MILITARY VEHICLE NEWS
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Millbrook, based in Bedfordshire, UK, makes a significant contribution to the quality and performance of military vehicles worldwide. Its specialist expertise is focussed in two distinct areas: test programmes to help armed services and their suppliers ensure that their vehicles and systems work as the specification requires; and design and build work to upgrade new or existing vehicles, evaluate vehicle capability and investigate in-service failures. Complementing these is driver and service training and a hospitality business that allows customers to use selected areas of Millbrookâs remarkable facilities for demonstrations and exhibitions.
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www.millbrook.co.uk/military
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08 Sep 09. Future Rapid Effect System (FRES) Specialist Vehicle (SV): Invitation to Tender (ITT). The Defence Contracts Bulletin (26 Aug 09) confirmed that ITT for FRES SV have been sent to BAE Systems Global Combat Systems and to General Dynamics UK. FRES SV is to provide a new fleet of armoured reconnaissance vehicles, replacing the present Scimitar and Spartan. A contract is expected to be agreed with the winning company on 31 Mar 10.
Comment: Both contenders engaged in extensive lobbying/briefing during the DSEI exhibition (8-11 Sep 09). The above initial FRES competition covers up to 589 ‘Reconnaissance Block 1’ vehicles and up to 649 ‘Common Base Platforms’ for other variants. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 10/34, 14 Sep 09)
07 Sep 09. The US Army has called for tenders to compete for the design, development and production of future-generation ground combat vehicles (GCV) as part of the army’s future combat systems (FCS) programme. The army plans to develop several variants of the vehicle, which will be integrated into the army’s brigade combat teams (BCT). The highly survivable, lethal and supportable GCV will replace the army’s recently cancelled manned ground vehicle element of the FCS programme. The new combat vehicles are expected to achieve high interoperability between the crew and the platform while meeting the high standards of supportability, availability, affordability and transportability, with the ability to perform in different operational environments. The US Army’s TACOM (Tank-automotive and Armaments Command) Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) is inviting candidate industries for the production of new GCVs. (Source: army-technology.com)
04 Sep 09. GKN Aerospace exhibited recent developments in transparent armour which offer all conventional ballistic protection levels and add critical protection from side blast impact. Providing protection from the destructive effect of the side blast shock waves, often from improvised roadside bombs, is of real concern in the modern theatre of operations. An armoured vehicle’s damaged windscreens and windows are vulnerable to
being forced from the armour systems by the force of a side blast, leaving the occupants exposed to subsequent ballistic attack. GKN Aerospace’s new transparent armour systems work with the vehicle’s opaque armour, offering protection from pressure impact on the windscreen or on the windows in the armoured door to ensure these remain in place and continue to provide protection to the vehicle occupants. The new windscreen system has high tensile material laminated into its curved perimeter. This prevents the windscreen from being forced into the vehicle or blown outwards by the blast, even when fractured. The window in the armoured door is protected with a steel frame around the curved door glass laminate which ensures that any fractured laminate remains within the armour system to protect from secondary attack. Early production examples of these new systems are now entering service with governments and aid agencies intern