April 2009 Worldwide army military Defence industries industry exhibition news equipment armoured wo

The General delegation for armament (DGA) notified on April 16th, 2009 to NEXTER Systems a contract of an amount of 20M€, including 15 M€ under the recovery program. This acquisition will make it possible to equip the Army with a vehicle strongly protected for the recognition from road likely to be trapped. The ARAVIS will equip the engineer units in Afghanistan to accompany the vehicles BUFFALO and SOUVIM, specialized in the fight against the improvised explosive devices (IED). Herve Morin, Minister of Defense, are pleased with the order of 15 armored vehicles ARAVIS placed within the framework of the plan of defense for the economy program recovery. This plan of defense of the economy program recovery represents 2,4 billion euros and in particular makes it possible to increase by 10% the appropriations devoted to the equipment in 2009. The first vehicles will be delivered by NEXTER Systems to the DGA to the end of the year 2009. The users as well as the people in charge of the maintenance of the ARAVIS will be trained as of the delivery of the first vehicles.
24 April 2009

Force Protection, Inc. and NP Aerospace Limited, a subsidiary of The Morgan Crucible Company plc today jointly announced an award for 97 Wolfhound heavy tactical support vehicles including spares and support by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (UK MoD). The approximate total value of the contract is $122.6 million. Based on the successful Cougar/Mastiff vehicle platform, the Wolfhound provides survivable logistics support capability essential for mobile operations. It is a multi-mission adaptable platform that can be configured to address a wide range of support tasks. The award was made to a new Force Protection and NP Aerospace 50-50 joint venture, Integrated Survivability Technologies Limited (IST).
18 April 2009

BAE Systems workers today celebrated delivery of the 500th M777 howitzer to the US military. Weighing in at less than 4200kg, the revolutionary M777 is the world's first artillery weapon to make widespread use of titanium and aluminum alloys, resulting in a howitzer which is half the weight of conventional 155mm systems. BAE Systems Global Combat Systems' facility at Barrow-in- Furness is responsible for the prime contract management of the M777 programme, including direct customer liaison and acceptance of the weapon system in the US, control of the UK and US supply chain, engineering design authority and manufacturing and assembly of the complex titanium structures and associated recoil components. Final integration and test of the weapon system is undertaken at its Hattiesburg plant in Mississippi.
17 April 2009

Moscow, April 17 (RIA Novosti) Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that NATO’s decision to hold military exercises in Georgia next month threatens to complicate ties with Russia. The military exercises will be held from May 6 to June 1, and will not include light or heavy weaponry. NATO said Russia is welcome to join its military exercises in Georgia, but from every indication, the invitation has been ignored by Moscow. The drills are aimed at improving interoperability between NATO and partner countries, within the framework of Partnership for Peace, Mediterranean Dialogue and Istanbul Cooperation Initiative programmes. Nineteen countries will participate in the exercise, including Britain, the US, Albania, Armenia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Greece and Spain, among others.
17 April 2009

Russia on 15 April 2009, said that it had put on hold supply of highly potent surface to air missiles S-300 missiles to Iran since the supply of S-300 missile along with their batteries has been opposed by US and Israel. These missiles have the capability of being used as an anti-missile shield. Under the 2005 contract, Russia had agreed to supply S-300PMU1 missile systems to Iran from its Army's surplus stock
15 April 2009

Elbit Systems Ltd. announced it was awarded a contract for the supply of unmanned turrets to the Brazilian Army Ground Forces, to be installed on the 6X6 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). Elbit Systems was selected as a result of a competition including leading global manufacturers in the field. The contract amount of the first phase of this program is not material to Elbit Systems, however, the overall potential of the Brazilian Army Ground Forces' multi-year program, which is anticipated to include additional unmanned turrets, is significant. Elbit Systems' unmanned turret is a complete system, incorporating an automatic cannon up to 30mm, a coaxial machine gun 7.62 mm, a Laser Warning System (LWS), commander panoramic sights and smoke grenade launchers. In addition to the aforementioned elements, Elbit Systems' unmanned turret combines fully stabilized dual axes and an automatic target tracker. The unmanned turret functions remotely and electrically, operated from within the crew compartment without exposure to external hazards. The system features proprietary Elbit Systems' technology and represesnt a step function advance in response to asymmetric warfare challenges. The unique design is based on extensive battlefield experience in full scale and low intensity conflicts, and attests to Elbit Systems' leadership in the field oft turret and fire control systems.
14 April 2009

