General Dynamics Canada and Samtel to produce in India digital displays for military vehicles 030214

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Defence & Security News - General Dynamics / Samtel

 
 
Monday, February 3, 2014 09:43 AM
 
General Dynamics Canada and Samtel to produce in India digital displays for military vehicles.
General Dynamics Canada, has signed a cooperation agreement with Samtel Avionics Ltd, to co-produce digital displays in India for a range of military and non-military vehicles worldwide.
     
General Dynamics Canada, has signed a cooperation agreement with Samtel Avionics Ltd, to co-produce digital displays in India for a range of military and non-military vehicles worldwide.
General Dynamics digital display for military vehicle
     

For General Dynamics, buffeted like most western suppliers by sharp budget cuts, manufacturing in India cuts costs. For Samtel Avionics, struggling to sell in an Indian procurement market where sales have not matched expectations, a strong international customer like General Dynamics provides a welcome hedge.

The partnership will produce multi-function displays (MFDs) for armoured and reconnaissance vehicles, and for civilian use in utility vehicles like those used for garbage collection. The displays give the vehicle crew 360-degree situational awareness, sitting inside the vehicle. Computing systems built into the displays convert the signals from externally mounted sensors onto easy-to-see visual displays on digital screens inside.

Both firms say the tie-up targets a range of prospective orders from the Indian ministry of defence (MoD). This includes 7,800 displays for some 2,600 future infantry combat vehicles (FICVs); 2,800 displays for 1,400 light armoured multi-purpose vehicles (LAMVs); 1,500 displays for the upgrading of the BMP-2 infantry combat vehicle (ICV); and 2,400 displays for upgrading the T-72 tank.

"We will have displays designed and ready for these contracts, as and when they come up," Craig Jansen, Vice President, General Dynamics, told Business Standard. He also hopes to offer Samtel-built displays for artillery guns being developed in India, and for the M777 ultralight howitzer being procured from BAE Systems.

Industry sources estimate the potential foreseeable orders are worth at least Rs 500 crore. Samtel Avionics hopes to build Rs 100 crore worth of displays each year for General Dynamics' domestic and international markets by 2015-16.