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17 Dec 24. Lithuania pushes Leopard 2A8 tank acquisition under new government. Four days after she was sworn into office, Lithuania’s defense minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, signed an agreement to purchase 44 Leopard 2A8 tanks during her Dec. 16 official visit to Germany.
Over the course of her visit to Berlin, Šakalienė met with her German counterpart, Boris Pistorius, with whom she discussed issues related to the two countries’ defense cooperation. These include the heavy maneuver brigade of 4,800 personnel that the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, is to deploy to Lithuania next year. The move is designed to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The agreement on the acquisition of Leopard 2 tanks is the largest [military] contract in the history of Lithuania,” Šakalienė was quoted in a statement released by her ministry.
“This is a critically important stage in the modernization of our military and strengthening regional security. These tanks will open up opportunities to strengthen the integrity and interoperability of the Lithuanian and German armed forces,” she said.
The value of the forthcoming acquisition was not disclosed by the Lithuanian ministry.
Šakalienė was appointed to her post in Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas’ cabinet following Lithuania’s Oct. 27 general election. The vote was won by the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, for which she is also a lawmaker. Shortly before the election, the State Defence Council, Lithuania’s top defense decision-making body, authorized Šakalienė’s predecessor Laurynas Kasčiūnas to initiate the acquisitions of Leopard 2A8 tanks and CV90 infantry fighting vehicles for the nation’s army.
Manufactured by KNDS and BAE Systems Hägglunds, respectively, both types of tracked vehicles are to become part of Lithuania’s new Infantry Division comprising two battalions. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
16 Dec 24. Taiwan receives first batch of M1A2T Abrams tanks. Taiwan has taken delivery of a first batch of M1A2T Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) from the United States, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported on its official social media channel on 16 December.
The MND showed images of M1A2Ts being inspected and rolled onto transporters, however, it did not elaborate. Taiwan’s state-owned Central News Agency (CNA) reported that 38 out of 108 on-order M1A2T tanks were delivered to the Republic of China Army’s (RoCA’s) Army Armor Training Command at Hsinchu in northwestern Taiwan.
Citing the MND, CNA reported that 42 additional tanks will be delivered in 2025 and the remaining 28 will arrive in Taiwan in 2026.
Taiwan ordered the 108 M1A2T tanks in 2019. The cost was USD2.22 bn and included 250 Block I-92F Stinger missiles, BAE Systems M88A2 armoured recovery vehicles, and Oshkosh M1070A1 heavy equipment transporters.
According to Janes Land Warfare Platforms: Armoured Fighting Vehicles, the M1A2T variant of the M1 Abrams is fitted with a 120 mm smoothbore gun and bespoke gas-turbine engine. The M1A2T resembles the Abrams System Enhancement Package version 3 (SEPv3) and has been designed to meet RoCA requirements.
The M1A2T has a reconfigured turret with unspecified modifications to its survivability, a modified electrical system and auxiliary power unit, and a new ammunition datalink. (Source: Janes)
16 Dec 24. Fort Moore is continuing its construction and implementation of active vehicle barriers (AVB) across several access control points on the installation, further enhancing security measures. Planning and initial construction began in June 2024, with work scheduled to be completed in April 2025.
Fort Moore began the months-long construction process starting with the installation of an AVB system at the Plumley Access Control Point 3, Fort Moore’s main gate, on Lindsey Creek Parkway/I-185. Major testing was completed Dec. 11, 2024. Plumley ACP is fully operational for traffic and the active vehicle barrier system is expected to be fully operational by mid-January, pending the completion of endurance testing and personnel training, according to Jim Webster, physical security chief, Directorate of Emergency Services.
“The active vehicle barriers enhance the overall security for the installation,” said Webster. “If there was ever a threat vehicle and it needed to be stopped, we will have the capability to stop the threat, once construction is complete.”
Three additional access control points will receive the upgraded security measures: Grange Access Control Point 2, Cashe Access Control Point 5A, and Childers Gate Access Control Point 8.
Construction of the AVB at Grange ACP will begin in mid-January 2025, followed by Cashe ACP in early February 2025. Childers Gate ACP is still in the design phase, with completion anticipated in April 2025.
13 Dec 24. US transform maintenance while the UK cuts its surface fleet. Gecko Robotics are modernising maintenance of the US Navy fleet with robots and AI; meanwhile, the UK Royal Navy kicks the can down the road.
