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Ground-Breaking Ceremony in Szeged: Rheinmetall Builds New Hybrid Plant in Southern Hungary – Production Capacities for Civil Business Units and Defence Technology

April 10th, 2024

Rheinmetall builds a new plant in Szeged, Hungary, and thereby expands its footprint in the EU and NATO partner country.

The groundbreaking ceremony on 26 March 2024 was attended by prominent guests. The Hungarian Minister of Defence, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, the Mayor of Szeged, Dr. László Botka, Prof. Dr. Gábor Szabó, Managing Director of the research institute ELI-ALPS, Dr. Judit Fendler, Chancellor of the University of Szeged, Milhálffy Béla, Member of Hungarian Parliament, and many other high-ranking representatives from politics, government and industry followed the invitation of Christoph Müller, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Power Systems division, to attend the ceremony.

The new plant is Rheinmetall’s first major hybrid site, where the Group’s civil business and defence technology activities will be united under one roof. The site, which is scheduled to go into operation in August 2025, is part of Rheinmetall’s Power Systems division.

A plant with a floor area of 15,000 square metres is to be built on an area of 85,000 square metres in the first industrialization step. Up to 300 highly qualified jobs will be created. The total investment volume is €63 million.

The Rheinmetall site in Szeged will primarily manufacture products for the Automotive business unit, including electrical components such as nanostructure capacitors, as well as products for the use of hydrogen in mobility and energy generation. In addition, around ten percent of the production area is planned for goods from the military business of Rheinmetall’s Electronic Solutions division.”

“We are delighted to further expand our presence in Hungary, one of our home markets,” says Christoph Müller. “Szeged, the ‘City of Sunshine’, will now be the fourth Rheinmetall site after Budapest, Zalaegerszeg and Várpalota. We are grateful for and proud of the Hungarian government’s trust in us as a partner in the civil and defence industries.”

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Success in Australia: Production Contract Signed for 123 Boxer Heavy Weapon Carrier Vehicles from Australia to Germany

April 10th, 2024

The Commonwealth of Australia has today signed the production contract for 123 Boxer Heavy Weapon Carrier vehicles with more than 100 of those vehicles to be exported from Australia for use by the German Army; making it Australia’s largest foreign military export to Germany.

The procurement of the Heavy Weapon Carrier vehicles is based on a mutual agreement between the Australian and the German Government. Rheinmetall has announced the contract with the German authorities with a total volume of €2.7 billion, including maintenance and repair, after the commissioning in March 2024. The corresponding production contract has now been awarded in Australia.

Nathan Poyner, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia, confirmed that the order is Australia’s largest foreign military export to Germany. “Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2025 with the first Australian-built vehicle to be delivered in 2026,” Poyner added.

The Heavy Weapon Carrier, or “Schwerer Waffenträger Infanterie” vehicle is based on the Australian Army’s Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV).
The Boxer vehicle is an advanced, armoured 8×8 vehicle in service with armies around the globe. It offers enhanced troop safety, security and protection, coupled with high levels of firepower and mobility for sustained operations ranging from peacekeeping to high-intensity combat. The CRV is equipped with a reconnaissance mission module including the two-person digital Lance turret; the first crewed medium-calibre turret to be put into service on the Boxer platform.

The German Boxers are to be produced at Rheinmetall’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence at Redbank in South East Queensland, where more than 650 skilled Rheinmetall workers produce vehicles, armour and electronics for Australia and global partners.

The contract supports Rheinmetall’s vision to build and grow Australia’s defence industry capability to create local net value and integrate Australian companies into Rheinmetall’s global supply chain.

(l-r, Major General Jason Blain, HLS CASG, Nathan Poyner, CEO Rheinmetall Defence Australia, H.E Beate Grzeski, German Ambassador to Australia)

Armin Papperger, Chairman of the Executive Board of Rheinmetall AG: “We appreciate to have been selected to supply the Heavy Weapon Carrier vehicles for an essential element of the German Army’s new force category, the ‘medium forces’.

“We are integrating the expertise and capabilities of our Australian MILVEHCOE colleagues from our global Rheinmetall network to provide the German Army with the required combat vehicles as quickly as possible. This further deepens defence ties between Australia and Germany and enhances a sustained sovereign defence capability in Australia.

