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German Army Declares “System Panzergrenadier” Fit to Fight: a Milestone for the Puma infantry Fighting Vehicle and Future Soldier – Expanded System

Friday, March 19th, 2021

Supplied by Rheinmetall and its partner companies, the Bundeswehr’s System Panzergrenadier has reached an important milestone. On 18 March 2021, Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, the Chief of the German Army, declared the system fit to fight. He also recommended equipping NATO’s spearhead formation, the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) 2023, which the Bundeswehr will be furnishing, with the new system. In essence, System Panzergrenadier consists of an upgraded version of the Puma – the infantry fighting vehicle made by the Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann joint venture PSM GmbH – and the VJTF2023 version of the Future Soldier – Expanded System (IdZ-ES) developed by Rheinmetall. Following extensive development and modification work, System Panzergrenadier underwent a three-week-long tactical evaluation at the Bergen major training area on the Lüneburg Heath in northern Germany in February 2021. It passed the test with flying colours.

System Panzergrenadier will substantially enhance the fighting strength and combat effectiveness of the VJTF 2023. Equipped with System Panzergrenadier, this formation will, for the first time in Germany, bring together a digitized vehicle platform – the enhanced VJTF version of the Puma infantry fighting vehicle – and a soldier system equipped for digital radio communication.

System Panzergrenadier offers two key advantages: first, all soldiers, whether mounted or dismounted, can access the same information; and second, they are able to share this information with greater precision, more quickly and more robustly. The closely knit network of sensors and effectors belonging to the soldiers and their infantry fighting vehicle minimizes the time between target detection and target engagement. This blending of capabilities into a single overarching system enables more effective tactical interaction of the soldiers and their IFV, enhancing in turn the overall combat effectiveness of mechanized infantry units.

A total of forty VJTF-grade Puma infantry fighting vehicles will form part of the VJTF 2023 panoply of equipment. The most advanced version of the Puma to date, it includes, among other things, integration of standoff-capable effectors like the MELLS multirole lightweight guided missile system; additional sensors such as a new driver vision system; and improved C4I architecture.

The new panoramic and driver vision system heralds the end of the periscope era. For the first time, the entire crew will be able to “see through” the armour, both day and night. The fusion mode combines daylight vision with high-performance thermal imaging, enabling swift detection of concealed targets around the clock. The Puma is the first significant Western combat vehicle to include a system like this as a standard feature.

Now that the Puma IFV has been declared fit to fight, the German Army’s Mechanized Infantry Corps finds itself on the threshold of a new era, with the prospect of the remaining battalions also being equipped with a comparable revamped version of the Puma.

Embodying a systemic approach to reequipping vehicle platforms and soldier systems, System Panzergrenadier forms a sound foundation for conceptualizing and kitting out larger coherent systems of systems. Looking ahead, System Panzergrenadier thus becomes the basis for digitally networked and directed formations. Given the substantial increase in experience and capabilities in the field of IT system integration, this path provides a powerful impetus for future projects. In the consortium cofounded with PSM GmbH, Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH is responsible for the command capabilities workshare, and thus for assuring cross-platform networking of the system of systems.

Furthermore, System Panzergrenadier is stimulating further development beyond the immediate project. The next generation of the IdZ-ES is already in the starting blocks, while the new Puma VJTF infantry fighting vehicle offers an excellent point of departure for expanded capabilities, e.g., in the sensor-to-shooter category.

System Panzergrenadier is a technological trailblazer whose continued development is poised to deliver new capabilities for the German Army’s Division 2027 and Digitized Land-Based Operations system, the D-LBO.

Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, International, Press Release | 3 Comments »

OSS Completes Canadian Forces CSASS Delivery

Thursday, March 18th, 2021

Millcreek, UT – March 9, 2021 OSS Suppressors LLC has completed shipments of their EL-QD 762 Ti suppressor units as part Colt® Canada’s contract to deliver 272 C20 7.62 mm Semi-Automatic Sniper Weapons to the Canadian Forces sniper teams.

The new C20 Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper Systems (CSASS) were delivered starting in November 2020, and the Canadian Forces said the C20 will be more accurate and an improvement over the current C8 used by sniper teams.

“OSS is honored to have been selected as the official suppressor for the new Canadian Forces sniper rifle. OSS’s EL-QD 762 suppressor was previously selected for the US Army’s CSASS and SDMR (Squad Designated Marksman Rifle) contracts,” said John Spurrier, CEO of OSS Suppressors, “Our patented and proven Flow-Through® technology continues to be accepted by military programs around the world as the only suppression solution that prevents the blowback of toxic gas and particulates while delivering exceptional sound suppression, accuracy and durability – in the most extreme conditions.

