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25 Apr 22. Jankel receives follow-on order of Toyota LC200 pickup variant. Jankel, a world-leader in the design and manufacture of high-specification defence, security and NGO protection systems, has announced the receipt of a follow-on order for x10 of their twin-cab pickup variant Toyota LC200. The order comes from an undisclosed customer who previously purchased armoured variants of the same vehicle; a contract that was announced in February 2021. In addition to these 10 vehicles, Jankel has recently received orders totalling a further 20 armoured LC200 vehicles from undisclosed customers, globally, sweeping up the last of the LC200 available stock.
With the Toyota LC200 base platform having now gone out of production, the customer secured the base vehicles for this project using Jankel’s “buy now – armour later” scheme to ensure they had sufficient stock of the outgoing LC200’s, prior to conversion. Jankel are highlighting this conversion as an example of how they can adapt any vehicle to meet customer needs and fill specific capability gaps in the specialist protected vehicle market. With no new LC200’s now available, The Jankel pickup design has the potential to become an after-market modification carried out on in-service LC200’s.
Jankel has integrated an existing and proven pickup design with the also proven and certified, Jankel LC200 base platform. Bringing together the strengths of both designs into one offering has resulted in the variant extending the operability through a gain of an additional 650mm in wheelbase. This combined with a heavy-duty rear axle upgrade delivers an increase in Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM-4495kg) and payload (up to 1500kg depending on specification), whilst retaining the existing crew-cab dimensions and space. The technique of lengthening the chassis and incorporating the modular and adaptable flatbed pickup pod is easily adapted to other commonly armoured light vehicles.
In addition to the increased payload and the usable flat 1900mm x 1700mm load bed space, the vehicle can be configured to deliver a number of automotive and user-orientated tactical capability enhancements such as: run-flats; improved brakes; tuned suspension; EMC suppression; fire suppression system; 24v communications installation; door deadbolts; escape hatch; gun ports; weapons mounts; tactical lighting, lightweight Jankel mesh seats and a PA/siren. The lightweight flat-bed can be delivered with a canopy or a hard-top and includes folding/removable sides and integrated modular storage bins.
Looking ahead, Jankel are currently developing their armoured LC300 design that is scheduled for a product launch later in 2022. The result of an extensive design, development and testing programme, Jankel’s new LC300 will deliver ‘best in class’ protection, safety, capability and functionality. Leveraging Jankel’s considerable experience in the field of Civilian Armoured Vehicles (CAVs) gained over many years of high-quality service to the defence, security and NGO sectors, the new LC300 will be an exciting addition to Jankel’s range.
Andrew Jankel, Chairman at Jankel Group said: “We first developed the new pickup variant of our Hot Formed Armoured LC200 as a result of receiving an order from an existing customer in 2021 and we’re delighted to have received this follow-on order for an additional x10 un-armoured variants, underling their confidence in Jankel to deliver”. He added: “Looking ahead, we’ll be launching our armoured Toyota LC300 later this year which is undergoing an extensive design and development programme. We have listened carefully to our customers evolving needs and I believe it will be a best in class, quality product”.
21 Apr 22. Modern brigades’ vehicle needs to come from Infantry Formation. Transport is an integral component of most military activity and due attention is being paid to it by the landward force as it moves to be ready to face asymmetric and other threats.
An SA Army recovery team earlier this month called on 10 SA Infantry (SAI) Battalion to identify vehicles suitable for transfer to the strength of the second modern brigade.
Led by Army Chief of Staff (CoS), Brigadier General Nkhabu Nthejane, the Mafikeng visit was one of a number that will see all Infantry Formation units called on. Lieutenant Rekkie Letsoalo, 10 SAI, Communication Officer, reports “identified serviceable vehicles [without giving an indication of types of numbers] will be sent to Bloemfontein” where they will be taken up in the vehicle pool of the second modern brigade.
Earlier this month, CArmy Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha told a Thaba Tshwane change of command parade there is progress in establishing the landward force’s modern brigades.
The second, a motorised brigade, will be based in Free State, centred on Bloemfontein, with the third envisaged as a light modern brigade to be based in an as yet unknown Gauteng location.
