pack has designed to be modular and easily replaced – it is fitted to a frame that can be rolled in and out, allowing the engine to be changed in 30 to 60 minutes – quick connect fuel and hydraulics lines facilitate the process. A collapsible rail/frame, carried with each vehicle, can be assembled in minutes and the complete powerpack can be rolled out to the side of the vehicle: no crane is required to access or change the powerpack.

The 9 500 kg vehicle makes use of a monocoque hull manufactured from 8 mm armoured steel to provide ballistic protection to NATO STANAG Level II (stopping up to 7.62×39 mm armour piercing rounds). A turret weighing 1 500 kg can be fitted to the vehicle – at AAD 2024, the Tau was displayed with a 20 mm Ratel cannon turret, weighing 1 160 kg, but other turret options can be fitted. Tau can accommodate a full size Ratel turret basket, as opposed to the trend of basket free overhead weapons. This is important in the African context where a variety of Russian-made turrets, with an assortment of weaponry, are available, mostly mounted on immobile vehicles due to lack of spares or maintenance, Lamprecht said.

Jorsin shared with defenceWeb that development of the Tau started last year, with a design philosophy of simplicity and reliability, as the vehicle is aimed at the African market. The APC has no complex electronics to ensure fewer points of failure, for example.

Jorsin is aiming the Tau at countries that want a vehicle similar to the Ratel but more modern (the Tau uses some components from the Ratel, such as the turret, seats, shooting ports etc.). While the vehicle does not yet have a launch customer, there is interest from potential clients in Africa who are looking for a vehicle similar to the Ratel. Jorsin has decades of experience maintaining Ratel and other armoured vehicles, having for example been awarded multiple contracts from the South African Army for Ratel maintenance and repair.
(Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

 

15 Nov 24. China’s DEEP Robotics Unveils Versatile Wheeled Robot ‘Lynx’ for Rough Terrain and Rescue Missions. China’s DEEP Robotics, known for its advanced quadrupedal robots, used in industries like search and rescue, inspection, and exploration, has launched its latest innovation, the Lynx—a rugged, four-legged robot equipped with wheels for tackling rough terrain at high speeds.

Unlike its predecessors, Lynx moves on four all-terrain wheels instead of traditional feet, combining speed with the stability of a four-legged stance. This design allows the robot to navigate complex environments with agility, as shown in a recent demonstration video.

The promotional video highlights Lynx’s ability to traverse various terrains, including forest trails, steep slopes, and rocky surfaces. Lynx can climb over obstacles up to 80 centimeters high, maneuver down 50-degree inclines, and perform sharp turns and jumps. The robot’s wheels can also lock, enabling it to switch between rolling and walking modes, making it versatile for tasks on uneven ground.

The Lynx joins DEEP Robotics’ lineup, which includes the X20 and X30 models used for industrial tasks like security inspection and emergency search operations. The company’s earlier quadrupeds have been successfully trialed in challenging environments, including earthquake simulations, where they assisted in locating people and safely transporting hazardous materials.

Lynx is available for pre-order and is expected to serve applications such as search and rescue, mapping, and equipment transport. DEEP Robotics aims for Lynx to redefine robotics for industrial use, combining speed, agility, and durability to meet the demands of hazardous and unpredictable terrains. (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)

 

14 Nov 24. UK plans to procure more modules than chassis for next batches of Boxers. Boxer Overwatch variant concept demonstrator fitted with a launcher for eight Brimstone missiles on display at Defence Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) 2022. (Janes/Christopher Petrov)

The UK plans to procure more modules than chassis for the next batches of Boxer armoured vehicle procurement, British Army officers said on the last day of SAE Media Group’s Future Armoured Vehicles Survivability (FAVS) 2024 conference held in London from 11 to 13 November.

The next batches will be specialised versions of Boxer: Repair & Recovery, Armoured Mortar, Close Support Bridging, Mobile Fires Platform (MFP), Short Range Air Defence (SHORAD), Serpens Deep Find Radar (DFR), and Mounted Close Combat Overwatch (MCCO). SHORAD Boxers include Command and Control, Forward Repair Team, Active Sensor, Counter-Small Aerial Targets (C-SAT), and SHORAD Mounted variants.

The Boxer MFP will have the Remote Controlled Howitzer 155 module that is being developed by Germany and the UK. The DFR will have the Ground Master 200 Multi-Mission/Compact GM200 (MM/C) radar module. The MCCO concept demonstrator has a module for launching Brimstone missiles. The Boxer has also been demonstrated with a NEMO mortar module. So far, the UK has ordered an equal number of Boxer chassis and modules: 146 Infantry Carriers, 212 Command, 200 Specialist Carriers, and 65 Ambulances.

British Army officers said at FAVS 2024 that having more modules than chassis would require a change in mentality in their service, which traditionally views vehicles as indivisible. (Source: Janes)

 

14 Nov 24. Türkiye’s Akkor APS to be fielded in 2025 on Altay MBT. The SSB announced the completion of the modernisation of Turkish M60Ts to the M60TM standard under the Fırat project in July 2020. A Pulat countermeasure module can be seen on the front left of the MBT. (SSB)

Türkiye’s Akkor active protection system (APS) will enter service on the domestically produced Altay main battle tank (MBT), Janes learnt at SAE Media Group’s Future Armoured Vehicles Survivability (FAVS) 2024 conference held in London from 11 to 13 November.

Abdulmenaf Erdem, project engineer at the Turkish Defence Industry Agency (SSB), told Janes on 12 November that Akkor trials were taking place and that the APS would enter service with the Altay in 2025. The SSB announced the signing of the Altay serial production contract on 29 May.

During his presentation earlier on 12 November, Erdem said that Akkor is being installed on Türkiye’s Leopard 2A4 MBT as part of an upgrade, and on the Korhan light armoured vehicle, in addition to the Altay. Akkor consists of a high-speed hard-kill launcher, smart hard-kill munition, and a very high resolution radio.

Erdem also presented the Pulat APS, which has been installed on an entire battalion of M60T MBTs as part of an upgrade and is operational. Pulat consists of countermeasure modules, a control panel, and a power distribution unit. (Source: Janes)

 

14 Nov 24. The Canadian government has awarded Rheinmetall a major order for the production of 85 heavy recovery vehicles to the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as part of the Enhanced Recovery Capability (ERC) project. The five-year purchase agreement, worth $325m CAD (around €215m), includes vehicles, recovery equipment and other modifications. The first deliveries are scheduled for 2027. A supplementary $28.9m CAD (around €20m) multi-year in-service support contract has also been awarded to Rheinmetall.

Serving as prime contractor, Rheinmetall Canada will replace the CAF’s heavy logistic vehicle wheeled recovery fleet with 85 HX 8×8 trucks, each equipped with a heavy towing and recovery module. This will provide the CAF with enhanced capabilities to effectively recover and tow their latest generation of heavier armoured and logistical vehicles. The new HX heavy recovery vehicles also provide additional capabilities, such as an integrated rotary crane that can be used for container handling and for other crane work.

Rheinmetall HX: a best-in-class, combat-proven flagship

Purpose-built for military end users and characterized by high mobility, reliability, and durability, the HX represents a long-term solution for Canada. It will provide logistic support to combat forces anywhere on the battlefield, even in the most stringent conditions. The HX recovery truck will also offer a high level of protection, significantly increasing soldiers’ survivability and mission success.

In terms of maturity, Rheinmetall’s flagship has been reliably serving military customers in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Slovenia, Singapore, and Japan in a variety of operational scenarios, from domestic disaster relief and humanitarian support, to combat operations in harsh operating battlefield environments encountered in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Mali. This international distribution of HX trucks brings major advantages when it comes to interoperability and logistics among NATO partners.

The ERC team: world-leading partners offering a unique solution

The ERC project team will be led by Rheinmetall Canada, a leading system integrator in the defence and security industry. Rheinmetall Canada will be supported by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles, a German-Austrian world-leading logistic vehicle manufacturer; Miller Industries Towing Equipment, a premier supplier of towing and recovery equipment located in the United States; and Rotzler Holding, a leading manufacturer of hydraulic winches and winch systems based in Germany with operations in Canada.

“Together, this strong team will provide a sophisticated best-in-class recovery solution that will enable the CAF to fulfil its tasks in support of Canadian national interests. This vehicle is an extraordinary system which will meet Canada’s needs for decades to come. Moreover, Canada is now joining an elite group of operators of the HX recovery platform and will benefit from other nations’ experience with the system.” stated Pietro Mazzei, President and CEO of Rheinmetall Canada.

“We are very grateful to be able to welcome Canada as a new member of the HX user group,” stated Michael Wittlinger, CEO of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles. “With the heavy recovery vehicle, the HX fleet is now prominently represented on the North American continent for the first time. Our mission-proven vehicle family is increasingly becoming the backbone of the logistics forces of NATO and allied nations.”

Significant industrial and economic benefits for Canada

The benefits of the ERC project will be felt across Canada: it will create high-tech career opportunities at both Rheinmetall Canada and its Canadian suppliers, in addition to generating a number of valuable investments throughout the country. With over 1,5 bn Canadian Dollars in Industrial Technological Benefits (ITB) and Industrial and Regional Benefits (IRB) credited since the company was founded just over 35 years ago, Rheinmetall Canada is one of the leading companies for delivering ITBs, IRBs, job creation, and economic growth to Canada.

About Rheinmetall Canada Inc.

Rheinmetall Canada Inc. is a subsidiary of Germany’s Rheinmetall AG: Europe’s foremost supplier of defence and security technology and a longstanding partner of the CAF. With employees at locations in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Ottawa, and other offices throughout the world, Rheinmetall Canada has accumulated over 35 years of expertise in system integration, real-time command and control; communication solution; air defence systems; weapons soldier systems; and uncrewed ground systems.

About Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH (RMMV)

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles is one of the world’s leading OEMs of logistic and tactical truck systems. Together with its predecessor companies, the Munich-based joint venture has over 100 years of experience engineering and producing military, militarized, and commercial trucks. The HX family of tactical trucks is RMMV’s combat-proven flagship; over 20 000 4×4 to 10×10 HX vehicles in various configurations currently serve 20 nations worldwide, including Commonwealth nations, as well as numerous other NATO and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) armies.

 

13 Nov 24. Latvia selects Ascod infantry fighting vehicle for its land forces. The Latvian Ministry of Defence has selected the Ascod infantry fighting vehicle for the country’s armed forces, and officials expect procurement negotiations with manufacturer GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas to conclude by the end of this year or early next. In a statement, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprūds said the tracked vehicle will bolster the operational capacities of the Baltic state’s military.

“Experts from the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces have conducted a thorough analysis to select the combat vehicles that are most suitable for our needs,” Sprūds said.

The minister did not disclose the number of vehicles to be purchased nor the estimated value of the planned contract. However, a spokesperson for the Defence Ministry told Defense News the country aims to spend around €250 m (US$265 m) on new fighting vehicles.

“Latvia’s Ministry of Defence is planning to purchase new infantry fighting vehicles to increase the mobility, protection level and firepower of the Land Forces,” the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the Latvian ministry is also advancing other acquisitions for the country’s military. For example, Riga is planning to buy wheeled, self-propelled howitzers, according to the spokesperson. Based in Spain, GDELS-Santa Bárbara Sistemas is part of General Dynamics European Land Systems. Ascod vehicles “are currently operated by the armed forces of Spain, Austria, the United Kingdom, the United States and the Philippines,” the Latvian ministry said. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)

 

14 Nov 24. Patria to provide 56 additional armoured command and control vehicles for Latvia. Patria and Latvian Ministry of Defence have agreed on the manufacturing and delivery of 56 additional armoured Patria 6×6 vehicles, on top of the already ongoing deliveries as part of joint Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme. These vehicles will serve as command and control (C2) units. Production of the vehicles will utilize local industry capabilities in Latvia, including Patria’s armoured vehicle production facility in Valmiera, opened in May 2024. The deliveries will begin during this year and last until 2029. The value of the agreement is above 60 m Euros.

“The new Patria 6×6 armoured command and control vehicles will significantly improve the operational capabilities of our armed forces, as well as contribute to the development of the Latvian military industry, continuing the successful cooperation between the defence sector and industry”, emphasizes Andris Sprūds, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia.

“We are pleased to have a new armoured vehicle variant in the joint CAVS programme and Latvia as the first customer for it. The deep cooperation between Patria, Latvia and other CAVS member nations has yet again proved its benefits in the form of cost-effective and efficient research and development programme which enables rapid manufacturing and delivery process,” says Mats Warstedt, Senior Vice President of Market Area Nordics of Patria.

The procurement is part of the international CAVS programme, participated currently by Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Germany. The research and development agreement for the programme was signed at the end of 2020 and deliveries to Latvia, Finland and Sweden have already started within the first three years of the programme. The programme is open to European countries with similar equipment requirements, with the approval of other participating countries.

Within the CAVS programme, the 6×6 armoured vehicle system development is led by Patria, that has more than four decades of experience in developing and delivering state-of-the-art protected troop transportation and system integration. Vast majority of supply of the vehicles is conducted by utilising the member nations’ local industry capabilities and every new nation is inherently reinforcing the security of supply for the whole collaboration system. Patria has already received orders for over 750 Patria 6×6 vehicles.

 

13 Nov 24. Curtiss-Wright Completes All Program Requirements for Delivery of Turret Drive Stabilization Systems to Australian Army. Curtiss-Wright and IntelliDesign, its preferred Australian Supplier Partner, successfully complete TDSS production for Australia’s Project Land 400 Phase 2 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle program with 50% Australian Industrial Content. Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions Division today announced that it has successfully completed all Australian Industry Capability (AIC) program requirements for delivery of cost-effective, scalable turret drive stabilization systems (TDSS) to Rheinmetall Defence Australia in support of the Australian Army’s Project Land 400 Phase 2 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) program. Curtiss-Wright, with the local support of IntelliDesign, its preferred Australian Supplier Partner, completed on schedule the manufacture, qualification and testing of 130 TDSS and associated hand controllers. The success of the local partnership program, in addition to supporting the expansion of Australian industry capability by creating new highly skilled technical jobs, fully met the program requirements for 50% Australian Industrial Content (AIC).

“We are very proud to announce that as a result of the success of our Australian Supplier Partner program, Curtiss-Wright was able to support Rheinmetall’s Boxer 8×8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle ‘Boxer CRV’ production schedule,” said Brian Perry, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. “We want to thank Rheinmetall for its confidence in Curtiss-Wright, and for recognizing us as a trusted, proven leader for TDSS solutions. What’s more, we have been able to further leverage our relationship and successful production program with IntelliDesign to fulfill production requirements for additional Rheinmetall defense programs.”

The selection, in 2021, of IntelliDesign as its preferred Australian Supplier Partner, enabled Curtiss-Wright to provide local manufacturing of the TDSS motor controllers and gyroscopes, beginning at the end of 2022. IntelliDesign’s production and testing of the TDSS motor controllers and gyroscopes was completed in August 2024. Curtiss-Wright and IntelliDesign engineering teams worked closely together to source alternative parts and suppliers to prevent the production timeline from being impacted by supply chain challenges. Curtiss-Wright provided IntelliDesign with test benches so that every step of production, including functional and power testing, could be performed seamlessly and without delay locally in Australia. IntelliDesign was able to fully qualify components locally and perform advanced tasks, including the application of special coatings, which was historically undertaken at Curtiss-Wright’s facility in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland. Additionally, the teams collaborated on fit, form, and function design changes, resulting in a more robust TDSS solution.

About Curtiss-Wright’s Turret Drive Stabilization System

Curtiss-Wright’s TDSS delivers unmatched target location accuracy and turret stabilization while providing system integrators with an unprecedented level of freedom to define and deploy the exact solution they require. It uniquely enables system designers to upgrade and add stabilization functionality as their mission requirements change. The TDSS uses standard system configurations, which speeds system development and enables programs to reach demonstration and production phases more rapidly. The use of preconfigured TDSS system components also reduces the time and costs associated with the requirements definition process.

TDSS enables system integrators to select the exact aiming and stabilization solution that their platform requires – from a manually operated drive all the way up to a highly sophisticated, stabilized drive system – while streamlining enhancements and/or system modification for use on different platforms. The TDSS approach is significantly more cost-effective and flexible than traditional bespoke aiming and stabilization system alternatives. TDSS is designed to make it easy for system integrators to configure only the system that they require now, and later add increasing levels of stabilization as their mission evolves. TDSS system components can be easily adapted for use on different ground vehicle turrets to meet dynamic program requirements including performance and precision.

The TDSS and hand controller products covered by the Project Land 400 Phase 2 CRV program contract were designed at Curtiss-Wright’s Drive Technology facility in Neuhausen am Rheinfall, Switzerland. The final assembly of the products covered by this agreement will take place at Rheinmetall’s new Military Vehicle Center of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) facility in Redbank, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.

 

12 Nov 24. UK government says it cannot project IOC for Boxer AMV and RCH 155. The government’s stance at odds with information revealed in September, which disclosed projected timelines for both programmes.

The UK government has declined to provide an expected initial operating capability (IOC) and minimum deployable capability (MDC) for its respective Boxer AMV 120mm mortar and RCH 155 artillery platforms, despite timelines for both programmes having previously been reported.

Responding to a UK parliamentary question on 11 November, Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement at the Ministry of Defence (MoD), stated that an IOC or MDC for the Boxer AMV and RCH 155 “could not be projected at this time “.

However, Army Technology reported in September that the 120mm mortar Boxer AMV variant was anticipated to reach an IOC of 2030, with the MDC for the RCH 155 coming in 2029, according to British Army officials speaking at the DVD 2024 event at UTAC Millbrook in September.

The full operating capability for what was termed the MFP, or Mobile Fires Platform – which is the RCH 155 artillery system – was set at mid-2031.

It was understood that these timeframes were not set in stone, with even the wider introduction of the more basic mechanised infantry vehicle variant Boxer potentially extending to the right.

According to Eagle, the difference in terminology between the Boxer AMV and RCH 155 self-propelled howitzer (SPH), which both use the Boxer 8×8 as a base platform, is due to the former being a project within the overall Boxer programme, thus using the IOC acronym.

However, with the RCH 155 falling under the Mobile Fires Platform project and thus part of the Close Support Fires Programme, the MDC term is applied.

“Therefore, an estimated IOC or MDC for either variant cannot be projected at this time,” Eagle said.

Boxer AMV and RCH 155

The Boxer AMV and RCH 155 are both effectively combat capability variants of the Boxer 8×8 wheeled vehicle, incorporating different modules, with the former using a Patria 120mm turreted mortar and the latter a remotely operated 155mm artillery gun system.

Both platforms are part of a wider effort by the British Army to increase its mobile fire support capability, with lessons being learned in observing combat operations between Ukraine and Russia giving renewed emphasis on the need for improved lethality among the service.

The RCH 155 SPH programme is being jointly developed between Germany and the UK, and will replace what is left of the British Army’s AS90 155mm ‘Braveheart’ artillery which have mostly been donated to Ukraine.