“We welcome the close partnership between Australia and Germany in strategic defence activities as the two nations work together to increase global security. The German Boxer program from Australia has been made possible by Rheinmetall’s long-term Australian investment in product development and advanced manufacturing,” said Armin Papperger, Rheinmetall CEO.

In addition to the 211 Boxer vehicles ordered under Australia’s LAND 400 Phase 2 project – 133 of which are the CRV variant with the crewed digital Lance turret – the company also services the Australian Army’s HX truck fleet, which comprises more than 2,900 vehicles, provides the MASS Multi-Ammunition Soft-Kill System to the Royal Australian Navy, manages training systems for Defence and has delivered more than 200 HX Trucks to the New Zealand Defence Force.

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Blast From The Past – Detachment B-52 (Project Delta) Reconnaissance Tips Of The Trade

April 10th, 2024

This is a repost of a story from a few years ago. I was reminded of it based in a TTP you’ll see later today.

When I joined the Army in 1985, most of my senior NCO leadership had served in Vietnam. They were men who had seen combat and we hung on their every word as we trained.

In the late 80s, I served in a LRSD in Germany. We turned to photocopies of a document produced by the Vietnam-era Military Assistance Command Vietnam Studies and Observation Group’s Det B-52 aka Project Delta called ‘Reconnaissance Tips Of The Trade.’

We poured over its 32 pages which were gold to us, offering guidance on how to configure equipment and conduct ourselves on patrols. Some of the information was outdated due to equipment changes, other data was not applicable because we faced a different foe, on different terrain. However, the basics remained the same.

Around the same time, 1st Bn, 7th SFG(A) were gathering their own lessons learned from operations in Central America which would not be released formally until the mid-90s. This update was entitled “Combat Recon Manual: Tips of the Trade” but is often referred to as the “ODB-720 Tips.” Unfortunately, it was much more difficult to share information pre-internet and I never saw a copy until I was about to leave a 3rd Group SOT-A for the Air Force.

The original B-52 Manual is available on the web from Chapter 31 of the Special Forces Association at www.sfa31.org/deltarecontips. Whether you’re reading from a historical perspective or a professional one, there are still a few gems in there. You can find the ODB-720 Tips here.

Posted in History, Profession of Arms, Recce, SOF | 7 Comments »

Belleville’s Flyweight “Shorty” for Air Force Maintainers

April 10th, 2024

The 100% American Made Flyweight “Shorty” C315ST is designed specifically for Air Force maintainers working in hot weather conditions.

Specs:
6” height
ASTM Certified Steel Toe – EH Rated
Exclusive VIBRAM “Tarsus” outsole
Flat ribbon laces
Only 20oz per boot!

www.bellevilleboot.com

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Norarm Tactical – Oslo Neck Gaiter, Gen. 2 Now in Tigerstripe

April 10th, 2024

Norarm Tactical has restocked their Oslo Neck Gaiter, Gen. 2 in Multipurpose camo and added five new colors as well: Tigerstripe, German Flecktarn, Norwegian Woodland, Urban Grey and Light Savage Green.

Made in a stretchy, all-mesh fabric that is comfortable to wear no matter the season, the Oslo Neck Gaiter, Gen. 2 have quickly become one of their bestsellers since its launch last Fall. They also offer discounts on unit orders. Reach out to contact@norarm.com for inquiries.

If you live in the US and are looking to get one or two neck gaiters only, they would recommend you to get them from their official dealer Americana Pipedream as they offer cheaper, domestic shipping.

Posted in Clothing, Tigerstripe | 4 Comments »

Assignment Incentive Pay to be Authorized for Airmen, Guardians Stationed at Extremely Cold Locations

April 10th, 2024

ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) —

Effective April 1, the Department of the Air Force approved a new incentive pay for Airmen and Guardians assigned to qualifying bases in the U.S. where the temperature is expected to drop below minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cold Weather Assignment Incentive Pay is a single lump sum payment given to Airmen and Guardians after signing an agreement to serve a prescribed tour length of at least 12 months, depending on qualifying location.

Locations that meet this threshold include Minot and Grand Forks Air Force Bases and Cavalier Space Force Station in North Dakota, Clear Space Force Station, Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, as well as Malmstrom AFB, Montana.

