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26 Apr 19. OTOKAR collaborates with AXLETECH for its new Armoured AKREP IIe Electric Vehicle. Otokar, the pioneer land systems company of Turkish Defence Industry, unveils its new generation “AKREP II” armoured vehicle family. In collaboration with AxleTech, Otokar debuts the very first version of the family “AKREP IIe Electric Vehicle” at IDEF 2019 in Istanbul, Turkey, between April 29th and May 3rd.
The AKREP II is the latest product of Otokar’s design and development studies and a proof of Otokar’s ability to leverage its engineering, manufacturing and expertise across a large portfolio of armoured tactical vehicles. AKREP II family will be an outstanding solution for modern armies with its superior manoeuvrability and agility as well as the outstanding design allowing the integration of various types of armament, weapon stations and alternative powerplants. A fully electric variant of the vehicle, “AKREP IIe” is on display at IDEF 2019 and will attract users as a technology demonstrator with a powerful electric motor integrated to the axle and advanced battery pack.
Stating that Otokar is currently serving more than 30 countries on five continents, Serdar Görgüç, Otokar General Manager, noted that with technological superiority, design capability and 30 years of experience, Otokar’s position in the global defence industry is getting stronger by the day. “Being Turkey’s internationally recognized land platform manufacturer we highly enjoy our extensive new vehicle development capabilities born by both our know-how and experience. We are more than happy to carry our experience in designing and developing armoured vehicles onto the new vehicles,” said Serdar Görgüç; “Our new generation armoured family AKREP II is a legacy from Otokar’s AKREP vehicle, which was initially launched in 1995 as a weapon carrier vehicle with 3-man crew. AKREP achieved an excellent field record in various missions all over the world. With this genetic heritage, Otokar’s new armoured vehicle family, the AKREP II is a successor specifically designed to meet the evolving demands of current and future military environments thanks to its compact size, low silhouette, low acoustic and thermal signature, and effective firepower.”
Emphasising Otokar’s commitment for applying new technologies to armoured vehicles Serdar Görgüç said “Considering the continuously changing combat conditions and threats, and by getting inspired from different requirements of our clients in different parts of the world, we combined our experience with our engineering and R&D capabilities with AxleTech and debuted newly developed AKREP IIe at IDEF. AKREP IIe is a significant indication of Otokar’s growing commitment for applying promising technologies to armoured vehicles. The vehicle also highlights Otokar’s maturity in the design and development of state of the art armoured vehicles. AKREP IIe’s modern design provides mobility, agility and durability required for the wide range of missions.”
“AxleTech is committed to providing innovative electric powertrain systems to complement our field-proven and industry-leading drivetrain solutions for the defense industry. Our collaboration with Otokar demonstrates our shared values of providing forward-thinking products for customers and staying ahead of trends,” said Daniel Chien, Vice President of Business Development at AxleTech.
AKREP IIe: Turkey’s first Electric Armoured Vehicle
AKREP IIe is a technology demonstrator, which is equipped with an innovative electric-based power and propulsion solution that consists of a highly efficient and powerful electric motor, advanced battery pack and smart power control algorithm. Low silhouette, reduced size and weight, increased mobility and swiftness, decreased levels of acoustic and thermal signature are other contributing factors of AKREP IIe’s innovative electric-based power and propulsion solution.
AKREP II can be equipped with alternative powerplants (electric, diesel and hybrid). Fully Electric variant of AKREP II, which is on display at IDEF 2019, is a technology demonstrator with a powerful electric motor integrated to the axle and advanced battery pack. With electric power source at the heart of its design, AKREP IIe is extremely agile with increased mobility and swiftness. Capable of running at considerably low level of acoustic and thermal signature, AKREP IIe is suited to be an excellent choice for conducting stealthy military operations.