However, the Boxer AMV would provide a new capability as the British Army currently does not have a mobile mortar vehicle, which would be used to support troops at the tactical level, requiring a high rate of fire and mobility.

Patria states that its NEMO 120mm mortar is able to achieve a maximum rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute and allows for firing on the move from the Boxer vehicle out to a range of up to 10km. (Source: army-technology.com)

 

11 Nov 24. Skunk Works Reveals New Optionally Crewed Tanker Concept. Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works advanced projects division has put forward a new notional vision for a stealthy pilot-optional aerial refueling tanker. This comes as the U.S. Air Force is refining requirements for a future Next Generation Air-Refueling System (NGAS) ‘system of systems’ and amid serious concerns about how the service expects to pay for that and other modernization priorities.

An artist’s rendering of a Lockheed Martin Skunk Works concept for a potential stealthy and autonomous Next-Generation Aerial-refueling System (NGAS) aircraft is getting new attention after a repeat display at the recent Airlift/Tanker Association meeting.

The concept breaks with many other notional futuristic tanker designs which have been variations on a crewed flying wing or blended wing body. The Skunk Works artwork shows an uncrewed aircraft with a conventional planform, shaped for some degree of stealth.

The image, displayed at the A/TA’s conference last week in Grapevine, Texas, reveals a highly flattened design with Air Force-style refueling booms deployed from pods on the far outboard of the wings. Two outward-canted stabilizers at the tips of the elevators sit well apart from a central, sawtooth exhaust, but out of the way of the two refueling stations. The exhaust suggests a single engine, but the angle of the depiction does not reveal where the air intakes are, or their shaping.

It’s not clear whether the flying booms used to connect to receiver aircraft could be made stealthy, a problem long acknowledged by designers. The ones shown in the image appear similar to those used on the KC-135, although a differently-colored leading edge on the control winglets may suggest a stealth treatment.

The notional NGAS images show the aircraft refueling two Lockheed F-35s. No central refueling station is depicted, nor is there an indication of a Navy-style probe-and-drogue capability.

There is no apparent cockpit in the images, indicating the aircraft would be autonomous. That fits with a growing trend, as Boeing’s MQ-25 tanker for the Navy is an autonomous aircraft, and several other companies have demonstrated the ability to conduct air refueling without a human crew onboard. The Air Force has also expressed a desire to reduce the number of aircrew required on tankers.

The general shaping of the design—chines, sawtooth seams, and wing leading edges at the same angle as the elevators—suggest a low-observable design, but perhaps not an extremely low observable concept.

“This graphic depicts a notional concept of an optionally-crewed future air-refueling platform,” a Skunk Works spokesperson said.

“Our team has been maturing the next generation of air mobility through investments in survivability, autonomy, resilient communications and digital transformation that will enable the range and persistence needed for contested air refueling operation.”

The spokesperson noted that the design was publicly displayed at the 2023 A/TA conference but it “didn’t draw the attention it’s receiving this year.” Lockheed has subsequently released other NGAS artist’s concepts, and the spokesperson said none of them exactly represent what the company may submit to the Air Force for an NGAS competition.

The concept art is drawing attention as the Air Force wraps up its NGAS Analysis of Alternatives. Air Force acquisition executive Andrew Hunter has said on various occasions that the AOA would be concluded in the fall of calendar 2024 and provide a way ahead for NGAS and a potential “bridge tanker.”

Hunter has described the latter as a way to keep some kind of tanker in production until the stealthy NGAS is available, circa 2033-2035. The current contract for Boeing KC-46As concludes around 2028 at 179 aircraft. Air Force officials have said the “bridge tanker” program could involve as many as 75 aircraft.

The concept for the NGAS is that it will accompany crewed fighters and Collaborative Combat Aircraft into contested airspace. It will be much smaller than traditional tankers like the KC-46 and KC-135 in order to have comparable stealth with the aircraft it escorts, and to be able to operate out of smaller airfields. The concept also calls for the NGAS to shuttle between older, larger tankers, flying out of reach of adversary missiles, and combat aircraft well inside the combat zone. The Lockheed concept shows the tanker with an aerial refueling receptacle of its own, centrally located on the aircraft’s spine.

Whether the NGAS will come to fruition is in considerable doubt, however. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, speaking at the A/TA meeting, said the service cannot simultaneously afford the NGAS, Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) air superiority fighter and Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) fleet of autonomous wingman drones simultaneously. Absent a large influx of resources, the Air Force will have to “get creative” to come up with a scheme for air dominance that will work with a mix of new and old systems.

Analysts at several think tanks have said that five percent funding increase above inflation for the U.S. military, suggested by some close to incoming President Donald Trump, would not be sufficient to address the wave of conventional and strategic weapons modernization deficits facing the Air Force.

The Skunk Works’ notional design is pilot optional, with no clear provision for a crewed cockpit seen in the renderings available. It is possible that a cockpit could be fitted, as required, in place of a faired-over section on top of the forward fuselage. Another variation of the rendering might also exist showing a cockpit.

A pilot-optional design versus a completely uncrewed version does offer certain benefits. The War Zone previously explored this in detail after the emergence of the stealthy Model 437 Vanguard technology demonstrator jet from Northrop Grumman subsidiary scaled composites earlier this year, writing:

“Unmanned aircraft are still quite restricted as to where and how they can operate. A pilot totally changes this massive bottleneck and means the aircraft can be flown wherever it needs to go, to participate in any developmental flights or training exercises, no matter how complex. It can do this unburdened by typical drone airspace restrictions and the need for chase aircraft that can be required in certain situations. Just ferrying to a different location while manned, so it can access airspace where it can fly as if it were an unmanned aircraft, is a giant advantage.”

“For many tests, having a human onboard can accelerate the speed at which they can be accomplished. At its most basic, initial primary flight testing of the airframe will go far faster with a pilot at the controls. Overall, more risks can be taken when executing autonomous activities with a pilot there to take over and act as a safety backstop if needed.” (Source: UAS VISION/The War Zone; Air & Space Forces)

 

05 Nov 24. Defenture and the Polish Defence Force signed a multi-year contract for the delivery of Defenture’s GRF platforms. Defenture and the Polish Defence Force signed a multi-year contract for the delivery of Defenture’s GRF platforms. With this agreement, European interest in Defenture’s mobility solutions continues to grow.

Modernising fleet: The Polish Defence Force are choosing Defenture’s GRF platform to increase the level of mobility and safety. The GRF platform is known for example for its agility and modularity. Among other features, the platform features 4-wheel steering, is air transportable and has an excellent fording ability.

Growing European interest in Defenture’s mobility: The cooperation with the Polish Defence Force once again demonstrates the growing European interest in Defenture’s innovative, scalable, and modular solutions in military mobility. More countries in Europe are recognising the value of the Defenture platforms in the gross vehicle weight range from one up to ten tons.

Johan Claassens, CPO Defenture: “The cooperation with the Polish Defence Force marks an important step in our mission to provide military mobility that meets the highest requirements, now and in the future. We are proud that the Polish Defence Force puts their trust in us and that they choose our vehicles. We look forward to realising our shared vision.”

Innovation, collaboration, and customisation: Defenture’s approach and portfolio are shaped by a distinctive philosophy of innovation, collaboration, and customisation. Each platform is built with in-depth knowledge of military operations and with a strong focus on modularity, safety, and usability. This approach enables Defenture to deliver vehicles that not only meet the highest technical standards but are also flexible and future-proof.

As a Netherlands-based Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of light tactical and air-transportable vehicles, in a range up to about ten tonnes, Defenture is already a mobility partner of several Ministries of Defence, including the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

(Source: joint-forces.com)

 

08 Nov 24. Milrem Robotics expands to Finland. Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, has established a subsidiary in Finland and opened an office in Helsinki. This strategic move significantly expands the company’s presence in the Nordic region and reinforces its commitment to supporting defence and security partners across Europe.

“Establishing an office in Helsinki is a natural progression for Milrem Robotics as we continue to grow our footprint in Europe,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “Finland’s advanced tech ecosystem and strong defence industry make it an ideal location for us to innovate and collaborate with key partners. We look forward to contributing to the local economy and bringing cutting-edge robotic solutions to the region.”

Currently, the Helsinki office employs 10 skilled professionals specializing in sales, robotics engineering and project management, including EU defence projects.

“We plan to significantly expand our Finnish workforce in the coming years, aiming to tap into the country’s rich pool of technological talent,” added Kimmo Laine, Managing Director of Milrem Robotics Finland.

The new Helsinki office will focus on program management, research and development initiatives, enhancing the company’s ability to provide its clients with state-of-the-art unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). Milrem Robotics has a history of successful collaborations across Europe, including supplying its flagship THeMIS UGVs to several defence forces and participating in key research projects on autonomous warfare systems.

By expanding into Finland, Milrem Robotics aims to strengthen partnerships with Finnish defence institutions and contribute to developing innovative solutions tailored to the needs of the Finnish Defence Forces.

Milrem Robotics’ solutions are currently part of robotics programs in 19 countries worldwide, with Sweden and Japan being the latest to join its user group. The company’s systems also assist Ukrainian soldiers in the war with Russia.

Milrem Robotics is the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer and systems integrator, with offices in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, the US, and the UAE. The company is known for its THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV), and MIFIK I—the autonomous functionalities kit.

The company is also renowned for successfully completing the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) project iMUGS, which focused on developing a modular and scalable architecture for hybrid manned-unmanned systems.

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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

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Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/

 

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06 Nov 24. European High-Tech Consortium Submits Proposal for EDF Call to Develop Multipurpose Unmanned Ground Systems. The consortium that successfully delivered the groundbreaking iMUGS (Integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System) project in 2023 has submitted the iMUGS2 proposal, together with new consortium members, in response to the European Defence Fund’s (EDF) call to develop next-generation Multipurpose Unmanned Ground Systems (UGS). Building on the success of iMUGS, the production-capable Consortium is set to revolutionize European military capabilities, enhance battlefield effectiveness and enable the fielding of European unmanned ground systems.

Brief summary:

• The first iMUGS project laid the foundation by enhancing robotic capabilities on the battlefield. The iMUGS2 consortium has expanded to 29 partners from 15 EU member states, including all partners from the first iMUGS project.
• IMUGS2 will transition experimental UGS technology into a cost-effective System-of-Systems (SoS) solution that delivers practical deployable defence capabilities and is mature for national procurement and force integration by 2030.
• iMUGS2 aims to deliver combat-ready Unmanned Ground Systems, operational concepts at the battalion level, enhanced modular architecture for UGS and optionally manned ground platforms and a 72-hour operational trial to demonstrate the solutions’ operational capacity.

Continuing the experience gained from iMUGS, which was successfully carried out and delivered between 2020 and 2023, the Consortium’s recent proposal to the European Defence Fund EDF-2024-DA-GROUND-UGS-STEP call seeks to develop and field cost-effective modular unmanned systems capable of supporting dismounted, mechanized, and motorized infantry across all European environments, including GNSS denied environments and adverse climate conditions. The Consortium has named the project iMUGS2.

Unmanned vehicles (UxVs) have become one of the most significant innovations in modern military operations, as demonstrated during the war in Ukraine. Effective cooperation between UxVs, manned vehicles, operators, and soldiers is essential for increasing combat effectiveness. This collaboration intends to reduce the loss of life, minimize collateral damage, and lower the cognitive burden on warfighters.

The first iMUGS project laid the foundation by enhancing robotic capabilities on the battlefield. Its key achievements included developing a System-of-Systems (SoS) open architecture, advancements in autonomous functions, cyber security measures, communication technologies, and improved command and control systems. Progress was also made in collaborative behaviours like swarming and homogeneous teaming.

iMUGS2 aims to enhance intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) capabilities, survivability, situational awareness, mobility, lethality, logistics, and training.

“By leveraging the outcomes of iMUGS, the iMUGS2 project represents a significant leap forward in developing and fielding advanced, cost-effective and combat-ready autonomous ground systems,” said Raul Rikk, Capability Development Director at Milrem Robotics, the consortium lead. “Our goal is to enhance European defence capabilities and develop solutions that are ready for procurement and integration by 2030,” Rikk added.

Using outputs from iMUGS and other European-funded initiatives, iMUGS2 aims to expedite research and move rapidly towards practical, deployable solutions. The enhancement of operational capabilities will be demonstrated through trials with military tactical units. The project will also focus on developing interoperability among European nations and incorporate lessons from recent conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, where several Consortium member systems are deployed.

iMUGS2 has three main outcomes. First, it aims to develop, validate and demonstrate cost-effective, combat-ready UGSs that support dismounted troops at various operational levels and provide practical value in different operations. Second, the project will develop operational concepts demonstrating how UGS and unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can enhance infantry battalion and cross-domain operations capabilities. Third, the project will enhance the modular and open architecture and Through Life Capability Management (TLCM) framework that enables efficient integration of autonomous functionalities with legacy and new systems across unmanned and optionally manned ground platforms, including conversion of manned vehicles.

iMUGS2 aspires to become a European standard due to the collaboration of numerous member states working towards a sovereign modular open architecture.

“It speaks volumes that all participants, member states and companies alike, of the first iMUGS project, have decided to continue with iMUGS2.  Furthermore, the iMUGS2 Consortium is twice as large as it was during the first project, now including 29 partners, 15 member states, and numerous subcontractors,” said Rikk.

The Consortium’s efforts reflect a commitment to strengthening Europe’s defence industry, reducing dependency on non-European suppliers, and enhancing interoperability between EU member states’ military forces.

About the Consortium:

The iMUGS2 consortium has expanded to include 29 partners from 15 European Union member states and associated countries, including all initial project partners. The team comprises large industries, mid-sized companies, SMEs, and research organizations. Each partner brings leading expertise in their respective fields, fostering a comprehensive vision throughout the project lifecycle. This diversity enables the consortium to address potential challenges and deliver strategic and efficient solutions.

The iMUGS2 Consortium consists of the following entities: AVL List, Bittium Wireless, Czech Technical University in Prague, Cybernetica, Delft Dynamics, Diehl Defence, dotOcean, Elettronica, Escribano Mechanical and Engineering, FN Herstal, GMV Aerospace and Defence, Huta Stalowa Wola, Insta Advance,  Integrated Systems Development, John Cockerill Defense, KNDS France, KNDS Germany, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Latvijas Mobilais Telefons, Łukasiewicz – PIAP, Milrem Robotics (project coordinator), Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Norwegian Defence Research Establishment, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium, Safran Electronics & Defense, Secura, Svensk Konstruktionstjänst, Systecon Konsult, Talgen Cybersecurity.

About the first iMUGS

The 32,6mEUR integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) project created a European-wide architecture for ground and aerial platforms, command, control, and communication equipment, sensors, payloads, and algorithms. The project addressed challenges for interoperability, perception, and decision-making.

It began in late 2020, and all contractual activities, tasks, and operative and technical objectives were reached in May 2023.

Progress was shown in periodic events arranged in all participating Member States: Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain.

The project and the technology developed have given the European Union a pathway to improving its ability to respond to emerging military threats and challenges.

 

24 Oct 24. New double crew cab and medical role Unimog U5000 trucks have been officially received at the Lithuanian Armed Forces service depot in Kaunas. The Lithuanian Armed Forces continues increasing truck fleet.

Double crew cab and medical role Unimog U5000 trucks have been officially received at the Lithuanian Armed Forces service depot in Kaunas. Representatives of Austria’s EMPL Fahrzeugwerk and Germany’s Daimler Trucks AG have presented to the Lithuania Armed Forces the symbolic key as the truck acquisition project kicked off several years ago continues.

The Defence Materiel Agency under the Ministry of National Defence signed a contract in September this year on acquisition of additional 51 Unimog U5000 trucks through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).

“We signed the Unimog U5000 procurement contract this September and today we already welcome these modern trucks highly favoured by our troops here in Kaunas. The Lithuanian Armed Forces currently operates approx. half a thousand of such vehicles, however, the consistent provision for our troops must not halt at this,” said Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas.

The vehicles will be used to ensure logistical provision, personnel transportation, medical evacuation and special personnel tasks.

New Lithuanian Unimog U5000 ambulances [© Lithuanian MoD]

The contract supplement came based on the 2022 contract signed between the Defence Materiel Agency under the MoD and the German Daimler Trucks AG manufacturer via the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. In total, over 170 Mercedes-Benz Unimog U5000 trucks have been purchased on the basis of the supplemented contract since 2021. Lithuania’s contract is worth EUR 47m.

“The leading NATO agency, NSPA, which is responsible for international support to acquisitions and their support, is proud to be able to complete this vital project with the Lithuanian Armed Forces and is prepared to collaborate again,” said NSPA representative Mr. Ozcan Gumustekin.

The Unimog U5000 trucks are robust all-terrain vehicles suitable for bitumen and gravel roads, as well as up to 1.2 depth fording. The ability of crossing water obstacles is particularly important in providing logistical supplies to difficult locations during exercises.

The Daimler Trucks AG and EMPL Fahrzeugwerk-manufactured vehicles are procured as modernisation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces continues and truck fleet is updated. Trucks are one of the most used types of vehicles in the military and therefore in high demand. The batch of additional 5-tonne payload Mercedes-Benz Unimog U5000 trucks is expected to be fully delivered still this year. (Source: joint-forces.com)

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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

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Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

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29 Oct 24. South Korea approves local transmission for K2 MBT. South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has cleared the integration of a local transmission for the Republic of Korea Army’s (RoKA’s) Hyundai Rotem K2 main battle tank (MBT).

In an announcement on 28 October, DAPA also approved projects to build and deploy the proposed Low-Altitude Missile Defence (LAMD) system and to upgrade the RoKA’s Lockheed Martin PAC-3 Patriot air-defence system.

DAPA said the fourth batch of K2 MBTs will feature a locally produced transmission coupled with a domestic engine, which was previously integrated into the MBT. “With the application of the domestic transmission, the powerpack of the K2 tank will be completely domestically produced,” said DAPA.

DAPA did not elaborate. However, Janes has previously reported that South Korean firm SNT Dynamics had developed a 1,500 hp transmission system – named the EST15K – for the K2. The transmission had been coupled with the K2’s 27 litre Doosan DV27K V12 engine. Previous production batches of the tank were fitted with the German Renk transmission, which has five forward and three reverse gears.

Hyundai Rotem is currently building the third batch of K2 MBTs for the RoKA. It is reported in South Korean media that fourth-batch production will start in 2028 but this is not confirmed.

DAPA also approved the LAMD project, with a value of KRW2.9trn (USD2.1bn). DAPA said the project will run from 2022 to 2033 and is aimed at “minimising damage from attacks from North Korean long-range artillery”. (Source: Janes)

 

29 Oct 24. Strategic cooperation: Rheinmetall and Croatian unmanned ground system manufacturer DOK-ING set to build remote-controlled UGSs together in future.

