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19 Sep 18. Lockheed Martin UK has successfully delivered the first production turrets for the Army’s new AJAX vehicles to prime contractor General Dynamics Land Systems. Lockheed Martin UK is under contract to manufacture, test and certify 245 turrets for the reconnaissance variant of the AJAX fleet. With the first eight turrets now successfully delivered, the production rate at the company’s facility in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, will steadily increase, with full rate production being achieved during 2019. Announcing the achievement at DVD2018 in Millbrook today, Alan Lines, Vice President and Managing Director of Lockheed Martin’s Ampthill site, said: “We’ve invested a huge amount in our people, our systems and our site so that we continue to remain a world-leader in armoured fighting vehicle systems, from design and development, through to build, integration, test and in-service support including training and spares.
“We delivered the first turret in March followed by a further seven turret deliveries in recent months, and two more are now ready to be shipped. The build rate is now ramping up as we move towards full rate production.”
The fully digitised turrets have been designed and developed by Lockheed Martin’s highly skilled engineers at the company’s Bedfordshire facility which is home to a multi-million pound manufacturing capability with a state-of-the-art production line and a highly-skilled team.
The AJAX turret offers soldiers unparalleled situational awareness and includes the new CT40 weapon system. The CT40’s enhanced capabilities make it the most capable medium calibre cannon in the market. It comes with a fully stabilised 40mm cased telescoped cannon that allows rapid selection and firing from a range of ammunition effects and is capable of firing on the move. It engages further away than its equivalent 30mm, it engages faster, and it uses significantly less rounds to achieve the required effect.
Alan Lines continues: “Our technology-leading turret contributes significantly to the intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), survivability and combat capabilities of AJAX. We’re immensely proud of the team and the work we’re doing to support this essential capability for the British Army.”
Defence Minister Stuart Andrew said: “AJAX is the UK’s biggest order of armoured vehicles in a generation, supporting thousands of jobs across the country and modernising our frontline fleet. Having been expertly produced just a few miles away in the same county, it is apt that this first batch of turrets have been delivered in time for Bedfordshire’s Army showcase, marking another step towards bringing these vehicles onto the battlefield.”
The AJAX turret shares commonality with the upgraded turret developed by Lockheed Martin UK for the Ministry of Defence’s Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme (WCSP). Lockheed Martin UK is the prime contractor for the WCSP programme, which is currently in its development phase.
19 Sep 18. MBDA unveils Future Land Indirect Fires concepts. MBDA has unveiled a number of land precision effects concept for integration with the ARTEC 8×8 Boxer infantry fighting vehicle to address the British Army’s future land surface-to-surface fire requirements. In April this year, UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that it will re-join the Boxer programme via the OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement/Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) – a move that will allow them to procure the Boxer platform to meet the requirements for Army’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) programme. The concepts – part of the company’s Future Land Indirect Fires offerings for the Army – are intended to “provide the ability to flexibly engage difficult targets at range with agile targeting methods and a high degree of discrimination”, according to the company.
One concept provides for an eight-cell land indirect fire mission module incorporating a 178 mm surface-to-surface munition with either radio-frequency (RF)/semi-active laser (SAL) or electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) seeker options. “Boxer is effectively designed to accept different mission modules that can be swapped in or out as required. So we are proposing is a modular mission module equipped to conduct a land indirect fires role,” an MBDA spokesperson told Jane’s . The concept leverages a number of technologies developed for the MBDA missile portfolio, including the 178 mm Brimstone and Spear missiles, along with the development in the 166 mm Common Anti-air Modular Missile family. One of the concept images shows what appears to be a stretched adaptation of the Brimstone missile with an aft actuator array leveraged from the CAMM effector. Another MBDA Future Land Indirect Fires concept appears to show a larger calibre air-breathing concept with an active RF seeker for longer-range effects. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
19 Sep 18. MBDA unveils Spectre combat UAV concept. MBDA in the United Kingdom has unveiled a new combat unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) concept designed to provide on-call, low-cost organic precision effects close air support for forward-deployed land forces. Spectre is a tilt wing, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) combat air system concept capable of quickly transitioning to forward flight mode for rapid traversal over complex terrain at low altitude. Designed with an integrated modular payload bay capable of incorporating systems up to 25 kg, Spectre can be equipped with either two MBDA Enforcers or a single Missile Moyenne Portee (MMP) multirole weapons system to address light armoured, soft-skinned and unmanned threats, or heavier armoured threats. The Spectre system can ‘find and fix’ beyond line-of-sight threats in complex operational environments to assist deployed ground forces. It also incorporates a ‘watch and wait’ mode with a top attack capability effectively giving the Spectre an overwatch/loitering munition utility. Other mission module options include re-supply payloads, improved sensors, or electronic warfare payloads. The latter payload can be combined with kinetic effects to disrupt adversary operations.
