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10 Nov 17. New LAND 400 package for Marand. BAE Systems Australia today announced that it had awarded an additional package of LAND 400 work worth over $15M to Marand that will contribute to creating 60 new manufacturing jobs in regional Victoria.
BAE Systems has selected Marand to manufacture the AMV35’s turret shell. Uniquely, this work package is common to both Phase 2 and Phase 3 and would provide for further job increases if BAE Systems’ LAND 400 bid is successful. Previously, BAE Systems announced that Marand would manufacture the AMV35 vehicle hull.
Today, as part of Marand’s announcement of continued efforts to increase its footprint in Geelong, BAE Systems took the AMV35 to the historic Ford factory to showcase the vehicle to around 40 Marand staff, keen to get a closer look at the combat proven vehicle.
BAE Systems Australia and Patria have offered the AMV35 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle as part of their bid for LAND 400 Phase 2 – to replace the aging ASLAV fleet. With proven combat experience, the AMV35 is highly capable, survivable, and delivers value for money to its many users.
LAND 400 is the Australian Army’s largest ever vehicle replacement program.
Marand is one of Victoria’s biggest defence manufacturers and employs over 250 people.
BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive Glynn Phillips said: “Marand has proved it has a skilled and experienced workforce ready to work with us to deliver a high quality product for the Australian Army.
“Working with partners like Marand will help us develop and maintain Australian Industry Capability on major projects like Land 400.
“This opportunity will provide long-term employment with up to 60 direct jobs at Marand. I expect a number of those will be former automotive employees.” (Source: ASD Network)
09 Nov 17. Thai firm Chaiseri aims to expand regional presence with updated MPV. Thai firm Chaiseri has unveiled the latest version of its 4×4 First Win multipurpose vehicle (MPV) with an eye on expanding sales in both domestic and export markets, a company official told Jane’s at the Defence & Security 2017 show in Bangkok. Kan Koolhiran, the general manager of Chaiseri – one of Thailand’s biggest private-sector defence companies – said on 8 November that updates to the First Win 2 include greater armour protection and fully digitised mission systems. The vehicle, the original version of which was developed in 2007 and delivered to the Royal Thai Army (RTA) in 2010, has already secured a contract from the Thai military’s Internal Security Operations Command with an order earlier this year and deliveries scheduled to commence later this month. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
08 Nov 17. Bidders for RTD failed to consider growth opportunities, says company exec. The two bidders in a tender for Renault Trucks Defense took a static view, leading to valuations seen as so low that Swedish truck-maker Volvo took the French company off the market, said RTD chairman Emmanuel Levacher.
Rather than viewing a “dynamic film,” the rival bidders had snapped a “static” photograph, an approach that failed to factor in RTD’s growth potential through new programs, projects and export prospects, Levacher said. The resulting gap between the offers and Volvo’s valuation was “irreconcilable,” he added.
Volvo canceled the competition for the Volvo Group Governmental Sales division, as the Swedish company does not lack cash and is not a “forced seller,” he said.
RTD is the key unit in VGGS, for which a competition was canceled last month.
CMI of Belgium and KNDS, a joint venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Nexter, had submitted bids of about €400m (U.S. $463m), while Volvo and its bank adviser Rothschild had expected €500m to €700m
In that tender, the French Armed Forces Ministry made it clear that non-European bids were unwelc