Alligator Engineering is exhibiting with Wing Inflatable Solutions and showing their KDUCK – (FMP) Mod 2 fixture which offers a single point of attachment, suspension, and release of an unmodified P4.7 inflatable boat configured with full mission equipment to an H-60 series helicopter for Kangaroo Duck operations.
It is installed in minutes and ensures negligible aerodynamic effects to the helo throughout the flight profile.
Contact Alligator Engineering at scienceninja@md.metrocast.net
Exhibiting in the TSSi Noble booth at MDM, Black Side Solutions showed the Parker Defense Jerry Can water purification and filtration system It fits in standard size Jerry Can holder and weighs less than a 5 gallon Jerry can of water but can filtrate what you need as you go.
Official handover ceremony for new palletized load-handling system and delivery of 3,000th Unprotected Transport Vehicle
The Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles success story continues. At a ceremony in Munich, Michael Wittlinger, Chairman of the Management Board of Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles GmbH, and Armin Papperger, Chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG, together with the Head of the Land Support Division of the German federal procurement authority Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw), First Director at the BAAINBw Jan Gesau, officially handed over the key for the new generation of palletized load-handling system to the German Armed Forces – represented by the Commander of the Bundeswehr Logistics Command and General Bundeswehr Logistics, Major General Gerald Funke, Brigadier General Frank Schmitz, Head of the Planning Department at the Joint Support Service Command and Brigadier General Dr. Thomas Czirwitzky as representative of the German Army Office.
A further cause for celebration was the delivery of the 3,000th Unprotected Transport Vehicle, or UTF. The fact that the logistics vehicles are a showcase project in which politics, the armed forces and industry work together successfully was also expressed by the presence of other high-ranking visitors from politics, the Bundeswehr and partner companies. Among others, the Bavarian State Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann, the Deputy Chairman of the Defence Committee of the German Bundestag, Henning Otte, as well as Karsten Klein MdB, Chairman of the Budget Committee, and Bernhard Loos MdB from the Economic Committee took part in the ceremony.
In June 2020 the Bundeswehr entered a framework agreement with Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicle Systems (RMMV) for the supply of up to 4,000 palletized load-handling systems. The framework agreement runs until 2027. Known in German as “Wechselladersysteme”, or WLS, these palletized load-handling systems are mounted on RMMV’s successful family of HX military trucks ensuring high commonality to the already fielded Unprotected Transport Vehicles, or UTFs. The prime feature of the WLS is the hook loader, developed by the Hiab company. This means that the flatracks in use with the Bundeswehr can be picked up and set down on almost any terrain without the need for additional handling equipment. Alternatively, the vehicles can also transport an interchangeable flatbed or a container via the standardised 20-foot ISO interfaces.
A large share of the Bundeswehr’s WLS trucks feature a protected cabin. The protected WLS will substantially enhance the survivability, sustainment capability and tactical flexibility of the logistic formations of the German Federal Armed Forces.
The WLS is a critically important component of NATO’s Very High Joint Readiness Task Force VJTF 2023, which the Bundeswehr will be furnishing. In March of this year, instruction began for military drivers in the first protected WLS.
For several years now, the Unprotected Transport Vehicle family has been contributing to the operational effectiveness of the German Bundeswehr’s logistic formations. In July 2017 the Bundeswehr contracted with Rheinmetall MAN to supply its new “UTF mil gl in den Zuladungsklassen 5t und 15t” family of unprotected trucks capable of carrying payloads of 5 and 15 tonnes.
“The UTF is a showpiece project that paved the way for new procurement methods,” says Michael Wittlinger. “It was the first large-volume flexible framework agreement. Financed by the German government’s pandemic recovery package, additional vehicles were called-off and delivered. By the beginning of May, 3,000 vehicles had been transferred to the customer – almost a thousand more than envisaged in the original framework agreement for delivery by 2024. RMMV is therefore well ahead of schedule in this project.”
