Estonia has sent fresh troops to Afghanistan as part of a regular rotation of its peacekeeping contingent in the south of the war-torn Central Asian country, the Estonian Defense Ministry has said. Estonian soldiers have been in Afghanistan as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) since 2003. About 300 Estonian troops are currently providing support to units of the British 19th Infantry Brigade in the Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. The ESTCOY-9 motorized infantry unit and the NSE-8 national support element will replace the Estcoy-8 and NSE-7 units, which have been deployed in Afghanistan for six months. Lt. Gen. Ants Laaneots, the commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, said in October that all members of ESTCOY-9 and NSE-8 units were equipped with modern weaponry, including personal night vision devices and compact ground penetrating radars to detect mines. The country's military has seen six deaths and about 30 servicemen wounded during its participation in NATO operations in Afghanistan.
08 November 2009

Hawkei is Thales's contender for the Department of Defence's LAND 121 Phase 4 program to replace Army Landrovers. The sleek 7-tonne 4x4 can carry up to six soldiers, and incorporates high levels of blast and ballistic protection. An engineering mock-up of the Hawkei will be on display at Armoured Vehicles Australia (AVA), highlighting its internal seating layout and ground-breaking design. The mock-up is a full scale representation of the vehicle which engineers use to experiment with different internal configurations and ergonomic (human factors) aspects, ensuring the end result is a vehicle designed to optimise operational effectiveness. "The Hawkei is the best solution to meet the Australian Defence Force's light protected vehicle requirements," said Ian Irving, Vice President in charge of Thales's Land & Joint Systems activities in Australia. "Together with Plasan, Boeing and PAC Group, we have formed an unrivalled team. And our exclusive relationship with Plasan for LAND 121-4's Australian option has been a real bonus. We're proud to be working with one of the most sought after composite armour and hull design specialists in the world. "The response to the Hawkei's launch has been overwhelmingly positive and the work done by Thales, along with our partners, is seen as a very compelling offer."
06 November 2009

Oto Melara, a Finmeccanica company, signed a contract worth around 20 million euro with Italy’s Ministry of Defence - General Directorate of Terrestrial Armaments to supply 81 HITROLE Light turrets. The HITROLE turrets will be used to equip a number of the Lince vehicles currently employed in Afghanistan, thus increasing operational effectiveness and diminishing risks to personnel. The contract also includes technical assistance. Oto Melara was selected by Italy’s Ministry of Defence following an international tender that began in July this year. The first turret will be delivered for operational testing four months from the contract registration, while a large number of the turrets will be delivered by the second half of 2010.
05 November 2009

Lockheed Martin successfully fired a U.S. Army Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rocket 92 kilometers in a recent test at White Sands Missile Range, NM. The flawless test highlighted recent product improvements of this battle-proven system to give it a longer reach, maintaining its accuracy and effectiveness while minimizing potential collateral damage. Firing crews for the launch were from the 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery from Fort Lewis, WA. This test firing of a unitary GMLRS met all mission objectives, which included:
- Verify production of GMLRS and HIMARS production lines;
- Validating rocket and launcher reliability;
- Proving performance of system software; and
- Obtaining performance, technical and reliability data.
05 November 2009

EADS Defence & Security (DS) has just delivered the first five SIR (Regimental Information System) command systems to the DGA. These systems will equip the new generation of VBCI armoured vehicles. This delivery is the outcome of three years of development work conducted in close collaboration with the DGA and the representatives of the French Army. Ultimately, 110 VBCIs are to be equipped with the SIR, which will be used in the different theatres of operation where the French Army is deployed. Since 2002, EADS Defence & Security, through its integrated Business Unit Defence and Communications Systems (DCS), has supplied some 600 SIR systems integrated in different types of Forward Armoured Vehicles (VAB, Véhicules de l’avant blindé), 10’ and 15’ shelters, and AMX10 combat vehicles. 118 SIR kits used in off-vehicle mode have also been produced by DCS. Today, the SIR has been delivered to 80 regiments and French Army training schools. The SIR technology is interoperable with the other command systems of the French Army and NATO. The SIR software was entirely produced by DCS, which constantly upgrades the system to satisfy the Army's requirements. At the core of the digitisation of the battle space, this system permits fully integrated command at regiment, group, battalion, squadron and company levels. DCS developed this technology to meet the highly specific needs of the French Ministry of Defence, to speed up the Command and Control processes and fully coordinate the units and weapons systems while guaranteeing very high mobility and surveillance capacities.
04 November 2009

