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26 Oct 18. First Australian LAND 400 Phase 2 supplier named. Rheinmetall Defence Australia has announced its first major Australian supplier contract to support the production of 211 Boxer 8×8 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles as part of the $5.2bn contract for the Australian Army.
Melbourne-based specialist vehicles company Supacat Asia-Pacific has signed a partnership agreement with Rheinmetall for the design and manufacture of sub-systems for the Australian fleet of Boxer armoured vehicles. This follows Rheinmetall signing a multibillion-dollar LAND 400 Phase 2 contract with the Commonwealth government in August to deliver the armoured 8×8 cCRVs for the Australian Army, a nation-building project, producing high-tech, highly-skilled jobs and a capability that will protect Australian soldiers in combat.
Rheinmetall Defence Australia managing director Gary Stewart said, “Supacat brings immense experience across a range of areas critical to our program and it’s entirely appropriate they are the first company to formally join our program following contract signature with the Commonwealth.”
Supacat in Australia is an innovative producer of high mobility military vehicles, specialist vehicles and maritime products. The company has an established presence in Australia and partnered with Rheinmetall through the risk mitigation activities conducted as part of the selection process for LAND 400 Phase 2.
The partnership agreement will at least double Supacat’s engineering workforce, with the creation of at least 20 new engineering roles.
Defence Industry Minister Steven Ciobo said the new vehicles represented a significant project that is producing high-tech, highly-skilled jobs, some 1,450 of them across Australia.
“This is the first contract of approximately 40 local suppliers involved in key acquisition and sustainment activities in the Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle project,” Minister Ciobo said.
The Boxer CRV will enable Army to locate, monitor and engage with enemy forces and ensure Australian soldiers are protected in combat. The vehicles will fill seven different roles on the battlefield: reconnaissance, command and control, joint fires, surveillance, ambulance, battlefield repair and recovery.
Defence Minister Christopher Pyne welcomed the announcement, saying, “This is a fantastic story for Australian industry, to be part of producing a world-beating capability for the Australian Army.
“The Boxer will help our troops fight and win on the modern battlefield, with an unprecedented level of protection, firepower and mobility.”
The ADF will introduce several variants of the Boxer, with the reconnaissance variant accounting for 133 of the 211 vehicles, equipped with Rheinmetall’s cutting-edge Lance turret system and armed with a 30mm automatic cannon. The Boxer CRV was selected after rigorous trials conducted by the ADF. The Boxer CRV was chosen in 2016 as one of two candidates for risk mitigation activity trials, where the 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicle performed convincingly in the categories of survivability, mobility, firepower, and command and control. Rheinmetall Defence Australia will deliver 211 Boxer 8×8 CRVs as part of the $5.2bn LAND 400 Phase 2 project. Australia’s Boxer CRVs will be built in Queensland at a specialised Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence in Ipswich. The German company is also presenting the Lynx Infantry Fighting Vehicle to the $10-15bn LAND 400 Phase 3 project, which will see the recapitalisation of the Vietnam-era M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier force with an IFV and APC. (Source: Defence Connect)
25 Oct 18. Allison Broadens Onboard Electrical Power Development for Army. The OBVP system is intended for a heavier class of military vehicle – the 44-ton Oshkosh Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) equipped with Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile launchers. OBVP will improve agility and reduce logistics costs
Allison Transmission, the world’s largest manufacturer of commercial-duty automatic transmissions and a leader in hybrid propulsion systems, has expanded its partnership with Leonardo DRS to develop On-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP) systems for military vehicles.
The latest collaboration involves a heavier class of military vehicles – the 44-ton Oshkosh Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) equipped with Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-ballistic missile launchers.
A generator will be fully integrated within the housing of an Allison 4500 Specialty Series™ transmission and installed into the HEMTT’s driveline in its original configuration, without affecting vehicle functionality. In fact, the OBVP will improve agility and reduce logistics costs because the vehicle will no longer have to be equipped with a separate generator. In addition, the OBVP is intended to improve mean time between mission failures.
Allison expects to complete the first 4500SP Series with OBVP capability in 2020. When matched with Leonardo DRS power electronics, the system has the capability to produce electrical power for use on- or off-board the vehicle – up to 120 kW when the vehicle is stationary. More significantly, unlike towed generators, the system will be able to provide power – up to 55 kW – while the vehicle is on the move.
“An OBVP system will give THAAD air defense operators continuous access to electrical power directly from the transmission without interruption. This capability will enhance soldier effectiveness and unit readiness,” said Ken Adgie, director of North America and U.S. government defense business at Allison.
