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24 June 22. Australia considers reduction in IFV requirement. The scope of a multi-billion dollar programme to supply the Australian Army with up to 450 tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) may significantly be reduced, Janes has learnt. According to informed sources, Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) and Hanwha Defense Australia (HDA) – the two companies vying for Project Land 400 Phase 3 – were requested by the Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra around 18 June to amend their respective bids to provide 300 IFVs instead of the original 450. This involves revising the pricing model in the final proposals submitted by both companies in late 2021 at the conclusion of extensive risk mitigation activities involving the Rheinmetall’s Lynx KF41 and Hanwha’s Redback. The companies were also asked to submit bridging budgets, enabling the government to consider increasing its order in increments of 50 vehicles. Revised figures were required by the end of July for a decision on the successful contender in September, the sources said.(Source: Janes)
23 June 22. Gambia orders Hizir APCs. Gambia has apparently become the latest customer for Turkey’s Hizir armoured personnel carrier, after ordering 20 of the type. Africa Intelligence reported last year that Gambia was ordering 20 Hizir vehicles from Katmerciler, and Turkish defence publication DefenceTurk reported earlier this month that the agreement was signed in August 2021.
It went on to state that photos showed Hizir vehicles in Gambian camouflage, indicating testing and deliveries were underway. The apparent order comes after a March 2021 visit by a Gambian military delegation to Turkey that discussed bilateral cooperation.
Since 1965, both countries have maintained good relations bilaterally and multilaterally, especially at the United Nations and Islamic Cooperation Organization. Turkish military officers have provided training since the 1990s and between 1991 and 2007, Turkish military trainers trained around 7 000 Gambian soldiers. After the expiry of the training agreement between two countries in 2007, Gambian troops started receiving training in Turkey and since then more than 500 Gambian soldiers have visited Turkey for training. In January, 250 Gambian soldiers arrived in Turkey to receive counter-terrorism training.
In 2014, defence cooperation was further deepened, and the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey signed a bilateral agreement for the provision of logistical assistance to the Gambia Armed Forces. Turkey also donated $600,000 to help Gambia with its peacekeeping mission in Mali and other logistical issues.
In April this year, Turkey provided security equipment to Gambia that included shields, gas masks, radios and other items. Other donations have included thousands of uniforms, tents, water bottles and other equipment. In 2019 it was announced that Turkey had provided $1.4m in military assistance to The Gambia, the content of which was not disclosed.
Gambia is the latest Hizir customer in Africa after Kenya and Uganda also acquired the type. Kenya ordered 118 last year, for delivery in 2022-23, while Uganda ordered 30, with deliveries in 2020 in the type’s first export sale.
The Hizir recently entered service with Turkey’s military. It can carry nine personnel, including driver and commander. The vehicle has a gross weight of 16 tons and has a V-hull for landmine and improvised explosive device protection. It is powered by a Cummins six-cylinder diesel developing 400 hp, giving a top speed of 110 km/h and range of 700 kilometres.
The Hizir can be built in a number of configurations, including combat, command and control, CBRN, weapon carrier, ambulance, reconnaissance and border security. It can be fitted with an Aselsan SARP turret with machineguns or an automatic grenade launcher.
Turkey is aggressively pushing diplomacy and arms sales in Africa and these efforts are bearing fruit. According to Turkey’s 2021 defence export figures, Turkey’s arms sales reached new heights, with the biggest increase to African countries.
Compared to the previous year, Turkey increased its defence exports to Africa by 700% in 2021, from $41 m to $328m, putting the continent fifth in Turkey’s defence exports, following North America ($1.56bn), the Commonwealth of Independent States ($411m), the Middle East ($381.1m) and European Union countries ($338m). Total Turkish defence exports for 2021 amounted to nearly $3bn, up 40% from the year before. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
23 June 22. USMC set to field new joint light tactical vehicle trailers. The USMC is planning to procure and field up to 4,000 JLTV trailers. The US Marine Corps (USMC) Systems Command (MCSC) is set to field a new multi-purpose Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) Trailer.
Procurement of this new vehicle is in line with the USMC Force Design 2030’s light fleet modernisation effort.
The new JLTV-Trailer has an independent suspension system, enabling it to carry more weight while offering enhanced off-road mobility over the current legacy light tactical trailer fleet.
Furthermore, the new trailer can operate with closed combat weapon carrier, general purpose heavy guns carrier and utility JLTV variants.
It is designed to support general purpose cargo and tactical generator mobility missions.