The Russian Defense Ministry has signed a deal with an Israeli company to buy several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), a Russian deputy defense minister said. The Russian business paper Kommersant reported on Tuesday that a contract signed with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) envisioned the purchase of the Bird-Eye 400 mini-UAV (weight - 5kg, range - 10 km), I-view MK150 tactical UAV (160 kg, 100 km), and Searcher Mk II medium-range UAV (426 kg, 250 km). The Russian military stressed the need to provide its Armed Forces with advanced means of battlefield reconnaissance in the wake of a brief military conflict with Georgia last August, when the effectiveness of Russian military operations was severely hampered by the lack of reliable intelligence. The Russian Air Force has launched a number of UAV development programs for various purposes. Air Force Commander, Col. Gen. Alexander Zelin said last year that Russia would deploy advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) with a flight range of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles) and a flight duration capability of up to 12 hours by 2011.
10 April 2009

Russia will supply advanced S-400 air defense systems to Belarus under a recent agreement to create an integrated air defense network, a senior Air Force official said on Thursday. The S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) is designed to intercept and destroy airborne targets at a distance of up to 400 kilometers (250 miles), twice the range of the U.S. MIM-104 Patriot, and 2 1/2 times that of the S-300PMU-2. The system is also believed to be able to destroy stealth aircraft, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, and is effective at ranges up to 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) and speeds up to 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) per second. The general did not specify the schedule for the deliveries, but said the ongoing talks on the issue would certainly bring positive results. Moscow and Minsk signed an agreement in February on the joint protection of the Russia-Belarus Union State's airspace and the creation of an integrated regional air defense network. It will comprise five Air Force units, 10 anti-aircraft units, five technical service and support units and one electronic warfare unit, and will be placed under the command of a Russian or Belarusian Air Force or Air Defense Force senior commander. Belarus has several Russian-made S-300 air defense battalions on combat duty, and has long been negotiating the purchase of advanced S-400 systems from Russia, which should be available in 2010.
09 April 2009

The Angolan Armed Forces and Thales have signed a major contract for the supply of an innovative Mobile Radio Communication Network using TETRA standards called DigiM@x. The network will be deployed in 2010 for the occasion of the African Cup of Nations. igiM@x ensures high level quality of service and is adapted to both military and civilian environments. It features multi-organisation and encryption systems while using COTS routers and IP equipment. The use of COTS gives access to the most up-to-date technologies at a lower cost. Four Angolan agencies will share the unique TETRA DigiM@x network reducing the cost drastically by combining communication capabilities and creating synergies among the different end-users. This multi organisation based on a real TETRA VPN (Virtual Private Network) will be managed by the Angolan Armed Forces. Thales management system is designed to be extremely simple and user-friendly using DigiM@x, the new Thales TETRA offer, combines all the specific military requirements such as security and ruggedized solutions with the latest capacities offered by modern IP technology engineered for nation-wide TETRA networks. From local coverage to a national network, DigiM@x is a flexible and cost-effective solution on the Professional Mobile Radio market today.
09 April 2009

Force Protection, Inc. announced that the Hungarian Ministry of Defence has ordered three Cougar vehicles. The contract calls for delivery of vehicles, spare parts and training by June 2009. The value of the award totals $1.3 million.
07 Avril 2009

On 11 March 2009 MBDA was awarded another contract by South Africa to supply MILAN ADT firing posts and simulators. The contract includes the retrofitting of 13 MILAN ADT guidance units with integrated thermal imagers and the supply of 13 further MILAN ADT firing posts and four simulators. The project is worth a total of EUR 10.7 million. South Africa is the first export customer for the MILAN ADT firing post having signed the first series production contract with MBDA in 2006. The first batch of firing posts was delivered to South Africa at the beginning of 2008. With operational evaluation having met with the customer's full satisfaction, MBDA has now concluded another contract for MILAN ADT. MBDA is the only group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems that correspond to the full range of current and future operational needs of the three armed forces (land, sea and air). In total, the group offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service and more than 15 others currently in development.
06 April 2009

