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MOD to Expedite LPPV Procurement through UOR

The UK plans to announce the acquisition of about 200 Light Protected Patrol Vehicles (LPPV) to be funded through the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) process, expediting vehicles to Afghanistan. However, funding the acquisition by the Treasury Reserve has limited the buy to roughly half the total number previously planned. According to an MOD statement, follow-on procurement of additional batches will be decided after the military gathers more experience with the new vehicle. The new vehicles will be produced in the U.K. and will replace the light protected Snatch Land Rover, providing 'unprecedented levels of protection for their weight class', according to the British MOD.

Russia Plans to Continue Domestic Procurement of Armored Vehicle

Russian defense Ministry spokesman confirmed Russia had tested several models of foreign armored vehicles last year, but decided to limit the procurement of such vehicles from domestic manufacturers. (for example, the Tiger from GAZ) The statement dismissed recent reports about Russian plans to buy up to a thousand Italian Light Multirole Vehicles (M65 LMV) from Iveco.

BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman Team for the U.S. Army GCV

BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman Corporation have announced a teaming agreement to pursue the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) program. BAE Systems will serve as the prime contractor in this partnership. This is the first teaming announced for the program. The Army intends to award contracts to as many as three competitors this fall with production expected to begin in 2017. (more...)

U.S. Army issues an RFP for the Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV)

The US Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) released today the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Technology Development (TD) phase of the Ground Combat Vehicle program, designed to develop the next generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) for the U.S. Army. The Army has set aside $645 million in this year and FY11 budget to fund the program. Initial operational capability of the first battalion, fielding 29 IFVs is expected by mid 2018, with a full brigade fielded within a year. In total, about 62 vehicles will be produced through the Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) to equip combat units by the time the GCV enters full rate production in mid 2019. (read more...)

Tencate Supplies $25Million Worth of Light Armor to the U.S. Army

TenCate Advanced Armor USA has announced it has won several contracts from U.S. vehicle manufacturing OEMs, amounting for the supply of composite armor materials, for vehicle and personal protection applications, amounting to a total worth of US$ 25 million, plus options that could add up to $10 million in future orders. Tencate will supply the composite armor materials directly to Up armored Humvee’s, Stryker, FMTV and SAPI programs of the U.S. Army, either directly or through prime contractors including General Dynamics Land Systems and BAE Systems. Among the materials being supplied are Tencate's armor composite materials, including the unidirectionally reinforced Aramid Shield product line.

 

Quo Vadis MRAP? - Seeking New Missions for the MRAP

As U.S. military operations in Iraq are winding down, the services are considering what to do with those assets, specially developed for Operation Iraqi Freedom, that cannot be 'ported' to other theaters of operations- like Afghanistan. Offering crews a relative safe operating-environment, within a chaotic combat zone, MRAP could become important vehicles for tactical battlefield support, pushing logistics to combat units, and evacuting casualties back to safety, supporting forward command elements, protecting critical command and control nodes, operating in the combat zone. They will also become useful for operators of unmanned systems, which are now common within the tactical land forces elements. (read more...)

JAMMA is Ready to Ride with the Osprey

Force Protection Inc. has launched today the Joint All-Terrain Modular Mobility Asset (JAMMA) all-terrain Internally Transported Vehicle (ITV) at the AUSA Winter convention in Florida. This light vehicle is an armor-ready hybrid vehicle, designed to transport four-occupant, designed for off-road mobility, and is transportable inside the V-22 Osprey helicopter. The vehicle is designed with power reserves providing excellent off-road and on-road performance, plus payload reserves for applying armor protection when required. The vehicle can perform reconnaissance, rescue/recovery, medevac and mobile security missions. (read more...)

British EOD Teams to Get Missionized Mastiffs

Force Protection, Inc. has received an order from the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) for 23 Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) configured Cougar Mastiff. The new EOD variant will improve the protection of British bomb disposal units operating in Afghanistan. The sale is managed through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program through the Marine Corps Systems Command. The value of the new order exceeds $16.1 million. The vehicles will be delivered between February and April 2010.

