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16 Dec 21. Ajax, it was staring them in the face! Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that the harmonics problems encountered by GDUK in the Trials of the Ajax vehicle were a likely result of the changes to the structure of the vehicle to lighten the chassis. This change would have introduced harmonics which are common in such design changes. These harmonics cause all the symptoms noticed in the crews and are difficult to locate as the high pitched harmonics ae difficult to locate as the resonate throughout the vehicle. The fix for the problem vibration dampers are required to dampen the frequency caused by harmonics throughout the vehicle; the crew cannot hear the harmonics as they are in the ultrasound frequency. This lapse of understanding of armour structure and properties is a clear example of the lack of investment in ballistics and armour technology by the MoD since the closure of Fort Halstead by DERA. GDUK has less inherent expertise in armour given that the origins of GDUK was radios and comms not, armour with armour being added when the Scout opportunity arose. Even then the technology was Spanish through Santa Barbara Sistemas not via the GDLS in the US where the historic armour expertise lies. So, as we said in our piece Ajax fixed by 2032? (See: BATTLESPACE UPDATE Vol.23 ISSUE 47, 22 November 2021 MILITARY VEHICLE, LOGISTICS AND THROUGH LIFE UPDATE). This should come as a relief to the Treasury, MoD, DE&S, the Army and GDUK but cause red faces all round!
The full Report is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ajax-noise-and-vibration-review
Extracts: EMC Issues. Quality issues associated with, but not limited to, inconsistent routing of cabling, lack of bonding and weld quality; all of which can lead to potential electromagnetic compatibility issues with communication equipment. As witnessed during trials, insecure components and bolting within the vehicle can also lead to noise and vibration, and again this was noted by ATDU crews. (See: Ajax – Send Again Over By Julian Nettlefold.
Expertise: The number of Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel available to consider safety aspects of the programme in both DE&S and GDUK was identified in Ajax PMRS reports as being a programme constraint. It was later noted in PMRS in Autumn 2020 that while the size of the teams had increased, it had not had the desired impact; safety case preparation and issues were still being dealt with in a sequential rather than concurrent manner due to capacity constraints.
In January 2020, Dstl, who had provided expert advice to the programme since 2018, raised concerns with DE&S regarding noise and vibration on the Ajax platform including the risk that GDUK’s noise and vibration calculator underestimated actual levels, potentially leading to excessive exposure.
In February 2020, CO ATDU wrote to the Army Capability Directorate: o “As the Duty Holder I do not recommend conducting the trials under the current safety advice and controls for the following reasons: 1) The mitigation strategy of using unverified GD data and calculator is unethical and does not constitute safe practice/conduct. 2) Use of the in-service calculator and health monitoring regime may not be appropriate as the hazard appears to exceed that of in-service platforms – this is not safe practice/conduct and does not constitute a satisfactory duty of care. 3) I do not have confidence in the GD track record of providing timely, effective and thorough safety information.”
Conclusion 101. Nothing in this Review detracts from the fact that GDUK has designed and built what MOD maintains is thus far a vehicle which is not fit for purpose and does not meet the contracted specification. The root cause that allowed a vehicle to cause potential harm to Army personnel through noise and vibration during the trials process was not a failure of a single individual or Defence Organisation. It was a complex combination of the Armed Forces’ relationship to harm and weaknesses in MOD’s acquisition system. The impact of Covid was also felt, both delaying trials and making communication more difficult. 102. From a cultural perspective, the Army did not believe it was potentially causing harm to people, especially from vibration, as it was tacitly expected that soldiers can and should endure such issues. Society and the law expect MOD to do better and requires it to have systems in place that protect its people from harm. 103. Within the acquisition system, safety is not viewed as an equal partner to cost, schedule and military capability, and the culture in MOD does not currently ensure safety is considered within strategic decision-making. 104. To have confidence that the events covered in this report will not be repeated, culture change needs to be progressed in the two areas above.
BATTLESPACE Reader comment: You say MVEE/RARDE lack of investment/people is the cause of the problem. You are right to some extent but there is another crucial dimension, which is the absence of UK AFV industrial expertise in the programme. There was a strong base of knowledge in design and manufacture of armoured hulls in both Telford and Leeds/Newcastle. Due to the MOD’s serial indecision and incompetence in AFV procurement this expertise was allowed to wither/disperse/die. Choosing to base Ajax on a Spanish/Austrian design needing a lot of development work was inevitably going to lead to trouble. I can say with confidence that if they had based the development work in UK or Sweden, either of which options they could have pursued through the UK AFV prime contractor, and on a Warrior development or a CV 90 development, they would not have had the problems they have had, and the UK/Sweden would have had the industrial benefit from the programme and, perhaps, export markets to follow. Terrier was another disaster. Due to MOD ignorance of the risks being run they chose the Royal Ordnance design rather than the Alvis Vickers design. Instead of sub-contracting the hull manufacture to Telford, which was the basis of the RO offer and an important point for MOD, RO chose to contract the prototype hulls to a British Steel plant, Scunthorpe I think. In the prototype phase of a monococque AFV development the hull is revised in design and manufacture almost daily because everything comes together where it meets the hull. Constant adjustments are needed, which can only be managed by the closest integration of design office and shop floor. The equivalent in the aircraft industry would be Wharton trying to develop a new aircraft with the fuselage being built somewhere else. Terrier ended up years late and cost both BAE and MOD a lot of pain and additional expense. Side note: the Boxer hull was designed and all protypes built at Telford. Even KMW/Rheinmetall acknowledged that they did an outstanding job.