MCSC Logistics Combat Element Systems portfolio JLTV Systems team lead major Elena Vallely said: “There will be improved trafficability, durability and payload that provides an increased capability in line with light fleet modernisation of JLTV fleet.”
According to Vallely, the USMC is planning to procure and field up to 4,000 trailers. Fielding of JLTV trailers to all three active-duty Marine infantry divisions and Marine Expeditionary Units is expected to commence this summer. The trailer’s fielding activities will be carried out by the MCSC’s JLTV programme team. During this process, the team will ensure that marines receive on-site support from field service representatives of trailer’s manufacturer. Furthermore, the team will provide new equipment training instructors and key personnel to marines.
Vallely added: “The new trucks and new trailers we’ll be procuring, and fielding will be green.
“Over the course of the next year we’ll be seeing a transition of the vehicle fleet to a green truck with green trailer configuration.”
This green paint scheme is expected to help shift the JLTV fleet from desert warfare to tropical environments, where Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO) concepts could be employed. (Source: army-technology.com)
22 June 22. A next-gen US tank will be revealed in October.
Last week, American defense giant General Dynamics teased the latest iteration of its long-running tank design online. Part of a roll-out of multiple machines under the banner of “Next Generation Battlefield Technology,” the Abrams NextGen hints at the ways in which a newer version of the venerable family of armored vehicles aims to be an improvement over its predecessors, and an asset to future battlefield commanders.
General Dynamics is teasing this Next Generation Abrams through four videos, each with a title that reads like promotional material for a bonus character in a video game. They are “Legend Mode. The Next Generation of Dominance,” “Superpower. Cape Not Included,” “Brains and Brawn. A Lethal Combination,” and “Silent Strike. They’ll Never Hear Us Coming.” The videos, each under a minute, feature the camera panning over a glossy rendering of a tank, highlighting features such as headlights, embedded cameras, treads, and the turret’s main gun.
More will be revealed on October 10, at the Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, DC, where General Dynamics Land Systems will unveil the latest Abrams alongside a host of other machines. These include a teased Next Generation Stryker armored transport, and several varieties of support robots.
With a fuller roll-out of the Abrams expected in the fall, the teaser instead makes the case for why the Pentagon should continue to invest in heavy armored vehicles, and why it should do so now.
This first tanks emerged in 1916
Tanks debuted during World War I at the Battle of the Somme in September 1916, and have been a part of military planning in the nearly 106 years ever since. Tank evolution was rapid in the years between the World Wars, and especially during World War II, while anti-tank techniques were developed and honed into a working practice. “Steel hedgehogs,” which date back to the 1930s as a jack-shaped obstacle that can pin in the air any tank that drives over it, have seen a resurgence, deployed by Ukraine as a defense against the massive tank-powered advances of Russia’s invasion.
A plethora of anti-tank weapons, like Javelin anti-tank missiles or the Carl Gustaf recoilless rifles, give soldiers fighting on foot a chance to ambush and destroy tanks. The success of these weapons, especially in the early days of Russia’s invasion, have caused some military commentators in the United States to question if tanks still have a role on the battlefield. Compared to anti-tank missiles, tanks are expensive, vulnerable, require multiple people to operate, and cannot go everywhere that soldiers on foot can.
What tanks do offer, especially to a military that can effectively support them with soldiers on foot, artillery, and an air force flying overhead, is the ability to advance under fire, and then drive defenders from entrenched positions. Armor that protects against regular infantry rifles, as well as advanced defenses and plating against many kinds of existing anti-tank weapons, helps ensure that tanks will reach enemy lines. Once at the enemy line of battle, tanks send defenders into retreat and panic. The massive cannon that defines all modern tanks means they have the firepower on hand to destroy any enemy artillery or vehicles encountered once a defensive line has been breached.
The Abrams began its life in 1979
When the first Abrams prototypes were developed in 1979, PopSci covered the XM-1 Abrams as especially survivable in the face of new anti-tank weapons. These features included a lower silhouette, and a smokeless and quieter engine than preceding tank designs. Plus, compartmentalized storage for the engine, fuel, and ammunition, helped prevent a fire from one area contaminating and detonating another.
In the US since 1980, the Abrams has been the main battle tank. It was designed to defeat Soviet tanks in land battles in Europe, while also being protected against the new anti-tank missiles that saw devastating use in the 1973 Arab Israeli war. The M1 Abrams would make its combat debut in 1991’s Desert Storm, when 2,000 of the tanks were deployed, but no tank crew members were killed. Since then, the tank has seen action in Afghanistan and Iraq under US command, with upgrades to armor and gun caliber since, but coming at the price of a reduction in top speed.
