Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited
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30 Jan 26. Strong Turkish industry showing at IAV. The Turkish defence industry showed up in force at IAV signalling an intent by the industry including NMS, Canik and Otokar in particular to win a large slice of the UK Light and Heavy Mobility Requirement using the significant offset opportunities from the Turkish Typhoon contract?
27 Jan 26. Italian Army’s A2CS programme kicks off – First four new infantry fighting vehicles delivered by LRMV Joint Venture. Today, at the Italian Army Multifuncional Experimentation Center (Ce.Poli.Spe) in Montelibretti, the Leonardo Rheinmetall Military Vehicles (LRMV) Joint Venture delivered to the Armed Forces the first four Lynx KF-41 infantry fighting vehicles. This first delivery marks the official launch of the “A2CS” (Army Armoured Combat Systems) programme, for which an initial contract for the acquisition of 21 new “A2CS Combat” vehicles was signed at the end of last year. The ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, General Carmine Masiello, the Chief Executive Officer of Leonardo, Roberto Cingolani, and Dr. Björn Bernhard, Head of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle System Division Europe. Also present were the CEO, Laurent Sissmann and the Executive Chairman of the Joint Venture, David Hoeder.
The Minister of Defence, Guido Crosetto, stated: “The international scenario requires a constantly evolving Defence, capable of ensuring the security of the country and safeguarding national interests. This calls for a modern, flexible and credible model, based on high levels of operational readiness, qualified personnel and advanced technological capabilities. Within this framework comes the delivery of the Lynx armored vehicle, the result of Italian-German industrial cooperation, to the Italian Army, aimed at strengthening land systems through the introduction of state-of-the-art platforms. In this process, the Army’s Multifunctional Testing Center (CEPOLISPE) plays a central role, ensuring the testing and technical evaluation of vehicles, equipment and weapon systems to determine their suitability for operational use.”
“The Army has a clear direction and well-defined requirements for the new vehicles to accelerate the ‘mechanization’ path of the Armed Force, which concretely begins today. After 30 years in which the Italian soldier has demonstrated courage, commitment, determination and professionalism in peace support operations — to the point of coining the ‘Italian Way’ of peacekeeping — we have no doubts about their capabilities. They will be able to operate at their best if equipped with technology that meets the challenges ahead: this vehicle will radically change the way the Army fights”, stated the Chief of Staff of the Italian Army, Gen. C.A. Carmine Masiello, at the presentation of the A2CS “Lynx”.
Roberto Cingolani, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Leonardo, stated:
“The start of deliveries of the new armoured vehicles represents an important milestone in the programme we are carrying out with the Italian Army. The international alliance between Leonardo and Rheinmetall continues to stand as a key reference point for strengthening national defence and for the development of a solid, integrated and competitive European industrial base. This is a commitment we consider essential to ensuring national and European security and strategic autonomy.”
Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall Chief Executive Officer said: “With the handover of the first armoured vehicles to the Italian armed forces, we are opening a new chapter in the success story of the Lynx vehicle family. As a next-generation combat vehicle, Lynx not only sets standards in terms of versatility, protection, effectiveness, scalability and future-proofing, but also in terms of enhanced European armaments cooperation.”
The Lynx platform is capable of fulfilling multiple roles, including infantry fighting vehicle, troop transport, mobile command post and ambulance. The 4 vehicles delivered today complement Rheinmetall’s Lance 30mm turret, which will later be replaced by Leonardo’s Hitfist 30mm turret. The latter will equip all the other 16 armoured vehicles of this contract.
The A2CS programme – Army Armoured Combat System, originally named AICS – Armoured Infantry Combat System together with the new Main Battle Tank programme will renew the Italian Army’s heavy vehicle fleet , providing cutting edge technology, characterised by high levels of digitalisation and connectivity, and capable of operating within the most complex multidomain contexts. This will also provide an opportunity for the renewal of the armoured fleets of international partners.
