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28 Mar 24. U.S. Army awards BAE Systems $754m contract for second phase of full-rate production for Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle program. BAE Systems (LON: BA) received a $754m contract award to continue producing the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) family of vehicles (FoVs) for the U.S. Army. This contract begins the second phase of full-rate production of AMPVs between March 2026 and February 2027.
The multi-mission ready AMPV FoV replaces vehicles from the Army’s Vietnam War-era M113 family, modernizing the force and providing critical survivability, mobility, and interoperability upgrades to the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT).
“It’s crucial that we continue to replace the M113s, and that we do it at a pace that ensures Soldiers are unmatched on the modern battlefield. We are fully committed to continue our swift work with the Army to produce high-quality AMPVs at an increased and sustained rate for Soldiers,” said Bill Sheehy, BAE Systems AMPV program director. “This next phase for AMPV furthers our joint efforts to equip the ABCT with a combat platform that helps them successfully achieve missions they’ll encounter today and decades from now, in addition to having a highly capable vehicle that can maneuver with the fleet in the toughest terrains out there.”
Currently produced in five variants including the General Purpose, Mortar Carrier, Medical Evacuation, Medical Treatment and Mission Command, the AMPV operates in various roles for the warfighter, with hulls that serve as a foundation to upgrade to future mission roles.
BAE Systems remains committed to the future of the AMPV platform, ensuring that Soldiers are unmatched on the modern battlefield. Investments are underway to create a more modular chassis that will allow for quick integration of next-generation technologies and capabilities to support potential future customer needs.
The Army first awarded BAE Systems the AMPV engineering and manufacturing development contract in 2014 and signed a low-rate initial production contract in 2018. This most recent milestone follows the program’s full-rate production contract award in August 2023.
BAE Systems announced new investments by the company and the U.S. Army to expand the AMPV production line in York, Pennsylvania last year. Investing in AMPV production expansion ensures that BAE Systems has the capacity and technology necessary to deliver capability to the U.S. government at a faster rate while strengthening the combat vehicle industrial base. Most recently, the AMPV line installed an additional robotic weld capability which further increases quality throughput during the manufacturing process and makes room to expand production to meet the growing business demand.
Work on the AMPV program takes place across BAE Systems’ industrial network, which includes facilities in Aiken, South Carolina; Anniston, Alabama; Phoenix, Arizona; Sterling Heights, Michigan; and York, Pennsylvania. (Source: PR Newswire)
28 Mar 24. Official Opening of Vehicle Systems International Headquarters in Bristol, UK. Rheinmetall House in Bristol, UK, the newly acquired Vehicle Systems International (VSI) headquarters, has been officially opened by Andy Start, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Equipment & Support.
As Rheinmetall’s first divisional headquarters to be located outside of Germany, the VSI headquarters will focus on UK, North American and Asia-Pacific markets, providing global customers with more individualised support and promoting and enhancing wider international collaboration. It will continue to establish comprehensive, sovereign capability with commitment to the UK’s Land Industrial Strategy and to drive export from UK. Building on our investments in the UK, Rheinmetall House includes a Collaboration and Innovation Centre (CIC) – a unique capability to promote collaboration and innovation to achieve the battlefield of the future, enabling experimentation with technology across Rheinmetall, with customers, SME’s, academia and our current and future supply chain.
The CIC provides an area dedicated to developing concepts that can be realised in the Systems Integration Lab, pulling products and technology together to integrate into platforms. This approach to Digital Engineering will reduce development time and risk, enabling technology to reach the soldier faster.
Rheinmetall House adds to Rheinmetall’s locations across the UK, including London, Telford, Newcastle, Bovington and the Isle of Wight and further building UK capability, IP and enhancing our investment in UK prosperity. In addition to being the VSI HQ, Rheinmetall House brings together all of Rheinmetall’s expertise in weapons and munitions, technical publications, tactical and logistics vehicles as well as our joint venture RBSL.
During the launch event, guests from across the customer base and industry were invited to explore the Collaboration and Innovation Centre. On display was the BRIDGE future mission module, a digital twin for the Boxer module, demonstrating how SMEs, partners, and customers are exploring future mission requirements in both physical and digital engineering domains.
Attendees also had the chance to explore the Caracal Light Mobility Vehicle; enabled for experimentation with Electronic Architectures, a Mission Master; to experiment with remote piloting and combat pairing, and a Luna NG; with potential for linking to Land platforms to provide airborne ISTAR capability. All are enabled for development in the CIC to support the battlefield of the future.