In a 2019 document from the Army outlining desired improvements for the latest version of the Abrams, the Army requested improved cameras and sights for the gunner, more sophisticated cameras for the tank commander, a fire control system that could communicate with a new kind of smart round for the gun, a meteorological sensor to calculate atmospheric effects on ballistics, and more useful internal diagnostics.
While it’s unclear if any of those improvements have been made, the emphasis on sensors in the teaser video suggests that new and capable cameras and sensors are absolutely part of what the next generation of Abrams tanks will bring to battle. With the promise of brains and silent strike, it’s likely that enhanced onboard processing is part of the whole package, and maybe even hybrid electric operation, to allow the tank to run on an engine much quieter than internal combustion.
Other changes could include its shape in general. “From what we can see in these various promotional materials, the [Next] Generation Abrams has at least some changes to the general outward shape of the hull and turret,” writes The War Zone. “It’s not clear whether this might reflect [any] changes to the crew composition in this version. All existing Abrams variants have four-person crews, with the driver in the hull and the commander, gunner, and loader in the turret.”
When the Army first introduced the Abrams as a tank, it was replacing the M60 model, used in Vietnam, that had debuted just 21 years earlier. With Abrams tanks now entering their fourth decade of service, it’s an open question if the form itself is in need of change, or if the future is new parts and sensors in the same old shell. (Source: News Now/https://www.popsci.com/)
21 June 22. Eurosatory 2022: Force W consortium unveils hydrogen-powered UGV demonstrator for French Army. French consortium Force W unveiled the Weasel hydrogen-powered unmanned demonstrator vehicle at the Eurosatory 2022 defence fair in Paris. The French Army approached a series of firms and research institutes with a request to develop a hydrogen-powered unmanned concept vehicle in February 2022, according to a representative of Force W. The project was initiated by Battle Lab Terre, the French Army’s research and development centre, with the intention of exploring possible applications of hydrogen technology in unmanned ground systems. The result was the formation of the Force W consortium and ultimately the production of the Weasel unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), produced in five months.
Speaking to Janes, a representative of H2X Ecosystems, one of the firms in the Force W consortium, said, “They [the French Army] want to explore how hydrogen can facilitate … solutions to different light [ground vehicle] usages such as carrying people, carrying some UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and UGVs, and recognition missions.” The Weasel system exhibited at Eurosatory 2022 integrated small UGV carriers for the deployment of robot dogs or small-wheeled UGVs, and a launcher for UAVs. (Source: Janes)
21 June 22. Bulgaria unveils modernised T-72. Bulgaria unveiled a modernised T-72 main battle tank (MBT) upgraded by the state-owned TEREM holding company on the opening day of the HEMUS 2022 defence exhibition held in Plovdiv from 1 to 4 June. The modernisation programme has focused on increasing the tank‘s situational awareness and the accuracy of its main gun. It represents the first serious attempt by the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to overcome some of the shortcomings of the original T-72M1 design, which has been in service with the Bulgarian Army since the 1980s. (Source: Janes)
20 Jun 22. Taiwan showcases CM-34 IFV capability. Taiwan’s Armaments Bureau showcased its locally developed CM-34 wheeled infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) at a media event on 16 June.
The event was intended to demonstrate the capability of the vehicle against a background of growing tension between Taiwan and China.
In comments reported by state news, an Armaments Bureau official confirmed that the Republic of China Army (RoCA) has ordered 305 CM-34s, with 173 delivered since 2019.
The official also said that the bureau’s 209th Arsenal facility in Jiji, in the centre of Taiwan, is building six CM-34s a month, indicating that deliveries of the type are on track to be completed by 2023.
The event marked the first time that the CM-34 had been demonstrated to media, although a prototype of the vehicle was unveiled at the Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE) in 2019. (Source: Janes)
08 Jun 22. Plasan Unveiled a New Electric Vehicle Platform – AteMM. Eurosatory 2022 hosted the European unveiling of the ATeMM, Plasan’s all-terrain electric mission module. The ATeMM, pronounced at-uhm, is a multi-mission, highly configurable electric vehicle platform and the solution for Battlefield Circulation of Electricity (BCoE).
Modern armies need power, payload, and electricity, especially at the tactical edge; the ATeMM is the solution.
This revolutionary electric platform can be configured in multiple ways to include: a single axle ATeMM paired with any lead vehicle, two ATeMMs connected in tandem paired to any lead vehicle, or a standalone remote/autonomously controlled tandem ATeMM.
