Sponsored by TEK Military Seating Limited
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06 Apr 22. Otokar Seeks for Technology Transfer and Local Manufacturing Opportunities in Latin America. Otokar, Turkey’s global land systems manufacturer participates in FIDAE 2022, the foremost aerospace, defense and security exhibition of Latin America, on April 5-10, in Chile. During the exhibition, Otokar will promote its own design and production armored military vehicles as well as turret systems and its capabilities in land systems. Otokar will also provide information about its flexible business model, which incorporates transfer of technology and local manufacturing.
Stating that Otokar is a listed NATO and United Nations supplier General Manager Serdar Görgüç, said, “Currently, Otokar vehicles are actively used in five continent in several different missions. We strongly believe that the performance of our vehicles serving worldwide are the most important reference for our potential customers. Latin America is among our target markets in defense industry. Being the region’s one the leading exhibitions, FIDAE is particularly important for us to meet our current users and develop partnerships with potential users to increase our presence in the Latin America. We have significant experience about responding to the needs and expectations of this region thank to our military vehicles currently serving here. During the exhibition in addition to promoting our wide product range, we will also look for opportunities to establish industrial cooperation to localize the support of Otokar vehicles in the region. We are also willing to evaluate transfer of technology and local manufacturing projects where Otokar has a well-established and proven track record.”
Pointing out that Otokar is among the global players in defense industry Görgüç continued: “Our combat proven know-how in land systems and related R&D, engineering and testing capabilities as well as our wide product range puts us at the forefront of the global defense industry. In the last decade, we had allocated 8% of our revenue for our R&D and testing activities. We analyze different needs and expectations of our users, simulate these requirements in house and develop solutions that meet these requirements in the fastest manner thanks to our excellence in R&D, engineering and testing.”
Otokar Wheeled Armored Vehicles
Otokar stands apart with its expertise in the design, development and system integration of all kinds of vehicles and platforms in the field of land vehicles for the defense industry. Otokar designs and manufactures a wide range of tactical armored vehicles including 4×4 COBRA, COBRA II, COBRA II- MRAP, AKREP II, URAL, ISV, ARMA 6×6 and ARMA 8×8. Otokar products are recognized for their survivability, superior mobility and modularity. Otokar’s combat proven wheeled vehicles serve in challenging terrain and extreme weather conditions, and demonstrated their performance in various operations. (Source: ASD Network)
07 Apr 22. Successful live-fire demo in Sweden of Rheinmetall Mission Master SP and Thales 70mm guided rockets. Rheinmetall’s Mission Master Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle has once again proved its versatile capabilities in a demonstration conducted for six European allies. The Rheinmetall Mission Master SP used laser-guided FZ275 rockets from Thales in a live-fire exercise. The demonstration took place at the Trängslet base of the Swedish procurement agency Försvarets Materielverk (FMV) near Älvdalen. Delegations from Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands and Poland were present. The Rheinmetall Mission Master SP is part of the Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle (A-UGV) family developed by Rheinmetall Canada.
The Rheinmetall Mission Master SP – Fire Support was equipped with a Rheinmetall Fieldranger Multi remotely controlled weapon station armed with two seven-tube 70mm rocket launchers from Thales Belgium, an important partner of Rheinmetall. For the demonstration, the A-UGV fired Thales FZ275 70mm laser-guided rockets (LGRs) at a 4×4 vehicle located 4 km away from the firing point. The FZ275 LGR is the lightest and longest range 70mm/2.75-inch LGR in its class, delivering metric precision and accuracy, hence providing unfailing fire support to armed forces.
The demonstration marked the culmination of the successful qualification process for the Fieldranger Multi equipped with the Thales 70mm rocket launcher. Previously limited to aircraft, these area saturation and precise strike applications can engage stationary and mobile targets at ranges of up to 7 km with minimal collateral damage. They are now qualified for use with the Mission Master A-UGV. Moreover, this new configuration is now ready to be integrated into other types of platforms and armoured vehicles.
This only represents one of many possible configurations for the Mission Master SP – Fire Support. Featuring a fully modular architecture, this A-UGV can also be equipped with other weapon systems: 12.7mm calibre machine guns, a Dillon Aero M134D gun, or 40mm grenade launchers.
The demonstration at Trängslet was performed using a secure, customized, remotely controlled tablet operating in a fully digitized scenario. Firing was controlled using Rheinmetall command and control software. Rheinmetall and Thales both stressed the critical importance of the human-in-the-loop configuration, meaning that the operator has complete control of the weapon system from target acquisition to final fire authorization.
06 Apr 22. USN Actively Experimenting With Cargo UAS Between Ships. The US Navy has been conducting flights between ships as part of an effort to experiment with a cargo unmanned aerial system for maritime use.
Recently, the Navy used an aerial vehicle to transport a part 200 miles between ships, said Rear Adm. Brian Corey, program executive officer for unmanned and weapons (PEO-U&W) at Naval Air Systems Command, during an address at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space symposium.