22 Dec 21. Indian Army inducts armoured engineer reconnaissance vehicles. The armoured engineer reconnaissance vehicles can conduct land and water reconnaissance activities. The Indian Army has inducted the first batch of domestically developed armoured engineer reconnaissance vehicles. The official induction ceremony was attended by the Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane. According to a Ministry of Defence statement, the first set of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)- designed vehicles were assigned to the Corps of Engineers of Indian Army.
“Despite the various restrictions imposed by the Covid pandemic since the last one year, supply of the vehicle to Indian Army has been on schedule,” the statement added.
The armoured engineer reconnaissance vehicles (AERVs) were manufactured by Ordnance Factory Medak & Bharat Electronics in Pune.
The vehicle is designed to perform navigation, reconnaissance of water obstacles and boggy patches to support engineering engineer tasks. It can also be used to conduct reconnaissance and provide real time update to force commanders.
Additionally, the AERV can check soil strength to determine if they are motorable for military vehicles.
It is equipped with a central computer to support automatic storage and print recce data.
The government statement added: “The system will enhance existing engineer reconnaissance capabilities of Indian Army and would be a major game changer in support of mechanised operations in future conflicts.”
Earlier this year, the Indian Army inducted the first production lot of 12 10m-Short Span Bridging System (SSBS).
The bridging system will enable faster troop movement and improve resource mobilisation. (Source: army-technology.com)
The armoured engineer reconnaissance vehicles can conduct land and water reconnaissance activities.
The Indian Army has inducted the first batch of domestically developed armoured engineer reconnaissance vehicles.
The official induction ceremony was attended by the Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane.
According to a Ministry of Defence statement, the first set of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)- designed vehicles were assigned to the Corps of Engineers of Indian Army.
“Despite the various restrictions imposed by the Covid pandemic since the last one year, supply of the vehicle to Indian Army has been on schedule,” the statement added.
The armoured engineer reconnaissance vehicles (AERVs) were manufactured by Ordnance Factory Medak & Bharat Electronics in Pune.
The vehicle is designed to perform navigation, reconnaissance of water obstacles and boggy patches to support engineering engineer tasks. It can also be used to conduct reconnaissance and provide real time update to force commanders.
Additionally, the AERV can check soil strength to determine if they are motorable for military vehicles.
It is equipped with a central computer to support automatic storage and print recce data.
The government statement added: “The system will enhance existing engineer reconnaissance capabilities of Indian Army and would be a major game changer in support of mechanised operations in future conflicts.”
Earlier this year, the Indian Army inducted the first production lot of 12 10m-Short Span Bridging System (SSBS).
The bridging system will enable faster troop movement and improve resource mobilisation. (Source: army-technology.com)
21 Dec 21. Soldiers will test Army’s new robotic combat vehicle in 2022. Soldiers will drive the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle through major testing in 2022. In 2021, the Army received both the light and medium variants of the RCV and started work in small teams before a planned company-level evaluation this coming year. Army Times reported in mid-2021 that soldiers with 3rd Infantry Division ran the RCV through two weeks of live-fire testing for the robot battle buddy expected to fight parallel with the Next Generation Combat Vehicle.
The Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment soldiers out of Fort Benning, Georgia, did platoon-level live fires with the RCVs at Camp Grayling, Michigan, in late April 2021.
Those tests were done on a prototype platform before RCV industry developers delivered the actual prototypes, though.
Soldiers used a remote control from behind a berm and tethered drone video feeds to locate targets. They then struck enemy vehicles with two or fewer corrections using M249 Squad Automatic Weapons, M2 .50 caliber machine guns and Mk19 grenade launchers mounted on the RCV stand-in.
The RCV Light is a diesel-electric hybrid with a gross vehicle weight of no more than 8,500 pounds and a maximum payload of no more than 7,000 pounds. It boasts a top speed of about 40 miles per hour, Army Times sister publication Defense News previously reported. Defense News also reported that the RCV-M is a diesel-electric hybrid with a gross vehicle weight of 25,000 pounds. It is equipped with a remotely operated 30mm cannon and has a top speed of over 25 miles per hour. (Source: Defense News)
20 Dec 21. Indian DRDO lab ADRDE demonstrates CADS-500 system. The system is designed to perform precise delivery of heavy payloads. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has demonstrated the capabilities of its Controlled Aerial Delivery System with 500kg payload capacity (CADS-500).
The trials are part of a range of activities planned to commemorate India’s 75 years of Independence.
The Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the demonstration was carried out by the DRDO’s Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) in Agra.
ADRDE is a research and development (R&D) laboratory of DRDO.
CADS-500 uses a Ram Air Parachute’s (RAP) gliding and manoeuvrable capability to deliver the attached payload.
In the flight demonstration, the CADS-500’s system performance was showcased at the drop-zone in Malpura, India.
An AN-32 twin engine, tactical light transport aircraft was used to para-drop the system from an altitude of some 5,000m.
The CADS system was then directed in an autonomous mode to the ‘predesignated landing point’.
A total of 11 paratroopers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army successfully chased the CADS in the air and landed at the same time.