Armin Papperger also emphasised the high importance of the WLS and UTF for the company in his speech. “Both projects from the field of logistics vehicles are closely interwoven, not only from a technical point of view. They are among our lighthouse projects. WLS and UTF show how defence programmes can be carried out in exemplary fashion. This success is the result of close cooperation built on mutual trust between the German parliament, the armed forces and the defence industry – for which great thanks are due to all those involved!”
A large portion of the value added in the WLS and UTF projects – over 75 percent – is generated in Germany. In close coordination with the Bundeswehr, RMMV has boosted its UTF capacity to 1,000 vehicles per year. Against the background that logistical transport capacities are likely to increase further and more vehicles will be needed, the production capacity for the Bundeswehr will be further expanded. RMMV is also moving to greatly increase delivery capacity for WLS trucks. Rheinmetall MAN thus remains a strong, efficient and reliable partner of the Bundeswehr, capable of meeting its delivery commitments even under extremely difficult circumstances, as demonstrated during the coronavirus pandemic and the Ukraine crisis.
Both the WLS and UTF are based on RMMV’s robust HX vehicle family. Designed for military use right from the start, they display outstanding mobility even in tough terrain. The wide distribution of the HX vehicle family around the world brings major advantages when it comes to interoperability and logistics. Among other countries, the circle of user nations now includes the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Hungary and Denmark. In cooperation with the armed forces of Germany and other partner nations, RMMV is eager to write new chapters in the success story surrounding the company’s tried-and-tested HX vehicles.
GM Defense had a very impressive display which included a non-defense vehicle which may pique your interest of the art of the possible.
Based on the Chevrolet Silverado truck, this Chevy Off-Road Concept Vehicle is an example their ability to design a fully integrated solution leveraging a GM commercial derivative with the ability to scale to any level of production.
The vehicle offers off-road capabilities, control and performance rooted in a production-based foundation and off-the-shelf performance enhancements.
It offers increased payload capacity and capability to hold lightweight armor when compared to the recently adopted Infantry Squad Vehicle which is not armored.
The frame was shortened and a custom-designed, 4130 chromoly tubular safety structure was integrated while the modified chassis was wrapped with a custom, lightweight body.
It is powered by a Chevrolet Performance LT4 crate engine, a 6.2L supercharged V-8 that’s rated at 650 hp. It’s backed by a 10L90 10-speed automatic transmission that sends torque to a two-speed transfer case and distributes it to 37-inch-tall off-road tires mounted on 20-inch beadlock wheels. The vehicle also includes the Chevrolet Performance Big Brake Upgrade System.
PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — Soldiers are getting a chance to evaluate and train with a new armored turret system for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, the latest U.S. Army platform within the high-priority Next Generation Combat Vehicle modernization program.
The new Objective Commander’s Weapon Station integrates with all five variants of the AMPV: a general-purpose vehicle, mission command vehicle, mortar carrier, medical evacuation and medical treatment vehicles. The AMPV is currently in low-rate production.
The OCWS system, which addresses the ongoing need to develop advanced armor protection and capabilities for Soldiers, is part of the broad sweep of modernization efforts within the U.S. Army. The advanced protection kit has a new armor alloy and a titanium hatch design.
The OCWS turret protects the vehicle commander, who operates as the gunner on the top side of the vehicle. Essential features include periscopes, motorized rotation and a spacious interior that allows the gunner to perform complex missions under protection. The weapon mount on the system gives the gunner full access to the suite of crew served weapons, providing a range of firepower options.
The OCWS was developed and prototyped by engineers at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Armaments Center at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. The Armaments Center reports to the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, which is part of Army Futures Command.
“The OCWS is definitely one of our more sophisticated turret systems,” said Thomas Kiel, who leads the engineering activity for U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps armored and tactical vehicle turrets within the DEVCOM Armaments Center Force Protection team. “The AMPV was developed to operate on the front lines of the battlefield, and our team had to accommodate the challenging requirements associated with that,” Kiel added.
