Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited
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03 Feb 24. 500 Trucks rapidly procured for British Army operations. 500 support trucks will be delivered to the British Army, to support operational activity, following a rapid procurement process of just 7 months. 500 support trucks will be delivered to the British Army in 2024 to support operational activity, following a rapid procurement process.
Collaboration between Defence Equipment & Support, Army Headquarters and the Field Army has helped push the boundaries of Defence procurement, acquiring all the vehicles in just 7 months.
Under a £282mi contract, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles will deliver the multipurpose trucks that will allow personnel to load flat racks onto the platform, which can carry essential logistics such as ammunition, food, water, and support materiel, to operational locations.
The newly procured vehicles will be from the HX family, which are a range of purpose-designed military trucks equipped with a multitude of protection capabilities, keeping our most important asset safe, our people.
The vehicles will be delivered under the Rapid Acquisition Project, expediting the procurement of the trucks with efficiency and precision, meaning these advanced mobility trucks reach operational deployment swiftly, ultimately enhancing our military’s agility and responsiveness.
Minister For Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said: “The rapid delivery of transport capabilities to the front line is paramount to the lifeblood of British Army logistics and operations. This procurement demonstrates our commitment to equipping our Armed Forces with the best tools available, ensuring mobility, agility, and resilience in the face of evolving threats.”
The HX family stands as a proven and cost-effective mobility truck class, integrating military off-the-shelf components. Purposefully designed to bolster military operations, these HX vehicles offer high mobility and reliability in challenging terrains. The platforms have several capability improvements compared to those already in service, including an increased payload, a reduced turning circle, an underrun protection safety feature and a more efficient EURO 5 engine.
Major General Darren Crook, Director of the Land Equipment Operating Centre, DE&S said: “In an ever-changing and demanding operational landscape, it is essential that we can quickly identify what equipment our soldiers need and procure it rapidly. This project demonstrates our agility and our commitment to push the boundaries; it shows what we can achieve when we work collaboratively to deliver the equipment our Armed Forces need, when they need it. I’m delighted that together with industry that we have been able to turn around this contract from conception, through approvals to contract award and first delivery, in just seven months.”
Colonel Stuart Nassé, Assistant Head Military Capability Delivery, Army Headquarters said: “We are delighted with this project which provides essential reinforcement to the logistic spine of the Army. As a collaborative project, it shows that the acquisition process can be responsive to user demands, and more importantly that when the user, delivery agent and industry all work together we can achieve significant outcomes quickly. We are really excited to put this important capability in the hands of the soldiers this year.”
The rapid procurement of these vehicles comes at an essential time, as in 2024 the British Army will face increased commitments through Op MOBILISE and its offer to the NATO New Force Model. The procurement contract also delivers on the Chief of General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders’ objective of increasing logistical lift as a British Army capability. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
01 Feb 24. BAE Delivers Firepower to the USMC With New Amphibious Combat Vehicle Test Variant.
BAE Systems delivered the first production representative test vehicle (PRTV) of the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle 30mm Cannon (ACV-30) variant to the U.S. Marine Corps for testing.
“ACV-30 equips dismounted Marines with direct fire support allowing them to simultaneously find, fix, and engage targets more effectively and efficiently than current systems,” said Garrett Lacaillade, vice president of the amphibious vehicles product line for BAE Systems. “Innovating for the future, consistent with Force Design 2030 priorities, we have teamed with our strategic partners Iveco Defence Vehicles, KONGSBERG, and the Marine Corps to deliver not only an incredibly lethal capability, but a vehicle and weapon system that has the growth potential to incorporate new technologies to defeat future threats.”
ACV-30 is the third variant in the ACV family of vehicles designed, developed, and built since BAE Systems was selected as the prime contractor for the program in 2018. The vehicle mounts a stabilized, medium caliber Remote Turret System manufactured by KONGSBERG that provides the lethality and protection Marines need while leaving ample room for troop capacity and payload while keeping the crew under armor. The remote turret eliminates the space requirement of legacy turreted cannon systems and provides more room to transport troops or mission essential equipment, and reduces weight for better mobility.
