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21 Sep 22. Testing of noisy Ajax tanks still stalled after six months. Trials on the Ajax light tank have still not resumed nearly six months after they had to be stopped for a third time because of noise concerns, leading to further calls for the programme to be axed.
Army chiefs are not confident the vehicles are safe enough for soldiers to test, five years after they were meant to start being delivered. It is understood that the safety panel assessing the risks to troops has not agreed that they should continue.
Alec Shelbrooke, the new procurement minister, has also admitted that a report into the management of the programme will not be published until the end of the year.
Responding to a parliamentary question, he confirmed that the report would be made public, however, raising the prospect of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) naming those responsible for the failures.
He wrote that Clive Sheldon KC, who was appointed in May to lead an independent review into the debacle, had advised the MoD in June “that he estimated it would take him a further six months to finish gathering information and draft his report”.
Shelbrooke wrote: “I intend to publish the report, subject to redaction of commercially sensitive content and personal information where applicable, as soon as possible after it is finalised.” He has also admitted that the department is unable to provide a date for when the vehicle will enter service.
More than £3.2bn has been paid to the defence giant General Dynamics’ UK arm for the vehicle despite only a few dozen of the 589 ordered being delivered. Further payments for the £5.5bn programme have been suspended. The programme has been beset by delays. Trials have been suspended repeatedly over health and safety concerns after troops reported hearing problems and other issues with joints due to noise levels and vibration.
Ministers have admitted previously that trials with the vehicle have resulted in 310 people being exposed to noise and vibration problems, with a small number being discharged because of hearing loss.
This year it emerged that more troops may have suffered hearing problems after trials resumed on the Ajax light tank for several days in May before the army was forced to stop them.
The latest trials were said to have raised a new problem about the “effectiveness of the internal communications system”, which the procurement minister at the time said required “additional analysis”.
A defence source said the trials had still not resumed, adding that they would do so “when the safety panel is satisfied it is right”.
Mark Francois, a former armed forces minister, said: “The all party public accounts committee told the MoD this summer to ‘fix or fail’ Ajax by Christmas — and now we hear the trials have not even restarted, on safety grounds. This £5 bn programme is descending into a total farce, so the new procurement minister should grasp the nettle, cancel it and buy something that actually works instead.”
Francis Tusa, a defence analyst, said that given the trials had not been restarted it was “pretty safe to say that there has been no progress in deciding what the root causes of dangerous levels of noise and vibration are”.
He also said there was a battle over who would pay for the trials, whether that be the MoD or General Dynamics. However, he said it was his understanding that the army was determined to get Ajax across the line “come whatever”.
The MoD said: “We recognise Ajax is a troubled programme and we are clear that we will not accept a vehicle until it can be used safely for its intended purposes.” (Source: The Times)
BATTLESPACE Comment: The Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace told the Editor at DVD today that Ajax was ‘A Programme of concern, and one we are determined to resolve as soon as possible.’ A source told BATTLESPACE that one possible area of dispute between the MoD and GDUK was payment for reengineering of 300 Ajax chassis to iron out the noise and vibration issues. The source said that one solution could involve replacing the current torsion bar suspension system with a Horstman system, that would solve 60% of the noise and vibration issues. BATTLESPACE understands that the noise issues located in the engine bay were recognised some time ago but there is not enough space to install a noise reduction buffering solution. In another development, rubber track supplier Soucy is still waiting for a call from GD to trial its rubber track solution on Ajax which it claims will reduce noise issues. In another development Fischer Panda are displaying a new APU on its Stand at DVD which is being installed in Ajax to replace the ageing and noisier Rolls-Royce APU. In other news a source told BATTLESPACE that the firing on the move by Ajax was still an area of concern given the design of the breech and the fact that the round does not lock into the breech feed, thus any sudden movement affects the barrel alignment. The same source said that the costs per round was estimated at £1000 for a training round and £2500 for the battle rounds.
21 Sep 22. Rheinmetall and RBSL attend DVD 2022. Rheinmetall and its joint venture company Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) will be present at the DVD trade fair in Millbrook, Bedfordshire on 21 and 22 September 2022. On stand OR-15, the companies will provide information on some of their extensive activities and products for the UK and export customers. These include key projects in the reshaping of His Majesty’s Armed Forces, such as delivery of Challenger 3 programme and Boxer vehicles for the Mechnised Infantry Vehicles (MIV) programmes and investing in future technology and long term support in the UK to create Sovereign Capability as promoted by the Land Industrial Strategy
Boxer variants: Demonstrator Overwatch with MBDA Brimstone, Mortar Carrier and Ground Based Air Defence.