About AKREP II
AKREP II’s four-wheel drive system and steerable axles (optional) give the vehicle superior manoeuvrability. Relying on the four-wheel independent suspension and swift torque control of the power pack, AKREP II can travel cross-country over challenging terrain and traverse deep mud, snow or water with equal ease. In terms of mobility, electric-based power and propulsion solution enables AKREP II to be quicker at start with instantaneous high torque. Reduced size and weight are also contributing factors to AKREP II’s agility. AKREP II has outstanding automotive performance in terms of speed, acceleration and gradeability. AKREP II controls the basic mechanical components of steering, acceleration and deceleration electrically (drive-by-wire). This forms a technically feasible platform for remote control or adaptation of various driving assistance systems and even autonomous capabilities.
As a multi-role vehicle suitable for various military missions, AKREP II has the ability to provide effective firepower without compromising survivability. Thanks to high payload capability; medium calibre turrets up to 90mm can be integrated. AKREP II can also be configured for; various types of weapon platforms for quick reaction, reconnaissance, scout and surveillance missions, base/air defence missions, and other similar tasks.
24 Apr 19. Can this tracked robot haul as much as a mule and as quietly as a bear? The roar of vehicles is as expected a part of modern combat as the booms from explosives and the staccato ring of gunshots, but not all of war has to be. Electrical engines are quiet, and especially against the din of battle, the softer sounds of a humming electrical engine can achieve something like stealth. In this light, Textron’s Grizzly unmanned ground vehicle could fine a quiet niche on future battlefields.
Despite its ursine namesake, the Grizzly is fundamentally a pack animal, more than a deadly foe. It is a mule-drawn cart in function if not form, a tracked platform built to lighten the loads of the soldiers it accompanies into battle. The Grizzly is a tracked vehicle powered by a hybrid diesel-electric engine, and aimed at the Army’s “Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport” (SMET) program.
For the SMET program, the Army wants a vehicle that can carry about 1,000 pounds worth of soldier equipment — likely lightening the loads of nine soldiers across an infantry squad. In summer 2018, the Army tested multiple robot-wagons by having them transport nine rucksacks, six boxes of MREs and four water cans, or roughly the long-range load for a unit of light infantry. (Developed by Howe & Howe, the Grizzly participated in the 2018 exercise as the RS2H1. Textron acquired Howe & Howe in December 2018)
The SMET program wants the robots to be able to travel 60 miles over three days, and it must also be able to provide a spare kilowatt hour of power while moving, and at least 3 kilowatt hours while stationary. According to Howe & Howe, the Grizzly performed a 60-mile trek in less than half the time required.
The Army is set to makes is selections in the SMET program next month, and if a showing of the Grizzly in its booth at a tradeshow in March 2019 is any indication, Textron is optimisticabout its robot’s chances. There remains the chance that the Army will decide the technology just isn’t there yet for any machine, and hold off on any of the robots for the near future. They wouldn’t be the first service to do so; after years of work and tests in exercises, the Marine Corps ultimately turned down the Legged Squad Support System, a robot mule designed to carry rucksacks on the march, for being too loud in the field.
Infantry is quieter than most, and if a SMET-selected robot, like perhaps the Grizzly, can operate electrically at the same volume or quieter than the soldiers around it, that’s a boon. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
24 Apr 19. The F-35 of the ground combat force? That’s what the Marines want for the light armored vehicle’s replacement. The Marine Corps has been looking to replace its aging light armored vehicle, which has been the centerpiece of the mobile Marine infantry in recent decades.
A recent release from Marine Corps Systems Command announced that the armored reconnaissance vehicle is expected to begin replacing the legacy LAV by the late 2020s.
The eight-wheeled, 25mm-gun toting LAV is expected to age out of service by the 2030s, having been in the fleet since the early 1980s. It has seen action in the Panama invasion, Persian Gulf War and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Recent efforts to plus up the firepower for the LAV have included looking at drone suites to counter incoming threats and anti-tank firepower to make it able to harass enemy armor formations.
