Sponsored by Oshkosh
www.oshkoshdefense.com
————————————————————————-
12 Mar 20. A myriad of PQs on UK military vehicle Programmes.
Q
Asked by Mr Kevan Jones
(North Durham)
Asked on: 02 March 2020
Ministry of Defence
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
23454
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to end the service life of the FV107 Scimitar.
A
Answered by: Jeremy Quin
Answered on: 09 March 2020
The current planned out of service date for Scimitar is 2023.
Q
Asked by Mr Mark Francois
(Rayleigh and Wickford)
[N]
Asked on: 03 March 2020
Ministry of Defence
Artillery: Decommissioning
24276
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the expected out-of-service dates of AS-90s; and if he will make a statement on its replacement.
A
Answered by: Jeremy Quin
Answered on: 09 March 2020
The expected out-of-service date for the AS-90 is 2030. Work is underway to identify a replacement to respond to the threats we will face out to the 2050s.
Q
Asked by Mr Mark Francois
(Rayleigh and Wickford)
[N]
Asked on: 03 March 2020
Ministry of Defence
Armoured Fighting Vehicles
24277
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the expected into-service date of Ajax armoured vehicles; and if he will make a statement.
A
Answered by: Jeremy Quin
Answered on: 09 March 2020
AJAX is a highly complex project, delivering the first fully digitised vehicle in the Land domain.
AJAX’s in service date is projected to be July 2020 though work is currently underway to confirm the achieveability of this date.
Q
Asked by Mr Mark Francois
(Rayleigh and Wickford)
[N]
Asked on: 03 March 2020
Ministry of Defence
Warrior Armoured Vehicle: Procurement
24279
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what is the (a) original and (b) most recent estimated cost to the public purse of the warrior capability sustainment development programme; and when he expects vehicles produced through that programme to come into service.
A
Answered by: Jeremy Quin
Answered on: 09 March 2020
The Warrior Capability Sustainment Project (WCSP) aims to deliver an operational fleet of upgraded Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicles, with improved survivability and firepower, until at least 2040.
The original cost of the WCSP demonstration and manufacture phases in 2011 was estimated at £1.319 billion, with the most recent estimated cost being £1.546 billion. Manufacture discussions to confirm a date the vehicles will come into service are ongoing.
Q
Asked by Mr Mark Francois
(Rayleigh and Wickford)
[N]
Asked on: 03 March 2020
Ministry of Defence
Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement
24280
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse is of the challenger 2 life extension programme; and when are vehicles produced through that programme expected to enter into service.
A
Answered by: Jeremy Quin
Answered on: 09 March 2020
Challenger 2 remains a key capability for the Armed Forces as the British Army’s main battle tank. The Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme will provide a suite of capability upgrades and substantially extend its service life.
Commercial negotiations surrounding the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project are being conducted and therefore it is not possible to disclose costs at this stage. Similarly, these negotiations will establish in service delivery dates.
Q
Asked by Mr Mark Francois
(Rayleigh and Wickford)
[N]
Asked on: 03 March 2020
Ministry of Defence
Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement
24280
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the cost to the public purse is of the challenger 2 life extension programme; and when are vehicles produced through that programme expected to enter into service.
A
Answered by: Jeremy Quin
Answered on: 09 March 2020
Challenger 2 remains a key capability for the Armed Forces as the British Army’s main battle tank. The Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme will provide a suite of capability upgrades and substantially extend its service life.
Commercial negotiations surrounding the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project are being conducted and therefore it is not possible to disclose costs at this stage. Similarly, these negotiations will establish in service delivery dates.
Q
Asked by Jack Lopresti
(Filton and Bradley Stoke)
Asked on: 25 February 2020
Ministry of Defence
Armoured Fighting Vehicles: Procurement
20461
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to accelerate the timescale for the (a) the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (b) the Challenger 2 Lethality Enhancement Programme; and if he will make a statement.
