Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited
http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/
———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
11 Jul 24. Poland orders more Rosomak APCs. On 8 July the Polish Armaments Agency (AA) ordered 58 more Rosomak 8×8 armoured personnel carriers (APCs) from a consortium led by Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) and also consisting of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), Rosomak, and WB Electronics. In a press release later the same day, the AA valued the contract at PLN2.6 bn (USD660 m), with deliveries taking place in 2026–27.
The contract includes a logistics package with spare parts. It is the second implementation contract for Poland’s Rosomak procurement.
The APCs will be integrated with the ZSSW-30 remote controlled weapon station (RCWS) armed with a Bushmaster Mk 44S 30 mm automatic cannon and a dual Spike LR (long range) anti-tank guided missile launcher. The cannon can be fired in automatic and semi-automatic modes, and uses five different types of ammunition, including programmable munition. A modified UKM-2000C 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun is coupled with the cannon. The ZSSW-30 features a domestically produced fire-control system, sights, and gun and sight stabilisation.
The RCWS is designed to be used to combat armoured targets and enemy objects and fortifications and also for fire support. Its electro-optical systems can operate day and night as well as in poor weather and difficult climatic conditions. (Source: Janes)
12 Jul 24. Royal Marines refurbish all-terrain vehicles ahead of new FATVs. The successful supplier will provide Babcock with resources to remanufacture Beach Recovery Vehicles, BV206 personnel carriers and Viking ATVs. The UK Ministry of Defence requires a supplier of components to support its prime contractor, Babcock Land Defence, with repairing various littoral vehicles for the Royal Marines.
Under the framework agreement lasting three years, with an option for two more, the service contract value is anticipated to cost £4.5m ($5.82m). Work is due to begin on 6 January 2025 and end on 5 January 2027.
The successful supplier will provide Babcock with resources to remanufacture the amphibious service’s Beach Recovery Vehicles (BRV), Bandvagn 206 (BV206) carriers and Viking units. This range of fast, armoured and amphibious all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) enable the Royal Marines to operate in some of the harshest environments on the planet, from desert regions to the Arctic.
Known as the “Hippo,” the BRV is based on the German Leopard 1A5 tank, but with modifications. The turret is replaced by a superstructure and a nose block has been added to push landing craft off beaches.
The BV206 is regularly used in High North conditions, where the tracked vehicle can carry up to 17 people at once, provides good traction on any surface and has an adaptable trailer unit.
Likewise, the Viking is capable of operating anywhere in the world in temperatures between -46 degrees celsius and +49 degrees. Fitted with a more powerful engine, the Viking is larger and faster than the BV206S and has greater load capacity.
Timeline for Royal Marine ATVs
The decision to repair and remanufacture the littoral ATVs will expand the ageing fleet, while the MoD also continues to procure 60 new Future ATVs (FATVs) from 2025.
FATVs are an evolution of the current Vikings with better amphibious swimming capability and lift capacity with models for troop transport, logistics (which can carry six tonnes of equipment), medical evacuation, recovery, and command and control. These uprated Vikings will be in service until 2058.
This acquisition was made in December 2022, and it was originally intended to replace the Royal Marines’ ageing vehicles which have been in active service for up to 20 years in most cases.
However, the refurbishment timeline of the existing fleet – extending their service time beyond 2027 – indicates that the repaired vehicles are not an interim solution, but a longer-term expansion.
This framework agreement may account for the recent depletion of the marines’ inventory. This contract was publicised on 2 July, after the former Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, donated 20 Viking vehicles from the Army inventory, as well as 65% of its Offshore Raiding Craft fleet, to Ukraine in December 2023. (Source: army-technology.com)
12 Jul 24. Brazilian Army boosts capabilities with 420 “Guaicurus” vehicles. Brazilian Army partners with IDV to enhance national defence capabilities with 420 LMV-BR 2 vehicles.
In a move to fortify its defence capabilities, the Brazilian Army has agreed with IDV to procure 420 LMV-BR 2 (Light Multirole Vehicle) units.
Referred to domestically as “Guaicurus,” these military vehicles will augment the Army’s mobility and tactical readiness across operational terrains.