At DVD 2022, Rheinmetall and RBSL will be exhibiting several new Boxer variants and mission modules. These include the demonstrator “Overwatch”, equipped with a launcher for eight MBDA Brimstone anti-tank guided missiles, a mortar carrier with 120mm weapon system and a ground-based air defence variant. In November 2019, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) awarded the Mechanized Infantry Vehicle (MIV) contract via OCCAR to Artec GmbH – a joint venture between Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), with manufacture of the Boxer vehicles subcontracted to RBSL and WFEL in the UK. Rheinmetall has invested more than 40MioEUR (£35m) in the RBSL facility at Telford, creating and sustaining more than 600 jobs. Transfer of knowledge and technology to the UK continues to deliver Boxer at the highest quality to the UK customer. Sub contracts continue to be placed with UK suppliers to maximise the contracts with the UK content on the vehicles. Delivery of Rheinmetall and RBSL’s vehicles is due from 2023.
Rheinmetall’s HX3 10×10 wheeled self-propelled howitzer
The Group’s new HX3 generation stands out on account of its improved crew protection, even greater mobility, enhanced driving comfort and digital interface architecture, resulting in even greater operational flexibility as well as creating scope for future performance upgrades.
The HX3 builds on the highly-prized core strengths and family concept of its HX2 predecessor, to become an even more advanced mobile platform for complex weapon and radar systems.
These include truck-based artillery systems, which are likely to play an increasingly prominent role in coming years. On show at DVD 2022 is the Rheinmetall wheeled self-propelled howitzer mounted on a high-mobility HX 10×10 chassis. It is equipped with a highly protected cab and a fully automatic, remote-controlled artillery turret. This development is led out of Bristol by the Rheinmetall team, continuing to build and create Sovereign Capability and to sustain highly skilled jobs in the UK. The HX 10×10 will serve in future as a standard platform for a variety of artillery systems and similar military hardware.
HX vehicle family
Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle’s HX vehicle family is one of the most widely used military trucks worldwide. As military-off-the-shelf products, the robust vehicles are designed for maximum mobility and reliability under the most adverse operating conditions. In addition to the Rheinmetall wheeled howitzer on a highly mobile HX 10×10 chassis, a heavy recovery vehicle will also be on display at DVD 2022 along with demonstrations of the leader follower capability and the Automatic Load Handling System.
Caracal 4×4 special forces air assault vehicle family
Together with Mercedes-Benz and ACS Armoured Car Systems, Rheinmetall offers a versatile and highly mobile 4×4 vehicle family for light forces such as airborne or special operations units. The new vehicle system will be presented for the first time in the UK at DVD 2022.
Fuchs/Fox CBRN Recce
In September 2020, RBSL was awarded a 18.2 MioEUR (£16m) contract to upgrade and sustain the British Army’s fleet of Fuchs (Fox) CBRN reconnaissance vehicles and training simulator.
Ten Fuchs vehicles, originally produced by the Rheinmetall group, were gifted to the British Government by the German Government during Gulf War 1. RBSL secured the contract to replace the Chemical Radiological Nuclear (CRN) mission equipment, address obsolescence issues and provide in-service support. The work is being led by RBSL’s facility in Telford, with the support of the local supply chain. So far, six vehicles have successfully been converted and delivered to the customer, with the remaining four vehicles on track to be converted by the end of the year.
Loitering munitions
These air-supported precision munitions combine the characteristics of drones and guided missiles. They enhance the ability of even small units to reconnoitre target zones from above, coupled with standoff, high-precision engagement of targets. Rheinmetall and its partner UVision have entered a cooperation agreement to market UV’s Hero family of loitering munitions in Europe. At DVD, the two companies will be highlighting possibilities for integrating Hero LM systems into manned and unmanned vehicles.
Unmanned systems and robotics
Rheinmetall will also be showing how various integrated, unmanned systems can enhance the capabilities of armed forces. The Robotics-L walking robot and Mission Master SP demonstrate how robotics is already changing the modern battlefield. Robotics-L can carry out reconnaissance missions. The Mission Master SP unmanned ground vehicle is configured for transporting cargo. Furthermore, HX60 trucks fitted with the Leader Follower-kit will demonstrate semi-autonomous convoy operations.
