UNITED KINGDOM
LAND
08 Sep 23. Aimpoint, the leading manufacturer and innovator of red dot sighting technology, has been chosen to deliver mini red dot sights to the Alternative Individual Weapon System, designated L403A1 to UK MOD, via our exclusive UK distributor Edgar Brothers. The AIW will consist of three elements including the rifle system L403A1, the optic system L900A1, and the training system. As part of the optic system, Aimpoint will supply the ACRO® P-2 red dot sight. Built to exceed the requirements of the users, the ACRO series sights have been tested and proven to withstand the extreme shock, vibration, temperatures, and material stresses generated by firing over 20,000 rounds of .40 S&W ammunition. Primarily designed for use on handguns, the ACRO next generation can also be mounted on carbines, shotguns and hunting rifles or utilized as a backup sight on magnified scopes and thermal imagers. These versatile optics are night vision compatible and are the ultimate solution for extremely rugged, low-profile, compact sighting needs.
12 Sep 23. BAE Systems: UK Ministry of Defence raises frontline battlefield munitions order to £410m. BAE Systems has secured an additional £130m of new orders for the supply of munitions to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). The award follows the decision by the MOD to exercise the option to increase the supply contract announced in July from £280m to £410m. The full order with Defence Equipment and Support will be supplied via BAE Systems’ facilities in Washington, Tyne and Wear, and Glascoed, South Wales. The overall contract will create more than 200 new highly skilled jobs in the North of England and South Wales, boosting the Company’s 1,200-strong UK munitions workforce. (Source: Google/BUSINESS WIRE)
13 Sep 23. Elbit Systems UK has been awarded a contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to develop and provide artillery and mortar training simulators. The Interim Indirect Fire Simulation (IIDFS) will be provided to the Royal School of Artillery (RSA) at Larkhill, the Combined Arms Manoeuvre School (CAMS) at Warminster and the Collective Training Group (CTG) at training locations in the UK and abroad. Elbit Systems UK will develop, produce and integrate simulators for the British Army’s 81mm mortars and 105mm Light Gun, providing simulated ammunition and a unique, high technology interface for live communication between instructors and military personnel. Supported by Elbit Systems UK’s unique open architecture the systems will allow for simultaneous individual and collective training of military personnel. Elbit Systems UK will also provide ongoing training and technical support throughout the three-year programme. This contract awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence builds on Elbit Systems UK’s existing array of advanced training and simulation systems deployed to the British Army, and will also leverage the experience of its subcontractor, Van Halteren Technologies, from the Netherlands, who have already delivered similar systems globally. The contract will create and sustain jobs across Elbit Systems UK sites, and its supply chain.
08 Sep 23 Electrified all-terrain vehicle start-up Fering has secured a contract to develop and supply a military version of its innovative Pioneer 4×4. The British company will build and supply special prototypes for evaluation ahead of full production, working closely with a specialist tactical unit. These will be built alongside civilian versions of the vehicle. In addition to the unique flexibility offered by the Pioneer’s innovative design, defence buyer are especially interested in the opportunities to create ‘micro grids’ in remote locations using the Fering’s electrified powertrains.
12 Sep 23. Fischer Panda UK has secured a major contract with a global aerospace and defence company to equip the latest commission of AJAX military fighting vehicles with ultra quiet generator systems. This is one of the highest value contracts that Fischer Panda UK has secured, worth over £10m. The British Army’s future, advanced armoured fleet of AJAX vehicles will be fitted with Panda AGT 8000 PVM-NE 24v (28v) generators. These units have been developed and built to meet the military standards and specification required for this project utilising variable speed DC generators that have the ability to operate in extreme temperature ranges between -46°C to +50°C.
13 Sep 23. HENSOLDT has received a follow-up order from the American L3Harris (formerly Viasat) for the delivery of high-performance electronics that will optimise NATO data links and thus the networking of individual troop units. The contract, worth a high single-digit m amount, covers the manufacture and delivery of a further 100 power amplifiers for the MIDS LVT (Multifunctional Information Distribution System, Low Volume Terminal) data radio system of the US and European NATO troops of all branches of the armed forces. Since the first order in 2003, HENSOLDT has thus supplied approximately 4,500 power amplifiers for the MIDS programme.