The contract, facilitated through the Army Manufacturing Directorate, emphasises Brazil’s push to enhance indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities. IDV, known for its military vehicle production, will localise production of the LMV-BR 2 units at its facility in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais, further bolstering Brazil’s defence industry landscape.
With a share of 73.6% and a cumulative expenditure of $3.4bn (18.5bn reais), Brazil is expected to account for the largest share of the Latin American military land vehicles market over the forecast period, according to GlobalData’s “The Global Military Land Vehicles Market 2023-2033” report.
The LMV-BR 2 variants will feature both manual weapon systems and remote controlled weapon systems tailored to meet the demands of modern warfare scenarios.
In years past, the Brazilian Army also selected the Centauro II, produced by the Italian Iveco-Oto Melara consortium CIO, as its new armoured vehicle under the VBC Cav—MSR 8×8 project.
The partnership between the Brazilian Army and IDV marks a continuation of their longstanding collaboration, which has previously yielded milestones such as the supply of 700 units of the 6×6 amphibious armoured vehicle Guarani and 32 units of the LMV-BR. This latest contract reveals the partnership and reinforces Brazil’s commitment to bolstering its defence infrastructure through investments in military technologies.
Since 2012, IVECO has been supplying the Army with VBTP-MR Guarani armoured vehicles. According to GlobalData’s intelligence on the Brazilian defence market, the country is anticipated to acquire 2,044 APC vehicles under the Guarani 2.0 programme over the next decade.
The LMV-BR 2 vehicles have been developed with user feedback and operational insights, ensuring they meet the requirements of modern military operations, including specialised missions in urban environments and peacekeeping operations.
The first batch of LMV-BR 2 vehicles is slated for delivery in 2026, marking the beginning of a transformative phase in Brazil’s defence modernisation efforts. With a decade-long horizon, this contract enhances operational readiness and stimulates economic growth through localised production and technology transfer. (Source: army-technology.com)
12 Jul 24. Germany buys 105 Leopard 2 A8 tanks for controversial Lithuania brigade. Germany will purchase 105 Leopard 2 A8 tanks, the latest generation of the platform, to deploy in Lithuania at Nato’s Eastern flank.
The German Federal Ministry of Defence announced on 11 July 2024, the procurement of 105 Leopard 2 A8 battle tanks, the latest generation of the platform with combat improvements, to support Germany’s combat brigade in Lithuania on the Russian border, Panzerbrigade 45, the first permanent foreign deployment for German troops since WW2.
The permanent deployment of troops and materiel to Lithuania is seen by Germany as necessary to respond quickly to any change in the security situation on Nato’s eastern flank.
It is expected that the 105 new battle tanks in the newest order will join troops in the Lithuania Brigade between 2027 and 2030. Panzerbrigade 45’s 4,800 German soldiers will be permanently stationed in Lithuania and combat ready by 2027, following the signing of an agreement in December 2023 of the deployment. The transfer of troops began with an advanced team of 20 staff in April 2024.
€2.9bn to be spent on the latest variant of the Leopard 2
The funds for the programme approved from the Bundeswehr special fund and the regular defence fund by the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag on 3 July amount to €2.9bn. This will be the second procurement of the A8 variant of the Leopard 2 tank, following a decision in May 2023 to replace stock donated to Ukraine by buying 18 of the main battle tanks, expected to be delivered between 2025 and 2026.
The Leopard 2 A8 variant is a main battle tank similar to the Leopard 2 A7V, but with improvements to increase the combat value, such a next generation of multi-layered armour composed of steel, tungsten, composite filler, and ceramic components, and a passive armour kit, as well as reinforcements to the underbelly to protect against mine detonation.
The new variant of the Leopard 2 is also equipped with the Trophy Active Protection System (APS), procured by Germany from Rafael in February 2021. The Trophy APS uses a sophisticated radar system to track multiple targets from all directions, and deploys a dense cloud of countermeasure pellets with foreknowledge of the projectile threat’s trajectory and velocity, to protect the Leopard 2 A8 and its crew of four.
