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12 Dec 24. India’s BEML to supply high-mobility vehicles to Indian Army. India’s state-owned BEML, formerly Bharat Earth Movers Limited, has signed contracts with the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to deliver an unspecified number of 8×8 high-mobility vehicles (HMVs) and 50 tonne heavy-duty trailers to the Indian Army. In a filing to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) on 11 December, BEML said the contract for 8×8 HMVs is valued at INR1.36 bn (USD16 m). One day earlier in a separate filing the company said the trailer deal is worth INR835.1m. BEML did not disclose the number of HMVs and trailers it will deliver to the Indian Army, nor did it provide details about the timing of deliveries. The company had not responded to Janes questions about the programmes at the time of publication. In its NSE filing, BEML said the 8×8 HMVs will “play a pivotal role” in India’s Battlefield Surveillance System (BSS) project, a mobile automated surveillance system being developed by India’s Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). According to Janes C4ISR & Mission Systems: Land, the BSS is designed to integrate inputs from all battlefield surveillance devices to aid commanders’ decision making. The Indian Army reportedly aims to deploy BSS surveillance centres to all field formations by December 2025. The BSS is likely to be mounted on the 8×8 HMVs. (Source: Janes)
11 Dec 24. Türkiye reinforces defence industry consolidation with regional diplomacy. Türkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan discussed further defence co-operation with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on 8 December.
Türkiye’s defence connections with Oman have increased in recent years. In July Turkish defence contractor FNSS’ Pars III 8×8 armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), in service with the Royal Army of Oman, were part of military exercises conducted by the Omani Armed Forces.
In July 2022 FNSS announced it would build a depot-level maintenance and repair facility for Oman’s fleet of Pars III armoured vehicles, including infrastructure that will enable the facility to be expanded and help Omani companies produce spares.
The contract helped fulfil industry participation and offset obligations for a large vehicle contract, which saw the delivery of 172 Pars III vehicles (145 8×8s and 27 6×6s) in 13 variants to Oman from 2017 to 2020.
Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE are also significant clients for Turkish defence equipment.
FNSS changes
Turkish industrial conglomerate Nurol Holding secured full ownership of Turkish defence contractor FNSS Savunma Sistemleri A.Ş. in October after reaching an agreement to acquire the remaining 49% stake it did not already own from BAE Systems.
FNSS Savunma Sistemleri was established as a joint venture (JV) between Nurol Holding and US company FMC Corporation in 1985. The first contract FNSS won was for the construction of 1,698 armoured personnel carriers for the Turkish Land Forces Command.
This acquisition concludes Nurol’s more than three-decade-long JV with BAE Systems. (Source: Janes)
11 Dec 24. US approves $300m armoured vehicle maintenance sale to Kuwait. Kuwait seeks to acquire services and equipment for the refurbishment of existing infrastructure. The US State Department has approved a potential foreign military sale to Kuwait, encompassing military vehicle maintenance repair sustainment capability and associated equipment, with an estimated cost of $300m (Kd93m). The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has formally notified Congress of this potential transaction. Kuwait seeks to upgrade its maintenance facilities, acquiring services and equipment for the refurbishment of existing infrastructure. The request includes a range of items such as sustainment maintenance, tools, repair parts, shop equipment, material handling devices, initial repair parts supply for two years, mandatory replacement materials, and the capability to repair arms up to 100mm. Additionally, the package covers cables, wiring harnesses, hydraulics, fuel oil pumps, starters, generators, AGT1500 engine parts, testing and limited repair services for communication systems, fire control, night vision, and laser devices. The proposed sale also includes a TIGER Process for enhanced AGT1500 engine repairs, five years of facility operation and maintenance, field service representatives, technicians, mechanics, and other support personnel, on-the-job training, and more. This sale is aligned with US foreign policy and national security goals, reinforcing the infrastructure of Kuwait. The equipment and services will support the upkeep of M1A2 and M1A2K Abrams main battle tanks, M88A1 and M88A2 Hercules recovery vehicles, M113A1, M113A2, and M113A3 armoured personnel carrier, and others. It will bolster Kuwait Land Forces’ ability to maintain its military readiness to face current and future threats. The Abrams M1A2 is a combat system with a 120-mm main gun, designed for shoot-on-the-move capabilities and interoperability. Kuwait’s armed forces are expected to integrate these new acquisitions without difficulty, and the sale is not anticipated to disrupt the existing military balance in the region. The principal contractors involved in this sale are BAE Systems, U.S. Ordnance, DRS Technologies, L3Harris, Northrop Grumman, and RTX. The country’s acquisition budget is expected to increase from $819.4m in 2024 to $1.5bn in 2029, at a CAGR of 7%. Previously in 2022, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency informed Congress about a foreign military sale of M1A2K tank operational and training ammunition to Kuwait. (Source: army-technology.com)