The OCWS includes a combination of opaque and transparent armor that is specially configured to provide advanced protection and situational awareness for the Commander. The Armaments Center works closely with DEVCOM’s Army Research Laboratory to ensure that the high performing armor materials are lightweight, affordable and readily available.
“Our initial prototype was integrated with the vehicle at the test site for a formal user evaluation,” said Narayan Bhagavatula, Program Lead for Gunner Protection Systems within Program Manager Soldier Lethality, also located at Picatinny Arsenal.
Experienced warfighters, program managers and Picatinny engineers participated in a Human Systems Integration event at the Aberdeen Test Center for a complete evaluation of every aspect of the new turret. “It is critical that the OCWS meets the needs of the Soldier,” said Bhagavatula. “User feedback is the most important aspect of our development process.”
At the Soldier-centered event, the turret team gathers all comments and recommendations from Soldiers and incorporates them into the design. Engineering analysis of the updated computer models follows each design change.
“We’re able to really push the envelope on system complexity and performance because of recent advances in modeling and simulation,” said Kiel. The engineers work closely with the Gaming, Interactive Technologies & Multimedia team at the Armaments Center to evaluate computer models within a virtual environment that simulate various battlefield scenarios, from dense urban combat to open terrain, under certain weather conditions.
In collaboration with Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, the Armaments Center is acquiring new simulation technologies and toolsets that make it possible to evaluate the overall effectiveness of new weapon systems through fully immersive environments.
“Through advanced modeling, we can predict the behavior of our turrets under extreme stress, as well as understand how the system will be used during combat,” said Kiel. “The engineering data we generate is treated as a weapon system and is managed and secured as such,” he added.
The DEVCOM Armaments Center has the lead within the DOD in the development of Tactical Vehicle Turret Systems. More than 50,000 systems have been fielded on a variety of platforms, including the Humvee, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles, the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle and others. Objective Gunner Protection Kit Turrets are standard for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.
At least 14 patents have been issued related to the development of turret systems, including three that were selected as Army’s Greatest Inventions. AGI awards are considered somewhat of a “Soldier’s Choice Award” because nominations are judged by a panel of noncommissioned officers with recent combat experience as well as practical, hands-on experience.
The Product Data Management team at Picatinny is responsible for processing and maintaining all aspects of weapon system data, which is used throughout the Armaments Center enterprise for various functions such as prototype fabrication, structural modeling, and cost analysis. “The technical data itself is a strategic asset for the U.S. Army and a crucial component in achieving military advantage,” Kiel said.
“We built all of the prototype OCWS turrets in-house over the last 18 months,” said Bhagavatula. “Meeting the aggressive test schedule was a top priority, along with finalizing the technical data package for the start of low-rate production,” he added. Assembled within its Prototype Integration Facility, the Armaments Center provided 20 OCWS turrets for test and evaluation.
The AMPV with OCWS has undergone reliability, availability, and maintainability testing at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, as well as live-fire testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Follow-on operational testing of the AMPV with Soldiers is underway.
By Ed Lopez, Picatinny Arsenal Public Affairs
Jankel, a world-leader in the design and manufacture of high-specification defence, security and NGO protection systems, has announced the receipt of a follow-on order for x10 of their twin-cab pickup variant Toyota LC200. The order comes from an undisclosed customer who previously purchased armoured variants of the same vehicle; a contract that was announced in February 2021. In addition to these 10 vehicles, Jankel has recently received orders totalling a further 20 armoured LC200 vehicles from undisclosed customers, globally, sweeping up the last of the LC200 available stock.
With the Toyota LC200 base platform having now gone out of production, the customer secured the base vehicles for this project using Jankel’s “buy now – armour later” scheme to ensure they had sufficient stock of the outgoing LC200’s, prior to conversion. Jankel are highlighting this conversion as an example of how they can adapt any vehicle to meet customer needs and fill specific capability gaps in the specialist protected vehicle market. With no new LC200’s now available, The Jankel pickup design has the potential to become an after-market modification carried out on in-service LC200’s.
