EUROPE
LAND
02 Nov 17. The Swedish Defense and Material Administration has awarded BAE Systems a contract to deliver 254 additional rounds of Bofors 155mm BONUS ammunition to the Swedish Army. Under this contract, the Swedish Army will strengthen its operational capability with the latest version of BONUS, which is developed and produced in cooperation by BAE Systems in Sweden and Nexter in France. The Swedish Army fires BONUS from BAE Systems-built Archer artillery guns, and the munition is capable of successfully detecting and combating heavily armored vehicles within 35 kilometers. When launched from any 155-millimeter artillery system, the BONUS carrier shell separates to deploy two sensor-fuzed munitions that then search for targets within a given footprint, up to 32,000 square meters. Each of the two expelled munitions independently seeks and neutralizes its own target. Sweden has used this smart munition since 2003. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
01 Nov 17. Copenhagen Sensor Technology A/S (CST) has been awarded a contract with General Dynamics European Land Systems – Mowag (GDELS-Mowag) to provide Local Situational Awareness System (LSAS) for the Irish Defence Forces Piranha III APC upgrade. This program is set with a delivery plan from 2017 – 2021. Following negotiations, CST was selected as the preferred supplier by GDELS-Mowag for the LSAS which will provide local situational awareness for each vehicle consisting of both day & night capacity, IR lamps, multi-functional digital displays, matrix and cable set. Images from all sensors can be shared around the vehicle. The functional display can be customized to suit the user / operator’s requirements and multiple images can be viewed on screen to provide maximum information as required. The structure of the system allows the operator to plug and play with different sensors and will allow future updates as required. All mission systems will include CST’s Citadel Quattour Cam, which can support both day & night operations, colour and thermal imaging capability to enable the driver and crew members of the vehicle to operate safely and with confidence in all weather conditions. In addition, the mission system will consist of Citadel compact cameras to support a 360-degree surveillance in order to secure, as well as support all crew members during operations. (Source: Armada)
03 Nov 17. The German Bundeswehr has awarded Rheinmetall a contract to supply it with new practice ammunition for main battle tanks. This is the German Army’s first-ever order of the new full-calibre 120mm practice ammunition, which it refers to as the DM98. In September 2017 Rheinmetall booked a first order to manufacture and deliver 10,000 rounds of DM98 ammunition, which will reach the Bundeswehr before the end of the year. In light of current German training requirements, Rheinmetall expects to receive an order for a further 3,200 cartridges at the beginning of 2018, with shipment due to take place in the first quarter of the year. The entire order value for the initial requirement totals €24.7m, including value added tax. Of this amount, €18.5 million (without VAT) was already booked in the third quarter of 2017 as an incoming order. Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH developed the 120mm full-calibre round as a successor to the earlier DM18. Essential characteristics of the new cartridge include a geometry and length comparable to its DM18 predecessor and above average accuracy even at ranges exceeding 2,000 metres. It also features a tracer function that assures good, steady visibility in all light conditions. In response to an urgent operational requirement, the new round – initially known as the RH88 – was qualified in 2015 for all variants of Leopard 2 main armament, with Denmark serving as the pilot customer. In 2016 it was successfully qualified with a second packaging system by the Bundeswehr, and introduced as the DM98. The official designation in English is “Cartridge 120mm x 570, DM98