EUROPE

LAND

30 Mar 10. The U.K. MoD announced a new deal to supply smoke grenades and pyrotechnics to ensure British troops continue to receive the best training and kit for operations. The munitions will fulfil a variety of roles such as providing smoke screen cover on operations, flare markers for parachutists landing in difficult environments and in pre-deployment training to simulate battle conditions, including weapon fire and explosions. The contract extension, worth just under £40m, with Chemring Defence UK Ltd, based in Draycott, Derbyshire, will supply a range of 52 general munitions, including signal flares and battle noise simulators for use on operations in Afghanistan and in pre-deployment training.

08 Apr 10. France has ordered 260 Javelin Anti-Tank Guided Missiles, 76 Command Launch Units with Integrated Day / Thermal Sights, and associated equipment and logistical support under a $69m US foreign military sale programme. Under the proposed sale, France has also requested missile simulation rounds, an Enhanced Basic Skills Trainer, Javelin Weapon Effects Simulator Trainers, two-level maintenance, batteries, battery coolant units, spare and repair parts and other related elements of logistics support. The enhanced military equipment will be used to reinforce France’s homeland defence, to contribute to overseas contingencies and NATO operations, and to fight regional threats. (Source: army-technology.com)

05 Jan 10. Ballistic Sensor Fused Munition (BSFM): In Service Date. The International Defence Minister said (5 Jan 10) that the planned in service date for the BSFM is 2012, “subject to an internal review which is expected to conclude shortly”.
Comment: GIWS of Nurnberg, Germany, was awarded an £83m contract for the development and supply of BSFM in November 2007. It is claimed that the new munition, fired from the 155mm AS90 self-propelled howitzer, will be able to “seek out and destroy hostile armoured vehicles” at ranges up to 22.5km. The number of BSFM being procured has not been made public. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 10/02, 10 Jan 10)

26 Mar 10. BAE Systems has been awarded a £135m ($200m) contract to commence series production of 48 Archer 155mm self-propelled artillery gun systems and their associated ammunition handling systems for the Swedish and Norwegian armed forces. The first operational systems are expected to be delivered in October 2011 and production will continue over the following two years. This production contract follows a £100m ($146m) development programme which began in 2003. Archer is an advanced and automated artillery gun system in production, designed for rapid deployment and high mobility in the most demanding operational scenarios. The digital fire control system and automatic gun-laying capability allows a response to calls for fire within 30 seconds while the ordnance is securely stowed and ready for rapid redeployment within 30 seconds of the completion of a fire mission.

03 Feb 10. Multiyear medium caliber ammunition supply contract. The French procurement agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement -DGA) has just awarded Nexter Munitions a multiyear contract to supply 20mm, 25mm and 30mm combat and training medium caliber ammunition. Deliveries of the 1,880,000 cartridges covered by this €139m (inc. VAT) contract will
take place until mid-2016, providing continuity of delivery with the 1,135,000 cartridges already supplied under the previous multiyear contract.

25 Jan 10. Air Weapons Ranges: Management. The MoD announced (25 Jan 10) that a contract has been awarded to QinetiQ to manage air weapons training activity for three years from 1 Apr 10. The contract, worth over £5m, includes an option to extend the arrangement by up to two years. QinetiQ is also to provide a variety of services including IT (information technology) support, communications and the maintenance of targets. The ranges involved are at RAF Tain on the Moray Firth, RAF