January 2009 Worldwide army military Defence industries industry exhibition news equipment armoured

Russia has halted plans to deploy Iskander missiles near the Polish border, a Russian news agency quoted the military as saying on January 28, 2009, in what could be a sign Moscow is seeking better ties with the new U.S. president.
29 January 2009

The Third Moscow International Forum and Exhibition “Unmanned multipurpose vehicle systems” – “UVS-TECH 2009” is held in Russia, Moscow, Central Exhibition Complex “Expocentre Fairgrounds”, Pavilion 5, halls 1, 2. Purposes of the Event – presentation of projects, demonstration of achievements of the enterprises-developers and manufacturers, experience exchange, discussion of strategy, ways of development and needs of civil industries for works performance and services granting in the field of creation and use of unmanned complexes. Today Russia is one of the booming markets, where unmanned vehicle systems may be used in the following spheres: production and ecological monitoring, provision of engineering safety, supervision over pipelines and electrical networks condition, objects security, delivery of small-size cargoes to hard-to-reach regions, etc. Experience exchange among home and foreign producers of unmanned vehicles, studies of the world achievements in this field will give the designers an opportunity to determine the directions of priority in development and to orient to the world trends in this sphere, which would raise their competitive abilities and export opportunities.
27 January 2009

Russia has started testing a new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to provide target designation for Iskander missile systems, a defense industry official said on Wednesday. The new Aist (Stork) multipurpose UAV with extended payload of up to 500 kg (1,100 pounds) will be capable of carrying a variety of aerial surveillance equipment, electronic warfare devices and even weapons. The drone will be able to provide effective target designation for the Iskander-M tactical missile systems, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles). However, a high ranking Russian defense ministry source said on Wednesday that Russia had taken no practical measures to deploy the systems in Kaliningrad so far, and Russian officials have said they expect that the new U.S. administration to change its stance on the deployment of 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a radar in the Czech Republic.
27 January 2009

French army soldiers Commandos from the "Floreal", a French frigate, arrest Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden in this January 27, 2009. The French frigate arrested nine Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, an army spokesman said on Tuesday, part of international efforts to fight gangs that hijack commercial vessels in busy shipping lanes.
27 January 2009

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics, has been awarded a $12 million contract from the U.S. government for production of the MK47 STRIKER40® Weapon System. The MK47 is a lightweight grenade launcher capable of firing airbursting munitions. Integrating the latest sensing, targeting and computer-programming technology, the MK47 is a reliable, portable 40mm grenade weapon system suited for mobile, tactical combat soldier units. It provides forces with a decisive technological advantage over enemies equipped with older crew-served weapons,” said Jeff Gramse, program manager of gun systems for General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products.
27 January 2009

Raytheon Company has received a $154 million Foreign Military Sales contract award to upgrade Taiwan's Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., issued the contract that includes upgrade kits for radar and command and control components, a radar refurbishment, and related engineering and technical services. This contract is in addition to two other awards Raytheon received last year for Taiwan Patriot support - one in March for upgrades and another in April for technical services.
26 January 2009

The Croatian Ministry of Defence has announced today that they have extended the vehicle deal with Finnish company Patria by additional 42 armoured AMV 8x8 vehicles for the Croatian Army. The new contract is a supplement to the 2007 AMV agreement, signed by Patria and Djuro Djakovic Special Vehicles as Consortium partners as well as the Croatian Ministry of Defence covering 84 Patria AMVs. The additional contract of the 42 armoured vehicles is estimated to be worth €68 million. All armoured vehicles are expected to be delivered in the coming five years.
20 January 2009

Austrian Defence Minister Mag. Norbert Darabos announced that on December 29th, 2008 the Austrian Ministry of Defence and IVECO Defence Vehicles signed a contract for the delivery of 150 Light Multirole Vehicles (LMV) in 7 different configurations and related logistics support. During the press conference, Defence Minister Mag. Norbert Darabos underlined that award of contract had been made following a competitive procurement, according to the principle of the best bidder. It was not the better-priced vehicle to be selected, but selection was made according to the best cost-performance ratio. IVECO DV was better performing and better-priced – also declared Mag.
20 January 2009

Supplies to Western forces in Afghanistan through Pakistan's Khyber Pass were briefly suspended on Monday after militants attacked an army camp, killing a paramilitary soldier and wounding 10, an official said. A truck loaded with supplies for NATO forces waits to cross the northwestern Pakistan-Afghanistan border on the outskirts of Peshawar January 19, 2009.
19 January 2009

Ugandan African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) military Tanks patrol their bases in Mogadishu. An African Union peacekeepers tank patrols the streets in Mogadishu, Somalia, Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009, near a base vacated by the Ethiopian soldiers. The African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia is not worried by threats to make it a target following the pullout of Ethiopian troops from the Somali capital, the force's commander said on Saturday.
18 January 2009

