This is Ghosthood’s Compact-Poncho which uses CONCAMO and weighs just 212 grams.
Archive for the ‘International’ Category
Ghosthood Compact-Poncho
Friday, August 14th, 2020Contract Dispute Delays Fielding of New Dutch Combat Uniforms, Interim Solution Selected
Monday, August 10th, 2020According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense, a contract dispute for new combat uniforms for the Dutch Army (Koninklijke Landmacht) and ensuing analysis of tender documents has led to the withdrawal of a contract award to manufacture them. The newly designed uniforms, developed as part of the Defensie Operationeel Kleding Systeem (Defense Operational Clothing System) or DOKS program, were intended to be fielded in 2023, but now that plan has been pushed back.
Instead, the Dutch forces will continue to field MultiCam Combat clothing for those troops deploying to contingency areas.
Additionally, non-deploying Dutch Army personnel will be issued an improved interim clothing package in the new national camouflage, the Netherlands Fractal Pattern M-19. NFP is available in several colorations.
This ensemble will be based on the Dutch Marine uniform seen above which is currently offered in M81 Woodland. It combines the new NFP fabric with the Marine cut, utilizing a material substitution in current contracts. Fielding of these uniforms should begin by mid-2021.
DOKS also fields a new helmet (manufactured by Galvion) as well as other equipment. These portions of the program continue unabated, with helmets delivered in batches, beginning at the end of this year. Eventually, the full system will be fielded, including clothing in an entirely new cut.
Photos from Dutch MOD.
Sneak Peek – Finnish M04 Desert Camo Clothing from Varusteleka Oy
Saturday, August 8th, 2020Our friends in Finland, Varusteleka Oy, are expanding their Särmä TST clothing system by adding the M04 desert / arid pattern option starting 14 August.
According to Jari Lane, the pattern was developed based on Finnish M05 geometry but color matched to the desert / arid environment. The pattern was initially fielded to Finnish troops serving in UN and other international missions in 2003 as a test run and has evolved to its current form and is part of Finnish field gear.
The Products launched on August 14th:
European Military Buys DroneShield Systems
Sunday, August 2nd, 2020DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce an order for the Company’s RadarZeroTM portable counterdrone system, powered by the DroneShieldCompleteTM Command-and-Control (“C2”) system, from a significant European military.
At $100,000 in sales proceeds, this is an order for an evaluation, expected to lead to additional deployments with this Ministry of Defence customer.
RadarZeroTM is a revolutionary ruggedised (IP68, -40C to +75C) metamaterials based radar, weighting only 1.25kg, enabling effective detection and tracking of nefarious drones. DroneShieldCompleteTM C2 enables an intuitive user interface and a rich reporting functionality of drone threats.
Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO, has commented, “The importance of this sale is several-fold. First, this is our first order from this European military. Secondly, this is the first sale of a radar-only fixed site system powered by DroneShieldCompleteTM, demonstrating the modularity of our offering. DroneShield is both a sensor manufacturer and an integrator, with the customer having ability to add further sensor loads to the acquired system, which DroneShieldCompleteTM supports.”
The sale is subject to pending relevant export approvals.
Galvion Signs Major Helmet Contract with Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation
Friday, July 31st, 2020Galvion, a world leader in innovative head protection systems and power management solutions, has signed a new contract to supply the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO), with a suite of helmet systems. Awarded following a full and open competition, the 7-year contract is worth approximately USD $23.5 million. Galvion will deliver new helmets across two unique helmet geometries and additionally, has established a spare parts and life extension programme with estimated completion in 2034. As well as the Danish MoD, the Danish Police and Ministry of Foreign Affairs can also use this framework contract to procure and support their own specific helmets.