According to the MoD, the CADS-500 system uses Global Positioning System (GPS) during the flight for heading information and waypoint navigation to direct its flight path autonomously. Earlier this year, DRDO delivered retractable landing gear (RLG) systems for two different class of uncrewed aerial vehicles namely, Tapas and SWiFT. (Source: naval-technology.com)
18 Dec 21. The UK MoD has released further images of the new Royal Marines Polaris MRZR-D4, this time under Open Government Licence terms. The JOINT-FORCES team has been well aware for some time that the Royal Navy has procured a batch of Polaris MRZR-D4 UTVs (Utility Task Vehicles) for the Royal Marines, it is understood via the NSPA (NATO Support and Procurement Agency) system rather than through a comparative tender and trials process, but although we asked the UK representatives of the American manufacturer for details and quantities supplied they were unable to discuss due to contractual confidentiality clauses. It has also been apparent that a version of the MRZR has been in service with UK Special Forces for a number of years (it has also been adopted by US Special Forces, US Marines and US Airborne) and it appears likely that the new British Army Ranger Regiment, as part of the new UK Special Operations Brigade, will be equipped with this vehicle too. This July WO2 Chris Burge, the UK Commando Force’s master driver, was quoted on the Royal Navy’s website as saying: “Because of the Littoral Strike concept and the transformation of the commando forces, Royal Marines are trialling the light mobility vehicle and with that we are using the MRZR-D4 as a proof of concept.” He continued, “The MRZR-D4 is going to be used as an agile, nimble vehicle designed for smaller teams to get across the battlefield… It hasn’t got armour protection, so with that it’s more for manoeuvre and agility than for weapons systems.“
A small number of official photos of the MRZR-D4 being used by Alpha Company of 40 Commando RM on GREEN DAGGER 2021 were previously released, but only under the highly restrictive UK MoD New Licence which prevented us producing a feature in case we should incur the wrath of the Whitehall seat-polishers. However now that the accompanying images, taken by LPhot Joe Cater at 29 Palms MCAGCC in October, have been released under OGL (Open Government Licence) we can at last produce this feature. The block caption accompanying these images includes:-
“Littoral Response Group (South) have been conducting subunit training [in] the deserts of California to take on their US Marine Corps (USMC) counterparts later in a peer-on-peer scenario. Their training is in the excellent, and truly vast, range complex of the Marine [Corps] Air Ground Combat Training Centre at 29 Palms, California. Alpha Company which are 40 Commando Royal Marines Mobility Company have been using the New Royal Marines Vehicle, the MRZR which is a Polaris off road buggy to practise their drill…” (Source: Joint Forces)
18 Dec 21. The Spanish Ministry of Defence army logistic support command has received 24 EINSA NETON 4×4 light Special Operations Vehicles. On 14th December 2021 the Spanish Ministry of Defence (Ministerio de Defensa) announced receipt of 24 NETON 4×4 Special Operations Vehicles, manufactured by EINSA (Equipos Industriales de Manutención S.A.) of Alcalá de Henares near Madrid.
Based on a Toyota 4×4 chassis with a tubular frame open upper body, the NETON is powered by a 152kW / 204Hp diesel engine through a six-speed automatic gearbox giving a top road speed around 160km/hr or 100mph. According to the manufacturer the vehicle, which utilises COTS (Commercial Off-The Shelf) driveline and mechanical components, has kerb weight of approximately 2,400kg and can carry slightly over 1,000kg payload. From images released yesterday by the Spanish MoD it appears that their version of the NETON has seating for four, with a central weapons ring mount and secondary commander’s pintle mount, but EINSA also offer a nine-seat (2+3+4) configuration. It is air-transportable by C-130, C-295 and A400M military aircraft and two could be carried inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, though one is more likely. (Source: Joint Forces)
18 Dec 21. M1A2 Abrams order greenlit. The Australian government has reportedly approved the multi-bn-dollar order of a fleet of the armoured fighting vehicles. Australian Army’s request to purchase 75 M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams Main Battle Tanks under the LAND 907 Phase 2 project has been reportedly greenlit by the Commonwealth cabinet, with a formal announcement expected to be made imminently.
A separate order for 29 M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles, 18 M1074 Joint Assault Bridges, six M88A2 Hercules Combat Recovery Vehicles, and 122 AGT1500 gas turbine engines as part of LAND 8160 Phase 1 has also been approved.
This follows the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency’s (DSCA) decision to sanction a US$1.7bn ($2.2bn) Commonwealth government request to purchase M1A1 Tank structures/hulls in May.
The M1A2 SEPv3 Main Battle Tanks are expected to upgrade the existing fleet, with no changes to Royal Australian Armoured Corps force structure.
The M88A2 vehicles are to provide additional de-processing and combat vehicle recovery support for the current fleet, while the M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles (ABVs) and M1074 Joint Assault Bridges (JABs) deliver new capability to the Royal Australian Engineers.
The ABVs and JABs are tipped to deliver under-armour bridging and breaching capability, helping to increase the effectiveness and survivability of Australian combat engineers and provide increased mobility for the armoured fleet. (Source: Defence Connect)
17 Dec 21. The Grant Agreement: FAMOUS consortium led by Patria to start the development of the next generation armoured vehicles. Patria, as the industrial coordinator of consortium FAMOUS (European Future Highly Mobile Augmented Armoured Systems), has signed the Grant Agreement (GA) with the European Commission. This funding agreement is worth 9m euros and allows the consortium, which includes 19 leading defence companies from across the EU, to start development work of the next generation armoured vehicles. The FAMOUS consortium’s Kick-Off day was held on December 14, 2021 when the programme was officially launched together with European Commission, Participating Member States representatives and companies.
“It is great to have this project and its development work now officially underway. This FAMOUS consortium is a unique and innovative approach to develop areas of next generation technology that can be utilized in a variety of armoured vehicles and systems – eventually in actual use”, says Jussi Järvinen, President of Patria’s Land Business Unit.
The FAMOUS consortium operates under the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP), which is a programme designed to support the competitiveness and innovation capacity of the Union’s defence industry, in the perspective of the next coming steps in the context of the European Defence Fund (EDF). The FAMOUS programme aims to develop future technologies and performances that enhance ground combat capabilities in the areas of mobility, hybrid operation, power generation and energy storage, such as well as security systems, situational awareness, robotics, C4I solutions, weapon systems and modern life cycle support solutions.
20 Dec 21. US MIARNG offers UH-60 maintenance training to Latvian Air Force. The Latvian Air Force is purchasing four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. The US Michigan Army National Guard (MIARNG) is providing UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter maintenance training to the Latvian Air Force.
