Thales finalizes acquisition of RUAG training and simulation unit

On the same subject

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  March 21, 2024 | International, Land

  UK teams with McLaren Formula 1 racers with eye on electrifying fleet

  On the battlefield, electric vehicles provide more efficient fleets and reduce the need to resupply them with fuel.

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  November 30, 2020 | International, Land

  Rheinmetall unveils new ground robot for armed reconnaissance

  By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — Rheinmetall has unveiled a new scouting configuration of its Mission Master ground robot, ratcheting up competition in a European market segment that is set to heat up in the coming years. The new version features a suite of sensors mounted on a collapsible, 3.5-meter mast, including an infrared sensor, a surveillance radar and a 360-degree camera. A laser rangefinder and target designator are also included on the vehicle, as is a 7.62mm gun on a remote-controlled weapon station, according to a company statement. “The Mission Master-Armed Reconnaissance is designed to execute high-risk scouting missions and deliver a real-time common operating picture without putting soldiers in danger,” the German company said. The six-wheeled vehicle's autonomous functions are powered by Rheinmetall's PATH kit, which the company advertises as a means to turn any vehicle into an unmanned platform. Multiple vehicles can be combined to operate as part a “Wolf Pack” cluster, a technology enabling communications, cueing and targeting toward a common mission objective, according to Rheinmetall. Ground robots with varying degrees of autonomy are rapidly becoming critical for ground forces worldwide. Cargo transport and surveillance are some of the most obvious applications. While some of the new robots carry weapons, Western manufacturers have shied away from connecting their most advanced autonomy algorithms to the process of firing them. Rheinmetall's Mission Master series is something of a counterpoint to Estonia's Milrem Robotics, which has been making inroads with European ground forces through its tracked THeMIS vehicle. Milrem has advertised its operational experience by way of a THeMIS deployment with the Estonian military to the French-led Barkhane counterterrorism mission in Mali. Milrem also sits atop a smattering of European companies charged with developing a common architecture for unmanned ground vehicles under the umbrella of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme. The effort is named iMUGS, which is short for “integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System,” and it received roughly $36 million in European Union funding over the summer. “The ambition is no less than developing an F-16 [fighter jet] of unmanned ground systems,” Kusti Salm, director general of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments, was quoted as saying by the Baltic Times website in 2019. The iMUGS effort centers around Milrem's THeMIS vehicle as a prototype platform. Notable European land warfare companies are part of the consortium, including Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France's Nexter. Absent from the EU-endorsed roster is Rheinmetall, which has mounted its own marketing and outreach campaign for the Mission Master series. Earlier in November, the company announced it had given a sample vehicle to the Royal Netherlands Army for experimentation. The robot will undergo a two-year evaluation toward what Rheinmetall described as “Future Manoeuvre Elements” to aid Dutch ground forces during operations. The Dutch previously ordered the THeMIS from Milrem. During the spring, Rheinmetall delivered four Mission Master vehicles configured for cargo transport to U.K. forces. “These unmanned ground vehicles will form part of the United Kingdom's Robotic Platoon Vehicle program,” Rheinmetall said in a statement at the time. “This program is designed to determine the extent to which unmanned vehicles can boost the combat effectiveness and capabilities of dismounted troops at platoon level.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/11/29/rheinmetall-unveils-new-ground-robot-for-armed-reconnaissance

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  September 20, 2019 | International, Naval

  Saab Selected as Combat System Provider for Finnish Squadron 2020 Programme

  September 19, 2019 - In accordance with Finland's Ministry of Defence's proposition, the Government of Finland has today selected Saab as the combat system provider and integrator for the Finnish Navy's four new Pohjanmaa-class corvettes within the Squadron 2020 programme. Saab has not yet signed a contract or received an order relating to Squadron 2020. Finland's Ministry of Defence has stated that the contract is scheduled to be signed on 26 September 2019 and that the order value will be 412 million Euro. “This announcement marks a major milestone in Saab's relationship with Finland and we look forward to continuing to support the Finnish Navy's capabilities with our world-leading combat system expertise”, says Anders Carp, Senior Vice President and head of Saab business area Surveillance. The contract period will be 2019-2027 and the scope will include a range of solutions, including Saab's 9LV Combat Management System, related sensors and other systems. All of the Finnish Navy's current vessels feature at least one system from Saab, with the majority of vessels operating several systems from Saab. For further information, please contact: Saab Press Centre, Petter Larsson, Media Relations Manager +46 (0)734 180 018 presscentre@saabgroup.com www.saabgroup.com www.saabgroup.com/YouTube Follow us on twitter: @saab Saab serves the global market with world-leading products, services and solutions within military defence and civil security. Saab has operations and employees on all continents around the world. Through innovative, collaborative and pragmatic thinking, Saab develops, adopts and improves new technology to meet customers' changing needs. The information is such that Saab AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation and the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, on 19 September 2019 at 12.33 (CET). https://saabgroup.com/media/news-press/news/2019-09/saab-selected-as-combat-system-provider-for-finnish-squadron-2020-programme/