The first modern brigade is operational from its Combat Training Centre (CTC) base in Northern Cape and was part of last year’s Exercise Ukuthula.
Modern brigades in the South African context are designed for response to modern threats including asymmetric warfare and are being established in response to the current security situation.
Mbatha told the Thaba Tshwane medal parade the establishment of the brigades will be driven by constant threat analysis based on the Army mandate of providing combat ready landward forces in pursuance of national defence and preventing war. This is in terms of national and regional security goals.
At its core the modern brigade is a combat ready operational capability with centralised prime mission equipment and vehicles at specific locations in Free State, Gauteng and Northern Cape. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
21 Apr 22. Lithuania launches talks to buy more than 120 Boxer military vehicles. Lithuania’s Defence Ministry has kicked off negotiations to purchase more than 120 Boxer infantry fighting vehicles, with a signed contract expected this summer. Deliveries would take place between 2023 and 2024, the ministry said in a statement.
Deputy Defence Minister Vilius Semeška said the decision was made after Vilnius evaluated lessons larned from the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Lithuania borders Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave, and has provided Ukraine with weapons to support the country’s struggle against Russia’s invasion. The planned procurement could more than double the Lithuanian military’s modern fleet of infantry fighting vehicles.
“The decision to keep the same platform for infantry fighting vehicles is rational, and it will allow for an efficient use of the resources allocated to national defense,” Semeška said.
Lithuania is a member of the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation, or OCCAR, which supervises the supply of the Boxer vehicle to several European states, including Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K.
In 2016, Lithuania signed a deal for 88 infantry fighting vehicles with the German-Dutch consortium Artec, which is made up of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. The contract was worth €385.6m (U.S. $417.7m).
The government did not disclose the value of this latest planned deal.
Lithuania ordered its Boxer vehicles in the Vilkas (Wolf) variant, which includes a Samson Mk II remote controlled weapon station, a Spike LR anti-tank missile system, a 7.62mm machine gun and a Bushmaster Mk44S 30mm chain gun, according to data from OCCAR. Delivery was initiated in 2019. (Source: Defense News)
19 Apr 22. Three US Army vehicle upgrade programs look smart after Russia’s Ukraine debacle. US investments, from scout robots to anti-drone and anti-missile defenses, look remarkably smart after Russian forces ran into repeated ambushes in Ukraine.
Video after video shows Russian armored vehicles burning in Ukraine, which has raised the question of whether armored vehicles are simply a tool of the past. But that’s not the right question. Instead, the question is whether American armored forces would fare any better — to which the answer is yes, with some caveats.
Primarily, American forces would have more success because of better training — the secret sauce we are seeing exposed in the Ukrainian conflict. But the American military is also making investments in three key technologies that would amp its armor in a future war.
If the US Army has its ways, instead of manned vehicles blundering into ambushes, the first machines into the danger zone could be robotic scouts. Vehicle-mounted active protection systems would intercept anti-tank missiles before they hit, while specialized air defense vehicles would use guns, missiles, and even lasers to shoot down drones. All three technologies are works in progress, but based on the lessons so far from Russia’s invasion, these three investments should set America up well against the near-term threats their fleets of armored vehicles may face.
The most revolutionary — but also, speaking realistically, the furthest away — of these developments is the Robotic Combat Vehicle program, a family of relatively expendable reconnaissance machines: Qinetiq’s seven-ton RCV-Light and Textron’s 10-ton RCV-Medium. (A prospective RCV-Heavy would be 30 tons).
RCV is still experimental, and the Army’s putting the Qinetiq and Textron proto-prototypes through years of field trials with no commitment to buy either in quantity. There are plenty of technical problems to work out, especially the balance between artificial intelligence and remote control: Offroad terrain is a much more confusing and cluttered environment than the empty air, so ground-vehicle autonomy lags behind aerial drones, and the current RCVs require constant direction from human operators. That’s labor-intensive – two humans per robot, currently — and vulnerable, since adversaries could potentially jam the control link. The Army hopes to make the robots more autonomous and ultimately allow one human to supervise multiple RCVs.
But excited tacticians are already talking about a “forward line of robots” preceding human troops into danger zones. And while the current generation of remote-controlled RCVs isn’t ready to replace manned vehicles in all-out combat, they have real possibilities as scouts, with the human operators using their sensors to scope out potential ambush sites.
