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04 Jun 20. DVD2020 – New Dates Announced. DE&S Land Equipment and Army Headquarters have confirmed that THE EVENT for those involved in equipment and support for the UK’s Land Forces will return to Millbrook on the new dates of 4 and 5 November 2020.
With the challenge of Covid-19 dominating DVD2020 planning conversations over the past few months, organisers have taken the decision to move this showcase of the latest innovations and developments in land equipment, from September to November 2020.
For the first time, DVD2020 will look beyond Defence capabilities to explore the technologies and equipment used by other sectors and commercial industries.
The leading stakeholder event will bring together acquisition teams and the Defence industry, focusing on future requirements and opportunities over the two days. Those attending will be able to see a wide range of equipment on display, from industry and the military, including everything from specialist vehicles to the equipment and services necessary to support land-based military operations.
For those involved in Land Equipment for Army, DE&S, other Front Line Commands and the Defence Academy, DVD2020 provides an ideal opportunity to explore new and emerging technologies and develop ideas for how this tech could benefit the UK’s Land Forces in the future.
Director Land Equipment, Major General Darren Crook explains: “After careful consideration and many conversations between DE&S, Army Headquarters and Millbrook about the most effective and safe way to deliver DVD2020, we have taken the decision to delay the event until November.
“Although Covid-19 continues to cause challenges for large scale events, we feel that moving to November will give us the best opportunity to run a successful DVD2020, with all of the benefits that exhibitors and visitors expect from this important UK Land Forces event.”
Kevin Leaver, Head of Events at Millbrook, continues: “The safety and security of exhibitors and visitors to DVD2020 is our top priority and all attendees can be assured that we will remain compliant with the very latest Government guidance at the show in November.”
Please find answers to frequently asked questions about DVD2020 at https://www.theevent.co.uk/Exhibitor/DVD2020-FAQs, as well as informational about exhibiting and visiting the event at www.theevent.co.uk.
BATTLESPACE will be publishing its special DVD issue to coincide with the new dates!
05 Jun 20. UK to reassess Ajax programme. UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) procurement chiefs are reassessing the GBP5.3bn (USD6.7bn) Ajax programme after the first batch of production standard armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) was found not to be ready for delivery. The UK MoD is reassessing the Ajax programme after the first batch of production standard AFVs was found not to be ready for delivery.
Details of the exercise are still being worked out and the MoD’s chief civilian administrator, Stephen Lovegrove, is preparing to issue a formal notification to the UK parliament’s Public Accounts Committee about the reassessment. These notifications are only made when major cost overruns, technical glitches or programme delays are involved.
The revelation of the reassessment was made by Air Marshal Richard Knighton, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff for Financial and Military Capability, in evidence to the committee on 28 May.
AM Knighton confirmed the Ajax vehicles made by General Dynamics Land Systems-UK (GDLS-UK) were not ready to be accepted by the British Army as planned last year.
“There was a desire to preserve [delivery] dates in order to maintain the focus and the morale of soldiers that would use the capability, but it became clear that elements of it were not going to be ready by the original date,” AM Knighton told the committee. “In due course, when we better understand the details of that, Sir Stephen [Lovegrove] will be writing to the committee with a revised assessment of the programme.”
The problems were identified by the MoD’s Major Projects Portfolio sponsor group, which monitors programme performance, said AM Knighton. He was responding to questioning from the committee on whether procurement project teams have a temptation to deliver equipment before it is ready so they can meet high-profile milestones. (Source: Jane’s)
05 Jun 20. Pentagon Wars II: Army to spend at least $1.5bn just on prototypes for third attempt to replace Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The Army will likely end up spending upwards of $1.57bn to develop a replacement for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle that’s served the U.S. military for nearly four decades, according to a new assessment from the Government Accountability Office — and that’s just for a fleet of prototypes.
As of January 2020, the service had doled out roughly $366.64m in funding as part of a middle-tier acquisition program for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle Increment 1 the service initiated in September 2018, according to the GAO report.
The Army is expected to spend another $1.2bn to procure 14 prototype vehicles apiece from two separate defense contractors, an acquisition that, planned for this past March, fell apart when the service cancelled its solicitation in January in order to “revisit the requirements, acquisition strategy and schedule” prior to prototyping.
