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KMW, Nexter and Rheinmetall Get the Go-ahead for Initial MGCS Architecture Study

Saturday, May 23rd, 2020

Munich / Versailles / Düsseldorf, 20 May 2020 – Standing for Main Ground Combat System, MGCS is a joint Franco-German defence project. The programme, to be implemented under German political leadership, is tasked with developing a main combat system to succeed the Bundeswehr’s Leopard 2 and the French Army’s Leclerc starting in 2035.

Making the start of the MGCS procurement programme Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), Nexter Systems and Rheinmetall AG established an ARGE in December 2019. Now, the partners and the German Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), acting in the name of Germany and France, have signed a contract for the “System Architecture Definition Study – Part 1” (SADS Part 1). This contract sounds the industrial starting gun for a MGCS Demonstration Phase.

At the Franco-German Ministerial Council meeting in Toulouse on 16 October 2019, the defence ministers of both nations, Florence Parly and Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, emphasized their commitment to developing the MGCS.

The ARGE is a German acronym standing for Arbeitsgemeinschaft, or “working group”. Under German law, the ARGE serves as the contractual partner of the procurement authority (BAAINBw) during the first phase of the programme. Officials of the three companies represent the ARGE vis-à-vis third parties.

The aim of the study is to harmonize the final MGCS concepts of the previous phase, to analyse further details, and to propose a common multi-platform architecture. The three contractual partners will assess various aspects of different concepts: technical feasibility in the projected timeframe allotted for the programme; ability to fulfil the operational needs of both armies; efficiency and compatibility with national “systems of systems” (SCORPION for France and Digitization of Land-Based Operations (D-LBO) for Germany). Workshares in the SADS Part 1 are to be distributed equally between France and Germany on a fifty-fifty basis. The first phase of architecture work is expected to last 18 months.

Posted in Industry, International, Press Release | 2 Comments »

DroneShield Chosen by the European Union Police

Friday, May 22nd, 2020

DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO or DRO.AU) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to advise that, following a competitive tender, its DroneGun TacticalTM product was selected as the preferred solution by the European Union police forces. The process was run by Belgium Police, with an EU-wide framework. Sales, training and local support will be managed by DroneShield’s Benelux region partner ForcePro BV.

DroneShield’s DroneGun Tactical deployed by the French Army

Under the framework agreement, DroneGun TacticalTM is expected to be rolled out across a range of police units across European Union. While the agreement does not specify minimum purchase quantities, DroneShield expects this agreement to produce material periodic sales over an extended period of time, with orders commencing this quarter. Further, the Company expects this framework to be a platform for sales of its other products, such as RfPatrolTM and its vehicle and fixed site products, to EU police departments.

Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO, commented, “This is an exciting win in a number of ways. This is the first framework rollout of counterdrone equipment by any Government customer, anywhere in the world. In addition to the substantial nature of this contract, we expect for this to set a standard for DroneGun TacticalTM procurement by other Government customers in the EU and globally, helping fasttrack additional acquisitions. This selection by a highly demanding customer, following on the UK Government CPNI certification last year, reinforces the world leading position of our products in the industry. Importantly, this win of the competitive tender by DroneShield illustrates that security is at the forefront of governments globally as well as the fact that, after a brief interruption caused by the COVID crisis, global procurement processes have resumed.”

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INVISIO Communications Is Now Just Called INVISIO

Thursday, May 21st, 2020

Name change registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office

The Annual General Meeting of INVISIO Communications held on May 5, 2020 resolved to change the company’s name to INVISIO AB (publ). The resolution was registered with the Swedish Companies Registration Office on May 15, 2020.

INVISIO Communications AB (publ) will change its name to INVISIO AB (publ) from today’s date. As a direct consequence, the company’s registered name at Nasdaq Stockholm will be changed to INVISIO AB (publ). The ticker symbol for the share – IVSO – will remain unchanged.

“Within the company our constant objective is to simplify and streamline processes and be clear in our communication. It is therefore natural and fully in line with this ambition to change our name to INVISIO AB. We are a global market leader in our niche and this change increases focus on the INVISIO brand,” says CEO Lars Højgård Hansen.