Now, experienced enemies wouldn’t reveal themselves by firing at the first robot to trundle down the road; they’d try to hold their fire until manned targets came along — but that becomes a lot harder if an RCV drives right up to your hiding spot and starts nosing around. Capable of carrying heavy machineguns and Javelin tank-killer missiles, an RCV is a threat the enemy can’t ignore, potentially forcing them to either abandon their position or reveal it by wasting shots on a mere robot.
Data has been, arguably, the US military’s most valuable-but-untapped resource since the founding of the US Army in 1787 and the US Navy a decade later.
On the flipside, US forces need protection against opposing robots, especially the drones that have proven increasingly ubiquitous and effective on battlefields from Nagorno-Karabakh to Ukraine. Those are difficult targets for traditional air-defense systems, especially since they tend to be small, slow, low-flying, and cheap — often cheaper than the missiles that would be used to take them out. So the US is fielding a Short-Range Air Defense (SHORAD) variant of the eight-wheel drive Stryker armored vehicle, armed with both Stinger missiles and anti-aircraft guns. A laser-armed version enters testing in September: Lasers still lack the power to burn through vehicle armor, but their high accuracy and unlimited ammo (they can keep firing as long as they have power) makes them highly effective against drones.
Of course, some threats will always make it past the drone-killers and the robot scouts, so it’s important to upgrade the manned vehicles themselves. Here, US armored vehicles already have one sizable advantage over their Russian counterparts: They tend to be bigger.
The American main battle tank, the M1 Abrams, grew from 60 to 75 tons as it was uparmored over the years, while the latest upgrade of the Russian T-90 is just 51 (46.5 tons metric, according to the official Rosoboronexport site). The main US troop carrier, the M2 Bradley, is up to 40 tons in its latest A4 model, while the Russian BMP-3 is just over 20. Even the Stryker, originally purchased specifically as a lightweight alternative to tracked vehicles and spec’d at 19 tons, has grown to the mid-twenties with various uparmor packages and other upgrades. All that weight makes American machines more expensive, more fuel-hungry, and less capable of crossing many bridges, but it also allows for a lot more armor protection.
Nonetheless, even the mighty Abrams has fallen to man-portable anti-tank missiles in Yemen, albeit in a Saudi Arabian model that lacks some US-only upgrades like high-density depleted uranium armor. (Saudi tactics are also poor). So back in 2018, the US Army decided to upgrade several brigades of M1s with the Israeli-made Trophy Active Protection System, which detects incoming projectiles on radar and shoots them down. The smaller Bradley is getting the similar Iron Fist-Light, also Israeli-made, although the Bradley must be upgraded to the latest model, the A4, to generate enough electrical power to run it. While such systems have little success against the solid shot fired by tank cannons – that kind of projectile flies too fast and it’s too tough – APS’ have proven effective against high-explosive missiles, which are (relatively speaking) slower and more fragile.
At least some Russian tanks have similar defenses. “Ukrainian [soldiers] complained bitterly about the ‘magical shield’ that sends their AT-5 guided missiles off in the sky or to the ground out of control just as the missile is about to hit the [Russian] tank,” the Potomac Institute’s Philip Karber wrote in 2015. But those AT-5s (aka the 9K113 Konkurs) were a Soviet 1970s-vintage design, and the targets were the latest Russian tank, the T-90. In the current invasion, by contrast, the Russians have deployed large numbers of the older T-72 and T-80.
Meanwhile the Ukrainians are now using advanced Western missiles like the US Javelin and the British NLAW: These are “top attack” weapons that aim for the thinly armored turret roof, coming in at a steeply vertical angle where most countermeasures can’t intercept them. While the older tanks have suffered heavily, at least some T-90s have been destroyed as well, according to open-source intelligence website Oryx. That suggests the top-attack missiles are overcoming even the latest Russian defenses.
