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07 Nov 25. Indo Pacific 2025: C2 Robotics unveils Packmule multirole UGV. Australian defence systems manufacturer C2 Robotics has unveiled a lightweight unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that can be configured for various roles in the battlefield, ranging from logistics to suppressive fire operations. Known as the Packmule UGV, the system was on display to the public for the first time at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Exposition 2025 in Sydney. In response to questions from Janes at the exhibition, Tom Loveard, co-founder and chief technology officer of C2 Robotics, described the Packmule UGV as a modular system that can be configured rapidly for various roles. Prior to the reveal at Indo Pacific 2025, the company has been putting the UGV to trials under various conditions, including scenarios where it disembarked from a landing craft during an amphibious landing operation. The Packmule UGV features an eight-wheel drive traction and a suspension system, which allows it to better overcome various terrain and ground clearance conditions. It weighs less than 200 kg but can carry payloads in excess of 250 kg, including cargo, casualties, weapon turrets, and launchers for loitering munitions. The Packmule UGV is equipped with obstacle avoidance sensors and navigates either by a remote operator within line-of-sight distance or via satellite-based control. For more information, please seeIndo Pacific 2025: C2 Robotics unveils loitering munition-armed variant of Speartooth LUUV. (Source: Janes)
06 Nov 25. Delivery of new SA Army armoured personnel carriers subject to funds availability. The mobility of South African soldiers keeping a watchful eye on the country’s land borders is intended to be stepped up from the current Toyota Landcruiser to a milspec armoured personnel carrier (APC), with the SA Army hoping to receive 462 vehicles. An order, Armscor confirmed in response to a DefenceWeb inquiry, has been awarded to Centurion based Milkor. The defence and security acquisition and project management company has not – apart from a “media response” – made any formal announcement or statement on the APC tender, said by at least one Parliamentarian to be worth R500 m. Asked how many APCs Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha’s landward force will acquire to up its border protection capability, Armscor Senior Manager: Corporate Communication, Liziwe Nkonyana, told this publication the 462 vehicles would be delivered over a three-year period “after acceptance of first article variants (x3)” and will be subject to availability of funds. Two hundred and ten of the new APCs will be section vehicles with 144 command and 108 ambulance variants making up the total.
Erasmusrand, Pretoria headquartered Armscor did not elaborate on the type and model of APCs to be supplied. Its response reads “the preferred vehicle will be delivered in accordance with the SA Army specification” adding “it is not a new concept”.
The road to replacing the off-the-shelf soft-skinned Toyota 4X4s goes back to January 2023 when a request for information (RfI) (SA Army/R/403/6) was issued for a 2+8 seat armoured personnel carrier capable of counter-insurgency operations with variable ballistic protection and ability to defeat an 8 kg mine. As the RfI was not from the Department of Defence (DoD) it was not given a project name. Seven companies – DCD Protected Mobility, Denel, OTT Solutions, Paramount, Automotive Investment Holdings/ICP, and SVI – responded to the RfI. Initially indications were that different APCs would be evaluated in operational conditions before taking part in the SA Army division level exercise Vuk’uhlome at the Combat Training Centre (CTC) in Northern Cape province in November 2023. An Armscor procurement contract was supposedly set for placement in April last year but delayed seemingly ahead of a 23 July tender ELWS/2024/71 for personnel carrier vehicles for border patrol, to be utilised for SA Army internal and external missions. Bids were initially due to close on 23 August 2024, with deliveries expected on or before 15 March 2025. The tender faced challenges, including changing requirements – Armscor revised specifications, reducing combat weight as the original user requirement was mostly taken from that of the Badger infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) for the SA Army – deemed not practical for border patrol vehicles. Bid validity was extended, catering for delays. A letter to bidders dated 17 June 2025 from Armscor Supply Chain Management (SCM) announced a further extension to 30 September 2025. That convoluted and lengthy process came to an end of sorts with an Armscor announcement confirming, firstly, identification of a preferred bidder pending approval of financial authorisation. That this seemingly happened was confirmed by the 22 October “media response” naming Milkor – “a company with a proven track record in the military environment” as the APC supplier. Armscor did not respond to DefenceWeb’s asking whether Milkor had agreed to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA). The most recent posting on the news portal of the Milkor website concerns its participation in the June 2025 IndoDefence exhibition in Jakarta, Indonesia. At the time of publication, Milkor had not responded to requests for comment. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
06 Nov 25. Thousands of British workers deliver world-class armoured fighting vehicle to the British Army.
The new world-leading Ajax armoured fighting vehicle has entered service with the British Army.
- Ajax supports a UK-wide supply chain of more than 230 companies and over 4,100 jobs.
- Built in Merthyr Tydfil in Wales, it is another demonstration of defence as an engine for economic growth.
- First new armoured fighting vehicle to enter service with the British Army in nearly 30 years.