BAE Systems is currently in full-rate production with the ACV Personnel (ACV-P) variant and ACV Command and Control (ACV-C) variant, and is on contract for the design and development of an ACV Recovery (ACV-R) variant which will provide direct field support, maintenance, and recovery to the ACV family of vehicles.
Each customizable ACV variant in the family of vehicles provides true open-ocean and ship-to-objective capability, land mobility, survivability, and growth potential to meet the evolving operational needs of Marines around the world.
ACV production and support take place at BAE Systems locations in Stafford, Virginia; San Jose, California; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Aiken, South Carolina; and York, Pennsylvania. (Source: ASD Network)
01 Feb 24. Babcock International Group (Babcock), the defence company and Supacat, a defence vehicle engineering company have officially launched production of 70 High Mobility Transporter (HMT) Jackal 3s for the British Army. An innovative manufacturing facility at Babcock’s Devonport site has been specially developed for this purpose and will produce 62 of the vehicles, with the remaining eight to be built at Supacat’s manufacturing facilities in Dunkeswell. Production of the new vehicles is planned to be completed by the summer of 2024.
The project is one of the first contracts to deliver on the UK’s Land Industrial Strategy. Close working relationships between Babcock, Supacat the British Army and the Ministry of Defence’s (MOD), Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) Team have ensured that the operational and safety requirements of the vehicle are fully met.
In tribute to both the British Army and the Royal Navy, the new South West production facility has been named ‘The Raglan Building’ in recognition of the nearby Raglan Barracks which supported British soldiers on their way to overseas operations in the 1800s.
The facility is future-proofed and is ready for subsequent build programmes. Transformational innovation and technology have been optimised throughout the production line and includes the use of bespoke ‘Pulse’ software which maximises efficiency during vehicle assembly. It is anticipated that the advantages of being located in the South Devon Freeport will benefit the future through-put of this production facility for years to come.
The Jackal 3 benefits from over a decade of development by Supacat for the UK and overseas customers since the last iteration of Jackal was delivered to the British Army. It has a number of enhancements to support operational requirements, including improved protection for the crew and an increased Gross Vehicle Mass for greater load carrying.
The Jackal 2 was a class-leader off-road, however the new suspension in the Jackal 3 will deliver even better off-road performance. Whilst being procured as a 4×4 vehicle, the Jackal 3 can be readily transformed into a 6-wheel drive vehicle which more than doubles its load carrying capacity.
This programme is directly contributing to the economic potential of the South West with nearly all of the programme’s supply chain sourced in the UK and 50 percent specifically from the region. Through a dedicated social value plan, the contract has already created over 100 new jobs across both Babcock and Supacat’s respective sites. Part of this programme also includes an ongoing focus on skills development and enhancing the capability of the workforce, supporting the development of transferable skill sets.
Major General Darren Crook CBE, Director for the Land Equipment Operating Centre at DE&S said: “This Supacat and Babcock collaboration will deliver modern fighting vehicles for the British Armed Forces and our allies, whilst developing and maintaining key land defence engineering skills in a much valued part of the South West of England. It is tangible evidence of the British Army’s Land Industrial Strategy and our purpose for Defence: ‘to protect the nation and help it prosper.”
David Lockwood, CEO Babcock said: “At this time of global instability, the significance to the British Army of delivering the HMT Jackal 3 vehicle should not be understated. These Jackals will help keep the UK safe, whilst our technologically advanced production facility will support social value and economic prosperity in the region for years to come.”
