26 juillet 2021 | International, Terrestre
The Army's path to an electric vehicle
Defense News ground combat reporter, Jen Judson, explains the Army's plan to move to electric ground combat vehicles.
14 août 2020 | International, Terrestre
AM General CEO on acquisition by a private equity firm
WASHINGTON ― KPS Capital Partners is acquiring Humvee-maker AM General, the private equity firm announced last month, marking a new chapter for the South Bend, Indiana-based vehicle maker.
AM General President and CEO Andy Hove will continue to lead the company, and KPS Partner Jay Bernstein said the firm would continue to build on the ubiquitous Humvee, leveraging the company's “research, technology, innovation and new product development, as well as its heritage and iconic brand name.”
The Humvee appears to have some growth ahead. For one, U.S. Army budget documents call for $1.5 billion through 2025 to pay for modernization of its fleet of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles and their up-armored variant. That can include replacing major components, applying new technologies or replacing vehicles entirely. After the Army reaches its procurement objective for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, made by Oshkosh, it will have an enduring requirement for 54,800 Humvees.
Otherwise, AM General ― which has advertised both its Brutus 155mm and Hawkeye 105mm mobile howitzers ― is expected to participate in the Army's mobile howitzer shoot-off evaluation at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, next year.
Meanwhile, the Army is expected to complete a new tactical wheeled vehicle strategy in fiscal 2021, which has thus far received congressional support, per the House and Senate versions of the annual defense policy bill.
Hove, who has said KPS will continue to execute AM General's existing strategy, spoke with Defense News on Aug. 6. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Private equity firm KPS Capital Partners is in the process of acquiring AM General. At this preliminary stage, what would you say are KPS' plans and vision for the company?
I think [KPS partner] Jay Bernstein represented it in his quote in the announcement that they feel really good about the capabilities of AM General and the strategy we've been executing. We've discussed with them where we can go. They're confident in our business and the growth prospects of AM General. They feel good about and stand behind our strategy, and we're going to work together with them.
Will the company focus more on the Humvee, or do you see it becoming more flexible? What is the future for the Humvee? Who are its customers these days?
To say we're only focused on the Humvee today would not be a correct premise. We've made investments across the board, in base automotive systems, and then automotive systems that have a particular special use. Our core focus is in solving very complex mobility challenges for customers. So the Humvee has a great future. I would offer that you turn to not what I say about what the Army will do but what the Army says they're going to do on the Humvee fleet, which is to steadily and systematically manage a very large fleet by systematic replacement of that fleet and recapitalization of that fleet going forward.
They've been buying new-built Humvees to replace old Humvees over the last four years at a pretty heavy clip and have announced their intention to continue to do that going forward.
We're obviously going to focus on the Humvee because there's significant demand. It is today the world's leading military 4x4 in its class, and we build more of them than any other military vehicle manufacturer in the world, and especially more than anybody in our weight class.
That won't be the only thing we invest in. You can see our investments in the Hawkeye, which brings game-changing breakthrough technology [in relation to] how artillery systems are moved around and employed on the battlefield, together with a whole other range of implementing technologies such as autonomous navigation, off-board power and those kind of things. The U.S. Defense Department is an important customer, but a considerable portion of our businesses is global business, so we take a global view of how we solve mobility challenges for our customers around the globe.
The Army recently issued a request for information about replacing heavy trucks. Is that a potential opportunity?
We certainly feel like we have something to offer, a range of things to offer there, and that RFI's only been out for a couple of weeks. We'll will certainly take a closer look at that. We're also taking a look at the JLTV competition they announced back in February.
Defense News recently characterized AM General as “largely stagnant” since losing the competition for the JLTV in 2015 to Oshkosh. Do you want to push back at all to talk about AM General's time under McAndrew & Forbes?
The JLTV decision was 2015, and the four years since the announcement on the JLTV competition we've built more military vehicles than Oshkosh or any other military vehicle manufacturer by a long shot, and sold them to more customers around the globe than anyone else. I think that's far from being stagnant. There are a lot of adjectives you can apply to the company. “Stagnant” would not be the one I would apply.
Private equity firms will typically set up companies they buy for faster growth, and then potentially that'll lead to a future sale. Do you think that's something that might happen here, and what do you predict? Is there any indication of time horizons for KPS?