“We’re proud and privileged to work with Colt Canada to support their C20 contract and deliver this much-needed capability to Canadian Forces snipers,” said Steven DiGregorio, Sr. International Business Development & Sales Manager.

The EL-QD 762 Ti is a Flat Dark Earth (FDE) variant of the commercially available HX-QD 762.

• Learn more about the EL-QD 762 here.

• View EL-QD 762 technology and testing White Paper here.

For more information on the C20 contract, please visit Colt Canada.

Posted in Contracts, International, Press Release, Suppressors | 2 Comments »

TYR Tactical Awarded Multi-Million Dollar Concealable Body Armor Contract by the Federal Bureau of Investigation

Monday, March 15th, 2021

In March of 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation awarded a fixed price Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) for Ultra-Low Vis Concealable Body Armor. The TYR Tactical Ultra Low Vis Compression Top (ULVCT) design solution outperformed all other competitors in the most rigorous testing requirements established in the Body Armor Industry for both ballistic and performance capabilities. The BPA awards a spending maximum of $30M over five years.

Jason Beck previously held the FBI contract from 2002 – 2013 under his former company. Bringing this contract back under his leadership with TYR Tactical’s design and manufacturing capabilities has been a mission in the making since the establishment of TYR Tactical in 2010. Mr. Beck states “This award encompasses what our mission is here at TYR Tactical, Innovate or Die. We live by this mantra and it is enstilled in all of our products. Each product that is designed is tailored to the user to enhance their capabilities. TYR Tactical will always focus on innovating new and better products and push our industry to do the same. We are honored and proud to serve the men and women of FBI and other DOJ agencies.”

The ULVCT is the most concealable vest that TYR Tactical has ever created. Based upon the FBI’s rigorous requirements, TYR Tactical was able to implement their design philosophy of fit, form, and function into a tailorable ULVCT. This carrier forms around the user so that it allows for complete movement without compromising concealability. The gender variations provide comfort for both male and female anatomy, giving proper coverage to female agents where this has been an oversight in the past. TYR Tactical has been designing female body armor since 2013 and has been awarded several patents based upon its unique shape and design. The extensive testing that has taken place over the years has been applied to the design of this concealable carrier for the FBI.

TYR Tactical’s soft armor, NFA2/10, is designed to be a flexible, light-weight, ultra-low vis patent-pending solution that is not only certified NIJ 0101.06 Level II, but also the FBI’s demanding ballistic standards.

This opportunity has led to an increase of 14 jobs in Peoria, Arizona, manufacturing the Ultra-Low Vis Concealable Top and Soft Armor.

The ULVCT will be released and featured in TYR Tactical’s 2021 catalog. Continue to check our Instagram, Facebook, and website, www.tyrtactical.com, regularly for updates. For further questions, email info@tyrtactical.com or call 623-240-1400.

Posted in Advertiser, Armor, Contracts, LE, Press Release | 3 Comments »

General Dynamics To Provide FAA With Radios For Backup Emergency Air Traffic Control Communications

Sunday, March 14th, 2021

General Dynamics awarded $99 million contract to provide new URC-300E transceivers to the FAA to replace legacy emergency backup radios

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has chosen General Dynamics Mission Systems to provide new URC-300E transceivers as part of their Emergency Transceiver Replacement (ETR) program. The eight-year, IDIQ contract has a value of $99 million if all options are exercised.

The URC-300E will replace current legacy radios and provide both Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) operation for civil and military air traffic control (ATC) communications in the event of a catastrophic failure, such as a facility fire or natural disaster. ATC controllers will use the URC-300E to maintain essential ground-to-air communications with aircraft during the critical moments after such an event. The new URC-300E transceiver is specifically designed to maximize radio frequency (RF) performance and enable users to operate multiple URC-300Es as close as 6.5 feet apart without interference – an unprecedented capability compared to currently available man-pack radios which can require up to 50 feet of separation. This close proximity capability enables rapid grab-and-go, multi-channel operations during emergency situations.

“For the past three decades General Dynamics has provided ground-to-air radio systems to the FAA including the recent delivery of the 20,000th CM-300/350 (V2) radio as part of the NEXCOM 2 program,” said Bill Ross, a vice president of General Dynamics Mission Systems. “The URC-300E is another example of our team’s dedication to delivering technologies and products that support the FAA’s efforts to continuously improve the National Airspace and safety of flight.”

The URC-300E, the FAA variant of the URC-300 transceiver, is a versatile, software-defined platform that supports multiple waveforms with exceptional radio frequency (RF) performance to support ground-to-air, line-of-sight and other mission critical applications. It is designed with a flexible, core architecture similar to a commercial smartphone that enables additional features and functions to be added in the field via quick and simple software upgrades, as they become available. This enhanced technology, coupled with the radio’s ability to operate on standard lithium ion batteries, essentially makes the radio “future proof”, resulting in significant time and life cycle cost savings.