MIARNG Company B, 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment is responsible for providing the training. Latvian Air Force captain Raimonds Lugēņins is the first UH-60 maintainer to receive the training in Michigan, MIARNG staff sergeant Tristan Viglianco reported.
US Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 147th Aviation Regiment special projects officer Craig Fleser said: “When we were asked if we could provide training and expertise to the Latvian Air Force, we reviewed their needs and came back with a yes.
“As of right now we plan on training on-the-ground maintainers and crew chiefs in the back of aircraft.”
Lugēņins, who is acting as a test run, has already completed learning UH-60 repair basics. He spent ten weeks for this at Pennsylvania’s Eastern ARNG Aviation Training Site in Fort Indiantown Gap.
He said: “The UH-60 is a totally new helicopter for the Latvian Air Force.
“Since it is a new system, we don’t know about it. Getting insight on maintenance, flying, and operation from experienced guys is a good thing.”
The Latvian Air Force is procuring four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
Currently, Mi-17 Hip serves as the Latvian Air Force’s primary helicopter.
UH-60 crew chief Company B 147th Aviation Regiment US Army sergeant Zach Hollman said: “[Lugēņins] will be receiving the same training that any non-rated crew member who flies and works on Black Hawks receives.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
16 Dec 21. Ajax acquisition debacle prompts legal probe at UK Defence Ministry. What started as a misfiring armored-vehicle program has grown into a full-blown investigation of British Army safety and procurement culture, with the Ministry of Defence planning to appoint a senior legal figure to consider issues highlighted by failings in the Ajax project.
Defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin revealed his intention to appoint a lawyer or judge to undertake the review in a Dec. 15 update to Parliament on progress in resolving significant vibration and noise problems discovered during Army trials ahead of the vehicles being formally handed over by the builder, General Dynamics Land Systems UK.
The review announcement came as Quin listed a catalogue of failure by the Army, the Defence Equipment and Support procurement agency and others to adequately react to the problems exposing soldiers conducting acceptance trials to harm.
“We are commissioning a senior legal figure to look more deeply at Ajax, and not just health and safety; to examine the cultural and process flaws that it has highlighted. We will leave no stone unturned to learn these lessons,” Quin said.
Quin failed to point the finger of blame at those who may have been at fault for serious shortcomings, but said he would do so if misconduct was found.
“If the review uncovers evidence of gross misconduct, those concerned will be held to account, but the primary purpose though is to ensure that we address significant cultural failings,” said the procurement minister.
It is rare that senior legal figures are brought in to investigate problems related to equipment and associated cultural issues.
The most high-profile case in recent times was the appointment of Charles Haddon-Cave by the then-Defence Secretary Des Browne to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash of a Nimrod reconnaissance aircraft in Afghanistan in 2006.
Fourteen crew died in the crash and the report from Haddon-Cave led to the creation of the Military Aviation Authority and a fundamental change in Royal Air Force safety practices.
Of course, nobody has lost their life, or anything close, as a result of the Ajax vibration and noise problems, but a number of soldiers in the British Army trials have suffered health problems, principally damage to hearing.
The Ajax program to deliver a tracked reconnaissance vehicle armed with a 40mm cannon is a key part of British Army plans to restructure some of its forces into strike brigades.
But the contract to build 589 across six variants of the Ajax, at a cost of no more than £5.5bn ($7.3bn), has been dogged with delays.
The deal was signed as far back as 2010, with the vehicle it was planned to replace, the CRV(T), beginning to go out of service starting 2014. That out-of-service date is, some would say optimistically, now set at 2023.
Quin’s announcement of the legal-led investigation into culture and procurement was part of a wider statement to law makers outlining progress on Ajax.
The procurement minister said he still didn’t have 100 % confidence the program would go ahead or when full operating capability would be achieved.
Quin reiterated previous statements saying the MoD had a “robust firm price” with General Dynamics to deliver the vehicles, and wouldn’t accept anything falling short of the full specifications.
Howard Wheeldon, a consultant at Wheeldon Strategic Advisory, said that many questions relating to the future of Ajax still remained unanswered.
“Despite what has been clearly exposed in the procurement ministers statement a lot more water will need to pass under the bridge before we can know the final outcome, cost, blame, who pays and indeed, when and if Ajax will ever enter service with the Army,” he said. “To suggest that a decision will occur early next year is in my view, fanciful to say the least.”
Quin’s assertions about “the robustness of the contract signed with and General Dynamics are noted, but that is not confirmation that it will be General Dynamics that pays to put faults right,” he added. “For all that, it has to be said that there is an air of optimism and that inside the MoD there appears ample faith that the various issues that have impacted on the Ajax program can be addressed.”
General Dynamics has been trialing design modifications to address the vibration problems, and Quin said the MoD expects to receive their analysis in the new year, and if appropriate, the MoD will then test the modifications themselves.
Simultaneously, the procurement minister also published a report from the MoD’s director of health, safety and environmental protection into the health and safety concerns raised by noise and vibration on Ajax.
With unusual candor Quin admitted the report “makes for very difficult reading. It lays bare a deep malaise which is cultural and results in systemic failures across our organizations.”
“The review finds serious failings in the processes followed. The result was that personnel worked on a vehicle that had the potential to cause harm,” he said.
The procurement minister said the review pointed to the fact failure was complex and systemic.
“A culture exists of not treating safety as equally important as cost and time in the acquisition process; and from a cultural perspective, the Army did not believe it was potentially causing harm to people, especially from vibration, as it was tacitly expected that soldiers can and should endure such issues,” he said.