The OBVP system is compatible with the Department of Defense’s objective of evolving from conducting operations from forward positioned bases, common in Iraq and Afghanistan, to an expeditionary mindset where units rapidly deploy to austere environments and are immediately prepared to begin operations.
The need for onboard electric power has grown as military vehicles are equipped with more sophisticated electronics including computers, air defense radar and directed energy weaponry.
“The electrical loads on vehicles have increased dramatically. It’s getting more and more difficult to produce that level of power with an engine-driven generator/alternator. Allison is proud to be partnered with Leonardo DRS in the development of OBVP technology that will result in innovative and adaptive propulsion solutions that provide capabilities not available today,” said Dana Pittard, Major General (Ret.) and vice president for defense programs at Allison.
Vehicles using OBVP technology consumed 23 percent less fuel than those using a Quiet Tactical Generator, according to a 2016 study by the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC).
Allison and Leonardo DRS are exploring OBVP uses throughout the full range of wheeled and tracked vehicles. In recent years, the companies have been collaborating on an OBVP system based on the Allison 3200SP™ transmission for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), which travel in support of the larger, heavy-class THAAD launcher vehicles.
The OBVP systems being demonstrated by Leonardo DRS and Allison also have potential uses off the battlefield. State and local emergency response agencies could use such systems during natural disasters to power emergency shelters, for example. When daisy chained, such systems could power hospitals, senior citizen homes, water purification plants or other vital infrastructure.
Allison Transmission is celebrating 100 years of support to the U.S. Army. Allison provided aircraft engines during World War I and WW II. In the late-1940s, Allison developed automatic transmissions for tanks and other tracked vehicles, and later provided transmissions tailored for wheeled military vehicles. Today, Allison continues to reliably move equipment and soldiers with more than 100 fully automatic applications for tracked and wheeled military vehicles. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
25 Oct 18. Textron buys ground robot manufacturer Howe & Howe. Textron Systems has announced its intention to purchase Maine-based Howe & Howe Technologies, a developer of robotic land vehicles, in a move Textron says will position the company to be a “global leader” in autonomous systems.
The purchase, which does not have an announced price tag, is expected to close in mid-December. It comes as industry around the world eyes the potential military unmanned ground vehicles market as an area for future growth.
Howe produces a number of systems in use by the U.S. government, including the small Ripsaw Super Tank and the RS2-H1 SMET, which was down-selected to compete to be the U.S. Army’s platoon load-carrying robot. The company also produces a pair of firefighting unmanned systems, the Thermite and Bulldog.
While having some experience in the ground-based unmanned sector, Textron Systems has largely focused on UAVs. Hence, adding Howe’s ground systems expertise to its portfolio makes economic sense, said Textron Systems head Lisa Atherton in a company statement. She called Howe the “original disruptors in the advanced robotic vehicle space.”
“Textron Systems is now positioned to be a global provider of unmanned capabilities across all three domains. We are clear on the U.S. military’s vision and their future technology needs for autonomy, robotics and unmanned systems,” she added. “Bringing together Textron Systems’ and Howe & Howe’s talent, capabilities and proven products will join two of the best, and we are excited at the idea of advancing the industry even further as one team.”
Michael Howe, president of Howe & Howe Technologies, added that “the deep experience and forward thinking of Textron Systems, coupled with the innovation and sheer competitiveness of Howe & Howe, will make for a formidable combination. We expect that the whole will be immeasurably greater than the sum of our parts and will be positioned to forge the 21st century world leader in ground robotics and mobility.”
The Pentagon set aside $429m for unmanned ground systems in fiscal 2019, doubling in just two years from $212m in FY17 and $310m in FY18. And while explosive ordnance disposal systems still represent the biggest spending from the Army in this arena, it will likely be overtaken by programs such as the Army Common Robotic Systems and Robotic Ground System Advanced Technology Development. (Source: Defense News)
23 Oct 18. BAE Announces GBP3.5m Electric Propulsion Development. BAE Systems has today announced a £3.5m commitment to develop greener and safer rechargeable electric propulsion systems. The investment will fund the development of a new test and integration laboratory at the company’s Broad Oak site in Portsmouth, UK. The research builds on the advances seen in electric cars and could signal a new generation of propulsion systems for a broad range of defence applications.
“Our aim is to develop the next generation electric propulsion system which will be cleaner, greener, safer, more powerful, longer lasting, rechargeable and, in some cases, even able to operate underwater,” said BAE Systems Project Manager Clare Gribby.