27 Jan 26. Artec ramps up Boxer production. KNDS-Rheinmetall joint venture Artec plans to ramp up Boxer armoured vehicle production to around 1,000 vehicles by 2030, Janes learnt at Defence iQʼs International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2026 conference held in Farnborough from 20 to 22 January under the Chatham House rule. There are currently five Boxer production facilities in Europe, providing the foundation for the ramp up. The Boxer supply chain is being increased with additional suppliers, improving existing sites and establishing new capabilities. There is also the possibility of additional assembly lines to meet national industrial strategies. Artec has delivered or is building over 2,100 Boxers in 28 versions for seven countries, some of which have ordered two or three batches: 837 in eight versions for Germany, 629 vehicles in five versions for the United Kingdom, 272 vehicles in five versions for the Netherlands, 211 in eight versions for Australia, 118 vehicles in five versions for Lithuania, over 50 vehicles in two versions for Ukraine, and 22 in two versions for Qatar. German, Dutch, and Lithuanian Boxers are interoperable, according to Artec. All seven Boxer operators have the same drive module, which can be changed in 40 minutes. The operators have decided to further enhance the Boxer common drive module, which can handle a gross vehicle weight of up to 41 tonnes, with no current requirement to increase that weight. Flexibility of operation is provided by the drive module, maintenance, tools, and spares, as well as facilities. Economies of scale for spares have reduced the cost of operation. (Source: Janes)
22 Jan 26. France fields their first 30 SERVAL armoured vehicles
The French Army will spread out its procurement of 530 SERVAL vehicles until 2033.
- France’s Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has delivered 30 SERVAL vehicles to the army under its SCORPION programme for new generation armoured vehicles
- A contract was initially awarded to KNDS France, TEXELIS and their subcontractors at the end of December 2024
- The French Army will deploy three variants: a combat variant firing Mistral 3 missiles, a counter-uncrewed air system (C-UAS) variant, and tactical communications
The French Army will field 30 SERVAL vehicles according to the Armed Forces Ministry while the induction of another 500 units will be spread out until 2033. There will be three distinct tactical ground vehicles within the wider SCORPION programme for a fleet of new-generation armoured vehicles. SERVAL will operate alongside the 6×6 GRIFFON troop carrier and the 6×6 combat and reconnaissance JAGUAR. While each of the three-wheeled ground vehicles shares a common digital nervous system, they serve distinct tactical roles. With that in mind, the 4×4 SERVAL will serve as a lightweight multi-role armoured vehicle optimised for rapid deployment and support in the field. Weighing between 13t to 15t and with a top speed of 100km/h, the light vehicle can host a crew of up to ten soldiers. Crucially, the vehicle incorporates a reinforced suspension for greater manoeuvrability and protection against ballistics, mines and improvised explosive devices. Sat atop the vehicle, there is a remotely operated cupola equipped with a 12.7mm or 7.62mm machine gun, or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher.
Mobile fires, C-UAS, SATCOM
The combat variant will integrate a sheltered turret allowing troops to launch fire-and-forget Mistral 3 missiles. This is the preferred munition for the difficult terrain in which SERVAL would operate due to the Mistral 3’s independent lock-on and guidance technology. The most important SERVAL variant will arguably be the mobile C-UAS platform. Leading analytics company GlobalData indicates that the saturation of drones in the battlespace necessitates the cultivation and procurement of robust C-UAS systems capable of countering a range of drone threats (groups 1–5). According to a press release from the French Government, this variant will carry a combination of sensors and effectors: a radar, a radio frequency detection system, a firing guide, and a rotating weapon system (which would use specialised ammunition). The last variant would perform tactical communications on the ground using a Syracuse IV satellite communications (SATCOM) capability. In 2024, the service ordered 30 ground-based Syracuse IV SATCOM terminals to mount onto its SCORPION vehicles under what is known as the “Neptune contract”.
Army Technology contacted the French Ministry of the Armed Forces but could not confirm the specific variant of the first 30 SERVAL vehicles delivered before the time of publication. (Source: army-technology.com)
24 Jan 26. The New Defender (i.e. L663 or Fifth Generation Land Rover model) from JLR in Slovakia is slowly emerging in various Government roles, writes Bob Morrison. While the New Defender (L663) has, possibly understandably, not yet made major inroads on the conventional military scene in the same way as its Series One / II / II and One-Ten / Defender model predecessors did between 1948 and 2016, the more upmarket ‘young pretender’ has been quietly growing in popularity in some blue light and diplomatic service roles. It was the Spanish JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) distributors who first showcased the new generation Defender 110 for the military role at FEINDEF 2021 in Madrid, but hopes of this model entering mainstream military service in Spain were dashed when the Spanish government decided to replace its military utility vehicle fleet with an Iturri conversion of a Peugeot-badged Chinese pick-up truck – the Landtrek VMTT. Over the four years following the FEINDEF appearance there were persistent but mostly unsubstantiated rumours that Land Rover, who have always played their cards close to the chest, had presented the L663 Defender 110 to UK MoD but it was not until last week that the company came out of the shadows to display a vehicle at a relatively low-key military conference run the week after the UK MoD finally held its Market Interest Day at Warminster for it’s Light Mobility Vehicle project. However last November at Milipol Paris, on a joint TRASCO-Bremen and JLR display stand, both a liveried in-service Italian State Police (Polizia di Stato) Defender 110 and a company demonstrator with split Police and Military Police colour-schemes and markings were presented alongside one of the German company’s Discreetly Armoured A-KIP conversions. The New Defender 110 has been officially JLR-approved and available with TRASCO A-KIP (Anti-Kidnapping) discreet enhanced ballistic and blast protection since October 2022 and it is our understanding that in addition to some of these vehicles having been privately procured for VIP use there is at least one batch in Government service for the protection of diplomats and embassy personnel in various locations around the globe.