The vehicles, the Ares armored personnel carrier variant, that were delivered by General Dynamics UK had levels of noise and vibration higher than expected in tracked vehicles and above the statutory limit.
“Health and safety is always of paramount importance,” the company said in a statement. “We take it extremely seriously. We remain committed to delivering Ajax into the British Army to provide the transformational capability they deserve.”
The key points of the review listed by Quin were:
- An MoD Safety Notice in December 2018 that said design upgrades were required to reduce vibration. This was not acted upon.
- MoD safety cases and safety management used GDUK calculations that were not independently assured, despite experts at the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (Dstl) advising that the calculations should not be relied upon.
- A report from the Defence Safety Authority in May 2020 identifying some of these issues and entitled “Serious Safety Concerns on Ajax” that was retracted and not pursued, either by the DSA or by the project team in DE&S.
- Multiple warnings from Dstl and from the Armoured Trials and Development Unit that were running the trials were not actioned, even when the ATDU commanding officer questioned the approach as having the potential to expose soldiers to a known hazard which he stated was not a defendable position.
Overall, the report makes 20 recommendations. The MoD has accepted all of those relating specifically to armored vehicle procurements, the regulation of safety for land equipment and the broader approach to safety in defense. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
17 Dec 21. Nexter, Arquus and Thales keep their commitments and deliver the 119th GRIFFON scheduled for 2021. On December 6, 2021, the GME (Groupement Momentané d’Entreprises) EBMR (engin blindé multi rôles) delivered to the French Army the 119th and last GRIFFON planned for 2021. The 119 GRIFFONs were first submitted to the verification operations of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA/SQ) at the Nexter site in Roanne before being sent to the regiments. Thus, the GME team, composed of Nexter, Arquus and Thales, is meeting its delivery target for the year 2021, in accordance with the initial order of April 2017 and the 2019-2025 military programming law.
For the record, 128 GRIFFONs had been submitted for verification in 2020, and 92 in 2019, making a total of 339 GRIFFONs since the notification of the TC2 conditional tranche of the EBMR contract. In addition, all variants of the troop transport version are now qualified, namely the FELIN, sniper section (STE), 81mm mortar (MO81), refuelling (RAV), light intervention element (ELI), engineer (GEN), medium range missile (MMP) variants, in addition to the command post vehicle (EPC) version.
Nexter, Arquus and Thales wish to highlight the quality of the industrial cooperation between all the sites involved in the programme and warmly thank their teams for the work carried out in 2021. Once again, they have shown total commitment to the execution of their mission in the service of the Army. The delivery of GRIFFON vehicles will continue at the same pace in 2022.
15 Dec 21. USMC Berger sidelines AAV from waterborne ops despite improvements. The suspension comes months after an investigation into an accident that left eight Marines and one sailor dead.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger has decided the service will no longer use the Amphibious Assault Vehicle during scheduled deployments or to train in the water during military exercises, a Marine Corps spokesman said today. The vehicle will only return to waterborne operations if needed in a crisis.
The decision to sideline the vehicle comes just a few months after the Marine Corps published its investigation into a July 2020 accident that left eight Marines and one sailor dead. That review, led by a three-star Marine Corps general who has since retired, resulted in nearly two dozen recommendations for changes regarding AAV equipment, procedures and training.
Maj. Jim Stenger, the Marine Corps spokesman, said the service implemented those recommendations and maintains the AAV “is a safe and effective vehicle for amphibious operations.” Nonetheless, he said, Berger’s decision is “in the interest of the long-term health of the amphibious vehicle programs and future capabilities.”
“The AAV will continue to operate on land; 76% of its tasks are land-based. In doing so, we reserve the capability to reverse this decision should the need arise,” said Stenger. “The Marine Corps will continue deployments with myriad lethal capabilities which currently exist, and we remain committed to fielding the Amphibious Combat Vehicle.”
The ACV is the follow-on program to AAV and is being built by BAE Systems along with Iveco Defence Vehicles, which won a competition against the Virginia-based services contractor SAIC in June 2018. The program at the time was valued at $1.2bn. At its core, the ACVs purpose is to rapidly and safely deploy Marines from ship to shore. But the ACV has had its issues as well.
“ACVs were temporarily suspended from open ocean waterborne operations as we worked to solve an issue that was identified with the towing mechanism. We expect that issue to be resolved soon and for ACVs to return to the water early in the New Year,” according to Stenger. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
16 Dec 21. Belgium to receive armoured combat engineer vehicles in 2022. Belgian army engineers will receive four armoured combat engineer vehicles (ACEVs) during the first half of 2022, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 9 December. The ministry said the new vehicles would perform mobility and countermobility support missions and support the survival of deployed troops. To support mobility, it can clear debris from roads and create bypasses. For countermobility, it can erect obstacles and dig anti-tank ditches. To support the survival and security of a detachment, it can conduct cantonment work such as filling bastion walls. It will also provide general support for engineers. With a protection level similar to Belgium’s Piranha, Dingo, and future Griffon armoured vehicles, the ACEV will accompany manoeuvre units deployed abroad, according to the MoD. The ACEV has a speed of at least 60 km/h and is air-transportable by Antonov An-124, C-130, C-17, and A400M, the latter of which is entering service with the Belgian air force. (Source: Janes)
14 Dec 21. British Army resists plans to scrap Ajax tanks over noise concerns. The army’s Ajax light tank programme will not be scrapped and no one will be immediately fired over their handling of complaints that it was making troops deaf, The Times understands.
Jeremy Quin, the procurement minister, will publish a health and safety report tomorrow which will provide a timeline of “troubling” and “concerning” events during the course of the £5.5bn vehicle programme.
He is taking the unusual step of publishing the report in full in an effort to be as transparent as possible about how trials have resulted in more than 300 people being exposed to noise and vibration problems.