The Belgian Minister of Defense, Pieter de Crem, accompanied by Members of the Defense Commission, went to Germany and Lebanon for a visit to the Belgian soldiers involved in a drive preparations for the execution of OMLT (Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team) program in Afghanistan and involved in two operational zones in Lebanon at Tibnine for the Land Forces, and along the coasts of Lebanon for the Navy Forces, on the frigate Léopold I. Detachment OMLT is composed mainly by 69 soldiers coming from the Ardennes Hunters Regiment. They will be responsible for the training of the new Afghan army within the framework of the NATO mission. This unit will be deployed in Afghanistan, towards the end June, where it will replace the current detachment of the 3° Paratroops Regiment. The Belgian detachment at Tibnine is composed of more or less 245 soldiers, from 12th/13th Infantry Regiment of Spa, as well as engineer units. They are deployed in Lebanon within the framework of the UNIFIL mission. The Belgian Navy is also present at Lebanon, and exerts for the first time a command within UNO. Within this framework, the Belgian frigate Léopold I with a crew of more or less of 155 men and women, currently exert the command of the Navy part of the UNIFIL.. The team of Army Recognition magazine accompanied the Minister of Defense, Pieter de Crem, and the Defense Commission during this visit. See the pictures gallery to Army Recognition web site, made by our journalist team.
05 April 2009

BAE Systems, Anniston, Ala., was awarded on Mar. 31, 2009, an $87,735,664.00 firm fixed price contract for the reset of 697 M113 Family of Vehicles. Work is to be performed at Anniston, Ala., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2009. At the same time, BAE Systems awarded also a contract for the production of 39 Army-configured M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles, and three sets of Authorized Stockage List Spares.
02 April 2009

Ceremony at the air base of Kleine Brogel, for the appointment ceremony of the new Belgian army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Charles-Henri Delcour with the Defence Minister Pieter De Crem.
02 April 2009

Combat engineering is emerging as an under-appreciated but critical component of counter-insurgency work, with applications that range from restricting the battlefield to building cooperation with civilian populations. Britain is improving its own capabilities, and has just ordered 60 Terrier Armored Engineering Vehicles for the Royal Engineers, under a GBP 300 million ($430 million equivalent) contract with BAE Systems. The vehicles was designed in Leicester and will be assembled in Newcastle, with over 90% of its manufacture supported by companies from across the UK. Terrier will replace the existing Combat Engineer Tractor (CET) beginning in 2011, and will work alongside the Royal Engineers’ heavier Challenger 2 derived TROJAN AEV/AVREs.
01 April 2009

A new BTR-90 armored personnel carrier with Berezhok weapons system seen during its testing at Arzamas Machinery Plant in the Volga River city of Nizhny Novgorod, central Russia, Sunday, March 29, 2009. President Medvedev recently vowed to rebuild Russia's aging military resources after years of decline.
01 April 2009

Spartan Chassis, a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc., and Force Protection, Inc., today jointly announced that they have entered into a Contractor Team Arrangement and will combine service capabilities and infrastructure to more effectively support future customer needs related to spare parts and sustainment for Force Protection's fleet of Cougar vehicles. The two companies noted that each would commit key staff, facilities and information systems to speed response capability on critical programs. Spartan Chassis, Inc., a subsidiary of Spartan Motors, Inc., is a leading developer and manufacturer of custom chassis for recreational vehicles, fire trucks, defense and specialty vehicles. Spartan Motors which also manufactures emergency rescue vehicles under the brand names of Crimson Fire, Crimson Fire Aerials and Road Rescue, reported sales of $844.4 million in 2008 and is focused on becoming the premier manufacturer of specialty vehicles and chassis in North America.
01 April 2009

The Marine Corps’ first expeditionary fighting vehicles are scheduled to be delivered to the Marine Corps for testing in May 2010, the vehicle’s programme manager said on Friday. The Marine Corps’ EFV programme successfully released a critical design review in the first quarter of this fiscal year, allowing it to go into a second system development and demonstration phase.An analysis of the system’s reliability was conducted in December 2008 and it projected a 61 hour mean-time between operational mission failures, which is significantly above what the requirements were to continue the program forward. The reliability testing conducted in December involved an overall reassessing of the total ground vehicle structure for the Marine Corps and a critical design review for the redesigned vehicle.A result of limited testing and redesign, the failure of the initial SDD phase prototypes to demonstrate acceptable reliability during the 2006 operational assessment was a significant concern driving the 2007 certification and restructure of the program, officials said. This restructure allowed a second SDD-2 phase to be conducted with an updated series of newly manufactured prototypes.
01 April 2009