•  The planned joint venture is foreseen to become the market leader in the segment of unmanned and remote-controlled combat and combat support vehicles.
•    The first goal of the partnership is to jointly develop an unmanned system for mine scattering and counter-mobility operations. A corresponding system demonstrator is to be presented in 2025.

In the presence of the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of the Republic of Croatia Ivan Anušić the Croatian UGS manufacturer DOK-ING and the Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 28 October 2024 to establish a joint venture. A special feature of this partnership is the entirely European origin and value creation, which should result in various unmanned ground systems (UGS).

The agreement provides for joint development and subsequent marketing of the new DOK-ING Komodo platform. Rheinmetall AG is contributing various capability modules/upgrade kits (e.g. for direct and indirect fire, mine-laying, reconnaissance sensors, logistics, etc.), as well as its international market access and industrial capacities.

The implementation of the MoU is subject to the prior approval of the relevant regulatory authorities, including the European Commission and the respective national competition authorities.

As Dr Björn Bernhard, head of the Vehicle Systems Europe division, explains: “DOK-ING and Rheinmetall represent two leading European suppliers in their field, joining forces to carry out challenging projects. Together, we aim to set new standards and pave the way for the series production and application of UGSs. We are addressing the European market as well as other partner nations.”

Vjekoslav Majetić, founder and President of the supervisory board of DOK-ING: “The technological and industrial synergies between DOK-ING and Rheinmetall represent a unique opportunity to develop state-of-the-art unmanned combat and armoured breaching systems in Europe. We see this agreement as a fundamental contribution to creating a common future.”

Within the framework of the future cooperation, numerous combat and combat support solutions will be developed, including a joint project for an unmanned armed support vehicle (known as a Wingman) for battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for reconnaissance and fire support is also to be developed. These shall be used in combination with already known classic Rheinmetall products, such as the KF51 Panther, the Büffel-3 armoured recovery vehicle and the Kodiak-3 armoured engineer vehicle.

 

28 Oct 24. GM Defense has completed production of the first vehicles in support of the Diplomatic Security Service’s Heavy-Duty armored Sport Utility Vehicle (HD SUV) program. DSS is the law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Department of State.

GM marked the milestone event with Assistant Secretary of State for Diplomatic Security Gentry Smith and other key stakeholders at GM Defense’s Concord, North Carolina-based Manufacturing and Customer Innovation Center.

GM Defense’s HD SUV solution, the Suburban Shield, features a new design with a unique body-on-frame chassis and suspension to support increased vehicle weight and performance requirements. The vehicle includes a high percentage of proven commercial-off-the-shelf parts from General Motors’ global supply chain, including the body, exterior, propulsion, interior, and brakes, for added reliability.

“Our Suburban Shield significantly enhances the quality, performance, and safety that is essential to the Diplomatic Security Service and provides our nation’s senior diplomats and their supporting teams a vehicle that enables their important mission for diplomacy and national security,” said Steve duMont, GM Defense president.

“I had the opportunity to try out the prototype,” Smith said. “It had good acceleration, handled better in the turns and the heavy-duty anti-lock braking system was far superior to our aftermarket vehicles. You could really feel the stability and performance in the redesigned chassis. The new HD SUV represents a new cost-effective era in the design and building of these badly needed vehicles to help us carry out our mission to ensure the safe and secure conduct of foreign policy in some of our most challenging and dangerous posts.”

GM Defense uses advanced manufacturing tools and techniques to ensure the highest level of quality and to realize cost efficiencies and flexibility, while helping the production team stay on schedule.

GM Defense won the contract to support DSS’ next generation HD SUV last year.  The program is intended to support DSS, in addition to more than a dozen other federal agencies. (Source: PR Newswire)

 

28 Oct 24. Croatia to buy Leopard tanks from Germany in swap for Ukraine. Croatia will buy up to 50 Leopard 2A8 tanks from Germany in order to be able to replace Soviet-era tanks that it will in turn send to Ukraine, Croatia’s defence minister said after meeting with his German counterpart in Berlin on Monday.

By acquiring the Leopard 2 A8 tanks, Croatia could then deliver 30 battle tanks and 30 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine by the end of 2024, said Defence Minister Ivan Anusic.

In a letter of intent signed by Anusic and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, both countries also agreed to send spare parts and ammunition from Croatian stocks to Ukraine, with financial support from Germany to be used for the Leopards.

“The fact that Croatia is working with us on the joint procurement of Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks strengthens Germany as an industrial location and ensures common standards within NATO,” said Pistorius in a defence ministry statement. (Source: Reuters)

 

28 Oct 24. Thailand wins First Win deal from Pakistan. Thailand has signed an agreement with Pakistan to supply the Pakistan Army with 100 Chaiseri First Win 4×4 armoured vehicles.

Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) – signed in September in Islamabad – the state-owned Thai Defence Industry Company (TDI) will supply the vehicles to Pakistani firm Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT).

The Royal Thai Armed Forces headquarters said in a statement that the MOU also facilitates the “transfer of production technology” from Thailand to HIT.

The inclusion of a transfer of production technology clause in the agreement likely enables HIT to manufacture the First Win vehicles locally. It is likely that Chaiseri will produce a small initial batch of vehicles before HIT delivers the remaining units to the Pakistan Army.

An official from Chaiseri told Janes on 24 October that the company could not elaborate on the details of the deal due to an existing non-disclosure agreement between the parties.

The Royal Thai Armed Forces said, “The agreement to sell First Win wheeled armoured vehicles … demonstrates the potential benefits of Thai armoured vehicle technology in the development of the Pakistan Army.”

The First Win vehicle has been built by Chaiseri in several configurations. The specific variation of the vehicle to be procured by Pakistan has not been disclosed.

According to Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Armoured Fighting Vehicles , the standard configuration of the First Win vehicle weighs 11.5 tonnes. It has a two-tonne payload used to accommodate the dismounts, weapon system, and additional armour if required. (Source: Janes)

 

28 Oct 24. Morocco to manufacture Indian WhAP vehicles. On 30 September, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) from India signed a strategic agreement with Morocco’s National Defence Administration for the local production of Tata’s 8×8 Wheeled Armoured Platform (WhAP).

According to Indian business daily The Economic Times, this contract represents the “largest deal of Indian-made armoured vehicles to date, both within India and on the global stage.” The vehicles have undergone “extensive trials” to ensure their effectiveness in Morocco’s operational conditions.

The agreement covers a three-year period, during which Tata Advanced Systems Maroc (TASM) in Casablanca will manufacture up to 100 vehicles annually. The contract, which will generate 90 direct jobs and 250 indirect jobs, has been signed for the construction of 150 vehicles for Morocco’s armed forces, according to defence sources quoted by news agency ANI. Morocco also intends to increase the indigenous content to 50% over time.

“This contract is of significant size and strategic importance for TASL as we expand our footprint as a Defence OEM on an international scale,” said Sukaran Singh, CEO of TASL.

The WhAP is a versatile, amphibious vehicle designed to navigate challenging terrains, including muddy or slushy conditions, and withstand mine blasts. Various models, including paramilitary versions, are already in service with the Indian Army.

This cooperation is part of Morocco’s broader strategy to diversify its defence partnerships and strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities. The kingdom has authorized the creation of two military industry zones focused on developing equipment for national defence, supported by an increased defence budget of $12.2 bn for 2024.

Morocco is aiming to reduce its reliance on foreign suppliers, particularly the United States, while positioning itself as a key regional player in defence manufacturing. India, meanwhile, has been expanding its defence engagement with Africa, recognizing the continent’s strategic importance. The India-Africa Defence Dialogue and joint military exercises with African nations have positioned India as a growing defence partner in the region. Morocco’s role in this partnership could help India solidify its strategic foothold in North Africa, with opportunities for increased defence exports or joint ventures.

Beyond defence, India and Morocco maintain commercial relations. In 2022, bilateral trade reached $4.2 bn, with India’s exports primarily driven by refined petroleum, while Morocco’s exports to India consisted largely of mixed mineral or chemical fertilizers. In 2023, multiple agreements strengthened cooperation in sectors like fertilizers and agriculture, notably through partnerships between Indian companies and Morocco’s Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP). The two nations also collaborate on renewable energy projects, with Morocco’s renewable energy agency MASEN and India’s NTPC partnering on initiatives in 2022. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

 

24 Oct 24. Leopard 2 MBTs to be used in Lithuania’s new ‘National Division.’

The government announced it has concluded a deal for German Leopard 2 main battle tanks to bolster its collection of military armoured vehicles.

It will be the first time that Lithuania will operate MBTs. The country first expressed interest in these armoured fighting vehicles, built by the German defence group KNDS, more than a year ago. The former Minister of National Defence, Arvydas Anušauskas, announced the decision just after the Nato Summit in Vilnius in July 2023.

The current minister, Laurynas Kasčiūnas, has since revealed that “we were notified by the German side on the preliminary price of the project and we have taken the final decision to buy [the tanks].”

National Division will operate Leopard 2 MBTs

In the same breath, the minister also updated the State Defence Council on progress in developing the Land Forces’s forthcoming ‘National Division’ which was also set up in May 2023.

Last year, the State Defence Council determined that this heavy manoeuvre unit would comprise around 17,500 troops when it reaches full operating capability in 2030. However, changes are being made and the exact size of the division will be known later.

At present, the Armed Forces make up 15,000 active duty personnel including 2,400 civilians, all supported by 100,000 reservists concentrated in the national defence volunteer service.

However, this excludes Nato’s enhanced forward presence of 1,700 personnel as well as Germany’s commitment to boost its level of troops by 4,000 service people on a permanent basis as part of a bilateral arrangement last year. Furthermore, these numbers of Lithuania-based Nato troops are only set to increase in the coming years.

Crucially, the division will operate the military’s first ever tanks when they arrive in phases between 2028 and 2034 – possibly earlier depending on final negotiations – as part of the “first stage” to provision the unit. Following this, in the second stage, we can expect the government to procure “enabler equipment and weaponry.”

It was agreed among chief government and military officials that the formation of a division-sized unit is an essential requirement in repsonse to Nato’s regional plans and assessment of the threat posed by Russia.

Latest addition to Lithuania’s military armoured vehicles

Until now, Lithuania has maintained security with minimal means: GlobalData intelligence indicates that the fleet comprised 20 multi-purpose Humvee units and 551 armoured personnel carriers (procured within the last two decades).

However, the country has since received more armoured vehicles including the US-manufactured Joint Light Tactical Vehicles in a deal for 500 units. Just last week, the government also decided to increase its procurement of 8×8 Boxer Vilkas infantry fighting vehicles by 30%.

Its crowning acheivement in armoured vehicles – the Leopard 2 – is already in widespread use, particularly around Europe.

More than 6,000 have been exported to Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Turkey. This will ensure a reliable ecosystem from which the National Division can derive ammunition, spares and components.

Norway lately opted for the armoured fighting vehicle in February 2023 over the South Korean K9 design which has nonetheless found refuge in the Polish Armed Forces.

Hailed as a “new industrial adventure” by the Norwegian Minister of Defence, the country agreed to expand production of its fleet domestically in June 2024. The German producer and the Norwegian subcontractor, an engineering company called RITEK, which will kick-start production in Trøndelag county in central Norway.

Given Lithuania’s proximity to Russia, with whom it shares a border stretching 185 miles, it could be useful for a similar industrial expansion to take place in the Baltic as the Russia-Ukraine war drags on and in the event that Nato is forced to play a part in a future conflict.

Even the UK, which operates the Challenger 3, is interoperable with the Leopard 2 to some extent. A new agreement between Britain and Germany will see the creation of a large calibre gun barrel factory in the UK, specifically to produce 155mm and 120mm barrels which are used for the L55A1 smoothbore gun, which new generation Leopard 2s and the new Challenger have in common. (Source: army-technology.com)

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TEK Military Seating Limited

 

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

 

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

 

Contact: Paul Fleming

 

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24 Oct 24. Engine maker Renk opens shop in Italy ahead of armor spending frenzy.  German propulsion firm Renk has announced it is setting up a subsidiary in La Spezia in Italy, a week after defense giants Rheinmetall and Leonardo said they would be build tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for the Italian army in the city.

The move will put Renk in “a strategically important region,” close to “Italian customers and partners,” said the firm, which already makes gearboxes for Rheinmetall in Germany.

Opening for business in La Spezia, which is the historical home to Leonardo’s tank building operation, suggests the firm is aiming for a slice of the Italian army’s massive €23bn ($25bn) order for vehicles.

“With our local presence, we are moving closer to Italy’s technological and industrial base – one of the pillars of European defense. Thus, Renk is ideally positioned to meet existing and future requirements of Italian customers and partners,” says Susanne Wiegand, CEO of Renk Group AG.

Last week, Leonardo and Rheinmetall announced the creation of a joint venture with an operational base at La Spezia which would build 1,050 new infantry fighting vehicles based on the Rheinmetall Lynx and 132 main battle tanks based on the German firm’s under-development Panther KF51.

Leonardo will take 50 percent of work share, Rheinmetall in Germany is taking 40 percent with the remaining ten percent taken by Rheinmetall’s Italian facilities.

Managers have said there is ample space to build production lines at Leonardo’s La Spezia facility, which once built Ariete tanks and was run by Oto Melara, a former unit of Leonardo which has now been integrated into it.

Renk, which saw revenue of €926 million in 2023, has a product line including gear units, transmissions, power-packs and hybrid propulsion systems.

It has hired Sergio Rizzi, a former executive at Germany’s Hensoldt, as CEO of its new Italian operation and retired Adm. Pier Federico Bisconti, a former Italian deputy national armaments director, as chairman.

(Source: Defense News)

 

25 Oct 24. Indonesian-Turkish collaboration pursues next-generation APC development.  Indonesian state-owned company PT Pindad – a key member of the DefendID defence industry consortium – has partnered with Türkiye military vehicles specialist FNSS to collaborate on the development and production of a new tracked armoured personnel carrier (APC) for the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD).

The proposed new 30 tonne vehicle is named the Kaplan APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) and will be the latest entry in FNSS’ Kaplan tracked armored vehicle family, the company announced during the Saha Defence and Aerospace Exhibition 2024 in Istanbul on 22 October.

FNSS stated that the new Kaplan APC will be able to accommodate up to 13 personnel including driver, commander, and a gunner. It will also feature an open electronics architecture to facilitate integration of battlefield management systems as well as other advanced mission systems.

FNSS noted that the Kaplan APC will leverage on the company’s experience in tracked armoured vehicle design and will also incorporate improvements made during the development of the Kaplan Medium Weight (MT) tank, which has been acquired for the TNI-AD as the Harimau medium tank.

Manufacturing of the Kaplan APC is expected to commence in 2025 with the first vehicle produced at FNSS facilities in Türkiye, while the second and subsequent APCs will be manufactured by PT Pindad following technology transfer from the latter. Deliveries are expected by the end of 2026.

FNSS earlier delivered Kaplan MT hulls to PT Pindad, which then performed integration of the CMI Defense Cockerill C3105 turret as well as associated equipment at the latter’s facility. Unlike the Leopard 2RI main battle tanks (MBTs) used by the army, the Harimau tank’s combat weight of approximately 35 tonnes enables it to access less-developed road and bridge networks, potentially expanding its operating areas.

(Source: AMR)

 

24 Oct 24. Boxer mechanised infantry vehicle in ford trials. The UK is progressing through trials of the Boxer armoured vehicle, which will form a key element to the British Army’s Brigade Combat Teams.

The British Army’s Boxer mechanised infantry vehicle (MIV) has completed its sea water fording trial at Instow Beach in North Devon, UK, the latest milestone in an ongoing effort to deliver the service’s new armoured vehicle.

In a social media post on 24 October 2024, the British Army’s Programmes department stated that the 38.5 tonne (t) platform has “performed excellently” and show “stability and control”, in an exercise it says proves Boxer can ford water unprepared.

The ability of the Boxer MIV to ford water obstacles is well understood, with the platform in service with a range of European countries for several years. Indeed, the UK was one of the inaugural partners of the Boxer programme but dropped out before subsequently rejoining in 2018.

According to the UK government, although the Boxer MIV is not a direct replacement for the outgoing tracked Warrior infantry fighting vehicle, the platform “will become the Army’s primary mechanised infantry platform working with Ajax and Challenger 3 in the Brigade Combat Teams”, stated Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard in mid-October.

“Warrior will remain effective until new capabilities are introduced throughout the decade,” Pollard added.

The UK government has also reiterated that the British Army has conducted operational analysis, lethality, and survivability studies, to include the potential for turreted gun system options for the Boxer programme.

“The Army will continually review the capabilities, priorities and affordability choices that will be provided by Boxer and other platforms to ensure that its armoured fighting vehicle fleet best meets defence and Nato’s needs,” Pollard added.

A total of 623 Boxer vehicles across four distinct variants are on contract in the following amount: infantry carrier (146 units), command platform (212 units), specialist carrier (200 units), and ambulance (65 units).

Additional variants in the pipeline

At the DVD 2024 event at UTAC Millbrook in September, the British Army stated the first UK production Boxer was expected to begin its build process in Q4 2024, while the first of the ambulance variants will be delivered in November or December the same year.

Meanwhile, information revealed that the DVD event also showed Boxer programme’s so-called strategic pipeline, which included variants not among the original four that could be acquired in the years ahead.

This strategic pipeline includes the Boxer-based RCH 155 self-propelled artillery platform, with the UK recently signing a deal to undertake the co-development of the capability with Germany, as well as the introduction of an Amoured Mortar Vehicle (AMV) variant.

While the RCH 155 is well-known, the public detailing of the prospect of the AMV variant and a proposed timeline is rare. British Army officials indicated the AMV variant would have an IOC of 2030, compared to an anticipated 2029 for the RCH 155 platform.

Other Boxer types being considered as part of the strategic pipeline include the SERPENS radar platform, which appeared to have a 2031 IOC, a ground-based air defence C-SAT variant (2032 IOC timeframe) that would feature something like a SkyRanger turret, and a TYRO combat support bridging vehicle reaching IOC a little earlier, around 2029.

Operational timeline doubts

However, it was revealed in September that Boxer may not reach its scheduled initial operating capability (IOC) deadline due to incomplete technical documentation, effectively the British Army’s paperwork that is required for vast swathes of training intended to familiarise personnel with the new platform.

All told, it is understood that over 16,500 pages of technical documentation have to be completed, which are used in the development of series training manuals that provide guidance to maintainers, operators, and their trainers. The British Army’s Boxer IOC is due to be met by Q4 2025, more than seven years after it rejoined the pan-European programme.

(Source: army-technology.com)

 

23 Oct 24. Allison Transmission has made significant strides in the global Defense market, achieving key program wins that will significantly expand Allison’s installed base and revenue in the wheeled defense vehicle segment. Allison is experiencing continued growth in this vehicle segment as a result of strategic partnerships with vehicle manufacturers to support defense programs outside North America.

The Allison Specialty Series™ (SP) transmission has been selected for several wheeled defense vehicles. The Canadian Department of National Defence recently announced it will receive Mercedes-Benz Zetros four-axle 8×8 vehicles with the Allison 4500 SP automatic transmission in partnership with GDLS-Canada as part of the Logistics Vehicle Modernization (LVM) project. Production is slated to begin in 2025.