Each ATeMM is an electric platform featuring a 200kW traction motor capable of outputting over than 5700Nm at the axle, a 47 kWh battery pack providing power to the motor and an optional Off-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP). In addition, the ATeMM offers 1150 kg of payload.
When two ATeMMs are connected in tandem, the total battery capacity is 94kWh and the total payload is 2300kg.
Electricity stored in the ATeMM’s high voltage battery can provide power to both on or offboard vehicle systems while stationary or on the move, as well as power and torque to the ATeMM’s steerable drive wheels improving fuel economy and off-road performance of a connected lead vehicle. When in drive/power mode, the ATeMM transforms the vehicle system (leading vehicle + ATeMM) from a 4×4 into a 6×6 vehicle (or 8×8). This allows the ATeMM and its OBVP capability to be taken to remote locations that typical vehicle/trailer combinations cannot approach.
The ATeMM’s off-board vehicle power can provide power for command posts, communication systems, surveillance systems, tethered drones, counter UAS payloads, recharge soldier worn batteries, remote weapon stations, and augment a microgrid to reduce reliance on generators. When paired with a lead vehicle, the ATeMM’s on-board battery can power the electric motor to extend the range of the lead vehicle or propel the paired platform silently using the ATeMM’s electric motors instead of the internal combustion engine.
The ATeMM is the first of its kind, bridging the gap between legacy vehicles and the hybrid-electric technology the future requires. The ATeMM can also pair with Plasan’s Wilder to create a hybrid-electric 6 x 6 with 2,000 kg of combined payload and all the exportable power capabilities unique to the ATeMM. The ATeMM and the WILDER were presented at our booth EXT Pe6B, e231 at Eurosatory.
20 Jun 22. Eurosatory 2022: Cockerill 3105 turret installed on Leopard 1. John Cockerill Defense displayed a Leopard 1 tank with a 3105 turret at the Eurosatory 2022 defence exhibition held in Paris on 13–17 June.
The turret is armed with a NATO-standard Cockerill 105 mm high-pressure gun with a -10/+42° elevation and a 12-16 round autoloader. The turret can also fire anti-tank guided weapons.
In addition to a 7.62 co-axial machine gun, the secondary armament can include a pintle-mounted 7.62mm or 12.7mm machine gun, or a 40mm automatic grenade launcher.
The autoloader reduces turret crew members to two sharing identical commander/gunner sights to operate in hunter-killer mode. There is also a stabilised day/night sight and external cameras providing 360° coverage.
The welded aluminium turret provides NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 4569 ballistic protection. The turret also has eight smoke grenade launchers, an active defence system, and acoustic gunshot detection. (Source: Janes)
21 June 22. Royal Navy Aircraft carriers to be supported by new logistics facility. A new Royal Navy logistics centre in Portsmouth – dedicated to crucial maintenance for the QEC aircraft carriers – has been officially opened today.
- New Queen Elizabeth Carrier logistics centre officially opened in Portsmouth today.
- Facility to provide critical logistic and maintenance support to the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers.
- Facility is part of a programme that supports more than 550 jobs.
A new Royal Navy logistics centre in Portsmouth – dedicated to crucial maintenance for HMS Queen Elizabeth and wider naval ships and equipment – has been officially opened today.
Providing critical support to the UK’s largest and most powerful surface vessels in the Royal Navy, the Queen Elizabeth Carrier (QEC) Forward Logistics Centre will streamline logistical support for the vessels.
The new Hampshire facility will see everything from new lightbulbs, to critical engine parts funnelled through the site, helping to ensure that following maintenance the QEC carriers can quickly return to operations to protect and defend the UK’s interests at sea.
Secured with a £7m contract with BAE Systems and Francis Construction, the new centre is the final project delivered within the 19-year QEC Infrastructure programme. Beginning in 2003, the programme has invested £350m into the Portsmouth naval base and £100m in Scotland, creating and sustaining at least 550 jobs across the 50-year life of the vessels.
Located alongside the base port’s carrier berths, the centre was officially opened today by Defence Procurement Minister, Jeremy Quin.
Defence Procurement Minister, Jeremy Quin said: “The Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers are the flagships of our Royal Navy, providing critical at-sea protection of the UK and our allies. Ensuring we can provide quick and efficient logistical support to our Royal Navy vessels is crucial to maintaining our resilience and operational advantage. I’m delighted to unveil a new facility dedicated to serving and preserving our Queen Elizabeth Carrier vessels throughout their 50-year lifespan.”
