Canada secures long-term LAV support

Christian Paradis, Minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) and Secretary of State (Agriculture), and Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence and Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today announced that the Government of Canada has awarded a $374 million contract to General Dynamics Land Systems Canada (GDLS-C) to provide a full range of services to the Canadian Forces Wheeled Light Armoured Vehicles fleet.

"As the sole manufacturer of the Wheeled Light Armoured Vehicles, General Dynamics Land Systems Canada is the only company capable of providing the full range of services needed to maintain these state-of-the-art vehicles well into the future," said Minister Paradis, adding, "The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that the Canadian Forces are equipped with the services they need to support their operations."

"Canada's fleet of LAV III vehicles form the backbone of operations in Afghanistan," said Minister MacKay. "They continue to prove their worth in the exceptionally demanding Afghanistan environment. This contract will ensure that these vehicles receive the maintenance support needed to perform in challenging operations for years to come."

The services provided for in the contract include fleet management, publication and technical data management, program management, spare parts, repair and overhaul services, training support, technical services and field service representation. The contract was awarded on a sole-source basis as GDLS-C is the designer of the Wheeled Light Armoured Vehicles and, together with its prime suppliers, owns most of the intellectual property rights or has exclusive access to all of the proprietary technical data related to this equipment. The contract period is from June 1, 2008, to March 31, 2013.

Source: GoC

Navistar Defense LLC, of Warrenville, Ill., has recently been awarded two contracts.

The first is for an assortment of automotive parts, including wheels, axles, air conditioners, engines, compressors, generators, and transmissions. Work will be performed primarily in Springfield, Ohio, with limited production in various other cities, This is a firm fixed price contract for $56,857,635 and is expected to be completed by May 4, 2009. C

The second contract is for wheels and pneumatic tires at a firm-fixed price of $21,420,480. Work will be performed in Trenton, N.J., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2009.

TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity for both.

Source: DoD

Germany orders more Dingos

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) has won a large order for all-protected vehicles and remote controlled weapon stations from the German Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB).

The contract includes the manufacture and delivery of a total of 50 DINGO 2 patrol and backup vehicles, four DINGO 2 GSI (battle damage repair) vehicles, 44 optional DINGO 2 GSI.

Also included are 230 light and 190 heavy FLW weapons stations.

The German Armed Forces will take a fast-track delivery of 54 DINGO 2 already by the end of this year.

Source: KMW Press Release

MoD annouces new protected vehicle purchases

The UK Ministry of Defence has announced it will be purchasing 86 new Viking and Jackal protected vehicles.14 Vikings have been ordered from BAE for £14M. The 72 Jackals will come from Babcock Marine.

The MoD also "unveiled" two new vehicle types, the Ridgback and Panther. The Ridgback is described as the "little brother to the hugely popular Mastiff". The MoD will receive 150 of the vehicles. Pather will be the new command and liaison vehicle.

Source and Photo: MoD

TACOM contracts

Oshkosh Truck Corp. has been awarded a $121,242,434 firm-fixed price contract for a modification to the family of heavy tactical vehicles, load handling system, and wreckers, as well as the addition of 233 vehicles, and the cost of the federal retailers excise tax associated with the vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2009.

AM General of South Bend, Ind., has gotten a $24,941,728 firm-fixed price contract for the addition of 255 high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles to contract. Work will be performed in Mishawaka, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009.

BAE Systems, Tactical Vehicle Systems Limited Partnership, Sealy, Texas has received a $34,050,460 firm-fixed price and cost-reimbursement contract for the award of a ceiling price change order modification for the procurement of long-term armor strategy B kits for the family of medium tactical vehicles. Work will be is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, 2008.

TACOM in Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity for these three contracts.

Source: DoD

Vehicle miscellany

Ibis Tek* of Butler, Pa. and LOM* of Chicago are both being awarded indefinite-delivery / indefinite-quantity contracts for MRAP 360 Degree Lighting Kits.