Over the past year, ARTEC, a consortium of KNDS company Kraus-Maffei-Wegmann and Rheinmetall, chose Allison’s 4800 SP transmission for the British Ministry of Defence’s Boxer armored vehicle program. Initial transmissions have been delivered in the U.K. for use in the 8×8 Boxer Mechanised Infantry Vehicle, part of a larger order for new Boxer vehicles intended for the British Army.

Additionally, the German Federal Armed Forces are set to receive Boxer vehicles, with deliveries starting in 2025. Over 700 Boxer vehicles have been delivered in recent years to countries including Australia, Germany, Lithuania and the Netherlands. The U.K. Ministry of Defence has also placed an order currently in production with Supacat for Allison 2500 SP transmissions for the Jackal High Mobility Truck Variants (HMT 400s), also known as Jackal 3.

In Poland, a contract with AMZ-Kutno has been signed to supply Bóbr-3 Light Armored Reconnaissance Carriers equipped with the Allison 3000 SP transmission as part of the Kleszcz program, with deliveries spanning 2025 to 2035. Furthermore, Iveco Defence Vehicles (IDV) has renewed its contract to provide the Romanian MoD with defense logistic platforms, including a variant based on the Astra 8×8 chassis equipped with the Allison 4700 SP transmission.

“Allison has the distinct advantage of leveraging our commercial vehicle experience and relationships as we grow our wheeled defense business,” said Heidi Schutte, Vice President of EMEA, APAC and South America Sales, Allison Transmission. “With decades of proven reliability and durability, we offer a wide range of propulsion solutions that meet the diverse application requirements for tactical wheeled vehicles for the defense industry.” (Source: PR Newswire)

 

21 Oct 24. TurnOnGreen, Inc. Secures $2.2m in Defense Orders and Expands Market Presence with Advanced Power Solutions. TurnOnGreen, Inc. (OTC:TOGI) (“TurnOnGreen” or the “Company”) today announced that its power electronics division, Digital Power Corporation (“DPC”), has successfully developed a new line of defense-grade power conversion modules (“PCMs”) and power control systems, including a proprietary power distribution unit (“PDU”) for off-road tactical vehicles and military ambulances. These innovations have already resulted in $2.2m in orders from a leading global defense contractor for integration into mobile strategic defense assets.

In addition to this order, TurnOnGreen has secured a strategic contract with an Israel-based defense corporation to design, develop, and manufacture custom PCMs and PDUs for tactical vehicles. These cutting-edge products are designed for deployment by the Israel Defense Forces in all-terrain armored fighting vehicles and first-response military ambulances, showcasing the Company’s capabilities in providing mission-critical, high-reliability solutions.

Building on this momentum, TurnOnGreen continues to expand its portfolio by supplying custom-designed, uninterruptible power solutions to a major global aerospace and defense firm. These products are integral to Transportable Tactical Command Communications systems used across several military organizations. The demand for these specialized solutions underlines TurnOnGreen’s positioning in the high-margin defense sector.

“Digital Power Corporations’ growth trajectory continues to accelerate across multiple sectors, including aerospace, defense, and telecommunications,” said Amos Kohn, Chairman and CEO of TurnOnGreen. “Securing long-term, high-value contracts for engineering, design, and manufacturing is a testament to the strength of our advanced power solutions.”

“TurnOnGreen is focused on long-term value creation by pursuing growth-oriented verticals, such as electric vehicle charging and advanced electronics for aerospace, defense, and telecom sectors,” said Marcus Charuvastra, President of TurnOnGreen. “These high-margin segments position us for continued financial growth and shareholder returns.”

TurnOnGreen offers scalable custom power solutions and electric vehicle charging infrastructure to homes, businesses, and commercial fleets across North America. The Company’s subsidiary, TOG Technologies, Inc. leads its efforts in developing cutting-edge technologies for fast-growing industries, ensuring sustained value creation for stakeholders.

For more information on TurnOnGreen’s product line, please visit www.TurnOnGreen.com.

About TurnOnGreen

TurnOnGreen Inc. (OTC: TOGI) designs and manufactures innovative, feature-rich, and top-quality power products for mission-critical applications, lifesaving and sustaining applications spanning multiple sectors in the harshest environments. The diverse markets we serve include defense and aerospace, medical and healthcare, industrial, telecommunications and e-Mobility. TurnOnGreen brings decades of experience to every project, working with our clients to develop leading-edge products to meet a wide range of needs. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)

 

21 Oct 24. Ajban Mk2 enters UAE service. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) released a video showing locally made Nimr Ajban Mk2 4×4 armoured vehicles in service with its forces for the first time on 18 October. All the vehicles appeared to be in the 442A configuration, which Nimr said can be used as observation, command, or communications vehicles. They were fitted with what appeared to be Lacroix Galix smoke grenade launchers and mounts for manually operated machine guns that were not fitted. Launched at the IDEX show held in Abu Dhabi in February 2021, the Ajban Mk2 is a completely new design with a monocoque hull rather than an evolution of Nimr’s existing Ajban family. The current brochure puts the Mk2’s gross vehicle weight (GMV) at 13,500 kg without giving a payload figure. The company has previously said the Mk2’s GMV is 11,500 kg with a 2,900 kg payload. (Source: Janes)

 

21 Oct 24. The Babcock General Logistics Vehicle or GLV is being developed as a potential replacement for the UK Forces TUM and TUM(HD) fleet, reports Bob Morrison.

Primarily a family of private venture conversions of the Toyota Land Cruiser, the Babcock GLV was conceived as a potential replacement for the Land Rover Defender Truck Utility Medium batch ordered in 1996 and the Pinzgauer Truck Utility Medium [Heavy Duty] batch ordered in 1994, as well as other currently in-service variants of both vehicle types.

The UK MoD 1990s Land Rover TUM 4×4 (aka Wolf) and Pinzgauer TUM [HD] 4×4 procurements were originally envisaged as having a 15-year service life before being replaced and relegated to rear echelon or reserve stocks (like the pre-Defender MoD coil sprung Land Rover fleet from the mid to late 1980s) but since the middle of the last decade both vehicle types have had their OSD (Out of Service Date) extended to 2030. Hopefully the 2030 OSD will not be further extended, especially as sourcing OEM spare parts is becoming increasingly difficult, but with another Strategic Defence Review expected in early 2025 from the new UK Government nothing can be ruled out.

The Land Rover and Pinzgauer replacement project, what was formerly the General Support Utility Platform or GSUP programme, is now the first of three Category A Sub-Programmes of the UK Land Mobility Programme. The latest designation for this sub-programme is the Light Mobility Vehicle or LMV programme and as of September 2024 this sub-programme specified trucks with a gross vehicle mass of less that 3,500kg to allow them to be driven on a Class B licence; however it is expected that heavier variants may need to be procured for certain roles or future requirements.

According to the Babcock GLV Brochure (V1) of October 2023: “After 75 years of service, the British Army’s relationship with the iconic Land Rover is nearing its end. The search is now on to find a worthy successor that will help the MoD to deliver its mission well into the 21st century.

“This is an opportunity to transform the combat support vehicle capability to reflect the needs of the modern military force, increasing performance, comfort and safety, and reducing cost and environmental impact.

“As a company, Babcock is uniquely placed to help the MoD with this programme, combining specialist vehicle design and development, modern, UK-based production facilities, and the experience of delivering in-service support throughout the UK’s Armed Forces.

“We are now ready to work with you to create a platform specifically tailored to the needs of the military. One that soldiers can rely on, and become a new icon for the British Army.”

The new platform Babcock propose entails reworking the Toyota Land Cruiser 70-Series, but it is not a simple coachbuilder bodywork conversion and the specialist Babcock Land team at Walsall has both uprated the mechanical side, using COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) Toyota components, and reworked the body to better suit UK MoD requirements. Company publicity material states: “Although it’s based on a Japanese platform, around 70% of the GLV’s value is delivered by UK industry. This includes vehicle design, all the specialist military components, and the final vehicle assembly.”

Rear suspension is converted from leaf to coil springs using standard Toyota parts and with no need to drill or alter the factory-supplied chassis [©BM]

For the first three or so decades of its existence the Land Rover was the iconic military utility vehicle in the light and medium payload categories but, as just a small part of first British Leyland and then the Rover Group, from the 1980s onwards its Government & Military Ops sales team was never really able to secure sufficient funding to undertake a major engineering rework of the standard civilian model to better meet evolving military requirements. The 1990s ‘Wolf’ version, as still in regular use by UK Forces, was able to build on the computer design programme conceived for the chassis of the 1994 P38A Range Rover rework, but the commercial success of the 1989 Discovery and 1997 Freelander models, plus the reluctance of new owners BMW (from 1994-2000) to be deeply involved in military markets, plus the UK Government not placing any Defender batch orders between 1996 and production stopping in 2016, ruled out major company investment into keeping the defence side of the marque evolving.

Babcock Land, on the other hand, are not focussed on producing hundreds of thousands of vehicles every year to keep civilian dealer showrooms around the country and the world full of the very latest in fashionable automobiles, but they are keen to keep their hundreds of specialist mechanics and vehicle assemblers in the West Midlands and the Southwest working on Government & Military vehicle contracts. It therefore makes sense to them to take a well-proven, widely available, mass-produced commercial off-road vehicle and modify it specifically to suit potential UK MoD requirements. Now I appreciate I might be sounding a little bit like a sales rep, but having both quietly observed the evolution of the GLV for over a year and then discussed it in detail with the Babcock Land Head of Mobility Solutions and Head of R&D, as well as visiting the team at their inner sanctuary on the Walsall site, I can see exactly where they are coming from.

Several prototypes in different body configurations on medium and long wheelbase chassis have already been manufactured for testing, with no less than six examples having been displayed at DVD 2024 in September, and a short wheelbase version is also on the drawing board. Both 6×6 and WMIK-type prototypes have also been built and displayed, though these have a different chassis to suit specific requirements but share maximum Toyota parts commonality to maximise fleet spare parts availability; we will no doubt return to these partner company vehicles a little further down the line.

This three-door high roof configuration GLV could be used as a comms vehicle or personnel carrier ~ side glazing is pixelated as interior has an experimental fit for an interested potential non-UK client [©BM]

To keep this feature comfortably readable across all device types without having to endlessly scroll I have split it into two parts; I propose to cover dimensions and specifications etc. in Part Two. Although Babcock are well down the road to developing and testing their GLV, it must be underscored that until UK MoD finalise their precise requirements for the LMV sub-programme and then call forward manufacturers to submit vehicles for trials, what you see here is just a glimpse of what might be rather than what will be replacing the Defender Wolf and Pinzgauer.

(Source: www.joint-forces.com)

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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

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Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/

 

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16 Oct 24. Soldiers want more out of the Army’s new Infantry Squad Vehicles. Army infantry units have recognized the utility of the Infantry Squad Vehicle beyond its core task of carrying troops into battle, leading the service to consider additional configurations of the ride, according to a senior service official.

“We have a nine-seat variant,” Lt. Gen. Karl Gingrich, of the Army G-8 staff, told Defense News in an interview at the Pentagon. “We know that’s not the right configuration or the only configuration.”

The GM Defense-built ISV is in the inventory of three Brigade Combat Teams, where soldiers have put the vehicles to the test in large-scale training rotations. Earlier this year, the Army shipped several vehicles to remote islands in the Pacific where Defense News observed one being driven onto a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during an exfiltration mission.

The Army’s Maneuver Center of Excellence is now compiling lessons learned. “We are looking at what do we need. A five-seater for a kind of reconnaissance version? Do we need some sort of weapons carrier? I know eventually we’re probably going to get into some launched effects capabilities on there. I’m assuming that’s the direction we’re going.”

GM Defense won the contract to build ISV in June 2020. The program was approved for full-rate production in April 2023 and the Army currently plans to buy a total of 2,593 ISVs over the course of the program. Many of the vehicles have been delivered to the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.

While the Army has only purchased the troop carrier variant, the Canadian Army is a customer of the utility version that allows for flexible space in the back to add various weapon systems. Ottawa has purchased 100 of the vehicles to take on deployment to Europe as part of the country’s NATO mission, JD Johnson, GM Defense vice president of business development, said last month.

Canada is the lead nation in Latvia for an alliance troop presence there aimed at deterring a Russian attack.

“We built a version of the ISV that is a utility vehicle because what we found out really quickly, and we knew that the troops would, is their soldiers all jump into ISVs and take off and, guess what, their mortars or counter-[unmanned aircraft systems], that stuff can’t keep up with them,” JD Johnson said.

GM Defense officials said they were confident the Army would similarly find the utility variant useful as part of the program of record, or the overall buy. “That’s very clear. They’ve signaled that strongly. Now they just have to get through their bureaucratic humps to get there,” Pete Johnson, vice president of business development for integrated vehicles, said.

The company is also seeing a growing international interest. GM Defense is planning to enter the ISV in a U.K. competition centered on land mobility. The British Army has already test-driven the vehicles at the National Training Center at the beginning of the year, according to JD Johnson.

The United Arab Emirates also wants to buy them, JD Johnson said. “We have a tender from them right now. Angola wants to buy them. We have a tender from them right now. There are countries that are struggling with their own capacity as everybody is upgrading their militaries. You see this as a way for contributing to Ukraine,” he added. “We’ve had inquiries from a couple different countries saying, ‘If we could buy 100 or so vehicles, how quickly could we get them?’”

The ISV, which is produced in Concord, North Carolina, was built with plenty of room to grow, JD Johnson noted. “If you were to go to Concord right now, you’d see in the neighborhood of 60 of these vehicles there waiting to be delivered to a customer.”

The other services are also considering the ISV for things like base defense, in the case of the Air Force, and for other things like rescue missions, Pete Johnson said.

At the Association of the U.S. Army, GM Defense is showing the ISV’s potential role in the Army’s push to establish human-machine integrated formations. The ISV on the exposition floor will be set up as a control vehicle for a robotics and autonomy platoon that is towing a Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport robot and hauling a Silent Tactical Energy Enhanced Dismount military cart, or STEED. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)

 

16 Oct 24. L3Harris Introduces New Autonomous Ground Vehicle. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) debuted its new autonomous reconnaissance and security vehicle system, Diamondback™, at the Association of the United States Army’s annual meeting this week.

“We are expanding our platform and mission system autonomy capabilities, from air and sea, to support robotic vehicles making first contact with threats in land environments,” said Ed Zoiss, President, Space and Airborne Systems, L3Harris. “The Diamondback prototype is easily reconfigurable, highly mobile and rapidly scalable due to its modular and open systems architecture as well as its focus on commercial components and mobility.”

Diamondback’s open development approach improves the ability to ramp up production, reduces costs, increases maintainability and accelerates the speed of technology insertions that support adaptation for evolving missions.

L3Harris designed Diamondback to complement existing classes of robotic vehicles and fill roles and cost profiles associated with manned vehicles. The company is partnering with Overland AI, an autonomous ground mobility business, that is providing its off-road, cross country vehicle navigation technology for the Diamondback’s mission systems.  (Source: ASD Network)

 

16 Oct 24. US Army aims to pick a robotic combat vehicle vendor next spring. The Army plans to choose next spring one winner out of four vendors competing to build the base platform for its Robotic Combat Vehicle, or RCV, according to Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, program executive officer for ground combat systems.

A year ago, the Army selected McQ, Textron Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems and Oshkosh Defense to design and build prototypes for the system.

The Army decided then to adjust its pursuit of three robotic combat vehicles of different sizes, moving forward instead with a single size that can keep up with crewed combat vehicles, Dean said at the time. And then the Army would equip the platform with different mission payloads to fill specific battlefield roles.

Each vendor delivered two prototypes in August, and all of the prototypes are now at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Dean said.

“We’re on track to down-select in about the March timeframe from those four vendors to one and that’ll give us the base platform,” Dean said.

The chosen vendor will deliver eight prototypes for the next phase. “Then once we have that, that vendor will actually do another prototype spin. … We’ve tiered the requirements so they’re going to add some new requirements when they go into the second prototypes.”

While Dean said he prefers to keep as many vendors in a development effort as long as possible, funding is always a consideration. “It does come down to money. There’s a profile that we have to stay within. Unfortunately, the profile that we have really almost only allowed us to retain one. We looked at at least two and then that was still outside what we were able to afford.”

Who’s in control?

The Army has also settled on the Armored Multipurpose Vehicle, or AMPV, as the designated control vehicle for the robots, chosen because the control vehicle needs to keep up with the first unit designated to receive the robots, which will be a platoon in an Armored Brigade Combat Team, according to Col. Kevin Bradley, who is in charge of next-generation combat vehicle modernization within Army Futures Command.

The service looked at a number of concepts for a control vehicle from Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Stryker combat vehicles to even a truck-based one, but “the user community gelled on what they wanted,” Dean said.

A unit that has been working through how to operate and fight with RCVs at the National Training Center, for one, said using a control vehicle that was different from anything else in the formation became “very easy to target,” and the opposing force in a recent training event would go after the control vehicle easily to take the robots, according to Bradley.

The RCV’s first fielding is expected in fiscal 2028, which means the control vehicle will need to go under contract in FY25 because the AMPV has a two-year production lead time. Then from FY27 to FY28, the integration work to make it a control vehicle will occur, Dean detailed.

Tough road

While the RCV base platform prototyping and the control vehicle effort is moving forward smoothly, the Army’s work to develop off-road autonomy software is proving more difficult.

In June the Army conducted an off-road autonomy software assessment. “The good news is we are moving forward in that area. The bad news is industry is nowhere near where people think in terms of off-road autonomy. There’s still a lot of development to do,” Dean said.

The Army plans to hold another evaluation in December which will become routine in order to continue software development.

Three companies are working directly with the Bradley’s Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Cross Functional Team and PEO GCS on autonomy capability – Forterra, Kodiak Robotics and Overland AI.

So far the evaluations for autonomous behavior haven’t even been truly off-road, Dean said. “We’re talking trails and unimproved road conditions. Building an autonomy algorithm that can identify the entire range of things it might encounter is challenging because you have a pretty big data set.”

The evaluation in June took place at Fort Cavazos, Texas, and in one instance the robot needed to cross a creek at the bottom of a hill and would need to navigate a series of switchbacks to get down. “It couldn’t navigate the switchbacks,” Dean said.

“We are still working through the negative obstacle problem. You see a dip ahead of you. It could be a puddle, I can drive right through it, or it could be a cliff, and the sensors sometimes have difficulty evaluating what’s safe to navigate,” he said.

The evaluation in June involved too much human intervention, Dean said, but it’s still better than having to tele-operate a system continuously and deal with latency issues at certain ranges and speeds.

Overall, based off a major training event at Fort Irwin, California, this summer “we saw that robots provided benefits to the organization particularly in the reconnaissance and security role for long-duration observation and security posts,” Bradley said.