The cancellation was reportedly prompted by the fact that the service only received one bid, from General Dynamics Land Systems, for the OMFV prototyping competition, as Army leaders told Defense News at the time.
According to the GAO report, the Army had previously planned on handing out an initial production contract award in late fiscal year 2023 and fielding the initial replacement vehicle by some time in early fiscal year 2026, but those dates are now up in the air due to the January cancellation.
“Officials stated that Army leadership is still committed to moving forward with the program, but they will need to reassess the achievability of their requirements within the desired timeframe,” according to the GAO report.
As Task & Purpose previously reported, the OMFV — part of Army Futures Command’s Next-Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) program — is just the latest attempt to replace the Bradley that has spanned nearly two decades.
In 1999, the Army adopted the Future Combat Systems (FSC) Manned Ground Vehicles (MGV) program was initiated as part of a broad effort to make the service’s legacy forces “lighter, more modular, and — most importantly — more deployable,” as the Army put it at the time.
That program was cancelled a decade later in 2009 and immediately replaced with the Ground Combat Vehicle program in 2010, which sought to replace the Bradley with the a Ground Combat Infantry Fighting Vehicle before being cancelled in 2014 amid rising costs and expanding requirements. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/https://taskandpurpose.com/)
08 Jun 20. Op-Ed: LAND 400 the key to future Australian maritime strategy. Historical precedents in evidence of profound change and disruptive effects astound analysts when providing governments’ insights on future planning, the LAND 400 suite of programs to recapitalise and modernise the Australian Army’s armoured units and reshape the way Australia approaches the tactical and strategic realities of a maritime strategy explains Greg Chalik.
The 1984 US Army’s new combat vehicles and the AirLand Battle doctrine were overtaken by 1985 Reagan–Gorbachev summits, 1991 Desert Storm, and 1993’s USSR dissolution.
Armies argue near-certainty about potential future foe is impossible. But, there are two army types: the global majority continentals (Rome, Germanies, USSR, China), and the minority maritimes (Spain, Britain, Japan, US). For the latter, uncertainty was always bounded by the littoral seas.
Australia is uniquely a continental maritime nation, peripheral to the Indo-Pacific archipelagic region, facing a unique security future, her US ally two weeks operational reach in cruising time.
What consumes Australian military planners’ thoughts is not a ‘fog of peace’ because threat in a bounded littoral region is highly predictable. The question is how to avoid a strategic surprise, and how to engage and win a future conflict in the context of the great power contest.
Since the 2000 Defence White Paper, a bipartisan political support exists for ADF’s self-reliance in the Asia-Pacific, but to what end, and with which capabilities?
Australia as a sporting nation understands that in winning a game a team needs running the ball forward, and scoring goals. Conceptually, warfare is similar. Tactical force must be operationally projected to reach objectives that define strategic success. Rugby is a microcosmic model for jointness, agility and speed. For the maritime nations’ armies, the challenge is in the ‘field’ of war complexity, water.
Projection of force is offensive, “the best form of defence”. No state had ever secured sovereignty by defence alone. The Parliament’s Defence Act 1903 recognised lessons of British history in s34(1) (a)(ii), authorising the Defence Force to protect Commonwealth interests if “there would be, or it is likely there would be, a threat in the Australian offshore area to Commonwealth interests (whether those interests are in that area or elsewhere)”.
The act’s authors recognised changes which in 1901 saw a multi-national intervention in China, the trigger for great power emergence. Lest we forget, in 1937, Japan, defeating Russia at a strategic strait, invaded littoral China. In 1942, Singapore surrendered to a strategic littoral campaign.
In ’96-’98 the Australian Army leadership was resisting the Army in the 21st Century and Restructuring the Army seeking new and more of capability resources, meeting DoA & other, expeditionary, contingencies and changing the Defence of Australia Strategy cultural affinity.
In 1999, the ADF’s 5,500 East Timor deployment highlighted the need for transformation. This should not have surprised Australians who had always gone to war by ship because “the seat of purpose is on the land”.
Preempting a likely threat “elsewhere” is “better than the cure” of attritional war the ADF cannot fight using tried and tested NATO mounted combined arms reinvented by Monash.
Operating across the full spectrum of threats and environments of the AOF operating context, necessitates amphibious and expeditionary operations capabilities. Such a force must be capable in projecting for sustained operations against an adaptive enemy in complex littoral terrain, which currently the Army is not, contrary to its own 2011 LAND 400 CONOPS document.
