November 2008 Worldwide Defence industries industry news military equipment armoured army defence wo

Force Protection today announced that it has received a modification to contract M67854-06-C-5162 from Marine Corps Systems Command for a Foreign Military Sales order of 14 Buffalo vehicles to be delivered to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence. The undefinitized contract modification carries a dollar value not to exceed $18.6 million. This modification represents the first orders for the Buffalo vehicle for the United Kingdom. Work under the modification including vehicle deliveries and sustainment is to be completed by October 2009.
14 November 2008

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has signed a contract with Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific (MBAuP) for the supply of 1,200 G-Class cross-country vehicles. The first deliveries of the G-Class off-road vehicles to the ADF will commence in 2009, which coincidentally marks thirty years of G-Class production, and will run through to at least 2014. The military-specification G-Class vehicles will be built in a dedicated factory in Graz, Austria in both a 4X4 (for the lightweight component of the tender) and a 6X6 configuration (for the light component). All of the G-Wagons supplied to the Australian Defence Force will be fitted with different variants of modules or cargo platforms. The modules will be supplied and delivered by VARLEY, based in Newcastle, NSW. A total of nine vehicle variants will be supplied across the 4X4 and 6X6 platforms. In addition to the vehicle supply contract there is also a 30-year strategic agreement and a service/parts/support contract which will run for an initial 15 years with an option for an extension beyond this time frame. The total value of the vehicle and service/parts/support contract is AUD$350 million.
14 November 2008

Staff General of the Armed forces of Russia decided to buy drones in Israel during two to three years, announced Novosti Mikhaïl Moussatov, member of the Committee for the Defense of the Duma.
13 November 2008

Several Arab countries wish to buy Russian ground-to-air missiles S-400 Triumf, announced to Wednesday the person in charge of Russian export armaments of " Rosoboronexport" defence company, Nikolaï Dimidiouk. The S-400 "has been designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), or twice the range of the MIM-104 Patriot, and 2.5 times that of the S-300PMU-2. The effective firing range of the new S-400 system is twice that of the previous S-300 system and its firing capacity is more than double
12 November 2008

Iran has test-fired a new generation of surface-to-surface missiles, state television reported on Wednesday. The reports came a day after Iranian media said the elite Revolutionary Guards had tested a new missile, named Samen, near the Iraqi border. Another Iranian channel, the English-language Press TV, said the missile, named Sejil, was of a type that used combined solid fuel and described it as a "deterrent". An Iranian surface-to-surface missile lifts off from a launch platform during a test firing at an undisclosed location in the Iranian desert in this image released to Fars News by the military November 12, 2008
12 November 2008

Russia's state arms exporter Rosoboronexport said on Wednesday it was not planning to export Iskander tactical missile systems until Russia's Armed Forces have been fully supplied with them.Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said earlier this month the country would deploy Iskander-M systems (SS-26 Stone) with a range of 500 km (311 miles) in the Kaliningrad exclave, sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland, to "neutralize if necessary" a proposed U.S missile defense system in Central Europe. At least five missile brigades deployed on Russia's western border will be equipped with new Iskander-M short-range missile systems by 2015, a Defense Ministry source said on Friday.
12 November 2008

EADS Secure Networks (SN), an integrated activity of EADS Defence & Security, has been awarded by the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance a contract to procure TETRA radios to the Bulgarian Border Police. The contract follows a competitive tendering during which SN has been chosen for its offer. The order encompasses 2200 robust and user-friendly THR880i handheld radios and 350 vehicle mounted TMR880i radios together with their accessories, documentation and training. These radios are to be delivered by the end of the year and will be used as of early 2009. The new equipment will provide the users from the Bulgarian Border Police and other Border Agencies with smooth and secure communication and support their work in their own language, as both the THR880i and TMR880i radios come with Bulgarian display texts and voice feedback. Both radio models have similar features and menus, making it easy for the users to learn how to use the radios and switch from one model to another.
12 November 2008

Rosoboronexport has signed deals to sell six Su-30 Flanker-C jet fighters and 18 BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles to Indonesia, an official at Russia's arms export monopoly said on Wednesday.Nikolai Dimidyuk, Rosoboronexport's special programs director, said Indonesia could also buy other Russian warplanes as well as Mi-17 and Mi-35 helicopters. He added that Indonesia had asked Russia to modernize its Soviet-era weapons and equipment.
12 November 2008

The body of a goverment soldier killed in fighting during the night is seen in the road on the front line, Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2008 near Kibati, just north of Goma, in eastern Congo. The city of Goma has been besieged by rebels loyal to renegade Gen. Lauren Nkunda since he reached the outskirts of the provincial capital. The rebels have promised to fight any African troops that aid the Congolese army.
12 November 2008