Would Trophy do better against top attack? While that’s a highly sensitive question, with no clear answer in open sources, our sources suggest it would. “Fielded active protection systems have capability against top-attack threats,” one Army official told me. “Specifics would be classified.” (Source: glstrade.com/Breaking Defense.com)
20 Apr 22. NZDF finalises sale of 22 light armoured vehicles to Chilean Navy. Delivery of NZLAVs will take place in two batches, with the first one to be handed over this year and the other in 2023. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has agreed to sell 22 New Zealand Light Armoured Vehicles (NZLAVs) to the Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile).
The sale has been finalised for approximately $19.855m.
Delivery of the vehicles to the Chilean Navy will take place in two tranches, while the first will be shipped this year and the second in 2023. Once delivered, the NZLAVs will be used by the Chilean Navy’s Marine Corps.
Built by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) Canada, the light armoured vehicles are used to provide mobility protection to soldiers in the battlefield.
The NZLAVs sale between NZDF and the Chilean Navy was initiated by the Canadian Commercial Corporation, a Canadian government organisation for international trade arrangements.
NZDF Defence Logistics Command commander commodore Andrew Brown said: “It was pleasing to get a sale negotiated for the vehicles. Eight more NZLAVs remain on the market to sell.
“The prospect of a sale to the Chilean Navy has been under consideration and negotiation for over two years, with a number of NZ and foreign government consents required before any sale could be finalised.”
In 2003, the NZDF procured 105 light armoured vehicles, out of which eight vehicles are available for sale in the market.
One is being used as a test vehicle in Canada and one was decommissioned after being damaged in Afghanistan.
Besides, the remaining 73 NZLAVs are in service with the New Zealand Army.
The sale comes after the Defence Assessment analysis undertaken in 2008-09, which concluded that NZ Army had more vehicles than required to accomplish the directed output.
Following the analysis, the government decided to reduce the number of vehicles and made 20 NZLAVs available for potential sale.
In 2019, the number of vehicles for sale was increased to 30.
NZ chief of Army major general John Boswell said: “The sale still allows the Army to maintain a range of capabilities and offer a number of potential deployment options including domestic disaster response, regional security missions, peacekeeping through to combat operations.” (Source: naval-technology.com)
18 Apr 22. RAF C-130J and Wildcat conduct tactical refuelling in Estonia.
Tactical refuelling allows the UK Navy, RAF and Army to collaborate as a part of wider Nato force. UK Royal Air Force (RAF) 47 Squadron’s C-130J Hercules transport aircraft aircrew have conducted tactical refuelling of Wildcat MK1 helicopters.
Operated by 659 Squadron of 1 Army Air Corps, the helicopters are deployed on a UK-led operational deployment, Operation CABRIT, in Estonia.
Under Operation CABRIT, troops of British Army lead a multinational battlegroup as part of Nato’s enhanced Forward Presence.
During the tactical refuelling, fuel is provided directly through pipes and pumps to the aircraft at temporary landing zones, away from the main operating bases.
The event provided realistic training to the aircrew of both Hercules C-130J and Wildcat aircraft.
The tactical refuelling activity also allows the UK Royal Navy, RAF and the British Army to collaborate and perform operations together as a part of wider Nato force.
Meanwhile, RAF’s Typhoon aircraft from Lossiemouth in Scotland have also conducted a Quick Reaction Alert test, as part of Exercise Seihan River.
During the test, the Typhoon jet performed live scramble in response to an aircraft simulating communication loss and deviation from its original flight plan.
Besides, the training included Voyager air-to-air refuelling with an aircraft based at RAF Brize Norton.
The exercise aimed to test the tactics and procedures of the RAF Battle Space Managers, National Air and Space Operations Centre, the Department for Transport and the Police force’s Special Operations 15.
Exercise director wing commander Hindson said: “The Exercise Seihan River serials aims to offer realistic training for not only the flying crews responding to an unknown threat, but also the UK Command and Control agencies.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
20 Apr 22. New military aircraft maintenance facility being established in Morocco. Sabca and Sabena Aerospace, part of Belgium’s Blueberry Group, together with Lockheed Martin, are establishing a military aircraft maintenance facility in Morocco.
The Blueberry Group announced the partnership on 14 April and the subsequent creation of Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM). The partnership supports the sustainment requirements of the Royal Moroccan Air Force and brings high-tech jobs and technical abilities to the country, it said.