But the service is still working through tradeoffs with power, range and the ability to make decisions at a distance and the desired level of control, he added.

“That was really what we were trying to tease out, that math problem of you want to be able to see 4K video to make decisions of shoot, don’t shoot, to maintain that kind of ethical high ground, then that requires a certain amount of bandwidth that’s impacting how far you can go, also impacts how much control you have,” Bradley said. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)

 

14 Oct 24. Oshkosh Defense LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation [NYSE: OSK] business, exhibited at the Association of the United States Army’s (AUSA) annual meeting in Washington, D.C., from October 14 – 16, 2024. In Booth #7027, Oshkosh will showcase the advanced autonomous technology of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires) and the U.S. Army’s Stryker Double V Hull with the Oshkosh Defense 30mm Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS) integrated with a Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launcher capability.

Remotely Operated Ground Unit for Expeditionary Fires (ROGUE-Fires)

ROGUE-Fires is an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that leverages the Oshkosh JLTV’s extreme off-road mobility and payload capacity and advanced autonomous vehicle technologies to support Ground-Based Anti-Ship Missile (GBASM) operations. Designed to operate in both teleoperated and fully autonomous modes, ROGUE-Fires serves as a versatile launch platform capable of handling various weapon payloads or performing distributed logistics operations. Oshkosh announced the contract to begin low-rate initial production from the Marine Corps Systems Command in October 2023.

“Developed for the U.S. Marine Corps, ROGUE-Fires is redefining operational capabilities in contested environments,” said Pat Williams, chief programs officer at Oshkosh Defense. “Our team is excited to demonstrate how this next-generation technology is transitioning into fielded systems and how it can be adapted to meet the mission needs of the Army.”

Stryker Double V Hull with the Oshkosh Defense 30mm Medium Caliber Weapon System

The Oshkosh Defense MCWS is a transformational lethality solution that provides Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCTs) with improved firepower and increased accuracy at longer engagement ranges. Oshkosh will demonstrate the system’s advanced adaptability through integration of a Javelin ATGM launcher capability. The Oshkosh MCWS completed Follow-on Operational Test and Evaluation (FOT&E) in May 2024. An integral part of the acquisition process, FOT&E allowed Soldiers an opportunity to evaluate the system under realistic operational conditions. To date, Oshkosh has delivered over 100 systems to support fielding in early 2025.

“Since the MCWS contract award in 2021, Oshkosh has partnered with the Army to incorporate features specifically designed for the Stryker mission,” continued Williams. “Soldier feedback has played a significant role in shaping the requirements of the MCWS that we are delivering today, and we look forward to showcasing it during AUSA.”

 

11 Oct 24. North Macedonia reduces procurement of Stryker IFVs. North Macedonia is reducing the number of Stryker infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) it is procuring from 54 to 42, with deliveries planned for 2025, recently appointed Defence Minister Vlado Misajlovski said in a press conference in Skopje on 9 October.

A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson told Janes on 11 October that the number of Strykers was reduced “based on the needs of the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia” following a study and comparative analysis by experts.

Misajlovski said that 73% of the MKD18 bn (USD320 m) defence budget for 2024 had been spent by 1 October and that the 2025 defence budget would total MKD23 bn, or 2.4% of GDP, a 27.7% increase. Around MKD8.5 bn of this amount will be spent on modernising and equipping the army, MKD3 bn more than in 2024, with 30% of the 2025 budget planned for wages and benefits, according to Misajlovski.

Misajlovski reported that North Macedonia currently has received 38 out of the 96 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) it is procuring, with the remaining 58 to be delivered by the end of 2025.

He expected the delivery of Boran 105 mm Air Transportable Light Towed Howitzers (ATLTHs) from Turkey during the first quarter of 2025.

Misajlovski noted that North Macedonia is procuring four AW149 and four AW169 helicopters and that the Czech Republic is overhauling two Mi-8MT helicopters, with deliveries of the latter delayed from May to November. (Source: Google/Janes)

 

17 Oct 24. Lithuania boosts Boxer Vilkas fleet by nearly 30% through OCCAR. The Baltic State have completed the first batch of more than 100 Boxers before it prepares to enhance the IFV further with an engineering variant module.

The Lithuanian Army will induct 27 new Boxer Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) according to a new contract signed by the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) on behalf of the Baltic State. Credit: OCCAR.

Anew batch of Wolves – or ‘Vilkas’, as the 8×8 Boxer vehicle is designated in Lithuania – will enter service with the Baltic State in the coming years.

On behalf of the government, the Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR), Europe’s defence programme overseer, has ordered 27 more Boxer Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) in addition to the Army’s existing fleet, currently 91 strong according to GlobalData intelligence.

The amendment itself boosts the nation’s first batch of IFVs by 30%, despite Lithuania quadrupling the number of IFVs it had over the last three years.

The Ministry of National Defence confirmed that the latest order concludes the first phase of the Boxer acquisition which began when Lithuania first received the platform in 2019, after joining the programme in 2016.

Other participating nations include Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. So far OCCAR have ordered more than 1,300 Boxers from the original equipment manufacturer ARTEC, a German joint venture between KNDS and Rheinmetall.

In total, the amendment will cost up to €370m ($402.4m) which also covers supplementary and logistical enablers – spares, maintenance equipment, training courses. The government anticipates these units to arrive between 2027-2029.

Boxer Vilkas

The Vilkas is a platform based on the German Boxer IFV model, according to OCCAR. While 89 units are the baseline configuration, two more are prototype variants.

Each Lithuanian vehicle is equipped with Israeli-made remote weapon station turrets, US-made 30mm Mk-44S cannons and Israel’s Spike long-range anti-tank missiles, as well as other integrated specialised equipment and electronic systems. According to the government, Lithuania is the first operator to incorporate the 30mm gun on a Boxer.

On 24 February 2024, the Vilkas completed a Live Firing Test that effectively marked the close of the nation’s first phase of Boxers, albeit the 27 additional units are part of this batch.

Two batalions in the ‘Iron Wolf’ mechanised infantry brigade operate the armoured vehicle. In January 2024, the former Lithuanian Minister of National Defence, Arvydas Anušauskas, commented:

“The IFVs are now capable of destroying [main battle] tanks and other heavy armoured targets with [Israeli] Spike missiles and [they can also] neutralise smaller, lighter or non-armoured targets with the 30mm cannon at the same time.”

The IFVs are now capable of destroying tanks with Spike missiles and neutralise smaller, lighter targets with the 30mm cannon at the same time.

Arvydas Anušauskas, former Lithuanian Minister of National Defence

Iron Wolf is a core part of the Lithuanian Army, and it forms part of Nato’s collective defence on the alliance’s Eastern Flank against an increasingly belligerent neighbour, Russia, whose two-and-a-half year invasion of Ukraine still hangs in the balance.

Lithuania and Russia share a border that stretches 185 miles in all – including a 14 mile sea border with the Kaliningrad enclave, making the Baltic nation vulnerable on both sides.

Looking ahead

Now that the first batch of Boxers are complete, OCCAR is already starting to look ahead to where it can enhance the Lithuanian fleet further. In that spirit, the European watchdog announced that a new variant will become available in the coming years that will particularly benefit the Eastern European country.

“An engineering variant will be developed and will provide the Lithuanian Army with significantly improved tactical mobility, directly integrating engineering equipment (such as that used for mine clearance) into the existing Lithuanian IFV configuration.”

While it is always important to provide infantry with armoured protection and direct fires for the infantry, it is also vital to enable the vehicle to withstand challenges in the battlespace. Thus, OCCAR are learning lessons from Ukraine when it comes to sustaining a ground vehicle on land littered by mines and other obstacles.

The Russian invasion resulted in the mining of more than 174,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory, or more than 28% of the country. Since the invasion began Ukraine has gradually become more responsive to the hidden threat with the help of a Capability Coalition of Western backers.

Leading the way, Lithuania announced its latest commitment of aid to Ukraine which included M113 armoured personnel carriers. User can fit additional armour into the M113, such as a mine protective kit under the hull. The US first delivered this application in 1966 with a newly developed variant of the carrier.

Following suit, another Baltic State, Latvia, gifted the Scimitar CVR(T) vehicles to Ukraine. The seats are protected from mine blasts and the increased space envelope provides comfortable working conditions for the crew.

It is likely that the forthcoming Vilkas engineering module will incorporate a heavier payload capacity to respond to mines.

(Source: army-technology.com)

 

16 Oct 24. ‘Get well’: Army’s upgunned Stryker approaches first fielding but trio of problems linger.

“I want to make it very clear that the turret is not a mission essential system, if the turret was to go down, the vehicle is still mission capable,” said Clifton Boyd, the project manager for the Stryker brigade combat team.

The US Army is on track to begin receiving upgunned Stryker vehicles early next year, but there are several lingering deficiencies that will need to be addressed down the road, according to a pair of service officials.

The service has had fits and starts integrating a 30mm cannon onto Double V–Hull A1 Stryker infantry carrier vehicles, including software-driven issues that prompted a slight delay in fielding the system, formally the Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS) program. Production verification testing has now been completed and the Army is poised to begin delivering the vehicles to soldiers next year.

However, testing showed three key fixes need to be made.

Learn how we transform formations. On the move!

“[We’re] actually going to work as fast as we can to get them fixed, but as part of our material release process, we have to submit a ‘get well’ plan to the Army, and that ‘get well’ plan allows us to have up to three years,” said Clifton Boyd, the project manager for the Stryker brigade combat team.

The three key issues to address, Boyd said, are “software glitches” with the display that continue to crop up, light emission through vehicle seams, and a casing ejection problem that leaves rounds rolling around on the deck of the vehicle or can “jam” the turret. That last issue is the most notable, because if not corrected, it potentially leaves soldiers without a cannon on a battlefield — the entire purpose of the vehicle upgrade.

Boyd, however, downplayed the severity of the problem, saying the true purpose of the vehicle is to move soldiers across the battlefield, with the gun more of a nice-to-have than must-have for the Stryker’s core operational purpose.

“I want to make it very clear that the turret is not a mission essential system, if the turret was to go down, the vehicle is still mission capable… because it delivers infantry soldiers to the fight,” Boyd told reporters on Tuesday

The service and Oshkosh, Boyd said, are still working on the fixes and will have up to three years to roll them out.

In an interview with Breaking Defense today, Oshkosh Defense’s chief programs officer Pat Williams said the company has not yet seen the test report but will receive it in November. At that point, he said, it will have more insights into thedetails of the problems outlined by Boyd, and can plan the road ahead.

Despite those issues, the Army still says it’s going forward with fielding the upgraded Strykers, with Oshkosh on contract to upgun 269 vehicles across three brigades. After recent force structure changes, the service 65 upgunned Strykers, with a third receiving 83. Another 20 vehicles are bound for the schoolhouses and testing, while the service is still deciding what to do with the remaining 36 vehicles.

“If we’re going to continue to increase lethality, we are always going to have to modernize, and we’re always going to have to make the system better than when the first soldier gets it,” said Col. Jerome Parker, the director for the Army’s Stryker brigade combat team capability shop. “So yes, this is what we have in 2024. In 2027 we need to make it better, but we need to continue to get that feedback from the force to make it better.” (Source: Breaking Defense.com)

 

15 Oct 24. New player in European tank production: Leonardo and Rheinmetall establish Joint Venture.

New battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles for the Italian army

• 50:50 joint venture with headquarters in Rome and operational headquarters in La Spezia
• 60% of the activities will be carried out in Italy
• First goal is to equip the Italian armed forces with combat vehicles: the Italian Main Battle Tank (MBT) and the Lynx as an Armoured Infantry Combat System (AICS)
• Promising future export prospects

Leonardo and Rheinmetall have decided to establish a joint venture aiming at forming a new European nucleus for the development and production of military combat vehicles in Europe. The companies had already signed a corresponding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Rome at the beginning of July 2024.

Rheinmetall AG and Leonardo S.p.A. will be equal shareholders (50% each) in the new company Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV), which will have its legal headquarters in Rome and an operational headquarter in La Spezia. The definition of the agreement and the establishment of the company, which will be expected by the first quarter 2025, are subjected to usual regulatory approvals for this sort of operation.

The primary goal of the joint venture is the industrial development and subsequent marketing of the new Italian main battle tank (MBT) and the new Lynx platform for the Armoured Infantry Combat System (AICS) programme as part of the Italian Army’s programme for land systems. The development and production of other vehicles of this family, such as recovery, engineer and bridge-laying vehicles, is also planned. Both partners also expect their joint products to provide extensive sales opportunities in international markets.

Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG: “We are creating a new heavyweight in European tank production. Leonardo and Rheinmetall, two leading European suppliers of defence technology, are joining forces to carry out ambitious projects. We are primarily addressing the Italian market, but we will also be targeting other partner nations which are in need of modernising their combat systems in the future. Rheinmetall has the perfect technologies for Italy’s requirements.”

Roberto Cingolani, CEO of Leonardo: “This is a significant step towards the creation of a European defense system based on specialized shared platforms. Rheinmetall and Leonardo aim at developing state-of-the-art technologies able to compete at international level.”

The Panther KF51 developed by Rheinmetall will be the basis for the new main battle tank to replace the Ariete in the Italian army. The Italian AICS programme involves the procurement of over 1,000 armoured combat systems in 16 variants in the future. In addition to the classic infantry fighting vehicle, there will be anti-aircraft (Skyranger), reconnaissance and anti-tank versions. All models will have a modular design and the Rheinmetall Lynx infantry fighting vehicle shall form the technological basis.

A 50:50 sharing of labour was agreed for the joint venture, with 60% of the work to be carried out in Italy. This concerns in particular final assembly, homologation testing, delivering activities and logistic support. Within the MBT and AICS programs, mission systems, electronics suites and weapons integration will be developed and produced by Leonardo according to the requirements of the Italian client.

Rheinmetall already operates three subsidiaries with a total of around 1,500 employees at five sites in Italy.

 

13 Oct. 24. GM Defense pitches silent-drive vehicle as heir to the Humvee.  Emerging rapidly out of dense foliage, a truck swings around a bend on a washboard gravel road, but the only sound is the crunch of gravel beneath tires and the occasional ping of a rock hitting its underside. The truck is a new hybrid vehicle that GM Defense has developed to show the Army what is possible for a Humvee-type capability that meets the needs of modern warfare. The Army does not yet have a requirement for a new Humvee, or High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, or something else to replace the 40-year-old vehicle with 50-year-old technology.

But the Humvee, while a longtime workhorse for the Army, is becoming an increasingly unsafe platform. Rollovers have plagued the fleet, resulting in a rise in deaths from the accidents in recent years, which spurred the implementation of some safety measures. The Army has replaced some Humvees with the newer Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, but the service wants to retain a slightly smaller vehicle akin to the Humvee in its inventory, scaling back plans to go whole hog on JLTV within the vehicle size segment.

GM Defense has designed what it’s calling the Next-Generation Tactical Vehicle, taking the Chevy Silverado truck and the same Duramax engine used in the U.S. Army’s Infantry Squad Vehicle and pairing it with an electric battery capable of producing roughly 300 kilowatt hours of power output and a 15-gallon fuel tank.

“Think about the technology that was the foundation for Humvee,” JD Johnson, GM Defense vice president of business development, said in a recent interview at General Motors Milford Proving Ground. “The automotive industry has moved way on from that and our soldiers deserve [more], not just from the driveability and performance, but from the ability to support all their various missions.”

Silverados come off the production line every 54 seconds. The company added an offroad package to the truck and maximized commercial-off-the-shelf features, according to Pete Johnson, GM Defense vice president of business development for integrated vehicles.

GM also integrated “a myriad” of different advanced technologies from some of its electric vehicle programs, including the Hummer EV, and incorporated lessons garnered from its successful rapid production of the Infantry Squad Vehicle, which used a Chevy Colorado chassis, Pete Johnson added.

While the vehicle still uses an engine now familiar to U.S. soldiers, it incorporates energy storage and the ability to use that energy to both drive and power other systems to enhance the Army both from an operational and sustainment perspective, Pete Johnson said.

Because of the electric-power capabilities, the vehicle can operate at low thermal and acoustic signatures.

“If you look at Ukraine, the fight going on right now, one of the risks is if they find you, they can kill you,” Pete Johnson said. Ukrainian soldiers started evacuating casualties from the frontlines with non-tactical vehicles because they were quieter than military vehicles, the company learned from those on the ground, he added.

The technology in GM’s new ride allows for silent drive, Pete Johnson said, meaning the vehicle is able to power systems without idling an engine. In the vehicle, the driver can switch between “silent mode” and regular engine mode with the flip of a switch.

The electric battery also helps decrease the battery requirements for units on the battlefield. The Army has gone from a platoon carrying roughly 48 lbs of batteries in Desert Storm and Desert Shield to carrying 1,200 lbs of batteries. “It’s unreal, the amount of kit now that requires energy,” Pete Johnson said.

The company has also incorporated instantaneous torque technology that allows for effective and agile offroad capability, according to Pete Johnson. The design reduces sustainment burdens and logistics tails because hybrid electric vehicles use fewer parts and less fuel and other batteries on the battlefield, he added.

The company also took safety into account in a number of ways, Pete Johnson said. “We’re disheartened every time we read an article where a soldier, marine, sailor is killed by a rollover … but we’re taking the best modern technology … and we’re building integrated rollover protection systems,” he said.

The Infantry Squad Vehicle already has that capability.

While electronic stability control and antilock brakes are in every single vehicle produced since 2012, “there’s almost no military vehicles that have that,” Pete Johnson said. While the Army has been applying add-on kits to Humvees, that DNA is embedded in the proposed Next-Generation Tactical Vehicle, he said.

The vehicle is transportable in a C-130 and C-17 aircraft and can be sling-loaded by a CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter or an MH-53 King Stallion helicopter.

GM Defense is showing the vehicle at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference in Washington. The floor model incorporates a Kongsberg remote weapon station, a Lockheed Martin Javelin anti-tank missile launcher and a Drone Buster to counter unmanned aircraft system threats in the back along with a Hoverfly tethered drone for reconnaissance.

“All of that is one platform that you really couldn’t do today” with the power sources onboard vehicles, Pete Johnson said. (Source: Defense News)

 

14 Oct 24. Flyer Defense announced the signing of a strategic agreement with Tekne, a leading Italian defense solutions provider, to jointly manufacture and supply the Flyer 72-Heavy Duty (Flyer 72-HD) tactical ground mobility vehicle to the Italian Armed Forces and other NATO allies. This collaboration combines the expertise of both companies to deliver the internally and externally air transportable, high-mobility vehicle that meets the unique operational needs of Italy’s military.

The Flyer 72-HD and it’s ruggedized engineering offers exceptional off-road performance and mission-tailored flexibility, making it highly effective for specialized operations. Through this partnership, Flyer and Tekne will establish local manufacturing and support capabilities within Italy, ensuring efficient delivery, long-term sustainment, and seamless integration of the vehicle into the Italian defense landscape.