India successfully test-fired on Wednesday a medium-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile, the Department of Defense Research and Development said. The Shaurya, with a payload of one ton and a 600-700 km range, is capable of effectively engaging targets in Pakistan and China. The DRDO said the missile was launched from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, in eastern India. According to Indian media reports, although there was speculation that the missile was a land version of the K-15 submarine-launched ballistic missile, which is still in development, DRDO sources were quoted as saying the Shaurya
12 November 2008

Venezuela will continue to buy modern weaponry from Russia and other "friendly countries" in the future to boost its defense capability, a senior military official said. Between 2005 and 2007 Russia signed 12 contracts worth more than $4.4 billion to supply arms to Venezuela, including fighter aircraft, helicopters and Kalashnikov assault rifles. In September, Russia agreed to provide Venezuela with a $1 billion loan so that Caracas could buy TOR-M1 air defense systems, Igla-S portable SAM systems, Il-78 aerial tankers and Il-76 military cargo aircraft. The two countries are also planning to conduct joint air force exercises in 2009.
07 November 2008

General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Oct. 31, 2008, a $58,340,939 cost/plus/fixed/price contract for engineering service for Saudi Arabian government update to convert the M1A2 Abrams tank into Saudi, M1A2S configuration. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited and one bid was received.
07 November 2008

Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi said on Thursday his country was considering buying Ukrainian-made weaponry for defense purposes. Qaddafi arrived in Kiev on Tuesday for talks with President Viktor Yushchenko and top government officials. The three-day state visit to the former Soviet republic is his first since the collapse of the U.S.S.R., and comes as the third leg of a tour that started in Moscow and continued in Minsk. Ukraine was the world's 10th biggest arms exporter from 2003 to 2007, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
07 November 2008

In a session of the budget committee, the German Bundestag today decided the procurement of 198 protected vehicles of Mowag build EAGLE IV to a total price of 105.7 million Euros. The extension contains also the 25 vehicles whose procurement was already decided in an earlier session. The EAGLE IV vehicles will be first manufactured in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland, and then shifted to General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Within the framework of the GFF Klasse 2 programme (protected Command and Function vehicles) the EAGLE IV will replace unprotected carrier vehicles of the Bundeswehr to enhance the safety of the German soldiers in Afghanistan.
06 November 2008

A fragile cease-fire in Congo appeared to be unraveling Thursday as the U.N. said battles between warlord Laurent Nkunda's rebels and the army spread to another town in the volatile country's east. The latest clashes pit the pro- government Mai Mai militia against the rebels. A Mai Mai militiaman lies dead in the village of Kiwanja, 90 kms north of Goma, eastern Congo, Thursday Nov. 6, 2008.
06 November 2008

Russia will deploy short-range Iskander missiles in its exclave of Kaliningrad next to Poland in response to U.S. missile plans for Europe, President Dmitry Medvedev said on Wednesday. Moscow has repeatedly expressed its opposition to Washington's plans to place 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and an accompanying radar in the Czech Republic, saying they threaten Russia's national security. Russian officials earlier said Moscow could also deploy its Iskander tactical missiles and strategic bombers in Belarus, and warned that Russia could target its missiles at Poland.
05 November 2008

Hamas fired dozens of rockets at Israel on Wednesday after Israeli forces killed six Palestinian militants in an eruption of violence that disrupted a four-month-old truce along the Gaza Strip's frontier.
05 November 2008

Sri Lanka on Thursday forecast record of up to 200 billion rupees ($1.8 billion) defence spending on its war against Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 and raised taxes on imports, hoping to stave off currency depreciation as it faces a possible cash and credit crunch. Sri Lankan Army commando patrols the recently recaptured Akkarayankulam town, a Tamil Tigers stronghold southwest of Killnochchi, about 330 km north of the capital Colombo.
04 November 2008

European, U.S. and U.N. envoys have criss- crossed the Great Lakes region trying to prevent a newly resurgent Tutsi rebellion in the eastern Congolese borderlands from escalating into a rerun of Democratic Republic of Congo's 1998-2003 war. After a weekend diplomatic shuttle that took them to Congo, Rwanda and Tanzania, the French and British foreign ministers called for more international aid to Congo's North Kivu province, where an offensive by rebel general Laurent Nkunda has displaced tens of thousands of people. A ceasefire by Nkunda appeared to be holding on Sunday.
02 November 2008

The United States donated 52 armoured Hummer land vehicles worth 16 million dollars to the Bulgarian army. The vehicles will be used by the Bulgarian army's units on missions abroad. Bulgarian Army soldier, seen by armoured U.S. Hummer vehicles temporarily grounded at Black sea port of 'Varna-west', near the town of Devnja east of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Sunday, Nov. 2, 2008.
02 November 2008

Swedish Ministry of Defence would like to inform about its intention to initiate a procurement regarding Armoured Wheeled Vehicles for the Swedish Armed Forces. The procurement process is intended to start during the month of October 2008 and will continue intensely throughout the autumn and into the beginning of 2009. The procurement will be carried out in accordance with the provisions in chapter 15 of the Swedish Procurement Act. FMV foresees that the procurement will take place in gradual stages including short listing of suppliers.
01 November 2008