“This project represents the first achievement in the framework of the recent law aimed at enabling the Kingdom of Morocco to develop a military-industrial and defence activity and to draw strategic and economic benefits from it,” Blueberry Group stated.
The partnership includes the construction of a 15 000 square metre Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) centre for military aircraft and helicopters at Benslimane Airport and supports the creation of up to 300 jobs.
Maintenance Aero Maroc (MAM) will be the operators of the new facility, “providing an industrial benefit to the Belgian Group through continued sustainment opportunities on Lockheed Martin platforms,” including F-16 Fighting Falcon jets and C-130 Hercules transports.
“Our Group has 50 years’ experience maintaining, repairing and upgrading aircraft such as the C-130 and the F-16,” said Stéphane Burton, CEO of the Blueberry Group. “We are extremely proud to start this new partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco and Lockheed Martin, offering high quality sustainment services for the Moroccan Air Force and then rapidly to other customers in the region. We are very happy to see MAM joining our international network of MRO&U solutions, bringing opportunities to develop new expertise on other platforms.
“We are proud to share our experience with Morocco and look forward to all that we will learn from each other as we manage a robust set of industrial partnerships that aligns to Morocco’s priorities and builds on our history of successful collaboration efforts,” said Danya Trent, Lockheed Martin vice president – F-16 Programme.
“The significant cooperation is the result of several years of evaluation and discussions that will ensure the Kingdom of Morocco receives the best possible industrial facility, equipment, training and certification to support the sustainment requirements of the Royal Moroccan Air Force and other international customers.”
The Blueberry Group has been operating in Morocco since 2012 through its subsidiary Sabca Maroc, which recently announced an investment of more than 180m Moroccan dirhams (17m euros) for the construction of a new 16 000 square metre facility that will house a Pilatus, Airbus and Dassault aerostructure assembly line in the Nouaceur area.
The Group also participated, in cooperation with the Moroccan Air Force, in the modernization of their Dassault Mirage F1 and Alpha Jet aircraft. This project represents an additional development of the Blueberry group in the Kingdom of Morocco with the first maintenance activities in Benslimane set to start this year on the C-130 Hercules.
The Royal Moroccan Air Force flies 12 C-130H transport and two KC-130H tanker aircraft, complemented by four C-27J Spartans, seven CN-235s and several Do 28s. In June 2019 Morocco requested two surplus C-130H Hercules from the United States, and two have been allocated along with six C-130 external fuel tanks and six pylons.
The Royal Moroccan Air Force currently flies 23 F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft that it received from 2011 to 2012 (one was lost over Yemen during operations as part of the Saudi-led coalition). The US Defence Security Cooperation Agency approved the upgrade of these aircraft to the latest F-16V Block 70/72 standard. In March 2019, the US State Department approved the sale of 25 new F-16C/D Block 72 aircraft. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
19 Apr 22. Special Operations Command Targets Vehicle Upgrades. New vehicle upgrade opportunities are available for industry seeking to work with Special Operations Command.
“We have a pretty unique fleet out here in SOCOM that kind of touches different programs,” said Marine Corps Lt. Col. Alfredo Romero, program manager for Special Operations Command’s family of special ops vehicles.
The command’s inventory includes joint light tactical vehicles, purpose-built non-standard commercial platforms, light tactical all-terrain systems, ground mobility vehicles and more. There are platforms currently in concept, production and sustainment stages, Romero said during the National Defense Industrial Association’s annual Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Conference in Norfolk, Virginia.
One vehicle in the concept stage includes the purpose-built non-standard commercial vehicle, which is being pursued through an other transaction authority prototyping effort, Romero said.
“The idea of this vehicle platform was to build a vehicle from the ground up on the chassis, with the ability to change out the skins,” he said.
The command is designing the platform to have an extended service life with the ability to traverse longer distances.
Special Operations Command has recently completed some tests with the vehicle and is currently waiting for the results to come in before making its next move, Romero said.
Meanwhile, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, or JLTV — which is being developed through a joint program office for the Army and Marine Corps — is another project in the concept stage. The platform is a service-common vehicle being provided to SOCOM components, Romero said. In fiscal year 2023, the command will begin applying special operations forces-specific modifications.