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CDH Tac’s Cigar Pouch

Tuesday, May 19th, 2020

Finland’s CDH Tactical came up with a pouch to hold all of his essential cigar paraphernalia neatly in one place.

It holds a lighter, cigar stand, straight cutter, v-cutter and of course, a bottle opener.

Oh, and skull beads for zipper pulls, of course.

Contact CDH Tac via Instagram.

Posted in International, Load Carrying | 3 Comments »

A Quantum Leap in Force Protection – Rheinmetall Supplying Bundeswehr with Fuchs/Fox Armoured Transport Vehicles Configured for EOD Role

Friday, May 15th, 2020

Unexploded ordnance, mines and improvised explosive devices pose a grave threat to troops deployed in harm’s way. The German Bundeswehr is currently taking delivery of a newly developed high-performance system for countering these threats. Specially configured for an EOD role, this new variant of the Fuchs/Fox 1A8 armoured transport vehicle – known as the KAI – represents a quantum leap in the German military’s ability to detect and identify unexploded ordnance and similar battlefield hazards. Thanks to its high-performance electronics and a precise, multi-jointed, versatile manipulator arm featuring state-of-the-art sensors, Bundeswehr bomb disposal experts will now be able to reconnoitre, mark, expose and identify suspicious objects from a safe distance. Delivery of these serially produced systems is already underway, and slated to be complete in 2020. The order is worth a figure in the mid-double-digit million-euro range.

The Fuchs/Fox KAI reinforces the Bundeswehr’s array of heavy-duty EOD vehicles, and is designed to investigate vulnerable points which the Route Clearance System – partially supplied by Rheinmetall as well – cannot reach. Furthermore, the KAI is intended to serve as a stand-alone system capable of operating without the Route Clearance System in a convoy support role.

The carrier vehicle for the KAI is the latest iteration of the 1A8 version of this tried-and-tested armoured transport vehicle. Extremely well protected from mine and IED blasts, it is equipped with advanced force protection elements and mine-resistant seats that the keep the crew’s feet safely off the floor of the hull. The most prominent feature of the Fuchs/Fox KAI is the aforementioned multi-jointed, high-precision manipulator arm, with a maximum operating reach of over ten metres and a load-carrying capacity of 400 kg. This enables EOD personnel operating in the Fuchs/Fox fighting compartment to investigate suspicious locations and to examine and identify ordnance and booby traps with great precision from a safe standoff.

Besides the basic tool, the manipulator can accommodate two other tools. One of these is a dual sensor, the 80-centimetre variant employed by the Route Clearance System. It can be used for investigating suspicious spots and determining whether ordnance has been buried there. In addition, there is also a tool camera. Mounted on a tilt-and-pan head, this device can optically examine hard-to-view places such as drainage pipes, the sides and undersides of bridges or locations behind walls in order for example to detect the presence of an explosive device. To enable visual reconnaissance, the system features high-performance optronic technology. An optronic wiping-and-washing system makes it possible to quickly clean the reconnaissance camera during an ongoing operation. This significantly boosts the system’s tactical flexibility.

Other core elements of the KAI are its water-air spade system, with a maximum operating pressure of 400 bar, and a ripper chisel. This enables the EOD crew to uncover suspicious objects which cannot be clearly identified. Marking can be done digitally either in the system by means of exact GPS coordinates, or with an optical marking device for the dismounted bomb disposal engineer.

Moreover, the manipulator arm can be mounted with a recovery system for removing persons from a danger zone.

Rheinmetall is the German military’s partner of choice for combat engineering equipment. Other products in this segment include a share in the already mentioned Route Clearance System, the Dachs/Badger Armoured Engineering Vehicle 2, the Keiler armoured mine-clearing vehicle, and multiple variants of the Fuchs/Fox armoured transport vehicle.