13 Sep 23. A multi-million-pound subcontract has been awarded to HUBER+SUHNER, to supply radio frequency and low frequency cable harnesses for the British Army’s Boxer MIV Programme. The contract ensures the Boxer vehicles will be equipped with cable harnesses that will provide safe, reliable and mission-critical operation for British Army Boxer crews. With a global presence across 80 countries, HUBER+SUHNER will carry out the work at its Oxfordshire and Staffordshire facilities, to ensure UK skilled manufacturing roles for the Boxer programme. The contract will also support growth, including recruitment of additional roles in engineering and operations, with further recruitment planned over the coming years.
12 Sep 23. MTL Advanced Ltd (stand H5-101), a leading contract manufacturing and fabrication specialist, has announced its recent success in being awarded additional multi-million, multi-year defence contracts from KNDS for the UK’s Boxer programme. MTL Advanced is adding to its current contract to supply armoured steel kits of parts for over 450 Drive Modules to KNDS’s fabrication line in Stockport. In addition to this existing contract, MTL has now also been awarded a further contract to undertake the full fabrication and assembly of Mission Modules. These contracts, which have a combined value in excess of £40 m over the next 8 years, mark another significant milestone for MTL Advanced and demonstrate customers confidence in MTL’s abilities and reputation as the leading supplier of complex armoured fabrications to the defence industry.
13 Sep 23. Oxley Group has secured its position as leading the global market in vehicle lighting following the award of the contract for LED lighting for the British Army’s upgraded Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank (MBT). The contract, awarded by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL), is worth £1.39m. Oxley Group will be providing internal cabin lighting, breach lighting and task lighting for the programme, with manufacturing commencing in 2025. This contract follows Oxley’s recent success in securing the contract for the LED lighting on the UK MOD’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) programme, ensuring commonality for the internal lighting across both platforms.
12 Sep 23. Pearson Engineering has furthered its contribution to British Army armoured vehicle programmes, with a contract from KNDS to manufacture Mission Modules for the British Army’s BOXER Mechanised Infantry Vehicle. The contract award means that BOXER, Challenger 3, and AJAX will all include key components manufactured at Armstrong Works, marking a return to strength for defence manufacturing in Newcastle. As a direct consequence, Pearson Engineering has recently announced over £5,000,000 in capital investments, to enhance manufacturing capability and capacity. Pearson Engineering’s scope of work is to provide Mission Module hulls for the Armoured Personnel Carrier variant, bringing together a wide range of skills and manufacturing services at Armstrong Works, provided together with daughter company, Responsive Engineering.
12 Sep 23. A £6m subcontract has been awarded to Quantic Thistle to supply encoders for the British Army’s upgraded Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank (MBT). The contract ensures that the British Army’s Challenger 3 will have reliable and highly accurate sensors ensuring the effectiveness of the main armament. Under the contract, Quantic Thistle (formerly Thistle Design) will supply RBSL with a Turret Displacement Unit, in support of the UK MOD’s tank upgrade programme. The unit forms part of the new turret, providing precise turret position data to the vehicle’s systems. As a UK-based SME and manufacturer, this success enhances the long-term security of the business, its employees, and Quantic Thistle’s role in both the local and wider manufacturing community, which in turn supports the UK prosperity agenda.
12 Sep 23. Roke, a UK based Prime Contractor, today confirmed it has signed a £40m contract to deliver the next two years of Project ZODIAC for the British Army. ZODIAC is the backbone of the Army’s Land ISTAR Programme, and will deliver an integrated Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) system, which will transform how the Army undertakes data-led decision making in the Land environment to gain operational advantage. As the Prime Systems Integrator for the project, Roke will integrate sensors, deciders and effector systems to deliver a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) ISTAR system that will operate in the Degraded, Denied, Intermittent and Limited-Bandwidth (DDIL) communications environment of the modern battlefield.