“We’ve already invested around £1m in concept and design work and will be moving towards the build and integration phase of a demonstrator in early 2019.
“The demonstrator is due to be up and running by September 2020.”
BAE Systems is already working closely with a number of small, highly specialised companies in the UK and Europe to develop the project.
It is also drawing on the expertise of BAE Systems colleagues in Rochester, UK, who produce electric drive systems for hybrid buses in a number of major metropolitan cities around the world, including London, Paris and Hong Kong. (Source: ASD Network)
24 Oct 18. Milkor develops new 4×4 protected vehicle. South Africa’s Milkor has developed a new protected vehicle, the Milkor 4×4, using internal research and development funding. Development began in 2017 and the first prototype was rolled out in August 2018. The vehicle is now undergoing company trials before the design is finalised, including a series of ballistic tests to provide its hull design. To reduce through-life-cycle costs, the Milkor 4×4 is based on an Italian Iveco Trakker chassis. It is fitted with an all-welded steel body, with the protected engine compartment at the front and the crew compartment extended to the rear.
The Milkor hull is all-welded steel armour and conforms to level B7 small-arms ballistic protection. The lower half is a traditional V-shape to provide protection against mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). According to the company, the hull was designed to withstand a 7 kg anti-tank mine (ATM) exploding under it, and a double ATM of an unspecified type exploding under a wheel.
A typical crew includes the commander, driver, and eight dismounts that are seated in a rear troop compartment: four on either side facing inwards on blast-attenuating seats. The crew can rapidly enter or leave via a large power-operated ramp in the rear with integrated steps. The vehicle features bullet-/splinter-proof windows and four roof hatches that can be locked in the vertical position to provide protection for troops firing weapons. The front protected power pack consists of an Iveco diesel generating 179kW, coupled to an Allison 3000 series automatic transmission with one reverse and five forward gears. This gives a maximum road speed of 110km/h and a maximum range of 1,000km.
Steering is power assisted on the front wheels. The first example vehicle is not fitted with a central tyre inflation system, but this will be a future option. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 Oct 18. Rheinmetall Mission Master dominates European ground robotic systems competition at ELROB 2018. At the end of September, and for the first time, Rheinmetall took part in ELROB with its unmanned multi-mission “Mission Master” vehicle. At Europe’s largest exhibition for military ground robotics, Rheinmetall’s Mission Master team entered the fray, taking on a number of competing teams. Made by Rheinmetall Canada, the cargo version of this versatile vehicle turned in a particularly compelling performance in the “Mule” category.
In all, six teams took part in this competition category. Mules are essentially automated pack animals – autonomous transport vehicles capable of carrying heavy loads and equipment. They had to handle two scenarios. The teams each had thirty minutes to cover a 1,400 m-long route with their mule. During the first run, Rheinmetall impressed the crowd with an impressive performance. Then, following the second, came the gratifying result; despite competing for the first time, the Rheinmetall Mission Master clearly dominated the contest, scoring 3,151 points, twice as many as the robotic vehicle that took second place (1,547 points), and way ahead of the one that came in third (167 points).
The Mission Master: modular, adaptable, flexible – a combat effectiveness multiplier for soldier systems
The cargo version of the Mission Master was exhibited to a large group of defence specialists for the first time at Eurosatory 2018. Rheinmetall developed this variant to reduce the combat load carried by troops in the field, contributing to faster movement and greater operational efficiency. Rheinmetall’s new robotic vehicle can operate in hazardous, difficult-to-reach terrain, in turn contributing to the survivability and protection of troops deployed in harm’s way.
Moreover, the Mission Master can be networked with advanced soldier systems such as Future Soldier – Expanded System, Gladius 2.0 or Argus. In Rheinmetall’s “System Infanterie”, the Mission Master serves as a force multiplier for infantry sections or squads equipped with Rheinmetall’s Future Soldier – Expanded System technology. Fully networked with dismounted combat troops, it not only takes a weight not only off the soldiers’ shoulders, it also relieves the pressure on military leaders.
Characterized by extreme flexibility, the Rheinmetall Mission Master can be quickly configured for a multitude of different missions thanks to modular, easy-to-install build-ons. Its mission capabilities include logistics, surveillance, force protection, evacuation of wounded personnel, firefighting and CBRN reconnaissance. It can also serve as a radio relay station. Speed, scalable autonomy and proven mobility in all types of terrain make the Mission Master a strong and dependable comrade for small combat units.
