11 août 2020 | International, Terrestre
By: Andrew Chuter
Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified a contract conclusion date. That has been updated.
LONDON – Britain has moved a step closer to completing a deal for purchasing Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) following the award of a contract allowing platform builder Oshkosh Defense to trial proposed UK sub-systems on the vehicle.
The British Ministry of Defence signed a demonstration phase deal with the US government in June to investigate the integration of UK equipment on the JLTV as part of a proposed foreign military sales agreement.
Program officials here said the work being undertaken by Oshkosh is to help them better understand the choices to be made and reduce risk during manufacturing.
The US vehicle has been selected by the British Army as the preferred option for the first phase of its Multi-Role Vehicle-Protected program aimed at replacing command, liaison and light logistics vehicles.
A second MRV-P package, unrelated to JLTV, involving purchase of larger vehicles for ambulance and general purpose duties is still in competition.
The demonstration deal has not been officially announced but radios, electronic countermeasures and other equipment are among the items specified by the British for trialing on a modified JLTV.
Mike Ivy, the senior vice president for international programs at Oshkosh Defense, confirmed the work is underway.
“The MRV-P program has funded a series of technical work packages that take the UK requirements and ensure proper fit and integration into JLTV,” Ivy said.
The Oshkosh Defense executive said the work is being undertaken at the company's headquarters in Wisconsin. “The contract will conclude by December 2022,” said Ivy.
Nobody is saying yet when a production contract might finally get signed, or for how many vehicles.
Talks between the British and US governments on a proposed JLTV purchase have been underway for more than four years.
Cost has been cited by some media reports as one of the reasons the two sides have failed so far to finalize a deal.
Ivy said talks to conclude the deal were still underway.
“The timing for the purchase of JLTV, the quantity of vehicles and subsequent delivery is the subject of ongoing discussions between the UK MoD and US DoD,” he said.
British armed forces minister James Heappey told Parliament in January the intention was to decide on the JLTV procurement this year.
That, though, was before Covid-19 struck, causing the delay of a defense review until around the end of the year and chronically damaging the financial prospects of military equipment spending.
Equipment programs are regularly being delayed as the MoD seeks to balance its books.
Most recently officials cited the defense review as one of the reasons for delaying a major 155mm howitzer program by more than two years.
Analysts and the media here have said the Army may be a big loser if its budget takes a hit as the government defense review pivots towards sectors like space and cyber and away from conventional weapons like armored vehicles and artillery.
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in 2017 the British had been approved to purchase 2,747 JLTV vehicles at a cost of $1 billion.
The Parliamentary Defence Committee , also in 2017, said the expectation was that 750 vehicles would likely be procured.
Whatever number the British settle for Ivy said that Oshkosh is mindful of the importance of UK content for its contracts with the UK MoD.
“The MRV-P program is no exception. Once the work packages have been completed by Oshkosh and the configuration has been determined by the UK MoD, Oshkosh will present options on shared work content that can be completed in collaboration with UK partners,” said the executive.
8 novembre 2022 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
Webinar presentation: https://455299.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/455299/CMMC%20Roadmap%20and%20how%20Exostar%20can%20help%2010_26_2022.pdf Webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEyzrvKv0os
13 juin 2023 | International, Aérospatial
Après presque une décennie de vaches maigres et de doutes, entre 2005 et 2015, le Rafale s'est imposé comme un des plus importants succès de l'industrie de défense française en matière d'exportation. En effet, depuis la première commande de 24 Rafale F3 par l'Egypte en février 2015, le chasseur français a aligné les succès, au Qatar et Inde dans un premier temps, puis en Grèce, en Croatie, en Indonésie et bien évidemment aux Emirats Arabes Unis, les 80 Rafale F4 commandés par Abu Dabi pour 14 Md€ étant le plus important contrat à l'exportation jamais signé par la BITD française.
17 novembre 2020 | International, Terrestre
By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army has activated two air defense artillery batteries at Fort Bliss, Texas, that will evaluate the Iron Dome system for possible integration into the Army's air-and missile defense architecture, according to a Nov. 13 statement from the service. The Iron Dome batteries will serve as an interim capability to fill a cruise missile defense gap. The change was mandated by Congress while the Army determines a long-term solution to combat such threats in addition to countering rockets, artillery, mortars and drones. The Army took receipt of the first Iron Dome battery in Israel in October. The Fort Bliss-based units are expected to receive one Iron Dome system in December followed by the second in January. To stand up the two batteries, the Army is converting a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery and realigning resources from the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery School — which is a part of the Army's force realignment initiative — according to the statement. The move is expected to be complete by Nov. 16 and will result in 26 additional personnel at Fort Bliss. The Army chose Fort Bliss because of its proximity to White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, where the systems will be tested and evaluated. The units will spend the next year training, testing and working with the systems to prepare Iron Dome for operation deployment by late 2021. Part of the effort, according to the statement, will include integration of Iron Dome into the Army's Integrated Battle Command System, which is the command-and-control element of the service's future Integrated Air and Missile Defense architecture. The IBCS system is expected to reach a production decision this month and will undergo an initial operational test and evaluation in 2021. Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor on the program. The Army plans to make a final stationing decision on where and how to employ the systems “through either a forward stationing decision and/or Dynamic Force Employment concept in response to contingency operations” when the batteries reach operational deployment capability, the statement notes. The service plans to hold a shoot-off to determine an enduring capability for its Indirect Fires Protection Capability Increment 2 system — designed to defend against C-RAM, UAS and cruise missile threats — in the spring of 2021. Elements of the Iron Dome system will be part of that shoot-off. Iron Dome has a long track record of operational success in Israel and is produced through a partnership with Israeli-based Rafael and Raytheon. Those companies are making plans to produce Iron Dome systems in the United States and are expected to pick a location for production by the end of the year. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/11/13/iron-dome-batteries-activated-to-fill-cruise-missile-defense-gap/