Thousands of skilled workers across the UK have helped equip British soldiers with the world’s most advanced medium weight armoured fighting vehicle. Ajax has declared Initial Operating Capability (IOC), a key delivery milestone that means it can now deploy a squadron on operations. A collaborative endeavour between the Army, DE&S and General Dynamics, the six variants of Ajax are built in Merthyr Tydfil while also supporting a UK-wide supply chain of more than 230 companies and over 4,100 jobs. The work is making defence an engine for economic growth and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change. It follows the commitment for the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. As the first armoured fighting vehicle to enter service with the British Army in nearly 30 years, Ajax has undergone extensive testing over several years including more than 20,000 rounds fired from the 40mm cannon. Trials also included hot and cold training overseas, firing on the move, and driving more than 42,000 kilometres in battlefield missions – the equivalent of driving the circumference of the Earth. In a further growth benefit, the programme has significant export potential, with active conversations with multiple potential customers already underway. This follows up to £18 bn of export deals to the UK struck in just the last few months, following major announcements to manufacture Type 26 frigates for Norway and Typhoon fighter jets for Türkiye.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP said: “Defence is an engine for growth. AJAX is contributing not only to the economy in South Wales but also UK-wide in the supply chain. We’re exploring the potential to export AJAX.
AJAX boasts world-class capabilities and it is a hugely important milestone that the UK-wide suppliers have delivered a vehicle that is safe, effective and truly cutting-edge which will be recognised by allies and adversaries alike.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “Defence investment from the UK Government directly supports thousands of high-quality jobs across every part of Wales.
The delivery of hundreds of Ajax vehicles for the Army, made in Merthyr, cements the defence industry’s crucial role in the Welsh economy as we boost investment and growth across the country.”
Ajax is a family of 589 tracked, all-terrain armoured vehicles armed with a range of weapons and state of the art sensors, delivering reconnaissance capabilities to identify enemy targets on the battlefield, and giving the British Army the fighting edge on the frontline. It will be at the heart of both the Armoured and Deep Recce Strike Brigades.
Ajax replaces CVR(T) vehicles, which first entered service in 1971, and the new fleet was put through its paces to meet IOC by the Household Cavalry Regiment, based in Bulford, Wiltshire.
Capt John Hutton, Household Cavalry Regiment said: “Driving AJAX is a really noticeable step change from the previous generation of AFVs. Whilst the pure function remains the same, the control mechanism, the responsiveness of the vehicle and the situational awareness granted to a Driver is unlike anything I have driven before. This gives the Driver unparalleled awareness of their surroundings and far greater ease in controlling the vehicle across ground; 360 vision, previously the monopoly of the Commander in the turret, is now granted to all crew positions.The vehicles boast a groundbreaking digital software – which allows for spiral development over time – coupled with exceptional lethality and manoeuvrability. With its sophisticated array of sensors, highly digitised and networked system, powerful engine, advanced suspension system, modular armour package and 40mm CT40 cannon, Ajax is the world’s most advanced, medium weight armoured fighting vehicle. The milestone helps deliver on the Strategic Defence Review by supporting the Army’s ten-fold increase in lethality by harnessing precision firepower, surveillance technology, autonomy, digital connectivity, and data. It is part of a £41bn investment in British Army equipment and support over the next decade. ”
Rupert Pearce, National Armaments Director, said: “Ajax represents a transformational capability for UK defence, delivered by thousands of skilled workers across Britain. This world-class armoured fighting vehicle strengthens our Armed Forces whilst driving economic growth through our defence industrial base from South Wales to the wider supply chain. ” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
05 Nov 25. Leonardo and Rheinmetall: first contract to supply armoured vehicles for the Italian Army. The temporary grouping of companies Leonardo and Rheinmetall, as part of the Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles Joint Venture (50% Leonardo and 50% Rheinmetall AG), was awarded the first supply contract for 21 vehicles “A2CS Combat” for the Italian Army. The delivery of the first vehicle is expected by the end of 2025.
David Hoeder, Executive Chairman of JV Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles: “This first joint order following the decision to establish a joint venture between Rheinmetall and Leonardo is an important milestone. It brings the two companies, as well as two of Europe’s largest countries closer together. Cooperation is not optional anymore – it is the very essence of our European strategic sovereignity.”
Laurent Sissmann, CEO of JV Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles, stated: “We are pleased to announce this first step of the industrial synergy between Leonardo and Rheinmetall. We will work side by side to provide cutting-edge armoured vehicles, able to operate in modern operational scenarios.”