KPS has made a lot of smart investments, they have a pattern, but they're not going to be pigeonholed into a particular time frame for a next-step strategy.
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17 août 2020 | International, C4ISR
Pentagon wins brief waiver from government’s Huawei ban
WASHINGTON ― The Trump administration is granting the Pentagon a temporary waiver of government-wide ban on contractors using Huawei and other Chinese-made telecommunications equipment, according to a memo obtained by Defense News. The move offers a weeks-long reprieve, until Sept. 30, for firms doing business with the Department of Defense. The firms are among those still reeling from the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic and who lobbied for more time to comply with new far-reaching regulations. The original provision was to take effect Aug. 13. The administration had been finalizing regulations that would prohibit government contracting with companies whose supply chains contain products from five Chinese companies including Huawei, as mandated under of Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. The administration, confronting China on trade and a host of issues, has deemed Huawei an espionage threat. Citing U.S. national security interests, Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe granted the Pentagon a temporary waiver to further assess a broader waiver request from DoD. The action came in a memo to Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord.
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11 décembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR
The DroneNet solution provides a multi-layered response to unauthorized drones
December 10, 2020 - Netline Communications Technologies Ltd. - a leading developer and manufacturer of high-end electronic warfare and spectrum dominance systems for defense forces and homeland security agencies – is unveiling its new DroneNet RD Jammer - a rapid deployment (RD) tactical drone jamming solution that meets the US Military Standards (MIL-STD) and offers superior performance and fast, easy deployment, while being very compact. The DroneNet RD Jammer is the latest addition to the DroneNet family of comprehensive solutions designed to prevent unauthorized drones entering protected airspace, such as over deployed military forces, over strategic facilities, or in VIP protection arenas, whether on the move or stationary. Easy to operate, assemble and transport, the DroneNet RD jammer can be quickly deployed, mounted on a tripod mast, by a small tactical operating team. The DroneNet solution provides a multi-layered response to unauthorized drones. First, the DroneNet DF sensor detects the drone trying to enter protected airspace, identifies its type and the location from which it has arrived on the scene. The new SDR-based RD jammer then effectively jams communication between the drone and its operator on ISM bands, as well as the GPS signal used by the drone. Providing coverage of all relevant frequency bands used by commercially-available drones, each of its five bands addresses a different communication channel used by the drone for a different purpose: Disabling the drone's control & telemetry channel, resulting in loss of control over the drone Blocking the video downlink transmission Jamming the GPS signal to disable the drone's navigation and stabilization capabilities. Compact and rugged, the new DroneNet RD jammer has completed military standards qualification testing and is now ready to support operations in harsh weather conditions. “The new capability of the DroneNet RD jammer is based on the same building blocks as our proven jamming systems, which have been operational in many combat zones worldwide for over two decades,” says Yallon Bahat, CEO of Netline. “Developing a tactical drone jammer, with capabilities often available only in larger and heavier systems, is a challenge on its own. I'm very proud that Netline has achieved this, despite the global COVID 19 crisis. The company has proven its resilience and commitment to its customers by staying focused and attentive to their needs, even in these challenging times, giving tactical teams autonomy with a system that can be deployed within minutes, and most importantly keeping them safe.” The system can be supplied with either directional or omni-directional antennas. If required, more complex arrays can also be provided, such as mounted rotating directional antennas or switched antennas. Such installations can significantly increase energy efficiency and jamming power when combined with a direction-finding capability, either from Netline's DroneNet system or from an external source via the Application Programming Interface (API). About Netline Communications Technologies Ltd. Netline Communications Technologies Ltd. develops, manufactures and supplies high-end electronic warfare and spectrum dominance solutions for the world's leading defense forces and homeland security agencies. The company specializes in EW counter-IED systems, counter drone solutions (vehicular, portable, tactical and for fixed installations), military/ insurgency communication jamming, prison communication control, and intelligence solutions. Netline's equipment is battle proven, with hundreds of units operating 24/7 under harsh environmental conditions, protecting ground troops and forces, and supporting law enforcement and homeland security agencies worldwide. For more information on Netline Communications Technologies Ltd, please visit the company's website: http://www.netlinetech.com Contact Information Ms. Natalie Deutsch Marketing Communications Manager Netline Communications Technologies Ltd Email: natalied@netlinetech.com Mobile: + 972- 52-6461611