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28 Apr 17. General Dynamics European Land Systems demonstrates the PIRANHA 8X8 Wheeled Armoured Vehicle to the Bulgarian Army. The PIRANHA INFANTRY Fighting Vehicle (IFV)was officially presented on April 27th
at the Military polygon Tylbeto near the city of Kazanlak in Bulgaria.
The Military Unit Tylbeto in Kazanlak hosted the vehicle demonstration event, with a broad military audience, state officials and authorities
and local industry in attendance. Together with its partners, General Dynamics Mission Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, General Dynamics European Land Systems successfully conducted the three-day
vehicle demonstration and live firing even twith a PIRANHA IFV
equipped with a 30mm NATO compliant remote controlled weapon station, an
anti-tank guided missile system and a fully integrated communication information system. The vehicle is a candidate for the Bulgarian Army’s Battalion Battle Group acquisition project.
27 Apr 17. Saudi naval special forces seen using ACMAT PATSAS vehicle. Photographs released on 26 April showed that Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) special forces are now using the ACMAT Bastion PASTAS 4×4 armoured vehicle. Photographs released by both the Jordan Armed Forces (JAF) and the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) showed Saudi soldiers and one Jordanian in a PASTAS during the ‘Abdullah 5’ joint exercise. The vehicle was not seen in the Saudi TV news coverage of the Jordanians arriving on a C-130 on 16 April, although it could have been carried by the transport aircraft. The exercise was held in Al-Jubayl, the home of the Saudi Eastern Fleet, and involved the RSNF’s Maritime Security Group and Jordanian special forces. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
27 Apr 17. NSPA issues RFP for Portuguese 4×4 protected vehicles. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the acquisition of 167 4×4 light tactical armoured vehicles for Portugal on 24 April, the Portuguese Army told Jane’s on 26 April.
The RFP will be open for consultation until 4 August, the service added. The agency is conducting the procurement activity according to a sales agreement signed with Portugal.
The effort, known as the Viatura Tática Ligeira Blindada (VTLB) project, is part of the country’s 2015-2026 Military Programming Law and will see the acquisition of 106 baseline vehicles, 29 anti-tank guided missile carriers armed with MILAN or TOW 2 missiles, 13 ambulances, 7 command vehicles, and 12 special operations-configured vehicles for a maximum of EUR60.8m (USD66.26m), as well as associated equipment and services. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
26 Apr 17. The French procurement office awarded contracts to Nexter, Renault Trucks Defense and Thales on April 21 to build a first batch of 319 Griffon troop transport and 20 Jaguar combat vehicles. The award follows the development of the Jaguar and Griffon vehicles ordered in December 2014. The Direction Générale de l’Armement spokesman declined to give a value for the contracts, which included logistical support and training. The aim is for first delivery of the Griffon to come in 2018 and of the Jaguar in 2020, the DGA said. The Griffon is a six-wheel drive multi-role armored vehicle (known locally as véhicule blindé multirole), and the Jaguar is a six-wheel drive armored reconnaissance and combat vehicle (known here as engin blindé de reconnaissance et de combat). The launch order for the Griffon and Jaguar confirmed vehicle production just a couple of days before voters on April 23 cast their first-round ballots in the presidential election, with the second and decisive round on May 7. An order for a second batch will depend on the next administration and whether the future defense budget will fund a higher production sought by industry and the French Army.
“A crucial st