France
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French
Army issued a purchase order to Nexter for the delivery of 117
infantry combat armoured vehicles (VBCI).
On
19th October 2007, the DGA (the French armement procurement
agency) issued a purchase order to Nexter for the
delivery of 117 infantry combat armoured vehicles
(VBCI). This order completes the initial order for
65 vehicles, the first 41 of which will be delivered
to the French Army during the second half of 2008,
in accordance with the initial schedule. These 117
vehicles will thus be produced within a period of
one year, starting early in 2008, and the assembly
line has the potential to provide a further substantial
increase in production rate to meet any export contract
requirements.
31 October 2007 |
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United
States Back
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Patria's
AMV wheeled armoured personnel carrier vehicle for the US Marines
Corps ?
In
the second quarter of 2008, the US Marine Corps is
expected to issue an RFP to begin replacing its aging
LAV amphibious wheeled armored personnel carriers.
When they do, they will be hearing from a somewhat
unusual competitor. Lockheed Martin Systems Integration
in Owego, NY will act as prime contractor for a bid,
providing systems integration, survivability enhancements,
U.S. production, communications systems integration
(which Lockheed handled for the LAV-C2 variant), and
support. Their partner, Patria Oyj, will supply their
amphibious Armoured Modular Vehicle 8×8 APC,
and the partnership may also clear the way for options
like Patria's Nemo and AMOS mortar turrets to replace
vehicles like the LAV-M.
29 October 2007 |
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Turkey
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Turkish
armoured personnel carrier patrols a road in the southeastern
Turkish province of Sirnak,near Iraqi border.
Turkish
armoured personnel carrier patrols a road in the southeastern
Turkish province of Sirnak October 26, 2007. President
Abdullah Gul warned Kurdish rebels on Thursday that
Turkey's patience was running out after Turkish forces
said they had repelled a guerrilla attack near the
Iraqi border.
26 October 2007 |
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Uganda
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Three
Ugandan African Union soldiers were injured in a mortar attack
in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
Ugandan
African Union soldiers keep guard on top of armoured
personel carrier's, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007 as three
Ugandan soldiers are flown to Nairobi, Kenya after
they were injured in a mortar attack in the Somali
capital, Mogadishu. Thousands of Somalis have died
so far this year, many of them caught in the crossfire
as Islamic insurgents battle government troops and
their Ethiopian allies. An Islamic alliance gained
control of Mogadishu and much of southern Somalia
last year, until they were ousted by Ethiopian soldiers
supporting the shaky U.N.-backed government.
24 October 2007 |
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Bahrain
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The
Ballistic missile defence Radar System AN/TPS-59 (V) 3B use now
by the Bahrain Defence Force for air surveillance.
In
May 2004, the U.S. Marine Corps awarded Lockheed Martin
a $43.6 million contract to provide the AN/TPS-59(V)3B
Ballistic missile defence Radar System, along with
associated supplies, equipment and services, to the
Kingdom of Bahrain as a foreign military sale. The
production line was restarted, and new radar was produced.
Earlier in 2007, members of the Bahrain Defence Force
were trained how to operate and maintain the system
at Lockheed Martin's Radar Systems facility in Syracuse,
NY. The Kingdom's TPS-59 radar proceeded smoothly
through a site acceptance test in August 2007, and
is now being used by the Bahrain Defence Force for
air surveillance.
22 October 2007 |
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United
States Back
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New
upgrade for the self-propelled howitzer, M109, the M109A6 Paladin
PIM Partnership.
The
M109A6 Paladin addressed these issues via computerization
and communications upgrades. Secure SINCGARS radios
replaced the wires, while an inertial navigation systems
and sensors attached to the gun automatically tell
the crew where they are and where their shells are
likely to land. No aiming circles. No surveyed fire
points. No wire lines. Just move into the assigned
position area somewhere, calculate data, receive orders
from the platoon operations center, and use the automatic
fire control system to send the shell on its way.
Then move immediately, receive another target, lay
and fire again. Improved armor protection added even
more protection to the new system, and an upgraded
engine and transmission made the M109A6 speedier.
On-board prognostics and diagnostics were installed
to improve the vehicles' readiness and maintainability.
