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Russia
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'Thousands
of troops' to participate in Russian Far East drills, Vostok 2010.
Tens
of thousands of troops, as well as dozens of warships
and warplanes, will be involved in a large-scale military
exercise in Russia's Far East, a top military commander
said on Monday. Gen. Nikolai Makarov, chief of the General
Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said the strategic
exercise, codenamed Vostok 2010, will take place on
June 29 through July 8. According to media reports,
at least 20,000 troops, up to 70 warplanes and 30 warships
will participate. Last year's drills (Vostok 2009) involved
12,500 troops, 40 warplanes and 200 armored vehicles.
Makarov stressed that the drills were not aimed against
any one country. "This exercise...is not directed
against any concrete country or military-political bloc.
It has a purely defensive nature in ensuring the security
and national interests of the state in the Far East,"
he said. The upcoming drills will involve units from
the Far Eastern, Siberian and Volga-Urals military districts,
as well as the Pacific Fleet. As part of the drills,
the Armed Forces will practice the deployment of additional
troops in Siberia and the Far East to reinforce the
existing military contingent in the region in case of
a military conflict.
28 June 2010 |
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France
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First deliveries
of the counter-mining system SOUVIM 2 for the French Army.
Two
units of this land vehicle SOUVIM 2 set will be delivered
very shortly to the DGA, the French armament procurement
agency and will undergo final qualification testing
before delivery to the French Army. In line with the
DGA's aim, the French Army will be ready to deploy this
system on foreign theatres in 2010. The Souvim 2 is
designed and manufactured by the French Company MBDA.
25 June 2010 |
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Myanmar
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North Korean-made
truck-mounted multiple launch rocket systems for the army of Myanmar.
North
Korean-made truck-mounted multiple launch rocket systems
were recently delivered to missile operation commands
in Mohnyin in Kachin State, Naungcho and Kengtung in
Shan State, and Kyaukpadaung in Mandalay Division. At
least 14 units of 240mm truck-mounted multiple launch
rocket systems were delivered initially, followed by
a further 30 similar launchers. These provide a major
increase in firepower over the 107mm Type 63 and 122mm
Type 90 multiple-launch rocket previously obtained from
China.
24 June 2010 |
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Ukraine
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Ukraine
plans to have fully professional army by 2015.
Ukraine
must have a fully professional army by 2015, the Ukrainian
Defense Ministry said on Thursday. "We are planning
to complete by 2015 the full transition of the Ukrainian
military forces from a mixed recruiting system to a
new model based solely on contracted service,"
the ministry quoted head of the personnel policy department
Maj. Gen. Serhiy Kropyvchenko as saying. Ukraine has
long been making plans for a transition to a fully professional
army, but low defense budgets (currently only 1% of
GDP) have hampered the process. At present, over 52%
of the military personnel in the country's 200,000-man
Armed Forces are professional soldiers. Under former
president Viktor Yushchenko Ukraine sought close relations
with NATO. To this end, the country cooperated in a
combined peacekeeping operation with its neighbor Poland
in Kosovo. Ukrainian soldiers also serve under NATO
command in Iraq, Afghanistan and in Operation Active
Endeavour in the Mediterranean. However, Viktor Yanukovych,
who became Ukrainian president in February, has made
it clear he intends to drop his predecessor's plans
to seek NATO membership and said his country would pursue
non-bloc policy in the future.
24 June 2010 |
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United
Kingdom
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British
Ministry of Defense awards GBP 45 M Contract for Over 140 Jackal 2a
Vehicles
The
UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a £45m contract
to the Supacat-Babcock industry alliance for over 140
further Jackal weapons-mounted 4x4 patrol vehicles to
support operations in Afghanistan. The new order will
bring the total number of Jackal vehicles in service
with the UK Armed Forces to over 400, in 3 configurations;
Jackal 1, Jackal 2 and this latest improved variant,
Jackal 2a. Production of the Jackal 2a vehicle uplift
commenced in February 2010, immediately following on
from final delivery of a UOR contract placed with the
Supacat-Babcock alliance in April 2009 for approximately
120 Jackal 2 and more than 70 new 6x6 'Coyote' Tactical
Support Vehicle (Light) (TSV(L). The upgraded Jackal
2a is an enhanced version of the successful Jackal 2
with the design changes driven by direct operational
feedback. The primary change is the introduction of
a new cab design with integrated mine blast protection
which simplifies production and improves the performance
over that offered by the previous system fitted to Jackal
2.