Leonardo and Rheinmetall will supply 21 tracked armoured vehicles for the Italian Army, 5 of which are Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF-41 with the Lance turret followed by 16 newly configured vehicles equipped with the same chassis and Leonardo’s Hitfist 30mm turret. The agreement also includes upgrading the whole fleet to the latter configuration, as well as including an additional 30 optional vehicles, and training and simulation systems to better train crews. These are fully digitalized latest generation vehicles based on merger of the best technologies on the market and capable of acting interoperably in a multi-domain context. The supply falls within the scope of the A2CS – Army Armoured Combat System programme, originally called AICS – Armoured Infantry Combat System, which involves the total acquisition of 1.050 armoured combat vehicles and which, together with the Main Battle Tank programme, will renew Italian Army’s heavy vehicles fleet.
04 Nov 25. All apparently not well with new SA Army border patrol APC tender. Fingers are being pointed at State-owned defence and security procurement company Armscor for the way it handled what is apparently a R500 m tender to improve SA Army mobility on the country’s land borders. One of the people doing the pointing is Democratic Alliance (DA) parliamentarian Chris Hattingh who, along with two other MPs from the same party, are delegated as oversight watchdogs on Parliament’s two defence committees. He has it South Africans have reason to be alarmed by what he’s found out about the acquisition. This, he maintains, is because the R500m Armscor tender for new troop carriers seems to be plagued by the same lack of accountability and transparency that doomed past defence projects. His reaction comes after DefenceWeb last month made public that Centurion-based defence equipment manufacturer and supplier Milkor was confirmed as the “winning bidder” for the border control armoured personnel carrier (APC) tender issued by Armscor. The confirmation was contained in what was called a “media response” by Armscor to reports in this publication and Johannesburg daily The Citizen regarding the tender. Hattingh and party researchers investigated the project, reaching the conclusion that the evaluation process for the new APCs was compromised. This was because, among others, field trials meant to verify vehicle performance were “cancelled without explanation”.
“Several local defence companies, including Paramount, SVI and DCD Protected Mobility, had already deployed their vehicles for testing when the process was abruptly halted. The eventual winner, Milkor SA, did not participate in the trials and has only limited experience in armoured vehicle production. Aside from a small sale of five vehicles to Namibia, the company has no operational record.
“It is even more concerning that Milkor’s vehicle has not undergone comparative land mine blast testing — a basic requirement for mine resistant troop carriers. Without such tests, there is no evidence that the vehicles meet the protection standards needed to keep SANDF members safe during deployment. Despite this, Armscor has approved the project and awarded Milkor a contract worth half a bn rand,” he said in a statement.
Hattingh notes the “situation” around the latest landward force acquisition by Armscor “mirrors the R7 bn Project Hoefyster fiasco”.
“Not a single Badger infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) was delivered after nearly two decades of broken promises and ballooning costs. The same acquisition authorities – Armscor and the Department of Defence (DoD) – oversaw that project,” he said adding “warning lights are flashing again”. These he identifies as untested products, shifting evaluation rules and a lack of accountability.
“South Africa cannot afford another costly procurement failure while soldiers patrol our extensive borders, often on foot or in bakkies, due to the lack of suitable vehicles. Public funds, soldier safety and the integrity of our defence industry are at stake.”
First up in attempting to establish what did – or didn’t – happen with the border APC tender will be a call for a full investigation into Armscor’s handling of it. Hattingh also wants access to all evaluation and testing records as part of an effort to press for defence procurement reform to make acquisitions transparent, technical sound and accountable. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
31 Oct 25. Don’t get your hopes up, the British Army doesn’t have 288 tanks.
The latest inventory lists provided by the UK government indicate far more tanks than previously stated.
- UK Government lists 288 Challenger 2 tanks, but only around half will be operational; many are stored for cannibalisation
- Only up to 148 will be upgraded to Challenger 3, implying ~150 serviceable tanks needed for conversions
- Warrior IFV numbers drop to 604 while 53 Stormers are listed, with six having been sent to Ukraine
The UK Government has released detailed data on military equipment lists, including the claim that the British Army maintains a fleet of 288 Challenger 2 main battle tanks (MBT), despite 2024 figures indicating just 213 were counted in service inventories. To clarify, the Challenger 2 is no longer produced, with the fleet in UK service constantly being reduced due to cannibalisation, a process that sees serviceable platforms receiving spare parts from other units. In 2023, a disclosure during a Defence Committee session revealed just 157 Challenger 2 MBTs were operational out of a total fleet of around 200 vehicles. Clearly, a claimed figure of 288 Challenger 2 looks good on paper, as so much of the UK military does, but the reality is a significantly different proposition. It is certain the 288 MBT claim includes vehicles that are kept in storage, that is, platforms no longer intended for active use and instead due to be pulled to pieces for parts in a bid to keep the ageing British Army tank fleet operational. Given that the UK will only upgrade a maximum of 148 Challenger 2 tanks to the Challenger 3 standard, it can be extrapolated that maintaining around 150 active platforms is needed in order to provide viable numbers for conversion. (Source: army-technology.com)
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TEK Military Seating Limited
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Contact: Paul Fleming
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