Finally, more shells were made available, as ammunition
stowage was made safer, and the load was increased
from 36 rounds to 39 rounds of 155mm shells.
21 October 2007 |
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Israel
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Israeli
army troops raided the West Bank city of Nablus.
An
Israeli army bulldozer is hit with a molotov cocktail
thrown by Palestinian youths during an army operation
in the Old City of the West Bank town of Nablus, Tuesday,
Oct. 16, 2007. Israeli troops raided the West Bank
city of Nablus before dawn Tuesday, and two Palestinians
were shot and killed in the ensuing violence, Palestinian
witnesses and doctors said.
16 October 2007 |
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United
Kingdom Back
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The
UK's FRES Transformational armoured vehicles
The
"Future Rapid Effects System" (FRES) is
the UK's new transformational armored vehicle system,
meant to fulfill many of the same kinds of roles as
the Stryker Family of armored wheeled vehicles and/or
the Future Combat Systems Manned Ground Vehicle family.
Current estimates indicate a potential requirement
for over 3,500 FRES vehicles, though DID readers are
advised that in practice, actual numbers bought tend
to fall short of intended figures for early-stage
programs. FRES was spawned by the UK's withdrawal
from the German-Dutch-UK Boxer MRAV modular wheeled
APC program, in order to develop a more deployable
vehicle that fit its exact requirements. Those initial
requirements were challenging, and experience in Iraq
and Afghanistan has led to some partial revisions.
The UK MoD has taken some criticism for its selection
of wheeled APCs as its infantry fighting vehicle choice,
and even more criticism for making the Boxer MRAV
one of the finalists after spending all those years
and sterling on FRES development. The MoD is defending
its choices, however, as the "Trials of Truth"
get set to go in November 2007, and the program's
"system of systems integrators" are announced.
12 October 2007 |
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Turkey
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Kurdish
rebels killed 13 Turkish soldiers in southeastern province of
Sirnak at the Turkey-Iraq border.
A
Turkish army tank is seen stationed near Cizre, some
35 kilometers from Turkish-Iraq border on Monday,
Oct. 8, 2007, a day after Kurdish rebels killed 13
Turkish soldiers in southeastern province of Sirnak
at the Turkey-Iraq border.Turkey has been pressing
Iraq and the United States to hit bases of the rebel
Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq,
and has considered a military operation across the
border to root out the insurgents.
11 October 2007 |
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Saudi
Arabia Back
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A
second request for LAVs, Hummers, trucks, and weapons has been
submitted, a contract of $600+ million for the Saudi National
Guard.
In
July 2006, "The 2006 Saudi Shopping Spree : A
Hardened, Networked National Guard" explained
the SANG's importance within the Saudi political structure,
and covered a $5.8 billion request for LAVs wheeled
armored personnel carriers, weapons, and C4ISR equipment
to modernize that force. That official DSCA request
has yet to be followed by a contract; when we talked
to GDLS in October 2007, they said that negotiations
were underway, and that they expect to complete a
deal some time in 2008. In the mean time, a second
request for LAVs, Hummers, trucks, and weapons has
been submitted. At $600+ million, the October 2007
request on behalf of the Saudi Ministry of Defense
and Aviation is comparatively small. Barring some
unforseen Congressional resolution within 30 days,
the clock can begin ticking on negotiations for a
second set of LAVs and related equipment for different
branch of the Saudi armed forces.
10 October 2007 |
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Taiwan
Taiwanese
military parade past guests during the R.O.C., Republic of China,
National Day celebrations.
Taiwanese
military military vehicles and armoured parade past
guests during the R.O.C., Republic of China, National
Day celebrations in Taipei, Taiwan, Wednesday, Oct.
10, 2007. Fighter jets streaked across overcast skies
Wednesday as Taiwan held a National Day military parade
for the first time since it halted such displays of
war-fighting prowess in 1991 to ease tensions with
rival China. See pictures
gallery, lot of pictures available.
10 October 2007 |
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Germany
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A
German Army main battle tank Leopard 2A6 being transported by
ferry across the river, fell into the water.