“We are excited to collaborate with Tekne and bring the Flyer 72 HD to Italy as well as other NATO-allied countries,” said Flyer Defense Founder and CEO, Oded Nechushtan. “This partnership represents a significant step forward in expanding our international presence, while reinforcing our commitment to growing our U.S. manufacturing capabilities. We will continue to manufacture in the United States, as well as establish a local production base in Italy.”

 

16 Oct 24. US Army moves ahead on plans to replace storied Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Two industry teams competing to design a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle replacement have completed preliminary design reviews, clearing a hurdle ahead of the next milestone in 2025, Maj. Gen. Glenn Dean, Army program executive officer for ground combat systems, said.

American Rheinmetall Vehicles and General Dynamics Land Systems were chosen from a pool of bidders in June 2023 to continue into a detailed design phase of the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle.

Both teams are designing a hybrid vehicle featuring a suite of lethal capabilities to include a 50mm cannon, a remote turret, anti-tank guided missiles, machine guns employed through an advanced third-generation, forward-looking infrared sensor, an integrated protection suite, kitted armor, and signature management capabilities as well as intelligent fire control, according to Army officials.

The total value of both contracts is approximately $1.6 bn; the overall program is expected to be worth about $45 bn, according to the Army.

The last preliminary design review wrapped up in August, and the service will have a quick turnaround to complete critical design reviews in order to begin building physical prototypes, Dean said in an interview ahead of the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference this week.

“At that point [when] the design is final, all of the elements and parts are defined, and at that point the contractor is ordering all their material to build prototypes,” Dean said.

Prototypes will take 18 to 20 months to construct after the critical design reviews wrap up. Once prototypes are delivered, the Army will move into a test and evaluation phase with both competitors before deciding on a winner in fiscal 2027. The first vehicles are expected to be fielded in fiscal 2029.

The Army is moving on an aggressive schedule between completion of a preliminary design review and a critical design review, Dean said.

Such a schedule is possible because of the designs taking place in a digital engineering environment and frequent soldier touch points in physical and virtual mockups, Col. Kevin Bradley, who is in charge of combat vehicle modernization within Army Futures Command, said in the same interview.

“Having soldiers get in and actually see what the seating in the back looked like, how their evacuation drills would go, definitely was beneficial to both vendors in giving them feedback to help adjust designs to better suit what we were looking for in the requirements,” he said.

“I would say we’ve had everything from small user interface changes up to, in one case, at least a fairly significant structural change to the base design,” Dean said. “There are some fairly dramatic shifts, and this is the time to do them.”

American Rheinmetall Defense’s team includes Textron Systems, RTX, L3Harris Technologies and Allison Transmission as well as artificial intelligence-focused company Anduril Technologies.

GDLS is teamed up with GM Defense; Applied Intuition, a specialist in modeling and simulating autonomy for the automobile industry; and AeroVironment, which is providing its Switchblade loitering munitions for integration into the design. GDLS also continues to work with General Dynamics Mission Systems to incorporate networks, radio gear and cyber capabilities. (Source: Defense News)

 

11 Oct 24. A 226-tonne steel superstructure is being delivered at Warminster Garrison to support the British Army’s Armoured Cavalry programme, commonly known as AJAX.

The AJAX programme will deliver a family of tracked, all-terrain, digitally-enabled vehicles with a range of weapons and sensors, delivering transformational change in capability to the British Army. The £17 m infrastructure project at Warminster Garrison will provide a synthetic training facility to support AJAX Regiments based within Salisbury Plain. The project is being delivered by Aspire Defence on behalf the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO).

Following the start of construction in October 2023, the internal fit-out of the building is now underway in preparation for installation of the AJAX simulation capability next year. The building is on track to complete in autumn 2025 and will support a suite of state-of-the-art driver, gunnery and crew trainers. This will enable ‘real-world’ training to military personnel who will be in operation of AJAX vehicles, with the Royal Dragoon Guards as custodians of the facility.

Brigadier Pete Quaite OBE, Head of Infra Plans, said: “The Warminster Garrison AJAX facility is progressing at an impressive pace and will deliver a critical capability to the army. This project demonstrates the significant investment underway across our estate to modernise our training infrastructure and deliver benefits for our people.”

Colonel Jamie Hayward, Armoured Cavalry Programme Director, said: “This new infrastructure is a vital component of the AJAX programme. It allows the appropriate technical solution to train our Service Personnel and enables a reduction in running costs, platform wear and dependence on live training areas.”

Warren Webster, DIO MPP (Major Programmes and Projects) Director Army, said: “It is excellent to see the progress that has already been made on this impressive facility. Continued collaboration between our project team and Aspire Defence will ensure that construction remains on track, to meet the infrastructure requirements of the Army’s Armoured Cavalry programme.”

In addition to the Warminster Garrison project, AJAX infrastructure has already been delivered at Tidworth Garrison and Bulford Camp on Salisbury Plain Training Area, and at Bovington in Dorset, where the AJAX simulation capability is now being installed.

Allan Thomson, Chief Executive of Aspire Defence Ltd, said: “We are proud to be delivering this project for DIO to support the British Army, which showcases Aspire Defence’s ability to successfully deliver quality infrastructure on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and the army. This first-rate facility supports the contemporary vision of training that’s in keeping with the modern army and its readiness for today’s challenges.”

 

14 Oct 24. GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, introduces its ‘Next Generation Tactical Vehicle”. Built on a larger truck platform than the Infantry Squad Vehicle, ‘Next Gen’ integrates a myriad of GM technologies enabling next gen capabilities that are unique to tactical vehicles currently available. The show-stopper is its propulsion system and the capabilities it delivers. The rugged tactical vehicle combines GM’s Duramax Turbo-Diesel engine with GM’s advanced battery technology, enabling energy storage, exportable power, Silent Watch, and Silent Drive capabilities. You literally don’t hear this big vehicle coming! In addition, the vehicle has active and passive safety features, including a roll-over protection system, electronic stability control, anti-lock braking, and 4/5-point seatbelt harnesses.

Additional key points:

• Offers 300 kWh of total energy
• Can support several days of Silent Watch and between 90-130 miles of Silent Drive, depending on road conditions (off- or on-road), weather and speed
• We anticipate a range of about 300 miles, utilizing all sources of power on the vehicle and depending on the enemy situation and road conditions, weather and speed

o For context, Infantry Squad Vehicle objective range was 250 miles on diesel power. This already exceeds the need for tactical mobility for extended range.

• The diesel engine can recharge the batteries twice. The battery can go from 20 to 80% charge in under an hour.
• Has curb weight of 10,000 lbs and can be sling loaded under a CH-47

In addition, Next Gen shares the same Duramax 2.8L turbo-diesel engine, parts and advanced battery technology from the GMC HUMMER EV and other GM’s advanced EVs. GM Defense plans to enable the user community to drive the rugged military solution in order to gather valuable feedback that will inform future designs.

 

14 Oct 24. Rheinmetall unveiled cutting-edge defense solutions at AUSA 2024: Pioneering innovations for modern military challenges.

Key facts

• Rheinmetall showcased numerous products and activities at AUSA 2024 from 14-16 October in Washington D.C., USA
• Highlights include the HX Heavy Recover Vehicle, S-MET concept UGV (recently awarded as one of two companies to develop prototypes), Mission Systems, Medium and Large Caliber Munitions, C-UAS Systems, Protection Systems, and many more products and solutions that enhance Warfighter capabilities.

American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ S-MET Prototype Vehicle – Program Winner

Recently down selected for the first phase in the Army’s Small Multi-Purpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) Increment II Vehicle Program, American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ S-MET prototype is a modular, unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) design that ensures rapid development and systems integration. Rheinmetall’s 20+ years of UGV experience delivers an S-MET that meets Army requirements for overall range, silent mode, sustained speed, forward & reverse grade, side slope, trench, fording, and stair/step climb. The S-MET solution displayed includes proven, fielded, mature subsystem solutions like Moog’s advanced Flexible Mission Platform (FMP™) equipped with Javelin and Coyote effectors and Parry Labs’ Edge Compute (EC) Micro, for a truly modular and open architecture UGV that supports the dismounted infantry Soldier and represents the future of military robotics. The platform enables ample mission payload configurations for the U.S. Army including resupply, CASEVAC, c-UAS, and electronic warfare, and is suited to fully autonomous operations.

The HX Heavy Recovery Vehicle – More than a Truck.

As part of Rheinmetall’s HX family of tactical trucks, the HX Heavy Recovery Vehicle features high mobility, superior off-road performance, and a purpose built cab capable of interchanging between protected and unprotected versions. Among other exceptional capabilities, this battle-proven wheeled recovery vehicle delivers a capability perfectly suited to unmet recovery needs in the evolving Army infantry formation that will soon feature the M10 Booker medium weight tank bringing the full spectrum capability to provide recovery support to the tracked platform while not detracting from the critical mobility needs of infantry units. The recovery platform is built on Rheinmetall’s advanced HX truck chassis, part of the exceptional line of HX trucks also leveraged in American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ CTT platform solutions undergoing testing in the Army’s ongoing Common Tactical Truck program.

The RCH 155 Mobile Artillery System

Learn about American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ solution for the U.S. Army’s evolving Division Self-Propelled Enhance Artillery Requirement, the RCH 155 mobile artillery system, offered in partnership with KNDS and ARTEC. The RCH 155 integrates a fully automated Artillery Gun Module featuring Rheinmetall’s combat-proven, NATO JBMoU 155mm/L52 cannon system mounted on the highly mobile BOXER armored wheeled vehicle. Capable of firing 9 rounds a minute from a 30 round magazine, it can range beyond 58km with Rheinmetall’s extended range charges and projectiles. Its ability to shoot-on-the-move with a two-person crew make it the new standard for modern self-propelled artillery and ready to support the U.S. Army’s Artillery Modernization Strategy. Additionally, it was recently adopted by NATO allies, the UK, and Germany as their new cannon artillery system and will be fielded by the Ukrainian Army.

The Lynx XM30: Exceeding the Limits of Combat Vehicle Technology

Appropriately cleared personnel can engage with American Rheinmetall Vehicles regarding XM30 capabilities and technologies at AUSA. The Lynx XM30 features a lethal, unmanned 50mm turret with 3GEN FLIR, a highly maneuverable and compact chassis, advanced on-board protection systems integrating active protection, and an open systems architecture ensuring overmatch today and tomorrow. An augmented reality technology demonstrator will be available to cleared DoD personnel at the Rheinmetall booth. American Rheinmetall Vehicles is currently performing in Phase 3 and 4 of the program and preparing to deliver prototypes for Army testing.

Rheinmetall’s Electronic Mission Systems: Seamless. Networked. At the Edge.

Rheinmetall’s electronic vehicle systems’ solutions displayed on a mobile Systems Integration Lab (SIL) demo vehicle includes an interactive commander’s and gunner’s display of a TRL 9, fully integrated, modular and scalable combat vehicle system for EO/IR 360° Situational Awareness and Drivers Vision Enhancement, Rheinmetall’s Overview close proximity EO/SA system, a command and control station with displays and HMI tools, along with the Vingtaqs II, a long-range multi-sensor far target acquisition and location system. Additionally, Rheinmetall, and partner company blackned, are showcasing the features and benefits of blackned’s TacticalCore solution, which augments domain awareness by delivering resilient communications across a disparate network of unmanned and autonomous platforms in a contested communications battlefield.

The Skyranger 30mm c-UAS Turret and Airburst Munition

Skyranger is a highly mobile, lethal, and precise air defense system, capable of engaging modern battlefield threats, particularly highly agile or swarming small unmanned aerial targets. The 30x173mm Revolver Cannon® KCE-ABM and ground-to-air missiles offer a superior firepower solution for Soldier protection in the most austere operating environments. The modular system, shown as a scale model, provides best-in-class air defense in-line with the Army’s Air and Missile Defense modernization priority.

The Full Range of Rheinmetall’s World-Class Medium and Large Caliber Munitions

On display at AUSA will be Rheinmetall’s exceptional airburst ammunition capabilities and advanced artillery technologies, including Extended Range Top Charge propellant, Velocity-enhanced Long-Range Artillery Projectile (V-LAP) 155mm ammunition, and the 40mm Squad Support Weapon (the world’s first automatic, magazine-loaded, shoulder-fire grenade launcher). The artillery products have set world-records, and provide the lethality and range dominance desired for the Army’s tactical fires. Together, the full range of capabilities are closely aligned with the needs of the Army’s Long-Range Precision Fires and Soldier Lethality modernization priorities.

Rheinmetall welcomes visitors to AUSA booth #2249 to experience the Group’s offerings fitted for the Army’s future fighting force.

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TEK Military Seating Limited

 

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

 

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

 

Contact: Paul Fleming

 

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08 Oct 24. Mack Defense to Spotlight the Mack® MD Electric at AUSA 2024. Mack Defense announced today that it will feature the Mack® MD6 Electric model at its booth at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) 2024 Annual Meeting and Exposition, Oct. 14-16, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.
“Mack has long been associated with the U.S. Armed Forces, providing support on the battlefield since World War I,” said David Hartzell, president of Mack Defense. “However, Mack, a 124-year-old company, isn’t resting on its laurels. Mack continues to design and develop innovative trucks, like battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) such as the Mack MD Electric, shown here today. We are proud of Mack’s history, and we look forward to our continued innovations in products and services.”
The Mack MD6 Electric model is being shown at booth No. 8333 at AUSA. Developed specifically for medium-duty applications, the Mack MD Electric is built with the same focus on reliability, durability and productivity customers have come to expect from a Mack truck. The MD Electric is available in 4×2 configurations featuring a sharp wheel cut for enhanced maneuverability in tight urban settings.
The U.S. Armed Forces are actively evaluating how electric vehicle technologies can be applied to the variety of vehicles used for logistics and for combat operations. The Mack MD Electric is being used in a myriad of commercial applications providing valuable feedback from users, as well as real-world testing of the various subsystems, such as the energy storage systems, the electric motors, power management systems and the electrification of items such as power steering, A/C and air compressors.
“This experience will allow Mack Defense to utilize these proven subsystems to develop solutions that meet the needs of the U.S. Armed forces,” Hartzell said.
Produced at the Mack Roanoke Valley Operations (RVO) facility in Salem, Virginia, the Mack MD Electric can be configured as a Class 6 or Class 7 vehicle. The Class 6 model has a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 25,995 pounds, and the Class 7 model has a GVWR of 33,000 pounds. Both models are exempt from the 12 percent Federal Excise Tax (FET).
The MD Electric features a three-phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous 260 horsepower motor powered by Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) Oxide lithium-ion batteries, rated at 240kWh.
The MD Series cab design features a short bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC) measurement of 103 inches, an industry best. Similar to the diesel-powered Mack MD Series, Mack matched the bold look and styling of the Mack Anthem®, Mack’s highway model, as a basis for the MD Electric grille and hood design. The Mack MD Electric will be supported by Mack dealers, many of which are already Mack Certified Electric Vehicle (EV) dealers.
The MD Electric will meet the needs of trucking applications requiring dry van/refrigerated, stake/flatbed and dump vocations. The MD6 model does not require a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate for non-hazardous payloads.
Mack Defense is a member of AUSA, which has a vision to be the premier voice for American soldiers. AUSA is committed to building the best professional and representative association for the U.S. Army. More than 33,000 attendees visited AUSA in 2023, with more than 650 exhibitors representing 80 countries from around the world.

 

07 Oct 24. Indonesia receives over 500 new combat and support vehicles. The Indonesian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 2 October that the armed forces have received 569 domestically produced military vehicles, including tracked and wheeled armoured combat vehicles, during a ceremony in Jakarta.
The latest batch of new military vehicles were supplied by the state-owned PT Pindad – a key subsidiary of the Defend ID consortium – and private enterprises including Sentra Surya Ekajaya (PT SSE) and PT Ralika.
Among these vehicles were a second tranche of eight Harimau medium tanks, fulfilling the MoD’s initial order of 18 tanks after the first 10 tanks were handed over earlier in February.
The Harimau medium tank is the result of a collaboration between PT Pindad and Türkiye’s FNSS Defence Systems. The tank is derived from the Kaplan MT, which subsequently evolved into the joint effort called the Modern Medium Weight Tank (MMWT).
FNSS earlier delivered Kaplan MT hulls to PT Pindad, which then performed integration opt pin the CMI Defense Cockerill C3105 turret as well as associated equipment at the latter’s facility.
Unlike the Leopard 2RI main battle tanks (MBTs) used by the army, the Harimau’s combat weight of approximately 35 tonnes enables it to access less-developed road and bridge networks, potentially expanding its operating areas.
Other PT Pindad vehicles handed over on 2 October included four Komodo 4×4 light armoured vehicles, nine Anoa 6×6 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), 23 Pandur 8×8 armoured fighting vehicles, and 250 Maung 4×4 tactical vehicles.
Meanwhile, the privately owned PT SSE delivered eight Rigid Buoyancy Bridge (RBB) systems, nine Rantis 4×4 vehicles in various configurations, as well as eight Ransus 4×4 missile launcher vehicles. The latter is a variant of the open-top P6 ATAV produced by the company for Indonesian Air Force special forces operations.
Finally, the privately owned PT Ralika handed over 250 troop transport trucks. (Source: AMR)

 

11 Oct 24. AM General, leader in military automotive systems and technology, will display an array of mobility capabilities that are addressing the complexities of the evolving battlefield at the Annual Meeting and Exposition of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Oct. 14 – 16, 2024, Booth #1939, Hall B, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The Company will feature the next general Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV A2) and trailer, the HUMVEE 2-CT Hawkeye 105mm Mobile Howitzer, and the all-new MIMIC-V purpose-built truck.
“AUSA is an important event for the industrial base and gives us an opportunity to update our key customer, the US Military, on the latest developments to maintain readiness. And for AM General it comes at a time when we are preparing for production of the JLTV A2,” said Jim Cannon, AM General President and CEO. “We are extremely proud and excited to feature products that are actively supporting the Warfighter and that will continue to transform capabilities to support their mission.”
On display will be the new JLTV A2 general purpose 4-passenger vehicle, which features additional enhancements over the first-generation model. Key changes include an upgraded powertrain, improvements in noise reduction, and improved corrosion protection. The company will also display the JLTV-T Trailer which has a payload of up to 5,100 lbs. and has an 18.5-inch travel to make it a rugged compliment to the JLTV A2.
The HUMVEE 2-CT Hawkeye 105mm Mobile Howitzer will also be featured on the show floor. In Partnership with Mandus Group and utilizing the patented Soft Recoil Technology, the HUMVEE 2-CT Hawkeye can rapidly engage targets with both indirect and direct fires and move out to avoid counterfire strikes with the agility that the battle-tested HUMVEE platform is known for. The HUMVEE 2-CT Hawkeye is currently undergoing testing in the Eastern European theater as the company sees increasing demand for this mobile artillery system to counter near peer threats.
AM General is also debuting the first from-the-ground-up build of the MIMIC-V (Mission Integrated Maneuverable Interoperable Conformable Vehicle) prototype. The MIMIC-V is a platform that has been designed and engineered to serve the ultra-unique needs of our special operations Warfighters. Formerly the AM General Chieftain, the MIMIC-V is the Company’s solution to tactical security. This high-performance and low-signature truck can operate in any environment for any tactical mission. As the name implies, MIMIC-V’s key differentiator is that it can reduce its signature by looking like a commercial vehicle.