23 June 2010 |
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Iran
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Moscow Still Hasn't Delivered Air Defense Missiles
to Iran.
Iran has a deal to buy S-300 anti-aircraft missiles
from Russia. But Moscow has not delivered them yet.
The S-300 missile is a defensive weapon with a maximum
range of about 200 kilometers. In 2007, Russia signed
a deal with Iran to provide Tehran with the S-300 missile.
After some conflicting statements, senior Russian officials
- including Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, during a
meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy - said
Moscow has decided to freeze delivery of the S-300 missiles
to Tehran.
23 June 2010 |
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Kuwait
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Kuwait's
MBT decision could revive tank production in Croatia and Serbia.
Kuwait's decision whether to modernise its fleet of
M-84 main battle tanks (MBTs) could spur the revival
of production of the vehicles by Serbia and Croatia,
Serbian media reported on 17 June. Senior
defence ministry officials from Serbia and Croatia met
to discuss possible modernisation strategies for the
vehicles, which could be at the core of a significant
defence collaboration between the two republics. "Tank
production can be revived if there proves to be a need,"
said Stevan Nikcevic, general director of Jugoimport
SDPR, which co-ordinates the domestic defence industry.
"I cannot say anything about the details of the
commercial contract with Kuwait. We have transported
the M-84 AB1 tank there and thus the modernised version
and demonstrated its capabilities. The Kuwaitis were
pleased with what they saw."
21 June 2010 |
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United
Kingdom (BAE Systems)
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New tracked
armoured vehicle personnel carrier, Armadillo based of CV90.
BAE
Systems Global Combat Systems has developed a new flexible,
up-armoured version of the CV90 in an armoured personnel
carrier (APC) variant called the Armadillo. Earlier
'standard' CV90s are currently deployed on operations
in Afghanistan by Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and many
of them have been upgraded to meet the threats being
encountered there. The lessons learned from this process
- and the fact that production of the CV9035 Mk III
for the Royal Netherlands Army is due to come to an
end in 2011 - has underpinned the decision to develop
the Armadillo concept to a pre-series production standard.
The company is now chasing additional sales to keep
the production line running beyond the Dutch programme
and has identified potential customers in Canada, Norway
and Poland. Like many other infantry fighting vehicles
(IFVs), the standard CV90 is optimised for operations
alongside main battle tanks, but BAE Systems believes
that there is still a requirement for a full APC with
the same high level of protection and mobility, especially
in many of the key support roles. As a result, the Armadillo
is essentially a basic CV90 with its heavy two-man turret
removed and plated over, leaving a substantial interior
and rear deck space that can be optimised for a wide
range of battlefield roles.
15 June 2010 |
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Italy
(Iveco Defense Vehicles)
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Iveco Defence
Vehicles and BAE Systems Pursue Marine Corps Personnel Carrier.
BAE
Systems and Iveco Defence Vehicles have signed a licensing
agreement to form the basis of a business arrangement
for the pursuit of the U.S. Marine Corps Personnel Carrier
(MPC) programme, with a vehicle based on the SUPERAV
8x8. In 2009, Iveco Defence Vehicles unveiled the SUPERAV
8x8 as the newest MPC candidate. The SUPERAV has capabilities
based on previously fielded vehicles that include enhanced
survivability, mobility performance, and amphibious
capability with growth potential. The MPC is designed
to fill the medium-armour ground vehicle gap and complements
the capabilities of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle
(EFV) and the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). It
will be a flexible and highly mobile asset for the Marines
that will be well protected, sustainable, networked
and include a strong swimming capability. Both BAE Systems
and Iveco Defence Vehicles have extensive experience
across a range of mine-protected and armoured vehicles,
including several 8x8 models. This breadth of experience
positions the team to jointly address the specific requirements
of the MPC programme.
15 June 2010 |
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Israel
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G-NIUS AVANTGUARD®
unmanned ground combat vehicle delivered to Israeli Defence Forces Army.
G-NIUS
Unmanned Ground Systems Ltd., a jointly-owned company
of Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE : ESLT) and Israel
Aerospace Industries Ltd., now unveils that its AvantGuard®
UGCV was delivered to the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces
Army). Based on the technological strength and capabilities
of G-NIUS’ Guardium™ UGV system, as well
as building on the Tactical Amphibious Ground Support
(TAGS) vehicle excellent maneuverability in harsh terrain
environments, the AvantGuard® UGCV significantly
expands the applications envelope to encompass Counter
IED (CIED) and ground maneuvering combat missions.