The URC-300 is the first ruggedized man-pack radio to achieve compliance with global standards and certifications including Radio Equipment Directive (RED), REACH, RoHS, ETSI EN 300 676 compliance, and it readily supports worldwide 25 kHz and 8.33 kHz deployments. The radio is also currently being certified by the Federal Communications Commission for civilian use and is sponsored by the U.S. Air Force for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Spectrum authorization. In addition to supporting emergency grab-and-go scenarios, the URC-300 supports many other applications including man-pack, vehicular, scalable deployment and rackmount applications as it is ruggedized and meets MIL-STD-810 requirements and is interoperable with its predecessor, the URC-200 (V2) radio, and many of its accessories. General Dynamics began delivering URC-300 radio systems to commercial and DoD customers in Q4 2020.

For additional information on the URC-300, please visit gdmissionsystems.com/URC300.

Posted in Aviation, Comms, Contracts, Press Release | Comments Off on General Dynamics To Provide FAA With Radios For Backup Emergency Air Traffic Control Communications

AeroVironment Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Arcturus UAV Awarded Approximately $7 Million Task Order for U.S. Special Operations Command Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program

Wednesday, March 10th, 2021

• Competitive task order awarded for USSOCOM’s Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems (MEUAS) program

• Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) JUMP 20 unmanned aircraft system delivers true versatility and multi-mission capabilities without launchers or runways to USSOCOM and other customers

With a best-in-class operational range of 185 km (115 mi) and 14+ hours of endurance, AeroVironment’s JUMP 20 is the ideal solution for multi-mission operations. (Photo: AeroVironment, Inc.)

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., March 9, 2021 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Arcturus UAV, now operating under the AeroVironment brand, was awarded a competitive task order valued at approximately $7 million from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The competitive task order is for a one-year period of performance, which started February 3, 2021.

USSOCOM selected Arcturus UAV as one of six companies qualified for the potential $975 million Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) MEUAS contract in June 2020. The contract enables awardees to compete for site-specific task orders and provide USSOCOM with unmanned aircraft systems services and support for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.

“Part of AeroVironment’s expanded portfolio of medium UAS, the fixed wing JUMP 20 is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, making it completely runway independent,” said Rick Pedigo, AeroVironment vice president of global sales and business development. “Runway independence maximizes the ability of customers to deploy the JUMP 20 in a broad range of locations and environments, while minimizing the logistical footprint required to operate it. JUMP 20 is also capable of hosting multiple different payload options, delivering true versatility and multi-mission capabilities to support a wide array of customer requirements.”

AeroVironment recently successfully demonstrated the JUMP 20 for the U.S. Army Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS) “Rodeo”, which took place from February 22 through March 5 at Fort Benning, Georgia.

AeroVironment previously announced the closing of the Arcturus UAV acquisition in a press release on February 22, 2021. To learn more about AeroVironment’s expanded portfolio of unmanned aircraft solutions, visit www.avinc.com/uas.

Posted in Contracts, Press Release, SOF, UAS | Comments Off on AeroVironment Wholly-Owned Subsidiary Arcturus UAV Awarded Approximately $7 Million Task Order for U.S. Special Operations Command Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program

Canadian Department of National Defence Releases Draft Tender for C22 Modular Pistol

Saturday, February 27th, 2021

Canada’s Department of National Defence has released a long overdue Draft Tender for the C22 Modular Pistol which is a 9mm striker fired, semi-automatic, recoil-operated, magazine fed pistol to replace their long serving Browning Hi-Powers.

Here is the tender’s definition of modular:

According to the draft, they are seeking a full sized pistol, with three grip sized housings: small, medium and large. This requirement can be achieved by offering a single frame with small, medium and large backstraps.

They also seek different models of right and left hand Level 2 polymer holsters for the pistol.

Here’s a smattering of requirements:

DND expects a 35,000 service life, with a mean rounds between stoppages rating of 2,000 rounds for Class 1 stoppages, 2,000 rounds for Class 2 stoppages, and 5,000 rounds for Class 3 stoppages.

The C22 FF pistol must be operable and able to fire three full magazines in 60 seconds without cooling the pistol.

The C22 FF pistol must have a separately demandable replacement slide configured to mount commercially available reflex/red dot sight (e.g. Leupold DeltaPoint® Pro, Trijicon RMR® or similar) at the rear of the slide in front of the rear sights.

The pistol must be Flat Dark Earth in color and offer a 17 round magazine.

In addition to offering a threaded barrel, the vendor must also offer a suppressor that can achieve an 18 dB noise reduction.