Nick Ames, CEO Supacat said: “As an SME based in South West England, it is an enormous privilege to have our product selected yet again by the British Army. The Jackal 3 is the product of 25 years of specific development and 45 years of corporate development. Every member of our staff takes enormous pride in the quality of the product that provides our soldiers with a leading-edge battle proven platform that they can rely on. That pride in quality also led us to our production partner for this project, Babcock. Our teams have worked, together with the MoD, tirelessly to a challenging timescale and with enabling technology, to support this procurement and we will continue to do so into the future to provide world class product to the British Army.”
01 Feb 24. Rheinmetall acquires majority stake in military vehicle maker Automecanica Mediaș SRL. Continuing to expand its presence in Romania as a leading manufacturer of military vehicles, Rheinmetall is taking up a majority share in Romanian vehicle maker Automecanica Mediaș. The acquisition deepens the Düsseldorf-based technology enterprise’s footprint in Central Europe, opening the door to new customer countries in the region with substantial sales potential. Rheinmetall already has locations in two other countries on NATO’s eastern flank, Hungary and Lithuania. In December 2023, moreover, Romania awarded Rheinmetall a major air defence order worth €328 m.
Through Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, the Group will hold a 72.5% stake in the company, which will operate in Romania under the name Rheinmetall Automecanica SRL. The remaining shares in the company will stay in private hands. The contractual agreement still requires approval by the relevant government authorities before it takes effect.
In the medium term, Rheinmetall puts the annual sales potential of the newly acquired company at around €300 m and expects incoming orders in the current financial year to be in three-digit m-euro range.
As Rheinmetall chief executive Armin Papperger sees it, “Bringing Automecanica Mediaș into the Rheinmetall family marks another important milestone in our strategy of strengthening the Group’s presence in Central Europe, which in turn contributes to bolstering the defensive capabilities of the EU and NATO on Europe’s eastern flank. We look forward to supporting Romania in future projects in the vehicle domain as well as with other Rheinmetall technologies. Here, the inclusion of local partners and strengthening the Romanian economy are matters of central concern to us. We want to meet the expectations of the Romania’s politicians and military in the best possible way.”
Automecanica Mediaș is a longstanding maker of special vehicles, truck build-ons and trailers for the civilian and military market. Rheinmetall has been cooperating with Automecanica since 2022, when the two partners joined forces to operate a maintenance and repair facility for military vehicles in Satu Mare, Romania.
The plant in Mediaș, Romania is poised to play a key role in maintaining the operational readiness of Western-built combat vehicles in Ukraine, as well as assuring logistical support. Rheinmetall’s presence in Romania means that forces deployed on NATO’s eastern flank will be able to count on shorter response times and more robust supply chains.
The acquisition constitutes a further expansion of Rheinmetall’s global vehicle production network, which already includes plants in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands and Germany. As well as significantly expanding the Group’s production and maintenance capacity, the move adds to its current portfolio of military vehicles.
Truck build-ons, trailers and other special vehicles developed and produced by Automecanica augment and complement Rheinmetall’s existing range of military trucks, a domain in which Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) is a major force in world markets.
Looking ahead, the chassis of antiaircraft systems belonging to the Romanian military are to be maintained and modernized here as well.
In the medium term, Rheinmetall puts the annual sales potential of the newly acquired company at around €100 m and expects incoming orders in the coming financial year to be in the mid-three-digit m-euro range.
Automecanica has long been an efficient and effective partner of the Romanian armed forces. In the new constellation, Rheinmetall, moving forward with Automecanica, now seeks to be a leading partner of the Romanian armed forces as well as those of neighbouring countries, with a significantly expanded array of products and services.
About Rheinmetall:
Headquartered in Düsseldorf, Germany, Rheinmetall AG is a high-tech enterprise with some 34,000 employees at 139 locations worldwide. The Group had sales in 2022 of €6.4bn. One of the world’s foremost makers of military systems and equipment, Rheinmetall is also a driver of forward-looking technological and industrial innovation in the civil sector. A strong commitment to sustainability is an integral part of Rheinmetall strategy.