The Ibis Tek contract has a ceiling amount $158,075,500 with options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative ceiling value to $474,226,500. The LOM ceiling is $149,730,000 with options totalling $449,190,000. The work on both contracts is expected to be completed by May 2011. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Stewart & Stevenson TVS, LP, Sealy, Texas, has been awarded a $37,356,777 firm-fixed price contract for low signature armor cabs in a box. Work will be performed in Texas and is expected to be completed by Feb. 19, 2009. U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity.

* DoD indicates these as "Small Business"

Source: DoD
Image: Ibis Tek

MRAP ILS work awarded

Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded two contract modifications to purchase Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Vehicle Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) Sustainment Parts and support.

One contract mod ($28,456,471) is for Welders. The second ($15,220,882) is for Field Service Representatives.

Work will be done in Ladson and in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom area’s of responsibilities. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Source: DoD Photo: Force Protection

New rescue tool for Canadian armoured vehicles

The firefighters at CFB/ASU Wainwright have a new rescue tool at their disposal.

With the increased use of armoured vehicles at home and abroad, it was only a matter of time before these vehicles were involved in road accidents and increased insurgent attacks. The problem facing firefighters was how to gain access to these vehicles and extricate the occupants if they couldn’t escape on their own. The armour plating and combat locks on these vehicles opened up a whole new world of vehicle extrication, one where some of the conventional methods wouldn’t work.

Enter the Broco Prime Cut Recovery and Rescue torch. Operating at a temperature of 5538°C, the torch can cut through the thickest of steel in a matter of seconds, allowing firefighters to cut off hinges or hatch handles on the toughest of vehicles and access the vehicle occupants. Portable and lightweight, the torch can be carried to any rescue scene.

With this torch in firefighters’ hands, the next challenge was getting the occupants out. The firefighters were already trained in normal vehicle extrication and confined space rescue, so they combined these two and added specialized training in armoured vehicle extrication techniques. Identifying various armoured vehicles was also included in this phase of training.

The training is done in conjunction with the CF fire marshall and DND agencies on other bases. The trials were done in Petawawa, Valcartier and Montréal. Wainwright firefighters Bill Lawson and Brian Goodwin joined the trials in Montréal and are now tasked with training the fire crews in Wainwright. After that, instruction will be provided for military firefighters who are deployed overseas, and will then be offered to other firefighters at various bases throughout Canada.

The personnel who drive and ride in these armoured vehicles obviously hope they’ll never have to put their Broco to work. If an incident does occur, however, they can be certain that they are in good hands.

Source: Brian Goodwin, The Maple Leaf

Major players make joint bid for Germany's AMPV

Krauss-Maffei Wegmann of Munich and Rheinmetall Defence of Düsseldorf have launched a joint programme to develop a highly protected new vehicle family in the 5 to 9 ton weight class. The first of the four-wheel drive Armoured Multi Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) vehicles should be ready for serial delivery by 2011. A life-size mock-up of the vehicle will be on show at Eurosatory 2008 in Paris this June, one of the world¿s leading venues for land systems. Completion of the first prototype is planned for 2009.

Responding to the Bundeswehr's current GFF ('protected command and role-specific vehicle') procurement programme, Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann have decided to develop a family of GFF 1/2-class vehicles which will fully comply with user requirements. The two defence contractors are financing the development project on their own.

The objective of the joint project is to supply the armed forces of Germany and other nations with a vehicle that sets an entirely new standard for mobility, modularity and protection technology; and to safeguard and promote certain technologies vital to German national security.

The vehicle family encompasses two type series. The agile AMPV 1 is the smaller of the two, and makes an ideal liaison vehicle. A higher level of protection and a heavier payload are the primary characteristics of the bigger AMPV 2. However, the entire vehicle family is based on standardized engineering principles and technologies.

Both type series feature a patrol vehicle with an unprotected floor in the rear section, and an equipment kit carrier with a safety cell extending all the way to the rear of the vehicle.