Marines have even strapped the LAV to ship decks to act as an additional, short-range defender for smaller threats that organic Navy ships systems don’t readily track, featured on recent deployment by the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit out of Okinawa, Japan.
While durable, the LAV doesn’t quite hold up to the needs of the modern battlefield and near-peer competition.
“The ARV will be an advanced combat vehicle system, capable of fighting for information that balances competing capability demands to sense, shoot, move, communicate and remain transportable as part of the naval expeditionary force,” John “Steve” Myers, program manager for SysCom’s LAV portfolio, said in a command release.
At the 2017 Modern Day Marine military expo, held annually at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, then commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command, told attendees that the Corps envisioned the LAV replacement as a sort of F-35-type enhancement for ground forces.
“We need to look at something like the F-35,” he said. “You can clearly see a generational change when you go from AV-8 Harriers and F/A-18 Hornets to the F-35.”
The concept would make the platform a sensor-based system that could trade off firing missions through ground and air elements both manned and unmanned. That’s not entirely new. A similar initiative is being developed for the brand new amphibious combat vehicle, the replacement for the decades old amphibious assault vehicle, a primary ship-to-shore connector for Marines.
The LAV Way-Ahead program was established in 2016, according to the release. And it has fallen under the Office of Naval Research as its own science and technology program.
ONR is in a science and technology phase conducting advanced technology research and development, modeling and simulation, whole system trade studies and a full-scale technology demonstrator fabrication and evaluation, according to the release.
That will help the Corps best understand its requirements and get industry jumpstarted into development, according to the release.
In May, the LAV program manager will put out a request for information, which typically gives industry broad strokes and specifications that the military is looking for in its efforts.
“This vehicle will equip the Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion within the Marine Divisions to perform combined arms, all-weather, sustained reconnaissance and security missions in support of the ground combat element,” Myers said. “It’s expected to be a transformational capability for the Marine Corps.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Marine Times)
24 Apr 19. US Army Modernization Leader Asks for Industry’s Help Solving Robotics Challenges. A top Army modernization official is asking for industry’s help as the service faces challenges he believes can be conquered using advanced ground robotics technologies. There are four capability sets where the Army is in need of assistance: lethality, stand-off, penetration and convergence, said Lt. Gen. Eric Wesley, deputy commanding general for the futures and concepts center at Army Futures Command, which is spearheading the service’s highest priority modernization efforts.
Lethality and stand-off capabilities both relate to the problems associated with putting soldiers within range of enemy forces while attempting to maintain control of key terrain, Wesley said April 24 during a keynote address at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Robotics Capabilities Conference and Exhibition.
“Lethality and stand-off creates a need to close the gap, and that’s where robotics would be prevalent,” he said. Unmanned systems can give the Army the ability to keep troops out of harm’s way, while still maintaining the firepower necessary to hold adversaries at bay, he noted.
The technology could also help the service penetrate sophisticated enemy defenses, which the U.S. military expects to face in an era of great power competition, Wesley said.
“When you have got an anti-access, area-denial capability that [must be confronted] … what do you put in there to start penetrating and dismantling their systems? To what degree can that be robotic?” he asked.
Convergence capabilities are needed for multi-domain command and control of unmanned platforms across the military services, he explained.
The Army’s pursuit of a new optionally-manned combat vehicle is just one example of the service’s efforts to leverage these types of emerging technologies.
Going forward, robots need to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to make decisions in faster and more efficient ways while on the battlefield, Wesley suggested.
To get after these challenges, the Army wants to work with nontraditional companies in technology hubs such as Silicon Valley, he noted.
Wesley bashed Google’s decision to stop providing the Pentagon AI capabilities for analyzing drone footage that could be used to target adversaries overseas. The company’s participation in Project Maven was met with criticism from employees and academics, thousands of which signed a petition asking the tech giant to cancel its contract with the Defense Department.
Wesley said he understands workers questioning the consequences of their efforts, but potential adversaries don’t share their ethical concerns about employing this type of technology for military advantage.