About Automecanica Mediaș SRL:
Automecanica Mediaș is a Romanian producer of truck build-ons and trailers for the civilian and military market. The company also makes tankers for transporting fuel and liquid foodstuffs as well for shipping general cargo. Furthermore, Automecanica’s product portfolio includes streetsweepers and construction vehicles.
Founded in 1941 as Atelierele de Stat pentru Aeronautică Mediaș, the company switched to producing vehicle build-ons and lifting platforms in 1962.
30 Jan 24. First M10 Booker combat vehicle to be delivered in February.
The US Army’s first M10 combat vehicle is scheduled to be delivered in February, Janes learnt at Defence iQ’s International Armour Vehicles (IAV) 2024 conference held in London from 22 to 25 January. The first phase of low-rate initial production (LRIP 1) of the M10 began in the first quarter (Q1) of fiscal year (FY) 2023, following a USD1.4 bn contract award to General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) in June 2022.
The company announced on 6 July 2023 that it had received a USD257.6 m contract modification for LRIP 2. Initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) is planned to commence in Q4 of FY 2024. The first unit equipped (FUE) with the M10 is planned for 2025.
The vehicle is designed to deliver a mobile, protected direct fire capability to US Army infantry brigade combat teams (BCTs), with its XM35 105 mm main armament providing lethal and sustained fires against enemy armoured vehicles, hardened fortifications, and dismounted soldiers.
(Source: Reuters)
30 Jan 24. Final deliveries of VMIMS to Indian Army scheduled for end of 2024. Milanion NTGS, the UK manufacturer of the Alakran deployable mortar system, has said deliveries of the Indian Army’s Vehicle Mounted Infantry Mortar System (VMIMS) are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2024.
The announcement coincided with the Indian Army’s first public display of the system at the 75th Republic Day parade held in New Delhi on 26 January.
The VMIMS comprises the Alakran-L automated, deployable mortar system fitted with an 81 mm barrel mounted onto the rear of a 4×4 Armoured Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV) built by Indian firm Mahindra Defence Systems Limited (MDSL). In Indian service, the ALSV is known as ‘Armado’.
It is not clear when deliveries of the VMIMS started. However, Colonel Manish Kumar (retd), head of sales and marketing of land systems at MDSL, told Janes at the DefExpo exhibition held in October 2022 that deliveries would commence in 2023. (Source: Reuters)
30 Jan 24. Airbus negotiates with Australia for MRH90 parts. Airbus and NHIndustries (NHI) are negotiating with the Australian government to harvest high-value parts and critical components from the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) decommissioned fleet of NHI MRH90 Taipan helicopters.
Airbus told Janes that these parts are being sought for other NH90 customers “in order to support their flight operations”.
“Altogether, we are looking at a few thousand parts, which will be purchased by the partner companies of NHI (at no cost to the NH90 customers) and which will be re-injected into the NH90 support system,” Airbus added.
Janes reported earlier in January that the Australian government had started the process of disassembling its 46-strong fleet of MRH90 helicopters. According to Airbus, the MRH90s and the NH90s have commonality in almost all systems. “There are a few specific items to the Australian MRH90 configuration, but the very large majority of parts are common and usable by other NH90 operators,” Airbus said. (Source: Janes)
30 Jan 24. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), AT&T* and SEMPRE (Secure EMP-Resilient Edge) demonstrated the ability to securely share sensitive, classified military data across geographies at high speeds. The demonstration showcased how flightline maintenance and sustainment can be digitally transformed to reduce time and costs associated with aircraft maintenance and repair.
Northrop Grumman integrated its secure communications solution into a commercially available augmented reality (AR) headset worn by an aircraft maintainer to transfer high volume, classified aircraft data across a SEMPRE 5G private network and AT&T’s 5G commercial network between Whiteman Air Force Base and Northrop Grumman facilities in Palmdale, California, and San Diego.