11 Sep 23. UK MoD Procures $8m of Troposcatter COMET Systems for 3 (UK) Division. Spectra Group (UK) Ltd, a specialist provider of secure voice, data and satellite communications systems, announces the procurement by UK MoD of Troposcatter Compact Over-the horizon Mobile Expeditionary Terminal (COMET) systems and a comprehensive spares support package for 7 Signal Group and use by the UK’s strategic land warfare asset 3 (UK) Division. As announced in September 2019, Spectra Group is the UK and NATO distributor for Troposcatter on behalf of US company Comtech Systems Inc. Spectra Group have been working closely with UK MoD and their strategic capability teams to better understand the increasing demands for greater range, bandwidth and data capacity to connect strategic and operational headquarters while deployed on operations. More recently they have been involved in detailed discussions, capability demonstrations and various agile command and control experiments to prove the benefits of using their Troposcatter technology, which has resulted in this $8 m order for 3 (UK) Division. This purchase, via the NATO catalogue, is an excellent example of how the MoD can quickly deliver critical capability required by frontline troops using the Rapid Acquisition Team methodology and reinforces CGS’s aspiration to use technology to remain agile and be ready for the next conflict not the last.
AIR
13 Sep 23. The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) has awarded BAE Systems a contract to develop its Striker II Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) for the Royal Air Force (RAF) Typhoon fleet. Developed at BAE Systems in Rochester, Kent, Striker II is one of the world’s most advanced fighter helmets which uses the latest technologies to integrate its all-digital night vision system and daylight readable colour display. Striker II displays data directly onto the pilot’s helmet visor, providing an augmented reality of the real world alongside mission critical information right before their eyes. Under the new contract, BAE Systems engineers are maturing the helmet’s capability ahead of the start of initial production to support qualification and integration flight-testing at BAE Systems’ combat air site in Warton, Lancashire.
13 Sep 23. Solid State plc (AIM: SOLI), the specialist value added component supplier and design-in manufacturer of computing, power, and communications products, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a multi-m pound agreement to work with Saab AB Surveillance, headquartered in Sweden, on a naval ELINT antenna system through its Systems division, Steatite. Saab and Steatite have signed a framework agreement across Steatite’s five business units to design, test and deliver high-quality RF and wireless communication equipment from its broad portfolio. The company will supply elements from its world-leading antenna design and manufacturing facilitity in Leominster, UK, amongst other components.
TECHNOLOGY
13 Sep 23. Cervus, ST Engineering Antycip and Hadean awarded 4-year contract to transform decision support for the British Field Army. A consortium of UK SMEs has received a 4-year contract to develop a Field Army specific version of their decision support tool, Forge. The group consists of Defence software enablers, Hadean, Simulation specialists, ST Engineering Antycip and Data analytics experts, Cervus. Leveraging their understanding of Army Experimentation and their natural synergies as disruptive and innovative SMEs, the companies will combine their expertise to offer a simulation toolbox that harnesses the transformative power of adaptive simulation, analytics and cloud native technologies.
EUROPE
LAND
11 Sep 23. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT and TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems” or the “Company”) announced today that it was awarded a contract worth $109m to supply BAE Systems Hägglunds (BSH) the Iron Fist Active Protection System (APS) for its CV90 platform, for a European customer. The contract will be carried out over three years. The Iron Fist APS is characterized by low volume, weight and power requirements. The system provides armored platforms with 360-degree protection from a wide variety of anti-armor threats, such as rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) and up to KE tank rounds in both open terrain and urban environments. The APS sensor combines the dual technologies of search-and-track radar and infra-red cameras with data fusion algorithms, allowing for the rapid, reliable and accurate threat detection, identification and tracking. The system destroys threats by launching an explosive charge toward the incoming threat’s vicinity, and exploding it to create a shock wave that breaks apart or deflects the threat at a safe distance from the protected platform.
