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29 Nov 18. Pakistan’s HIT unveils Viper IFV. Pakistani armour manufacturer Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) unveiled its latest infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), the Viper, at the IDEAS 2018 international defence exhibition, held in Karachi, Pakistan, between 27-30 November. The Viper is based on a lengthened chassis derived from the M113 tracked armoured personnel carrier (APC) and has six road wheels on each side compared to the M113’s five. Unlike the M113, the IFV is additionally protected by appliqué armour.
“The Viper weighs some 16 tonnes and is protected in accordance with Level IV STANAG 4569 [all-round protection against 14.5 mm armour-piercing bullets fired at a distance of 200 m],” a source from HTI told Jane’s at IDEAS 2018.
The Viper has retained the internal layout of the M113 APC, with the powerpack mounted in the front right part of the hull. The vehicle transports up to 13 soldiers (including a crew of three) in anti-blast seats without neck protection. However, the hull lacks a spall liner or any additional anti-fragmentation protection for the crew and dismounts. The vehicle’s troop compartment is fitted with an exit ramp.
The prototype of the Viper has been fitted with a modified Turra 30 remotely controlled weapon station (RCWS) armed with a Slovak-made Shipunov 2A42 30mm automatic cannon, Kalashnikov PKT 7.62 mm medium machine gun (MG), two ready-to-use 9M113 Konkurs (AT-6 ‘Spandrel’) anti-tank guided missiles and smoke dischargers. The Konkurs missiles and Kalashnikov MG, the source noted, were supplied by East European NATO member states. The RCWS’s sensor suite incorporates a daylight TV camera, infrared sight, and laser rangefinder. The commander’s workstation can additionally be fitted with a panoramic sight. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
28 Nov 18. Canada’s Armed Forces take delivery of first Marshall loadbeds.
- Supplying four variants of loadbeds for over 800 trucks
- Supplying ancillary equipment including snow chain locker boxes for the whole fleet of 1500 vehicles
Canada’s Armed Forces have taken delivery of the first Mack Defense Kerax trucks for the Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) Standard Military Pattern (SMP) Program, these are fitted with loadbeds designed and produced by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group.
Marshall, which has been established in Canada since 1999, has designed four variants of loadbeds to be fitted to more than 800 of the 1500 vehicles on order from Mack Defense. These include the cargo, cargo and crane, gun towing and repair truck variants.
Marshall is also providing ancillary equipment including snow chain locker boxes for the whole fleet, which includes over 700 Load Handling Systems (LHS) vehicles.
“In support of Canada’s defence policy, Strong Secure, Engaged, Mack Defense along with Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group and all our other key suppliers are proud to deliver the MSVS SMP trucks to the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces. Logistics vehicles like these trucks are used to move critical equipment, personnel and supplies and form the backbone of ground transportation capability of the Canadian Forces fulfilling a critical capability need at an important time for our customer,” said David Hartzell Sr, President, Mack Defense LLC.
“Marshall’s has professionally managed the production of the load beds and ancillary equipment which has supported Mack Defense ability to deliver the vehicles to the Canadian Armed Forces,” added Mr Hartzell.
The Volvo Group, which includes Mack Defense and Arquus, formerly Renault Trucks Defense, was awarded, in 2015, a contract on behalf of the Department of National Defense, to deliver more than 1500 8×8 trucks for the Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) Standard Military Pattern (SMP) Program. In 2016 Mack Defense selected Marshall to provide the loadbeds and ancillary equipment.
“Our proven capability in designing vehicle components for defence forces across the globe, our project management abilities and our supply chain management skills, including Marshall Aerospace Canada Inc selecting leading Canadian companies to support us, were integral parts of achieving success in winning and delivering on this contract,” said Alistair McPhee, Chief Executive of Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group.
“Production of the loadbeds, which is being done with our partners in Canada, has increased and is sustaining jobs in Canada,” added Mr McPhee.
Trials of the loadbeds, to prove their integrity, were completed during 2017 and passed the assessment, fully meeting the requirements. Production of the loadbeds and ancillary equipment started in late 2017 and final delivery will be during 2020.
The Mack Defense Kerax 8×8 is a rigid logistic or tactical truck available with or without an armoured cab and self-defence weapon system. The twin steer front axles provide a tight turning radius and high performance with superior ride quality.