Naval industry is stifled by the new demands for a larger surface fleet in a new age of strategic competition. Existing capacity simply cannot deliver new vessels while maintaining old ones at the point of need.
There are, however, two solutions to this dilemma which the US and UK navies have separately pursued in recent months. While the UK Royal Navy (RN) has resolved to cut down its fleet and implement a smaller forward-presence model, the US Navy has turned to new methods of ship maintenance.
With the help of Gecko Robotics, a Pittsburgh-based small-to-medium sized enterprise, US Navy (USN) maintenance is overcoming the enduring inefficiencies of conventional ship maintenance.
Using robots topped with advanced sensors to scour hull structures, the company will use the data collected and processed by artificial intelligence (AI) to provide a high-fidelity digital twin representation known as a ‘rich asset model’. This constitutes Gecko’s Cantilever network of AI and Robotics, or ‘AIR’ solution.
“You’re continually managing and predicting all the damaged areas, and you can understand it from health report. Just like when you or I would go to a doctor to do a complete body scan,” explained Gecko’s co-founder and CEO, Jake Loosararian.
In an exclusive, Loosararian spoke to Naval Technology about the need to improve ship maintenance with these new tools, while overcoming the problematic incentives behind traditional maintenance procedures.
Benefits in data
At present, the USN only has about two-thirds of its surface fleet available right now, Loosararian acknowledged. According to recent figures, as of September 2024, the service included 297 battle force ships in total; this would put nearly 100 ships either in maintenance or idle.
Moreover, the USN anticipate that this total ship count will decline by nine units in the next fiscal year 2025.
Gecko’s AIR network solution is a “game-changing way of approaching speeds and schedule adherence,” he emphasised, having supported dozens of USN surface vessels.
Their new methods cut labour by 85% in mapping hulls, and the USN indicated that their technology saved the service “more than four months of maintenance time.”
Current inefficiencies
Traditionally, engineers would do the work of Gecko’s robots in searching hulls for any signs of wear and tear or any defects and subsequently map them out.
In contrast, Gecko use high definition cameras to create photogrammetry. These point clouds (3D model of the structure) allow them to see different defects. From 30 metres out you can see these different weld lines and dents. This allows Gecko to pre-empt future problems ahead of time.
“There is bureaucracy and primes that are blocking this because it messes with the incentive models that currently exist that are good for large contractors.”
Jake Loosararian, Co-founder and CEO of Gecko Robotics.
Using the old methods, naval primes are “doing these cycles going on 18, 20, even 24 months,” Loosararian pointed out. “How do you predict and prevent this in the future? How do you create strategies to increase the lifespan of the asset? How do you avoid having some sort of cash-out failure?
“There is bureaucracy and primes that are blocking this because it messes with the incentive models that currently exist that are good for large contractors… It obviously hampers us in a lot of ways,” he added.
Countries like China, with whom the US are contesting in the Indo-Pacific region, are able to build much faster. “We are not able to do that,” he added, “we have to ensure that we modernise and improve the inefficiencies.”
UK fails to adapt
“It baffles me that the UK Royal Navy is not picking up on this right now because it solves an immediate and very important problem.”
Instead, the RN has started to double down on cuts at the end of November. The Defence Secretary, John Healey, ended the life of the Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland and axed two Albion-class amphibious assault ships. The Ministry of Defence has since deployed fewer ships and sailors for a nimbler forward presence abroad.
Recently, the RN even considered deploying commercial ships in a multi-purpose capacity as “floating bases for certain operations.” This was suggested after SD Northern River – a commercial, offshore supply vessel – facilitated the trial of a prototype mine counter measure boat in Scotland this month.
Undaunted, Gecko Robotics is currently engaging with British defence primes to find a way to bring its offerings across the Atlantic. Early discussions have taken place with a number companies.
“The speed of maintenance has been unprecedented because of how clear the results are having in terms of an impact – a huge impact – on the most important problem right now for the Navy and for navies all around the world.” (Source: naval-technology.com)
12 Dec 24. US Army seeks hundreds more Bradley IFVs amid ongoing rearmament. The US Army has contracted BAE Systems Land & Armaments to produce further M2A4 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and M7A4 Bradley Fire Support Team (BFIST) platforms, as part of an ongoing series of awards for US defence requirements.