A
Answered by: Jeremy Quin
Answered on: 04 March 2020
There are currently no plans to make any changes to the Warrior Capability Sustainment Project or the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project. The Government’s Integrated Security Defence and Foreign Policy Review will consider all aspects of our defence and security capabilities including these projects. (See: Parliamentary Questions below)
11 Mar 20. Allison Transmission and Caterpillar Defense Broaden Relationship for Defense Applications. Companies expand collaborative efforts on power-train development for global defense applications.
Allison Transmission is announcing today a broader relationship with Caterpillar Defense. While the companies have been working together on defense applications for more than 40 years, the parties have reorganized the relationship to align more closely to strategic initiatives.
In the updated structure, Allison will focus on design, development and manufacturing of Allison Transmission® cross-drive transmission products, while Caterpillar Defense will continue to focus on design, development and manufacturing of Cat® & Perkins® engines for defense applications. This collaboration will allow Allison and Caterpillar Defense to bring to market deeply integrated and optimized solutions for the demanding defense markets.
“This expanded relationship is beneficial for both Allison and Caterpillar Defense, as it allows our respective businesses to focus on our core strengths,” said Dana Pittard, Allison Transmission VP Defense Programs. “But even more advantageous will be how this will accelerate our ability to work together to design powertrain solutions that our mutual customers want.”
In addition, Caterpillar Defense obtained the rights to become a preferred provider of remanufacturing services for Allison’s X200, X300 and 3040MX products outside of North America and the exclusive provider of remanufacturing services for Allison’s X200, X300 and 3040MX products in the U.K. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
11 Mar 20. The Colombian Army purchases the Hunter XL MRAP. The Colombian Army has confirmed the purchase of a Hunter XL Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, designed and manufactured by the Colombian company Armor International. The purchase order was issued in mid-December 2019, for a total amount of USD500,000, the company told Jane’s, and the vehicles will be deployed by the army within the Meteor Plan and will be used to monitor Colombian roadways. This new model is part of the Hunter family, but it is larger than the previous version, thus the XL designation, and has better capabilities than the first model of this company the TR-12. The Hunter XL has been developed from a WorkStar 7300 chassis supplied directly by Navistar Defense and for strictly military (non-commercial) use, with 4×4 AWD traction, powered by an International DT-M9 type engine with 330 HP and 950 lb/ft torque and assisted with a six-speed forward synchronised automatic Allison 3000RDS transmission. (Source: Jane’s)
09 Mar 20. Leopard 2PL Modernisation Delayed. A new obstacle delay Poland’s Leopard 2A4 main battle tank (MBT) modernisation programme by circa two or three years. A December 24, 2019 amendment to the original 2015 modernisation agreement to the 2PL standard is at the heart of the delay. However, Poland will have 14 more modernised Leopard MBTs. The 2019 amendment mandates that deliveries of all modernised Leopard 2PL MBTs should conclude is 2-3 years later – by July 31, 2023. The €132m additional cost brings its total value to €743m.
Initially, the 2015 modernisation contract is between the Armament Inspectorate – the Polish MoD’s representative – and the state-owned conglomerate Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and called for the upgrade of 128 Leopard tanks. A 2018 contract amendment added 14 obsolete 2A4, increasing the number to 142 MBTs for modernisation.
Under the terms of the original agreement, delivery of the initial batch of 128 Leopard 2PLs should take place by the end of 2020; the final 14 vehicles arriving to the Polish Army the following year.
PGZ subsidiary ZM Bumar-Labedy leads its side of the contract and is responsible for finalisation of the programme. However, Rheinmetall Land Systems is responsible for developing a final design of the Leopard 2PL, deliver prototype variants and assist PGZ in transferring the manufacturing processes directly to Poland.
