Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited
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17 Apr 25. Some of Britain’s most secure military sites are restricting access to electric cars over concerns that Chinese technology embedded within the vehicles could be used for spying. (Source: FT.com)
17 Apr 25. ‘Eurotank’ firms form joint venture before talks with Germany, France. The main contractors for the Main Ground Combat System have formed a joint project company to represent industry in upcoming contract negotiations with client nations Germany and France. The company, based here, represents KNDS Germany, KNDS France, Thales and Rheinmetall as the four parties at the top of a pyramid of suppliers. The contractors are charged with building a futuristic tank while showcasing Europe’s unified arms industry at the same time. In a joint statement, the companies described the incorporation of the business as a “further significant step” toward fielding the weapon by 2040. The MGCS program is one of two key weapon projects spearheaded by France and Germany. After haggling over workshare specifics for years, government leaders decided to have Germany lead the tank project while France would oversee a sixth-generation fighter program, the Future Combat Air System. Officials have said MGCS will go beyond fielding a new main battle tank for German and French ground forces that would ideally be adopted later on by European partners. The idea is, rather, to build a suite of interconnected manned and unmanned vehicles to revolutionize ground combat through firepower, sensors and artificial intelligence. The project is meant to produce a successor for Germany’s Leopard 2, the most widely used modern battle tank in Western Europe, and France’s Leclerc main battle tank.
Stefan Gramolla, a colonel in the German Army reserve, is managing director of MGCS Project Company, or MPC, according to the firms’ joint statement.
Gramolla’s LinkedIn profile lists a two-month stint at Rheinmetall as well as a consulting job as his previous career stops.
Next up for the joint company are negotiations with the defense-acquisition departments in Berlin and Paris about the next phase of the MGCS program.
“In particular, it will consolidate the concept and the main technological pillars of the system,” the statement reads.
German and French defense officials last year approved a division of labor in the program. There are eight so-called pillars that cover everything from the chassis to weaponry to protection. One notable fork in the road will be the selection of a main cannon. France and Germany will initially develop a separate option each, with a winner technology to be picked after testing. The main gun is considered a key differentiator in future tank concepts, with engineers brooding over projectile size, shot range and ammunition feeder mechanisms. (Source: glstrade.com/Defense News)
17 Apr 25. MGCS Project Company GmbH (MPC) established in Cologne. The next step has now been taken in the Franco-German armaments project Main Ground Combat System (MGCS). On the basis of the approval by the German Federal Cartel Office, KNDS Deutschland, KNDS France, Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Thales legally incorporated the ‘MGCS Project Company GmbH (MPC)’ on 10 April 2025 in Cologne. Dipl. Ing. Dipl. Wirt. Ing. and Colonel (G.S. German Armed Forces Reserve) Stefan Gramolla was appointed managing director. The founding of the company marks a further significant step in the MGCS project. After the upcoming negotiation of a contract with the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), which is acting on behalf of the two nations through a Franco-German Combined Project Team (CPT), this project company will be responsible for implementing the next phase of the MGCS programme as the industrial prime contractor. In particular, it will consolidate the concept and the main technological pillars of the system. Launched at the initiative of the French and German governments, the MGCS project aims to replace the Leopard 2 and Leclerc main battle tanks with a multi-platform ground combat system by 2040.
14 Apr 25. US Army plans to dramatically accelerate Abrams tank modernization. Instead of traipsing blindly through the byzantine labyrinth that is the regular defense acquisition process to modernize its nearly 40-year-old M1 Abrams tank, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George has ordered the service and its industry partners to move much more quickly to get something better, his chief technology officer, Dr. Alex Miller, told Defense News.
“We don’t want to turn into Pentagon Wars,” Miller said in a recent interview at the Pentagon, referring to a satirical comedy exposing bureaucratic dysfunction of the 1970s development of the Army’s Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle.
The Army has long adhered to acquisition timelines in which a program could be greenlit, but then take a decade to proceed through technology maturation “so that the government can feel comfortable and understand all the potential risks that could ever happen,” Miller said. “Because you have to understand all of the environment and all the technology so well that the decision you make today is right for 30 years, and that doesn’t make sense anymore.”
The Army decided in September 2023 that it would pursue a more significant modernization effort for the Abrams tank, rather than go through with planned upgrades to increase the tank’s mobility and survivability on the battlefield.
The service then awarded a contract to General Dynamics Land Systems — Abrams’ original equipment manufacturer — in the spring of 2024 to begin shaping requirements and work on a preliminary design of the new tank variant. Vague desires for the new variant included making it lighter, better protected and giving it an autoloader. But little has been revealed over the last year about those plans, except that the Army wanted to align the fielding of the new M1E3 with the fielding of its Bradley replacement, the M30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, which is expected in the early 2030s.
‘Accept risk’
Shortly after becoming Army chief about 18 months ago, George was told in a meeting with Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems in Detroit, Michigan, that the new tank would take 65 months before the first one would be built, Miller recounted. Finding the timeline astronomical, George promptly ordered the team to figure out a way to move much faster.
“In the last two or three months, we’ve been given a lot of latitude to go, ‘Hey, stop doing silly things, supercharge where you need to supercharge, accept risk where it is responsible and pragmatic,’” Miller said, “‘Don’t encumber yourself on policies and regulations that were made for different pieces … Use all of the things that are legally, morally and acceptable available and stop trying to manage all the risk to the point where there’s no risk because there will always be risk.’”