Not being ready when threats are inflicted as strategic surprises, repeated US experience, is what the ADF must avoid as a statutory obligation, by being ready to operate offensively in the littorals.
This can only be achieved by securing a capability advantage that offsets Army’s small size and offers a war-winning edge by exploiting new advanced combat methods and technologies.
In the 21st century, with post-colonial and Cold War eras’ mechanisms gone, and the USA’s capability to assist Australia strategically in question, ADF’s maritime self-reliance capability is needed more urgently than ever.
The Army must recognise that despite the Pacific War, no nation mastered maritime projection of force. The US’ hastily created 1941 capabilities were attritional, sustainable by a great power in the making, and not practised in war since 1954. There is no mounted combined arms combat in the littoral doctrine. There is no lesson in manoeuvre for the ‘featherweight’ ADF.
The failure by the USMC in designing the key STOM doctrine enabler platform, the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, illustrates lack of robust littoral warfare doctrinal development that led to unfeasible systems engineering.
The Army should not be deterred by the USMC failure from seeking to achieve the capability for strategic projection of force by adopting a unique domestic design platform tailored for regional operational reach, and one that fits statutory obligations to provide more pre-emptive options to the government. Australia cannot afford to be surprised.
Re-evaluating the operating challenges enables a Littoral Combat Vehicle System solution, which is affordable, manufacturable by a mostly Australian consortium within seven years, appropriate to ADF’s unique requirements, elegantly simple in design, highly efficient in deployment and more effective in littoral tactics than any existing platform, if the USMC error of putting systems engineering ‘cart’ before a developed doctrine ‘horse’, is not repeated.
A doctrine-led approach to force design satisfies the Army’s initiative to enable accelerated warfare, not only digital, but also in littoral tactics, leading professionally in the Australia–US military relationship, and contributing to a greater ANZUS strategic aim.
The key to transformation success is the LAND 400 project that can, with senior military leadership’s “buy-in” for an alternative AFV design approach, replace the M113AS4 variants, ASLAVs, the M1 ABRAMS and towed artillery by innovating BOXER chassis to the needs of all corps in littoral warfare, offering substantial value for money to the government.
Importantly this approach to the government’s maritime strategy offers a clear, shared and credible vision across the ADF that will deliver early successes with minimal resources investment.
The 1990s missed opportunity can be negated by a more capable Australian Army in the 21st Century if professional challenges of change are faced courageously.
To face the future challenges the Army must transform to a more agile and faster self, but this need not be the painful USMC process. There is no need to “reinvent the wheel”, but there is always room for a better agility at higher speed to reach sought destinations.
The $5.2bn LAND 400 Phase 2 program will have Rheinmetall deliver 211 8×8 Boxer combat reconnaissance vehicles (CRV) to the Australian Army.
Under the company’s offering to the Commonwealth, Rheinmetall will build a majority of the vehicles at the company’s specialised Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Queensland.
The first 25 vehicles will be built in Germany as part of the technology transfer process, with the remaining vehicles to be built in Australia. Boxer will replace the ageing ASLAVs that have served with the Australian Army in East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.
The Army will accept 133 reconnaissance variants of the Boxer, which will be equipped with Rheinmetall’s cutting-edge Lance 30mm automatic cannon turret system, among a number of other variants.
The Boxer CRV will support Australian industry, sourcing specialised armoured steel from Australian steel companies BlueScope Steel and Bisalloy, with engineering support provided by Melbourne-based Supacat Asia-Pacific.
LAND 400 Phase 3 is a $10-15bn Army program which will recapitalise Army’s Vietnam-era M113 armoured personnel carrier (APC) force, with a combination of a tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) and tracked APC.
The government announced the downselection of two contenders from a field of four, each offering two distinct capabilities:
- Rheinmetal Lynx KF-41: The Lynx KF41 will include the capability to support a crew of 12 (three crew, up to nine troops), have a max road speed of 70km/h, a road range of more than 500 kilometres, with an armament consisting of the Lance 2.0 30-35mm autocannon, a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun and a variety of additional close-in weapons systems.