 

08 Oct 24. American Rheinmetall Vehicles Wins Award for US Army’s S-MET Inc II Program.
• American Rheinmetall Vehicles won a contract for the Army’s S-MET Inc II program.
• American Rheinmetall Vehicles and Textron Systems leveraged decades of unmanned ground vehicle expertise to develop their S-MET solution.
• The team’s S-MET vehicle is autonomy ready and utilizes components already in the Army’s inventory.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles, Sterling Heights, MI, has won one of two contracts awarded in the U.S. Army’s Small Multi-Purpose Equipment Transport vehicle (S-MET) program. American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) will provide the Army with a versatile and resilient platform capable of efficiently transporting supplies and equipment over rugged terrain to support combat operations. American Rheinmetall Vehicles collaborated with lead partner Textron Systems on the proposal.
American Rheinmetall Vehicles will manufacture and deliver eight prototypes to the Army in 2025 for testing, evaluation, and to compete against the platform delivered by the second awardee before the Army downselects to a single platform and the program transitions to full scale production.
Rheinmetall has substantial expertise in developing unmanned ground vehicles, exemplified in its Mission Master family of vehicles, which encompass a range of modular, autonomous platforms designed for diverse missions such as reconnaissance, surveillance, cUAS, and logistical support. American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ S-MET solution leverages the ground-breaking advancements in unmanned technology found in the Mission Master vehicles to deliver a UGV tailored to meet the unique requirements of the Army’s S-MET program. The platform also uses many mature commercial components already found in the Army’s inventory or the commercial ATV space which drives affordability and reliability, and addresses electromagnetic concerns through its unique composite structure and use of materials.
“American Rheinmetall Vehicles is honored with the Army’s selection and excited to deliver our S-MET platform which is particularly attractive due to its technological excellence, affordability, and reliability,” said Jim Schirmer, Senior Vice President and Deputy Managing Director of American Rheinmetall Vehicles.
Textron Systems brings to the team more than three decades of experience designing, manufacturing, fielding, and supporting unmanned platforms across air, land and sea domains.
Textron Systems and its subsidiary, Howe & Howe, contribute extensive knowledge of robotics and systems integration to the S-MET Inc II program, having developed the mature, multi-mission capable RIPSAW® M5 and M3 ground robotics platforms for the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) programs. Leveraging the control architecture developed for Textron Systems’ RCV solutions, the team’s S-MET vehicle provides a commonality that enables operators to utilize a common interface for both the RCV and S-MET programs. (Source: ASD Network)

 

07 Oct 24. Romania picks Turkish armored vehicles in $940m deal. Romania has selected the Turkish Cobra II four-wheel-drive armored vehicle for the country’s land forces, ordering a total of 1,059 units.
Under the plan, the first 278 vehicles will be made in Turkey by manufacturer Otokar, and the remainder at a plant operated in Romania by local companies.
The planned sale is estimated to be worth around RON 4.263bn ($940m), Otokar said in a statement.
Romania’s Ministry of National Defence has tasked state-run defense company Romtehnica with carrying out the procurement.
The latest development comes as Bucharest is advancing a number of major procurements for the nation’s land forces. These include the planned acquisitions of new tracked infantry fighting vehicles, tanks and wheeled self-propelled howitzers. Last June, Romania chose the K9 Thunder 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer for the country’s military, purchasing 54 howitzers from South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace.
Alexandru Georgescu, a Bucharest-based security and defense analyst, told Defense News that, following long-standing public criticism, the Romanian ministry attaches great importance to foreign suppliers’ offers of cooperation with local defense plants.
Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine is encouraging Bucharest to strengthen “the undersized and overall neglected Romanian defense industry,” Georgescu said.
The Cobra II has a gross weight of up to 14.5 tons (31,967 lbs) and is powered by a turbo-charged diesel engine fitted with a 360 hp capacity. The vehicle can carry a total of 11 persons, including a driver and a commander, according to data from the Turkish manufacturer.
(Source: Defense News)

07 Oct 24. Hanwha Aerospace’s Europe land arms sales to double by 2027, CEO says.
• Summary
• Hanwha’s willingness to make products overseas to boost sales
• Company can meet conventional weapons demand in Indo-Pacific
• Hanwha can provide systems 1-2 years faster than competitors -CEO
Hanwha Aerospace (012450.KS) South Korea’s biggest defence firm, expects European land arms revenue to double by 2027, driven by its willingness to ink deals to make its products in overseas customers’ home countries.
“There’s a phenomenon of blocs being formed, especially in Europe. They want to procure arms within the region,” company CEO Son Jae-il said in an interview on Monday.
“In the past they just wanted to buy weapons, but now more than ever countries want to secure defence capabilities in their own countries.”
South Korean officials and business executives have made joint production a key part of their pitch to prospective overseas customers to help ease their domestic political pressures to build weapons at home in order to create jobs and protect supply chains.
Hanwha, the world’s largest exporter of howitzers, with more than 60% of the global export market, is at the forefront of South Korea’s ramp-up of defence exports as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine opened the door for contracts from Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
South Korea has so far refused calls to directly arm Ukraine, but has provided non-lethal aid and made massive deals to arm the war-torn country’s nervous neighbours.
Hanwha has signed a total of $9.2bn deals with Poland to supply 364 howitzers and 290 missile defence systems since 2022, and won a $1 bn order from Romania to supply howitzers in July.
Hanwha’s agreements with both countries include clauses to eventually produce arms within their borders, the company said
The local production is made possible by robust support from the South Korean government, including the defense ministry that helps train the importing country’s forces, the country’s arms procurement agency, foreign ministry and even the Agency for Defense Development (ADD) which clears technology transfers, Son said.
Hanwha Aerospace’s land arms order backlog jumped nearly tenfold in less than five years, from 3.1trn won at the end of 2020 to 30.3trn won ($22.49 bn) at the end of June, according to company data.
Hanwha’s orderbook will continue to grow on rising exports to the Middle East after South Korean firms begin producing engines for K9 howitzers and Redback armoured vehicles by 2025, according to Korea Investment & Securities.
This year, Hanwha’s overseas land arms sales exceeded domestic sales for the first time, Son said, adding that while they gave no region priority besides South Korea, the company is looking to become a trusted supplier to NATO countries.
The continuous demand for conventional weapons by South Korea’s armed forces, which are locked in a standoff against North Korea across a heavily militarised border, has meant the country has maintained its supply chain and kept abreast of the technical developments of such weapons, Son said.
Facing off with North Korea has motivated South Korea to keep up with conventional weapon development while its ally the U.S. has had to focus on higher-end arms to compete with Russia and China, he said.
Although it differs from weapon to weapon and by situation, Son said Hanwha can usually supply arms at least one to two years faster than its competitors and at lower cost.
“In regions like the Indo-Pacific, we can fill the demand for a suite of arms that the United States doesn’t do much, your howitzers, armoured vehicles, tanks.”
Because of the relationship with the U.S., South Korean weapons are compatible with common NATO standards except for some elements like ammunition.
But even for ammunition, last year Hanwha Aerospace exported NATO-standard propellants for 155mm artillery shells, widely used by howitzers and field guns, for the first time to BAE Systems.
South Korea aims to become the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter by 2027.
It ranked 10th between 2019-2023, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. ($1 = 1,347.1200 won)
(Source: Google/Reuters)

 

04 Oct 24. British Army to wait at least five years for new protected mobility vehicle. A minimum operational capability for a new medium protected mobility platform is not likely to be reached until the 2029-2030 timeframe.
The British Army is still to formally define the scope of the service’s Land Mobility Programme (LMP), with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) not due to complete the formal change request until February 2025 ahead of an outline business case at some point between March-October the same year.
Pre-market engagement for the British Army’s LMP is now expected to begin in November 2024, with an engagement day for industry still ‘to be confirmed’ and the subsequent tender and trial not until the 2026 timeframe.
The details emerged during a series of briefings at the DVD 2024 event at UTAC Millbrook in late-September, where British Army officials provided updates into the service’s key land programmes.
A full business case, where the tender selection for demonstration and manufacture is awarded, is not likely until Q4 2026 at the earliest.
These timelines exist only for the Pilot case, likely to be the Medium Protected Mobility effort, which will have a minimum deployable capability within the next five years, around the 2029-2030 timeframe.
Officials stated that priority will be given to platforms that focus mission system modularity, as the British Army is seeking to consolidate its 16 designs currently utilised in the mobility fleet down to around five designs, emphasising commonality.
This could include a military- or commercial-off-the-shelf (MOTS/COTS) solution, with a common support package sought to provide sustainment for the future mobility vehicle fleet.
Industry frustration and challenges persist
Voices from within industry have privately expressed frustration to Army Technology at the delays being experienced with the LMP effort, which was supposed to make a decision on an outline business base in Q1 2024.
The new UK government’s upcoming autumn budget, where it is anticipated that defence programmes could be hit in a bid to partially fill a claimed £22bn ($28.9bn) fiscal shortfall, could have a detrimental impact on the scope and scale of large-scale procurement.
Business confidence has also been impacted by the UK governments persistent public utterings of the dire state of the country’s finances, to the point at which financial institutions have been moved to warn against such gloomy forecasts.
The opposition Conservative Party repudiated the Labour government’s claim of the public funding shortfall, pointing to the UK being the fastest growing economy in the G7 in 2024.
In addition, a new Strategic Defence Review being undertaken by the Labour government, which is only due to deliver its findings in H1 2025 at the earliest, is adding additional uncertainty about the potential direction for the LMP programme.
In data: Land Protected Mobility
The latest understanding of the LMP indicates that the focus is on three Category A sub-programmes, each with its own procurement and approvals process that, in theory, is able to adapt to changing circumstances to optimise acquisitions. The three sub-programmes include: Light Mobility Vehicle (LMV), Light Protected Mobility (Lt PM), and Medium Protected Mobility (Med PM).
According to newly released information, the LMV programme will deliver a platform offering unprotected or lightly protected mobility with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of around 3,500kg, and be operable by the joint force of the British Army, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy/Royal Marines, Strategic Command.
Both the Lt PM and Med PM are intended to provide high mobility platforms that ‘build on existing capability’, with a GVM of 10,000kg and 20,000kg respectively. However, while the Lt PM would be operable by the Joint Force, the Med PM would only service the British Army.
Earlier information presented by the British Army in 2023 saw four main categories of platforms being sought – Heavy (~500 vehicles), Medium (~2000 vehicles), Light (~2500 vehicles), and Utility (~3000 vehicles) – for a potential total of around 8,000 vehicles.
The latest data did not include a Heavy requirement, which had a GVM in the 40,000kg weight category.
Speaking at an LMP briefing at DSEI 2023, British Army officials said that in-service platforms that will be part of this LMP consolidation effort include the Wolfhound, Mastiff, and Ridgeback protected mobility platforms, the Panther and Foxhound 4x4s, the tracked Bulldog FV430, as well as utility platforms such as the Coyote, Jackal, Land Rover, and Pinzgauer.
At the time, Brigadier Matthew Wilkinson, vehicle support team leader, at the MoD’s Defence Equipment & Support, said the British Army had “inherited a mixed fleet of vehicles”, which would have to be consolidated.
Acquisition strategy would also see a shift away from the purchase of “monolithic blocks” of vehicles to “packages”, filling a requirement where needed. In addition, platforms competing for LMP requirements should have a “60% or greater” UK footprint, further emphasising a leading narrative emerging across the UK defence sector.
The programme does not include acquisitions being sought under the Light Tactical Mobility Platform (LTMP) Medium and LTMP Light programme, through which the MoD is currently seeking industry responses to the potential purchase of more than 1,000 4×4 and all-terrain vehicles, valued at a combined total of £91.3m.   (Source: army-technology.com)

 

04 Oct 24. Hanwha displays Redback-K offering for RoK Army. Hanwha Aerospace unveiled the latest designs of its growing family of tracked and wheeled armoured fighting vehicles at the inaugural Korea Army International Defense Industry Exhibition (KADEX) 2024, which concludes 6 October.
The South Korean defence firm displayed for the first time a scale model of its new tracked Redback-K infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), which is being designed to meet the Republic of Korea Army’s (RoKA’s) requirement for a next-generation IFV to replace the in-service K21.
According to a Hanwha official, the Redback-K will resemble an upgraded variant of the original Redback IFV selected by the Australian Defence Force (ADF).
In July 2023 the ADF announced it would be receiving 129 Redback IFVs as part of the Land 400 Phase 3 project to replace M113 armoured personnel carriers (APCs). The ADF’s selection includes integration of Elbit’s UT30MK2 uncrewed turret as well as the Israeli company’s Iron Fist active protection system (APS).
Speaking to Janes, the Hanwha official said the Redback-K variant would feature a variety of upgrades to the same uncrewed turret. These include a newly designed 40 mm CTA (cased telescoped ammunition) cannon by SNT with ammunition manufactured by Poongsan, as well as a new APS that is being designed by Hanwha.
Additional upgrades include a locally manufactured engine by STX featuring the same 1,000 hp as the Redback’s MTU eight-cylinder diesel engine. (Source: Janes)

04 Oct 24. Hyundai Rotem discloses ammunition, protection systems for NG MBT. Hyundai Rotem has revealed details about the ammunition and protection systems it intends to integrate into the Next-Generation Main Battle Tank (NG MBT).
Speaking to Janes at the Korea Army International Defense Industry Exhibition (KADEX) 2024 held at Gyeryongdae from 2 to 6 October, a Hyundai Rotem official said the company is considering equipping the NG MBT with a 130 mm smoothbore gun.
“NG MBT will also be equipped with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), armour-piercing fin-stabilised discarding sabot (APFSDS), and multi-purpose projectiles such as Rheinmetall’s DM 11,” the official said.
According to Rheinmetall, DM 11 is a 120 mm high-explosive tank round. DM 11’s time-delay fuse makes it particularly suitable for supporting infantry units tasked with taking lightly fortified positions and for engaging light and medium-weight armoured vehicles. After loading, an electronic module programmes the time-delay fuse to detonate at a specific point in the projectile’s flight path. The round can be timed to explode for maximum effect either above, in front of, or inside a target. This feature of DM 11 can enable it to enhance the combat effectiveness of MBTs.
The official added that NG MBT will also be integrated with an active protection system (APS), jammers to counter unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and a directed infrared countermeasure (DIRCM) system.
Hyundai Rotem expects to build NG MBT from 2032 to 2036 and deploy the tanks to the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA) by 2038, the official said.
(Source: Janes)

 

02 Oct 24. QinetiQ collaborate with Metasonixx to provide cooling and noise reduction for vehicles by using Sonoblind Air panels with acoustic metamaterials. As part of their strategic relationship, Metasonixx and QinetiQ have applied their expertise in novel technologies to successfully manage noise and ventilation in cars. As an industry leader in the research of metamaterials, QinetiQ has helped to demonstrate how Metasonixx’s Sonoblind Air panels can be developed to replace the grille in front of a vehicle engine, in turn offering temperature cooling and noise reduction simultaneously.
Traditional methods of noise reduction are based on inserting mass in front of source, a method which naturally reduces ventilation. As a potential solution to a shortage in products which effectively manages noise and ventilation across the UK, QinetiQ is using its pioneering research in innovative materials, such as acoustic metamaterials, to change this.
Acoustic metamaterials are an emerging technology which sees standard materials – like plastic, wood or metal – transformed and shaped through engineering to enable sound to go through them. Working like interference filters for light, the panels do not absorb or deflect sound but instead, cancel any noise. With the metamaterial shape obtained by carving out material, they are able to let though air and light.
QinetiQ and Metasonixx delivered design, manufacture and testing across a few weeks in an agile and rapid manner, working closely to investigate how novel technologies can be applied to real problems in a representative environment. Delivering experiments at QinetiQ’s metamaterials hub in Farnborough, both organisations tested different models of panels, with varying amounts of surface area allowing for airflow. Noise reductions of up to 90% were observed in this initial test. Further maturation and exploitation of technology in both civil and military applications is planned and being pursued collaboratively. (Source: joint-forces.com)

 

04 Oct 24. Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and Teledyne Flir Defense Deliver Ripsaw M3 Prototypes For US Army RCV Program.
Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, announced today that Team RIPSAW — Textron Systems, its subsidiary, Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Defense — has delivered two RIPSAW® M3 prototype vehicles to the U.S. Army for the competitive Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) Phase I: Platform Prototype program. The vehicles were delivered to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
The RIPSAW M3 leverages a modular open systems architecture (MOSA) design and common chassis to support a variety of interchangeable payloads from a basic flat-top deck configuration. A rugged and reliable RCV platform, the vehicle is designed to meet Army requirements while preserving transportability and mission versatility.
“The RIPSAW M3 exemplifies the innovative technology Howe & Howe develops to support our customers,” said Senior Vice President, Mike Howe. “Designed for ease of integration with a common robotic core, the prototypes delivered represent the decades of experience in the ground robotics space our team possesses.”
“Team RIPSAW leverages the expertise of Textron Systems, Howe & Howe and Teledyne FLIR Defense, creating a mission-ready system to support the Army’s needs,” said Senior Vice President Air, Land and Sea Systems, David Phillips. “Our dedication to testing the prototype vehicles before delivery ensures we’re providing a rugged, reliable system.”
“We’re proud to be partnered with Textron Systems and Howe & Howe to deliver this unprecedented robotic platform to the U.S. Army,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, President of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “We’re excited to bring our expertise in uncrewed aerial systems, 360-degree situational awareness, and intelligent sensing technology onto the RIPSAW M3 that will give soldiers a decisive tactical edge and allow commanders to make better, faster decisions.”
Team RIPSAW has invested in this family of robotic vehicles since 2019 when the RIPSAW M5 system first debuted. Later variants, including the M5-E (electric) and M3 Tech Demonstrator, leveraged the team’s collaboration with industry partners, academia and the U.S. Army to perform multiple mission sets in various environmental and test conditions. Since 2019, the RIPSAW family of vehicles have amassed over 4,700 miles of durability testing. (Source: ASD Network)
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TEK Military Seating Limited

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

Contact: Paul Fleming

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Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited

 

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30 Sept 24. Japan explores Type 10 MBT lethality and survivability upgrades. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force’s (JGSDF) primary land warfare platform, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Type 10 ‘Hitomaru’ main battle tank (MBT), is being lined up for a much-needed modernisation project aimed at improving its lethality and survivability in the contemporary battlefield.

According to a 20 September notification released by the Ministry of Defense (MoD), an unspecified number of Type 10 MBTs with be fitted with an active protection system (APS) as well as a remote weapons station (RWS) armed with a 30mm automatic cannon.