A total of 34 troops are receiving specialist outpatient care and five soldiers have either been discharged from the army or medically downgraded.
The report will identify those involved in the decision-making process, having undertaken the Maxwellisation practice of consulting the people criticised in the report.
There have been calls for the programme to be axed and for the highly criticised tank to be replaced with another vehicle, although the army has resisted the plans, believing Ajax to be a central component to the modernisation of its force.
A defence source confirmed that the programme would not be scrapped, saying: “Nothing will be scrapped, no one is going to be fired.”
Asked if that meant no one would be, they said “not immediately” and that the government would continue to look at the process. Senior government sources have previously insisted the report would “not be a whitewash”.
Francis Tusa, a defence analyst, said: “If no one is going to be fired immediately, can we have a timescale on when they will get fired? There is something wrong in army culture. This programme has got into the current state that it is in because of this bad culture. Someone’s neck has to be put on the block.”
The report is expected to recommend that the military becomes more open and forward-leaning in obtaining independent analysis and safety verification during defence programmes.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, is also considering appointing a former high court judge to find out why the army did not act on warnings that soldiers were becoming deaf.
Wallace has said people should “carry the can for some of their decisions”, in a sign that troops could eventually be sacked if they are found to have misled or covered up the problems with the vehicle.
It is understood that one option being considered by Wallace is for a judge-led inquiry, which would compel soldiers to give evidence about what they knew and when. This suggestion comes amid concerns that the army was dishonest about problems with Ajax prior to the integrated review so that Wallace did not axe it.
It is extremely rare for senior officers and soldiers to be held to account for poor decision-making, with sources inside the army claiming that many of those who underperform are simply moved on to other jobs.
The Ajax vehicle is central to a major restructuring of the army which was announced this week, and there are concerns that problems with the vehicle are affecting morale.
More than £3.2n has already been paid to General Dynamics UK, the company responsible for delivering the Ajax vehicles, despite only a few dozen of the 589 being delivered thus far. The vehicles were supposed to be delivered from 2017 to 2024.
It is understood that General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the head of the army, has denied knowledge of the extent of the issues with Ajax.
The MoD has identified two senior officers on the executive committee of the army board as being responsible for the procurement of armoured fighting vehicles, including Ajax.
Lieutenant General Chris Tickell, the deputy chief of the general staff, leads the army portfolio office and therefore provides guidance on the programmes, according to a response to a parliamentary written question.
Meanwhile, Chris Bushell, as director-general land in Defence Equipment & Support, is “the senior official responsible for providing procurement expertise”. He took up the post in December 2019. There is no suggestion either of them misled ministers on the programme. (Source: The Times)
13 Dec 21. Rheinmetall achieves new milestone in British Boxer MIV programme. The British Army will procure the boxer mechanised infantry vehicles (MIVs) in four variants. Rheinmetall has achieved a new milestone in the UK’s mechanised infantry vehicle (MIV) programme that involves delivering more than 500 Boxer vehicles for the British Army. In a Twitter post, the company said that welding work for the first series-production mission modules has begun on schedule. The works began at the company’s site in Kassel, Germany. This comes after Rheinmetall completed welding works on the prototype vehicles in June this year. The German company will deliver a small batch of mission modules, then the majority of the related production services will be transferred to the UK. In November 2019, the British Army placed the order for Boxer MIVs. Artec, a joint venture between Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, is delivering the order. The UK will procure four variants of the vehicle, including an infantry carrying vehicle, a command and control variant, a field ambulance, and a specialist carrier. The deliveries are expected to begin before the end of next year. (Source: army-technology.com)
14 Dec 21. US to provide C408 SkyCourier to FMS customers. The US Department of Defense (DoD) is to provide the Cessna C408 SkyCourier twin-turboprop to Foreign Military Sale (FMS) customers as part of a wider light transport aircraft award for allied nations. The C408, which to date has no military customers, is part of an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) award that the DoD is to make for a range of Textron light transport and liaison aircraft that also includes the Beechcraft B200 and B300 King Air, as well as the Cessna C208 Grand Caravan.
“The United States Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM), Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, and the Fixed Wing Project Office (FWPO), anticipate a potential requirement to satisfy the procurement of civilian fixed-wing turboprop-type aircraft. This effort is in direct support of FMS cases,” the DoD said in its amended notification posted on 9 December. (Source: Janes)
14 Dec 21. Sweden to join the 6×6 vehicle programme. Sweden has officially announced its desire to join the Finnish-led CAVS programme (Common Armoured Vehicle System), which is also open to other countries with the mutual consent of the participating countries. The programme began in 2019 as a multinational cooperation between Finland, Latvia and Estonia. The programme progressed to the research and product development phase with Latvia in autumn 2020. Latvia ordered the first more than 200 personnel carrier armoured vehicles in August 2021, of which Patria delivered the first vehicles to Latvia at the end of October. In turn, the Finnish Ministry of Defence and Patria have signed a letter of intent on ordering 160 new personnel carrier vehicles for Finland in 2023.
“This milestone is significant for the whole programme. Extensive cooperation and network between countries will improve the mobility, cost-effectiveness, cooperation capabilities and maintenance capacity of the participating countries. In addition, the result of this programme is a very cost-effective solution for participating countries,” says Jussi Järvinen, President of Patria’s Land Business Unit.
13 Dec 21. The Israeli Ministry of Defense selected the Allison 4800 Specialty Series™ (SP) transmission for their 8-wheeled Eitan Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV). The Eitan (Hebrew for “steadfast” or “strong”) will replace a portion of Israel’s aging fleet of M113 tracked armored personnel carriers. Allison Transmission received the first production order in September 2021, with deliveries expected to continue for multiple years. The 4800 SP transmissions will be assembled within power packs by the vehicle’s power pack integrator – Rolls Royce Solutions America (Formerly MTU America).