DALO is not a new customer to Galvion; in 2012, Galvion (under its former corporate name Revision Military) won a contract to deliver helmets and spare parts to Denmark over a seven-year period. Following a competitive technical assessment process including comprehensive user trials, this newest contract extends an already strong relationship with the DALO. Starting in Q4 2020, Galvion will begin delivering a combination of their flagship Batlskin Caiman® Special Forces helmet system and the newly launched PDxT™ helmet. The PDxT introduces a new helmet geometry to balance space, comfort and impact performance together with a low-profile shell. Both helmet platforms include the very latest APEX lining system, which can be configured to meet a variety of impact standards and mission requirements.
Major Kasper Riis from DALO said: “We’re pleased that Galvion won the tender and therefore will continue as our ongoing supplier of helmet systems, following an extensive competitive assessment to establish protection for our soldiers, whilst delivering value for money. Galvion (formerly Revision Military) have proven themselves to be a reliable and dependable supply partner to DALO in recent years and we’re confident that this new contract will build on that success and that Galvion will continue to be a good partner for DALO”.
Jonathan Blanshay, CEO at Galvion said: “We’re honoured to sign another contract with the DALO, solidifying our partnership for many years to come. Galvion has developed a reputation as the leader in NATO next-generation helmet systems, and the awarding of this contract speaks of our commitment to provide bespoke solutions for the modern soldier. He added: “Our team has created a suite of helmets for the Danish MoD that balances quality, durability and the all-important user-acceptance and we are excited to start delivering these systems to the soldiers who need them”.
As well as the new DALO contract, Galvion enjoys an impressive track record of large-scale global sales for protective head systems and soldier power management systems. Other customers include defence forces from the US, Canada, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, UAE, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and others.
HENSOLDT Delivers Radar for Bundeswehr Counter-UAV System
Thursday, July 30th, 2020
Ulm, Germany, 28 July 2020 – As part of the German Army’s “qualified air defence” drone defence programme, sensor specialist HENSOLDT is supplying the latest version of its “Spexer 2000 3D” radar to system integrator Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. Spexer will be part of the C-UAS system (Counter-Unmanned Aerial System), which is based on Kongsberg’s remote-controlled “Protector” weapon station, both mounted on an armoured GTK “Boxer” vehicle. Initially 10 systems are under contract. Radar deliveries will start at the end of this year to meet the requirements of NATO VJTF (= Very High Readiness Joint Task Force) 2023.
The contract was awarded after a test firing at the Baumholder military training area. The third generation of HENSOLDT’s “Spexer 2000 3D” radar demonstrated outstanding classification performance of small targets in very demanding scenarios. Due to the small radar cross section, high manoeuvrability and high optical reconnaissance performance of these micro-drones, they pose a particular threat to mobile land forces.
The new Spexer radar generation additionally closes the gap in the reconnaissance capability of close-range small targets within ground-based air defence. Parallel to drones, the classic air and ground target catalogue – such as helicopters, combat aircraft, armoured vehicles etc. – can also be detected and classified. These capabilities set new standards in the field of radar-based self-protection.
Of the previous generations of Spexer radar, over 150 systems have already been delivered to customers and are in operational use worldwide.
DroneShield – Successful European Airport Trial
Wednesday, July 29th, 2020DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce it has successfully completed a trial deployment of its DroneSentinelTM system at a mid-tier European airport.
The trial was managed by Deutsche Telekom, one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies.
The evaluation is expected to substantially shape the requirements for a large multi-million European airports tender expected to be released prior to year end. Whilst the Company is unable to quantify the tender more precisely, DroneShield expects the project to be material and will in due course provide an update on the dollar amounts to the market, when available.
Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO, has commented, “Airport market is a key segment for DroneShield, following high profile drone-related disruptions such as that has taken place at Gatwick Airport. We are now seeing airports, in particularly in Europe, mobilising their procurement selection processes towards wide rollouts of counterdrone systems. Each individual airport deployment is worth up to a multi-million dollar contract, including upfront and ongoing subscription payments, depending on the airport size and protection requirements. This successful trial forms a critical part of those selection processes.”