18 Oct 18. Slovak MOD Will Propose the Cabinet Approve the Procurement of Vydra 8×8 IFVs, Up to 16 SVK Companies Could Become Involved In Production. The MOD will propose the Cabinet approve the procurement of the Vydra (‘Otter’) 8×8 armoured IFV. Up to 16 SVK firms could become involved in the production of the IFV. Next week the MOD will initiate interdepartmental consultations on the proposal. As the MOD has stated before, the document will be Unclassified. In addition to technical company trials, verification trials and military trials, the IFV prototype has successfully undergone additional verification and military trails in order to test the proposed adjustments to the vehicle. Speaking at a press conference at the MOD today, Minister of Defence Peter Gajdoš said: “The vehicle is the result of international Slovak-Finnish development and most of it will be produced in Slovakia. The price of a single vehicle in the serial production, including all components, will not exceed €3.33m, VAT excluded, in other words, the vehicle will cost up to €4m, VAT included.
“According to analysis, up to 16 Slovak and 1 Czech defence companies can participate in its production. Thanks to this historically largest modernization, and I count the production of the Zuzana 2 SpGH in, up to 800 jobs may be created.”
Head of the MOD emphasised that the support of the SNS-led MOD for the SVK defence industry’s involvement in the programme is substantial. “We will create jobs for our citizens at home. I think there is not a single country that would prefer a foreign product to its own. Otherwise, in the event of crisis or war we would never be able to ensure deliveries of spare parts and maintenance support to the Armed Forces,” he explained.
As General Secretary of the MODʼs Service Office Ján Hoľko added, SVK defence companies will be selected for serial production of the vehicle in compliance with the Public Procurement Act. “Besides this, the project creates prerequisites for wider benefits to SVK economy, ranging from sustaining the key capabilities of the Slovak defence industry, creating jobs, generating tax revenues for the state budget, through to paying dividends and insurance premiums. Over the duration of the 7-year contract this could reach over 42m euros,” he said.
The MOD plans to procure up to 81 Vydra vehicles, whereas the overall price will not exceed €417m, VAT included. This includes logistical support (€17m), munitions (€65m), infrastructure (€5 m), and the purchase of the prototype (€5.8m).
The reason why the designation of the vehicle is ‘Otter’ is that, just like the animal, it has a swimming capability and is very dynamic, fast, agile, resistant and easily manoeuvrable in spite of its size. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/Slovakia Ministry of Defense)
22 Oct 18. Latvia receives first Polaris military tactical vehicles from US. Latvia has received the first 18 ‘Sportsman Big Boss’ and MRZR-2 military tactical vehicles manufactured by US company Polaris Government & Defense. The vehicles are intended for use by the Latvian Armed Forces and have been procured under the US government’s foreign military sales programme.
Latvia Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis said: “We are delighted that Polaris vehicles are being delivered and will significantly boost the tactical mobility of Latvian Armed Forces, including the National Guard. This vehicle supply deal is yet another successful cooperation initiative between Latvia and the US.”
The Latvia National Armed Forces expects to receive a further 44 Polaris-manufactured military tactical vehicles by the end of this year under the US government’s foreign military financing programme.
Furthermore, additional Polaris vehicles are planned to be delivered in 2020 as part of a fully funded US government programme.
In total, Latvia is set to procure 130 Polaris vehicles, including ‘Sportsman Big Boss’, MRZR-2, MRZR-4, and MV850. The consignment is estimated to be around €6.8m, which will include 15% met by Latvia from its budget.
The vehicles have been deployed during missions carried out by Nato forces in Afghanistan. Under the framework of intergovernmental agreements with the US, Latvia will also receive vehicle parts, engineering support and training. Over the past 20 years, Latvia has been receiving assistance from the US through various military support programmes. So far, the country’s armed forces received equipment necessary for upgrading their capabilities, including communication systems, night vision equipment, and vehicles. (Source: army-technology.com)
20 Oct 18. The US Army will test new software for its vehicles’ computers. The US Army is bringing two software products into the testing environment as the service changes its approach to its new vehicle-based common mission command system, the service’s program manager said.
The Mounted Computing Environment will serve as one component of the Army’s eventual common operating environment, which envisions a suite of tools that provide commanders and soldiers the same look and feel from the command post to the tactical edge. The Mounted Computing Environment will be featured on ground combat platforms. The two software products, which operate on Mounted Family of Computer Systems (MFoCS) hardware, include Frontline v2.0 — the core software that has a common look and with Command Post Computing Environment software — and the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) solution, which has a common look and feel with Nett Warrior. The Army will test these software products at the upcoming Network Integration Evaluation at Fort Bliss in October and November. These customer tests will inform the design for Mounted Computing Environment going forward, Col. Troy Crosby, project manager for Mission Command at Program Executive Office Command, Control Communications-Tactical, told C4SIRNET in an interview at the AUSA annual meeting.
