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06 Dec 24. The Australian Army will select either HIMARS or StrikeMaster launcher vehicles to provide land-based, long-range fires in northern Australia under a new announcement this week.
The officials are rapidly pushing ahead to equip the Australian Army with a second long-range fires regiment, a statement from the federal government released on 6 December said.
In line with the priorities of the 2024 National Defence Strategy, the Australian Army must be equipped with land-based, long-range fires to protect Australia’s northern approaches.
The government will select from two options:
- The Precision Strike Missile fired from the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher vehicle.
- The Naval Strike Missile fired from the StrikeMaster launcher vehicle.
To inform this selection process, a competitive evaluation process will occur over the course of 2025.
“The National Defence Strategy and our government’s response recognises that land‑based maritime strike is a critical element in achieving a strategy of denial,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said.
“Today’s announcement represents another historic milestone, which will see our Army equipped with this capability for the first time in history.”
This follows the federal government’s decision in August 2023 to accelerate the acquisition of 42 land-based, surface-to-surface HIMARS launchers and precision munitions for the Australian Army. (Source: Defence Connect)
05 Dec 24. This Marine Corps unit now has a ship-killing missile in its toolkit. The Marine Corps’ newest formation now has the service’s key weapon in its armory: a ship-killing missile. The 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii recently announced the unit had received the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or NMESIS. The NMESIS serves as a critical weapon for Marines as they have spent recent years restructuring the service to better assist the U.S. Navy in gaining access to maritime territory defended by adversary missiles and warning systems.
“3rd MLR has an enhanced sea denial capability and is positioned at the forefront of strategic transformation,” Lt. Col. Timothy Love, 3rd Littoral Combat Team commander, said in a Nov. 26 release.
The weapon provides coverage for Navy and partner vessels from coastal positions and gives joint forces combined land and sea targeting options, according to Love.
The system combines a joint light tactical vehicle with remote controls and mounts a Naval Strike Missile on the frame, giving users a mobile missile system in a single package. This aligns with the stated role of the Marines: to island hop and destroy enemy ships and targets ahead of U.S. Navy ships arrival. The NMESIS, which will function as the Corps’ primary ground-launched anti-ship capability, is being field to the service’s littoral regiments as part of its Force Design modernization effort, Maj. Kevin Stephensen, Marine spokesman, previously told Defense News. The 3rd MLR was the Corps’ first littoral regiment, a new concept that combines a slimmer infantry battalion, improved radar and sensors with a variety of force and reconnaissance packages to assist joint commanders. The Hawaii-based unit emerged in 2021 and since then the service has established another MLR on Okinawa with plans for a third rotational regiment on Guam. The regiment’s Medium-Range Missile Battery will operate the NMESIS within the regiment’s infantry battalion. The fire support coordination center within the regiment will integrate the missile along with other kinetic and nonkinetic fires as they conduct maritime dynamic targeting process tasks, a rapid way to identify and hit targets from multiple platforms. The NMESIS serves as a critical weapon for Marines as the service has worked to restructure the service to better assist the U.S. Navy in gaining access to maritime territory defended by adversary missiles and warning systems. (Cpl. Eric Huynh/Marine Corps) Norwegian defense firm Kongsberg won a five-year, $900 million contract in November from the Navy — the firm’s biggest missile contract ever — to provide the NMESIS and the Naval Strike Missile which the service uses on its littoral combat ships and Constellation-class frigates, Defense News previously reported. The Marine Corps procured 97 NMESIS in fiscal 2023 and another 24 in fiscal 2024, according to the service’s fiscal 2025 budget request. Those procurements filled the service’s initial capability needs for the missile. Procurement is on pause for fiscal 2025, Defense News previously reported. (Source: Defense News)
05 Dec 24. Poland implements second executive contracts for K9 SPHs and Chunmoo MRLs. Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of National Defence Paweł Bejda announced during a press conference on 2 December that Poland has begun implementing the second executive contracts for K9 self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) and Homar-K (K239 Chunmoo) multiple rocket launchers (MRLs) from South Korea. This was made possible by a credit agreement worth EUR4bn (USD4.2bn) with Poland’s Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (National Development Bank) on 27 November. On 1 December 2023 Poland’s Armaments Agency (AA) and Hanwha Aerospace signed a second executive contract worth USD2.6 billion for additional K9 SPHs for the Polish army. Bejda said the agreement on the procurement of six more K9A1 SPHs in 2025 and 146 K9PL variants in 2026–27 depended on obtaining financial resources. He noted that the contract also included training and logistics packages, a service and repair centre, spare parts, and the possibility of establishing the capacity to produce modular charges. It also included several tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery rounds. The logistics package included spare parts and consumables, as well as equipment for operating the SPHs, according to the AA. After the signing, Hanwha said the contract also included technology transfer to streamline local production of parts to maintain weapon systems, as well as technical support to maintain, renovate, and modernise the Polish defence industry. (Source: Janes)