07 June 2010 |
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United
Kingdom
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Royal Marines
are first to use new Sharpshooter rifle in Afghanistan.
The
first new infantry combat rifle to be issued to troops
for more than 20 years has arrived in Afghanistan and
is being used by Royal Marines from 40 Commando. The
Sharpshooter rifle fires a 7.62mm round and enhances
accuracy of engagement during longer-range firefights.
The Sharpshooter's considerable range takes it into
the realm of sniper territory, but it requires far less
training, being more similar to the standard service
rifle than the highly-specialised weapons used by those
in the sniper profession.
07 June 2010 |
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United
States (AM General)
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AM General
Awarded Two Contracts for 153 Humvees for US Army.
AM
General, LLC, South Bend, Ind., was awarded on May 28
an $8,546,999 firm-fixed-price contract to add 53 Humvees
to contract and another contract for 100 Humvees, value
$18,049,690. Work is to be performed in Mishawaka, Ind.,
with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010.
One bid was solicited with one bid received. TACOM Warren,
CCTA-ATA-C, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity
(DAAE07-01-C-S001).
07 June 2010 |
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United
States ( Force Protection )
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Force Protection
Receives $46.1 Million Award for Additional Modernization of Cougar
Fleet.
Ladson,
SC (June 7, 2010) -- Force Protection, Inc. (NASDAQ:
FRPT), a leading designer, developer and manufacturer
of survivability solutions and provider of total life
cycle support for those products, today announced it
has received a modification to contract M67854-07-D-5031
from the United States Marine Corps Systems Command
for additional modernization of the U.S. military’s
Cougar fleet. The approximate $46.1 million firm, fixed
price contract modification provides for the purchase
of 2,451 enhanced Automated Fire Extinguishing Systems
(“AFES”), with deliveries scheduled to begin
in July 2010 and be completed by February 2011.
07 June 2010 |
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Iran
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Iranian Army
forces are scheduled to stage a series of massive military drills for
September 2010.
Iranian
Army Commander General Ahmad Reza Pourdastan announced
that his forces are scheduled to stage a series of massive
military drills in the country's southwestern provinces
of Khuzestan and Ilam next September. General Pourdastan
further pointed out that five divisions and seven sovereign
units would showcase innovative military strategies
and skills during the exercises. He also said that Iran's
latest achievements in weapons production will be tested
in the maneuvers, and added, "The wargames are
also aimed at practicing new military skills in a combat
theater with rough terrain." The Iranian commander
noted that some of the weaponry planned for use and
testing during the drills includes refurbished and upgraded
tanks utilizing laser systems, helicopters and Unmanned
Arial Vehicles (UAVs).
07 June 2010 |
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Canada
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Thales Canada
and DEW Team to Provide Bushmaster for the Tactical Armoured Patrol
Vehicle (TAPV) Program in Canada.
Thales
Canada is pleased to announce the signing of an exclusive
teaming agreement with DEW Engineering and Development
ULC on the assembly of the Bushmaster for the Tactical
Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) Program in Canada. This
agreement forms a strategic alliance between two Canadian-based
companies for the provision of the best solution for
the TAPV program, a program that will supply the Canadian
Army with up to 600 armoured patrol vehicles. With over
680 Bushmaster vehicles already in-service with the
forces of Australia, the Netherlands and other NATO
Allies, Thales has a fully developed, independently
tested and combat proven vehicle that is ideal for the
Canadian TAPV program.
04 June 2010 |
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South
Korea
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The South
Korean new assault rifle K11 combination grenade launcher si now entering
in service.
The
South Korean K11 combination 20 mm grenade launcher
and 5.56 mm carbine is now entering service and is expected
to be deployed in Afghanistan when South Korean troops
re-enter theatre in 2011.
04 June 2010 |
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United
States (Navistar)
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Navistar
Defense and Tatra Team for Canadian SMP Program.
Navistar Defense, LLC and Tatra, a.s. today announced
that they will team for the upcoming Canadian Department
of National Defence Standard Military Pattern (SMP)
vehicle program. As part of the Medium Support Vehicle
System (MSVS) program, SMP will replace Canada’s
Medium Logistics truck fleet. The Navistar-Tatra team
also plans to utilize Navistar’s global parts
and support network for vehicle support. The team is
also focused on creating local sustainment of its vehicles
and will meet all requirements under Canada’s
Industrial and Regional Benefits policy.