“If you’re expecting China or Russia to wrestle with that question … don’t hold your breath,” he said. “They are employing [AI] now without that type of debate going on.”
“Like it or not, artificial intelligence is coming to the battlefield,” he added. “Do we want to wrestle with the problem now, or allow it to come to the battlefield delivered by our peers?” (Source: glstrade.com/National Defense)
24 Apr 19. At the Advanced Clean Technology (ACT) Expo, Allison Transmission, a global leader in medium- and heavy-duty propulsion solutions for commercial vehicles, is introducing the new AXE Series, one of the most powerful e-axle systems for medium- and heavy-duty trucks in the world. A fully integrated electric powertrain system designed to fit inside a standard frame along the axles of commercial trucks; the AXE Series features electric motors, a 2-speed gearbox, oil coolers and pumps. The offering also includes power electronics for a complete powertrain solution.
“With our more than 100 years of being an innovation leader, Allison is leading the transformation of the commercial vehicle industry with electric powertrain solutions,” said David S. Graziosi, Allison Transmission President and CEO. “The AXE Series is the first e-axle in the heavy-duty truck industry to provide this level of power density, size and simplicity. We take tremendous pride that our solution is one of the most efficient and powerful systems ever to be developed for commercial trucks.”
The Allison AXE Series, a 2019 Automotive News PACE Award finalist, has a one million-mile design life for medium- and heavy-duty trucks. The system integrates one or two high-speed electric motors and a multi-speed transmission, eliminating the need for additional driveshafts and support structures. A dual-motor axle has a continuous power of 536 horsepower (400 kilowatts) and peak output power of 738 horsepower (550 kilowatts). A tandem axle configuration is also available for these vehicles. The system can handle 100 percent torque in regenerative braking. The complete integration of the AXE Series delivers increased efficiency and best-in-class continuous power through superior internal cooling.
The AXE Series is available in single and dual motor options to package the entire electric powertrain inside a standard frame that exists in almost every global commercial truck including refuse trucks, school buses, and drayage and delivery trucks. This allows the AXE Series to be a bolt-in solution by design, ensuring efficiency in the installation process.
23 Apr 19. UK to reduce operational Challenger 2 tank fleet. The Times newspaper reported on 19 April that the British Army is set to reduce its operational Challenger 2 main battle tank (MBT) fleet from 227 to 148 vehicles during their Life Extension Project (LEP) upgrade.
Citing a “senior defence insider”, the newspaper reported that 148 Challenger 2s will be upgraded under the LEP and the remaining 79 vehicles in the UK inventory will be mothballed and used for spares.
The UK Ministry of Defence responded to the report by stating, “No final decision on the number of tanks to be upgraded has been made.” The ministry added, “We are committed to significantly upgrading our Challenger 2 tanks, ensuring we have the best weaponry and armour.”
The UK originally procured 386 Challenger 2 MBTs between 1991 and 1995. The vehicles were used to standardise the UK’s tank fleet around the Challenger 1 and 2 and replace the Cold War-era Chieftain.
The British Army’s tank fleet was cut by 40% in 2010 as part of the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which was intended to divert much needed funding and resources to the war effort in Afghanistan. The UK now operates three tank regiments with 56 Challenger 2s each. The remaining 59 are understood to be used for training and as a war maintenance reserve. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
23 Apr 19. US Army moving out on plans to field eight brigades’ worth of upgunned Strykers. The US Army is moving out with a new requirement to add a 30 mm cannon to its double V hulled, Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicles (ICVs), and seeking industry’s help to field eight brigades with the upgunned capability.
In a recent notice posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website, the service laid out its two-phased approach for integrating the new weapon on its Stryker vehicles, an overlapping approach that involves a design integration study with a production competition.
For the first phase, the army is currently seeking contractors interested in participating in a design integration study, and will select up to eight bids that will integrate a government-provided weapon station – which includes a fire-control system, ammunition-handling system, optics system, and gun – onto the vehicle.