Jankel has integrated an existing and proven pickup design with the also proven and certified, Jankel LC200 base platform. Bringing together the strengths of both designs into one offering has resulted in the variant extending the operability through a gain of an additional 650mm in wheelbase. This combined with a heavy-duty rear axle upgrade delivers an increase in Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM-4495kg) and payload (up to 1500kg depending on specification), whilst retaining the existing crew-cab dimensions and space. The technique of lengthening the chassis and incorporating the modular and adaptable flatbed pickup pod is easily adapted to other commonly armoured light vehicles.
In addition to the increased payload and the usable flat 1900mm x 1700mm load bed space, the vehicle can be configured to deliver a number of automotive and user-orientated tactical capability enhancements such as: run-flats; improved brakes; tuned suspension; EMC suppression; fire suppression system; 24v communications installation; door deadbolts; escape hatch; gun ports; weapons mounts; tactical lighting, lightweight Jankel mesh seats and a PA/siren. The lightweight flat-bed can be delivered with a canopy or a hard-top and includes folding/removable sides and integrated modular storage bins.
Looking ahead, Jankel are currently developing their armoured LC300 design that is scheduled for a product launch later in 2022. The result of an extensive design, development and testing programme, Jankel’s new LC300 will deliver ‘best in class’ protection, safety, capability and functionality. Leveraging Jankel’s considerable experience in the field of Civilian Armoured Vehicles (CAVs) gained over many years of high-quality service to the defence, security and NGO sectors, the new LC300 will be an exciting addition to Jankel’s range.
Andrew Jankel, Chairman at Jankel Group said: “We first developed the new pickup variant of our Hot Formed Armoured LC200 as a result of receiving an order from an existing customer in 2021 and we’re delighted to have received this follow-on order for an additional x10 un-armoured variants, underling their confidence in Jankel to deliver”. He added: “Looking ahead, we’ll be launching our armoured Toyota LC300 later this year which is undergoing an extensive design and development programme. We have listened carefully to our customers evolving needs and I believe it will be a best in class, quality product”.
The Boxer success story continues. The British government, represented by the European procurement organization OCCAR, and ARTEC, a consortium of Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), have signed a contract extension to supply the British Army with an additional 100 Boxer wheeled armoured vehicles. The contract encompasses three previously ordered variants of the Boxer: the infantry carrier, the command vehicle and the field ambulance.
In issuing the order, the United Kingdom is exercising an option contained in the contract signed in 2019 for the Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) procurement project, which includes 523 Boxer wheeled armoured vehicles in several variants.
ARTEC will be supplying the vehicles to the UK via OCCAR, the intergovernmental Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation. The bulk of Boxer production will take place in Britain. Series production is currently getting underway in Germany, after which most of the Boxer vehicles already ordered will be produced in British factories of Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land and KMW subsidiary WFEL.
The additional vehicles just ordered will also be produced in both the UK and Germany. Here, the partners will be drawing on the knowledge and components of the established and expanding British supply chain, which already forms the basis of the first lot of 523 vehicles.
A modular vehicle – versatile and battle-tested
The Boxer is a highly protected 8×8 wheeled armoured vehicle. Its modular architecture enables a greater number of variants than any other vehicle system.
To date, some 1,500 vehicles in twenty different versions have been ordered by Australia and four NATO countries: Germany, the Netherlands, Lithuania and the United Kingdom. Australia, a close partner of NATO, has already taken delivery of a first shipment of 25 Boxer vehicles.
Founded in 1999, ARTEC GmbH is a joint venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG, Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V. The company coordinates series production and serves as the point of contact for export enquiries for the Boxer.
The Originals recently tested out some “new tech” for cold weather/mountain mobility.
This is a Timbersled, which is a converted motorcycle that provides an unmatched level of maneuverability but comes with a bit of a steeper learning curve than snowmobiles.