11 Sep 23. NATO members Estonia and Latvia have signed a contract for a joint purchase of the German medium-range air defence system IRIS-T for 400m euros ($430m), the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments said on Monday. (Source: Reuters)
12 Sep 23. DoD/DSCA Notifies Congress of FMS of Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System to Poland. The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress that the Government of Poland has requested to buy phase two of a two-phase program for an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) enabled PATRIOT Configuration-3+ with modernized sensors and components; the sale includes ninety-three (93) Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) Engagement Operation Centers (EOCs) and one hundred seventy-five (175) IBCS Integrated Fire Control Network (IFCN) relays. Also included are network encryptors; IBCS software development and component integration; U.S. Government and contractor technical support; System Integration Lab (SIL) infrastructure; SIL test tools and equipment; U.S. Government and contractor technical support for SIL; flight test infrastructure and equipment; flight test targets; flight test range costs and fees; U.S. Government and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) flight test services and support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $4.0bn. The principal contractor will be Northrup Grumman, Huntsville, AL. The purchaser has requested offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s). (Source: glstrade.com)
08 Sep 23. NP Aerospace, has been awarded a new development contract by Volvo Defense for the design, manufacture, and supply of composite armoured cabs for militarised versions of their Volvo FMX Series trucks. As part of the contract which was won via competitive bid in October 2022, NP Aerospace has developed a unique solution for fully armoured truck cabs which meets specific NATO STANAG 4569 and AEP-55 requirements for blast, ballistic and artillery shell splinter protection. STANAG Level 2 (KE & FSP) as a minimum with standard armour, with an option to upgrade to STANAG Level 3 (KE & FSP) with applique armour packs.
AIR
12 Sep 23. Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) have entered into an agreement regarding new functionality and adjusted delivery schedules for Gripen E and Gripen C/D. The agreement relates to the period 2023-2030 and the order value is approximately SEK 5.8bi
- FMV and Saab have agreed to revise their existing agreement regarding development and production of Gripen E by adding new functionality, which includes changes to the electronic warfare-, communication- and reconnaissance systems, as well as changes to the delivery schedules for Gripen E and Gripen C/D. In order to secure the Swedish Armed Forces’ operative fighter capability, the Armed Forces, FMV and Saab have agreed on adjusted development- and delivery plans, enabling continued development and operation of Gripen C/D after 2030 in parallel with the introduction of the next generation fighter, Gripen E.
USA
LAND
11 Sep 23. MilDef has, in the third quarter, closed a series of contracts on the US defense market regarding cutting edge rugged IT for digitalization of the U.S. Army, Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), United States Marine Corps (USMC), and U.S. Navy. The United States defense market is the largest defense market in the world, the defense budget equals almost 50 percent of all countries defense budgets combined. MilDef now accelerates US ambitions by consolidating MilDef Inc and the acquired Handheld operations, under one strong and focused unit. By doing so MilDef’s total US footprint is doubled, and the product offering is substantially widened for increased reach into military defense, as well as critical infrastructure domains.