Experts:
Jenna Paukstis, vice president general manager, networked information solutions, Northrop Grumman: “In a combat environment, the ability to quickly troubleshoot aviation and ground vehicles to get them back in the fight is essential. The ‘Flightline of the Future’ is a next-generation digital solution providing U.S. forces with the capability to securely access information and subject matter experts right on the flightline to repair assets with speed and accuracy, reducing costs and increasing fleet readiness.”
Lance Spencer, client executive vice president, defense, AT&T: “We showcased how our commercial 5G wireless network combined with private networking services can transport and protect both Highly Classified information and Controlled Unclassified Information and provide the U.S. Department of Defense the networking foundation it needs for private mission use cases. The speed, security, reliability and scalability benefits are precisely what the Department seeks in its modernization efforts.”
Dr. Rob Spalding, chief executive officer, SEMPRE: “This demonstration proves advanced capabilities will be available to DoD units for deployed and in garrison requirements. SEMPRE’s deployable infrastructure helps Northrop Grumman deliver hardened connectivity and compute capability to the warfighter, even when the connection to the cloud is no longer available.”
Details:
The “Flightline of the Future” solution demonstrates how aircraft maintainers can securely connect with subject matter experts to perform maintenance and upgrades previously limited to information accessible only in a secure location.
The demonstration showed how combining commercially available AR headsets with commercial and private 5G networks can support defense-specific security solutions, processes, and data and provide for a best-of-breed solutions applicable in any domain.
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.
About AT&T*
We help more than 100 m U.S. families, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us at about.att.com. Investors can learn more at investors.att.com.
About SEMPRE
SEMPRE connects, protects and secures what matters most: information and communication vital to critical infrastructure. To accomplish this, our team of security and digital infrastructure experts set out to tackle every aspect of what modern communications should offer users: security, resiliency, high-performing edge compute and survivability. With a focus on innovation and a commitment to excellence, SEMPRE is dedicated to providing solutions that enhance the nation’s security and help secure a safer future for all.
30 Jan 24. US Army Taking Tactical Truck Prototypes Out for a Spin.
The Army in 2024 will start testing four industry offerings for its Common Tactical Truck program, which the service hopes will provide soldiers with the necessary safety and mobility for the modern battlefield.
The Common Tactical Truck program, or CTT, is the family of vehicles that the Army seeks to begin fielding in 2028 to replace the M915 Line Haul Tractor, M1088 Medium Tractor, Palletized Load System and Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck in the Army’s tactical vehicle fleet. In January 2023, the Army awarded Other Transaction Authority agreements totaling $24.25m to Mack Defense, Navistar Defense, Oshkosh Defense and a team consisting of American Rheinmetall Vehicles and GM Defense to provide three prototypes of each variant for the CTT family of vehicles, along with digital designs of all variants and a design study for a wrecker.
The Army has stated the goal of the program is to field heavy tactical vehicles that can support multi-domain operations, and the service believes a commercially based fleet featuring commonality across the family of systems could be the key.
“Commonality in the CTT family of vehicles will enable open modular designs and interchangeable repair parts across the fleet, resulting in streamlined supply chains, [a] reduced logistics footprint and total lifecycle costs,” an Army spokesperson said in an email.
Wolfgang Petermann, then-project manager for transportation systems in the Army’s Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support, said in a press release when the awards were announced that commonality within the CTT family will allow the Army to “modernize at the pace of industry, integrating new technologies as they are developed.”
Topping the service’s wish list for the new trucks are drive-by-wire capability and active safety features, according to the Army spokesperson.
These capabilities enhance driver safety, reduce accidents and provide the basic components for an autonomous driving capability, the spokesperson said. While they won’t be fully autonomous, at least initially, the industry prototypes will feature “some level of features such as digital linkages, cameras and sensors that will enable acceptance of autonomy systems” in the future, the spokesperson added.
