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.
Tel: +44 (0) 1525 408408
www.millbrook.co.uk/military
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24 Nov 09. The surprise resignation of Håkan Samuelsson, one of Germany’s most highly regarded chief executives, has baffled shareholders of truckmaker MAN. Witness the spike in MAN’s shares when the news broke on Monday, followed by a fall on Tuesday. The reasons behind Mr Samuelsson’s decision seem multilayered. In part, though the MAN chief was cleared of any involvement in a bribery scandal at the company, he decided he had to take political responsibility. But the Swede chafed too at the increasing influence of Volkswagen, which owns 29.9 per cent of MAN, and its empire-building chairman Ferdinand Piëch, also MAN’s chairman. He probably understood that his aspiration to make MAN a consolidator of the European truck industry, with VW simply a large shareholder, did not coincide with Mr Piëch’s vision. Mr Samuelsson demonstrated his ambition with his hostile takeover bid for Sweden’s Scania in 2006. But Mr Piëch, since
cleverly sorting out VW’s problems with Porsche, has dropped heavy hints he would like to integrate MAN into VW’s stable of brands. That would imply combining it with VW’s own light trucks business and with Scania, of which VW has secured 70 per cent control since MAN’s takeover bid failed. (Source: FT.com)
Nov 09. Surge in demand for military Land Rovers. A number of key overseas markets including Egypt, Pakistan and Iraq are believed to have expressed interest in buying more military land Rovers and refurbishing existing fleets. This renewed interest is believed to centre around the high profile of the HMMV against the low profile of the Land Rover and the new FFR Land Rover Defender announced last month
13 Nov 09. SAF deploys Trailblazer mine clearing system. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have deployed a new mineclearing version of the locally developed Bionix family of medium-weight tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), known as Trailblazer. Deliveries of the new 27.8 tonne vehicle began in 2008 and are scheduled to be completed by the end of 2009. (Source: Jane’s)
13 Nov 09. The New Zealand Army will deploy three light armoured vehicles (LAVs) and crew to Afghanistan to support special air service (SAS) troops operating in the region. New Zealand Minister of Defence Wayne Daniel Mapp said the vehicles would stay in Afghanistan for as long as they were needed by the SAS troops. The LAVs will provide increased protection for the personnel especially from improvised explosive devices, which were one of the greatest threats to coalition forces in the region. The vehicles being deployed to Afghanistan are armed with a 25mm cannon and two machine guns. About 140 New Zealand defence force personnel are running a provincial reconstruction team in Bamyan province of Afghanistan.
25 Nov 09. The Spanish Army requires a new 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicle to enhance safety and mobility, according to a new report submitted by Defence Minister Carme Chacon to the Council of Ministers. In addition, the report outlines the need to acquire a new fleet of 4×4 armoured
squad and platoon vehicles, along with next-generation 8×8 vehicles, to renovate the army’s inventory of armoured vehicles. The Defence Ministry is looking at the main models of 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicles available that are currently in operational use by allied forces in a bid to speed up the purchase. The defence minister has revealed that the 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicles will be expected to improve the capabilities of security, safety, design and mobility of Spanish troops. (Source: army-technology.com)
24 Nov 09. The UK Ministry of Defence has spent £149m on an urgent upgr