Sand-X Motors Introduces the Sand-X T-ATV Desert Patroller

Originally introduced as a recreational vehicle for the emirate’s elite, UAE based Sand-X Motors has recently introduced the military version of the Sand-X Tracked All terrain Vehicle (T-ATV) designated ‘Desert Patroller’, tailored for security and military market, special operations, border security and other military and security applications. (Read More...)

U.S. Marines Receive New Command Vehicles

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has delivered the first two of 52 upgraded Command and Control variants of the Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) to the U.S. Marine Corps. The remaining 50 vehicles are to be delivered over the next two years. The vehicle provides a mobile command center providing advanced communication capabilities to Marines in the field. (Read More...)

Sweden Select the AMV for its new Armored Personnel Carrier

The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has selected the Finnish Armored Modular Vehicles (AMV)  personnel carrier for its future APC, and awarded Patria Land & Armament Oy a contract worth approximately $336 million (SEK 2.5 billion) for the acquisition of 113  AMVs. Five vehicle manufacturers have competed for this contract. Patria has committed to an offset agreement covering 100% of the program's cost. Among the Swedish subcontractors are providing protection, automotive, suspension, propulsion and electronic systems for the AMV include Scania, SSAB providing steel parts for the armor and Akers Krutbruk providing the protection suite. (Read more...)

TekShield Offers Protection Against IED Blast, Fragments and Small Arms Projectiles

Ceradyne [Nasdaq: CRDN] has signed a licensing agreement with Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] for the development and production of the TekShiled armor material developed by Lockheed Martin. TekShield is based on a unique ceramic design claimed to be superior and lighter than legacy ceramic armor. (Read More...)

Russia Set $1 Billion for 1,700 Foreign Light Armored Vehicles

The Russian Defense Ministry is going to set up a joint assembly line with the Italian automaker Iveco to produce LMV M65 tactical vehicles in Russia, the Kommersantdaily reported today. The decision is raising significant opposition among local manufacturers. The local alternative to the Italian vehicle is the  Russian Tigr ( Gaz-233014 ), also dubbed as the ‘Russian HMMWV’. This vehicle has entered service with the Russian Army in 2006. The Tigr was developed by the privately owned company Russkie Mashiny. The Russian vehicle is currently going through a modification, applying a balanced armor and mobility package that will bring it to par with comparable western designs and will position it competitively with the locally produced LMVs. (Read More...)

The Afghan National Army and Police are still far away from taking control

In the hope that the work invested by their British instructors was paying off already, the 3rd Afghan Kandak (Brigade)- led the way into a Taliban stronghold last Sunday morning, in their first large independent operation aimed to reinstate Government authority and bring security to the terror infested area. The operation, known as Op Omid Do (Hope 2), which started on July 11, was the culmination of weeks planning by Colonel Sheren Shah, the Commander of the brigade and his staff,  based in Camp Shorabak in the Helmand desert near Camp Bastion, the main British army camp in Helmand Province. (Read More...)

U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center to Test Lockheed Martin's HULC Exoskeleton System

Seeking innovative solutions to lighten the load carried by dismounted warfighters, the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Center awarded US$1.1 million for the testing and evaluation of Lockheed Martin HULC advanced robotic exoskeleton, designed to augment Soldiers' strength and endurance, as well as reduce load carriage injuries. Under this contract the U.S. Army will test an upgraded HULC system, that includes optimized control software, extended battery life and human factors improvements for quicker and easier sizing to each user. The contract includes options for field trials to test the system's utility in operational environments. (Read More...)

Sphinx Armed recce vehicle from Panhard

Positioned to be the leading provider for the ERBC, Panhard developed a technology demonstrator called Sphinx with internal funds, introducing an ERBC representative prototype enabling the company and the French defense establishment to study the operational functions of the ERBC. The Sphinx was the only candidate shown publicly at Eurosatory 2010. Unlike Nexter and Renault, aiming to compete for more than one platform of the Scorpion program, Panhard visions only at the ERBC, leaving the rest of the competition to other rivals. (Read More...)

Scorpion Excites French Combat Vehicle Industries

Gearing for the French Army next big programs, vehicle manufacturers at Eurosatory were hopeful to learn about the defense ministry's selection of the Scorpion system architect, a decision that would have set the program in motion. However, Scorpion, among other French military modernization initiatives fell prey to a 5 billion euro cut in government spending, leaving long lead programs stranded until budget is released. (Read More...) 