Tests of the Leopard 2PL prototype have yet to conclude due to a number of reasons, including the terms of their compliance with several dozen requirements included in the Technical Specification, according to Maj Krzysztof Platek, official spokesperson for the MOD’s Armament Inspectorate. (Source: ESD Spotlight)
10 Mar 20. UK Ajax spending tops GBP2bn. UK spending on the Ajax armoured vehicle programme exceeded GBP2.135bn (USD2.784bn) up to April 2019 despite none having been handed over to frontline British Army units, defence procurement minister Jeremy Quin told parliament on 4 March.
Quin detailed in a written ministerial answer the annual spending on the project since 2012, covering the period of the programme’s demonstration and manufacturing phase. The UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD’s) Equipment Plan published in February forecast the total cost of the Ajax programme at GBP5.382bn.
In January the ministry confirmed to Jane’s that no turreted versions of Ajax had been handed over to the British Army.
BATTLESPACE Comment: See BATTLESPACE UPDATE Vol.22 ISSUE 10, 09 March 2020, MILITARY VEHICLE NEWS, AJAX PQ)
08 Mar 20. Brazilian Army adds to protected mobility with Iveco LMV 4x4s. The Brazilian Army will further augment its wheeled armoured mobility with the expected commissioning of 32 Iveco Defence Vehicles Light Multirole Vehicle (LMV) 4×4 protected vehicles in a multi-role version, which could take part in the country’s future peacekeeping missions abroad.
An initial 32 LMVs with technical documentation, tools, training, and a three-year support package were purchased from CNH Industrial Brasil for BRL67.845m (USD14.7m) on 6 November 2019 by the Fabrication Directorate to meet the VBMT-LSR project (Viatura Blindada Multitarefa-Leve Sobre Rodas) as part of the army’s Strategic Program ‘Guarani’, an army spokesperson told Jane’s. The first vehicle is scheduled to be handed over from Italy in August to Brazil’s Army Evaluation Center for testing, Iveco revealed. Fifteen vehicles are to be delivered in 2021 and the last 16 are scheduled for delivery in 2022. The type will be tested by the 15th Mechanized Infantry Brigade.
Two batches of 77 vehicles each are to be purchased later, with production to be gradually transferred to Brazil, and several variants are planned including multi-role, electronic warfare, anti-tank guided missile, surveillance radar, and CBRN reconnaissance. The acquisition of more vehicles beyond this is possible.
At its core, the Brazilian LMV with standard cab is a 7.5-tonne vehicle, with an overall length of 4.8m, width of 2m, height of 2m, payload of 1,000kg, 500km maximum range, top speed of 90 km/h, and a crew of five.
It is powered by a 190 hp FPT Industrial F1C turbocharged diesel engine, coupled to 6+1-speed ZF Friedrichshafen 6HP260 automatic transmission. Other equipment includes Michelin 325/85 R16 MXL tyres with Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) and run-flat inserts, an automatic fire extinguishing system, an air conditioning system, roof-mounted 76mm smoke grenade launchers, provision for a CBRN defence kit, a government-furnished command-and-control suite consisting of an L3Harris Falcon III RF-7800-V511 radio, a Thales SOTAS IP intercom, and a ruggedised tablet with an in-house battle management system (BMS). (Source: Jane’s)
05 Mar 20. New US Army Approach on Bradley Replacement: ‘Lower the Bar’ for Companies to Compete. Army modernization leaders faced tough questions Thursday from lawmakers who worry that the decision to restart the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) effort has destroyed the trust of defense firms that have already invested millions in the Bradley fighting vehicle replacement. Army officials announced in late January that the service would restart the high-priority OMFV effort after receiving only one valid bid for the $45bn program.
Rep. Donald Norcross, D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee, said many lawmakers are concerned about the impact the Army’s decision will have on defense firms who made a “tremendous investment” trying to develop prototypes for OMFV.
“We asked them to make an investment, and now we are switching,” Norcross said. “How do we keep saying to our industrial base, ‘OK, that was a screw-up. Your investments are not lost’? It’s a risk; we understand. They knew it going in, but it doesn’t help our case that this is the new way that we are going to do things.”