Italy’s Polizia di Stato are a conventional police force and their vehicle showcased on the joint stand at Milipol 2025 was unarmoured, though it was fitted with anti-riot mesh panels over the glazing and light guards. The Carabinieri are Italy’s national gendarmerie and although also a police organisation they are part of the military, tasked in both domestic and foreign roles including Special Operations; photos and videos of TRASCO A-KIP Carabinieri Defenders have been circulating online since last autumn.
This website is not the place to delve too deeply into discreet protection levels, however the following non-sensitive information is publicly provided by Jaguar Land Rover for potential customers:-
- The lightweight Anti-Kidnap, or A-KIP®, conversion offers protection with minimal compromise and its inconspicuous design ensures a Defender protected by TRASCO is virtually indistinguishable from a standard vehicle.
- Lightweight security-grade steel, glass and composite materials provide enhanced safety to clients, including government departments and high net worth individuals. Clients can choose between VPAM 4 or VPAM 6 levels of ballistic protection.
- Areas fitted with VPAM-certified ballistic materials include the windscreen, doors and door glass, roof, footwells and a new ballistic rear partition with window situated behind the second row of seats.
- The lightweight Anti-Kidnap conversion offers protection with minimal compromise and its inconspicuous design ensures a Defender protected by TRASCO is virtually indistinguishable from a standard vehicle.
- Lightweight security-grade steel, glass and composite materials provide enhanced safety to clients, including government departments and high net worth individuals. Clients can choose between VPAM 4 or VPAM 6 levels of ballistic protection.
- Areas fitted with VPAM-certified ballistic materials include the windscreen, doors and door glass, roof, footwells and a new ballistic rear partition with window situated behind the second row of seats.
I remain to be convinced that the New Defender will be suitable for UK ‘green fleet’ military service, not least because of all the electrickery (a term coined many years ago by the Land Rover sage Frank Elson) associated with modern Land Rovers, but the same can be said about many current generation 4×4 utility vehicles. However if the JLR team have been quietly developing a pick-up variant with electrics geared more to operations in remote areas over hostile terrains it could be a different story.
(Source: joint-forces.com)
26 Jan 26. Rheinmetall produces four versions of Caracal airborne vehicle for 28 roles for Germany and Netherlands. Rheinmetall is producing four versions of the Caracal 4×4 airborne vehicle for 28 roles for Germany and the Netherlands, Janes learnt at Defence iQʼs International Armoured Vehicles (IAV) 2026 conference held in Farnborough from 20 to 22 January under the Chatham House rule. The Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, signed a framework contract with Rheinmetall Landsysteme on 10 July 2023 for up to 3,058 Caracal vehicles for Germany and the Netherlands. The multi-year framework agreement for up to 2,054 German and 1,004 Dutch vehicles is valued at up to EUR1.9bn (USD2.25bn). As a first step, Germany and the Netherlands are producing 1,505 single baseline platform vehicles worth EUR870 m, with the German share of this amount totalling 1,001 and the Netherlands’ 504. Series production began on schedule in 2025 at an annual rate of 100 Dutch and 200 German vehicles. The vehicles will replace airborne versions of the Wolf and Mungo vehicles mainly in the Bundeswehr’s Division Schnelle Kräfte rapid reaction division and the Royal Netherlands Army’s 11 Airmobile Brigade that is subordinated to it. Germany is procuring 11 variants: personnel transport, command support, command post, combat service support, reconnaissance, long-range reconnaissance, combat control, joint fires support, joint fires co-ordination, and casualty evacuation, as well as 6×6 group transport and materiel transport versions. (Source: Janes)
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Contact: Paul Fleming
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