“The Israeli Defense Force has a remarkable defense industrial base that is committed to innovation and fielding transformative technologies. Allison is proud to provide our 4000 Series transmission with advanced features for the Eitan Armored Fighting Vehicle,” said Dana Pittard, Vice President for Defense Programs at Allison Transmission.
The development and production of the Eitan is being led by the Armored Vehicles Directorate at the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Three variants of the Eitan will be fielded – an armored personnel carrier (APC), a command vehicle and an infantry combat vehicle equipped with an unmanned turret and 30mm cannon. The Allison 4800 SP model is currently featured in a number of other large 8 x 8 wheeled armored combat vehicles including the United States Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) and the Boxer AFV in use with several countries including Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The 4800 SP meets all customer requirements for performance, reliability and durability in the large wheeled armored combat vehicle segment. The Allison 4800 SP is also used in the United States Army M1070A1 Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) and M1300 Enhanced Heavy Equipment Transporter System (EHETS) tractor. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE))
10 Dec 21. Janes reported that the Polish Army receives Zmija reconnaissance vehicles. The Polish Army received its first batch of Żmija (Viper) 4×4 long-range reconnaissance vehicles on 7 December, the Ministry of National Defence announced on its website later the same day. The ministry said the first 25 of 118 vehicles ordered are being sent to soldiers operating on Poland’s border with Belarus.
The vehicles will be used by reconnaissance troops, with 18 going to the 2nd Reconnaissance Regiment in Hrubieszów, five to the 9th Reconnaissance Regiment in Warmiński, and two to the Polish Land Forces Training Centre in Poznań.
The Polish Armaments Inspectorate ordered the vehicles from a consortium between Polski Holding Obronny and Concept in September 2017. The Żmija is intended to be used by reconnaissance troops at a range of 150 km, fighting light armour vehicles and low-flying aerial targets and providing fire support for reconnaissance troops on foot. They can be operated off road, and are air transportable by helicopter using an external sling or transport aircraft, which can paradrop them.
According to the Armament Inspectorate of the Polish MoD, Polski Holding Obronny Sp. z o. o., together with the Concept Sp. z o. o. company, have submitted the only, ultimate, and the most profitable offer concerning the procurement of the “Żmija” (Viper) long range reconnaissance vehicles. The consortium formed by the aforesaid companies has proposedthe Wirus LPU (Lekki Pojazd Uderzeniowy – Light Strike Vehicle) platform.
The selection of the winning bid means that after more than two years of tendering, deliveries of 118 Wirus vehicle would begin, and the platform would be received by the reconnaissance units of the Polish Army. The gross value of the order has been defined as PLN 90.7m. According to the adopted offer-assessment criteria, the vehicle proposed by the contractors, along with the complementary package, has received 100% of points (i.e. 85% for the procurement price and 15% for the guarantee-related terms).
The programme assumes that high mobility 4×4 vehicles are acquired, with gross vehicle weight rating not exceeding 2600 kilograms (dry weight of up to 1700 kilograms). The vehicle shall, at the same time, remain capable of carrying three soldiers, armament, specialized equipment and at least 900 kilograms of payload. A vehicle configured in this way should provide the user with autonomous operation capabilities for at least 7 days.
Moreover, the vehicle shall be tailored for land (train), maritime and air transport (in the latter case: within the cargo bay of the C-130E Hercules aircraft and slung under a helicopter). It should also remain possible to drop the vehicle on a parachute. The platform should feature a roll cage and flexible floor ballistic guards, providing protection at level one, in line with STANAG 4569 Annex B norm. In the offroad conditions it is required that the vehicle remains capable of wading through at least 500mm deep water (without preparation), go over 600mm wide ditches and 300mm high vertical obstacles.
The engine shall have minimum power of 90 kW, and it shall be capable of being operated, for a short period of time, with longitudinal (35 degrees) and lateral (25 degrees) tilting of the vehicle. Moreover, the motor should remain of working in neutral gear, with exhaust resistance at the level of 78 kPa.
The wheels should be at least of 15 inch diameter and the tyres should feature run-flat inserts. The vehicle should be, in its standard version, fitted with a winch capable of pulling at least 65% of its gross weight.
Wirus LPU has been in development for a few years now. The first generation of the vehicle was premiered at the Kielce MSPO event back in 2012. Since then, four subsequent variants of the vehicle have been developed. The differences between the 1st and the 4th generation? Primarily – the chassis. Wirus No. 1 was based upon Toyota Hilux chassis, the current iteration is founded on the platform of Mitsubishi L200. The changes resulted from the experience gathered by the Concept company, and from the ever-evolving procurement conditions. For instance, it was unknown how many persons should the “Viper” platform carry, and thus the first Wirus vehicle was to be used by a crew of 4. The 4th Generation which would be received by the long-range reconnaissance units is to carry three-man crew – driver, commander and weapons operator.
Wirus, with its low weight of 1700 kilograms, attains power of 190 HP and torque of 430 Nm. Its main advantages are agility and speed, with the said characteristics being comparable to those of a quad. Its turning radius is very low, ditches or bushes are not a serious obstacle for this platform. The cabin is open, but there is an option to close it. Wirus has been created out of modern materials – e.g. the floor has been created out of fibreglass, which makes the vehicle light and durable. According to the manufacturer of the vehicle, Wirus IV – Viper – is going to be premiered during this year’s edition of the Kielce MSPO Defence Exhibition.