The facility has been future proofed to support the UK’s Net Zero 2050 requirements. As a result, the roof hosts a photo-voltaic array consisting of 678 panels generating 250kW, with the adjacent car park array providing 1MW energy– comparable to the levels used by several hundred homes. The logistics centre is also the first Royal Navy infrastructure construction to be Net Zero in operation. Net Zero is the balancing of carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon removed from it.
Hitting a nation-wide milestone, the facility is also the first building in the UK to be built using Rigid Inclusion. This sees structural columns embedded in the ground to reinforce organic or weak soils leading to less disturbance, better ground settlement and faster delivery with greater quality control.
In opening the centre, the Defence Procurement Minister outlined progress on the Climate Change and Sustainability Strategic Approach, which was launched last year to set out the ambition, principles and methods needed for UK defence to meet the challenge of climate change.
Since its publication, UK defence has achieved several milestones including:
- Developing a Sustainable Support Strategy to reduce the vulnerability of UK defence while maintaining or improving its capability, productivity and efficiency.
- Updating policy and standards for new military infrastructure to a higher level of energy efficiency, mitigating future energy cost and resulting in lower carbon emissions.
- Establishing a 1,000-person strong network to help support sustainable ambitions across Defence. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
20 June 22. Strategic Partnership Military Equipment Denmark A/S (MED) & Defenture BV. Netherlands based light military vehicle manufacturer Defenture B.V. and Military Equipment Denmark A/S (MED) are further combining forces and strengthening their strategic partnership where MED will act as exclusive agent for Norway and Denmark, representing the complete portfolio of Defenture’s battlefield proven light tactical and air transportable mobile platforms.
Further intensifying of the partnership between the companies is a logical one. Both companies delivering state of the art and battlefield proven solutions based on specific and dedicated customer needs. These solutions are characterized by a careful analysis of tactical and operational benefits in view of dedicated military mobility and air transportability, for the end user, with a strong focus on product leadership quality and personal safety and security. Supported by the current user base of Defenture platforms, Defenture will also further build on its portfolio of system integration and sub-system solutions.
‘For MED it is a great pleasure to work with Defenture B.V. in promoting (among others) the Defenture Scorpion military diesel quad. The Scorpion military diesel quad is built specifically for the demanding military market and with an ILS adapted for the military, this product is second to none. We see a bright future for the Scorpion military diesel quad’ says Mogens Rasmus Mogensen, VP at MED.
‘With the complete Defenture portfolio of dedicated military of the shelf (MOTS) mobile platforms in the range of one to ten tons of gross vehicle weight, Defenture offers complete mobility solutions in view of light tactical and air transportable vehicles. In close collaboration with our partner MED we are looking forward to supporting the Danish and Norwegian forces and contribute to their mobility with our battlefield proven solutions.’ mentions Henk van der Scheer, CEO Defenture.
Defenture is looking forward to further strengthening its cooperation with the Danish and Norwegian forces together with the experts from MED. (Source: ASD Network)
21 June 22. The Mammoth, Defenture’s Newest Multirole Combat Platform. The Mammoth, Defenture’s newest multirole combat platform in a weight category up to almost 9T, has been added to our tactical air transportable platforms portfolio. Based on the same Defenture Modular Design Principles as the GRF, The Mammoth is also a dedicated MOTS mobile platform that can be configured into any bodywork variant required.
A powerful driveline, 4 wheel steering, a state-of-the-art suspension system and a payload possible to approx. 4T! Identical to the GRF platform, this new system will guarantee exceptional off-road capabilities, excellent military tactical performances and an enhanced protection level in order to create the highest level of safety for the crew.
The Mammoth is designed for dedicated military use and developed in line with Defenture’s combat proven design principles. The size and weight of this platform makes it internally air transportable as well as underslung. Transport will also be possible by ISO container, by rail, by water and by road. Currently a reconnaissance, combat and logistic vehicle are in the design phase. Additionally a modular protection package level 1 (ballistic) and level 1 (mine) according to STANAG 4569 will be available as an add-on package.
Defenture owns all IP of its system and integrated her design philosophy of local assembly also in this platform, to enhance cooperation with both local and international partners. The Mammoth is a light tactical and high deployable platform. Designed according to the latest military standards to increase safety and to reduce lifecycle costs.