04 Dec 24. US Army funds S&T effort for PrSM Inc 5. A new science and technology (S&T) line of effort will be funded in fiscal year (FY) 2026 for an extended-range ground-based missile, the US Armyrevealed on 3 December. Once fielded, Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) Increment 1 (Inc 1) will be the longest-range land-based missile in the US Army’s arsenal. Four increments have already been announced, but a fifth increment is in the works, said Brigadier General Rory Crooks, director of the Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team (CFT). While Brig Gen Crooks declined to share a timeline for the development of the weapon, he told the audience at an Association of the United States Army (AUSA) event that research is being poured into how to make a longer pod. A typical army Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) is 13 ft long, he noted. “If you have something without a cab that’s autonomous, you might be able to employ something longer than that later down the road,” he added. It is unclear how much the range will be extended for PrSM Inc 5 because of how early it is in the development process, said Brig Gen Crooks. “We think Increment 5 – when you free up the design so that it’s not constrained by a current MLRS family and munitions pod length – we’re going to see how much more range we can achieve out of that,” he said. “Whether or not we can achieve hypersonic speeds with that capability, at what payloads – these are all things that are on the table right now.” (Source: Janes)
29 Nov 24. India tests nuclear-capable K-4 missile from INS Arighaat. This marks the first test of the K-4 missile from a submarine, following a previous unsuccessful trial in 2019. India has conducted a successful test of its nuclear-capable K-4 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from the recently commissioned INS Arighaat, a nuclear-powered submarine. In preparation of this test, a public area warning and NOTAM was issued for an intermediate-range missile test over a 3,490km flight corridor in the Bay of Bengal, reported The Times of India. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation, the K-4 missile is capable of carrying a 1-tonne (t) payload up to a range of 3,500km, reported Defence News. This marks the first test of the K-4 missile from a submarine, following a previous unsuccessful trial in December 2019 due to technical problems. The missile, which is 10 metres (m) long and weighs 20t, has been tested at least five times in recent years from submersible platforms, demonstrating its capabilities over nearly its full range, people familiar with the matter told the Press Trust of India. INS Arighaat, the second Arihant-class submarine, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in August 2024 at Visakhapatnam, with Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh in attendance. (Source: naval-technology.com)
29 Nov 24. France considers development of medium-range ballistic missile, press reports. On November 27, the French newspaper Challenges reported discussions within the French Armed Forces regarding the potential acquisition of a land-based medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM). This move signals a strategic shift as France explores bolstering its defence capabilities with missiles boasting a range exceeding 1,000 km. Currently, deliberations involve the French Armed Forces General Staff (État-major des armées), the Directorate General of Armaments (Direction générale de l’armement), and the Ministry of Armed Forces. The discussions aim to assess the feasibility and necessity of this missile system, with few details available given the early stage of the project. The proposed missile is set to differ from France’s existing M51 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which have ranges of 8,000–10,000 km and can carry multiple thermonuclear warheads. The land-based missile would feature a single warhead and active manoeuvring capabilities during its final flight phase, making it harder for missile defence systems to intercept. Unlike hypersonic glide vehicles, this missile’s design would focus on simplicity to reduce development time and costs. Speculation suggests it would be relatively compact, leveraging advancements in manoeuvrability to enhance survivability. At present, neither France nor any European NATO member possesses land-based ballistic missiles with such specifications. NATO’s European members rely on shorter-range American MGM-140 ATACMS missiles and South Korean Hanwha Aerospace CTM-290/Ure-I missiles, neither of which exceed a 300 km range. Only the US Army fields the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) with a range of 700 km, but these are not yet available for export. This French initiative could potentially evolve into a broader European collaboration. Other European programmes, such as the Franco-British-Italian FC/ASW and the multinational ELSA initiative, also aim to develop advanced missile systems. These projects focus on enhancing Europe’s strategic reach with options like high-speed cruise missiles and land-based variants of naval systems. (Source: Google/https://defence-industry.eu/)
03 Dec 24. UK MoD seeks high explosive supply chain amid munitions bottleneck. The UK looks to be setting up a supply chain to feed Ukrainian demand for artillery shells and munitions.
Releasing a single statement of user need (SSUN) on 28 November, the MoD revealed its intention to develop a high explosive supply chain specifically to assist with Ukrainian requirements, indicating the potential development of a country-specific industrial capability inside the UK or overseas, funded by the UK.
Working under the moniker of Task Force Kindred, the SSUN revealed that an industry day would take place on 11 December to determine capabilities and resources available in the private sector, specific to the provision of “high explosives for warheads and artillery projectiles, peopellants for boost/rocket motors and artillery”, as well as “pyrotechnics”.
In its reasoning, the MoD stated that it required to “secure supply of a significant quantity of energetic materials” for the next three years, citing a “critical bottleneck in munitions production” and availability of energetic materials, including ammonium and nitric acid.
The MoD intends to “reverse this” through a “coherent set of multi-year investments in UK-based or overseas suppliers”, funded through part of the “annual £3bn Ukraine budget”, and could include investment in facilities and infrastructure.
The move comes on the back of the announced creation of a new UK-based factory to produce M777 155mm lightweight towed howitzers, with Ukraine one of the most likely destination, given the British Army does not use the platform.