Rheinmetall House offers an established base for our UK operations, to continue working with our customer, both current and future, and will provide opportunities for key stakeholders to engage and collaborate closely with the Vehicle Systems International division.
27 Mar 24. GAO: US Army should improve acquisition processes after Stryker upgrade issues.
The consequences of the problems to the Stryker upgrade resulted in the US Army halting acceptance of vehicles in February 2023, after 19 had been delivered.
The US Army’s bid to upgrade the firepower of its Stryker 8×8 combat vehicle in response to increased competition from Russia resulted in hardware and software issues impacting the platform, according to a report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Published on 20 March, the GAO report states that as the US Army sought to upgrade its existing Stryker vehicles with more firepower, it did so without “fully analysing and addressing potential production risks”, resulting in issues arising during the programme.
In August 2022 Oshkosh Corporation’s subsidiary Oshkosh Defense delivered the first upgraded Stryker Double-V Hull Infantry Carrier Vehicle (ICVVA1) to the US Army, featuring the 30mm Medium Caliber Weapon System (MCWS). In June 2021, the US Army selected Oshkosh Defense and partners Pratt Miller Defense and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems to integrate the 30mm MCWS onto the Stryker ICVVA1.
Subsequent additional contracts resulted in a total programme for 269 upgraded vehicles valued at $356m, in addition to 20 vehicles for Product Verification Testing, Follow-on Operational Testing & Evaluation, and logistics development.
GAO report into US Army Stryker upgrade finds issues
The GAO report found that after the drawdown of the US Army’s armoured combat vehicles from Europe in 2013, the service assessed its fleets and determined that the Stryker brigades did not have “sufficient firepower” compared to its peer and near-peer threats. The result of this was the MCWS programme to modernise hundreds of Stryker vehicles.
According to the GAO, the US Army followed leading practices when developing requirements for the MCWS, such as using a 2018 trial with Germany-based assets to field test 83 modified Stryker platforms to “inform and refine” weapon system requirements with a view to increasing lethality, survivability, and situational awareness.
Subsequently, the US Army developed an accelerated acquisition approach for the system by placing it within the Stryker Family of Vehicles programme, rather than designating it a separate programme of record. The GAO report states this “allowed the US Army to minimise documentation required for approval”, accelerating the acquisition timeline by two years.
However, the US Army “did not fully implement leading practices for acquisition” to mitigate production risks, which were introduced, in part, by using a different turret and chassis than what was tested in Germany, the GAO found. Since production started in March 2022, the US Army found problems with the contractor’s manufacturing processes as well as software issues, the report states.
The consequences of the problems to the Stryker upgrade resulted in the US Army halting acceptance of vehicles in February 2023, after 19 had been delivered.
Presenting its recommendations, the GAO said the US Army should apply “acquisition leading practices before beginning production of future Stryker upgrades”, to which the service agreed in response.
Such acquisition practices include conducting effective production readiness reviews and ensuring that software worked as intended before ordering most, the GAO stated. (Source: army-technology.com)
28 Mar 24. SANDF hoping to replace Samils by 2030. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is hoping to replace its ageing Samil truck fleet with new vehicles by 2030, but the R13bn project is in jeopardy due to a lack of funds.
In a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans (PCDMV) late last year, Armscor gave an update on Project Phalama for the acquisition of new generation support vehicles to replace the Samil fleet.
Armscor had planned for production to take place from June 2025, with delivery by March 2030.
In its presentation, Armscor warned that the project “is at high risk due to obsolescence challenges on the current system,” and the fact that the project is currently not funded on the Strategic Capital Acquisition Master Plan (SCAMP). Armscor said it is “engaging the user to make funding available.”
In the meantime, Armscor is looking at the possibility of finding a replacement gearbox for all Samil vehicles. The state defence materiel agency added that if the Samil fleet is not replaced, “the capability of [the] SANDF in terms of this project will be at high risk.”
In December 2018, Armscor issued a request for information (RFI) for Project Phalama, which appears to have replaced Project Vistula, which called for the replacement of SAMIL 50/100 4×4/6×6 trucks. (Project Sepula, for the replacement of the Casspir and Mamba armoured personnel carrier fleets, also seems to have fallen by the wayside.)