General Dynamics has submitted its bid to provide the British Army's next generation of reconnaissance Armoured Fighting Vehicles. The General Dynamics team, led by General Dynamics UK, is offering a low-risk evolution of the ASCOD Infantry Fighting Vehicle, already in use with the Spanish and Austrian armies, for the Specialist Vehicle element of the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES SV). The ASCOD SV vehicle will have the best mobility in its class, with tremendous growth potential for optimum survivability for British troops against the threats of the future. General Dynamics has integrated turrets from every leading manufacturer onto its vehicles, and has selected Lockheed Martin UK INSYS as its turret provider for the Scout variant of FRES SV. Dr Sandy Wilson, President and Managing Director of General Dynamics UK, said: "General Dynamics' ASCOD SV has leap-frogged its rival for FRES. Based on a proven European design, ASCOD SV is the latest-generation vehicle developed specifically for FRES SV by a team of GD's British and European engineers. It is a low-risk choice for FRES SV, with excellent weight and growth potential. Our UK engineering talent and experience means that General Dynamics UK is now the country's leading integrator of Armoured Fighting Vehicles. We're offering a new solution with best-of-class technology and the confidence that comes from our track record of being trusted to deliver."
04 November 2009

Nepal's army and police have been placed on high alert, a government minister said Tuesday, after the opposition Maoist party announced plans to blockade the capital and shut down the main airport. Finance Minister Surendra Pandey said the Maoists' plans were in breach of the 2006 peace agreement signed by the former guerrillas, who have held regular protests in Nepal since their government fell in May. "The government has placed all the security agencies on high alert in view of the protests," said Pandey. "The Maoists have violated the spirit of the comprehensive peace accord by announcing plans to blockade the Kathmandu Valley and shut down the airport. This is not a democratic way to press for their demands." The Maoists, who fought a 10-year civil war against the state before winning landmark elections in 2008, last week announced a fortnight of nationwide protests aimed at destabilising the new coalition government. They have vowed to bring Kathmandu to a standstill on November 10 by shutting the country's only international airport during the peak tourist season and blocking all roads into the capital. They are calling for the president to apologise for blocking Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal's attempt to sack the head of the army, a move they say was unconstitutional.
04 November 2009

Associated to the project of development of a heavy helicopter fulfilling the requirements of NATO, Russia proposed to NATO the bigger helicopter of the world, the MI-26 (NATO code: Halo), announced Mikhaïl Korotkevitch, chairman of Helicopter Factory of Moscow, to the journalists. “The design of a powerful helicopter is often evoked by NATO, and the Member States of Alliance express an important interest for our heavy helicopters”, it declared. Work of the research department Mil, the MI-26T is currently in time of a modernization. According to M.Korotkevitch, this helicopter answers 100% with the requirements formulated by Atlantic Alliance. “The tests are showed that the Mi-26T satisfied with all the requirements emitted towards the transport cargo of NATO. There is not any doubt that the future will belong to this aircraft and its supplier, and the Rostov factory of helicopters. Multi-purpose helicopter with broad fuselage, the Mi-26T is intended for the cargo transport of and weapons of important size. It is also used for the building work, the installation of high voltage pylons, the assembly of equipment of drilling and the fire control.
03 November 2009

