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NP Aerospace Wins £71 million UK MoD Wheeled Vehicle Support Contract – CVSSP

September 20th, 2024

NP Aerospace, the global vehicle integrator and armour manufacturer, has today announced the award of a £71 million wheeled vehicle support contract called the Conventional Vehicle Systems Spares and Post Design Services (CVSSP) contract. The contract, let by the UK MoD Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), was competitively tendered with bids submitted by major players across the UK defence industry. The contract duration is four years with two options to extend beyond that, of a further one year each.

Collage of the vehicles and equipment covered in the CCVSSP contract.

This is a joint announcement together with UK MoD that coincides with the DVD exhibition taking place at Millbrook, 18-19 September 2024. At DVD NP Aerospace are exhibiting on stand OR13 at the offroad area.

The UK MoD CVSSP contract will see NP Aerospace deliver Post Design Services (PDS), Design Authority (DA) and Spares Procurement Services to a fleet of over 15,000 UK MoD core vehicles including: the entire Land Rover fleet; Pinzgauer fleet; protected Land Rover; RWMIK and the Lightweight Trailer fleet. The CVSSP contract consolidates and amalgamates former individual MoD PDS contracts providing a new single point of contact. Obsolescence management is a key challenge with some of the MoD’s ageing fleets and the CVSSP contract will ensure that vehicle fleet availability is maintained at the required levels to meet the operational and training needs.

In 2019 NP Aerospace won a similar vehicle support contract known as Protected Mobility Engineering & Technical Support (PMETS) that has since been successfully supporting the MoD’s fleet of over 2000 Protected Mobility Vehicles. The vehicles covered under the PMETS contract include Mastiff, Wolfhound, Ridgback, Buffalo, Choker, RODET, Foxhound, Jackal, Coyote and Husky. Having been successfully delivering PMETS for five years, NP Aerospace is now perfectly placed to align the newly awarded CVSSP contract alongside PMETS using tried and tested procedures that have already gained the confidence of the UK MoD.

This contract award will create and sustain jobs at NP Aerospace’s Coventry facility. The company’s facilities will also be expanded in due course to enable, integrate and deliver this new contract.

The UK Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, said: “We will deliver a state-of-the-art combat vehicle fleet, ensuring our soldiers are equipped with cutting-edge firepower, protection, and mobility”. She added: “This new contract will help to secure the future of these crucial capabilities, streamlining the processes involved in repairs and upgrades, while boosting UK economic growth at the same time.”

Brigadier Matt Wilkinson from the Vehicle Support Team at Defence, Equipment and Support, said: “We have a long-standing relationship with NP Aerospace and I’m delighted that we are able to continue this partnership. Not only does it provide the best possible service to the Armed Forces, but it also aligns with the MOD’s future Land Industrial Strategy initiatives, including an evolution to Land Integrated Operating Services.”

James Kempston, CEO at NP Aerospace, commented: “This announcement is huge news for the team at NP Aerospace and we’re all delighted to have won this major contract against strong competition. It shows the high regard in which our services are held by the UK MoD, and that we deliver best value for our customer. He added:

“The CVSSP contract aligns well with NP Aerospace’s abilities to support the MOD’s future LIOS initiative and the Land Mobility, and Land Industrial Strategy. The CVSSP award together with our current PMETS contract provides NP Aerospace with the post design support contracts covering the vast majority of the UK MoD’s lightweight wheeled utility, and protected mobility vehicle fleets.”

Posted in Contracts, International, Mobility, Press Release | Comments Off on NP Aerospace Wins £71 million UK MoD Wheeled Vehicle Support Contract – CVSSP

Lancer Systems, LP Announces Appointment of Bill Lutton as President

September 20th, 2024

Quakertown, PA, September 4, 2024 ? Allon Bloch, Chairman and CEO of Lancer Systems, LP, today announced the appointment of Bill Lutton, a seasoned professional with over 40 years of experience in the firearm and defense industry, as its new President, effective immediately. In his position, Lutton will drive business growth, lead strategic initiatives, and foster an ongoing culture of excellence.