03 June 2010 |
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United
States (Oshkosh Defense)
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Oshkosh Defense
to Produce New M-ATV SOCOM Variant for the U.S. Special Operations Command
(SOCOM).
Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation announced
this 03 June 2010 that the company received an undefinitized
award valued at more than $67 million to incorporate
configuration changes to more than 420 MRAP All-Terrain
Vehicle M-ATV variants for the U.S. Special Operations
Command (SOCOM). The SOCOM-specific vehicle configuration
changes will be cut in on Oshkosh manufacturing lines
in August 2010. M-ATV SOCOM variants with these configuration
changes are scheduled to be delivered between September
and November 2010. The SOCOM variant is the latest in
the M-ATV family of vehicles and joins utility and ambulance
variants recently developed by Oshkosh. Utility and
ambulance M-ATVs were developed to help military operations
provide resupply services and critical casualty care
in unforgiving landscapes where tactical missions must
operate.
03 June 2010 |
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United
Arab Emirates
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United Arab
Emirates hold talks on modernizing BMP-3 infantry vehicles.
Russia
and the United Arab Emirates are holding negotiations
on modernizing a large number of BMP-3 infantry fighting
vehicles, a defense industry official said on Wednesday.
Vyacheslav Dzirkaln, deputy head of the Federal Service
for Military and Technical Cooperation, is heading the
Russian delegation at a meeting of the Russia-UAE intergovernmental
committee for military and technical cooperation. The
talks in Abu Dhabi are to focus on the "full modernization
of a large number of BMP-3s in an effort to seriously
increase their combat capability," the Russian
official said. "We have succeeded in this direction,"
Dzirkaln said. The infantry fighting vehicles had been
earlier supplied to the UAE by Kurganmashzavod, a Russian
machine building company based in Kurgan, western Siberia.
The official said that the military officials in the
United Arab Emirates have "a good attitude for
cooperating with Russia." "Therefore I make
the conclusion that our cooperation has a future."
Dzirkaln also confirmed that Russia will finish delivering
Pantsir-S1 short-range air defense systems to the United
Arab Emirates by late 2010. "This year the delivery
will be completed. Two more shipments of these vehicles
will be delivered and the contract on the delivery will
be fulfilled," he said. Russian media reports said
Moscow had signed a $734-million contract with the United
Arab Emirates in 2000 on purchasing 50 Pantsir-S1s.
Pantsir-S1 is a short-to-medium range combined surface-to-air
missile and antiaircraft artillery system manufactured
by the Tula-based Instrument Making Design Bureau (KPB).
It is designed to protect point and area targets and
carries up to 12 two-stage solid-fuel surface-to-air
missiles in sealed ready-to-launch containers. The system
also has two dual 30 mm automatic cannons that can engage
targets at a range of up to 4 km. The Russian official
said it was too early to speak about the prospects of
further delivery of Pantsir-S1s to the UAE. "Further
development will consist of providing service maintenance
and continuing training UAE specialists in the aspects
of operation, repair and service maintenance,"
he said.
02 June 2010 |
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Russia
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Algeria,
Libya set to buy Russian Pantsir-S1 short-range air missile defense
systems.
Algeria
and Libya are ready to buy Russian Pantsir-S1 short-range
air defense systems, deputy head of the Russian Military-Technical
Cooperation Service Vyacheslav Dzirkaln said on Wednesday.
"The new system has shown high efficiency. Algeria
and Libya have shown interest. Syria has already bought
these systems in the past," Dzirkaln said, adding
that other potential customers were likely to appear.
Earlier in March the Russian press said Algeria was
planning to buy 40 Pantsir-S1s for $500 million. Several
Russian papers also reported that Russia had signed
a $734-million contract with the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) in 2000 on purchasing 50 Pantsir-S1s. Dzirkaln
confirmed the reports and said Russia would finish delivering
the Pantsir-S1's to the UAE this year.
02 June 2010 |
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Iraq
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Textron Marine
& Land Systems to Deliver 80 Armored Vehicles to Iraqi Federal Police.
