Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited
http://www.tekmilitaryseating.co.uk/
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
18 Dec 24. Today Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė met with representatives of the Swedish manufacturer BAE Systems Hägglunds to discuss acquisition of the CV-90 tracked infantry fighting vehicles and closer cooperation with the Lithuanian Defence industry.
“Important aspects are a quick and effective implementation and timely delivery of the IFVs because we cannot afford delays in the current security situation. Lithuania’s objective is to have the national division at Full Operational Capability by 2030 and IFVs are inseparable part of the process that leads up to it. We will form a sustained and long-term industrial collaboration which will include Lithuania in the supply chains of the programme and ensure and effective CV90 maintenance and servicing in Lithuania,” noted Minister after the meeting.
The Swedes were debriefed on the Government’s decision to increase the limit on borrowing for defence to EUR 800 m next year and assured of comprehensive Government-level support for cooperation with the company if the negotiations were successful ad met Lithuania’s interests.
Lithuania will join the IFV acquisition programme with Finland, Sweden and Norway. The model and terms of industrial cooperation will have to be approved by all the participant, therefore, the negotiations are planned to be completed in the end of 2025. (Source: joint-forces.com)
20 Dec 24. Challenger 3 MBT prototypes 3 and 4 ready for British Army trials. Recent cuts to UK defence capabilities have raised the prospect that the Challenger 3 programme may not upgrade 148 tanks as planned. The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) joint venture has provided a new update on the British Army’s Challenger 3 programme, with Pre-series vehicles 3 and 4 recently completing commissioning in readiness for field trials. Announcing the step on social media on 19 December 2024, RBSL said the two latest prototype Challenger 3 main battle tanks (MBT) will be “put through their paces” in a test plan, which will mirror trials already performed by the first two Pre-series platforms. An additional four Pre-series vehicles would “soon join the fleet”, ahead of an eventual move to full-rate production. However, it will be several years before the British Army is able to field the platforms on operations, with an initial operating capability (IOC), effectively the equipping of a full MBT squadron, not due to be met until 2027 at the earliest. A total of 148 of the British Army’s approximate 200 Challenger 2 MBTs are due to be upgraded, with early prototypes having undergone firing trials in Germany in May 2024. However, persistent messaging by the UK government of fiscal problems and recent cuts to defence capability could lay the scene for a reduction in Challenger 3 MBTs in 2025, when the Strategic Defence Review is announced.
Challenger 3 a halfway house to Leopard 2 series?
Upgrades from the Challenger 2 MBT include the L55A1 smoothbore gun from Rheinmetall, a new turret with multiple day and night sensors, an active protection systems, new modular armour, and improved power generation and suspension. Programming to cost around £1.3bn ($1.62bn) in 2021, should expenditure remain on track it will mean an outlay of £8.8m on each Challenger 2 upgraded to the Challenger 3 variant. By comparison, a recent Czech deal for additional Leopard 2A4 MBTs came to around $11m per tank, a price similar to a 2023 deal that saw Denmark and the Netherlands acquire 14 Leopard 2A4 tank for Ukraine, at a cost of $172.9m. Converted to dollars, each Challenger 3 upgrade will cost about $11.2m, or as much as an entire Leopard 2A4. By the time the programme reaches IOC the average age of the vehicles on which the upgrade will be based will be around 27 years old, with the Challenger 3 tanks expected to serve until 2040, when the base platforms will have been in service for over 40 years.
Full operating capability is not expected to be achieved until 2030. This means that Challenger 3 will be a decade-long stopgap until a next-generation European platform becomes available, at which point the UK will almost certainly look to join a multinational effort. This will see the end of tank design in the UK, as its industrial base shifts to license built MBTs or outright off-the-shelf acquisition from a European country.
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
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
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–