Mack Defense’s CTT prototypes feature a “full suite” of advanced driver safety technologies, the company’s president, David Hartzell, said in an interview. These include collision avoidance capabilities, blind spot detection, driver alert systems, anti-lock brake systems, traction control devices and vehicle dynamic controls to “assist in rollover situations.”
In December, Mack Defense announced it had teamed with BAE Systems to deliver an alternative propulsion solution for its Common Tactical Truck offering that will reduce fuel demand.
“The Army has talked a lot about the current operational mission profiles that they’re looking for is to operate in an environment of contested or denied logistics,” where it would be difficult to refuel or resupply a vehicle in a forward operating location, Hartzell said. “They want the vehicle to be able to operate longer on the same amount of fuel that they would carry today, just because it may not be able to get refueled in time in today’s theater of war.”
BAE’s Gen3 solution features an electric motor/generator and power electronics to create a more efficient mode of transportation for the trucks, utilizing advanced materials such as silicon carbide to increase electrical efficiency and enhance vehicle performance, a Mack Defense statement said. The system provides improved fuel economy, extended anti-idle operation capability and exportable power.
Having exportable power on the vehicle is important to keep charged the “increasing amount of electronic equipment” soldiers are bringing to the field, Hartzell said. These can include systems for command and control, communication, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or even energy-based weapons that could be vehicle-mounted for protection, he said.
Onboard exportable power could also allow soldiers in a forward operating location to create a “microgrid” for power generation that can quickly be disassembled when it’s time to move out, he added.
GM Defense and American Rheinmetall Vehicles’ offering is the HX3 CTT, the next-generation variant of Rheinmetall’s HX family of tactical trucks. Mike Milner, vice president of business development and strategy at American Rheinmetall Vehicles, said in an email the HX3 CTT will feature modern capabilities such as advanced driver assistance systems, increased off-road mobility, cybersecurity hardening, autonomy readiness, superior survivability, improved fuel efficiency and demand reduction.
“The commerciality of the HX3 CTT will also allow the rapid incorporation of advanced technologies in the future and maximize the benefits of a streamlined, validated global supply chain,” Milner said. The platform is fully autonomy ready and could integrate an autonomy-enabling system such as Rheinmetall’s PATH A-Kit, which “provides the capability to make any vehicle autonomous,” he added.
The HX3 CTT possesses a high level of commonality and modularity across variants, having the ability to scale from 4×4 to 6×6 to 8×8 to 10×10 “to meet nearly any military need,” Milner said. “The common platform approach offered through the HX family provides crucial benefits to enable a more reliable, more efficient and ultimately a more capable logistics truck fleet that can support the nation in multi-domain operations.”
Navistar Defense’s offering is based on its ATLAS family of vehicles, a highly common, scalable and modular set of platforms “that can handle the full spectrum of mission roles, from long-range highway logistics to navigating severe off-road trails,” a company fact sheet stated.
Navistar Defense chief growth officer Michael Gray said in an email the company’s offering is built off a “long lineage of successful commercial vehicles that supports the government’s desire for affordability, commonality and commerciality. … All of [Navistar Defense’s] CTT variants are based on the same commercial platform, thus achieving a high degree of commonality.”
Navistar Defense’s prototype will be “integrated with various mission-purposed technologies required by the CTT program,” Gray said. The ATLAS family of vehicles features an armored protection kit, allowing the platform to “morph into an incredibly mobile, highly survivable, easily transportable, aggressive tactical vehicle that no doubt can handle the extremes of military missions, all while maintaining the commercial pedigree and all the sustainment benefits that come along with a mass-produced vehicle,” the fact sheet said.
In its Climate Strategy Implementation Plan, released in October 2022, the Army set out a goal to develop hybrid-drive components for tactical wheeled and combat vehicles, including the Common Tactical Truck, by fiscal year 2027. Gray said the commerciality of Navistar Defense’s offering means “future hybridization and electrification are certainly attainable for CTT. [Navistar Defense] has the ability to leverage Navistar Inc.’s electrified powertrains for future demand reduction initiatives — in line with the Army’s climate strategy.”