Textron
Marine & Land Systems, an operating unit of Textron
Systems, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, today announced
it has been engaged to build 80 armored military vehicles
for the Iraqi Ministry of Interior for use by the Iraqi
Federal Police, to be contracted through the U.S. Army
Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process. The total value
of the procurement is approximately $94 million. Of
the 80 vehicles, 72 will be configured as Armored Personnel
Carriers (APC), while the remaining eight will be in
the standard U. S. Army M1117 Armored Security Vehicle
(ASV) configuration employed as Command and Control
vehicles. All of the vehicles to be delivered under
this contract will be equipped with the Textron Marine
& Land Systems 40/50 turret armed with an MK-19
40mm grenade launcher and .50 caliber machine gun. A
total of 184 vehicles (122 ASV and 62 APC) built by
Textron Marine & Land Systems have already been
delivered to Iraq under previous procurements.
02 June 2010 |
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Russia
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Russian combat
warship to join NATO naval military drills Baltops 2010.
An
amphibious assault landing ship, the Kaliningrad, will
take part in the BALTOPS-2010 naval exercises in the
Baltic Sea on June 7-18, Russia's Baltic Fleet spokesman
said on Tuesday. The BALTOPS exercise has been held
annually since 1994 within the framework of the NATO
Partnership for Peace Program. It is aimed to promote
a mutual understanding of maritime interoperability
between U.S. Navy, NATO, and non-NATO participants.
"The [Kaliningrad] amphibious assault landing ship
will carry out a range of training tasks, including
joint maneuvering in a large ship formation, patrol
missions and a simulated assault landing," the
official said. The vessel is currently heading to the
port of Gdansk in Poland, where several dozen warships
from 14 NATO countries will team up for the upcoming
exercises. The Russian warship visited the Belgian port
of Zeebrugge in the North Sea on its way to Poland.
The Kaliningrad entered service with the Baltic Fleet
in December 1984, and has carried out training missions
in the Baltic, North and Mediterranean seas, as well
as more than 10 times in the Atlantic Ocean. Kaliningrad
class ships are capable of carrying up to 500 tons of
cargo, 13 tanks and more than 200 naval infantry. The
warship represented Russia at the BALTOPS drills five
times since 2003.
01 June 2010 |
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Australia
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Australian
Gouvernment has given approval for the upgrade of the Australian Light
Armoured Vehicle ASLAV.
The
Minister for Defence, Senator John Faulkner, today announced
that the Government has given second pass approval for
the upgrade of the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle
(ASLAV) under project LAND 112 Phase 4 – ASLAV
Enhancement. The ASLAV has been deployed to the Middle
East Area of Operations since 2004, and is now in use
in Afghanistan. The ASLAV provides our forces in Afghanistan
with mobility, firepower and protection, enabling our
troops to conduct search and escort operations and provide
support to close combat operation. The enhancements
will provide increased protection against a wider range
of threats - including Improvised Explosive Devices
- by improving ballistic, fragmentation and blast protection.
The project will also see improvements to the vehicle’s
suspension, driveline and engine, ensuring the ASLAV
remains a highly capable and versatile light armoured
vehicle for the duration of its service with the ADF.
The project plans to deliver 113 upgraded vehicles,
commencing by April 2012. Defence is also investigating
options for significantly expediting the schedule for
the upgrade. There will be a range of opportunities
for Australian Industry to be involved in the installation
and support of the upgrade. These include pre-modification
and refurbishment work, suspension and drivetrain upgrades,
installation of upgrade kits, and the redesign and manufacturing
of mine blast belly plates, to be carried out by General
Dynamics Land Systems – Australia, located in
Pooraka, South Australia.
01 June 2010 |
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Israel
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Terror attack
thwarted along Gaza security fence.
Two
armed terrorists infiltrated into Israel and exchanged
fire with IDF soldiers. On Tuesday morning (June 1),
two Palestinian terrorists were identified infiltrating
into Israel from the southern Gaza Strip. The IDF soldiers
on the scene exchanged fire with the gunmen, during
which both were killed. No injuries or damage were caused
to IDF soldiers. The GOC of the Southern Command, Maj.
Gen. Yoav Galant, and the Commander of the Gaza Division,
Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg, arrived on the scene in order
to understand the circumstances surrounding the infiltration.
It should be noted that in the vicinity there are a
number of communities containing thousands of Israelis,
such as Kissufim, Ein HaShlosha, Nirim and Nir Oz. The
IDF remains committed to protecting the citizens of
Israel and will continue to act against terror. Israel
holds Hamas solely responsible for terror originating
from the Gaza Strip.
01 June 2010 |
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