“Airmen and Guardians living in extremely cold conditions faced unique out-of-pocket costs,” said Alex Wagner, Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “In addition to the assignment and retention benefits of the pay, it also comes down to making sure we do our best to take care of our service members and their families stationed at these critical installations.”

This payment intends to ease the financial burden of purchasing certain cold weather essentials, such as extreme cold weather gear, all-season and/or snow tires, tire mounts and alignments, engine block heaters and emergency winter car kits, as well as further incentivizing assignments.

Although AIP-CW is effective April 1, the first pay date is anticipated for July 1, 2024, meaning Airmen and Guardians who move to a qualifying location between April 1 and June 30 will receive payment retroactively.

The amount of AIP-CW Airmen and Guardians are eligible to receive is based on criteria in the five pay levels outlined in the table below and is subject to change.

This change follows the Department of Defenseimplementation of the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which included language authorizing special duty pay for members based in cold-weather climate conditions and the FY24 NDAA, which clarifies the temperature parameters that qualify an area as a cold-weather location.

“We want to ensure Airmen, Guardians and their families have the resources needed to safely live and work in an extreme cold-weather environment,” Wagner added.

The official guidance memorandum can be found here.

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs

Posted in Air Force, Arctic, Guest Post, Profession of Arms, Space | 2 Comments »

Assistance for Ukraine Unbroken: Rheinmetall Delivers Additional 20 Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicles

April 9th, 2024

The German government comissioned Rheinmetall to deliver 20 additional Marder infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) to the Ukraine. The order was placed in March 2024 and has a value in the mid double-digit million Euro range. The delivery of this new lot is scheduled within 2024. So far, Rheinmetall has already handed over a three-digit number of Marder IFVs to the Ukrainian Armed Forces via direct deliveries and circular exchange programmes.

The version of the 1A3 Marder that has now been ordered also features integrated laser range finders, which enable efficient and precise target elimination. The company had already supplied the first 20 of these combat vehicles to the Ukraine on behalf of the German government in March 2023. A number of further lots have since been delivered, each in two-figure numbers.

Rheinmetall acquired the overhauled 1A3 Marder IFV from the Bundeswehr. The company began overhauling the IFVs for immediate deployment at its own expense back in spring 2022. The corresponding work has since been underway at Rheinmetall’s locations in Unterluess and Kassel.

The Marder IFV, which was developed for the Bundeswehr, and is still being operated there, is one of the world’s most proven weapon systems of its kind. Over the course of its service life, the vehicle has been repeatedly modernised and improved in its combat effectiveness.

The Bundeswehr now has more than 300 Puma IFVs in operation, representing the latest generation of this type of combat vehicle, and gradually eliminating the Marder IFV in the German Army. In addition, a second lot of over 50 additional Pumas was ordered in 2023.

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U.S. Air Force’s $46 Billion Elon Wide Agile Acquisition Contract (EWAAC) Selects Persistent Systems

April 9th, 2024

EWAAC will provide contract vehicle for Air Force commands seeking mobile ad hoc networking solutions.

Persistent Systems (“Persistent”), a leader in mobile ad hoc networking (MANET), announced today that it has been selected by the U.S. Air Force to participate in the multi-vendor Eglin Wide Agile Acquisition Contract (EWAAC), a $46 billion Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) rapid acquisition vehicle for the development of novel weapons capabilities.

Participating in EWAAC enables Persistent Systems to better support networked autonomy efforts with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) as well as provide other Air Force customers, such as Global Strike Command and Air Combat Command, with a ready-to-use contract vehicle.

“We are very excited to be selected by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to participate in the Armament Directorate’s EWAAC,” said Cody Larson, director of Business Development at Persistent Systems. “EWAAC will help us with our networked weapons development efforts, the goal of which is to develop air-launched, swarming weapons that share information for increased survivability and lethality.”

EWAAC places an emphasis on digital engineering, agile software, and open systems architecture. Meeting those goals, Persistent’s Wave Relay® MANET is data-agnostic and capable of passing any digital data, allowing it to adapt to ever-changing, open-architecture weapons systems.

“This further deepens the relationship between Persistent and the U.S. Air Force to support emerging concepts like JADC2 and other programs,” said Adrien Robenhymer, VP of Business Development for the Air Force and Intelligence Community, at Persistent Systems.

Posted in Air Force, Comms, Contracts, Press Release | 1 Comment »