18 Feb 15. Australia releases RfT for 225 combat reconnaissance vehicles. A request for tender (RfT) for 225 combat reconnaissance vehicles (CRV) to provide a mounted combat reconnaissance capability for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) was released on 19 February by the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO). The RfT, closing on 25 June, encompasses the first tranche of what will be the ADF’s largest-ever land systems acquisition programme. Currently costed at more than AUD10bn (USD7.8bn), Project Land 400 will see the replacement between 2020 and 2025 of the army’s ageing fleets of ASLAV light armoured vehicles and M113AS4 armoured personnel carriers. The next generation platforms sought under the project as the Land Combat Vehicle System (LCVS) comprise the CRV (Land 400 Phase 2), an infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) – backed by a manoeuvre support vehicle – that will more effectively carry the fight to an enemy (Phase 3), and an integrated training system (Phase 4). (Source: IHS Jane’s)
18 Feb 15. New Zealand MoD assesses C-17 Globemaster III aircraft. The New Zealand Ministry of Defence (MoD) has assessed the capabilities of the C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft as part of its long-term review of the country’s airlift capability. The MoD is currently in the process of receiving C17 price and availability information from the US Government. It received a first-hand experience of the Royal Australian Air Force C-17 capabilities, when it delivered a consignment of sandstone for the Anzac war memorial in Wellington. New Zealand Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee said: “Consideration of New Zealand’s continuing engagement in the Antarctic, and our ability to respond to natural disasters and provide humanitarian aid in the Pacific, means options for future airlift capability need to be explored. “While there is no commitment to purchase any C17s, it seems sensible to view the Australian aircraft while it is in the capital. The need for replacement airlift capability has been long anticipated and is foreshadowed in the Defence Mid Point Rebalancing Review. “While the C17 may not prove to be the best solution for New Zealand, we owe it to ourselves to look at it seriously while we can.” The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) currently has five upgraded C-130H Hercules aircraft and two Boeing 757s in its transport fleet, which are scheduled to be retired from service between 2018 and 2025. New Zealand Labour defence spokesman Phil Goff was quoted by The New Zealand Herald as saying that the C-17 deserved serious consideration as a replacement for the ageing C-130 Hercules fleet. Manufactured by Boeing, the C-17 Globemaster is a military tactical transport aircraft designed to conduct rapid strategic airlift of troops and supply of palleted cargo to main operating bases or forward-operating bases in extreme climates worldwide. Apart from Australia, the aircraft is also operated by air forces in the US, India, the UAE, Canada, Qatar, the UK, and the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of Nato and Partnership for Peace nations. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
18 Feb 15. Nigerian Navy to commission four warships. The Nigerian Navy is set to commission four newly acquired warships at the Naval Dockyard Ltd, Victoria Island, Lagos, on 19 February. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan will preside over the commissioning of NNS Centenary, NNS Okpabana, NNS Prosperity and NNS Sagbama. A statement posted on the Nigerian Navy’s website read: “The acquisition is a landmark achievement for the Nigerian Navy and the federal government. “The occasion is unique because this is the first time in the history of the Nigerian Navy that four capital warships will be commissioned at once.” The ships will enhance ongoing efforts to improve security in the nation’s maritime environment and help Nigeria meet security challenges. NNS Centenary was acquired from China as part of a contract awarded by the Nigerian Navy in Ap