The Finnish military is considering replacing its Russian-made surface-to-air missile system, national daily Helsingin Sanomat reported Friday. The paper added the 400-million-euro replacement system would be Nato compliant. The Finnish defence ministry did not confirm the report and Jyri Häkämies (cons), the defence minister, declined to comment. The Finnish Defence Forces took delivery of three batteries of the 9K37M system as repayment of Soviet-era debt in 1996 and 1997. Finnish weekly Suomen Kuvalehti had reported in March last year that the current system, meant to protect the capital region, was vulnerable to scrambling.
16 January 2009

Force Protection, Inc. and General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., a business unit of General Dynamics Corporation – through their joint venture Force Dynamics, LLC – today announced that they have submitted the Cheetah, a lightweight armored tactical vehicle developed by Force Protection that meets or exceeds TACOM’s threshold requirements for crew protection, mobility and weight in response to the U.S. Army's MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) solicitation. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) is soliciting M-ATVs in support of a Joint Urgent Operational Needs statement. TACOM’s requirements for an M-ATV include MRAP threshold survivability, off-road mobility, and lighter weight than existing MRAPs. Force Protection’s Cheetah vehicle was developed three years ago with a forward vision of this very need and is directly responsive to the requirements outlined in the solicitation. It combines the protective qualities of Force Protection’s Cougar MRAP, delivering exceptional survivability, while allowing for the mobility necessary to navigate difficult terrain, including a very low center of gravity to minimize rollover potential. The Force Dynamics joint venture combines Force Protection’s creative engineering expertise with General Dynamics Land Systems’ extensive production capabilities. The partnership ensures that the Cheetah can be produced at whatever production quantity and schedule is requested by TACOM and that ongoing engineering changes and fleet sustainment requirements can be fully met.
15 January 2009

Oshkosh Corporation, announced today that its Defense division submitted its proposal for the U.S. Army’s MRAP All Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) program on January 9, 2009. The company’s submittal is based on the combat-proven Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) chassis, which has been successfully operating off road in Afghanistan as well as around the world for several years. “The Oshkosh Defense M-ATV is a variant of our armored MTVR, a proven vehicle that has protected and served our military men and women in off-road operations for years,” said John Stoddart, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense. To ensure superior protection and survivability, Oshkosh is partnered with Plasan North America to provide the Oshkosh M-ATV’s armor system. Plasan has produced armor systems for more than 5,000 current MRAP vehicles and for the Armored Cab MTVR. These armor systems have saved lives in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The vehicle also will feature Oshkosh’s signature TAK-4 independent suspension system for exceptional off-road ride quality and durability to meet the essential capability not available in the current MRAP fleet – exceptional off-road mobility and durability. The Oshkosh M-ATV provides superior weight-carrying capability to avoid axles breaking in the rugged terrain of Afghanistan. The Oshkosh M-ATV further provides parts and maintenance commonality with the MTVR and other tactical vehicles, which will minimize production costs and increase mission readiness.
15 January 2009

Firearms maker Heckler & Koch announced today that it will manufacture two new rifle designs in a newly opened U.S. factory in 2009. The new rifles, the HK MR556 and HK MR762, are inspired and influenced by the HK416 and HK417, two highly acclaimed models designed and produced by Heckler & Koch's Oberndorf, Germany plant. The rifles will be produced at a new HK manufacturing facility in Newington, New Hampshire. The facility is collocated within an existing 70,000 square foot facility. HK began manufacturing pistols in the U.S. in late 2008. The HK MR556 and HK MR762 models, caliber 5.56 x 45 mm and 7.62 x 51 mm rifles respectively, will be produced at the Newington facility from American and German made components. To comply with German government regulations, certain design changes were made in the rifles to make them adaptable to the commercial sporting market.
15 January 2009

The U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command awarded Navistar Defense, LLC nearly $79 million to provide 605 vehicles for Operation Iraqi Freedom. The award demonstrates the company’s ability to leverage its existing commercial vehicle platforms for continued success. The company also received a new foreign sales award from Canada on January 9, 2009, to provide up to 1,300 military vehicles. The Canadian Department of National Defence contract was Navistar’s first award in 2009 for vehicles based on the WorkStar platform. Under the new contract, Navistar will provide the Army with 328 fuel trucks and 277 water tankers - all customized from the WorkStar platform. Work for the contract will be performed at the company’s West Point, Miss., plant. Approximately 40 percent of the order will be delivered in 2009 with the remaining units to be delivered by the end of July 2010. The award is in addition to the $2.3 billion in military contracts for 2009 announced on January 5.
15 January 2009

In this handout image released by the U.S. Secret Service on January 14, 2009, the new Cadillac armored presidential limousine that will carry President-elect Barack Obama as part of the 56th Presidential Inauguration is shown, following the tradition of integrating new U.S. Secret Service vehicles into the fleet for Inaugural parades.
14 January 2009

Kongsberg has signed a contract with Patria for the Protector weapon control system for delivery to the Slovenian Army. The order is valued at approx. MNOK 100. The delivery of the systems will take place from 2009 to 2011. The Protector weapon control system protects military troops by allowing the vehicle's weapons to be operated from a protected position inside the vehicle.
09 January 2009