- Hanwha Defense Systems AS21 Redback: The AS21 will include the capability to integrate active protection systems into an evolved turret system, the Redback will, like its BAE competitor, be capable of hosting a crew of 11 (three crew, eight troops), a top road speed of 70km/h, cross country speed of 40km/h, an operational range of 500 kilometres, with an armament consisting of a 40mm autocannon and a single 7.62mm coaxial machine gun.
Stage One of the tender evaluation process has been completed. On 16 September 2019, the government announced that Hanwha Defense Australia and Rheinmetall Defence Australia had been assessed as offering vehicles that are best able to meet Defence’s requirements and to deliver a value for money solution, and have been invited to proceed to the next stage of the evaluation.
The next stage of the evaluation process is an RMA that will be conducted over a two-year period. It is designed to allow Defence to work with the shortlisted tenderers to clarify, refine and negotiate their offers and to undertake detailed testing and evaluation of the tendered vehicles. (Source: Defence Connect)
04 Jun 20. Special Operations Forces have a new light tactical vehicle: the Polaris MRZR Alpha. Following a competitive bid process, General Services Administration (GSA) awarded a follow-on contract to Polaris Government and Defense, a division of global powersports leader Polaris Inc., for the Light Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (LTATV). The MRZR Alpha supports U.S. Special Operations Command’s (USSOCOM) requirements for durability, performance, payload profile and internal air transportability.
“Polaris has had the privilege of providing vehicles to USSOCOM since 2005 and we take a great deal of pride in delivering and supporting the current LTATV,” said Jed Leonard, vice president, Polaris Government and Defense. “USSOCOM and GSA provided industry with clear and early communication of requirements – we listened, we invested and we are honored another MRZR will be available for U.S. Special Operations.”
The MRZR Alpha is Polaris’ 11th military vehicle produced in 12 years. The LTATV specification – which calls for a 2-passenger and 4-passenger base vehicle, and seven variants or “packages” – results in a revolutionary new capability. Designed on an all new chassis, the MRZR Alpha is an entirely new breed of light tactical vehicle. Internally transportable vehicles have restrictions to size and weight, but Polaris’ investment and advances in chassis, driveline, suspension, and other technologies have allowed the company to provide a new level of durability, performance, and payload in the MRZR Alpha. Vehicle systems were also designed with near-future innovation in mind, with an architecture ready to accept new technologies and capabilities available within Polaris.
The MRZR Alpha’s versatility is further enhanced by improved exportable power and increased payload. Since their introduction, MRZRs have been outfitted with counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), weapons and high-energy laser systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, expeditionary command and control systems, autonomy packages, litters for medical and casualty evacuation and communication equipment. “We are extremely grateful that we have the opportunity to continue our support of USSOCOM. It’s an honor to provide this new capability to our warfighters, and a responsibility that our Polaris Team does not take lightly,” said Nick Francis, director of Polaris Defense. “We’re fully invested in providing the highest performing, most reliable LTATV ever – and we’ll continue to listen, support and innovate because our military – and especially our Special Operations Forces – demand and deserve the best.”
The seven-year contract calls for two and four-seat diesel vehicles and seven variants or packages. Missionization packages include a diesel-electric hybrid engine, rear-facing seats and rear ROPS, modular cargo area, top-mounted weapons integration, roof kit, enclosure or cab kit and arctic mobility package. The contract has a value of up to $109m and was awarded on May 29, 2020.
The contract also includes systems engineering support and training for the new LTATV. Polaris is a global company that trains and supports over 3,500 dealers with products sold to 120 countries. Polaris has been supplying traditional technical and parts manuals along with in-person training to the military for years – and leveraging corporate resources, Polaris can also offer new training opportunities to the military. Best-in-class online training videos, app-based technologies and computer aided modeling within electronic technical manuals are currently offered to Polaris’ dealers and can be easily adapted to train today’s military technician.
Dedicated Military Field Service Representatives (FSRs) have been teaching operator and maintainer training courses for more than 12 years to the U.S. and its allies. Polaris also provides world-class parts distribution – an established inventory management system allows for proactive management of parts inventory, minimizes lead time for parts and reduces the logistics for supply chain planning and management.