Yes, DND also has a drop test requirement, which is the same one used by US DoD:

The C22 FF pistol in its operational state (full magazine with a primed cartridge in the chamber) must not discharge when dropped 1.5 m, onto a concrete backed, 5 cm thick plywood surface, IAW TOP 03-2-045A section 4.8.2 1.5 Meter (5 Feet) Drop or AC/225(LG/3-SG/1)D/14 section 2.10.8 Safety Drop Test 1.5 Meter or an alternative test approved by the technical authority using the following drop orientations:

Muzzle Down: Muzzle must be the closest part of the pistol to the concrete floor;

Muzzle Up: Muzzle must be the farthest part of the pistol to the concrete floor;

Slide Up (Horizontal); Top of the slide must be the farthest part of the pistol to the concrete floor;

Slide Down (Horizontal): Top of the slide must be the closest part of the pistol to the concrete floor;

Right Side (Horizontal): Right side of the pistol must be oriented as the closest part of the pistol to the concrete floor;

Left Side (Horizontal): Left side of the pistol must be oriented as the closest part of the pistol to the concrete floor.

After each drop (3.21.1.1-3.21.1.6) each pistol must fire 15 rounds of ammunition.

Overall, it sounds an awful lot like the US issue Modular Handgun System which is manufactured by SIG SAUER.

Industry insiders expect pushback on the module requirement which can only be fulfilled by a couple of vendors such as SIG and Walther. Particularly after the SIG P320 was recently withdrawn from service by Canadian Special Operations Command (CANSOF). However, this draft tender was released after the CANSOF incident came to light, indicating DND is dedicated to obtaining a modular pistol.

Posted in Contracts, International, weapons | 32 Comments »

Gentex Announces Contract with Republic of Korea for Pilot Protective Clothing Set

Tuesday, February 16th, 2021

GENTEX PILOT PROTECTIVE CLOTHING SET II (PP-II) TO BE USED AS COMPLETE CBRN DEFENSE SYSTEM.

CARBONDALE, PA February 9, 2021 – Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, emergency responders, and industrial personnel, announced today that it has signed a contract with the Republic of Korea for the Gentex Pilot Protective

Clothing Set II (PP-II) to be used as a Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defense system. The PP-II includes complete head to toe CBRN protection including CBRN suit, gloves, socks, and the Tacair respirator for F-15 and F-16 pilots.

The $20.6M production contract of the TACAIR product line provides the Republic of Korean Air Force with a system that seamlessly integrates mission essential equipment such as the Gentex oxygen mask, optical and communications devices. The contract also includes extensive training on product operations and maintenance, as well as testing and storage for up to 10 years shelf life. The Gentex TACAIR Hood Assembly incorporates the MBU-20/P oxygen mask technology for positive pressure breathing (PPB) protection for both altitude and high G levels. The comfortable lightweight system is completely man-mounted and requires no aircraft modifications or power.

“For over 60 years, Gentex has been the leader in aircrew protection solutions,” said Robert McCay, vice president at Gentex, “This contract brings our industry-leading protection to the Republic of Korea, and we are proud to continue to protect global defense forces.”

Gentex’s portfolio of air products includes helmets, optical protection, respiratory, and situational awareness solutions. For more information visit, www.gentexcorp.com/gentex/defense/air.

Posted in Advertiser, Aviation, CBRNE, Contracts, International, Press Release | 2 Comments »

Rheinmetall Modernizing 27 More Boxer Command Vehicles for the Bundeswehr

Sunday, February 14th, 2021

Rheinmetall is currently bringing another 27 Boxer command vehicles of the Bundeswehr up to the latest A2 standard. Germany’s Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) awarded the order at the end of January 2021. The 27 vehicles are to undergo modernization at the Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH plant in Kassel, Rheinmetall’s centre of excellence for tactical wheeled vehicles. Work is set to begin in March 2021, with return of the vehicles to the Bundeswehr slated to take place during the 2022-2024 timeframe. For Rheinmetall, the order is worth a figure in the lower two-digit million-euro range.

The command vehicle, or FüFz in German military parlance, is one of four variants of the tried-and-tested, high-mobility Boxer armoured transport vehicle currently in service with the Bundeswehr. The FüFz is found in mechanized formations, where it serves as a mobile tactical operations centre or command post. The vehicles feature a full panoply of radio equipment and advanced C4I systems.

The upgrade to A2 status encompasses an extensive array of modernization measures, including (among other things) the driver’s visualization system; the exhaust emission and air-conditioning ducts; the towing gear; the driver’s station; the headlight technology; as well as software and system security modifications. In addition, the vehicle’s satellite communications capability, voice and data transmission and IT equipment will all be improved.

Now official, the latest order forms a sequel to the modernization to A2 status of the first lot of 38 Boxer command vehicles that commenced in 2017. The current combat performance upgrade of the second lot will ensure that the Bundeswehr’s entire fleet of 65 Boxer command vehicles reflects the latest tactical and technical state of the art.

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