Three Indian Teams Unveil Mine Protected Vehicles

Several teams headed by Indian largest vehicle manufacturers Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland and Mahindra and Mahindra are introducing Mine Protected Vehicle in anticipation of Indian Ministry of Defense procurement of hundreds of new mine protected vehicles. The growing market for such vehicles is evolving around the military and security forces need to support growing tension in the North East, North West, and Anti-Naxal internal security operations. (read more...)

SOCOM Units to Get Upgraded MRAPs

U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada a USD$227 contract for the supply of 250 MRAP RG-31A2 vehicles and associated upgrades for existing vehicles, to be modified with Oshkosh TAK-4 independent suspension. USD$29.2 million will provide for 127 independent suspension kits. The vehicles will be delivered by October 2010 while the new suspensions will be installed in-theatre on to previously delivered RG-31Mk5EM vehicles to enhance their ride quality and robustness.

First Aravis Delivered to the French Army

The first four highly protected Aravis armored vehicles were delivered to the French Army February 19, 2010. The vehicles were the first out of a total of 15 Aravis vehicles ordered for the Army about eight months ago. The vehicles will support French combat engineer units in Afghanistan, providing protected transport to EOD and route clearing elements operating the Souvim and Buffalo vehicles. The 12.5 ton vehicle is equipped with Remotely Weapon Station (RWS) mounting a 12.7mm machine gun. As part of its reconnaissance package, and in addition to its RWS-mounted cameras, Aravis is also fitted with seven cameras which provide coverage of the immediate environment around the vehicle. The remaining vehicles are expected to be delivered by the manufacturer Nexter Systems by the end of April 2010.

Lighter, Stronger Aluminum Armor from Alcoa

Alcoa is introducing a new aluminum alloy armor plate solution designed for military vehicle applications. A provider of aerospace aluminum materials, Alcoa has designed the new C-97A to deliver improved ballistic performance. According to Alcoa, the material can be used for both appliqué armor as well as integral vehicle armor, offering a stronger armor at a lighter weight. Utilizing the new armor material, manufacturers of armored vehicles will be able to use traditional welding techniques during assembly, without compromising long-term vehicle performance. Compared to conventional aluminum armor solutions, such as 6061-T651, C79A delivers improved ballistic performance and increases strength by 30 percent contributing to improved structural durability while reducing vehicle weight. Compared to 5083-H131 aluminum armor, C79A offers a ten percent improvement in fragment simulation projectile (FSP) performance.

USMC to Test Blast-Protected HMMWV Capsules

Textron Marine & Land Systems and Granite Tactical Vehicles Inc. have won the first order for three modified High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) for evaluation by the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. The upgraded HMMWVs in M1114, M1151-A1/REVB and M1165 configurations will be used for mobility, thermal and durability performance testing beginning March 2010. The corps have already completed blast and ballistic testing on the vehicle. The vehicles are modified with blast-protected armored capsules developed by Granite, to increase the vehicle's survivability, while maintaining the high mobility and payload capabilities, the HMMWV had in the past. Textron Marine & Land Systems and Granite Tactical Vehicles Announced their teaming agreement in January 2010.

New 'MaxxPro Dash' MRAP to Get Independent Suspension

Navistar Defense was awarded a $752 million contract to produce 1,050 enhanced 'MaxxPro Dash' Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles. Unlike previous version of the MRAP, the new models of the lighter 'Dash' will be fitted with DXM independent suspension systems provided by Hendrickson Truck Suspension Systems and AxleTech International.Navistar will conduct work at its Garland, Texas, and West Point, Miss., assembly plants. Deliveries will begin in April and will be completed by the summer of 2010. (read more...)