Related: The Army Is Headed Back to the Drawing Board on Bradley Fighting Vehicle Replacement
Bruce Jette, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisitions, logistics and technology, along with Gen. John Murray, commander of Army Futures Command, told lawmakers that the service is still committed to OMFV.
“I just want to make sure you understand this was not a quick or easy decision where we decided to restart the program,” Murray said. “We went through probably two, three, four weeks of discussion … with the Army senior leadership. It was not an easy decision.”
Army officials say the service has no choice but to replace the Cold War-era Bradley, which is no longer upgradeable to meet modern threats.
The OMFV, which is part of the Next Generation Combat Vehicle effort, suffered a setback when it received only one qualifying bid from General Dynamics. A competing bid from Raytheon and Germany’s Rheinmetall was disqualified when Rheinmetall failed to ship a prototype of its Lynx KF41 Infantry Fighting Vehicle to the U.S. by the service’s deadline.
Army officials admit that the service may have rushed the prototyping effort, which discouraged many companies from competing.
“We were trying to go so fast that we asked for vehicle deliveries of prototypes at the very beginning. … That itself kept people out of competition,” Jette said.
The Army’s new approach to OMFV will “lower the bar” for the amount of investment companies need to put into the effort, he said.
The service is asking defense firms to submit white papers on a digital design instead of “bending metal” to build prototypes, Jette said. “So, in this case, going to a digital design requires them to be professional in their engineering capabilities but doesn’t require them necessarily to bend metal.”
Army leaders maintain that they have given industry a set of operational characteristics that can be revised as the program evolves rather than rigid requirements that may be too difficult to achieve.
“We’ve added some characteristics there in particular with weight: How do you reduce weight on the weapon system? We’ll see what ideas they have,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters Wednesday at the McAleese 11th Annual Defense Programs Conference. “You know, can you bring additive manufacturing? Can you find different ways to configure the vehicle to yank weight off the platform?”
Norcross pushed for an answer about how defense firms have reacted to this new approach.
“Industry made a sizable investment. They now hear what you are talking about now — are they going to continue this and be partners?” he asked. “Where is industry with this, because I know what we have heard and it hasn’t been pretty. They feel that … we could have done this many millions of dollars sooner.”
Jette said he is aware of industry’s concerns after meeting with major vehicle manufacturers last week.
“I had this discussion with them. I understand that it’s a sting,” he said. “I also understand that some of the things that they have done are still viable and useful in the next phase. So far, my estimate is that at least what I would consider the standard competitors are still intending to participate.”
Jette added that about 11 additional companies have also indicated to OMFV program officials that they are interested in participating as well.
Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Michigan, said he continues to be frustrated that the Army has not explained how the setback will affect the OMFV’s schedule and overall costs.
“I am concerned that I haven’t got an adequate explanation of the abrupt cancellation of the procurement and what that does to the schedule — what delays that creates in the schedule?” he said. “No one has answered what the cost delays will be. Frankly, I have gotten a whole lot of discussion around it. I am not going to ask you to address it here. I am going to ask you to address it for the record. We want an answer for the record. It’s an issue of concern for many people here.”
Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said in January that the system should be ready for fielding in two or three years.
McCarthy said Wednesday that the service wants to release a new request for proposal “as soon as possible to try to make up for [time] that was lost.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Military.com)
————————————————————————
About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services. For decades Oshkosh has been mobilizing military and security forces around the globe by offering a full portfolio of heavy, medium, light and highly protected military vehicles to support our customers’ missions. In addition, Oshkosh offers advanced technologies and vehicle components such as TAK-4® independent suspension systems, TerraMax™ unmanned ground vehicle solutions, Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system, and ProPulse® diesel electric and on-board vehicle power solutions, to provide our customers with a technical edge as they fulfill their missions. Every Oshkosh vehicle is backed by a team of defense industry experts and complete range of sustainment and training services to optimize fleet readiness and performance. Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK].
To learn more about Oshkosh Defense, please visit us at www.oshkoshdefense.com.
————————————————————————