XC3 Weaponlight

Archive for the ‘International’ Category

Snigel Design is Rebranding

Friday, February 14th, 2020

After 30 years, Sweden’s Snigel Design is rebranding. How do you think it compares to the old logo?

Brigantes Presents – Brigantes Issue Essentials

Wednesday, February 12th, 2020

Each week we bring you products that should be on all military standard issue kit lists. This week it’s the Snigel 90L backpack system

Snigeldesign started their first backpacks back in 1977 and was directly aimed at military use.

Rough terrain and hard work required the most reliable and functional of solutions which naturally attracted the military user. Since those humble beginnings Snigeldesign has expanded to bring its innovative and functional approach to a large range of load carriage and protective products.

The 90 Litre Backpack is designed for the needs of forward elements and light role forces out in advance of the main body of troops.  It offers a huge range of options and flexible ways to carry all the mission essential equipment.  The back system provides an ultra-comfortable way to carry large loads for long patrols enabling the user to get where they need to be without compromise and fit to fight.

Enhancements from earlier versions of the 90L backpack:

• The outer pockets are fitted with a zipper instead of a hole band / buckle. Easier and faster to take off and to put them back.

• The hip belt is sewn with edge bands so it keeps the shape better.

• Fixed strap for side stabilization of the hip belt does not get lost and does not break as the rubber cord did.

• Change to a stronger 10 mm zipper from 8 mm

• The openings on the inside compartment in the lid are now both accessible when opening the lid. It is easier to access now

• A hole band at the back of the lid for attaching duffel straps, when the lid is to be used as a small backpack

For more information contact: interantaional@brigantes.com

Or for UK sales: warrior@brigantes.com

ePIG’s SHOT Show Experience Was ePIC

Monday, February 3rd, 2020

Not since Falco have we seen such an awesome display of Teutonic Hip Hop skills. It’s great to see that someone had fun at SHOT Show.

Rheinmetall to Supply the Bundeswehr with Another 1,000 Trucks – Order Worth Almost €400 Million

Monday, January 27th, 2020

At the end of December 2019, the German Bundeswehr ordered a thousand logistic vehicles from Rheinmetall worth €382 million, including valued added tax. The order is the third call-off from a framework contract signed in July 2017 encompassing over 2,200 state-of-the-art military trucks, which the Bundeswehr is purchasing as part of its “Unprotected Transport Vehicles” project. Of the thousand vehicles just ordered, 675 have a five-ton payload, while the remaining 325 have a load-carrying capacity of 15 tons. Starting in January 2020, the trucks will be built at the Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH (RMMV) plant in Vienna, with delivery to be complete by the end of the year.

Featuring a basic military configuration, these robust, off-road-capable vehicles will be available to support the Bundeswehr’s Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) 2023 mission.

Awarded by the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) on 5 July 2017, the framework contract, which runs for a period of seven years, encompasses a total of 2,271 vehicles from RMMV’s HX family. As a first step, 558 vehicles were ordered right away. A further call-off of 252 vehicles followed in May 2019, and another 60 in November 2019.

Serving the twin modern imperatives of mobility and security, the Düsseldorf-based technology group is thus playing a key role in the project to modernize the Bundeswehr’s fleet of trucks, which includes thousands of vehicles. Most of the principal components – the engines, axles, transmissions and build-ons – are made in Germany. The vehicles are assembled at the RMMV plant in Vienna.

Particularly when it comes to multinational operations, the global presence of RMMV vehicles offers major advantages with regard to interoperability and logistics. Among others, current user countries include the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Denmark. Norway and Sweden have also placed substantial truck orders with Rheinmetall.

www.rheinmetall.com

Rheinmetall books €110 million-contract to extend the service life of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle for the Bundeswehr

Sunday, January 26th, 2020

The Bundeswehr has contracted with Rheinmetall to carry out new measures for extending the service life of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle. In order to maintain the operational readiness of this tracked vehicle, the drivetrain of 71 Marder 1A5 vehicles will be replaced. During the 2020-2023 timeframe, Rheinmetall will be supplying the German military with a total of 78 conversion kits as well as vehicle tool kits and special tools, logistical support, an initial store of spare parts, and training and instruction. The order is worth around

€110 million, including value added tax. The service life extension will maintain and expand the capabilities of the Marder, which the Bundeswehr first fielded in 1971.

As a first step in replacing the drivetrain, a new powerpack will be installed in all of the vehicles, which will boost the Marder’s engine output from 600 to over 750 HP. The new powerpack will significantly enhance the tried-and-tested vehicle’s responsiveness. Here, the Bundeswehr has opted for a highly advanced, forward-looking new solution proposed by well-known German manufacturers.

Under a comprehensive development contract, the Marder fleet has already undergone significant modernization. For example, the new MELLS multirole lightweight antitank guided missile system has recently been integrated into various versions of the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, while a new driver vision system, a thermal imaging aiming device and a fire detection and extinguisher system have also been ordered. Series contracts have already been awarded for parts of this service life extension, with performance upgrades now reaching the troops.

First and foremost, these service life extension measures are designed to eliminate known obsolescent elements in the Marder. Here, individual measures can be supplied as modular conversion kits and – as part of planned maintenance operations, for example – integrated in order to assure ready availability of the vehicles.

Awarded to Rheinmetall in December 2019, this Bundeswehr order has the potential to lead to more service life extension measures both at home and abroad. Besides Germany, the armed forces of Chile, Indonesia and Jordan all use the Marder infantry fighting vehicle.