10 Dec 24. SVI six-wheeled Land Cruiser amongst new SANDF equipment spotted at Exercise Vuk’uhlome. New hardware is slowly making its way into the hands of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), with a modified six-wheeled Land Cruiser, new assault rifles and machineguns amongst the equipment seen for the first time at the SA Army’s biggest annual exercise this month. Exercise Vuk’uhlome III was held at the SA Army’s Combat Training Centre in the Northern Cape and culminated in a Distinguished Visitors’ Day on 21 November. Although dominated by Ratel infantry fighting vehicles, R4 assault rifles and other equipment that has been in service for decades, the SANDF did reveal some new acquisitions, primarily for the Special Forces. These included CZ Bren 2 assault rifles, chambered in both 5.56 NATO and 7.62×39 mm. These were seen carried by Special Forces members, while Kord 12.7 mm heavy machineguns were seen mounted on some of the Special Forces’ Hornet vehicles – others were seen with the more traditional 12.7 mm Browning machineguns. Not for the first time were modified 4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers seen, fitted with armoured cabs and 23 mm cannons on the back. These were supplied by SVI Engineering, which also provided armoured Land Cruisers fitted with Scorpion automated mortars for the Special Forces. The SANDF in early 2024 acquired half a dozen MAX 3 armoured vehicles from SVI to help combat border crimes during Operation Corona deployments. Two are 4×4 and four are six-wheeled MAX 3s, fitted with rear cargo cabins on the loadbed. These were not seen at Vuk’uhlome 2024, but a six-wheeled Land Cruiser was spotted during the exercise, fitted with a modified loadbed carrying a 23 mm cannon and machinegun turret. Earlier this year Armscor issued a tender for the development of modified 6×6 Land Cruiser vehicles for the South African Special Forces to enhance their firepower during operational deployments but it’s not clear if the vehicle at Exercise Vuk’uhlome 2024 was one of these. Much of the defence budget (65%) is going towards the compensation of employees, but some funds are being allocated for equipment maintenance and new acquisitions. To safeguard the integrity of South Africa’s borders, the department of defence will continue to prioritise the acquisition of vehicles and technology that will serve as a force multiplier. National Treasury has allocated nearly R1 bn to improve SANDF border security capabilities over the next three years. R200 m worth of sensor technology will be acquired for the border safeguarding Operation Corona in 2025/6 including a geographic information system (GIS) capability (R22.5m); intelligence collection and processing capabilities (R47 m under Project Baobab); upgraded Chaka command and control system (R7.2 m); Reutech RSR 903 radars (R57 m); 60 observation posts (R16 m under Project Dominate); 16 quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicles (R16m) and two long range UAVs (R24m). Troop pack vehicles (over 400 Land Cruisers were originally acquired) will be replaced with off-the-shelf vehicles and R500 m will be spent in 2024/25 for this. Armscor in July issued an invitation to bid for nearly 500 armoured vehicles for border patrol: 210 Section variants, 144 Command variants, and 108 Ambulance variants. Deliveries are expected before 15 March 2025, although industry has expressed concern that this deadline is unfeasible. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
09 Dec 24. Lebanon Receives M113 Armored Personnel Carriers from Jordan. At the directives of His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a ship carrying 62 M113 armored personnel carriers arrived at the port of Beirut. This shipment is a generous gift from the Kingdom to the Lebanese Army. The donation was received in the presence of a representative from the Jordanian Embassy and a representative of the Commander-in-Chief of the Lebanese Army, General Joseph Aoun. It will contribute to enhancing the capabilities of the army, particularly in terms of operational deployment and missions carried out in various Lebanese regions, amid the exceptional circumstances that the country is going through.” The M113 armored personnel carrier is one of the primary pieces of equipment in the Jordanian Armed Forces, where it has been used for decades as part of efforts to modernize and develop its military capabilities. Jordan acquired these carriers through military cooperation programs with the United States and other countries, and they have been modified to suit the needs of the Jordanian Army and regional challenges. The M113 armored personnel carrier is considered one of the most widely used armored personnel carriers in the world, having entered service with the U.S. Army in the early 1960s. Designed to provide protection for ground forces while moving on the battlefield, it has gained widespread recognition for its versatility and reliability. (Source: Defense Arabia)
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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: Paul Fleming
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