“The contractors shall integrate their weapon station design, which includes the XM813 [30 mm] gun, onto the [Stryker ICV],” the service said, before noting that it would then inspect the integration work before it is transported for a “period of performance” that will run from this June until the end of September 2020.
Then in fiscal year 2020, the service will kick-start phase two by issuing a competitive production solicitation and it said it “expects” contractors participating in the study to submit their bids.
“The government anticipates that the potential production prime contractors will demonstrate capabilities and maturity levels required for production and support,” the service wrote.
Army leaders will award a single contractor with a five-year, full-rate production contract that will include the option for follow-on years. Over seven years, though, the contract value is set at USD907.4m for 294 upgunned Strykers to outfit eight brigades. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
23 Apr 19. Indonesia signs USD82m LOI for Pandur II IFVs. Key Points:
- Indonesia has signed a letter of intent to acquire the Pandur II infantry fighting vehicles
- A contract to deliver between 20 and 22 units is expected to materialise within the next two years
Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) and state-owned arms manufacturer PT Pindad has downplayed media reports claiming that a USD82m contract for 22 8×8 Pandur II vehicles has been signed.
In separate clarifications received by Jane’s on 19 and 22 April, officials from the ministry and the company explained that what was signed at Bandung, Indonesia, on 12 April is a letter of intent (LOI) and not a final procurement contract as widely reported. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
09 Apr 19. UK MoD used chromium-based paint linked with cancers until 2018. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been found to have used chromium-based military paint to corrosion-proof military vehicles as recently as December 2018, according to The Times. This is despite the European Union having imposed a ban on the use of hexavalent chromium compounds since classifying them as hazardous and linking them to cancers in 2003. Under the EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, which was ratified in 2006, the European Commission set a deadline for the use of chromates in paint to end in January 2019.
An MoD spokesperson told Army Technology: “Hexavalent chromium paint is no longer applied to any of our armoured vehicles and all existing vehicles will be repainted with chromate-free paint.”
Hexavalent chromium a ‘health risk’
Hexavalent chromium paint provides materials with added corrosion resistance and durability. The British Coatings Federation (BCF) told Army Technology: “Chromates are still used in the coatings industry, but only for a very restricted number of uses, for example for aerospace applications, where the highest level of corrosion protection is required, due to the extreme conditions faced.
“They provide excellent anti-corrosive properties that could not be achieved by other alternatives, and where used, controls are in place to ensure safe use, to prevent exposure. It should also be noted that there is no exposure risk once the paint has been applied.”
However, it is considered a health risk according to the US National Cancer Institute and has been linked to lung cancer and cancer of the paranasal sinuses and nasal cavity.
Gaggan Mawi, an associate with the military claims team at UK law firm Bolt Burdon Kemp, told Army Technology: “The health risks posed by chromium VI are well documented, with the regulation of chromate paints having been in place for decades. There has also been litigation both in the US and Netherlands resulting in US troops and Dutch military personnel being compensated for illness caused by exposure to chromium paint.
“Yesterday’s statement by Defence Minister Stuart Andrew that the Ministry of Defence has been using chromium VI up until the end of December 2018 raises many questions when considering whether the MoD may find itself faced with similar litigation in the UK.”
MoD narrowly met deadline
The MoD’s use of chromium paint finished just before the January 2019 deadline, but the risks were identified years beforehand and safer alternatives were well known.
“For military vehicles, our members have been offering chromate-free paints for many years, which are perfectly suitable for this application. Most of the industry and the MoD shifted to chromate free products many years ago. However, the MoD maintained one specification which still required chromates for corrosion protection of specific types of aluminium equipment in a minority of applications,” the BCF said.