Opposition to permanently deploying in Lithuania
The decision to permanently station German troops in Lithuania was subject to some public wrangling among senior Nato officials, as Admiral Rob Bauer stated on 3 July 2023 that the possible permanent deployment to Lithuania: “… is not in line with what was decided in Madrid,” referencing the Nato summit in Madrid in June 2022. In the months following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine it was decided in Madrid to have eight battalion battle groups, normally of the order of 300 to 800 soldiers, stationed across Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, to defend Nato’s Eastern flank.
The source of contention over the move to station troops in Lithuania permanently can be traced to an existing 1997 Nato-Russia Foundation Act that forbids such permanent deployments along Russia’s border. However, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on 10 July the treaty with Russia that deterred the defence of Nato’s eastern flank as ‘dead’, killed by Russia’s announcement to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, and that Nato should scrap its constraints on establishing permanent bases near Russia’s borders. (Source: army-technology.com)
08 Jul 24. India unveils ‘Zorawar’ light tank. India’s state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T) have unveiled an initial prototype of their jointly developed ‘Zorawar’ light tank. The tank – intended for Indian Army use along its northern border with China – was displayed to the media for the first time at L&T’s production facility in Hazira, Gujarat, on 6 July. Speaking to local media, DRDO chairman Samir V Kamat said he expected the tank prototype to complete development trials within six months after which it would be offered to the Indian Army for additional evaluations. He said he expected the tank to be ready for Indian Army induction by 2027. The Indian Army intends to deploy the tank in India’s Ladakh region, a high-altitude mountainous plateau where the average elevation is more than 5,000 m above sea level, and over terrain that requires low-track pressure. According to the DRDO, the maximum weight of the light tank is 25 tonnes. The platform is powered by a Cummins 750/1,000 hp engine, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of just under 40 hp/tonne. This is intended to provide improved manoeuvrability in the thinner atmosphere in Ladakh compared with the Indian Army’s T-90 or T-72 main battle tanks, which weigh around 50–60 tonnes and are currently deployed in the region. (Source: Janes)
03 Jul 24. Italy plans 20bn euro tank order from Germany’s Rheinmetall, reports Handelsblatt. Germanyis planning to buy hundreds of tanks from Rheinmetall in what would be the German defence group’s biggest ever order, valued at around 20 bn euros ($21.50 bn), the Handelsblatt business daily reported on Wednesday, citing industry sources. According to the plan, the Italian government would buy at least 350 Lynx armoured fighting vehicles and more than 200 Panther main battle tanks in an order spread over a 15-year period, Handelsblatt reported. Rheinmetall did not deny the report when asked for comment and said it would comment in due course. In June, a source close to the matter said Italian defence and aerospace group Leonardo was in talks with Rheinmetall on a strategic alliance for tanks. A Leonardo spokesman declined to comment on the Handelsblatt report, saying the matter was in the hands of the Italian government. There was no immediate response to a request for a comment from the Italian government. Rheinmetall is targeting record sales of 10 bn euros this year as its order books grow due to boosted defence spending in Europe in response to the war in Ukraine. ($1 = 0.9312 euros) (Source: Google/Reuters)
08 Jul 24. Royal Marines make history by squeezing Polaris light strike vehicle into Osprey. The Royal Marines have made history in Australia by safely loading a UK Polaris MZRZ-D4 for the first time on a US MV-22 Osprey. With only inches to spare on either side, Corporal Fletcher of 40 Commando proved an MZRZ can be deployed to any established helicopter landing site in the world by using one of the tilt-rotor aircraft. The Polaris MRZR-D4 is a robust, lightweight, 4×4 off-road vehicle designed to transport up to four commandos and travel at speeds of up to 60mph, making it ideal for quick deployment on military operations. Members of 40 Commando and a fleet of vehicles including more than 40 US-made Polaris MRZR-D4 light strike vehicles and seven Viking personnel armoured vehicles are in Australia’s Northern Territory for Exercise Predators Run. Personnel from across the UK Commando Force, RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus are deployed in Australia as part of the Littoral Response Group (South) – a bespoke force assigned to a geographical area that contains dedicated shipping, helicopters and boats. The commandos are in the Northern Territory to work alongside 1 Brigade of the Australian Army, the lead Littoral Brigade within the Australian Defence Force. The commandos from Mortar Troop were given the unique opportunity to train and share skills with their Australian counterparts at Robertson Barracks. Other participants taking part in Ex Predators Run include the US Marine Corps and service personnel from the Philippines and Timor. The exercise presents a unique opportunity to validate the OF4 Headquarters, ensuring 40 Commando and LRG(S) are prepared for warfighting operations, supporting Britain’s allies and partners in the region and across the globe. (Source: forces.net)