Part of Special Operations Command’s acquisition strategy is to leverage platforms from the services, he said.
Whatever the Army and Marine Corps provides is “good enough for SOF,” Romero said.
The command then applies SOF-peculiar modifications to the platforms which offers users greater flexibility, he added.
Upcoming milestones include a SOF command, control, communications, computers, cyber and intelligence, or C5I, integration kit which will be tested in fiscal year 2022, according to slides shown during Romero’s presentation.
The JLTV will be one of SOCOM’s newer vehicles and will be a workhorse in the fleet, he said.
The command is also pursuing a hybrid-electric ground mobility vehicle 1.1 system. A prototype platform is expected to be completed by July and the command will then commence testing, Romero said.
Meanwhile, platforms in production include the light tactical all-terrain vehicle, which is a SOF-modified commercial-off-the-shelf system that can be internally air transported via V-22, H-53 and H-47. The platform includes two- and four-seat variants. It can perform missions such as offset infiltration, reconnaissance and medical evacuation.
The command is using Polaris’ MRZR Alpha for the vehicle, Romero said. The program is a collaborative effort between Special Operations Command and the Marine Corps.
“We are sharing the same common vehicle baseline,” he said. The platform is known as the ultra-light tactical vehicle within the Corps, he added.
“It’s an overall nice vehicle,” Romero said. “The user community here really likes this platform.”
Moving forward, areas of interest for the vehicle include integrating autonomy packages, signature management systems and inserting a communications suite, he said. There is also interest in electrifying the platform.
The LTATV was slated to complete performance testing in March, according to Romero’s slides.
Meanwhile, the service is sustaining its fleet of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles as well as its ground mobility vehicle 1.0 and 1.1 platforms, he said.
In general, as SOCOM looks forward, it is seeking lightweight armor for its vehicle fleet, he said. Current armor solutions are heavy and limit the available payload for users, as well as decrease the platform’s durability.
The command is also looking for new signature management technologies, he said.
“That is a big topic for us,” Romero said. “How do we do signature management on the move?”
Hybrid-electric technology is another area of interest, he said. “Anything that we can do to create that extended range and also that silent watch … we’re all in on that.”Autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicle technology — as well as augmented reality maintenance capabilities — are also areas that SOCOM is eyeing, Romero said. By Yasmin Tadjdeh
17 Apr 22. The Terradyne Gurkha RPV (Rapid Patrol Vehicle) is a sub-9 tonne GVW Canadian armoured 4×4 used by Police and Special Operations Forces, writes Bob Morrison. In service predominantly with Canadian, Mexican and United States Police SWAT-type (Special Weapons and Tactics) and Counter-Terrorist units, the Ontario-produced Terradyne Gurkha is also deployed by Saudi Arabia’s SSF (Special Security Forces) and neighbouring Bahrain’s CTB (Counter-Terrorism Battalion) plus the Singapore Police Gurkha Contingent. At the recent World Defence Show (WDS 2022) in Saudi Arabia I was able to photograph Gurkha RPVs in action with the Saudi SSF and on static display outside the exhibition halls. Three variants of the Gurkha, four if a civilian market version is included, are produced by Terradyne Armoured Vehicle Inc. using the Ford Super Duty F-550 model chassis cab as the base. The variant used by the Saudi SSF is the four-door RPV or Rapid Patrol Vehicle, with seating for five plus an open rear cargo area, but five-door LAPV or Light Armoured Patrol Vehicle and MPV or Multi-Purpose Vehicle variants with rear compartments for up to six more personnel are also in service with other customers. All three share the same wheelbase and are 2455mm wide, but dependent on version the height over roof varies between 2500mm and 2645mm and the overall length varies between around 6120mm and 6360mm. Kerb weight for the RPV is listed as being fractionally over 7,000kg which gives a working payload of around 1,800kg. According to the manufacturer, ballistic protection level for the Gurkha is STANAG 2 / B7. As far as I can determine these vehicles entered service in Saudi Arabia from around 2016/17. Terradyne currently offer a Ford 6.7 litre PowerStroke V8 turbo-charged diesel with six-speed automatic transmission in the Gurkha, but I was unable to positively confirm that this it is this combination which is used in the Saudi vehicles. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
13 Apr 22. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has broken ground at the new Hanwha defence manufacturing site at Avalon near Geelong in Victoria. Construction of Hanwha Defense Australia’s new manufacturing facility officially commenced today with a ‘sod turning’ ceremony attended by the Prime Minister of Australia Mr Scott Morrison. Hanwha is building a state-of-the-art specialist armoured vehicle production facility on a 15-hectare site at Avalon Airport in the Greater Geelong precinct some 60km west of Melbourne’s CBD.