Also planned is a special patrol version of the AMPV1 that can be airlifted in a CH53 transport helicopter.

Source: Press release

Lockheed moves JLTV forward with EMI testing

Lockheed Martin has completed initial electromagnetic interference (EMI) testing of the next-generation vehicle it is building for the U.S. Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) competition. The tests are helping team engineers reduce risk and ensure JLTV program success by advancing the team’s vehicle design in the early stages of development.

EMI testing was performed on the JLTV Team’s Combat Tactical Vehicle Payload Category B infantry carrier inside an anechoic chamber at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego NY. Insulated from outside radio signal interference, the chamber enables test engineers to precisely measure the emission levels radiating from specific equipment. Systems tested included radio antennas, displays, engine and transmission controllers and electrical components. Additional tests conducted on an outdoor range characterized the interactions of the vehicle’s antennas, which will determine the optimum design of the communications suite.

The tests were performed by Lockheed Martin’s Owego-based EMI Laboratory team, which recently gained accreditation from the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP). Run by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, the NVALP verifies that testing and calibration laboratories meet national and international quality and procedural requirements.

This summer, the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps are expected to award 27-month technology development contracts to at least two industry teams. Prototype JLTV vehicles developed for the demonstration will undergo a host of trials to military standards, including EMI testing. The services could order as many as 50,000 vehicles for operation beginning in the mid 2010s.

In addition to its infantry carrier, Lockheed Martin also has built a second JLTV prototype — the Utility Vehicle Light Payload Category C — designed to carry personnel, general cargo and ammunition. The Category B vehicle already has undergone more than 5,000 miles of on and off-road testing, and both vehicles will complete 25,000 test miles by the end of this year.

As a lightweight tactical vehicle, the JLTV program will provide the services with a family of expeditionary vehicles capable of on and off-road mobility, protection from roadside bombs and the ability to haul a variety of useful payloads. As a system, the sensors and communications suite aboard the JLTV will tap into the military’s global communications network, enabling forces to coordinate operations by sharing up-to-the-minute battlefield information.

The Lockheed Martin-led JLTV Team includes Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor and design agent, providing systems engineering, platform integration, design expertise and program management. BAE Systems Mobility & Protection Systems provides advanced armor solutions and production facilities for high volume assembly. Alcoa Defense supplies materials knowledge, design services and aluminum components that give the vehicle its structural strength at reduced weight.

Source: Lockheed Martin

Land Rover WMIK replacement introduced

The British Army has wanted to replace its' under-armoured and relatively slow, Land Rover-based, Weapons Mounted Installation Kit (WMIK).

This week the Jackal was introduced in Helmand province, southern Afghanistan. Among the features of this new platform is an airbag suspension system which allows for a relatively smooth ride over rough terrain and a more stable firing platform. The system can also raise the vehicle by more than a metre for obstacle clearance or to gain a better view of the field.

Jackal facts

• Crew: 2+1
• Length: 5.39m
• Width: 2.00m
• Height: 1.97m (not including weapon system)
• Weight: 6,650kg
• Speed: 130k/h max
  
• Engine: 5.9 litre Cummins ISBe Euro3
• Communications: BOWMAN ready

Source and Photo: MoD

New Army trucks

Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems has been awarded a $6,096,214 firm-fixed price contract for 38 medium tactical vehicle 5-ton cargo trucks.

Work will be performed in Sealy, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, 2008.

More Stewart and Stevenson news here.

Source: DoD

Photo: S & S AAR

Canadian Bisons to get ballistic curtain

The Bison was originally manufactured by General Motors Diesel Division in London, Ontario (now General Dynamics) and is an eight-wheel drive light armoured vehicle. They've seen service in Somalia, the former Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Haiti, Eritrea, and Afghanistan.

The Canadian Forces decided to "re-role" and upgrade the Bison. The ambulance variant appeared in 2004 and the C3I version was showcased and covered here in February, 2008. Work is being performed at DEW Engineering's facility in Miramichi, NB.