Digitized battlefield
As a leading systems integrator, Rheinmetall possesses all the knowledge necessary for networking various entities on the digital battlefield of the future. At DVD 2022, Rheinmetall will show how the interplay of sensors, effectors and human-machine interfaces can lift the “fog of war”. Rheinmetall will also be showcasing the current configuration of its Gladius 2.0 soldier system and how it can be networked with manned and unmanned vehicles and subsystems.
Challenger 3 programme
As announced in May 2021, RBSL will be transforming a total of 148 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks into the new Challenger 3 configuration. The upgrade includes a new turret incorporating digital system architecture and Rheinmetall’s tried-and-tested 120mm smoothbore L55A1 tank gun and state-of-the-art Kinetic Energy tank rounds and the latest programmable High Explosive multipurpose ammunition.
The Challenger 3 will be a network-enabled digital MBT that combines maximum lethality with greatly improved battlefield survivability. At DVD 2022, Rheinmetall and RBSL provide information on the progress of the project, in which numerous other British companies are also involved.
In addition, Rheinmetall will be presenting its extensive expertise in virtually all capability categories at DVD 2022. These include Rheinmetall’s know-how as a systems house for the digitalisation of armed forces, its comprehensive expertise in protection technologies, weapons and ammunition systems for threat-adequate and scalable effects, or innovative and networkable sensor technology for applications on land, in the air or at sea. We look forward to seeing you at DVD 2022 at stand OR-15.
19 Sep 22. Queen’s funeral: Military serve former Commander-in-Chief for final time. Military personnel played a central role in the Queen’s funeral as the nation bid farewell to its monarch of 70 years.
The Armed Forces have played a central role in the nation bidding farewell to its longest-reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
About 4,000 UK and Commonwealth military personnel were on parade in London and Windsor for the funeral and committal service of the military’s Commander-in-Chief of 70 years.
Roughly 140 Royal Navy sailors towed the carriage carrying the Queen’s coffin to Westminster Abbey from Westminster Hall for Her Majesty’s state funeral and then to Wellington Arch, before the coffin was taken by hearse to Windsor Castle for a committal service.
As the hearse approached Windsor, the Long Walk to the castle was lined with members of the Armed Forces on either side, stood in front of the public.
Hundreds of thousands of people lined the Queen’s funeral procession in both London and Berkshire.
Members of the British Armed Forces served their former Commander-in-Chief for the final time as the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II processioned through London.
Around 200 pipers and drummers of Scottish and Irish Regiments, the Brigade of Gurkhas and the RAF led the procession from Westminster Hall to Westminster Abbey for the state funeral.
The King and his siblings, followed by the Prince of Wales, Duke of Sussex and Peter Phillips walked behind the carriage as it travelled to Westminster Abbey.
The King wore his Royal Navy uniform, with other royals also wearing military uniform.
The Queen’s coffin was flanked by a bearer party, escort party and pall bearers, with the procession featuring two marching detachments of the Household Cavalry in their breast plates and plumed helmets and a Household Division party.
Soldiers of the Queen’s Company from the 1st Battalion of the Grenadier Guards acted as the bearer party because of their unique association with the monarch.
A tri-service guard of honour founded by the Royal Navy, Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards and the King’s RAF’s Colour Squadron formed up along the route and were joined by the Band of the Royal Marines.
The short procession from Westminster Hall, to the sound of bagpipes and with Big Ben tolling, took around eight minutes.
Watch: Military central to Queen’s funeral procession to Westminster Abbey.
As the coffin entered the abbey, the Choir of Westminster Abbey sang lines, known as The Sentences, from Revelation 14:13, set to music written by William Croft and used at every state funeral since the early 18th century.
During the service, groups of soldiers marched in units on Horse Guards Parade and Horse Guards Road, before spacing themselves out in front of the crowd, lining the road and path, while the Queen’s funeral radio broadcast played in the background.
State trumpeters from the Household Cavalry sounded the Last Post following the Archbishop of Canterbury’s commendation over the Queen’s coffin and a blessing pronounced by the Dean.
A two minute silence then fell across the country before Reveille was sounded by the trumpeters and the National Anthem was sung by the congregation.
The Queen’s funeral drew to a close with the Queen’s Piper, Warrant Officer Class 1
Watch: Queen’s hearse leaves London after military-led procession and heads for Windsor Castle.