28 Nov 18. Russian armed forces receive IMR-3M vehicles. Engineering units of the Russian armed forces have received 13 new IMR-3M mine-clearance vehicles as part of a contract signed in 2016. The IMR-3M, based on the T-90A tank, is equipped with a KMT-R3 track width mine plough with an EMT electromagnetic detachable device for trawling mines with rod-type and non-contact magnetic fuses. The vehicle is capable of lifting loads of up to 2t. The vehicle is armed with the 12.7mm remote-controlled machine-gun mount. It can fire at ground, low-speed air targets, as well as explosive objects lying on the ground. The IMR-3M can be deployed in moderately rugged terrain and snow. It can remove minefields or perform work in contaminated areas. The vehicle is also equipped with radiation, chemical reconnaissance and contamination control and has a high level of protection against radiation and toxic substances. (Source: Shephard)
28 Nov 18. Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) company, announced today that the U.S. Army has placed a $1.69bn order for 6,107 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) and associated installed and packaged kits. Today’s delivery order marks the tenth order under the contract that was awarded to Oshkosh in August 2015.
“The JLTV is engineered with industry leading suspension and protection systems, as well as the ability to support a spectrum of mission kits and weapon systems required for the modern battlefield,” said George Mansfield, Vice President and General Manager of Joint Programs at Oshkosh Defense. “This vehicle represents a technological leap forward that provides enhanced protection and extreme mobility both off-road and in dense urban terrain.”
To date, Oshkosh has delivered more than 2,600 vehicles. Oshkosh expects a Full Rate Production (FRP) decision in December 2018, followed by first Army unit equipped in early 2019.
“The JLTV also features a VICTORY compliant modular, scalable, open architecture system to support rapidly evolving C4ISR suites,” Mansfield continued. “This provides our Soldiers and Marines a vehicle that is capable of serving as a mobile command center. Today, other vehicles with this level of C4ISR capability are much larger, with little mobility.”
The JLTV fills a critical capability gap for the U.S. Army and Marine Corps by replacing a large portion of the legacy uparmored HMMWV fleet with a modern light protected vehicle.
26 Nov 18. Rheinmetall AG Confirms Talks Regarding A Potential Acquisition of A Stake In KNDS. Rheinmetall AG confirms talks with Wegmann Unternehmens-Holding GmbH & Co. KG regarding the possible acquisition of Wegmann Unternehmens-Holding GmbH & Co. KG’s stake in KMW + Nexter Defense Systems N.V. (“KNDS”), and therefore an indirect acquisition of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG (“KMW”), or other forms of cooperation with KNDS and/or KMW.
The Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG will analyze and review the possibility to successfully complete such transaction both from a legal and economic point of view; the possibility of such transaction depends on a variety of, inter alia, political, economic and regulatory factors.
Depending on the outcome of such analysis, the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG will decide about further actions.
Rheinmetall Aktiengesellschaft
The Management Board
(Source: defense-aerospace.com/Rheinmetall AG)
BATTLESPACE Comment: This is an interesting move and would certainly streamline Germany’s armoured vehicle business and Europe’s in particular at a time of perceived policy differences between Rheinmetall and KMW over the UK’s MIV Programme in particular. This will also streamline the proposed new European MBT being agreed between France and Germany as Leopard will now come solely under Rheinmetall. The takeover will make Rheinmetall one of the most powerful armoured vehicle manufacturers in the world with a product range stretching from armoured 4×4 to MBTs. However, this move puts Rheinmetall as the most powerful partner in the KMW + Nexter Defense Systems N.V. alliance and could cause further moves in this area. Will the alliance now re-look at acquiring Arquus, which would balance the company and boost the French element?
26 Nov 18. Details emerge for three Altay MBT variants. Officials from Turkey’s Presidency of Defence Industries (SSB) have revealed details of the three variants to be produced for the Altay main battle tanks (MBTs) programme by local company BMC. The total contract, which was announced as signed on 9 November, is for 251 units of the Altay MBT in three variants and includes lifecycle logistics support. Of this number, 40 will be the T1 variant, which is similar to the four prototype models that have completed testing, and is scheduled to be in service with the Turkish armed forces in 2021. The next 210 vehicles will be of the Altay T2 standard, featuring increased protection and improved situational awareness systems. The T2 variant is expected to begin deliveries shortly after the tranche of T1 standard tanks have been handed over.
