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Archive for the ‘International’ Category

Milipol 25 – Savotta Trifold E-Tool Pouch

Monday, December 1st, 2025

Finland’s Savotta showed me their e-tool cover. Made from wide webbing, it’s a simple, effective and robust way to carry the entrenching tool.

The war in Ukraine has remedied us of how essential an entrenching tool is to digging a shell scrape or more elaborate fighting positions. PALS compatible, the pouch keeps your e-tool handy. The flap features a tuck under tab which can be backed up with Velcro for times when you need a little extra security.

Offered in Green and Brown (shown).

www.savotta.fi/products/trifold-e-tool-pouch

Milipol 25 – Kaptrek Pro Pilot Defense

Friday, November 28th, 2025

The Kaptrek Pro Pilot was developed as the first French (and European) IOT/connected wrist mounted platform for defense applications.

Capabilities:

  • Advanced Tactical Navigation
  • Real-Time Mission Tracking
  • Secure Communications
  • Health Status Management
  • Connected Device Control
  • Communication Security
  • Emergency Response System
  • Virtual Training
  • Resource Management
  • Interoperability with External Systems

Technical Specs:

  • Screen: 2,4 inches / 52.32 (H) x 31.392 (V) mm
  • Resolution: 800(RGB)*480
  • Battery: 1800 mAh
  • MPU: ARM Cortex-A5 / 32bit / 500MHz
  • Operating System (OS): Proprietary KAPTREK-OS
  • IMU: 3 axis
  • Wi-Fi: Radio 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 & 5.0 GHz
  • Bluetooth: BR/EDR/LE 5.1
  • GNSS: GPS / GLONASS / GALILEO / BEIDOU
  • SDRAM: 4 Go
  • eMMC: 8 Go
  • Flash memory: 16 Mb
  • IP Rating: IP67

It is available in two versions:

  • A 100% Made-in-France version,powered by a proprietary, secure Linux-based OS
  • An integrated version built on Android solutions

kaptrek.com/en

Milipol 25 – FN Herstal

Friday, November 28th, 2025

Since readers are generally keen to know what is going on with European small arms manufacturers I snapped some photos for you in the FN stand and will be using the French designations for these weapons to broaden your horizons.

Let’s start off with the Fusil de précision, the FN SCAR H TPR in 7,62 x 51 mm OTAN.

Next up is the Fusil FN SCAR L MK2 chambered in 5,56 x 45 mm OTAN and equipped with the FN SMARTCORE ballistic computer.

This is the FN SCAR SC Carbine in 5,56 x 45 mm OTAN (.223).

We’ll wrap this up with one of my favorites, the Mitrailleuse ultralégère FN EVOLYS in 5,56 x 45 mm OTAN with FN ELITY LITE IR pointer/illuminator.

NATO Allies Demonstrate Counter-UAS Capability During Live-Fire Demonstration in Poland

Friday, November 28th, 2025

NOWA DUBA, Poland — U.S., Polish and Romanian Soldiers demonstrated a new counter-unmanned aircraft system capability on Nov. 18, underscoring how allies are adapting to the growing drone threat along NATO’s eastern flank.

The live-fire event at the Nowa Duba Training Area capped a two-week course that brought together air defenders from all three nations. Soldiers trained on a mobile system that uses radar, electro-optical sensors and a small interceptor drone to detect, track and defeat hostile unmanned aircraft.

All major components fit on a light tactical vehicle or pickup truck, allowing a four-person crew to move, emplace and reload the system in minutes. During the demonstration, crews used a truck-mounted launcher to fire interceptors against surrogate “enemy” drones and recover them by parachute for reuse in training.

“It’s very lethal, very effective, but the key piece here is that it’s cost effective,” said Brig. Gen. Curtis King, commanding general of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.

King noted that the same type of interceptor has already been used in combat in Ukraine against Russian unmanned systems. There, he said, the capability has been “highly effective and lethal against one-way attack drones in Ukraine,” and is part of “the latest technology that’s being fought in Ukraine right now.”