As a system developer and supplier, Rheinmetall has immense expertise and experience with the Marder. The weapons system first rolled off the assembly lines of the predecessor of the company now known as Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH in Kassel. Extremely reliable and battle tested, the Marder is set to serve as an important asset of Germany’s mechanized infantry units for several more years, even though the Bundeswehr is currently taking delivery of the last of 350 Puma infantry fighting vehicles intended to replace it.

Rheinmetall and Thales Are Teaming in Germany within the Field of Unguided and Guided Rockets

Thursday, January 16th, 2020

•        This agreement aims to support together the future developments, qualification and production of the 70mm (2.75”) rocket systems for the German market

•        Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH will lead the team towards the German customers

•        Together, the two international groups will propose complementary capabilities for the Tiger MK3 program

Rheinmetall and Thales have signed an agreement to support together the future developments, qualification and production of the 70mm (2.75”) guided and unguided rockets solutions for helicopters as well as potentially other new platforms in Germany.

The Thales 70mm (2.75”) rocket systems are currently operated on UHT Tiger and under certification on Airbus Helicopters H145M. As part of the agreement, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH will lead the team towards the German customers and use its wide experience as main supplier to the Bundeswehr to ensure the future requirements are met.

The agreement deepens the existing relationship between Thales and Rheinmetall in this field as other members of Rheinmetall Group are working in collaborative integration programs with Thales like on Rheinmetall Canada’s Mission Master UGV.

Together, Rheinmetall and Thales propose important complementary capabilities, especially in the frame of the Tiger MK3 program (guided rocket in “Lock-On-Before-Launch” mode, additional communication between the rocket system and the platform, identification, remote control…)

Torsten Böhm, Senior Vice President ‘Business Development and Sales’, Rheinmetall Waffe Munition:

“The multi-decade experience and quality of the Thales 70mm rockets fit perfectly to Rheinmetall’s activities to provide the users in Germany with the best products. The Thales portfolio in this domain is complementary to the current Rheinmetall technical portfolio. This gives the opportunity to combine forces, but more important gives the user direct access to products, meeting the highest requirements on effectiveness, accuracy and safety. And that is our mission.”

Stéphane Bianchi, director of the Airborne Armament business segment, Thales:

“This strengthening of the collaboration in Germany between Thales and Rheinmetall is good news for both groups. We will provide our expertise with the 70mm (2.75”) rocket systems, which equip already many platforms in the world, and Rheinmetall the knowledge of the German customer. This is a true win-win, at a time when Airbus Helicopters is developing its Tiger MK3 version.”

www.rheinmetall.com

Blackhawk Secures Contract to Equip French Army with T-Series L3D Holsters

Tuesday, January 14th, 2020

Level 3 Holsters to be Furnished with Glock 17 Gen5 Pistols

 

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia – January 14, 2020 – Blackhawk, a leader in the law enforcement and military equipment realm for over 20 years, announced today that it will participate in a contract for the French Armament General Directorate to equip newly furnished Glock G17 Gen5 pistols with new T-Series L3D holsters. The French Army recently selected the G17 Gen5 and multiple accessories to be used as their standard handgun and the new equipment, including the Blackhawk T-Series holster, will be distributed to the French troops within the first months of 2020.

As part of the contract, over 75,000 pistols, holsters and related accessories will be provided to the French Army over the next three years. The tender, launched in early March 2019, was open to multiple possible candidates who were asked to submit their entries for review. As part of the try-outs conducted by the French DGA, all equipment was subjected to a series of stringent tests to asses both the reliability and user-friendliness of the offered pistols and their accessories.

“The recent selection by the French Army to pair newly acquired Glock G17 Gen5 pistols with our T-Series L3D holsters is a tremendous validation of the innovation and durability featured in our new duty-rated holsters,” said Josh Waldron, President of Blackhawk. “We are extremely proud and honored to have been chosen by Glock to serve as the holster supplier for this tender. The French Army will be receiving our newest holster system that has been specifically engineered for compatibility with multiple platforms, making it one of the most versatile options available for military and police agencies.”

Developed with a low-friction, dual-density internal material, the T-Series holsters allows for a smooth and effortless draw, while its external design features a proprietary glass reinforced nylon and soft touch polymer lines for the upmost durability. Adding to its versatility, the T-Series L3D holster is standard with three different mounting options. User can select either the S.T.R.I.K.E®/MOLLE Platform, T-Series Duty Belt Loop or Blackhawk drop leg platforms, all featuring the patented Blackhawk Quick Disconnect System. This unique and one-of-a-kind system allows the holster to be quickly and conveniently moved from one platform to another with no tools required.

Designed to follow Blackhawk’s Master Grip Principle, all T-Series holsters have been specifically developed to allow the user’s hand to land naturally where it should in order to deploy the sidearm. This efficient movement pairs with a sound-dampening, low-friction, dual-density internal material that translates into a smooth, quiet draw.

For more information on the new L3D holster from Blackhawk or to view the complete line of T-Series holsters be sure to visit www.blackhawk.com.

Forge Works / LMSGear OD & Thin Blue Line Blades

Monday, January 13th, 2020

Now available, from LMS Gear are the OD Green G10 with orange pins and Thin Blue Line versions of their Blade made in conjunction with Forge Works.

Check them out at lmsgear.net.