Hanwha Defense Australia has been contracted for project Land 8116, a $0.9 to $1.3bn project to acquire self-propelled artillery systems. The company is also one of two shortlisted contenders for another multi-bn-dollar project where the Commonwealth is seeking to acquire 450 Infantry Fighting Vehicles for the Australian Defence Force.
“This is a great day for Hanwha with working beginning on what will be our first major manufacturing facility outside the Republic of Korea,” said Mr Jaeil Son, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hanwha Defense Corporation. “I am pleased and honoured on behalf of Hanwha that the Prime Minister of Australia Mr Scott Morrison was able to take time in his schedule to attend this ceremony today.
“Hanwha appreciates the assistance of the Victorian State Government in setting up our new facility in Victoria, and we also grateful to the City of Greater Geelong Council for their warm welcome of Hanwha into the community,” Mr Son said.
“The new Hanwha facility to be built on this site will be a key addition to Australia’s sovereign defence capability,” said Mr Richard Cho, the Managing Director of Hanwha Defense Australia. “Both countries have much to gain from each other economically, but benefits are especially significant in terms of regional security. The long-standing trust and friendship between Australia and the Republic of Korea is a great asset.”
“With Australia’s close proximity to Republic of Korea, and the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries, Hanwha’s Australian facility will also become a critical and important secondary line of supply back to South Korea.
“The Australian operation will also help Hanwha fulfil contracts in other parts of the world and deliver capacity to engage with Five Eyes nations,” Mr Cho said.
Construction of a state-of-the-art specialist armoured vehicle manufacturing plant is scheduled to take 24 months to complete. It is estimated that over 100 jobs will be created during construction of the $170m Hanwha facility, which will ultimately support a large, long-term set of advanced manufacturing jobs when completed.
The 32,000 square metre state-of-the-art facility will initially be focussed on the production of Hanwha’s AS9 self-propelled howitzer and AS10 Armoured Ammunition Resupply vehicles, but pre-planning has been conducted to allow for the rapid expansion of operations should Hanwha also win the Infantry Fighting Vehicle project.
In addition to the potential for multiple assembly lines, the plant will feature a 1500 metre test track, a deep-water test facility and an obstacle course to ensure the Hanwha vehicles function as intended prior to delivery. Ample provision has been made for Hanwha’s Australian industry partners to co-locate on the new site as necessary to streamline the manufacturing process and add maximum versatility as Hanwha’s Australian interests expand.
On display at the event were examples of the AS9 Huntsman self-propelled howitzer and the AS10 armoured ammunition resupply vehicle that will be manufactured in the new facility. The Hanwha AS9 Huntsman was specially developed for Australia to incorporate learnings and experience from the global fleet of over 2400 K9 howitzers. With the AS9 Huntsman, Hanwha is offering a proven 52-calibre 155mm gun system that is in-service with multiple nations around the world including the NATO alliance. The AS10 Armoured Ammunition Resupply Vehicle is a highly protected and manoeuvrable ammunition resupply vehicle with a unique loading system that reduces risk to soldiers from enemy fire.
Local production of the AS9 and AS10 Huntsman vehicles will see Australia enter the global supply chain for the entire fleet with ongoing development of Australian Manufacturing and Supply Chain to global K9 user community. There will be full engineering support in Australia with reach-back to all original equipment manufacturers. The AS9 Huntsman features the highest levels of protection and survivability for this class of vehicle. Its mission and fire control systems provide fully automated support for planning, coordinating, controlling and executing fire missions. Huntsman is a mature protected mobile fires platform that is low risk with proven ability to deliver. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
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TEK Military Seating Limited
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Contact: David Parkman
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