Sherpa Light - a New Line of Tactical vehicles from France

At the 2010 Eurosatory Renault Trucks Defense introduced the refined 'Sherpa Light' family of tactical vehicles, featuring the 13.3 ton, 4x4 transport vehicle designed specifically to support special missions. Carrying five soldiers and up to 2.6 tons of cargo, the new Sherpa provides high mobility light forces, traversing all types of terrain with sufficient payload capacity to support paratroops, marines and light infantry on extended missions. (Read More...)

Diesel Powered Motorcycle, ATV for Special Ops

At the dynamic demonstration at the recent Eurosatory 2010 exhibition in Paris, France the U.S. company HDT displayed new diesel powered M2 cross motorcycle and U1 tactical four-wheeled ’quad’ tactical support all-terrain vehicle, both vehicles are designed for special ops. Both M2 and U1 are powered by a single-cylinder engine – the MAC-C1 advanced multiple heavy fuel engine consuming almost any type of liquid carbon fuel. (Read More...) 

New All Terrain Vehicles on Display at Eurosatory 2010

Apart from the many armored vehicles at the show, quite a few high performance, all-terrain vehicles also made their first appearance at the show, these include the Sherpa Light from Renault Trucks, Ido Cohe'ns Zibar Mk 2, displayed by the Israeli company Hatehof and the Quad from HDT. (Read More...) 

International debut for Israel's Newest Merkava Mk4

At the center of the Israeli Pavilion at Eurosatory 2010 is the Merkava Mk 4 main battle tank, celebrating this year its 40th anniversary. The tank represents the fourth generation of the Israeli Merkava tank, based on extensive combat experience gathered in the fierce tank battles fought by the Israeli armor in the 1967 six day war and 1973 Yom Kippur war, through the evolving low and high-intensity asymmetric conflict fought in the Middle East since the 1980, in Southern Lebanon, the Gaza Strip and other theaters. (Read More...)

MERKAVA - 40 Years of Action

This year the Merkava tank is celebrating its 40th years anniversary. For four decades the Merkava program remained on track, keeping pace major revolutions in technology, strategy, economy and political. “It was not an easy task” Brigadier general Yaron Livnat, Merkava Tank Program Manager (PM) told Defense Update. In 2006 the program reached its lowest point, awaiting the general staff decision to pull the plug on the Merkava program and, in fact, the entire armored corps. (Read More...)

Israeli Active Protection Systems for Armor

Based on its latest combat experiences, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is moving forward with the development and fielding of active protection systems (APS) for tanks and armored infantry fighting vehicles (AIFV). Both systems are utilizing destroying threats without ever having to initiate their warheads, at ranges that significantly reduce risk to dismounted infantry or collateral damage. (Read More...) 

Enter the Namer

“For 38 years we produced only tanks, but in the last two years we have expanded into a family of vehicles, with the development and production of the Namer IFV." Brigadier general Yaron Livnat, Merkava Tank Program Manager (PM) told Defense Update. "The Mk 4 entered service four years after its development started. The development of the Namer began in 2007, and by mid-2010, a mere three years later, it is under full-rate production, with sufficient number of vehicles supplied, to equip several infantry battalions."  The Namer is based on the basic technology of the Merkava, but is actually a completely new vehicle concept. (Read More...)

Namer – to be Made in the U.S.A?

At present all the Namer AFVs are produced for the IDF, sharing the production capacity created for the Merkava tanks. Since the IDF Ground Forces Command would like to field more vehicles than the plant can currently produce, in an effort to quickly phase-out obsolete APCs, the IMOD is facing a tough choice – whether to minimize or even sacrifice the production of the Merkava tanks,  to rush more Namer vehicles into the field, or to turn to the U.S. and spend part of the Foreign Military Funding (FMF) military assistance Washington is allocating to Israel, for the acquisition of defense products made in the U.S.A. Israel is hopeful that if the Namer will be assembled in the U.S., and be shipped to Israel for completion, with locally made systems, the IDF will be able to accelerate the fielding process of more vehicles to active units. (Read More...)