Oshkosh Defense’s offering is based on its “battle-tested” Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles, integrating the Army’s desired capabilities “while maintaining the many strengths of the FHTV, including force protection, survivability and the ability to operate in extreme environments,” the company’s chief programs officer Pat Williams said in an email.
Many of the CTT capability requirements are “backward compatible” with the existing Oshkosh Defense platforms, “providing the opportunity to expedite modernization, reduce lifecycle costs and benefit from economies of scale,” he said. The prototype features the company’s Bi-Wire Active Safety System that can be paired with an autonomy applique kit, warfighter machine interface and a radio network interface, as well as subsystems “optimized for fuel efficiency, application of electrification and integration of commercial technologies that minimize fuel demand while moving and at idle.”
Additionally, Oshkosh’s offering is “designed to incorporate proven FHTV components, major end items and common mission equipment that have already been provisioned by” the government, reducing logistics burden and cost, emphasizing technical maturity and increasing component availability, Williams said.
The Army anticipated receiving all prototypes for evaluation by mid-January, the service spokesperson said. As of press time, none of the four industry teams nor the Army indicated there had been a delay in delivery.
Following prototype evaluation, the Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support, in conjunction with the Army’s sustainment requirements community, will present the subsequent Capabilities Development Document to the Army Requirements Oversight Council, with a decision expected in fiscal year 2026, a service release stated.
Assuming requirements are approved, the Army will then conduct a full and open competition, requiring the competitors to deliver production-representative vehicles for run-off testing leading to a production contract.
Common Tactical Truck product lead Alvin Bing previously told National Defense in a November 2022 email that the vehicle was slated to enter low-rate initial production in fiscal year 2026, with fielding to commence in fiscal year 2028. When asked if this was still the case, the Army spokesperson said: “The Army is considering multiple options for the CTT production path forward.”
Hartzell said it will be difficult for the Army to move at the pace of industry but added that the service’s private sector partners are ready to help however they can.
“The Army made very clear that they don’t want a situation where they have a vehicle that’s 30 years old, and it’s so far apart from current vehicle technologies that are out there,” he said. “They want to be able to maintain these vehicles and upgrade the vehicles at the pace of commercial industry. I think that’s a challenge for the Army because of their sustainment methodologies that they utilize today — and quite honestly, there needs to be conversations with the Army in that regard.”
Commercial vehicles evolve rapidly mainly because of regulatory demands for things such as emission reduction and fuel economy or safety system improvements, he said. “So, the Army wants to be able to leverage some of those types of technology insertions and developments over time,” but to do so effectively, “we’re asking the Army, ‘Look, break away from some of your traditional methodologies … and leverage the industry — not just for our products, but for the sustainment piece of it as well.’”
Companies have trained technicians “strategically located all around the world that could service those products, or assist the soldiers in servicing … those products,” which would enhance the Army’s ability “to maintain those vehicles going forward,” he said. “I think that would be probably my key message.” (Source: glstrade.com/National Defense)
30 Jan 24. Land Mobility Expert, Texelis, and protection specialist Advanced Armoured Engineering announce a strategic Memorandum of Understanding. On the eve of World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh, Texelis and Advanced Armoured Engineering (AAE) have officially announced a new partnership to collaborate on developing new land Defense solutions for their customers.
Texelis is a provider of mobility solutions for military and heavy-duty vehicles. It has been supplying mechanical parts such as axles for decades, for the French Army, its main client, as well as for export markets. In 2017, Texelis scored a contract to supply the French Army with 4×4 armoured vehicles in partnership with Nexter.
4×4 APC built on Texelis’ CELERIS
Building on that success, Texelis is now offering full mobility solutions for OEMs and other actors looking to develop new vehicles or associated services in the 12- 18t range. Launched under the name CELERIS, this offer combines already developed and qualified hardware and software kits, as well as full support and documentation to develop a full new vehicle based on the CELERIS mobility platform, conduct all necessary adaptations, and support it throughout its life cycle.