Polaris designs, engineers and produces its MV850 ATV, MRZR and DAGOR military vehicles in the U.S. As the next-generation LTATV, the Polaris MRZR Alpha represents the insertion of cutting-edge off-road vehicle technology – derived from millions of research and development investments to keep Polaris in front of the highly competitive off-road vehicle market. And like all Polaris military platforms, the new MRZR Alpha continues a legacy of light tactical military vehicles that are intuitive to operate, easy to maintain, and easy to globally support within an existing worldwide infrastructure of parts distribution and dealer service networks.
02 June 20. General Dynamics Land Systems–UK has delivered two fully-electric 8×8 Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT) Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) to the British Army. Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT) Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) to the British Army. Alongside the delivery of these UGV’s, which took place in April 2020, General Dynamics Land Systems–UK will provide New Operator Training, Maintainer Training, In-Service Support, Maintainer Tools and Spares, including a fully-supported Helpdesk.
Carew Wilks, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Land Systems–UK, said: “This Robotic Platoon Vehicle contract award is recognition of General Dynamics Land Systems’ extensive efforts to meet the needs of Armed Forces worldwide with innovative solutions to the changing landscape of the modern battlefield. We look forward to supporting the British Army in maximising the outstanding capabilities that MUTT provides.”
The MUTT, which provides both wheeled and tracked variants, is a rugged, reliable small-unit force multiplier providing increased battlefield capabilities. As a controllerless small-unit robotic follower, it lightens the load across different combat operations. As a remote-controlled or teleoperated team mate, it provides stand-off from threats or increased projection of combat power. The MUTT is engineered to easily evolve to accommodate new payloads, including Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) and Lethality, and proven levels of enhanced autonomy that we are already fielding elsewhere
01 June 20. Indian Army to get 156 additional BMP-2 ICVs. India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the procurement of 156 additional licence-built BMP-2 ‘Sarath’ infantry combat vehicles (ICVs) for the Indian Army (IA) from the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for INR11.25bn (USD148m).
OFB spokesperson Uddipan Mukerjee told Janes on 31 May that once the order from the MoD is granted, Ordnance Factory Project Medak (OFPM) in southern India will begin manufacturing the amphibious platforms.
The Indian MoD has approved the procurement of 156 additional BMP-2 ICVs for the IA.
Official sources said the MoD has indicated that OFPM, which has assembled and licence-built more than 2,500 units of the BMP-2 and the BMP-2K variant since 1987, will be required to complete delivery of all 156 ICVs within 24 months.
The additional ICVs – each of which weighs 14.3 tonnes, is operated by a three-man crew, and is capable of transporting up to seven fully equipped troops – are expected to “fulfil the operational requirement for rapid deployment of the army’s mechanised units”, said the MoD.
Each of the platforms has an operational range of 600km and is capable of reaching a top speed of 65km/h on roads, 45km/h off-road, and 3.8 kt on water.
Armament on these platforms includes a 2A42 30mm dual-feed, fully stabilised cannon and a coaxial 7.62 mm PKT machine gun. Mounted on the turret roof is a 9Sh119M1 missile launcher for 9M113 Konkurs anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs).
The IA employs about 1,500 BMP-2/2Ks in assorted roles, including armoured ambulances, amphibious bulldozers, and engineer reconnaissance vehicles.
Some ICV variants featuring a modified chassis have been fitted with Nag missile carriers (NAMICAs) capable of deploying up to six locally developed Nag ATGMs. (Source: Jane’s)
02 June 20. Italy Clears Initial Order for 40 Centauro II Tank Destroyers. The Italian Ministry of Defence announced May 28 that it had authorized the award of a production contract to the IVECO-OTO-Melara consortium for a second batch of 40 Centauro II wheeled tank destroyers, with an option on a further 56.
Including the option, a comprehensive ten-year support package, related equipment and an extended warranty, the contract is valued at 1,159m euros excluding value-added tax. It will be jointly financed by the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
The vehicles will be delivered in “3.0” standard, which will be able to operate in the Italian Army’s new digitalized Medium Brigades, alongside the Freccia wheeled infantry combat vehicle. The details of the vehicle’s capabilities are classified, but according to the explanatory memo issued May 28 by the National Armaments Director, the overall objective is to deploy “an adequate line of armored vehicles, capable of incorporating the characteristics of mobility, protection, firepower, speed, versatility and interoperability with the VBM Freccia, which is the main vehicle of the combat regiments deployed in operational theaters with medium to high threat levels, including Improvised Explosive Devices (IED).”