Following NIE, Crosby said the manufacturers should have the broad technical data from the instrumentation as well as useful soldier feedback to continue to mature the design.
Crosby added Army leaders and representatives from industry are looking for a conditions limitations report coming from Army Test and Evaluation Command and coupled with the feedback, the two can make the necessary adjustments to the development effort. A best case scenario fort he Mounted Computing Environment from NIE, Crosby said, would be getting a dedicated Forces Command unit to equip an entire brigade with and work with them to mature the design.
To date, the experimentation with Mounted Computing Environment has been developmental testing as the program office has not had a dedicated unit from Forces Command to conduct the demonstrations with. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
19 Oct 18. RG31 gets TRT-30 weapon system. South Africa’s Denel Vehicle Systems has developed, using internal research and development funding, a new version of its RG31 Mk5 4×4 mine protected vehicle as a mobile gun platform called the Ibululu. The baseline RG31 is typically used as an armoured personnel carrier (APC) with the troop compartment extending to the rear. On the rear of the Ibululu, however, is the Denel Vehicle Systems Tactical Remote Turret 30 (TRT-30), which in this configuration is armed with the Russian 30 mm 2A42 dual-feed cannon and a 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun (MG). These weapons are laid onto the target by the gunner seated in the protected cab using a flat-screen man machine interface (MMI) and twin control handles. TRT-30 traverse is powered through a full 360°, with weapon elevation from -15 to +55 degrees at a speed of 55° per second. The actual depression can depend on the platform it is fitted to, as this may be limited by hull top obstructions. If required, prohibited zones can be programmed into the system so that any obstructions, for example on the roof of the platform, can be avoided. An automatic target tracker (ATT) is fitted for increased accuracy while the platform is moving. The sighting system consists of a stabilised day camera with a continuous zoom from 2.5 to 22.5°, a thermal camera with similar capabilities, and an eye-safe laser rangefinder. The latter has a maximum range of 10km (6mi). Denel Vehicle Systems said the Ibululu platform has a gross-vehicle weight (GVW) of 14,500kg (16 tons), of which 2,000kg is payload. Its front-mounted protected power pack is a Cummins QSB diesel developing 205kW, coupled to an Allison 3000 SP fully automatic five-speed transmission and Axle Tech BT600R transfer box. Maximum road speed is quoted as 100km/h (62 mph) and the Axle Tech 4000 (5G) suspension enables cross-country mobility. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
18 Oct 18. Latest-generation Pandur Evo moves into production for Austrian Army. General Dynamics European Land Systems – Steyr (GDELS – Steyr) is now in full scale production of its latest-generation Pandur 6×6 armoured personnel carrier (APC) for the Austrian Army. Late in 2016 the Austrian Army placed a new contract for the Pandur that covers 34 units to a newbuild standard, with production undertaken at the firm’s Vienna facility under “a very demanding delivery schedule”, the company said. Five vehicles are to be delivered in 2018, 21 in 2019, and the final 8 in 2020. Key Austrian Army requirements include a high level of mine and ballistic protection, an electronic architecture (EA), and a roll-on/roll-off capability from a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport aircraft. The vehicle is officially called Pandur Evo.
The new hull design is of all welded steel armour. Protection levels are classified but it has been tested against small-arms fire, mines, and improvised explosive devices (IED). Additional survivability features include an applique passive armour package, decoupled floor, blast attenuating seats, and a fire/explosion detection suppression system.
The overall layout is similar to earlier vehicles with the driver front left, diesel power pack to the right, and a troop compartment extending to the rear. The latter is slightly raised to provide increased headroom and more internal volume, with stowage racks mounted on the roof to the immediate rear of the roof hatches. The crew consists of a commander, gunner, and driver; eight dismounts can sit in the rear (five on the left and three on the right) facing inwards. Troops can rapidly egress via a hydraulically operated ramp in the rear. The new power pack consists of an 8.9 litre diesel developing 455hp, coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission, two stage transfer box selectable on the move with 100% lockable differentials. This gives a maximum speed of 105km/h, operating range up to 650km, and a power-to-weight ratio of around 25hp/tonne. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
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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 Millbrook’s remarkable facilities for demonstrations and exhibitions.
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