“Bill has been at Lancer for just under six years now and has been instrumental in driving many of our improvements in capacity, capability, processes, and development,” said CEO Allon Bloch. “I’ve been impressed by Bill’s ability to think and plan long?term and to take on challenges beyond his functional responsibilities. I appreciate his collaborative leadership style and believe he will be an excellent steward of Lancer’s culture.”

During his over 40 years in the firearm and defense industry, Lutton has had a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence. He has held leadership roles in engineering, research and development, and quality engineering at top firearms companies worldwide. His expertise includes designing and manufacturing innovative firearms and accessories and navigating legal and regulatory requirements for manufacturing, importing, and exporting firearms.

Throughout his career, Bill has worked on successful projects to supply prominent military, government, and law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service, Federal Air Marshals, and Homeland Security. He has contributed to the development of renowned weapon systems, such as the M9, M16, M4, M2, MK19, and M590A1, as well as numerous commercial pistol, rifle, and shotgun platforms.

“I am honored to accept this appointment to President of Lancer Systems and look forward to working with our talented and dedicated team to drive continued success through growth and innovation,” said Lutton.

Lancer Systems, LP is a leading manufacturer of advanced firearms, firearm components, and innovative accessories for the military, law enforcement, and competitive shooters. Please visit us at www.lancersystems.com to learn more.

Posted in Industry, Press Release | Comments Off on Lancer Systems, LP Announces Appointment of Bill Lutton as President

The Emissary Accelerator

September 20th, 2024

Emissary Development has just launched their Accelerator angled grip and sent us this description:

The new Accelerator is designed to bring all the features that make our Handbrake great, scaled up into a new angled grip form!

This new design features a fully wrapped texture profile in a new enclosed body style for increased strength and contact surface area. Just like the Handbrake, its forward sweep, tapered walls and smooth radiuses make it easy to anchor the gun into your shoulder while also providing comfortable ergonomics.

The additional body length facilitates a solid grip with the bottom ledge trapping the hand to prevent unwanted movement. It also features both front and rear barricade stops. Available now in MLOK with a Picatinny option in the works.

www.emissarydevelopment.com

Posted in Advertiser, Weapon Accessories | Comments Off on The Emissary Accelerator

AXL Advanced Releases Gen II RAC Link Downlead Retainers

September 20th, 2024

The AXL Gen II RAC Link Downlead Retainers attach under the Gen II RAC Link. This allows for a more streamlined method of capturing your headset downlead cables.

www.AXLadvanced.com

Posted in Comms, Guest Post, Helmets | Comments Off on AXL Advanced Releases Gen II RAC Link Downlead Retainers

U.S. Army Demonstrated the Capabilities of Patria NEMO 120 mm Turreted Mortar System at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference in Fort Moore, Georgia

September 20th, 2024

The cooperation between the U.S. Army and Patria reached a major milestone at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference in Fort Moore, Georgia, on 10 September, 2024 when a crew of soldiers demonstrated various successful fire missions, using U.S. mortar ammunition with the Patria NEMO 120 mm Turreted Mortar System, integrated onto a U.S. made Armoured Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) and Fire Direction System (FCD).

The U.S. Army strives to provide Armoured and Stryker Brigade Combat Teams with rapid, precise indirect and direct fire capability where the operating crew is well protected, and their physical burden, impulse noise effects and blast overpressure are significantly reduced. Since 2020, Patria has conducted a turreted mortar feasibility study including Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) with the U.S. Army for Patria NEMO, the world’s foremost Turreted Mortar System.

”We are extremely pleased to witness the results of our successful cooperation already so far with the U.S. Army and our industry partners. Given the global interest in Patria NEMO’s unique capabilities, we are excited to continue the discussions with the US regarding the next steps and eventually getting Patria NEMO to the U.S. warfighters, increasing their survivability, lethality and manoeuvrability,” says Janne Räkköläinen, Senior Vice President, Market Area World of Patria.