Initially, the procurement procedure involved eight potential contractors, three out of whom have met the requirements defined by the Ordering Party. Alongside the winning consortium, PGZ S.A. and WZM S.A., and JLR Warszawa Sp. z o.o and AMZ Kutno Sp. z o.o companies have also submitted their offer, nonetheless, the two latter consortia did not submit their ultimate proposals. (Source: https://www.defence24.com/)
09 Dec 21. First new Turkish logistic support ship enters service. The first of two new logistic support ships on order for the Turkish Navy, TCG Yüzbasi Güngör Durmus (A 574), has been commissioned into service, Ismail Demir, head of Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB), announced on his official twitter feed on 8 December. The SSB awarded a contract to Turkish shipbuilder Selah Shipyard in November 2014 to design and build the two support ships under the Turkish Navy’s Lojistik Destek Gemisi (LDG) programme. Yüzbasi Güngör Durmus was launched at Selah Shipyard on 8 October 2016, followed by second-in-class Ustegmen Arif Ekmekci (A 575) in July 2017. However, the construction programme experienced significant delays after Selah Shipyard went bankrupt in 2019 before completing the ships. The programme is now being completed at Ada shipyard with STM acting as prime contractor. The support ships have an overall length of 105.4 m, a beam of 16.8 m, and a 5.9m draft. (Source: Janes)
08 Dec 21. Colombian Army receives first batch of surplus M1117 ASVs. The Colombian Army officially received its first 20 Textron M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicles (ASVs) on 2 December. The service is slated to receive 145 vehicles from the United States under the Excess Defense Articles (EDA) programme. This first lot of vehicles initially arrived in the country on 1 October before undergoing deep maintenance checks. The ASVs were officially handed over to the army during a ceremony held in the Buenavista Military Fort located in the Department of La Guajira.
Colombia’s Minister of National Defence, Diego Molano, said that this first batch of M1117 vehicles will be distributed to units deployed along the border with Venezuela to bolster security.
“These vehicles will stop the illegal activity that is taking place today on the border with acts of terrorism, as well as explosives, weapons, and ammunition trafficking,” he said. Molano also stated that the arrival of the M1117s expanded the capabilities of the Colombian cavalry units that “barely had 23% of the armoured equipment required to perform the task to protect the homeland”.
Top army commander General Eduardo Zapateiro noted that these vehicles will be headed to Arauca and Norte de Santander and used for “guarding our territory”.
The surplus M1117 ASVs will join the army’s existing fleet of 67 stretched M1117 armoured personnel carrier (APC) configuration. This M1117 ASV hosts a turret with a 12.7 mm machine gun and a 40 mm grenade launcher. The United States is anticipated to deliver the remaining 125 vehicles in 2022, according to Molano. (Source: Janes)
10 Dec 21. Tanzania parades VT2 tank. The Tanzania People’s Defence Force (TPDF) displayed a single Norinco VT2 main battle tank for the first time during the parade in Dar Es Salaam to mark the 60th anniversary of the East African country’s independence on 9 December.
The VT2 is the export version of the Type 96A tank that is used in large numbers by China’s People’s Liberation Army but was not previously known to be in service with any other militaries. Norinco says the VT2 has a combat weight of 42.3 tonnes, making it significantly lighter than the 52 tonne VT4 that recently entered service with the Nigerian Army. The VT2’s 800 hp engine also gives it a lower power-to-weight ratio than the VT4’s 1,300 hp powerpack. Both have a stabilised 125 mm smoothbore gun as their main armament. The TPDF has previously paraded an extensively upgraded variant of the Chinese Type 59 tank known as the Type 59G in recent years but these were not shown on 9 December. (Source: Janes)
09 Dec 21. Update: USMC holds CH-53K over-the-horizon ship-to-shore tests. The US Marine Corps (USMC) performed over-the-horizon (OTH) heavy lift and troop transport ship-to-shore tests with Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopters for the first time on 19–21 November. Marine Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One (VMX-1) evaluated the CH-53K’s ability to meet programme specification for OTH heavy lift capability, according to a corps statement. USMC spokesman Major Jorge Hernandez said on 6 December that the squadron conducted four round trips for troop movement and four round trips carrying a 12,247 kg light armoured vehicle (LAV-25). Each round trip covered up to 220 n miles. VMX-1 tested the CH-53K’s ability to transport the LAV-25 from the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (Source: Janes)
10 Dec 21. F-35 Fighter programme: Patria has a significant role in the national security of supply and in the global F-35 supply chain. The Finnish fighter programme is a significant opportunity for Patria, which has been actively involved in the preparation work supporting the Ministry of Defence and the Finnish Defence Forces. Patria maintains the current fighter fleet and has special skills and unique know-how to support Finland’s overall security of supply through its long history. “Patria has been a neutral strategic partner for the Finnish Defence Forces in the programme. The main target has been to ensure national security of supply and sustainment of the future fighter fleet. This decision will also open Patria a significant access to the global F-35 supply chain,” says Petri Hepola, Head of Patria’s HX programme.
The F-35’s industrial cooperation solution in Finland creates strong competences via security of supply and is also important at level of national economy. The main industrial cooperation projects for Patria are large-scale manufacturing of F-35 front fuselages in Finland also for other users and further production of structural components. In addition, F-35 team has offered an engine final assembly for the Finnish Air Force fleet. On top of previous repair capabilities of numerous components across a range of aircraft systems will be built in Finland. The employment effect of industrial participation will be 4500 person-years directly and 1500 indirectly. The industrial participation contract will be signed by the Ministry of Defence as well as Lockheed Martin and the engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.
“The project will have a significant employment impact — not only for Patria, but nationally as well. Cooperation with Lockheed Martin certainly opens a lot of new opportunities for the Finnish companies. Different partnerships will ensure a cost-effective and extensive knowledge base for Finland,” says Esa Rautalinko President and CEO of Patria Group.
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