“Since January 2019, the manufacture and use of such products (chromates on military vehicles) has been ceased under the EU REACH regulation. Both the MoD and the coatings industry have fully complied with this regulation. BCF members consider the health and safety of its workers and users to be of highest concern, and follow the relevant regulations to make sure this high standard of worker protection is maintained.”
Could the MoD still face legal action?
The MoD has not broken the law and up until now there have been no reported illnesses in the UK defence sector from exposure to chromium military paint. But should it have acted sooner, and could it still face litigation?
“First, we need to understand how the decision to use these chemicals was risk assessed, and what alternatives were reasonably available for use,” said Mawi.
“It is currently unknown how many service people have been exposed to chromate paints over the years, the levels and length of exposure, and whether such individuals were provided with appropriate protective equipment, and training on how to handle the substances. More importantly, were personnel exposed to the substances advised of the risks posed to their health, and has there been any health surveillance in place to monitor any ill effects of exposure upon staff, and what effects have been reported?”
Ultimately, Mawi said, it is the duty of the MoD to take reasonable steps to ensure its workers are safe.
“In the event that it transpires that use of the chromate paints could and should have been avoided by the MoD, or that adequate and reasonable steps were not taken to protect those service personnel required to work with them, it may well find that it is faced with negligence claims for its failures to protect the health and wellbeing of its personnel,” Mawi concluded. (Source: army-technology.com)
18 Apr 19. Ukraine develops new command vehicle. Ukrainian state-owned defence industrial holding group Ukroboronprom announced on 15 April that its Kiev Armoured Plant subsidiary has completed the development of new command vehicle BTR-3KS. The vehicle features an automated battle management system that provides operators with automated situational awareness information displayed in near real-time to facilitate the rapid transfer of combat tasks and control of their execution, a company press release stated. Ukroboronprom claims that this battle management system can combine and process all information transmitted from command stations, combat vehicles, counter-battery radars, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) via secured digital communications regarding the location of divisions and targets. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
17 Apr 19. Finland joins EDA’s HybriDT project. Finland has opted to participate in a military vehicle research cooperation project being conducted by the European Defence Agency. The Hybrid Drive Trains for military purpose project will focus on the suitability of hybrid technology for military vehicles. The research aims to study requirements among military users for hybrid technology, in order to support the goals of reducing emissions and reducing reliance on certain types of engines, as seen in the civil sector.
Germany will lead the project, and Austria, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden are participating. The project’s content will be produced by the participating countries’ defence industry and research consortium, with Patria Land Systems representing Finland. The majority of Finland’s contribution to the project will be contributed by the domestic defence industry. (Source: Shephard)
18 Apr 19. Indian purchasing agency OKs tank buy, but negotiations with Russia stand in the way. India’s highest defense procurement body, the Cabinet Committee on Security, has approved purchase of 464 Russian T-90MS main battle tanks for $1.92bn, but it’s unlikely the Ministry of Defence will sign a contract unless Russia agrees to boost local industrial co-operation for the tanks. The T-90MS tanks are to be produced by state-owned Heavy Vehicles Factory under license from the Russian original equipment manufacturer Uralvagonzavod. India wants Uralvagonzavod to increase local production of the tanks from 40 percent to 80 percent, said a senior MoD official.
A senior official with the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board said: ”Till now India has received 310 plus 347 T-90 tanks from Russia, whether fully formed or assembled in Heavy Vehicles Factory.” But he added that full localization is impossible, thus a large amount of the assembly process will be imported. A senior Indian Army official noted that the gunnery portion of the tank comes “factory-fitted from Russia, with some minor equipment being made by OFB.” The official added that OFB does not produce engines or transmissions, which are approximately 40 percent of the cost of a T-90MS tank. Another Army official, citing the lack of a robust technology transfer deal, that this venture will prove expensive because it does not cover life cycle support and upgrades.
