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05 Nov 12. The U.S. Army released a draft request for proposals for its Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) program on Nov. 1, in anticipation of a final RfP scheduled to hit the streets during the second quarter of fiscal 2013. The partial document states that the service wants prospective bidders to submit a proposal that looks out across 10 years of development and production, “which includes three years of Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD), three option years of Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) requirements, and four option years of Full Rate Production (FRP) requirements,” according to the draft.
The draft also reaffirms that the Army is looking to buy five variants of the M113 armored personnel carrier replacement: mission command, medical treatment vehicle, medical evacuation vehicle, general purpose, and mortar carrier vehicle, each of which should have an average unit manufacturing cost no greater than $1.8m, in fiscal 2012 budget dollars.
During the AUSA convention in Washington on Oct. 23, Col. Bill Sheehey, program manager, Heavy Brigade Combat Team, said that the Defense Acquisition Board will meet in January to determine the way forward for the AMPV program, and service officials were scheduled to brief the Pentagon’s top acquisition executive, Frank Kendall, on the program’s analysis of alternatives by the end of October. Previous Army documents have called for up to 3,800 AMPVs to be purchased, and BAE Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems are both hotly pursuing the work with BAE offering a variant of its Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, and GD offering a variant of its eight-wheel Stryker, as well as its newly unveiled tracked Stryker. The Army has repeatedly stressed that it has no interest in developing a new vehicle, and expects industry to come ready to submit mature designs that meet the requirements set forth. (Source: Defense News)

02 Nov 12. Is Indonesia Buying Leopard 2 MBT From Germany? The Indonesian government is saying that it is buying Leopard 2 main battle tanks, Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and support tanks from Germany. It expects the first shipment before the end of this year. “All the political and administrative processes are complete, we are in the production phase,” Deputy Defense Secretary Sjafrie Sjamsuddin told dpa news agency in Jakarta on Oct. 30. (Source: Defense News)

07 Nov 12. International Armoured Vehicles, the largest show dedicated solely to the armoured vehicles community, will be returning to Farnborough FIVE from 5-8 February 2013, with a new Dynamic Vehicle Experience at the Long Valley Test Track. Long Valley Test Track features different terrains and obstacles for an enhanced live experience. Open for test track exhibitors and their guests, the dynamic vehicle experience is designed for vehicle manufacturers to showcase their products to their clients in an “immersion” setting, with each track running a duration of anywhere from 15-30 minutes at a time. With this new installation, the 2013 International Armoured Vehicles show marks a clear evolution in Defence IQ’s flagship armoured vehicle event. The event is traditionally comprised of a large scale conference of 600+ attendees, combined with a focussed exhibition hall, which annually welcomes 2,100+ visitors from 47 countries. Running for its 12th time in 2013, International Armoured Vehicles once again offers a high-level and technical programme during the conference, with topics focussing on Survivability, Innovative Armour, Simulation, Maintenance and Industry Requirements. Last year’s G6 Industry Panel sees a return for 2013, with new panellists General Dynamics, Iveco, Lockheed Martin, Nexter, Renault and Textron, as well as the addition of the International Industry Leaders Panel (IILP). Much