“Defenture is there to support NATO allies that look for the best possible, light tactical, mobile platforms to modernize their Armed Forces and protect those who protect us.” said Henk van der Scheer, CEO of Defenture. “As the international interest for our air transportable platforms for dedicated SOF and PARA operations continues to grow, we will work closely with our international partners and network to bring tailored solutions that are designed to cope with emerging threats that require the highest level of military mobility”. (Source: ASD Network)
20 Jun 22. The French defense procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement) has announced a new “optional tranche” contract awarded to Safran Electronics & Defense for FURIOUS (FUturs systèmes Robotiques Innovants en tant qu’OUtilS), a science and technology program that aims to develop innovative robotic systems for mounted and dismounted warfighters. The DGA’s announcement follows successful field trials of the FURIOUS robotic system, carried out by Safran in late 2021 at the French army’s urban combat training center (Sissone military base) – a key advance culminating the firm contract phase. During this phase participants focused on the modular architecture concept (hardware and software), designed to ensure the autonomous operation of any terrestrial platform, whether crewed or not. Safran Electronics & Defense was able to deploy this architecture on three very different types of platforms included in the FURIOUS system. The optional tranche announced today aims to optimize this architecture and make the autonomous functions developed more robust (tracking passage points, replaying trajectories, monitoring the leader, autonomous target homing, etc.) within more complex and even unstable environments. Safran Electronics & Defense builds on its skills and expertise to ensure the autonomy of both land platforms (robotics) and airborne platforms (drones): automated planning and control, navigation and geolocation, 3D environment perception based on semantic segmentation, artificial intelligence-based processing and critical embedded software.
The company has proven its credibility through real-world projects such as FURIOUS in France, or its European counterpart, iMugs, financed by the European Defense Fund.
Critical building blocks for future programs could be developed in the short term, based on the operational advantages of autonomous functions in a number of scenarios, the applicability of a judicious incremental approach and a clear convergence towards adaptable modular solutions.
From this viewpoint, the launch of the planned Vulcain robotics unit by the French army, designed to officialize the army’s robotics needs by 2030, is a clear sign for the players involved of the viability of this approach.
17 June 22. ICP Newtech unveils Avenger LT EOD robot. Irish firm ICP Newtech has unveiled the Avenger LT explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robot at the Eurosatory 2022 defence exhibition in Paris.
Speaking to Janes, a company spokesperson described the Avenger LT as the “little brother” of the Avenger EOD robot, which was first announced in January 2017. Janes understands that the Avenger LT has completed field trials and testing, and is ready to be shipped to customers.
The Avenger LT is lighter and more basic than its larger forerunner, having been designed for greater ruggedness and ease of use. The Avenger LT weighs in at 80 kg as opposed to the 120 kg weight of its older sibling, and is equipped with a six-axis manipulator arm as opposed to the seven-axis arm on the standard Avenger. (Source: Janes)
15 June 22. In partnership with GDELS, Soucy Defense is showcased its Composite Rubber Track (CRT) technology on ASCOD 2 during Eurosatory 2022. Our Defense Division showcased its Composite Rubber Track (CRT) technology, in partnership with General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) during Eurosatory 2022. The ASCOD vehicle will be equipped with CRT – one of the mobility options which is offered to customers by GDELS. This demonstrates the versatility of ASCOD, its ease of integration with CRT, allows customers to select the best capabilities, based on their operational and peacetime needs.
The ASCOD being displayed at Soucy’s booth, will be one of three platforms at the exhibition in collaboration with GDELS. This ASCOD is equipped with a Counter-UAS system, benefiting from the reduced vibration synonymous with Soucy’s CRT. ASCOD has been designed from the ground up with modularity in mind and is offered in several configurations and weight classes, depending on the customer’s need. Soucy’s integration of CRT highlights the flexibility of the platform to operate with alternative track systems. Since the first ASCOD in the 1990s, a lot of improvements have been made but still the concept of the vehicle holds on its modularity based in its Common Base Platform (CBP) which provides a great adaptability and scalability and allows cost-efficient maintenance and worldwide ILS.
GDELS’s acceptance of new technologies is key for armoured vehicles in the future. Mobility upgrades, such as Soucy’s CRT, will increase operational availability, reduce maintenance hours/cost and ease the logistic burden on the supply chain.
About CRT Tracks:-
- Increased durability over conventional steel tracks.
- Reduced vibration (up to 70%), noise (up to 13dB), thermal signature, braking distance, vehicle weight (up to 50%) and fuel consumption (up to 30%).
- Reduced vehicle crew fatigue.
- Significant reduction in life cycle costs and virtually maintenance free.