AIR
12 Sep 23. Melbourne-based Aerosonde, a Textron Systems Corporation subsidiary, has won an initial contract valued at up to US$19.5m ($30m) by the US Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to provide UAS operational support to two Independence-class LCS and one Freedom-class LCS variants. This award joins the Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB)-4 and ESB-5, as well as two DDG- class ships, bringing the total number of US Navy ships supported by the Aerosonde® UAS system to seven. Aerosonde will deploy its Aerosonde UAS to provide mission overwatch and extended intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) services with enhanced mission payloads as seen aboard the ESB-5. (Source: https://www.ex2.com.au/)
30 Aug 23. Benchmark Space Systems wins 2nd AFRL contract for new thrusters testing. This is Benchmark’s second SPRINT award in two years, after the company successfully demo’d a prototype thruster burning the (AFRL) developed, Advanced Space Craft Energetic Non-Toxic (ASCENT) monopropellant without the use of a catalyst bed. The milestone trials opened the door to ASCENT as an affordable, viable alternative for a broad range of on-orbit mobility and tactical missions in space. Benchmark’s collaborative work with AFRL and the U.S. Government is a model example of how the company thoroughly vets the safety and optimizes performance of propellant for use in space, such as the flight-proven high-test peroxide (HTP), bi-propellant running the company’s Halcyon product line. Benchmark propellant innovations also include the inert non-toxic powder fueling its Starling systems, and a variety of readily and domestically sourced metals to feed its Electric Propulsion offerings. (Source: Satnews)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
11 Sep 23. Rheinmetall to supply Ukraine with a further 40 Marder infantry fighting vehicles. The German government has commissioned Rheinmetall to supply 40 more Marder infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine. Placed in August 2023, the order is worth a high double-digit m-euro amount. Rheinmetall is pressing ahead with work to overhaul these older vehicles and ensure that the latest lot of Marder IFVs can be delivered as per contract starting in 2023. This order brings the total number of Marder vehicles to be supplied by Rheinmetall to Ukraine to eighty. On 21 March 2023 the company already shipped the first twenty infantry fighting vehicles ordered by the German government for Ukraine. In addition, another twenty Rheinmetall IFVs were ordered in June 2023. These are currently being overhauled and delivered. The vehicles being made available are overhauled Marder 1A3 systems formerly owned by the Bundeswehr. As early as spring 2022, Rheinmetall began restoring the infantry fighting vehicles to a state of immediate combat readiness at its own expense. Work is already underway at Rheinmetall’s plants in Kassel and Unterlüß. The Group can deliver up to ten infantry fighting vehicles a month. Developed for the Bundeswehr and still in service with the German Army, the Marder infantry fighting vehicle numbers among the most reliable weapons systems of its kind anywhere. Steadily modernized, the vehicle has undergone repeated combat upgrades in the course of its career.
SEA
12 Sep 23. Submarine Manufacturing and Products Ltd (SMP), a manufacturer and supplier of subsea rescue equipment, has inked a $100m deal to provide its cutting-edge Submarine Rescue System (SRS) to the Indonesian Navy. This contract will see the SRS hosted on a specially-designed mothership, a collaborative creation of design consultancy Houlder and Indonesian partner, BTI Defence. The ambitious three-year project revolves around SMP’s SRV-F Mk3 rescue submersible. Designed for swift emergency response, the SRV-F Mk3’s capabilities allow it to be deployed both by air and from its mothership. This not only broadens its operational reach but notably shortens the Time To First Rescue (TTFR). (Source: UKDJ)
AIR
12 Sep 23. Elbit Systems Ltd will produce and provide the Artillery Corps of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) with the SkylarkTM 1Transitional Vertical Take-Off and Landing Small Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (Skylark 1 eVTOL), combined with through-life maintenance services for all the IDF Ground Force’s STUAS systems (Skylark 1 & Skylark 3). Weighing up to 20kg, the new Skylark 1 eVTOL is a man-packed or vehicle-based platform offering the endurance and range of a fixed-wing STUAS with the capability to hover, take-off and land vertically. Combined with onboard analytical capabilities, the Skylark 1 eVTOL significantly expands the operations of tactical forces and enables fast deployment in order to organically perform Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) missions. Under the contract, Elbit Systems will replace the Skylark 1 with the new system that will be integrated with the currently operational fleet used by the IDF Ground forces. STUAS from the Skylark family are in operational use in a dozens of countries around the globe.
12 Sep 23. Thaicom Public Company Limited, a leading Asian satellite operator and space technology company, has selected Airbus for its new generation software-defined high throughput satellite. Airbus will provide one of its latest designed satellites – a fully reconfigurable OneSat. This Thaicom satellite will provide extended connectivity in Ku-band over the Asia-Pacific region for ms of users. Thaicom has launched and operated eight geostationary satellites. This is Thaicom’s first flexible satellite, allowing for more adaptability on coverage, frequency and capacity which is crucial in such a dynamic region. (Source: ASD Network)