Announced in a 11 December contract notice published by the US Department of Defense (DoD), the $656.2m deal will complete by 30 November 2027, with US Army Contracting Command listed as the contracting activity.
In September 2023 the US Army awarded a $274.1m contract to produce 109 M2A4 Bradley IFVs and the conversion of six M7A4 BFISTs from existing vehicles, with deliveries expected to begin from early 2025.
Modernised M2A4 Bradley IFVs at Fort Stewart, Georgia, in 2022. Credit: US Army
While exact platform numbers for the latest deal have not been revealed, extrapolating the 2023 figures indicate the new BAE Systems’ award could be for up to 272 M2A4 and over a dozen M7A4 vehicles.
However, in 2018 a similar contract award to BAE Systems Land & Armaments to a value of $348m would see the production of up to 473 Bradley M2A4 and M7A4 vehicles, additional spares, and packages for legacy component repair using M2A3, M7A3 and Operation Desert Storm-Situational Awareness (ODS-SA) vehicles as a baseline.
Ukraine has been an ongoing recipient of the Bradley and other equipment from the US since the outbreak of large-scale fighting against Russia in 2022, with over 300 of the IFVs provided through to 1 November 2024, along with four BFIST vehicles.
Vehicle insight: the Bradley IFV
According to the US Army the M2 Bradley IFV provides cross-country mobility, mounted firepower, communications, and protection to mechanised infantry when mounted, and overwatch support when dismounted.
The Bradley has multiple variants: the M2A3 and A4 IFV, and the M2A2 Bradley ODS-SA, with the A4 replacing the ODS-SA variant. Vehicles already in stock will be used to produce new A4 platforms.
The M7A4 Bradley Fire Support Team (BFIST) Vehicle is an integrated Bradley-based fire support platform that enables company Fire Support Teams to plan, coordinate, and execute indirect artillery and mortar fires. Created through an engineering change proposal that incorporates new suspension and track upgrades, the A4 variant improves on existing Bradley mobility and power, providing an ability to host Active Protection Pystems (APS) and communications technology in the future.
The latest Bradley offering from BAE Systems comes in the form of the M2A4E1 variant, which incorporates an APS, improved gunner sight, and more efficient air conditioning for crew comfort. (Source: army-technology.com)
13 Dec 24. The British Army has taken an early Christmas delivery of 20 Rheinmetall MAN support trucks bought under a rapid procurement process. The Field Army has taken an early Christmas delivery of 20 support trucks bought under a rapid procurement process. They are the first of 500 multipurpose Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle trucks, bought under a £282 m contract, which will allow troops to transport essentials such as ammunition, food, water, and support materiel, to operational locations. The newly delivered vehicles are 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. A rapid procurement process was pioneered by Defence Equipment & Support, Army Headquarters and the Field Army, which secured all 500 trucks in just 7 months. The first trucks were received by troops one year after contract signature at 7 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps based in Dalton Barracks, who will now start training on the vehicles. Another 40 vehicles will be utilised for training prior to April 2025 with all 500 fielded to the Field Army by September 2025.
Brigadier Matt Wilkinson, Defence, Equipment and Support said: “The joint team across Army Headquarters, Field Army, DE&S and our industry partners have risen to the challenge of rapidly delivering capability to meet Defence requirements. The procurement of an additional 500 palletised load system trucks has significantly increased the Field Army’s tactical logistic lift.”
Colonel Andy Elliott, HQ Field Army said: ‘Field Army welcome the fielding of these critical vehicles to begin to close the gap in the logistic lift capacity required to deliver and sustain war fighting at scale. Delivering capability at pace challenges procurement processes and policies and lessons from this project can be applied to streamline future acquisitions, vital as the Army seeks to double lethality by 2027.’
Rebecca Richards, Managing Director of RMMV-UK added: “This collaborative venture, between Rheinmetall and the UK MoD, to deliver military capability at pace has been a supreme effort by both teams. It sets the bar for delivering new capabilities and highlights what is possible when NATO allies operate on a bi-lateral basis in their procurements.”
The rapid procurement of the Rheinmetall HX Vehicles comes at an essential time, as the British Army continues to face increased commitments through Op MOBILISE and its offer to the NATO New Force Model. (Source: joint-forces.com)
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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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