“That’s going to continue,” Corey said of the experiments, while noting that the question of when it could be fielded was up to Navy leadership. “It’s not a technology question, but there are some engineering choices and some work left to be done.”
The program has partnered with both the Navy and Military Sealift Command on the effort to demonstrate the capability to transport small parts ship to ship.
“We believe we could deliver those 200 miles with a relatively small, very inexpensive vehicle,” Corey said. “So that’s what we’re trying to do to enable that is to get the networks and interoperability down and get a small family of ground systems or maybe a single one — that’s unknown at this stage. And then how can we get the autonomous takeoff and landing?”
In a separate effort, the program is experimenting with a cargo UAS for the Marine Corps.
“It’s not yet come to a spot where we have decided to go forward with a program and field it,” Corey said of the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System. “The decision will be coming before long depending on how well it works in the field.”
There are some clear advantages to such a system, he said.
“I think that’s some of the most innovative thinking we have going on right now,” he said. “Why drive down a road and potentially get an IED [improvised explosive device] … when you can fly?” (Source: UAS VISION/Sea Power Magazine)
07 Apr 22. iMUGS conducts Arctic demonstration, readies for swarming and autonomy trials. Speaking to Janes at the SMi Military Robotics and Autonomous Systems 2022 (SMi MRAS 2022) conference in London, Martin Jõesaar, chief of project office – integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS), Republic of Estonia Centre for Defence Investment, detailed recent and upcoming trials for the iMUGS project. iMUGS is a multinational effort that is seeking to develop a European standard unmanned ground vehicle (UGV). The project includes six demonstrations during three years, with three trials having already been conducted. In Finland, a demonstration was held in March, which investigated how unmanned systems, communications, and beyond-line-of-sight control performed in Arctic conditions. Jõesaar said that the systems handled the Arctic environment relatively well; however, snow did interfere and obstruct communications causing a small lag in the live picture relayed to the controller. He said, as a result, the biggest issue during the trial was with latency and bandwidth limitations, and he questioned whether a truly ‘live’ picture was being presented. However, Jõesaar noted that 5G would help to improve the issue, and he hopes that it will be integrated in future demonstrations. (Source: Janes)
06 Apr 22. 6 Air Assault Brigade to be British Army’s first robotics-enhanced brigade. 16 Air Assault Brigade has been chosen to become the British Army’s first robotic autonomous systems (RAS)-enhanced brigade, it was announced on 6 April. Speaking at SMi’s Military Robotics and Autonomous Systems Conference 2022 in London, Lieutenant Colonel Iain Lamont, SO1 Robotics and Autonomous Systems, British Army, confirmed that 16 Air AssaultBrigade Combat Team had been chosen for the role. The British Army intends to field its first RAS-enhanced light Brigade Combat Team by 2025 with a view to developing a Deep Recce Strike Combat Team by 2030, and finally multiple RAS-enhanced brigades by 2035. In March 2022, Janes reported that the British Army would nominate its intended RAS-enhanced Brigade Combat Team imminently. 16 Air Assault Brigade is the British Army’s airborne rapid reaction force. It forms the core of the UK’s high-readiness Air Assault Task Force, which can be deployed at short notice for a wide range of operations. (Source: Janes)
07 Apr 22. Sweden joins Common Armoured Vehicle System programme. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed a technical agreement with Estonia, Finland, and Latvia to jointly develop a new 6×6 armoured personnel carrier (APC) under the Finnish-led Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme, the Försvarsmakten (Swedish Armed Forces) announced on its website on 4 April. FMV Project Manager Håkan Larsson said, “The countries have agreed on a technical basis for the new armoured vehicles. They should be robust, easy to maintain, and be as similar as possible between the countries.” He explained that the new vehicle would combine the robustness of the Patria XA-203 6×6 armoured vehicle with some newer technology from the XA-360 8×8 vehicle, citing as an example an independent suspension that will make it more comfortable to ride. CAVS countries will use common components for the vehicles, increasing interoperability and reducing life cycle costs, according to the Försvarsmakten, which added that there would be some differences in weapons and management systems used by the co-operation partners. (Source: Janes)
06 Apr 22. Tehnicki Remont Bratunac unveils Vihor 4×4 MRAV. Defence and security company Tehnički Remont Bratunac (TRB) in Bratunac, Republika Srpska (RS), one of the two entities of Bosnia-Herzegovina, unveiled the first prototype of the Vihor (Whirlwind) 4×4 multirole armoured vehicle (MRAV) at Zalužani barracks, near Banja Luka, on the occasion of RS Police Day on 4 April. Developed in close co-operation with the RS Ministry of Interior’s Special Anti-terrorist Unit (SAJ), the new vehicle weighs less than 6 tonnes and has NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4569 Level 2 ballistic protection, with the option to increase it to Level 3, and STANAG 4569 Level 2a and 2b mine protection. The vehicle has four side doors to a transport cabin that accommodates five people with their personal equipment. The rear of the vehicle is an open transport compartment that can accommodate additional personnel and large amounts of cargo. Vihor serial production is expected to begin soon, with the first vehicles to be delivered to the SAJ, which also uses 10 TRB Despot 4×4 14-tonne armoured personnel carriers. (Source: Janes)