The Army has inducted 1,100 T-90 tanks, of which 300 have been directly imported from Russia. (Source: Defense News)
17 Apr 19. US Army’s Brand-New Combat Vehicle Was Designed for the Last War, Esper Says. The secretary of the Army said today that the service could not rule out future cuts to the service’s new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program — a vehicle that he said was essentially designed for the last war, not the next. In March, the Army announced it would cut funding in the proposed fiscal 2020 budget for its new, high-performance JLTV to free up money for future modernization projects. The Army plans to buy only 2,530 JLTVs in the fiscal 2020 budget request, compared to last year’s purchase of 3,393.
“We will have a mixed fleet of Humvees and JLTVs; we know that, and we will buy a lot of JLTVs, we know that too. But I can’t tell you today whether the cut we made in this budget is the last or not,” Army Secretary Mark Esper told a group of reporters today at the Pentagon.
The JLTV and the CH-47 Chinook Block II were among 93 programs Army senior leaders selected for cuts over the next five years to help free up billions of dollars for its bold modernization strategy.
The Army had initially planned to buy 49,000 JLTVs, but Esper said it may now be more than a year before the service knows the total number of JLTVs it will purchase. The original 49,000-vehicle requirement was first decided before the new National Defense Strategy came out and shifted the U.S. military’s focus away from the Middle East, Esper said.
Likewise, the CH-47 Block II helicopters were designed to fly heavier payload in a hotter climate, Esper said.
“And what was the heavier payload? JLTV,” Esper said. “What drove JLTV? [Improvised explosive devices] in Afghanistan and Iraq, and because the MRAPs were too big and too heavy.
“They were, in many ways, designed for a different conflict. It doesn’t mean we won’t use them in future conflicts, but now my emphasis has to be rebuilding my armor, rebuilding my fighting vehicles, having aircraft that can penetrate Russian and Chinese air defenses and shoot down Russian and Chinese drones and missiles and helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.”
As the Army refines its new multi-domain operations doctrine, the service will run a series of wargames that will decide the total number of JLTVs and other systems it will need for the future, Esper said.
“I think we will be finished in a year or 18 months; then we run all these numbers. And all these numbers tell you, to beat the Russians, you need X tanks and you need Y tankers and you need X number of JLTVs. And that is where I will have the final number,” Esper said. (Source: Military.com)
17 Apr 19. Brazil’s Ares unveils upgraded M113 MB1 APC. Ares Aeroespacial e Defesa, a Brazilian subsidiary of Elbit Systems, is marketing an upgrade package for the Brazilian Army’s M113BR armoured personnel carriers (APCs) that includes the company’s REMAX III lightweight remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS). The army has shown interest in adding the system to a number of vehicles, an industry source told Jane’s.
BAE Systems, together with Brazilian Army, has modernised 150 M113Bs to the M113BR configuration (a local designation for the M113A2 Mk1 standard) and is completing a second batch of 236 APCs. All the M113BRs retain the original protected machine gun mount.
A Brazilian Navy Marine Corps M113 MB1 APC, with the REMAX III armed with a 12.7×99 mm M2HB machine gun, was unveiled at the LAAD Defence and Security in April in Rio de Janeiro. The vehicle’s W&E Platt MR555 ringmount was temporarily removed and replaced by the REMAX III.
The weapon system was integrated into an M113 MB1 instead of the M113BR because of the proximity of the former, which is based in Rio de Janeiro. The new REMAX IV could eventually emerge as another potential solution for the M113BR.
Ares also proposed adding OIP Sensor Systems’ Sentinel 360° day and night surveillance system for improved situational awareness. Elbit Systems IronVision full 360° situational awareness system was also installed to the M113 MB1 for demonstration.
REMAX III, which was developed in co-operation with Brazilian Army Technological Center (CTEx), is essentially composed of a gyro-stabilised turret mounting 7.62×51 mm MAG58 or M2HB machine gun, four 76 mm smoke grenade dischargers, and OIP Sensor Systems Eoptris 2.0 electro-optical payload. It is controlled by a mission management system positioned inside the vehicle. (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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