The Dutch Ministry of Defence has bought 9 additional Bushmaster protected patrol vehicles. These will be used to detect and clear improvised explosive devices (IED) in Uruzgan, Afghanistan. These heavily armoured vehicles are equipped with a remotely-controlled arm which can investigate explosives which have been hidden in the ground. The arm carries cameras, sensors and an excavator. The Bushmaster are of great value in this province in Southern Afghanistan, because its reinforced lower hull protects them against mines and IEDs. The Ministry of Defence will pay for the additional Bushmasters from the 80 million euro budget that had been earmarked for the counter-IED taskforce. Sniffer dogs and a flexible laboratory in Uruzgan have been already added to the anti-IED resources. The extra Bushmasters are additional to the ones ordered in June 2008, some of which have been lost or damaged by attacks. It is the intention of the MoD that Dutch soldiers in Uruzgan will receive the new vehicles by April 1.
09 January 2009

On Thursday night (Jan. 8), the IAF struck over 50 terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip throughout the night. Among the targets were Hamas naval police outposts; five rocket launching sites, one of which was situated next to a mosque; more than 15 weaponry storage facilities, some of them inside Hamas operatives’ houses; five weaponry manufacturing sites; an office of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad; a few storage facilities used to store explosives; Hamas outposts and headquarters, and more than five Hamas operative centers.
09 January 2009

The commander of U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon called for "maximum restraint" in Lebanon and Israel following a rocket attack on the Jewish state from south Lebanon, a spokesman for the peacekeeping force said. French U.N. peacekeepers on a tank patrol the area in Tayr Harfa village in south Lebanon January 8, 2009, where rockets were fired into Israel.
09 January 2009

BAE Systems has received six contracts worth $115 million from the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command for replacement parts, including complete engines, transmissions, axles and self-recovery winches, for Caiman Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. Replacement parts are ordered and received from the original equipment manufacturers who supply parts for the Caiman production line vehicles. The completed engines are comprised of the Caterpillar engine, which has accessory parts such as alternators, starters, and hoses installed at BAE Systems’ Sealy, Texas facility. BAE Systems then preserve, mark and package the parts to military specifications before shipping to Red River Army Depot (RRAD) in Texarkana, Texas. RRAD send the parts to Iraq to fill MRAP repair part orders from the various Army units. Work filling the contract orders will be completed by August 2009.
06 January 2009

General Dynamics European Land Systems subsidiary MOWAG GmbH recently received a CHF 260 million (EUR 160M, $190M) order from the Swiss Army procurement agency. The firm will deliver 220 GMTF protected patrol vehicles based on the DURO-IIIP truck, and 12 DURO IIIP “NBC Laboratory Vehicles” that can identify radioactive materials, biological and chemical warfare agents, and toxic industrial chemicals. The 3rd component of this order involves the development of 12 Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicles, which will be based on the Piranha-IIIC/LAV-III 8×8 wheeled armored personnel carrier (APC). These 3 three projects were approved in the 2008 Swiss armament procurement program, and they will be delivered to the Swiss Army between 2010 and 2012.
06 January 2009

Chen Bingde, member of the Central Military Commission and chief of general staff of the PLA held talks with visiting Brigadier Carmel Vassallo, commander of the Maltese Armed Forces in Beijing the 06 January 2009. Chen Bingde said that since China and Malta established diplomatic relations, the cooperation between the two countries in politics, trade and economy, culture and education has made great progress. As an important part of the bilateral ties, the relations between the two militaries have maintained a good momentum in development. The Chinese side is willing to work together with the Maltese side to further expand bilateral cooperation so as to promote further development of the friendly relations between the two countries and the two militaries. Vassallo said that Malta treasures the friendly relationship with China and sticks to one-China policy. Recently, China sent escorting warships taskforce to the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somali coast. Malta appreciated the contribution that China made for maintaining the safety of the international sea area. The Maltese side is willing to work with Chinese side to further boost the friendly relations between the two countries and the two militaries.
06 January 2009

On January 6th, 2009, the Ministry of Defence of Chad has notified to Renault Trucks Defense a contract of 52 units of Kerax 6x6, in rigid version equipped with fuel tank and flatbed, in tractor version equipped with tank semi-trailer and in wrecking version. These vehicles will be manufactured at Bourg en Bresse factory. They will be delivered during the year 2009. This new contract is important for Renault Trucks Defense in this troubled area of Africa.
06 January 2009

BAE Ground Systems Division in York, PA received a $13.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for 8 M88A2 HERCULES vehicles. Work will be performed in York, PA and is expected to be complete by Dec. 30/10. One bid was solicited on Oct 13/08 by U.S. Army TACOM in Warren, MI (DAAE07-01-C-N030).
04 January 2009

Two days after the military seized the rebels' administrative capital of Kilinochchi, Sri Lankan forces pushed ahead Sunday with an offensive aimed at capturing the Tamil Tigers' last strongholds and crushing the rebel group.Sri Lankan army soldiers load ammunition into a tank as they get ready to leave for the war front at Paranthan junction in Killinochchi area, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009.
04 January 2009