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CZ Group Acquires Minority Stake in Swedish Spuhr

Thursday, May 14th, 2020

Prague, May 11, 2020 – CZG – ?eská zbrojovka Group SE, one of the leading European producers of firearms, announces the acquisition of a minority stake in Spuhr i Dalby AB, a Swedish manufacturer of optical mounting solutions for weapons.

CZG’s acquisition of Spuhr creates mutual synergies in terms of products, customers and geographical presence. Spuhr’s product portfolio consists of optical mounts, accessories and upgrade kits for weapons, making it highly complementary to CZ’s core business.

“We are very pleased to join forces with Spuhr through this strategic investment. Håkan Spuhr and Ulf Nilsson have built a company which is the world leading manufacturer of optical mounting solutions. We believe that the connection of the CZ and Spuhr brands will further strengthen our position on the market and lead to continuous innovation for the benefit of our customers,” stated Lubomír Kova?ík, President of CZG.

“The cooperation with CZ is a strategic milestone for Spuhr. It will give us access to new markets, high-end testing technology and research. We will continue to be flexible and lead the development of new products for our important high-end customers. The partnership with CZ will take us to the next level,” stated Ulf Nilsson, CEO of Spuhr.

The Spuhr mounts and accessories are used by many military and law enforcement units around the world, including the Swedish, Dutch and Danish Army, German Police and Portuguese Navy. Spuhr also offers a popular hunting series of products.

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Milrem Robotics’ THeMIS UGV Completes First Deployment in Mali Proving Its Effectiveness and Reliability

Saturday, May 9th, 2020

Milrem Robotics, the provider of robotic solutions for challenging environments, successfully completed its first deployment period of its unmanned ground vehicle, THeMIS, in operation Barkhane in Mali.

The THeMIS was initially deployed to Mali with the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) during a French lead counter-terrorism operation in April 2019.

Up until April 2020, the vehicle was regularly used during patrols by Estonian soldiers and for transporting supplies within their base. Altogether three Estonian platoons utilized the vehicle during their deployments.

„Partitioned urban areas can be challenging, and one cannot always depend on APC support. The opportunity to bring along a half-ton of ammunition and water to places unreachable with an APC added great value to patrols and enhanced combat capability,” said Lt Col Sten Allik, Senior Staff Officer of the Estonian Defence Forces.

“The THeMIS surprised us with its ability to withstand the tough environment. The heat and harsh terrain put the vehicle to the test; however, it passed with ease,” Allik added.

During the deployment, the THeMIS traversed 1200 km in one of the world’s harshest terrains of lava rock soil and climates climbing to 50 degrees Celsius in the shade. The UGV was operational for over 330 hours.

“We collected a lot of valuable data and feedback during the deployment and although EDF’s experience with the THeMIS was positive, there is always room for improvement,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. “However, after this experience in Mali, we are confident that the THeMIS is more than capable of supporting operations in extremely hot climates,” Väärsi added.

In the future the EDF would like to utilize the THeMIS together with additional ISR, communication support, jamming, and remote weapon system capabilities. “The possibility to detect and neutralize the enemy or an explosive device from a distance is a crucial capability. It is easier to risk the vehicle than a human life. If we can reduce the risk to life in combat situations, we can increase operational speed,” Allik said.

Milrem Robotics will continue to support the EDF in mission areas in the future and is currently preparing for possible future deployments as early as the end of 2020.

The Estonian Defence Forces have also detailed their experience in their Yearbook 2019.

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Clawgear AUG A3 Toprail

Friday, May 8th, 2020

The new Clawgear AUG A3 Toprail provides extended rail space to the front and rear in comparison to the original AUG rail.

Features:

-Made of high strength aluminium with Mil-Spec Type III hard coat anodized finish
-20% lighter with no compromise in stability and ruggedness
-Features a non-glare coating to reduce reflections
-Makes the A3 rifle compatible with the Clawgear AUG Handguard
-Features a 30 slot picatinny rail (NATO STANAG 4694)
-Anti-rotational QD attachment point at the front

www.clawgear.com/en/AUG-A3-Top-Rail-27016en1555

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