07 Jul 24. A joint venture between Leonardo of Italy and Germany’s Rheinmetall to build tanks for the Italian army will open up new overseas markets and pave the way for greater consolidation in Europe’s arms sector, according to the chief executives of the two groups. “The goal is to create a new generation of vehicles that are superior compared to competitors in terms of their technical characteristics,” Leonardo chief executive Roberto Cingolani told the Financial Times in an interview. If the tank performs well, “it will open new global markets for us that we could not have competed in as standalone [companies],” he said. The announcement comes after the Italian contractor last month said negotiations to collaborate with Franco-German tank venture KNDS, an alliance of France’s Nexter and Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, had broken down. Defence sector collaboration in Europe has historically been hampered by disagreements among governments over how to ensure national sovereignty and equal work share. However, Cingolani expressed confidence in the Italian-German deal. “A platform like this one has good chances of being competitive for the European main battle tank,” he said. Leonardo chief executive Roberto Cingolani is hopeful this pan-European defence project can succeed © Ian Forsyth/Getty Images Under the 50:50 joint venture unveiled this week, Leonardo and Rheinmetall will be the lead contractor to develop Italy’s main battle tank and armoured infantry combat vehicles, based on the German company’s Panther and Lynx models respectively. Leonardo will play a key role in the construction, especially for the electronics and tank turrets, the rotating hubs which sit on top of the vehicle’s main body.
Italy’s decision this year to allocate around €20bn over 15 years to renew the country’s armoured vehicle fleet helped to spur collaboration talks between the contractors. On Leonardo’s talks with KNDS, Cingolani said the Italian group pulled out because there was “no clear industrial strategy in the long term” for the Italian group. “Our technology contribution would have been minimal on their platform. They would have sold their platform, we would have made a few components, but the platform would have been theirs [not a joint one],” he said. Europe’s land vehicle industry remains fragmented despite the wake-up call from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing boost in defence spending among governments. Progress on a Franco-German plan for a joint tank, dubbed the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), has been slow amid political discord. Armin Papperger, chief executive of Rheinmetall, told the FT in a separate interview that in order to balance concerns around maintaining national sovereignty with the need to consolidate, it was important for the companies involved to enter into a true partnership. “That is the reason that we created this joint venture. If you have a German-Italian joint venture, it is a long-term partnership in that area, you can do both.” The venture will be headquartered in Italy, where 60 per cent of the work will be done but split equally between the two companies; 50 per cent will be done by Leonardo in Italy with another 10 per cent done by Rheinmetall’s Italian-based workforce. The rest will be carried out by Rheinmetall in Germany. Ester Sabatino, research associate for Defence and Military Analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said the new joint venture could also prove a competitor to the European tank programme MGCS led by KNDS, which also includes Rheinmetall. It could “go in and take the spot of delivering an intermediate solution for a European main battle tank if there are further delays to the MGCS programme,” she said. “What is certain is that despite political declarations on the willingness to consolidate. industrial interests and competences remain key challenges [for MGCS].” Both companies expect to move quickly. The venture, said Cingolani, “allows us to start immediately which is very important”. “This is the first tangible step in the direction of the European defence space we’ve been talking about for a few months,” he added. The venture has already had inquiries from potential export customers, said Papperger, noting that securing orders from other European nations would help to drive consolidation. “We think other nations will also order now from that joint venture so that you can make a European network and this network will have production lines in different satellite states,” he said. It was a “process that we have to learn in Europe”, he added. “We have to involve a lot of different countries, not only two or three, and then we have a European solution.” On the new venture’s position in Europe’s defence map, Papperger said it could eventually join the Franco-German MGCS. “Long-term I believe Italy will also, with this opportunity, be part of the MGCS,” he said. (Source: FT.com)