Because the interceptor is designed as an expendable munition, the system allows commanders to engage low-cost drones without expending long-range interceptors needed for aircraft, cruise missiles or ballistic missiles. Combat use in Ukraine has provided Allies with real-world performance data before fielding the capability on NATO soil.

Polish and Romanian officers at Nowa D?ba said recent airspace violations and drone incidents over their territory accelerated efforts to field practical counter-UAS options.

The course followed a train-the-trainer model. U.S. Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment trained alongside Polish and Romanian counterparts through classroom instruction, simulator work, and live launches. Graduates are expected to form the core of future national training teams.

The training and demonstration in Nowa Duba support NATO’s Operation Eastern Sentry and the Eastern Flank Deterrence Line, which seeks to link ground-based air and missile defense, aviation, sensors and fires into a layered architecture along NATO’s flank. Short-range counter-UAS systems like the one exercised in Poland provide a first line of defense against unmanned aircraft and help preserve higher-end interceptors for more complex threats.

By integrating this capability with allied training and planning, U.S., Polish, and Romanian air defenders are improving readiness and reinforcing deterrence, ensuring NATO can detect, track, and defeat the growing drone threat across the eastern flank.

By CPT Alexander Watkins

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Wins Framework Contract from Danish Armed Forces for Logistics Vehicles

Thursday, November 27th, 2025

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles has once again achieved significant success with the HX truck family. The Danish procurement authority FMI (Forsvarsministeriets Materiel- og Indkøbsstyrelse; Ministry of Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) ) has awarded Rheinmetall a framework agreement for the delivery of up to 1,000 HX and TG trucks.

The contract was accompanied by an initial call-off for over 100 trucks. This call-off is worth in the double-digit million euro range and was booked in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The new trucks will be procured as part of the build-up of a Danish heavy infantry brigade. Delivery of the vehicles will take place within an exceptionally short time frame. First call-offs will be delivered before end of 2027. The order also includes additional services such as maintenance, spare parts, and vehicle training. At the same occasion the sustainment contract for the existing fleet is prolonged for additional four years.

This order marks Denmark’s return to the HX family of users. It also represents a decisive strategic step toward strengthening the market position in Northern European countries and positioning the HX as the Royal Danish Army’s standard tactical truck. The new order further demonstrates the high level of acceptance enjoyed by the proven HX vehicles.

“The acquisition of new all-terrain trucks for the heavy infantry brigade is another important piece in the Army’s armament. Therefore, I am very pleased that through this contract signing, we now ensure that the soldiers within a few years will have significantly increased their combat power in their operational tasks. I am pleased to see our collaboration with Rheinmetall continue,” says head of the land division at DALO, Colonel Thomas Øgendahl Knudsen. 

Andre Barthel, CEO RMMV : “With this agreement, we are proud to resume and continue our long-standing collaboration with our Danish customer. Since the early days of HX program, Denmark has been and continues to be a reliable partner and important member of the RMMV User nation Group. We look forward to further expanding this successful partnership in the coming years.”

About the HX2 
RMMV’s proven HX family is designed as a “military off-the-shelf” product for extreme robustness and reliability and has been tested for a service life of over 20 years. It is available in configurations ranging from 4×4 to 10×10. The HX family is one of the most widely used commercial vehicles for the military, government agencies, and organizations with security tasks.

Designed for military use, they are highly maneuverable and excel even in difficult terrain. The widespread use of the HX vehicle family worldwide offers significant advantages in terms of interoperability and logistics, particularly with regard to multinational operations.

Well over 20,000 units are in use worldwide, many of them in EU and NATO countries. In addition to Germany, current users include the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Hungary, Singapore, Slovenia, Denmark, and Ukraine.

Terma Acquires OSL Technology – Powering a Market-Leading Counter-UAS and Critical-Infrastructure Protection Capability

Thursday, November 27th, 2025

Faster detection, smarter classification, and coordinated effective response – one comprehensive operational picture across sea, air, and land.

Lystrup, Denmark, 27th November 2025 – Terma A/S has completed the acquisition of OSL Technology (OSL), a UK-based leader in counter-drone security and safety systems. The acquisition marks a major step in Terma’s strategy to build market-leading capabilities in Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) and critical-infrastructure protection.