The Army is now planning to cut the timeline down to a third of that original projection, with a plan of getting a new variant out to soldiers within 24 to 30 months, Miller said. He is working closely with Abrams program manager, Col. Ryan Howell, on making it happen.
“We are taking advantage of all of the authorities that we can and just go,” he said. “I’d like to see this before I retire.”
The Abrams tank has many elements that work well, Miller said, such as the 120mm smooth bore gun and its fins and skirts, for example. However, “the things we really want to get after are, ‘Hey, what’s happened in the last 40 years for drivetrain? What’s happened in the last 40 years for power generation?’” he said.
Farther afield for the new Abrams would be an autoloading capability. A tank autoloader is technologically difficult and will likely take more time because it is a unique problem for the military.
“We’ve been staring at [the problem] for 10 years,” Miller noted. Now, the Army wants to see how industry can solve it technologically while ensuring it is specifically designed to work within the tank.
But there are many other capabilities that are readily available within the commercial heavy machinery world, for example, that could be applied in those areas related to drivetrains and power, according to Miller. The Army also wants to integrate active protection into the tank and believes it can go more quickly in that realm as well, he said. The service has only managed to kit out Abrams with Israeli defense firm Rafael’s Trophy Active Protection System. The system is not fully integrated into the tank, which leads to a series of undesirable tradeoffs. (Source: Defense News)
14 Apr 25. 1st Airbus A330 MRTT for the Spanish Air and Space Force enters into service. The first Airbus A330 MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) for the Spanish Air and Space Force has entered into service with the 45th Wing. This is the first of three multi-mission tanker and transport aircraft acquired by the Spanish Ministry of Defence in November 2021. The aircraft, which will operate from Torrejón de Ardoz Air Base, Madrid (Spain), has been delivered from the Airbus facilities in Getafe (Madrid), where the A330 MRTT aircraft conversion center is based.
“With the entry into service of this first A330 MRTT, the Spanish Air and Space Force now has the world’s best tanker aircraft in its fleet,” said Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Air Power at Airbus Defence and Space. “The MRTT will not only provide interoperability with allied nations and strategic autonomy, but will also significantly increase projection, aerial evacuation and in-flight refuelling capabilities.”
The Airbus A330 MRTT for Air and Space is equipped with a state-of-the-art, hose-and-basket refuelling system and has an endurance of more than 18 flight hours and a range of 16,000 kilometers. The A330 MRTT is the only new-generation tanker and strategic airlifter currently available and operational. Its large basic fuel load capacity of 111 tonnes allows it, among other functions, to successfully perform aerial refuelling missions without the need for additional fuel tanks. Thanks to its wide-body fuselage, the A330 MRTT can be used as a transport aircraft capable of carrying up to 300 troops or a payload of up to 45 tonnes (99,000 lb). In addition, this aircraft can be configured with a dedicated Medical Evacuation (MEDEVAC) kit, allowing the installation of different stretcher modules and intensive-care stations. The second and third Airbus A330 MRTTs for Spain are currently undergoing conversion at Getafe, Madrid. The 45th Wing of the Spanish Air and Space Force has so far used these unconverted A330s to transport military personnel and equipment, for example, in the Pacific Skies exercise in 2024 or the evacuation of Spanish nationals from Niger or Sudan. (Source: ASD Network)
11 Apr 25. BAE Systems, WZM to enhance Polish M88 ARV fleet. WZM will use BAE Systems’ intellectual property for maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations. BAE Systems has formalised a partnership with Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne (WZM) to bolster the operational readiness of the Polish Land Forces’ M88 armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) fleet. This collaboration underscores the integral part the Polish defence sector will play in maintaining the military’s recently acquired assets, noted BAE. As part of the agreement, WZM, a Polish defence company and a member of PGZ Capital Group, will use BAE Systems’ intellectual property to carry out tasks like maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations. This is expected to ensure that the M88 vehicles remain mission-ready for battlefield recovery and repair tasks. BAE Systems is committed to assisting the Polish Land Forces in achieving cohesive recovery operations capable of servicing all types of armoured vehicles within the Polish Army’s inventory.
BAE Systems Sustainment & International programmes vice president Dean Medland said: “This relationship enables the timely sustainment of critical recovery vehicles, supporting the Polish government’s efforts to strengthen its defence industrial base and promote local economies. We understand the importance of working together with local industry in allied nations. This is an exciting example of how we can create a more responsive regional support network in addition to the critical manufacturing base in the United States.”
The M88A2, known as Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lift and Evacuation System (HERCULES), is designed with increased horsepower and upgraded armour protection. It features armoured track skirts and panels, enabling it to rescue a 70-tonne (t) stranded vehicle and its crew. HERCULES is equipped with a longer 35t boom, a main winch capable of a 140,000-pound constant pull with 280ft of cable, and an auxiliary winch to support main winch cable deployment. In 2022, BAE Systems signed a memorandum of understanding with PGZ. This strategic partnership was aimed at delivering not only the M88 ARV but also other combat vehicle solutions to the Polish Armed Forces. (Source: army-technology.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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