- Elimination of damage to infrastructure.
(Source: www.joint-forces.com)
13 June 22. GDELS (General Dynamics European Land Systems) presented its new 4×4 MERLIN LTV (Light Tactical Vehicle) at Eurosatory 2022.
General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) presents its new 4×4 Light Tactical Vehicle MERLIN at the EUROSATORY 2022 Defence & Security International Exhibition, on June 13th in Paris.
MERLIN, a small Falcon, is the name of GDELS´ newest Light Tactical Vehicle (LTV) responding to the latest operational requirements of modern Airborne, Special Forces and Light Infantry Forces. The vehicle, designed by GDELS, is based upon the same engineering principles as the combat-proven EAGLE, which sets the standard in its class.
A new member in the GDELS Wheeled Vehicles Family: The LTV MERLIN is an extremely durable, compact, light and robust vehicle platform, which provides superior multi-role as well as payload potential and protection for its military users. The MERLIN provides unmatched payload range and user space in its 4×4 wheeled vehicle configuration. The compact 4×4 vehicle fits inside CH-47 and/or CH-53 transport helicopters and can accommodate up to 10 soldiers.
Based on the proven DURO / EAGLE platform: The unique driveline and suspension technology of the vehicle is a derivate of GDELS` proven and in-service DURO/EAGLE 4×4 chassis. This provides significant savings in operator and maintenance training and maximises commonality in tools and spare parts. Powered by a modern diesel engine, MERLIN provides superior agility, manoeuvrability and cross-country mobility. Due to the flexibility and versatility of the vehicle body design, the MERLIN can be configured in different variants for personnel transport, ambulance, logistic and combat missions. With the MERLIN, GDELS is proud to introduce a new class of robust military vehicles based on combat proven technology. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
15 June 22. Milrem exhibited Type-X in new configuration. Estonia’s Milrem Robotics exhibited its Type-X heavy robotic combat vehicle equipped with a Pearson Engineering General Purpose Blade, a Metravib Pilar V gunshot detection system, and a Thales Antares laser warning system at Eurosatory 2022 defence exhibition in Paris.
“The reason [we have created this configuration] is quite simple: It’s because it’s something new,” a Milrem representative told Janes. “Most of what Pearson does, we can add [to the Type-X]. This shows the possibilities of their [Pearson’s] system and our system.”
The General Purpose Blade, produced by UK-based Pearson Engineering, is suitable for medium and heavy tracked vehicles, and can be used for obstacle clearance, preparation of defensive positions, and filling of anti-tank ditches. The Metravib Pilar V gunshot detector feeds 360° coverage of battlefield acoustics to the vehicle crew, and is capable of identifying the type of attack, including single/burst and calibre identification. (Source: Janes)
17 June 22. French army honing requirements for future ‘Vulcain’ robotic capability. The French army is looking for new robots to provide increased mass and endurance on the future battlefield, but is still working out the details of what kinds of robots will fit the bill.
Last year, the army launched a new study dubbed “Vulcain” with the goal of establishing firm requirements for a new tactical robot to be fielded by 2040, service officials said this week at the biennial Eurosatory defense conference outside Paris.
The study should be completed by the end of 2022, said Lt. Col. David Schuster, robotic development leader in the Army’s plans office, at a Tuesday briefing here. For now, the requirements are somewhat of a blank slate, save for two key areas.
“Mass and endurance are particularly important” factors for a future robotic capability, he said.
“The French army has worked a lot on agility, but little by little, it has lost its mass,” he added. “Are robots a way to rebuild our mass?”
A soldier can get fatigued during long sessions of reconnaissance and surveillance, he continued. “Can the endurance of a robotic system compensate for this issue?”
For now, both unmanned aerial systems and ground robots are under consideration for surveillance missions, Schuster said. “I don’t presuppose what kind of platform will do that, whether it’s a drone or if it’s a ground robot.”
He emphasized that France has no intention of procuring fully autonomous lethal systems, but is interested in “semi-autonomous lethal weapons,” where there is always a human decision maker in the loop.
The Vulcain study is intended as a bridge between the army’s two behemoth modernization programs, Schuster said. The ongoing Scorpion program aims to replace the service’s light- and medium-weight tactical vehicles and implement a new unified combat information system and UHF radios through 2030, while the future Titan program will focus on replacing heavy-lift vehicles — weighing more than 25 tons — along with artillery and combat helicopters through 2045.