05 Apr 22. Poland signs deal for purchase of 250 Abrams tanks. Poland on Tuesday signed a deal with Washington to purchase 250 Abrams (GD.N) tanks as it seeks to bolster its military in an effort to deter potential Russian aggression on its eastern border. The sale of Abrams tanks to Poland, which is also home to a future U.S. missile defence site, is another sign of a deep and growing defence relationship with the United States. It follows the deployment of nearly 5,000 additional U.S. troops to Poland as well as additional fighter aircraft, as part of Washington’s response to the Ukraine crisis. Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said the deal is worth approximately 4.75bn dollars and that the first tanks would be delivered this year. (Source: Reuters)
05 Apr 22. Japan to induct 230 Type 16 manoeuvre combat vehicles. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) plans to induct approximately 230 Type 16 manoeuvre combat vehicles (MCVs), Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) told Janes on 1 April. According to the MoD’s Defense Programs and Budget of Japan 2022 document, the MoD plans to acquire 33 Type 16 MCVs for JPY23.4bn (USD190.9m) in 2022. Under the fiscal year (FY) 2021 budgetary document, the MoD plans to induct 22 Type 16s worth JPY15.8bn, and under the FY 2020 budgetary document, the JGSDF will induct 33 Type 16 MCVs worth JPY27.3bn. An MoD spokesperson told Janes that the JGSDF inducted 14 of the 33 Type 16 MCVs procured under the 2020 budgetary document. However, the spokesperson did not disclose the total number of Type 16s in operation with the JGSDF. (Source: Janes)
05 Apr 22. Nexter and Hellenic Defence Systems partner to offer VBCI-2 to Greece. Nexter announced in a press release dated 1 April emailed four days later that it had signed a strategic partnership with Hellenic Defence Systems (HDS) to offer the VBCI-2 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) to the Greek army. Named after mythical Trojan War hero Philoctetes, the 32-tonne 8×8 IFV is equipped with a T40 turret and a more powerful 600 hp engine. Nexter said the turret is armed with a 40 CTA 40 mm gun and MBDA Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) medium-range missile. The 40 CTA can fire 40 mm telescoped medium-calibre munitions including explosive, airburst, and arrow rounds capable of penetrating up to 140 mm of armour, according to Nexter. (Source: Janes)
05 Apr 22. USMC rolls out new Amphibious Combat Vehicle tow rope fix. US Marine Corps (USMC) Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACVs) are receiving new tow ropes, and once the change is made, marines are authorised to use them for all types of water-related operations, the service told Janes. This material upgrade stems from a 2021 service decision to suspend all ACV waterborne operations because of a towing mechanism problem. More specifically, each vehicle is designed to tow another ACV in the water using two tow ropes rigged through a device called the sea tow quick release (STQR). During water-towing training, marines identified that the STQR may become permanently deformed while towing through the surf zone. When this deformation occurs, it can cause an unintentional release of a tow rope and/or an inability to operate the STQR, the service said in 2021. USMC officials later decided the fleet was safe to resume activities within ‘protected waters’ but not in surf zones while it worked on a fix. (Source: Janes)
04 Apr 22. Heven Drones and Roboteam Launch First Flying Robot. Heven Drones, a fast growing Israeli drone technology company, has unveiled a full turnkey robotic solution with land and air integration at ISDEF, Israel’s largest international defense and HLS Exhibition. This first ever flying robot was jointly developed with Roboteam, a leading global provider of tactical ground robotic systems. From complete heavy lift-drones to flight controllers and operating systems, Heven develops the hardware and software that is enabling the next generation of autonomous & actionable drone platforms. The company initially started in homeland security but is rapidly moving into other fields, including logistics, construction, and more. According to Bentzion Levinson, Heven Drone’s CEO, “At Heven Drones we set out to develop and bring to market unique drones which aren’t just flying cameras but flying robots that can complete a variety of tasks. Our collaboration with Roboteam brings our vision one step closer with land and aerial robots working together to create a fully operational product that can complete tasks from the ground and the air.” The Heven Drones H100 Robo with Roboteam’s Micro Tactical Ground Robot (MTGR) has resulted in the first ever flying robot, which maximizes time-to-lift capabilities of ground robots and flying robots. Bringing the best of both worlds, it is the first joint product of land and ground robot working together. According to Matan Shirvi, Roboteam’s COO, “This collaboration allows for one unmanned aerial & ground complete system for delivering a significant payload to the battlefield with EOD capabilities. You can fly when you want to fly, drive when you want to drive, with one controller, one software and one radio – a single interface for maximizing the operational range in the most difficult environments and complex terrains.” The companies started working together for a mutual customer in the defense and homeland security industry. They are now exploring additional use cases for land and air robots to maximize efficiency in other applications. (Source: UAS VISION)
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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: David Parkman
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