04 Jul 24. USMC unveils next-gen amphibious vehicles in Okinawa upgrade. Capable of transitioning from water to land operations, these vehicles are set to improve Marine Corps operations across environments. In a move to enhance operations in the Indo-Pacific region, the III Marine Expeditionary Force has welcomed a fleet of Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs) to Okinawa, Japan. This development marks an upgrade from the ageing Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAVs). The ACV, characterised by its eight-wheeled armoured design, represents an advance in amphibious warfare technology. Capable of transitioning from water to land operations, these vehicles are set to improve Marine Corps operations across environments
Lt. Gen. Roger B. Turner, commanding general of III MEF, emphasised the impact of the new vehicles, stating, “III Marine Expeditionary Force is a modern, ready force. Upgrading our fleet with amphibious combat vehicles capable of supporting sea denial and maritime operations will further bolster our ability to support deterrence efforts and respond to contingencies in the Indo-Pacific.”
The US Marine Corps (USMC) received its first amphibious combat vehicle command (ACV-C) variant from BAE Systems for testing in 2021. The arrival of the ACVs at Naha Military Port on June 29, 2024, marks the beginning of the deployment process. Over the coming days, the vehicles will be transported to Camp Schwab, where Marines will undergo training to familiarise themselves with the ACVs’ capabilities. This rollout represents a long-anticipated enhancement to the Marine Corps amphibious assault capabilities, ensuring readiness to respond to crises and maintain stability in the region. Within the last year, the US Marine Corps has signed a $211.5m contract with BAE Systems to procure 40 Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) Personnel variants. This contract, part of a $2.5bn cumulative value, supports the Marine Corps’ plan to acquire 4,350 ACVs by 2040 at an estimated $22.3bn. (Source: naval-technology.com)
05 Jul 24. Bangladesh receives first C-130-configurable AeroMedical Evacuation System. Bangladesh recently received its fifth and final C-130 after being upgraded by Marshall, which has now delivered the new aeromedical capability.
Aerospace maintenance and systems provider Marshall has delivered of the first AeroMedical Evacuation System (AMES) to the Bangladesh Air Force, providing the service with a new humanitarian assistance, disaster relief (HADR) capability.
In a 3 July 2024, release, Marshall stated that the AMES system was designed, engineered, tested and assembled in-house as part of the company’s Adaptable Role-fit Capability (ARC) family of palletised products, providing medium and high dependency patients with advanced medical care during airlift transport.
Developed alongside medical experts and fleet operators, AMES can be installed onto or removed from an aircraft in a matter of hours without any permanent modifications, Marshall said.
Partner Content
The AMES system was created to be used interchangeably on the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules or other tactical airlifters compatible with 463L pallets and is reconfigurable for specific medical needs.
The Bangladesh Air Force also recently took delivery of its fifth and final C-130J Super Hercules, the company announced in June. All five aircraft were upgraded and prepared by Marshall and likely primarly for use in peacekeeping and HADR missions.
The project began in 2018 with the acquisition of the aircraft from the UK Ministry of Defence. The programme’s major components included decommissioning the aircraft from their previous roles in the UK Royal Air Force, upgrading avionics, and enhancing the aircraft’s capabilities for passenger transport and survival operations.
Marshall’s ARC family
An earlier medical evacuation system, co-developed by Marshall and Nodin Aviation, was designed to convert a Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737-700 commercial airliner into an airborne hospital. T
he system has seen use in response to recent high-profile incidents, including evacuating Norway’s King Harald V from Malaysia on 3 March 2024 and evacuating injured Ukrainian soldiers in 2022, Marshall stated.
Other products within Marshall’s ARC family include ARC radar, a modular sensor suite that allows operators of tactical transport aircraft to temporarily outfit an aircraft for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
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: Paul Fleming
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-