Her Majesty’s coffin was then carried from Westminster Abbey to be placed on the State Gun Carriage.
As the bearers moved slowly through the abbey to place the coffin once more on the gun carriage, they were followed in procession to the Great West Door by the King and Queen Consort along with other members of the Royal Family.
The Queen’s coffin, followed by the King, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Sussex, Duke of York and the Princess Royal, then began its procession towards Wellington Arch after it was placed back onto the State Gun Carriage which was again pulled by naval personnel.
The route was lined by 1,000 Armed Forces personnel from Westminster Abbey to the top of Constitution Hill at the Commonwealth Memorial Gates.
Gun salutes were fired every minute from Hyde Park by The King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, as Big Ben tolled throughout the duration of the procession. (Source: forces.net)
20 Sep 22. UK to spend at least £2.3bn on Ukraine war effort in 2023. Liz Truss will tell world leaders this week that Britain will match or exceed the £2.3bn it committed to Ukraine’s war effort against Russia in 2022 next year on her first overseas trip as UK prime minister. Truss, who met many leaders on the margins of Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral in London on Monday, will arrive in New York on Tuesday with a hawkish commitment to stand by Ukraine for the long haul. Speaking ahead of the trip, Truss vowed to the people of Ukraine: “The UK will continue to be right behind you every step of the way.” She will repeat that message in an address to the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Her trip to New York, where she will also hold bilateral talks with US president Joe Biden, marks the return of normal politics in Britain after 10 days of national mourning and the start of a crucial week for her government. On Wednesday Jacob Rees-Mogg, business secretary, will set out more details of an energy bailout for companies, while on Thursday Thérèse Coffey, health secretary, will present a plan to shore up a struggling NHS. Meanwhile, Truss will be back in London to see Kwasi Kwarteng, the chancellor, deliver tax cuts as part of a mini-Budget on Friday, which will focus on her plan to boost Britain’s sluggish economic growth rate. Labour, which has refrained from political attacks during the mourning period, will resume criticism of Truss, claiming that her government will favour the rich and profitable big business over ordinary people. Sir Keir Starmer, Labour leader, will target Kwarteng’s plan to scrap a cap on bankers’ bonuses, his refusal to impose an expanded windfall levy on energy companies and his plan to reverse a corporation tax rise. Ed Miliband, shadow climate change secretary, said: “From ducking a windfall tax to giving bankers bonuses whilst working people suffer, Liz Truss is confirming what we’ve known all along: that Conservatives will never stand up for the British people.” Kwarteng will argue that his huge state intervention to hold down energy bills proves he is helping ordinary people. He claims that tax cuts generate growth, even if they are funded by borrowing. Truss, foreign secretary in Boris Johnson’s government, will use her speech at the UN to urge the west to step up support for Kyiv following Ukraine’s recent successes on the battlefield against Russia. Truss has previously said Moscow must leave the “whole of Ukraine”: a reference to her belief that Russian president Vladimir Putin should also pull his forces out of Crimea, which he invaded and annexed in 2014. Recommended Chris Giles The mini-Budget is taking great risks with the public finances Downing Street said the UK was already the second-largest military donor to Ukraine, committing £2.3bn in 2022. Britain has trained 27,000 members of the Ukrainian armed forces since 2015, and Number 10 said the UK has provided hundreds of rockets, five air defence systems, 120 armoured vehicles and other equipment. Truss’s allies claim the largest commercial road move of ammunition since the second world war was carried out last week. Tens of thousands more rounds of UK-donated artillery ammunition went to the front lines in Ukraine. (Source: FT.com)
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Founded in 1987, Exensor Technology is a world leading supplier of Networked Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Systems providing tailored sensor solutions to customers all over the world. From our Headquarters in Lund Sweden, our centre of expertise in Network Communications at Communications Research Lab in Kalmar Sweden and our Production site outside of Basingstoke UK, we design, develop and produce latest state of the art rugged UGS solutions at the highest quality to meet the most stringent demands of our customers. Our systems are in operation and used in a wide number of Military as well as Home land Security applications worldwide. The modular nature of the system ensures any external sensor can be integrated, providing the user with a fully meshed “silent” network capable of self-healing. Exensor Technology will continue to lead the field in UGS technology, provide our customers with excellent customer service and a bespoke package able to meet every need. A CNIM Group Company
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