The purpose of the RFI was to provide Armscor with a range of vehicle replacement options, with the RFI being very broad: options could include new vehicles or upgrades. A bidders’ conference was held towards the end of January 2019, which attracted a number of companies including Rheinmetall, Tatra and Tata Defence amongst others.
In January 2020, then Acting Chief of the SA Army, Major General ‘Mannetjies’ de Goede, told defenceWeb that Project Phalama was alive and well and still moving forward. “It’s very important for us and the country that that project goes on,” he said.
The SA Army currently relies heavily on ageing Samil trucks for logistics. These are being maintained by Cuban technicians and mechanics in terms of Project Thusano. Since the 2015 commencement of Project Thusano, in collaboration with the Cuban armed forces, around 6 000 vehicles have been repaired and refurbished. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
28 Mar 24. UK delivers 60 Tonnes of Land Rover Spare Parts to Lebanese Army. The package of 225 engines, 737 brand new tyres, and essential Land Rover spare parts will facilitate the servicing and repairs of over 440 military vehicles.
Yesterday on Wednesday 27 March, the British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell oversaw the handover of 60 tonnes of spare parts and tyres for Land Rovers at the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) Logistics Base in Kfarshema. This contribution – worth £2 m – underscores the United Kingdom’s commitment to supporting the LAF in their efforts to maintain stability and security.
The package of 225 engines, 737 brand new tyres, and essential Land Rover spare parts will facilitate the servicing, repairs, and maintenance of over 440 military vehicles. This will strengthen operational readiness, mobility and road safety for the Land Border Regiments.
Ambassador Cowell said: “I am proud the UK is able to contribute to the Lebanese Armed Forces’ resilience and operational readiness. The LAF plays a critical role, under the leadership of General Joseph Aoun, in safeguarding Lebanon and its people amid the prevailing challenges, especially with the ongoing cross border fighting in South Lebanon. The equipment is vital for the operations of the Land Border Regiments tasked with securing Lebanon’s borders and combating smuggling and terrorist activities. The UK reaffirms its commitment to supporting the LAF and to strengthening Lebanon’s security and stability.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
26 Mar 24. ‘Step by step’: BAE eyes yearlong AMPV ramp up, new prototypes.
At this week’s AUSA Global Force symposium, the company is showing off its new AMPV NxT prototype, a vehicle featuring Elbit’s UT30 Mk2.
As the US Army swaps out legacy M113 armored personnel carriers for new Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles (AMPVs), it has asked BAE Systems to ramp production up to about 195 vehicles per year, or about 16 per month, according to a company official.
Last year the service greenlit AMPV full-rate production after working with the company to overcome production quality concerns, and just earlier this month awarded it with a $754m follow-on deal out to February 2027.
Jim Miller, BAE’s vice president of business development for combat mission systems, said that as part of that contract extension, the company has moved forward with plans to grow AMPV production from one brigade set per year (approximately 130 vehicles) up to a brigade-and-a-half (in the neighborhood of 195-197 vehicles).
“That’s kind of the transition that we’re going through right now. It’s just really just a couple of vehicles [more] each month but… we have a whole complex supply chain that also has to ramp at the same time,” he told Breaking Defense during a March 22 interview. So, the “trick,” Miller added, is slowly ramping up over the next year to ensure that subcontractors can deliver parts in time and workers at BAE’s York, Pa. facility can produce the vehicles on time without repeating past quality control hiccups that led to a program rebaseline.
“It’s a bit of a step-by-step process. What we don’t want to do is move so fast that we deliver a bunch of vehicles and we have to stop because we’ve outgrown the supply chain,” he said.
Army plans for the AMPV line currently revolve around five configurations: general purpose, mission command, mortar carriers, medical evacuation, and medical treatment. However, the company is touting a top plate system as an avenue for rolling out new versions for Army leaders and possible foreign militaries to consider.
During the Association of the US Army’s annual conference in October 2023, the company unveiled an AMPV counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) prototype. And, more recently, it delivered the AMPV External Mission Equipment Package (ExMEP) prototype with the Patria NEMO remote-controlled 120mm turreted mortar system. Miller said the service now plans to host a series of live-fire tests with that ExMEP version at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.
“We don’t know where it’s going; we just know that there’s this evaluation that the Army wanted to do,” he added.