The Canadian army could not use some of its new tanks in Afghanistan shortly after their arrival because of technical problems, indicated the auditor General Sheila Fraser in a report published Tuesday. So that the tanks Leopard 2A6M are of return on the combat battlefield, it was necessary to strip some parts of other armoured vehicles in the zone of war, or on tanks intended for the training. According to the general auditor, the problem was worsened by a shortage of spare parts. She added that it is as a last resort that one takes parts on tanks on the field, but that the operational force in Afghanistan immediately started to use this method as of the arrival of the Leopard 2 A6M. A series of intense combat and a growing number of roadside bombs obliged the army to deploy a squadron of old tanks Leopard 1 in Kandahar, in the autumn of 2006. The commanders quickly realized that the tanks are old and that air-conditioning is not adequate in the desert. In April 2007, the conservative government announced that it was going to spend 650 million $ for an emergency plan for the acquisition of new tanks.
03 November 2009

BAE’s bid for the FRES Specialist Vehicle competition will be based on the CV90 chassis, seen here in Norwegian service, fitted with a turret-mounted 40mm automatic cannon. BAE Systems will submit its bid for the British Army’s most important programme on Thursday 5 November. The bid is for “Recce Block 1”, the £2bn first phase of the FRES SV (Future Rapid Effect System – Specialist Vehicles) programme. The Scout variant will give British troops a much-needed replacement for the ageing CVR(T) Scimitar, with greatly improved protection, firepower and reconnaissance abilities. The UK Ministry of Defence has said it will select a winner in the first quarter of 2010. The BAE Systems contender for all the variants is based on the latest version of its proven CV90 chassis, sold to six countries and recognised as the best combat vehicle in its class. For the vital Scout role, the chassis has been shortened and given a lower profile. The Scout turret and UK mission fit of all variants will be integrated onto the chassis in the UK, preserving jobs and the key skills necessary to continue to support British Army operations. BAE Systems has delivered well over 100 urgent operational requirements to modify vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan, mostly to provide protection to crews against ever-changing threats. The CV90 chassis has a mature supply chain, much of it already in the UK, and BAE Systems plans to increase UK content. The vehicle, turret technology and weapon system all have significant export potential. BAE Systems has already spent more than £25m – not including the weapon system - on developing an all-new British-designed turret for the Scout variant. It features sophisticated sensor systems and a revolutionary 40mm cannon. The latter’s ease of use, ability to fire on the move, versatility and much-increased punch means that it will give a major improvement over the 30mm Rarden gun used in Scimitar. Its 40mm high explosive round has more than three times the explosive power of the 30mm Rarden, while its armour-piercing projectile will penetrate more than 140mm of steel armour. The BAE Systems FRES demonstrator vehicle has already begun mobility trials at Millbrook proving ground and fired its weapon system at the Shoeburyness range.
02 November 2009

Modern helicopters constitute less than 10% of the helicopters used by the Russian armed forces, declared Monday the Deputy Prime Minister Russian Sergueï Ivanov at a meeting of the military industrial Commission of Russia. “The park of helicopters currently in service is at the same time worn and obsolete. The part of the modern helicopters is lower than 10% of those which are used by the Russian air forces”, it affirmed. The Deputy Prime Minister noted that a similar situation characterized aviation concerned with Federal security service (FSB), of the ministry for the Interior and the ministry for the Emergencies. “We must change this share to 80% from here at 2020”, it pointed out.
02 November 2009

The Stockholm County Administrative Court has today decided that the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, FMV's decision to award the AWV 2014 contract to Patria must be cancelled and the public procurement proceedings are recommenced due to inadequacies in the procurement process. Patria regrets the decision of the Administrative Court’s decision. However, Patria is confident to succeed even in the new tender process as Patria AMV is considered to be a high quality vehicle proven in the international crisis management operations. Sweden’s FMV defense procurement agency recently selected Finland’s Patria for a EUR 240 million contract to deliver 113 AMV (Armoured Modular Vehicle) wheeled Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) to the Swedish Armed Forces. The 27 tonne AMV has a crew of 3, and can carry up to 9 soldiers. A varied set of turrets and modules can configure it for different roles, from MEDEVAC through to IFV or even automated mortar carrier.
01 November 2009