Patria NEMO is a remote-controlled 120 mm mortar system capable of both direct and indirect fire missions – also on the move. Patria NEMO can execute multiple rounds simultaneous impact (MRSI) fire missions with up to 6 rounds hitting the target at the same time. In addition to being highly protected, the system is light, compact and easily installed on light, tracked chassis, wheeled armoured vehicles or navy vessels.

Integrated on AMPV, Patria NEMO will be showcased at AUSA (hall DE, stand 6041) in Washington D.C. on 14-16 October, 2024.

www.patriagroup.com

Posted in Army, Press Release, weapons | Comments Off on U.S. Army Demonstrated the Capabilities of Patria NEMO 120 mm Turreted Mortar System at the Maneuver Warfighter Conference in Fort Moore, Georgia

Anduril Collaborates with Microsoft to Bring Lattice to the U.S. Army’s IVAS Program

September 20th, 2024

Anduril Industries is proud to announce a new collaboration with Microsoft aimed at advancing the U.S. Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) Program. This partnership includes initial integration of Anduril’s Lattice platform into the IVAS ecosystem, leveraging Anduril’s software and systems integration expertise, to enhance the capabilities fielded to Soldiers through IVAS.

Anduril successfully integrated Lattice into Microsoft’s IVAS hardware and software platform, enabling Soldiers to see real time threats across the battlespace. This integration demonstrates the interoperability and extensibility of the Lattice software and IVAS platform. Soldiers wearing Lattice-enabled IVAS headsets are rapidly warned of incoming autonomously-detected airborne threats, enhancing survivability in complex, contested environments. The integration of Anduril’s systems, alongside third-party technologies, is set to propel the IVAS mission capabilities forward.

Palmer Luckey, Founder of Anduril Industries and Oculus VR, is spearheading this strategic initiative for Anduril. Pairing Palmer’s commercial expertise in VR/AR systems with Anduril’s technology creates expansive additive value for the Army, Soldiers and the IVAS program. “This project is my top priority at Anduril, and it has been for some time now. It’s one of the Army’s most critical programs being fielded in the near future, with the goal of getting the right data to the right people at the right time,” said Palmer Luckey, Founder of Anduril Industries. He continued, “This is Anduril’s bread and butter, and we’ve been building the backbone for this for years. I can’t wait to show our customers what’s next — I’m incredibly excited about what’s to come.”

Robin Seiler, Corporate Vice President of Mixed Reality at Microsoft, added: “IVAS is more than the sum of its parts. Through integration across existing and new software and sensors, IVAS brings a full picture of the battlefield to every soldier, enabling safer and more effective operations. Our collaboration with Anduril to integrate their suite of critical sensors, along with their groundbreaking Lattice system into IVAS, demonstrates the transformative capability of this fighting goggle and will allow us to further expand the impact IVAS will have for every U.S. soldier.”

IVAS is a platform designed to ingest data from a host of sensors, including those integrated on the headset, attached to weapon systems and via third party devices and software, giving Soldiers unprecedented visibility on the battlefield. With the integration of Anduril’s Lattice system, Soldiers will have a significantly enhanced capacity to detect, track and respond to threats in real time while rapidly expanding the mission capabilities available to Soldiers around the world.

www.anduril.com

Posted in Army, Industry, Optics, Press Release | Comments Off on Anduril Collaborates with Microsoft to Bring Lattice to the U.S. Army’s IVAS Program

FirstSpear Friday Focus – OEM Spotlight: Hill People Gear

September 20th, 2024

This Friday Focus we have another installment of our FirstSpear OEM Partner series Today we are taking a look at one of FirstSpear’s very first and longest OEM Partners, Hill People Gear.

Q: What specific qualities or capabilities of FirstSpear made them the ideal manufacturing partner for Hill People Gear?

HPG: We’ve attempted to work with several different OEM manufacturers over the years, and FS is the only organization we’ve run across that understands OEM production is a service business. FirstSpear provides a turnkey manufacturing solution which lets us focus on the things we’re good at and keeps us out of the business of running a factory.

Q: How does FirstSpear’s manufacturing process align with the design and quality standards of Hill People Gear?

HPG: Tolerances are held to 1/8” and the defect rate is well below 1%. It’s been that way for over a decade now which is a great track record.