In a similar vein, this week during AUSA Global Force, the company is showing off yet another prototype — AMPV NxT. That new configuration features Elbit America’s UT30 Mk2, an unmanned turret with a 30mm gun, that could potentially provide the service with “extra firepower” for scouting missions, Miller said.(Source: Defense News Early Bird/Breaking Defense.com)
25 Mar 24. First Hunter TR-12 delivery to Chile expected in April 2024. The Ministry of the Interior and Public Security of Chile, through the police special operations group Carabineros, has acquired four Hunter TR-12-24-type vehicles made by Colombian defence company Armor International, the company has confirmed to Janes. The Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles will be assigned to the Public Order Control Prefecture (COP), in development of order control operations on public roads, as well as security and surveillance. The TR-12 would have been purchased for about USD1.7 m and should be delivered in the next two months. The first of them has already been built and will be delivered in April 2024, sources from the defence sector have confirmed to Janes. The chosen model is the TR-12-24, presented in December 2023 at the Expodefensa 2023 fair in Colombia. The design is based on the CV Internacional with 4×4 traction, with an improved and optimised suspension design that has raised the height of the vehicle. The platform incorporates 14 tactical lights with a new ergonomic seat design, according to its manufacturer. (Source: Janes)
25 Mar 24. Kenya operating DCD’s Springbuck APC. Kenya has been confirmed as a relatively new operator of DCD Protected Mobility’s Springbuck armoured personnel carrier (APC), with the vehicles being used for security and counter-terrorism operations.
On 20 March, Cabinet Secretary of Interior and Administration of National Government Kithure Kindiki commissioned and dispatched the first batch of equipment to support the security operation Maliza Uhalifu, and this included at least eight Springbuck vehicles fitted with roof-mounted light machinegun turrets.
The operation in North Rift Valley will be extended to cover the northern grazing area of Meru County, Isiolo and Marsabit Counties and counter-terrorism efforts in North Eastern Region and the Boni Enclave in Lamu County. Terrorists, bandits, livestock rustlers and organised criminals will be in the Kenyan security forces’ crosshairs.
Kindiki said frontline officers deployed in forward operating bases are being equipped and kitted out. He added that the Kenyan Government has in the last six months invested Ksh7.6 bn ($57 m) and will spend another Ksh29.4 bn ($222 m) in the next three years under the Police Equipment Modernisation (PEM) programme to acquire sophisticated protected and mobility equipment, including armoured personnel carriers and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), helicopter gunships, mine detection and personal protection equipment.
Kenya’s military has been operating the Springbuck for at least four years, with several surviving improvised explosive device (IED) hits in operations along the border with Somalia. However, until now there has been no official confirmation of this
In 2019, DCD said it was manufacturing a new batch of Springbuck SD (Standard Duty) and HD (Heavy Duty) vehicles for East and West African customers, but provided no further details.
The company’s African clients, using Springbuck and Husky vehicles, include Angola, Burundi, Congo Brazzaville, Egypt, Jordan, Senegal, Nigeria and South Africa.
DCD Protected Mobility said the Springbuck ballistic and landmine protected vehicle was built with simplicity, comfort, protection and cost effectiveness in mind and was geared specifically towards the African market.
The Springbuck SD is the Standard version, the HD is the Heavy Duty and XD is the Xtra Duty, with performance, payload and protection increasing with each model. The 4×4 SD has B6 ballistic protection (up to 7.62×51 mm rounds) and can withstand a TM57 landmine directly under the hull, or two under any wheel. The SD is the lightest in the series and weights 9 000 kg and has a 1 500 kg payload. It is powered by the MWM 6.10T 6.45 litre six cylinder turbocharged diesel delivering 194 hp.
The intermediate Springbuck HD is powered by an MWM 6.12TCA 7.2 litre six cylinder turbocharged diesel engine delivering 286 horsepower and giving a maximum speed of 110 km/h and range of 600 km. The 13 000 kg vehicle has a payload of 2 500 kg and B7 ballistic protection (up to 30.06 armour piercing rounds).
The Springbuck XD is the heaviest in the range and weighs 15 000 kg and has a payload of 3 500 kg. It carries two crew and eight personnel, who enter and egress via two side doors, a rear door and two roof hatches. With ballistic protection upgradeable to STANAG Level 3 (resistant to 7.62x52R rounds), the all-steel armoured V-shaped hull is certified against STANAG Level 4a under any wheel and 3b blast protection under the hull. A 6.7 litre Cummins turobdiesel delivers 360 hp and gives a top speed of 110 km/h and range of 600 km. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
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Contact: David Parkman
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