BAE Systems, through its Ground Systems line of business, and teammate Navistar Defense, LLC have been awarded a $40.5 million to participate in a 27-month technology demonstration phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program. JLTV is the U.S. multi-service initiative for fielding a family of future light tactical vehicles. The BAE Systems-Navistar team was one of three teams selected for the technology demonstration program.
During the demonstration phase, the BAE Systems-Navistar team will submit seven prototype vehicles and four trailers for evaluation and testing by the Army. The BAE Systems-Navistar JLTV proposal is named the Valanx. Valanx is a family of v-hulled, blast-resistant vehicles that optimize what's referred to as the "iron triangle" – payload, protection and performance – to meet all requirements of the JLTV program. There are several variations of the Valanx designed to meet scouting, general mobility, infantry carrying, ambulatory and other needs for combat troops.The Valanx design incorporates lessons learned from the U.S. Department of Defense's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program and features the latest in lightweight, advanced armor and a v-shaped hull design to provide unmatched crew protection. The vehicle will out-perform existing tactical systems by providing exportable power that exceeds JLTV requirements and existing MRAP capabilities. Its modular design maximizes commonality across JLTV variants and enables the seamless integration of future technologies.
01 November 2008

The Bundeswehr has already contracted with Rheinmetall to upgrade 21 of its vehicles to the 1A8 version, the first of which are already in action in Afghanistan. In light of the urgent operational requirement, modification of the entire lot is to be completed before the end of the year. The robustly modernized Fuchs/Fox 1A8 is the outcome of operational experience gained during the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, and reflects the changing threat to German troops deployed in high-risk environments. Stepped up IED attacks on vehicles and convoys, coupled with the acute threat from mines, made better force protection a vital requirement. The first of the revamped vehicles was transferred to the Bundeswehr in March 2008.
Compared with the 1A7 version, the Fuchs/Fox 1A8 features the following modifications:
-Structural changes in the floor of the hull, e.g. intermediate floors and mine protection plates
-New seat and seat suspension technology in the fighting compartment decouples the crew from the floor of the hull
-Reinforced wheel guards with formed steel armour components
-Reinforced doors
-Modification of the window mountings in the doors
-Additional stowage compartments and strengthening of the vehicle’s exterior
01 November 2008

Russia may sell up to 15 Ka-52 attack/reconnaissance helicopters to foreign customers annually, the chief designer of the Kamov design bureau said on Friday. Production of Ka-52 Alligator (NATO: Hokum-B) helicopters started on Wednesday at the Progress aircraft maker, based in Russia's Far East. The official refused to confirm the potential buyers or the value of delivery contracts, but expressed hope that the Ka-52 would meet the high demand on the global arms market. The Ka-52 is a twin-seat derivative of the Ka-50 Hokum-A attack helicopter, and is designed primarily for reconnaissance and target designation purposes. It is similar to the U.S. AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.
01 November 2008

Army and U.S. Marine selected three teams to continue development on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programme. Team one is lead by Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, while BAE Systems together with its team mate Navistar Defense, LLC marks the second team and General Tactical Vehicles (GTV), a joint venture between General Dynamics Land Systems and ringer-Humvee maker AM General the third. The contract from the two U.S. services covers the programme's 27-month technology development phase and was made individually with each prime contractor. So the LM team receives $35.9 million, while BAE/ Navistar $40.5 million and GTV even $45 million. BAE may be the biggest winner of this decision because, in addition to its own successful bid, the company is also a member of Lockheed Martin's team. LM's vehicles will be produced on a BAE line in Sealy, Texas. The technology development contract will be 27 months in duration. The first 15 months require competitors to develop and submit seven JLTV prototype vehicles and four trailers for evaluation and testing by the Army. The trailers are to supplied in the three mission role variants infantry, general purpose, and utility. Beyond that each team has to deliver four blast hulls, and ballistic panels that will be used for testing. The remaining 12 months are scheduled for government testing. The Technology Development phase will then be followed by a Systems Design and Development phase and, later, by a production contract.
01 November 2008

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) has carried out the first partial delivery of seven light FLW 100 weapon stations to the Federal Office for Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB). The contract signed in July of this year allows for the production and delivery of 230 light (FLW 100) and 190 heavyweapon stations (FLW 200) in all. In order to respond to the resulting increased need for protection, the Bundeswehr decided to equip its vehicles with light and heavy weapon stations of the types FLW 100 and 200 in the framework of its ‘GFF’ (“protected command and role-specific vehicle”) procurement programme. KMW was thus able to convince the Bundeswehr as to both modular weapon stations in a comparative test, and prevailed against competing international products.
01 November 2008

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), will add more than 6,000 upgraded vehicles to the U.S. Army's Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicle (FHTV) fleet under a new three-year contract from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM). The vehicles include increased horsepower and performance features due to power-train and suspension upgrades. The first order is valued at $1.2 billion and delivery will start in November.
01 November 2008