Q: Can you share any examples of how FirstSpear’s technology or expertise has directly enhanced your product offerings?

HPG: We’ve made generous use of FS’ patented MOLLE cut velcro loop laminate material where it makes sense on the insides of our bags.

Q: Why is American-made manufacturing important to Hill People Gear?

HPG: We don’t have any corporate overlords to answer to, so we can make decisions that are about more than the bottom line. Keeping manufacturing in America makes our world a better place in so many different ways. Thankfully, our customer base feels the same way and is willing to pay to support that.

Q: Do you have any new product releases on the horizon?

HPG: We’re always working on things big and small — stay tuned to SSD for all our major releases!

For more information about FirstSpear OEM Program, send us an email at sales@first-spear.com or check out First-Spear.com .

For more information about Hill People Gear check out HillPeopleGear.com.

Posted in Advertiser, FS Friday Focus, Guest Post, Industry | Comments Off on FirstSpear Friday Focus – OEM Spotlight: Hill People Gear

US Army Awards Key Contracts to Further Enhance 155mm Artillery Production Capacity and Army Modernization Priorities

September 20th, 2024

PICATINNY ARSENAL, N.J. — The U.S. Army’s Joint Program Executive Office for Armaments and Ammunition (JPEO A&A) and U.S. Army Contracting Command – New Jersey (ACC-NJ) awarded several contracts worth more than $961 million to enhance the production of critical 155mm artillery components. These awards are set to increase production capacity significantly and provide the joint warfighter with a new “go-to” war round, ensuring that the Army’s artillery capabilities remain safe, reliable, plentiful and lethal.

The contracts cover the procurement of 500,000 M119A2 Propellant Charges, supports load, assemble, and pack (LAP) of 260,000 M231 Modular Artillery Charge System (MACS) and 2.2 million M232A2 MACS. MACS are the primary propelling charge system in all currently fielded 155mm howitzer systems. The contracts also cover the LAP of 16,900 of the Army’s newest “go-to” war round–the M1128 High Explosive (HE) projectile. This new projectile will provide U.S. artillery with extended-range capabilities and will give brigade combat teams the ability to deliver near-precision fires at distances of up to 30 kilometers without relying on exquisite munitions.

In addition to contracts supporting the LAP of munitions, another contract was awarded to expand the production capacity of High Fragmentation Steel (HF-1). This specially engineered alloy, used in large-caliber munitions such as the 155mm M795 and the M1128, is critical to meeting increased production demand and will enable the Army to achieve its goal of producing 100,000 artillery shots per month by fiscal year 2026.

“In alignment with the Department of Defense’s National Defense Industrial Strategy, we have invested more than $4.2 billion to expand and modernize the organic industrial base,” said Douglas R. Bush, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology. “This collaborative effort between the Army and industry establishes a credible deterrent against potential adversaries, underscoring the Army’s commitment to fight and win the Nation’s wars.”

The contracts were awarded by ACC-NJ to domestic companies in Arkansas (General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS)), Ohio (Metallus), Iowa (American Ordnance), Illinois (GD-OTS) and Florida (Nammo Inc.).

As the Army continues to invest in its organic industrial base, new facilities will be coming online, according to Maj. Gen. John T. Reim, the Joint Program Executive Officer for Armaments and Ammunition, who is leading the modernization and ramp-up of 155mm munition production.

“This rapid increase in production is part of a broader effort to support U.S. munitions replenishment activities and support international partners, such as Ukraine, which has relied heavily on artillery in its defense against Russian forces,” said Reim. “As geopolitical challenges continue to evolve, the U.S. Army’s focus on transformation and expansion ensures that our Joint Warfighters and international partners maintain overmatch and have the resources they need to succeed on the battlefield.”

By year’s end, the U.S. Army is set to commission three new domestic facilities in support of 155mm production and a new metal parts production facility in Canada.

By Abraam Dawoud

Posted in Ammo, Army, Guest Post | Comments Off on US Army Awards Key Contracts to Further Enhance 155mm Artillery Production Capacity and Army Modernization Priorities