Defense Update issue 3-07

Vehicle Armoring – MRAP and Beyond

In July 2007, U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates asked Congress for approval to transfer nearly $1.2 billion to the Pentagon's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) program to procure an additional 2,650 vehicles. SInce then, the program further evolved and is now about to include some over 15,000 vehicles. With an estimated budget of over $25 billion, MRAP is positioned to become the Defense Department's third-largest acquisition program, behind only the missile defense and Joint Strike Fighter programs. Is it the right choice? When will the money come from? What will the military do with these vehicles as the current conflict wind down? This article does not have the answers, but reading through the lines, one realizes there are many open questions, and only few answers. In this article, Defense Update reviews some of the trends, advantages and issues raised with the MRAP acquisition and fielding, as well as the possible alternatives.

Israel's Defense Forces Launch Trophy and Namer AIFV Programs

In this article we cover the new heavy AIFV, its unique characteristics and also review the latest developments associated with the Trophy active protection system and its implementation with Merkava and Namer AFVs.

IDF Introduces a new, five Year Modernization Plan

Defense Update reviews Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi approved today (Sept 3rd, 2007) the Israel defense Forces (IDF) five year military procurement plan under the codename "TEFEN 2012" projecting expenditure of US$60 billion over five years between 2008 and 2012.

New Horizons for Unmanned Systems

Defense Update reports from the latest exhibition and conferences - our report highlights the recent events of AUVSI 07 in Washington, August 2007 and UV Europe 2007 in Paris held June 2007.

Topics covered:

• Unmanned Systems - Flight and Ground Demonstration 2007
• UAV systems, including Combat UAVs
• Mini, Micro and Expendable UAV Systems
• The future USMC Tier II program
• High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Platforms
• Unmanned Transport Vehicles
• Mission Control Systems & Applications
• Advanced payloads for unmanned Systems
• UGVs and Controls System

Modern Soldier Technology

Soldier Technology 2007 conference and exhibition, organized by the Worldwide Business Research (WBR) group provided an excellent view into some of the leading soldier modernization programs worldwide. Defense Update covers this event with updating on:

• Soldier Modernization Updates
• Land Warrior Programs
• Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS)
• FIST Assessment Phase (AP)
• Israel's Advanced Infantry Program
• Imaging Systems
• Command and Control Systems
• GPS less Navigation
• Soldier Radios
• Headsets and Hearing Protection Gear
• Power sources for the Dismounted Soldier

Defense Update Career Center

Defense Update is proud to present the latest addition to our magazine - a comprehensive career development resource, established under cooperation with CareerBuilder. You will be surprised to find here attractive career opportunities in many of the leading defense industries. We went into great details trying to match the jobs posted on the page to the topics covered. Therefore, you will be able to locate MRAP related jobs on MRAP content, or aerospace jobs on our Paris Airshow review, and MARCOM and marketing jobs on our exhibitions listings.

You will be able to search for jobs by your area of expertise, from general subjects such as UAVs, Avionics, to specific products such as JTRS, you will be able to find attractive jobs that fit your skills and ambitions. Narrow your search by regions, companies or subsidiaries. You can also publish your resume where it will be reviewed by potential employers.

Another new item is the new Executive Appointments coverage, which was first published October 2007. This report is continuously updated on a monthly basis with immediate updates available via our RSS feed. You are welcome to subscribe to learn who's where in the defense field..