OSL is a UK-based counter-drone and intelligent security specialist with its roots in the civil airspace domain, helping major airports and national-infrastructure sites detect, track, and manage drones and other aerial threats in complex environments. Terma brings decades of experience from the defense and security domain, supplying radar and command-and-control solutions to navies, air-defense units, and critical infrastructure operators.

The combined team bridges civil and defense mindsets and practices into a single, end-to-end C-UAS solution that can detect, track, classify, decide, and respond to threats within seconds.

Together, Terma and OSL now combine defense-grade sensors, AI-driven analytics, and real-world operational expertise in an open, modular ecosystem. Integrating Terma’s situational-awareness heritage with OSL’s full-stack counter-drone suite provides continuous coverage and intelligent fusion across sea, air, and land – including third-party sensors and effectors – enabling one trusted operational picture that caters from the tactical to the strategic.

Henriette H. Thygesen, CEO, Terma, said, “OSL’s operational performance – from years of protecting critical infrastructure at Heathrow and other major sites – shows it delivers where it matters most. Paired with Terma’s multi-domain capacity, built on decades of delivering situational awareness and defense-grade command-and-control, and further informed by partnerships in Ukraine, we now offer one of the most comprehensive C-UAS suites on the market, helping to set a higher standard for protecting people, airspace, and critical infrastructure. This is not only about Denmark here and now; it delivers a strong, comprehensive C-UAS solution that can contribute to European flagship projects such as the proposed EU drone initiative.”

For airport authorities, critical-infrastructure operators, and defense customers, the combined offering provides one integrated C-UAS picture – with rapid deployment and immediate operational effect.

“Joining Terma is an extraordinary opportunity for OSL and our customers. Terma’s multi-domain expertise together with our C-UAS platform and agility create unmatched depth of capability – from sensor to decision to response. It means faster detection, smarter classification, and precisely coordinated action. It’s the perfect combination of innovation and assurance”, said Mark Legh-Smith, CEO, OSL.

Terma and OSL will serve customers worldwide in C-UAS and critical-infrastructure protection, leveraging OSL’s operational excellence and Terma’s technology base and global reach to deliver fast, reliable, and scalable solutions across civilian and defense sectors.

MW&L Capital Partners acted as exclusive financial advisor and Kromann Reumert, Addleshaw Goddard and Deloitte acted as legal- and tax-advisors to Terma.

Cavendish acted as exclusive financial advisor to OSL with Bird & Bird acting as legal advisor.

Milipol 25 – Paul Boyé Technologies

Wednesday, November 26th, 2025

In October Norway’s NFM Group announced the purchase of Paul Boyé Technologies, a well known French specialist in CBRN defense systems.

This manakin depicting a Soldier in CBRN gear shows several of their combined systems.

Coverall: The CBPIA is a permeable filtering protectve coverall used to protect the body against CBRN threats or hazards in liquid, solid aerosol, gaseous, and vapor form during operations in a toxic CBRN environment.

Helmet: HJELMM 4 Gen Combat Helmet

Load bearing vest: THOR MCVS 3.0 Plate Carrier

Load bearing belt: THOR Belt with harness

Pouches: THOR 3XHK416 Pouch

Milipol 25 – Tiger Tailor

Wednesday, November 26th, 2025

I was delighted to be introduced to the owner of Tiger Tailor during Milipol last week ?in Paris. This company has a long history of manufacturing soldier systems for the French market.

What they showed me has the potential to grow their name and reach. This tarp is made from standard PU coated MultiCam fabric but has been enhanced with a special additive process to offer thermal suppression.

The waterproof tarp measures 2m x 3m and weighs 1kg. It comes with 550 cord to secure it in place and can printed on both sides with different visual patterns.

Unlike many other thermal camouflage systems on the market, this one acts as a diffuser rather than as an insulator.

In this photo we see an unmanned ground vehicle covered by the material in 35 deg C ambient air temp.

They are open to working with manufacturers in friendly nations on this technology.

www.tigertailor.com