There will be some “coherence” with the army’s other future capabilities, such as the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), a new battle tank co-developed by KNDS — a joint venture between France’s Nexter Defense Systems and Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann — and scheduled to be operational by 2040, Schuster noted.
There have been no “formal links” with industry on Vulcain to date, Col. Arnaud Goujon, chief of plans at the French army headquarters, told reporters at the conference Monday.
But the goal is to move quickly and field initial robot units by 2025, so the pressure is on to finalize requirements by the end of the year, he noted.
Schuster said the service wants to get out of the habit of asking industry what capabilities can be developed, and industry asking what capabilities the service is actually looking for. “This vicious cycle can go on for a long time,” he noted. (Source: Defense News)
17 June 22. Elbit unveiled new armed robotic vehicle that Israel will test in 2023. Israel will next year begin testing an unmanned combat vehicle armed with a 30mm autonomous turret, the Defense Ministry announced Monday in a news release. The unveiling of the Medium Robotic Combat Vehicle comes in the wake of Israel announcing it is acquiring the Negeva combat vehicle for its special forces from Israel Aerospace Industries, and as the country takes delivery of the first Eitan armored personnel carrier for its Nahal brigade. The acquisitions are part of Israel’s focus on artificial intelligence and other autonomous technologies.
The M-RCV, shown off by Elbit Systems at the Eurosatory defense expo in Paris this week, is based on the BLR-2 unmanned ground vehicle made by Israeli firm BL. The turret was developed by the Tank and APC Directorate, which falls under the purview of the ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development. The weapon is already in use on the country’s new Eitan armored personnel carrier.
The M-RCV system also includes Elbit’s Iron Fist active protection system as well as “a capsuled drone for forward reconnaissance missions and a passive sensing kit developed by Elbit Systems and Foresight,” the ministry said.
The robotic vehicle also incorporates a “number of cutting-edge technologies including advanced maneuvering capabilities, the ability to carry heavy and varied mission loads, and a built-in system for transporting and receiving UAVs,” the ministry added.
Some of the technological features hail from Israel’s other two major defense companies, including a missile launcher by Israel Aerospace Industries and Spike missiles by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Rafael recently unveiled a sixth-generation non-line-of-sight Spike variant, but it’s unclear what Spike type will arm the M-RCV.
The new vehicle is supposed to be able to operate in reconnaissance operations and in all-terrain conditions, the ministry statement read, and during the night and day. “The system was developed as part of the autonomous battlefield concept led in the DDR&D in collaboration with the Tank and APC Directorate while implementing an open architecture for integrating future capabilities and integrating the robot alongside other tools and capabilities.”
Elbit, IAI, Rafael and the ministry did not provide further details of the M-RCV project as of press time.
A video of the new vehicle from the ministry describes it as a robust and lethal platform with multipurpose abilities. The video shows the M-RCV driving through fields and on dirt roads, as well as using its gun with automatic target recognition, featuring the ability to track multiple targets and prioritize them.
The video also shows the unmanned system launching a UAV using a robotic arm, and incorporating autonomous driving with artificial intelligence and scene-matching technology for route planning. This enables the vehicle to detect obstacles and take detours, for instance.
The BL platform on which the M-RCV is based is a six-wheel drive system. The company says the BLR is an “ongoing development project, for an unmanned ground vehicle. The BLR offers extreme ground mobility, coupled with ‘drive by wire’ technology, giving mission control the ability to control the vehicle in a loose control circuit.”
Before its unveiling, a defense blog identified the BLR-2 being transported on a road in a picture posted to Twitter on May 3. Defense News was unable to independently verify the photo’s authenticity.
Israel has used unmanned ground vehicles before. In 2012, the country said it was using the Guardium UGV to patrol the fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip. In 2019, Elbit demonstrated an armored fighting vehicle that could be operated from a helmet-mounted display, noting at the time that these and other capabilities were part of a technology demonstrator that included a “Pioneer fighting Unmanned Ground Vehicle.” The turret on the vehicle was a 30mm gun.
IAI unveiled the Rex MK II at the DSEI defense trade show in London in 2021. The vehicle has four wheels and can carry a 7.62mm gun. The Israel Defense Forces already use the company’s six-wheeled Jaguar.
In November 2021, Elbit Systems and Roboteam announced Rook, a six-wheeled UGV that uses Elbit’s Torch-X Robotics and Autonomous System. France, the U.K., Israel and the U.S. use the Torch-X system. At Eurosatory this week, Elbit showcased a new electro-optical payload called Copas-L, which was integrated on a UGV at the Roboteam exhibit.
(Source: Defense News)
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