Soldiers
of the German armed forces Bundeswehr stand of on
the banks of the River Elbe at the site of an accident
where a German Army tank being transported by ferry
across the river, fell into the water, near the eastern
German town of Stendal October 9, 2007. One soldier
was missing, while three other members of the crew
of the Leopard II AS6 M tank escaped injury, police
said.
09 October 2007 |
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United
Kingdom Back
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140
More Mastiff blast-resistant wheeled armoured vehicle for the
Britain Forces for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.
UK
Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced on Oct 8/07
that Britain will buy another 140 blast-resistant
Mastiff vehicles for use in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The MoD intends to finalize the deal for this additional
set vehicles "in the next few weeks," and
has set aside GBP 100 million (about $200 million)
for this purpose. This order would bring the total
number of Mastiffs ordered to 248, with additional
buys of blast-resistant vehicles scheduled via Britains’s
MPPV program.
08 October 2007 |
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Iraq
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$2.257B
for Iraqi Army Guns, Vehicles & Logistics
In
September 2006, “Up to $750M in Weapons &
Support for Iraq” described Iraq's order for
a number of American small arms, as well as helicopters
and blast resistant vehicles. About a year later,
we have a follow-on order that extends a number of
the trends that request started. While the temptation
exists to focus on the helicopters, blast-resistant
vehicles, small arms, et. al., that would be a mistake.
This is an extremely important contract for Iraq's
armed forces, and none of those systems are the reason
why.On Sept 25/07, the US Defense Security Cooperation
Agency announced [PDF format] Iraq's formal request
for vehicles, small arms, ammunition, explosives,
and communications equipment as well as associated
equipment and services. The total value, if all options
are exercised, could be as high as $2.257 billion.
The request includes: M16A4 123,544 Assault rifle,
12,000 M4 Carbines, Munitions, upgrade and refurbishment
of 32 additional UH-I HUEY helicopters to the UH-II
configuration, 336 BTR-3E1 amphibious armored personnel
carries,55 ILAV Badger wheeled armoured vehicle, 980
M1151 Humvee, jeeps and trucks.
07 October 2007 |
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Pakistan
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Pakistani
lawyers attack an BRDM-2 armored car as they demonstrate against
Pakistan's military ruler President Gen. Pervez Musharraf in Peshawar.
Pakistani
lawyers attack an armored car BRDM-2 as they demonstrate
against Pakistan's military ruler President Gen. Pervez
Musharraf in Peshawar, Pakistan on Saturday, Oct.
6, 2007. Lawmakers were voting Saturday in a presidential
election that Musharraf is expected to sweep, although
he could yet face disqualification by the Supreme
Court.
06 October 2007 |
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Iran
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Iran
has presented a new medium-range ballistic missile the Ghadr-1 during
the 22 September parade in Tehran.
Iran
has presented what it claims is a new medium-range ballistic
missile (MRBM), dubbed Ghadr-1 (Power-1), with a declared
range of 1,800 km. However, experts examining the footage
of the 22 September parade in Tehran where the missile was
being displayed say that it appears identical to a previously
shown Shahab 3 MRBM variant. The annual parade, which commemorates
the anniversary of the beginning of Iran's 1980-88 war with
Iraq, has been used to present weapons developed by Iran.
The official announcer said that the new missile's range
- 1,800 km - is "sufficient to put US bases in the
Middle East and Israel within its reach". Uzi Rubin,
former director of Israel's Ballistic Missile Defence Organisation,
said: "It appears to be the same Shahab 3, with a 'baby
bottle'-shaped re-entry vehicle [RV], which appeared in
the 2004 parade and was then claimed to have a range of
2,000 km. The pictures indicate no justification for announcing
a new missile." Other defence sources also affirmed
that they do not recognise any new missile. The older Shahab
3 variant, with a conical, 'dunce cap'-shaped RV, was claimed
this time to have a range of 1,300 km. "Since they
have already claimed to have a Shahab missile with 2,000
km range, I don't see the rationale of declaring a new missile
for 1,800 km," said Rubin. The Iranian weekly Sobh-e
Sadeq, the mouthpiece of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei
distributed among Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps
(IRGC), has reported that the range of the Iranian-made
Ghadr-1 missile, shown here in a military parade on September
23, is 2,500 km.
01 0ctober 2007 |
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