Texelis’ CELERIS offer is a great alternative for customers looking for high-performance mobility, which commercial chassis cannot offer, without the hassle, expense and delays of developing an in-house solution.
Looking forward to expanding that offer, and to better serve its customers and partners, Texelis aims at better understanding the technical intricacies of adapting and integrating different protection solutions.
4×4 APC built on Texelis’ CELERIS
Advanced Armour Engineering (AAE) is a provider of armoured steel-based survivability solutions for heavy military vehicles that they sell to the international vehicle OEM community, and which are complementary to Texelis’ mobility platform solution.
Through the new partnership with AAE, Texelis will benefit from AAE’s expertise and insight, and will work on interfacing AAE’s armoured solutions on Texelis’ platforms, thus developing new processes and offers.
Texelis’ and AAE’s solutions combined can offer a great opportunity for new or current manufacturers to create new ranges and develop new vehicles from scratch in record time.
Abdon Castro, Commercial Director of AAE commented: “This strategic partnership with Texelis provides to manufacturers of military vehicles a great opportunity to seamlessly integrate an all-rounded proven mobility platform in use by European armed forces with our solutions that are designed to use high-grade and latest generations of armour steel to jointly address the dynamic needs of end users while developing advanced solutions for heavy military vehicles”
Sébastien Guillon, Sales Director for Texelis, added : “Texelis truly believes in partnerships. One never achieves anything great alone, which we demonstrated with the fantastic team we put together to create CELERIS. We wanted a trusted partner to further develop our solution, and this is exactly what we found at AAE. Working with AAE will help us getting access to zones where they are well established, such as the Middle East. We will also be cooperating through joint promotion and future product development for added value for our customers and partners”.
About Texelis
Texelis is a leader in the design and manufacture of axles, drivelines and complete mobility solutions for 4×4, 6×6 and 8×8 military vehicles. In 2018, the DGA has entrusted the development and implementation contract for Light VBMR to Nexter and Texelis. The Light VBMR fulfils the light vehicle component of France’s “SCORPION” programme. Texelis is responsible for delivering the full vehicle driveline for integration with the systems produced by Nexter for Serval. This solution has been designed to maximise mobility for the extremely demanding and restrictive environment in which the French Army’s vehicle fleet operates in today’s battlefield, delivering advanced protection, and enhanced strategic and tactical mobility.
Texelis supports both manufacturers and operators throughout the product lifecycle, from initial design through renewal. Permanent attention is paid to the technical, robustness and adaptability to always meet the end-users needs and requirements. By expanding its offer developing chassis and mobility kits for armoured vehicles Texelis is proving all its know-how and technology and is positioning itself as the mobility partner of armoured vehicles of today and tomorrow.
A dual company, Texelis is also a key player in the development, design and manufacture of the current and future generations of mobility systems for railway mobility.
Texelis is expanding its offering to include chassis and mobility kits for monocoque vehicles, demonstrating its expertise and technology, and positioning itself as the mobility partner for armoured vehicles
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TEK Military Seating Limited
TEK Military Seating Limited is a UK based designer and manufacturer of ProTEK military vehicle seating which offer the highest standards of safety and protection. The ProTEK brand is well respected across the globe for its robust construction, innovative design, built in modularity and cost effectiveness. Our superior products are supported by our experienced team who endeavor to offer unrivalled service to our customers from enquiry, through design and acceptance, to through life support.
From its inception ProTEK seats have been designed around a family of innovative seat frames onto which tested and certified modules can be fitted to create a bespoke solution for the user. These include Blast protection to Stanag 4569 standards, vibration reduction, head and body protection, seat risers and turntables, fore & aft adjustment, and seat back rake along with viable seat dimensions without the need for additional tooling costs.
Contact: David Parkman
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