March 2019 Global Defence & Security Industry - Military News |
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On Wednesday 27 March 2019, Belgium successfully transferred 92 GPS-guidance kits for precision-guided munitions (PGMs) to Denmark under a new and much-accelerated process. The exchange conducted under the NATO multinational Air-to-Ground PGM project allowed the two Allies to bring down the required time for the transfer from months or weeks to days. This provides participants in the project with better options for re-supplying their own stockpiles of munitions in a conflict.
Paramount Group, the African-based global defence and aerospace company, has proudly launched its Marauder armoured vehicle and personnel carrier within the Republic of Nigeria, in partnership with the Nigerian Air Force. The move comes as the West African nation is bolstering its efforts to effectively tackle a wide range of threats posed by various terrorist and extremist groups.
Specializing in the design, assembly and supply of high-powered multifunctional weapon systems for armored vehicles, CMI Defense is a Franco-Belgian group based in Distroff and Commercy, France. It organized an event called “Industry Day” on March 20 in Metz.
BAE Systems displayed the technology demonstrator of its Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) vehicle or ‘light tank’ fitted with the active protection systems (APS) at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium in Huntsville.
Elbit Systems announced on 27 March that it was awarded an approximately $125 million (NIS 460 million) contract from the Israeli Ministry of Defense to supply fully automatic self-propelled howitzer gun systems to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The contract, which also includes the supply of training simulators, will be performed over a 12-year period.
According to the Borneo Bulletin website, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has approved the purchase of armored personnel carriers that will be used by Cambodian troops which are deployed for UN peacekeeping missions.
Raytheon and the U.S. Army completed a successful preliminary design review for the new DeepStrike surface-to-surface missile, moving the weapon down the development path toward its first flight tests planned for later this year. This new long-range weapon doubles the firepower and reduces the cost.
On March 20, the German parliamentary budget committee signed off on two projects for the Bundeswehr. The first project consists in the upgrading of 101 Leopard 2A6 main battle tanks into the 2A7V variant by 2026. The second project consists in the purchase of 32,000 rounds in 155mm caliber for the Panzerhaubitze 2000 (PzH 2000) self-propelled howitzers.
Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) company, will showcase for the first time its L-ATV Ambulance at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Global Force Symposium in Huntsville, AL, from March 26-28, 2019.
Arctic brigades received bulldozers which are fully armored and can sustain grenade explosions, small arms fire and even antitank missiles. The bulldozers will be engaged in roadworks, hardware evacuation under fire and fortifications destruction. The vehicle is fit for operations in the North. Its engine starts up at temperatures of minus 60 degrees Centigrade, the Izvestia daily writes.
A high-capacity military communications satellite was launched Friday, March 15, in an ongoing effort to provide ground troops with the ability to send larger transmissions quicker. The satellite, which costs about $424 million, is the 10th one to join the Wideband Global Satellite Communication constellation that connects to the Defense Information Systems Network. Sean Kimmons, Army News Service, reports.
According to the Romanian news website ACT Media, Romania will produce locally 197 Piranha 5 wheeled armored vehicles in Romania. In October 2017, it was announced that Romania will purchase a total of 227 Piranha 5 jointly produced by General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) and Romanian Companies.
The U.S. Army has announced plans to procure 167,195 M4 and M4A1 carbines, according to a notice posted by the Army Contracting Command on March 22, 2019.
One of the most spectacular parts of the exercise will feature the landing of the air assault regiments from watercraft to seize and destroy simulated enemy control points Units from Russia’s Airborne Troops are participating in an extensive military drill in Crimea.
The Government of Canada has recently awarded Rheinmetall Canada a major support contract pertaining to Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance (ISTAR). The frame contract is currently worth up to CAD 57 million. The contract will take place over the next five years and will be expensed using a task mechanism over this period. The contract is part of the sustainment of the Land Command, Control, Communication, Computing, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) program and as the prime contractor, Rheinmetall Canada is to provide ISTAR in-service support services (ISS).
The Russian military base in Abkhazia has received ten newest Tigr-M armored vehicles, the Southern Military District (YuVO) said. And "Ten modern Sobolyatnik portable artillery reconnaissance radar stations have been supplied to the formation as part of a rearmament plan," YuVO’s press service said.
Dhanush, the first indigenous gun/howitzer developed to upgrade the Indian artillery, will be inducted into the Indian Army on March 26. The first batch of six guns will be deployed along the China and Pakistan frontiers, DNA India reports. By the end of 2019, a complete regiment (18 guns) will be in action along the borders shared with China and Pakistan.
The confirmation was announced by NATO on March 23. The Wall Street Journal says this installation, which will cost 260 million dollars, will be located in Powidz (200 km west of Warsaw). It will house armored vehicles, ammunition and weapons for one brigade.
On March 25, Raytheon Australia and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace joined Defence Minister, Christopher Pyne, and South Australian Premier, Steven Marshall, to announce that the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System, NASAMS, was selected for the Australian Government’s Short Range Ground Based Air Defence program known as LAND19 Phase 7B.
Electro Optic Systems acting through its EOS Defence Systems subsidiary has teamed with Hanwha Defence Australia for a tender for the Commonwealth’s “Land 400 Phase 3” requirement for infantry fighting vehicles (IFV). The Hanwha tender response is based on its “Redback” IFV which incorporates the EOS T-2000 turret launched onto the global market on 27 February 2019.