According to Italian media, the changes in version 3.0 mainly consist of improvements to the fire control system allowing the use of programmable ammunition, improved observation and sighting systems, and an uprated electrical system. The B1 version of Centauro currently in service cannot match the capabilities of the Freccia.
A further batch of 100 vehicles, which will complete the Italian Army’s requirements, is awaiting ministerial approval, the memo adds.
The original Centauro B1 tank destroyer has been in service with the Italian Army since 1991; it is armed with an 105mm main gun and is in service with 8 armored cavalry regiments.
The Centauro 2 contract follows an order for 30 Freccia 8×8 armored infantry combat vehicles awarded to the same Iveco-Oto-Melara consortium on Dec. 27, and intended for the Italian Army’s second “medium” brigade.
Italy is spending about €1.5bn on the Freccia program up to 2032, and plans to buy an additional 381 vehicles in an improved EVO (Evolved) version and delivered in several configurations, including combat vehicle, anti-tank, command post etc. (Source: defense-aerospace.com)
01 June 20. Elbit Systems and Roboteam highlights joint UGV development. Israeli companies Elbit Systems and Roboteam have unveiled their first collaboration – a networked autonomous combat system designed to extend the mission capabilities of infantry units.
The “Torch-Powered Probot” unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), which was exclusively unveiled to Janes on 19 May, merges Roboteam’s expertise in ground mobility and Elbit Systems’ autonomy, command and control (C2), and machine learning technology into a single UGV.
The development of the UGV follows Elbit’s acquisition of a 15% stake in Roboteam 12 months before.
The IDF exercises with a Torch-Powered Probot to identify concepts of operation, tactics, techniques, and procedures associated with unmanned ground vehicle operations.
The UK Ministry of Defence has already elected to acquire four Torch-Powered Probot UGVs from Elbit Systems in support of the Remote Patrol Vehicle (RPV) Experimentation Programme.
Elbit’s vice president for C4ISR, Gil Maoz and Roboteam’s CEO Elad Levy told Janes that the joint effort centres on the baseline Roboteam Probot UGV and Elbit’s Torch-X C2 technology.
The Torch-X payload, which measures less than 70 kg in all-up weight, is comprised of an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera system, GPS, and software package. This includes sensor agnostic terrain classification software to enable off-line processing of imagery intelligence and real-time physical motion simulation of the UGV’s power train, steering and suspension systems to generate a “traversability map” that aids the UGV in selecting an optimal route across an area of operation.
Torch-X software also provides the UGV with the ability to conduct on-the-move data collection from onboard sensors, which help to create a more accurate terrain of the “near” environment, including dynamic objects such as people, animals, and other military/non-military platforms, enabling the UGV to correct its route if necessary. (Source: Jane’s)
25 May 20. Contract Concluded with Industry on Future German-French Decisive Ground Combat System – Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).
With the contract on a system architecture definition study concluded between industry and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) the future German-French decisive ground combat system called Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) has reached its next milestone.
Things are now progressing fast with the MGCS. After the Framework and Implementing Agreements were signed by the Defense Ministers of Germany and France, the focus is now the contract with the ARGE consortium of industrial partners consisting of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Nexter Systems and Rheinmetall Land System. This kicks off the system architecture study for MGCS.
Nationally-selected concepts are being harmonized to develop a common multi-platform system architecture. The first part of the study is to be completed within 20 months.
The contract is concluded between the participating ARGE companies and – representing both Germany and France – the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).
The contract is equally co-funded by Germany and France, and German companies on one side and French company have also equally shared the workshare.
Mail-based signature
Given the significance of the joint project, a festive signature ceremony would have been most appropriate. But as with the Framework and Implementing Agreement, this contract cannot be signed in person due to the coronavirus situation. Even such a landmark project must now be signed via mail.
Industry companies Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Nexter Systems and Rheinmetall Land System were the first ones to sign. After that, BAAINBw received the documents for signature. In accordance with the agreement between the two partner nations, only Germany / BAAINBw as the lead nation was to sign.
Replacement for the German Leopard 2 and the French Leclerc main battle tanks
The MGCS project which is implemented under German lead will replace the German Leopard 2 and the French Leclerc main battle tanks in the mid-2030’s. With this project, Germany and France are sending a strong signal of European defense cooperation. (Source: defense-aerospace.com/French and German defense ministries)
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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.
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