A single T3 variant is to be built and will feature an unmanned turret with a bustle-mounted autoloader. This T3 variant, scheduled for qualification in 2024, is understood to be intended for further trials and technical evaluation rather than for service with the Turkish Armed Forces.
Turkey is also planning to procure 60 armoured recovery and 50 mine clearance variants of the Altay, which will be based on the T1 variant’s chassis.
SSB officials said all development phase testing for the Altay has been completed using the prototype vehicles. For the mass production phase, additional trials will examine vehicle durability, firepower, and survivability. This testing phase is scheduled to run approximately six months.
German companies MTU and Renk remain the preferred powerpack providers for the Altay, with the same powerpack used as on the four prototype models. However, Turkey eventually plans to create domestic engines for its armoured vehicles, and has signed a development contract with BMC as an initial step in this direction. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
26 Nov 18. Indonesian Army’s Tiger medium tank programme moves ahead. An international consortium consisting of Indonesia’s PT Pindad, Turkey’s FNSS Savunma Sistemleri, and Belgian CMI Defence has developed the Tiger (or Harimau) medium tank (MT) for Indonesian Army. So far, two examples of Tiger MT have been built; Prototype 1 (P1) in Turkey and Prototype 2 (P2) in Indonesia. Both have been put through extensive firing and mobility trials in their respective countries. In the past this vehicle has also been referred to as the Kaplan Modern Medium Weight Tank (MMWT), but Indonesia refers to it as the Tiger MT.
A complete hull and a full-scale mine prototype have also been built for ballistic and mine trials, which were completed in Indonesia. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
26 Nov 18. Gamma chooses Allison Automatics for multi-role military vehicles. Demanding superior manoeuvrability in any environment, Gamma Technical Corporation recently demonstrated the capabilities of its Komondor light armoured vehicles equipped with Allison fully automatic transmissions. Test drives at the Allison Customer Experience Center and Drive Track in Szentgotthárd proved the Komondor family of vehicles is now ready for international sales, in multiple roles from defence to security to disaster management. Officials from Hungary’s Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior Affairs and from civilian security organisations were invited to drive the Komondor RDO-3121 4×4, equipped with the Allison 3000 Series™ and the RDO-3932 6×6, fitted with the Allison 4000 Series™. Allison Automatics are designed to meet the demands of vehicles that require on- and off-road performance. Continuous Power Technology™ provides uninterrupted power to the wheels for superior acceleration, effortless shifting and precise traction control, even in harsh or rugged conditions. It also helps the driver control the vehicle at low speeds. Compare this performance to a manual or automated manual transmission (AMT), which can have much slower launch and difficulty maintaining momentum when shifting.
“Allison transmissions perform excellently, even under extreme conditions, and they make handling of the vehicle simple,” said Attila Zsitnyányi, CEO of Gamma Technical Corp. “During the development of the vehicles we could also experience that, thanks to its modular structure, the Allison transmissions can be fitted well to a wide range of needs. Their programming is customisable and the integrated control functions can be utilised perfectly.”
“Allison Transmission has a long history working with military forces and understands that quality, performance and reliability are vital in this sector,” said Gyorgy Lovasz, director of Liberatus Ltd., dealer principal of Allison Transmission in Hungary. “Allison Automatics allow the vehicle designer to maximise performance while minimising operation and support costs for the end user.”
During the planning and building phase of the prototype vehicles the local Allison representative provided continuous technical and engineering support. “It was clear that in the case of the transmission, Allison was the best choice. Moreover, it provides for us a national local content, due to the fact that these transmissions are produced in Szentgotthárd, Hungary,” said Zsitnyányi. Allison is the most appreciated selection in special armoured vehicles.”
23 Nov 18. China closing the UGV gap with US, Russia. China is closing the technology gap with the US and Russia in the development of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) that feature autonomous capabilities such as waypoint navigation, targeting, obstacle avoidance, and terrain mapping. The country continues to invest in research and development of these platforms as demonstrated in the ‘Crossing Obstacles’ UGV competition held in September in Beijing, and, more recently, in the 6-11 November Airshow China 2018 defence exhibition held in Zhuhai. An example of this technological advancement is Sany Heavy Industry’s Giant Tiger UGV, which is equipped with a host of sensors and dual satellite positioning systems that enable waypoint navigation in addition to autonomous route patrol. (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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