Luxemburg-based Finance Company Compagnie du Développement de l’Eau Acquires Majority Stake in Germany’s Heckler & Koch
Thursday, July 23rd, 2020Last week, Heckler & Koch announced that Compagnie du Développement de l’Eau, a finance company based in Luxembourg has acquired a majority stake in H&K.
Here is the announcement machine translated from the German original. Please excuse any syntax issues.
Luxembourg financial holding company CDE takes over a majority stake in the traditional weapons manufacturer Heckler & Koch
17.07.2020
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy has given the Compagnie de Développement de l’Eau (CDE) approval to acquire a majority stake in H&K AG. New majority shareholder supports economic recovery and thus guarantees long-term stability. CDE stands by locations and the “Green Country Strategy” and wants to expand Heckler & Koch’s technology leadership.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) approved the shareholder Compagnie de Développement de l’Eau (CDE) S.A., Luxembourg, to acquire a majority stake in H&K AG on July 15, 2020. The board of H&K AG was informed today that the CDE owns a majority stake in H&K AG.
The CEO of H&K AG, Dr. Jens Bodo Koch says: “We are very interested in clear and stable ownership. With a financially strong, long-term oriented majority owner like CDE, the economic stability of H&K is now guaranteed sustainably. The consolidation course started in 2018 can now be continued consistently. ”
After years of losses, H&K again achieved a profit of EUR 1.6 million in the past year. With a view to the first half of 2020, the Management Board expects a further increase in sales and an improvement in earnings.
900 future-proof and innovative jobs
H&K expressly welcomes the fact that continuity, stability and expansion of the technology leadership of the Oberndorf company enjoy special priority for CDE and that the new majority shareholder supports investments in production and development capacities in Germany in this context. “With CDE’s commitment, a good 900 future-proof and innovative jobs have been secured in Oberndorf,” says CEO Jens Bodo Koch.
CDE has been a H&K shareholder for five years and expressly supports the company’s “Green Country Strategy”. After that, the company only supplies democratic countries, which belong in particular to NATO and / or the EU, and are treated as equal to NATO. It is one of H&K’s corporate principles that weapons belong in the right hands. For H&K, these are soldiers and police officers in democratic countries, who ensure the security and integrity of citizens. They deserve the best equipment for their indispensable and often challenging hard work.
Continuation of the growth and innovation course
With the new majority owner, H&K can continue the growth and innovation course embarked on by the board. The success of this course is already visible. In 2019, the operating profit before taxes (EBITDA) was 30.3 million euros (12.6% of sales), 63 percent higher than in 2018 (18.6 million euros or 8.4% of sales) ). After a successful first half of the year, H&K expects to see profitable growth in 2020 despite the corona pandemic due to its sustainable business policy.
H&K’s return to the profit zone can be attributed on the one hand to a cost reduction program and a significant increase in production efficiency, and on the other to an agreement with the workforce to contribute to the consolidation of the company through additional work while at the same time reducing wages.
The positive development made it possible for H&K to put together an investment package worth 25 million euros, which has been used to modernize production and improve the infrastructure since July 2019 until next year. The company is now operationally profitable enough to manage investments like this from its own cash flow.
The overall outlook for the next few years is also positive. H&K was able to record record orders for the second year in a row. In the current year, the company has started delivering 2,000 medium-range weapons to the Hessian police to protect citizens in the event of terror and amok cases. Also this year, the Bundeswehr special forces will launch the new G95K (HK 416 A7) assault rifle from H&K. This weapon replaces the G36K, which also comes from Oberndorf. H&K’s latest success is the start of delivery of just over 6,000 M110A1 (Squad Designated Marksman Rifle / Rifle Scope / SDMR) precision rifles to the US Army.
We want people to be able to live safely. Our products are designed to protect people in liberal, democratic countries from threats and violence. Heckler & Koch is the leading manufacturer of handguns for the NATO and EU countries and is proud that its assault rifles are standard equipment for many European armed and security forces.