New M-ATV Derivatives Displayed at AUSA Exposition

Oshkosh Corporation will deliver additional 1,460 M-ATV vehicles under a new $640 million contract awarded by the U.S. Army. With this recent award the company's order book for M-ATV is valued at more than $4.74 billion for 8,079 M-ATVs, add-on armor and spare parts kits and aftermarket in-theater support. At the AUSA WInter event this week Oshkosh Defense unveiled today two new variants of the M-ATV – an ambulance and a utility vehicle. The utility and ambulance M-ATVs were developed to allow military operations to provide critical casualty care and resupply services in unforgiving landscapes where tactical missions must operate. The company also deliver 625 add-on armor kits worth $84 million, to defend the M-ATVs against explosively formed penetrators (EFP). These kits are derivatives of armor modules battle tested on MRAP and MTVRs in Iraq. (read more...)

Outrider Debut at AUSA Winter 2010

BAE Systems has unveiled today the RG Outrider, anal-terrain armor protected vehicle based on the successful RG series, in service with the US special operations, Swedish forces and Spanish forces operating in Afghanistan. Outrider is a follow-on to the RG32M designed and built in South Africa. A light armored vehicle, RG Outrider is designed for first response situations and extreme off-road driving to meet special operations needs This mine-resistant armor protected (MRAP) vehicle weighs 9.5 tons and features a widened and higher hull. The vehicle has a V shaped monocoque welded steel hull to deflect mine blast while externally mounted armor kit provides improved side-blast protection while also freeing up space inside the cabin. (More about Outrider...)

BAE Systems Introduces the Caiman Multi-Theater Vehicle

At the upcoming AUSA Winter event taking place in Ft. Lauderdale, FL this month, BAE Systems is introducing the Caiman Multi-Theater Vehicle (MTV) - a new configuration of the combat-proven Caiman Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, implementing lessons learned from Iraq in a platform designed to operate effectively in Afghanistan. Through modifying Caiman capsules pulled out of Iraq, using reset staff and facilities in Kuwait, BAE Systems will be able to build up to 50 Caiman MTV rolling chassis insertion kits per week in theater starting in 2010. (read more...)

New CV-90 Recce Candidate for British FRES-SV Unveiled

BAE Systems unveiled the latest version of the CV-90 medium weight, tracked armored vehicle at the International Armored Vehicles exhibition last week in London. The demonstrator vehicle is proposed as one of two candidates for the FRES Scout Vehicle (FRES SV). The vehicle has been undergoing extensive testing and field trials, part of which is shown on the attached video. The chassis is based on the CV-90, applied with additional modular armor skirts for enhanced side protection. The vehicle carries the MTIP-2 manned turret, employing the CT40 automatic cannon firing case-telescopic rounds and a coaxial machine gun. The turret is also applied with modular armor, designed with attachments similar to the hull. (read more...)

40mm Case Telescopic Weapon Enters Qualification Phase

The cooperative development of the 40mm Case Telescopic cannon by the U.K. and France has moved a step forward in February 2010, with the award of £11 million contract to the Anglo-French CTA International company to begin qualification of the new weapon system in early 2011, as required to meet the deployment schedule of the upgraded Warriors and new FRES SV combat vehicles. Through the qualification program the gun and ammunition will be tested for safety and reliability through extreme temperature, vibration, humidity and abrasive conditions representing the effects of many years of field use. While CTAI's 40mm Cased Telescoped Cannon and Ammunition (CTCA) was mandated for WCSP and the Scout vehicle by the UK Ministry of Defence in March 2008, the turrets and Scout chassis will be selected through competition. BAE Systems Global Combat Systems - Munitions (GCSM) and Nexter Munitions will produce the ammunition for the new gun, under a license granted by CTAI.

Terrier Engineer Vehicle Enters production

The future combat engineer vehicle of the British Army has entered production at BAE Systems last month. The Army plans to field 60 Terriers. The first Terrier hull will be used for mine blast trials to demonstrate that the vehicle meets the designed protection levels. According to BAE Systems, the Terrier's armor was improved based on experience gained on other vehicles during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The complete hull will be available for trials towards the end of 2010. Assembly, integration and test of the first production vehicle is scheduled to commence in the first half of 2011. (read more...)

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