Spectre’s various mission modules can be replaced by the operator in-theatre, and the system design provides for the integration of new and upgraded modules and technologies and requirements evolve. As currently envisaged, Spectre will have a cruise speed of 180km/h, a cruising altitude of less than 100 m, and combat range in excess of 10 km with a flight endurance of more than 60 minutes. The Spectre design provides for two (front and aft) 2 m tilt wings, with four rotor assemblies: one on each wing. The all-up weight of the concept system has not been disclosed. Other features include automatic navigation, operator-over-the-loop command and control (but with firing authority always with the human operator), and anti-jam GPS navigation. Spectre can be used as a single system, or as a scalable co-operative swarming capability. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
17 Sep 18. Hanwha to unveil Biho 2 self-propelled air defence system. South Korea’s Hanwha Corporation is planning to unveil a new and improved version of its Hybrid Biho (Flying Tiger) self-propelled gun and missile defence system at the upcoming Association of the United States Army (AUSA) conference in Washington DC in October, company officials revealed to Jane’s during the DX Korea 2018 exhibition in Goyang City. Chanwook Lim, senior research engineer at the Mobility and Fire System Research Institute, told Jane’s on 16 September that the company has developed the Biho 2, which will be based on a new 8×8 chassis derived from the 6×6 Tigon armoured personnel carrier (APC). The Tigon was earlier launched at the Defence Services Asia 2018 exhibition in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Jane’s understands that several prototypes have already been demonstrated to Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.
“The new Biho 2 has already been fully developed and features improved radar detection and missile engagement capabilities and range,” Lim said, noting that the turret will be of a type and configuration similar to that of the Hybrid Biho, which is in service with the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA). The 26.5 tonne Hybrid Biho is based on the tracked K200 APC chassis, but has been modified with an additional road wheel on each side for increased surface contact with the terrain, lowering the vehicle’s ground pressure and delivering improved traction. The K200’s original 350hp Doosan Infracore D2848T diesel engine has been replaced with a more powerful 520hp D2840L to address the increased combat weight. The Hybrid Biho is armed with two 30mm Oerlikon Contraves KCB-B cannons with a range of 3km, with each gun firing at a cyclic rate of fire of 600rds/min and a total magazine capacity of 600 rounds. The platform also has two missile pods, each containing a pair of LIG Nex1 Shingung (Chiron) short range air defence missiles designed to engage fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and cruise missiles out to a range of 7km. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
13 Sep 18. Arnold Defense begins production of their FLETCHER laser guided rocket system. Arnold Defense, the St Louis based international manufacturer and supplier of 2.75-inch rocket launchers, is announcing the commencement of initial low-rate production of their “FLETCHER” land-based, 2.75-inch/70mm Weapon System. This announcement coincides with the Defence Vehicle Dynamics event (DVD) taking place in UK 19/20 September 2018. The FLETCHER system can be mounted on military vehicles as well as base defense platforms. Arnold Defense announced in June 2018 that successful test firing had taken place. The aim of the test-firing was to prove the concept of FLETCHER when used as a ground-based weapon system and to demonstrate the capability to a range of interested specialist users from across the globe. The test firing was a huge success, achieving a 100% target hit rate at ranges between 2 km and 5 km. Following on from that, Arnold are currently working on the initial production run of the FLETCHER launcher system with the first one to be delivered shortly. However, at this stage they are unable to disclose how many are being built nor to whom they will be delivered.
The FLETCHER system is supported by a team of global defense industry companies collaborating under Arnold’s leadership to combine their complimentary expertise. Working together, the team is able to provide a full-system approach to FLETCHER ranging from design, validation, testing, manufacture and full system integration in a variety of ground-to-ground engagement scenarios.
FLETCHER is a unique design that allows for ease of operation, maintenance and sustainment in support of combat operations. FLETCHER employs an existing suite of guidance modules, rockets and warheads which are already used in well-known programs and are readily available to global forces. Working in-concert with world-class designation equipment, FLETCHER is a fully integrated weapon system that can engage targets at ranges up to 5 kilometers giving land forces capability that previously required the deployment of air assets.
Jim Hager, President and CEO of Arnold Defense said “The FLETCHER system entering production is a huge win for the team, following on from the launch of the concept at DSEI in 2017 and then the successful test-firing earlier this year”. He added: “We look forward to seeing the successful deployment of FLETCHER providing the warfighter with a new fast, smart and lethal weapon system.”
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Control Solutions LLC is a turnkey design and manufacturing corporation with over 20 years experience solving tough military motion control problems. We focus on improving the safety, survivability, and mission effectiveness for personnel in tactical vehicles. We will be showcasing our CS5100 Lightweight Motorized Turret System as well as new JLTV-ready gun turrets. We have fielded over 60,000 ITDS and BPMTU motorized turret systems for the HMMWV, MRAP, and other tactical vehicle programs. We will present a family of accessories including weapon-mounted actuators, turret power and spotlight kits, and novel soldier power solutions. Control Solutions is on a mission to help solve your toughest motion control challenges.
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