March 2018 Global Defence & Security Industry - Military News |
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United States has approved a budget of $620 million to provide assistance to Ukraine, Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States Valeriy Chaly said, on Friday, March 24, 2018. Around $200 million will be allocated for military and technical assistance to Ukraine, which is by $50 million more than in 2017.
The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale for the delivery of spare parts for M1A2 Abrams tanks and M2A2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, to Saudi Arabia of a Royal Saudi Land Forces Ordnance Corps Foreign Military Sales Order (FMSO) II Case for an estimated cost of $300 million.
President Donald Trump wants an impassable wall at the US southern border to prevent drug and weapon smugglers from Mexico to penetrate the American soil. The various projected models are impressive in height. But something must also be implemented to prevent and destroy tunnels. South Korea is also concerned with its northern neighbor. The Israelis have got a serious know-how and want to market it.
The Armored Group (TAG), a leading worldwide provider of armored vehicles, has just introduced its newest law enforcement vehicle, the Terrier LT-79. This new vehicle developed by the TAG Research and Development Team represents a well-balanced combination of protection, off-road mobility and payload. Most importantly, it offers unparalleled tactical mobility and survivability to armored vehicle end-users worldwide, in any climate or setting.
President Donald Trump will allow Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea to buy U.S. armed drones. More US allies should also get an easier access to these lethal weapons thanks to a softening of the purchase regulations.
Successful air defence demands a holistic approach. This is why Rheinmetall – Europe’s foremost maker of military systems and equipment – wants to supply the German armed forces with a path-breaking solution encompassing the whole complexity of ground-based air defence. Here the Düsseldorf-based high-tech group is cooperating closely with America’s Raytheon. Rheinmetall’s plan calls for networking all relevant sensors, effectors, platforms and C4I assets into a single, scalable, system of systems. This will create a highly effective, modularly scalable and flexible air defence system covering the Bundeswehr’s full mission spectrum.
Russian army Southern Military District motorized infantry large unit based in the Rostov Region in south Russia has received about 20 upgraded Sani 2S12 120mm mortars nicknamed 2S12A , the district’s military press office said.
The U.S. State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Saudi Arabia of TOW 2B (BGM-71F-Series) anti-tank missiles for an estimated cost of $670 million. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today.
In the summer this year, Czech Defense Ministry will start the selection of manufacturer for the supply of 200 tracked armoured vehicles personnel carrier (APC) for an amount of 53 billion crowns (about 2.57 billion U.S. dollars), said Defense Minister Karla Slechtova during a press conference on Thursday, March 22, 2018.
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was warmly welcomed by president Trump on 20 March. Trump’s red-carpet treatment highlighted his administration’s strong backing of the crown prince whose foreign policy has caused unease among some Western allies.
The U.S. government will spend $200 million in training and supplying equipment for the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF), the U.S. Embassy in Ghana announced on 20 March.
Development of laser weapons has become a “must” for all the armed forces that can afford this technology, which means China and Russia for the time being. Hence the current effort made by the US Marine Corps to develop a laser air defense system based on its future Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).
During the official visit of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to Qatar, six documents on mutually beneficial cooperation, including a military one, were signed, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s press service reports.
On 22 March, the BrahMos, claimed by its Indian Manufacturer to be the world's fastest anti-ship cruise missile, was successfully test fired with an indigenous seeker at a Pokhran test range in Rajasthan. This marks a big achievement and breakthrough for the supersonic missile.
The U.S. Army has placed two orders totalling $97 million for BAE Systems to provide new night vision goggles and thermal weapon sights, which together will enable soldiers to rapidly and covertly acquire targets in all weather and lighting conditions. The orders are part of a previously announced five-year contract for the Army’s Enhanced Night Vision Goggle III and Family of Weapon Sight-Individual (ENVG III/FWS-I) program.
Polaris Government and Defense is evolving its squad-ready DAGOR® off-road vehicle with the introduction of the DAGOR® A1. The DAGOR® A1 provides improved performance and capabilities with better mobility and operator functionality for customers which already include U.S. Special Forces, the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM), multiple European militaries and additional global forces.
Kazakhstan is trying to sell military vehicles to its neighbors, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In an interview with InformBuro, the general director of Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering (KPE), Erbol Salimov, stated that the firm is looking to export several types of military vehicles to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
On 19 March, an opening ceremony for the Russia-Belarus tactical peacekeeping exercise took place in Ulyanovsk. The exercise is involving Russian Airborne Troops and Special Forces of Belarus.
The USMC has budgeted the purchase of 35,000 of the U.S. Army’s new Modular Handgun System into its proposed 2019 fiscal year budget. The Army awarded the Swiss manufacturer Sig Sauer a contract worth up to $580 million in January 2017 to supply the 9mm Modular Handgun System as a replacement for the Beretta USA M9 pistol, successor of the Colt .45.