The upgrades will enable the JGSDF’s Type 10 fleet to better address emerging battlefield threats such as anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), which have proven their effectiveness against armoured fighting vehicles on both sides of the ongoing Russo-Ukraine War.

According to the notice, the APS will be integrated to on-board sensor systems to detect and defeat incoming anti-tank projectiles, while the RWS should be fitted with its own sensor to detect and track UAV threats.

The document did not disclose the candidate systems being considered, but local reports have indicated that these include the Elbit Systems Iron Fist, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Trophy, and the Rheinmetall StrikeShield. The RWS being considered is reportedly the Kongsberg RS6 Protector.

Moreover, the MoD earlier released a separate document in June detailing a similar request for industry to propose “technical measures to improve the capabilities of the Type 10 tank”. The document did not reveal the specifics, but it is understood that the request is also open to foreign companies, provided that they offer technology transfer and localised production.

The JGSDF is believed to operate around 120 Type 10 MBTs since the tank entered service in 2012. MHI continues to manufacture a small batch of Type 10 MBTs each year, with new 12 tanks budgeted for fiscal year 2025.

The Type 10 MBT is a unique tank designed to meet the specific requirements of the JGSDF with a compact physical form and a combat weight of 44 tonnes. It was developed from the mid-1990s by the MoD’s Technical Research and Development Institute (TRDI) – now subsumed into today’s Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) – as a lighter and more mobile complement to the JGSDF’s MHI Type 90 ‘Kyū-maru’ MBT, which has a combat weight of around 50 tonnes and is unable to traverse many of Japan’s rural roads and bridges because of its mass. (Source: AMR)

 

03 Oct 24. Indonesian military receives more Harimau tanks. The Indonesian Armed Forces took delivery of more than 500 new military vehicles on 2 October, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Jakarta has announced. Among the platforms handed over in an MoD ceremony in Jakarta was a batch of eight Harimau medium tanks produced by local firm PT Pindad, the MoD said. The batch is the second that is known to have been delivered to the military, completing an initial order for 18 tanks. Ten Harimau tanks were handed over to the Indonesian Army in March 2024.

Other PT Pindad-produced vehicles handed over on 2 October included 23 Pandur 8×8 armoured fighting vehicles, nine Anoa 6×6 armoured personnel carriers (APCs), and four Komodo 4×4 light armoured vehicles.

The MoD also said the Indonesian Army took receipt of 250 PT Pindad Maung 4×4 tactical vehicles. The batch is the main part of an order for 500 of these vehicles placed by the MoD in 2020. An initial batch of 40 Maung vehicles was delivered to the army in January 2021.

Another local firm PT Sentra Surya Ekajaya (PT SSE) handed over nine Rantis 4×4 tactical military vehicles and eight Ransus 4×4 missile launchers, which is a version of the open-top P6 ATAV produced by the same company for Indonesian Air Force special forces operations. PT Ralika also delivered 250 vehicles that the MoD described as troop transport trucks. (Source: Janes)

 

03 Oct 24. GDLS Delivers TRX Prototypes for US Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle Competition. General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), has delivered two prototype vehicles to the U.S. Army as the next step in the service’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) competition. The on-time delivery supports forthcoming Army platform mobility testing and a Soldier touchpoint.

GD Land Systems was one of four companies selected in 2023 to build two prototypes for the RCV program of record. The company’s RCV entrant is its updated TRX (Tracked Robot 10-ton) robotic combat vehicle, which is highly transportable and provides significant growth, interoperability and modularity to accommodate a wide range of future mission modules and payloads. TRX is built to maneuver at speed with all formations and has a class-leading payload-to-chassis ratio of 1:1.

TRX’s architecture enables it to support RCV platform requirements and future growth. It generates significant exportable power to support mission command operations and is hybrid-electric, providing substantial operational benefits and support to the Army’s climate and electrification strategy.

“TRX’s power and size make it an ideal platform for multirole Human-Machine Integrated formations on today’s battlefield,” said Gordon Stein, General Dynamics Land Systems vice president and general manager for U.S. operations. “TRX is an enabling technology in critical battlefield roles, including reconnaissance and surveillance, direct and indirect fire, long-range loitering munitions, short-range air defense, counter-uncrewed aerial systems, autonomous resupply, complex obstacle breaching and electronic warfare.

“We are proud to deliver these TRX prototypes to the Army.” (Source: ASD Network)

 

30 Sept 24. Australian Army seeks light vehicles for its littoral ambitions. As Australia’s military adjusts to recommendations contained in last year’s Strategic Defence Review, there is a demand for lighter vehicles better suited operations in coastal areas.

First out of the gate in what could be a shopping spree for such rides was manufacturer Polaris, announcing earlier in September that the company had won a contract for DAGOR light vehicles.

The A$22m (US$14.6m) deal entails “several variants in support of joint missions worldwide,” with an undisclosed quantity to be delivered within two years, Polaris said in a statement.

These DAGOR variants cover tactical transport, expeditionary reconnaissance and cargo missions. Australian Army special forces are the likely recipient of these diesel-powered vehicles.

Michael Cannell, a sales and operations manager at Polaris Australia, told Defense News of increased regional interest in all-terrain vehicles in the past two years.

Cannell said: “We’re proud to provide this capability for Australian personnel. The DAGOR all-terrain vehicle will allow teams to move faster, carry more and significantly reduce combat fatigue by navigating complex terrain otherwise covered on foot.”

At Land Forces 2024 in Melbourne, held Sept. 11-13, Polaris also exhibited an MRZR-A vehicle, a bare-bones, ultra-light ride that comes in variants with seats for two or four occupants, according to the company’s website.

Brigadier Doug Pashley, commander of the Australian Army’s Darwin-based 1st Brigade, told Defense News about the formation’s metamorphosis from a mechanized, heavy brigade. “As part of our transition to a littoral brigade, we’re experimenting with a lot of mobility options,” he said.

That includes Supacat HMT Extenda vehicles ordinarily utilized by special forces, since “they’re probably a bit more regionally relevant than some of the heavier stuff that we’ve had in the past year,” Pashley said.

The brigade is also toying with lighter vehicles like the Polaris MRZR. “We’re really lucky we can draw lessons from other forces that have been leading the way in terms of developing littoral capabilities, both the U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Marines,” Pashley explained. “Both have procured some light mobility vehicles, so we’re keen to leverage lessons from them.”

Polaris is not the only company seeking to cash in on changing Australian and regional requirements. Also at Land Forces 2024, local company Bale Defence debuted its RTV6 rough terrain vehicle.

This six-wheeled RTV6 joins existing RTV2 and RTV4 4×4 vehicles in its range. Bale Defence delivered 19 two-seater RTVs to the Australian Army in 2014-15, and special forces later ordered dozens of upgraded RTV2s for US$6.2m in 2021.

Martyn Jones, Chief Operating Officer at Bale Defence, lauded the RTV6′s 1.5-ton payload capacity. Such vehicles are ideal for carrying remote-controlled weapon stations, surveillance systems and counter-drone systems, he said.

Supacat was also at Land Forces 2024, unveiling its Medium Utility Vehicle (MUV) based on a Toyota Hilux platform. Both 4×4 and 6×6 configurations are available, the MUV being the fruit of collaboration between Supacat’s British and Australian arms.

Matthew Grech, a sales executive at Supacat, told Defense News the MUV’s target clientele is special operations forces, but other applications include troop carriers, weapons carrier and utility tasks. (Source: Defense News)

 

01 Oct 24. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) announced on Monday a strategic agreement with Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces for locally assembling wheeled armoured platforms (WhaP 8×8) in its defence manufacturing unit in Casablanca, Morocco.

The WhaP 8×8 has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with TASL.

WhaP 8×8 is a wheeled, amphibious, lightly armoured vehicle. Besides its primary role as a troop carrier, itsmultiple variants include mobile command posts, reconnaissance vehicles for the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) battlefield; amphibious reconnaissance, or as an armoured ambulance.

“This will be Morocco’s first large defence manufacturing plant and the first defence manufacturing plant established outside India by an Indian defence original equipment manufacturer (OEM),” a TASL spokesperson said.

Given its size, protection, versatility and affordability, the WhaP 8×8 is expected to be snapped up by African militaries.

“This contract is of significant size and of strategic importance for us. This not only enables TASL to help initiate Morocco’s defence ecosystem but also acts as a launch point for TASL into rest of Africa for select defence systems,” said TASL’s CEO, Sukaran Singh.

“TASL’s local unit will produce a significant number of the specialised vehicle systems for Morocco and potentially for other countries in Africa,” Singh said.

While the initial contracted quantity is entirely to meet the needs of Royal Moroccan Army, this facility will be a 100 per cent subsidiary of TASL and become an export hub to meet the requirements of other countries, especially in Africa.

The collaboration between DRDO and TASL for WhaP 8×8 makes the armoured vehicle a successful example of partnership within the Indian private sector, as well as between the private and public sectors.

Senior government officials pointed out that this contract hews closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strategy of developing close relations with African nations, which are feeling their weapons supply lines from Russia squeezed; and an unwelcome aggressiveness from new suppliers like China and Turkey.

TASL was created by merging the defence verticals in several Tata group companies, including Tata Motors and Tata Power (Strategic Engineering Division).

Production facility

The WhaP 8×8 production facility in Morocco is expected to become operational over the next 12 months to deliver the contracted number of units.

A significant amount of the platform will be exported from India, which is required to meet commitments for local employment, value addition and support in Morocco. A production facility in Casablanca covering 20,000 square metres has been identified.

WhaP’s operational capabilitiesDepending upon the variant, the WhaP 8×8 weighs 20-27 tonnes. Variants below 24.5 tonnes can be amphibious, i.e. capable of floating, to cross a river or a lake.

The WhaP 8×8 crew members enjoy modular protection with bolt-on, retrofittable panels that provide protection from small arms bullets. The floor can be reinforced to resist a blast from an improvised explosive device (IED).

Its primary armament is a 30 mm cannon, which is mounted on a gun turret with an upgraded sighting system. The gun turret is being developed by the DRDO in partnership with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).

The WhaP 8×8 incorporates state-of-the-art technologies such as a high power, integrated power pack with automatic transmission and modularity and scalability that can be easily customised to cater to various missions and operating conditions of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces.

“Tata Advanced Systems will work closely with the government of Morocco to develop a robust ecosystem which would include engaging with the local supply chain partners and vendors, training and skill development of the workforce and building related capabilities, and to maintain the systems in-country. Further, the facility will adopt global standards in line with international best practices,” the TASL spokesperson said.

(Source: Google/https://www.ajaishukla.com/2024/09/morocco-signs-with-tata-advanced.html)

 

27 Sep 24. RoK rolls out locally developed K9 engine. The K9 self-propelled howitzer is powered by an MTU 1,000 hp diesel engine coupled to an Allison Transmission X1100-5A3 automatic transmission system. (Hanwha)

South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced the rollout of the first locally developed engine for the Hanwha K9 155 mm/52 calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer.

The new engine – the name of which was not specified by DAPA – is being built by local company STX Engine, which DAPA said won a contract to develop the powerplant in 2021. Since its development the K9 has been powered by a German MTU diesel engine built under licence by STX Engine.

DAPA said a roll-out ceremony for the new engine, which delivers 1,000 hp, was held on 27 September at STX Engine’s manufacturing facility in the southern city of Changwon. DAPA claimed the engine has improved performance and efficiency compared with the MTU version but provided no details.

DAPA also said the new engine would boost exports because South Korea did not require clearances from Germany to sell the powerplant to third parties.

The engine was developed through an agreement, signed in September 2020, between DAPA and South Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) to support South Korean import substitution efforts and local defence industrial capability advancement.

DAPA said engine development started in April 2021 with an investment of KRW32.1bn (USD24.25m), including KRW22.8 bn in government funding. The development phase involved several companies and STX Engine was selected as prime contractor for the engine in 2021. STX Engine said that prototype production and performance testing of the engine was completed earlier in 2024. (Source: Janes)

 

13 Sep 24. Oshkosh Defense Submits Phase II Proposal for RCV Program. Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) business, announced that on Thursday, August 29, 2024, it submitted its proposal in response to the U.S. Army’s Request for Prototype Proposal (RPP) for the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) Phase II: Production Representative Prototype (PRP) program.

“At Oshkosh Defense, we design with the future in mind,” said Pat Williams, chief programs officer at Oshkosh Defense. “Our offering for Phase II of the RCV program leverages our engineering expertise to provide the U.S. Army with innovative, adaptable technologies to enhance Soldier performance and mission success.”

The Oshkosh RCV is purpose-built to provide Soldiers with the capabilities necessary for increased performance, improved maintainability, and flexibility in multi-domain operations. Developed through multiple iterations of test and Soldier feedback, the modular Oshkosh RCV is payload agnostic and supports the rapid integration of future technologies. Oshkosh’s robust systems engineering approach and design maturity ensures the U.S. Army achieves program milestones within the Rapid Prototype phase of this Mid-Tier Acquisition.

On Monday, August 19, 2024, Oshkosh delivered two RCV Platform Prototypes as part of the Phase I Ground Vehicle Systems (GVS) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) that Oshkosh was awarded in September 2023. These prototypes support platform mobility testing and Soldier touchpoints as part of the Phase II source selection.

“The Oshkosh team, with Pratt Miller Defense and QinetiQ US, has applied early feedback to deliver prototypes and a Phase II proposal that are soldier-centered and designed to keep pace with the evolving battlefield,” continued Williams. “We remain steadfast in our collaboration with the U.S. Army to provide the most capable, mature, and production-ready RCV offering to achieve the program’s rapid prototype and fielding schedule.”

Phase II consists of a base award of $118.9m and calls for down-selected contractors to deliver nine RCV Production Representative Prototypes in early 2026. (Source: ASD Network)

 

01 Oct 24. Paramount’s new Border Patrol Maatla variant aimed at SANDF. Paramount Land Systems has unveiled a new Border Patrol variant of its Maatla 4×4 Light Protected Vehicle (LPV) specifically for the border security requirements of the South Africa National Defence Force (SANDF).

Revealed for the first time at AAD 2024, the long wheel base variant has been designed and developed in response to SANDF requirements for border patrol missions and counter-insurgency operations, accommodating up to 12 personnel, in a 2+10 configuration due to its additional 675 mm length.

The SANDF is looking for nearly 500 vehicles in three variants to replace its legacy Toyota Land Cruiser patrol vehicles: 210 Section variants, 144 Command variants, and 108 Ambulance variants. Deliveries expected on or before 15 March 2025. National Treasury allocated R500 m in 2024/25 for the procurement of the new vehicles.

The Long Wheel Base Maatla is building on the success of the Maatla, launched during AAD 2022, and in operation with Ghana and the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose border security forces and Gendarmerie are deployed in what Paramount said are some of the most challenging security environments on the African continent.

“The Maatla offers advanced features and reconfigurability, making it the ultimate solution for border patrol and security operations. Built with versatility in mind, the Maatla and its ‘Smart Floor’ technology enables the vehicle’s seating to be quickly removed and adapted for various assignments, including border patrol, ambulance services, command and control, military support, policing, and peacekeeping missions; from reconnaissance to logistics support to medical evacuation,” said Lindiwe Tshabalala, Paramount South Africa CEO.

The Maatla provides all-round STANAG Level 1 ballistic protection, and can protect against handguns and other small calibre ball rounds, with options for additional scalable armour upgrades. The Maatla can reach a road speed of up to 100 km/h, with a cruising range of up to 600 km when traveling at 80 km/h, and a fording depth of up to 750 mm without preparation. The vehicle is fitted with a 2-speed transfer case and 3 differential locks for difficult terrain. The vehicle can be operated in environments with temperatures ranging from -10°C to + 55°C.

Tshabalala added: “Paramount’s extensive experience over three decades has equipped it to develop tailored, cost-effective solutions that address the unique challenges faced by African armed forces. Internal and border security are our key capabilities, whether it be supplying armoured vehicles, crowd control equipment, surveillance aircraft, forward operating bases, specialist training or fusion cells providing real-time intelligence to support informed decision-making by border security forces. By bolstering our border security solutions with the Maatla, we are able to provide our customers the most comprehensive border security solutions on the continent.” (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

 

30 Sept 24. RDM demonstrates Plofadder 160AT Mk II minefield breaching system in Germany. Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) has successfully demonstrated its Plofadder minefield breaching system, launched from a Keiler Next Generation highly protected armoured breaching system, for some 100 international guests from various armed forces, procurement authorities and members of industry.

The demonstration took place on 14 August at the Bergen military training area in northern Germany. Rheinmetall’s Keiler NG first used a mine plough before launching a Plofadder 160AT Mk II rocket-fired detonation cord. This can cut a breach 160 metres long and six metres wide in mine fields and obstacles. Fired in overlapping bursts, the Keiler NG’s two Plofadder systems make it possible to overcome deep enemy mine barriers, Rheinmetall emphasised.

The Keiler NG is based on the chassis of the Kodiak armoured engineer vehicle and thus belongs to the Leopard 2 family. It was presented to the public for the first time at the Eurosatory 2024 trade fair in Paris. An integrated crane is used to load and unload the Plofadder ammunition boxes.

“RDM, as part of the larger Rheinmetall team, is very proud to have been involved in this event,” the company said. “The demonstration created international interest not only in the Keiler NG vehicle, but also in the Plofadder 160 AT Mk II System itself. RDM is positioning itself to produce the Plofadder 160 AT in volume, in order to serve the growing international interest in Minefield Breaching capability.”

The Plofadder (explosive adder), was developed to provide fast-moving attack groups with the capability to breach Anti-Tank (AT) and Anti-Personnel (AP) minefields with minimal loss of momentum. The modular design of the Plofadder 160 AT Mk II allows easy custom integration with a suitable carrier vehicle or trailer.

Once integrated with a carrier vehicle, the system requires no preparation apart from positioning the vehicle approximately 80 meters from the minefield edge and aiming the system in the desired direction. The system is fired with the remote fire control unit mounted on the inside of the carrier vehicle’s cab.

The Plofadder 160 AT Mk II system consists of a 160 m long insensitive line charge weighing 560 kg which is deployed over a minefield by a rocket before it is detonated. The line charge detonates automatically 20 seconds after complete deployment, and is protected against premature or unintended detonation by a Safety and Arming Device (SAD) at the tail end of the line charge. The safety features incorporated into the systems comply with the relevant military and STANAG specifications, including EMI (electro-magnetic interference) resistance.

RDM also offers the man-portable Plofadder 30AP and 70AP anti-personnel minefield breaching systems. The 70AP is portable by two men and the 30AP by one. The systems are contained in backpacks and weigh approximately 24 kg each. The 70AP can clear a path 70 by .6 metres wide, and the 30AP can clear a path 30 by .6 metres wide.

The Plofadder system is in service with various militaries, including those of South Africa and Spain. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)

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TEK Military Seating Limited

 

TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.

 

From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.

 

Contact: Paul Fleming

 

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