Has the UK been too slow off the mark?
The clamour for the raw materials of munitions manufacture, as defence industries in the UK, Europe, and the US spool up manufacturing to meet the demand, not just from Ukraine, but also all its suppliers.
To date, ms of artillery rounds have been provided by the US and Europe to Ukraine, particularly in the 155mm range, as Kyiv continues to persist in a war that passed the 1,000-day landmark recently.
However, with all countries effectively competing for the same raw materials and for the business from such suppliers, it is far from certain that the UK MoD will be able to acquire the resources it needs.
In August 2024, UK-based Astor Defence secured a four-year deal to supply Finnish defence OEM Nammo with TNT for the production of 155mm artillery shells.
In its release, Astor Defence stated that it would provide Nammo Group with “thousands of tons” of TNT, coming weeks after the Norwegian government announced in July 2024 that it had entered into a multi-year agreement with Nammo on artillery, missile, and rocket munitions.
The company also said it has “spare capacity” for TNT supply through 2025.
In November 2024, the US revealed that it would reestablish TNT production with a $217.5m contract for the design, build, and commission of a Trinitrotoluene facility to Repkon USA-Defense.
Better known as the acronym TNT, Trinitrotoluene is used in the manufacture of military munitions, and is the prime high explosive used in the production of artillery shells, as well as aerial bombs and infantry grenades. The new facility will be built in Kentucky and expected to be completed by November 2028.
The award will reestablish TNT production “swiftly and at scale” on US soil for the first time in decades, the US Army stated in an 8 November release.
“Reshoring TNT production gives us the ability to control and secure our supply chain for this vital component, especially in an era of increasing global challenges,” said Douglas Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology.
Supply chains stretched by global demands
In March, a report by analytics firm GlobalData examined the strain placed on global supply chains as an intensifying rearmament race, driven by geopolitical tensions and escalating defence budget, was setting new demands for an industrial base struggling to keep up with demand.
Speaking in March 2024, James Marques, defence and security analyst at GlobalData, said “vital items” such as artillery shells, air defence missiles, and armoured vehicles were seeing “rates of attrition in the war in Ukraine at rates unheard of in recent times”.
The repercussions of this heightened demand are reverberating across supply chains, with Western nations striving to replenish depleted stocks while simultaneously supporting Ukrainian forces.
The UK, for instance, has confirmed that it had donated 400,000 artillery shells to Ukraine and had earlier inked deals with companies such as BAE Systems to increase munitions production. Similarly, companies like Rheinmetall and KNDS in Europe are forging ahead with new production lines to meet the escalating demand. (Source: army-technology.com)
29 Nov 24. Dynetics Gets US Army Contract Worth up to $4bn for Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2. On November 13, 2024, the Army awarded Dynetics, Inc. an Undefinitized Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity letter contract for Indirect Fire Protection Capability Inc 2 Low-Rate Initial Production, Full Rate Production, and Support Services.
The contract valued at $4.1bn will initially procure 18 IFPC Inc 2 launchers. The total not-to-exceed dollar value of the undefinitized contract order is $204m, of which $99m was obligated immediately upon IDIQ contract award.
By leveraging an IDIQ contract, the Army is taking advantage of streamlined procurement processes, and increased flexibility, ultimately enhancing its ability to support the warfighter.
Major General Frank Lozano, Program Executive Officer Missile and Space, reiterated the Army’s continued support of our warfighters and allies, stating,
“With this contract award, the U.S. Army advances its commitment to defending U.S. interests and by bringing us one step closer to fulfilling our mission of providing robust and layered defense against ballistic missile attacks.”
The IFPC Inc 2 capability is in high demand as it is designed to protect fixed and semi-fixed sites from unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and rockets, artillery, and mortars. The capability provides a critical layer of defense for forward operating bases and other critical infrastructure.
In conjunction with other Program Executive Office Missiles and Space efforts, the IFPC Inc 2 capability is designed to integrate with other Army defense systems using the Army’s Integrated Battle Command System which provides a single, integrated air and missile defense fire control system that integrates multiple sensors and shooters, enabling a more effective and efficient defense against a wide range of threats.
The contract award is led by PEO MS and executed in partnership with Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal. (Source: UAS VISION/U.S. Army)
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About Galvion:
Galvion designs, develops, and delivers mission critical head, face, and torso protective solutions as well as intelligent power and data management systems for the world’s most demanding military and tactical teams. Founded in 2002 as Revision Military, a foundational belief in calculated investment and capability expansion led to a strategic refocus, resulting in the divestiture of the protective eyewear business, along with the Revision name, in 2019. Rebranded as Galvion, the company’s products and technology continue to evolve beyond purely passive protection, focusing instead on active systems that enhance performance and survivability, with an eye to the ever-changing demands of the modern battlefield. Through advanced design, keen end-user insight and intelligent integration, Galvion engineers uniquely customized solutions that go beyond what was once thought possible.
Privately owned with ISO 9001:2015 certified facilities in Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the US, Montreal in Canada and Bristol in the UK, Galvion’s team of 400+ employees work proactively to solve the problems left unsolved by others.
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