Norway’s long-term planning process is carried out under the direction of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence. The “Long-Term Plan – Materiel” forms the basis for all materiel procurements in the short term (4 years), the medium term (8 years) and the long-term perspectives (20 years). The plan is updated annually to reflect updates based on changing requirements, available resources and progress in on-going acquisitions. A major point will be the replacement of the Leopard 1 MBTs and variants with Leopard 2 ones.
Australia is procuring artillery ammunition from Rheinmetall. Under its “Land 17 Phase 1C.2 Future Artillery Ammunition” project, the Australian Defence Force will soon be taking delivery of various projectile types from the Rheinmetall Assegai family as well as fuses and propelling charges, supplied by a team consisting of NIOA, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition, Rheinmetall Denel Munition, Nitrochemie and Junghans Defence.
The U.S. Army conducts mission-based training events year-round, but Arctic Edge 2018 is a unique opportunity that has brought more than 1,500 U.S. military personnel from 20-plus units together to train in arctic conditions throughout the Alaska range.
Ministry of National Defense of South Korea has approved a plan to create a new artillery brigade under a ground forces operations command to be inaugurated in October. This new military unit will be equipped with a new short-range ballistic missile system, dubbed as the Korea Tactical Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile (KTSSM).
Spanish Minister of Defense María Dolores de Cospedal will soon detail her new plan concerning a 15-year investment cycle for weapons systems. To put this plan in the Spanish defense “landscape”, let’s precise that the country’s defense expenditure for 2017 was estimated by NATO at 0.92% of GDP, the same as in 2014. The NATO target, agreed at the Wales summit meeting in 2014, is for national defense spending by all members to increase to 2% of their GDP by 2024.
Forty-five unmanned aerial vehicles and drones fell out of the sky during a U.S. Army exercise after Raytheon's (NYSE: RTN) advanced high-power microwave and laser dune buggy engaged and destroyed them. These common threats were knocked down during a Maneuver Fires Integrated Experiment (MFIX) at the U.S. Army Fires Center of Excellence.
On 16 March, the US Department of Defense awarded a contract to Oshkosh Defense for missile transporters and trucks under foreign military sales for Qatar and Kuwait.
The latest version of the BMPT-72 tank support combat vehicle, also known as Terminator 2, is about to enter service in the Russian army. The decision of putting the Terminator-2 in service has been taken. The signing of relevant documents is expected soon.
Three border provinces of the Dominican Republic will see additional forces assigned to the defense of the border with Haiti. The order was issued by President Danilo Medina on February 27, 2018.
Rheinmetall has integrated the state-of-the-art MELLS antitank guided missile into the Marder 1A5 infantry fighting vehicle. Following successful conclusion of the study phase, the Bundeswehr subsequently ordered 44 MELLS retrofit kits, which were delivered in December 2017.
The annual military exercise involving U.S. and South Korean forces will be of a particular interest, as Kim Jong Un and Donald Trump have accepted to hold talks, a “first” since the cease-fire of 1953.
In the case of urban operations, combining airborne infantry (or special forces) and main battle tanks already proved efficient. The British army pushes forward in that direction.
According to the Brazilian website www.forte.jor.br, the Peruvian army plans to convert from 30 to 40 old French-made AMX-13 105mm light tanks into self-propelled 122 mm howitzers, called AMX-D30 Vulcano.
CBC News managed to obtain the list of vehicles concerned by the USD 15 billion arms deal signed in 2014 between Canada and Saudi Arabia. On top of the vehicles deal, there is a 14-year maintenance deal.
The government of Canada will send military forces to Mali this year in response to a request from the United Nations for reinforcing the MINUSMA.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced measures to maintain the UK’s world-leading chemical analysis and defence capability, as he warned of the intensifying threats the country faces in his first keynote speech in the role.
Qatar recently signed an agreement with Turkey to set up a naval base, a plan that will include a training center for maritime patrols and monitoring. Actually, two bases are concerned by the 2022 military plan elaborated by the Turkish ministry of Defense..
The joint exercises between Saudi forces and the US Army which began days ago in the kingdom’s Northern Region continued with the participation of the Saudi Royal Land Forces in order to raise the level of combat readiness of officers and personnel of the ground forces.
Elbit Systems announced on 14 February that it was awarded a $65 million contract by an Asian-Pacific country to provide a comprehensive Search and Rescue (SAR) solution. The project will be performed over a three-year period.
The state-owned joint-stock holding company Artem, which is incorporated in the Ukroboronprom State Concern, has successfully tested 152mm artillery ammunition of own production, Ukroboronprom Director General Pavlo Bukin has said. "Thus, Ukraine received own production of large caliber artillery ammunition," the press service of Ukroboronprom reported on Wednesday, citing Bukin.
“The serial production of combat robots for the Russian armed forces may start already this year”, Defense Minister Army General Sergei Shoigu said on 15 February.