According to a statement released on March 19, 2019, by the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Israel's advanced missile defense system David's Sling successfully intercepted medium to long-range missiles in a joint exercise with the United States. This test series, designated David's Sling Test-6 (DST-6) was the sixth series of tests of the David's Sling Weapon System.
Northern Wind is a Swedish Army exercise conducted in the north-east part of Sweden during March 2019. A total of 10,000 personnel is participating in the exercise. Of these, approximately 7,000 come from partner nations: Finland, Norway, USA, and Great Britain.
The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) has signed, on March 21, 2019, an agreement with Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) for the procurement of six Leguan bridge layer systems on Leopard 2 chassis.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is in charge of an acquisition strategy approved to solicit and negotiate with only one source, the Raytheon Company, in support of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) for the procurement of seven Army Navy/Transportable Surveillance and Control Model 2 (AN/TPY-2) radars, radar spares, obsolescence redesign, sustainment services, and initial Contractor Logistics Support (CLS).
Russia`s Kalashnikov Group (a subsidiary of the state corporation Rostec) has tested its upgraded electric motorcycle under cold climate conditions, according to the press department of the company. Electric vehicles are intended to be used mainly by special forces for silent approaches and escapes.
A crisis on a continent as large, diverse and complex as Africa requires a robust whole of government approach where the Department of Defense and Department of State work together to quickly provide for the safety of American citizens and facilities. A key component of this response rests in the East Africa Response Force, located at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. Patrick Martin, U.S. Africa Command, explains.
Arnold Defense has been awarded a $53.8 million contract for the delivery of 2.75-inch rocket launchers and sub components to support the U.S. Navy, Army and Air Force, along with foreign military sales to Australia. Recently announced by the U.S. Department of Defense, the contract includes options that, if exercised, will raise the cumulative total to $74.3 million over a 4 year period, with final delivery expected to be complete in 2023.
The MBDA MMP Medium-Range anti-tank guided missile is now qualified to be used in cold weather conditions. In early 2019, the DGA (French Procurement Agency) and the French Army (STAT) organised a campaign to test the MMP land combat missile in extreme cold conditions. Performed on the Swedish state firing range at Vidsel, located near the Arctic Circle with temperatures between -15 °C and -30 °C, the cold weather campaign of the MMP was a complete success.
Company MBDA has successfully performed a firing test with the Brimstone 3 surface-to-surface ultra-high precision missile system at the Vidsel Trials range in Sweden. Whilst enduring extreme weather conditions with temperatures below -30°C, the missile was surface launched against a pick-up truck target.
India has decided to buy US-made assault rifles, ammunition, parachutes and several other specialised equipments for its special forces. Defense Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is going to chair an important meeting where the proposal to buy this equipment will be discussed, the Indian News Agency reports.
MBDA saw another strong year of trading performance in 2018, recording a further EUR 4.0 billion in orders that brought the company's order book up to a record total of EUR 17.4 billion. Revenue was also slightly ahead year-on-year to EUR 3.2 billion.
A total of 1,500 U.S. soldiers arrived in Germany this March 19th 2019, to be deployed in Europe to exercise the U.S. Army’s ability to rapidly alert, recall and deploy under emergency conditions. This U.S. exercise also involves the participation of allies.
The U.S. is expected to announce the sale of 108 M1A2X Abrams main battle tanks to Taiwan within the next three months, The Taiwan News reports.
On Monday, March 18, the Indian Army launched Afindex 2019, a 10-day military exercise with armed forces of 17 African nations at Aundh in Maharashtra, reflecting the growing strategic ties between India and the Africa continent. In the last few years, India has been gradually enhancing military and defense cooperation with a number of African countries.
On March 18, Sarcos Robotics, a global leader in robotic systems that augment, rather than replace humans working in the industrial, public safety and military sectors, announced that it has been awarded a contract by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to deliver a pre-production version of its Guardian XO (“XO”) full-body, autonomously powered robotic exoskeleton.
According to a video released by the Ethiopian national TV and showing a Pantsir-S1 firing in an Ethiopian-like landscape, it seems that this army is interested in the Russian air defense system. No source is available enabling to state whether Ethiopia has actually bought the Pantsir-S1 or not, and if so, in what quantity.
The Lockheed Martin Javelin ATGM is included in the Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) between India and the US, Huma Siddiqui reports in the Financial Times of India. The U.S. company repeats its offer to the Indian government.
Michigan companies are looking to attract Raytheon and Rheinmetall looking to build 3,500 KF41 Lynx (nicknamed Fox 2 in the U.S.) infantry fighting vehicles. "It's a big $42 billion franchise program and it's a big activity, so we need to get started quickly," said Brand Barnard of Raytheon.
The Army’s newest Electronic Warfare Tactical Vehicles (EWTV) were tested at Fort Irwin National Training Center (NTC), a major training area for the service located in the Mojave Desert in northern San Bernardino County, California, in January, Tradeforprofit.net reports.
The Combat Engineer Battalion of the Estonian defense forces on 14 March put the capabilities of Estonian and allied heavy equipment to surmount and clear obstacles built by the combat engineers to a test at the old airfield of the Tapa military base.