It appears that the repair (MRT) and recovery variants (MRV) are also to receive additional protection. Their duties can certainly leave them exposed as they attempt repairs or towing. A Notice of Proposed Procurement has gone out for ballistic curtains.

It is unclear, however, if these are to be deployed inside the vehicles or as additional protection when, for example, the rear ramp is open.

Sources: Merx

Photo: DND

Rheinmetall expands its' influence with new purchase

Rheinmetall has purchased Stork PWV from its' Dutch parent Stork NV.

"Stork PWV (has been) responsible for the Dutch share of the Boxer programme, which is worth around €500 million and encompasses the development and production of 200 vehicles for the Royal Netherlands Army. Rheinmetall is producing 85 of the 272 vehicles ordered by Germany's Bundeswehr, representing €212 million for the Dusseldorf-based company, which is also in charge of supplying the electronic components in all of the German and Dutch vehicles, generating an additional 60 million in sales."

This means Rheinmetall is now the majority shareholder (64% with the gain of Stork's 50%) in the Artec consortium that builds the Boxer armoured vehicle. This leaves Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) holding the remaining 36%.

Sources: Various and Rheinmetall Press Release

Force Protection MRAPS for Marines

Force Protection Industries, Inc., Ladson, S.C., is being awarded $9,849,420 for delivery order under a previously awarded contract to acquire 12 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Category I vehicles and 6 MRAP Category II vehicles.

Force Protection has also been awarded $7,690,529 for the purchase of 11 Category III (Buffalo) Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.

Source: DoD
Photo: Force Protection

BAE gets more MRAP orders, too

Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle, Division of Armor Holdings, Sealy, Texas, is being awarded $481,835,008 for firm-fixed-priced delivery order under a previously awarded contract for the purchase of 1,024 Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Category (CAT) II vehicles with CAT I seating configuration.

Note: Stewart and Stevenson were founded in 1902 in Houston, TX. They began as a carriage repair shop. In 2006 they were purchased by Amor Holdings. In 2007 BAE purchased Armor holdings.

BAE Systems Land & Armaments, LP. Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., is being awarded $234,043,500 for firm-fixed-priced delivery under a previously awarded contract for the purchase of 3 Special Operations Command variants, 51 Ambulance variants, and 393 Category II variants of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles.

Sources: DoD and various Photo: BAE

Marines to get more MRAPs from Interational

Under a previously awarded contract, International Military and Government LLC (a division of International/Navistar) of Warrenville, IL is to deliver 743 vehicles to the Marines. These are Category 1 MRAPs.

The total value of the contract is $410,730,320 and delivery is due by November 2008.

Update: On March 18th DoD published a correction to their contract notification. The actual amout is $405,963,830 vs $410,730,320.

Source: DoD
Photo: Navistar

Dingos for Luxembourg

Luxembourg will purchase 48 DINGO 2s from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW). The vehicles are destined for the Army's reconnaissance companies and will come equipped with a mast system and electronics and optics from Thales.

The DINGO 2 has a range of 1000 km, a top speed of approximately 90 km/h and holds a crew of 8. It is protected by significant amour and a Kongsberg remote-operated turret. The vehicle can be transported in C160 Transall, C130 Hercules and A400M aircraft.

The contract will be coordinated through NATO's Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA) with Thales as the prime. Luxembourg will now share platform commonalities with Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Germany.

Source and Photo: KMW

They told you so ...

Several places in our sphere are boasting how they featured George Tech Research Institutes' (GTRI) ULTRA AP (Armored Patrol) vehicle back in 2005. We did too but 'back in the day' but we did it solely by email. Does that count?

The Ultra AP is back with a mention in the Defense Science Board's DoD Energy Strategy "More Fight - Less Fuel" (pdf). The report looks at current and future energy efficiencies and savings. While it acknowledges the necessity to replace the Humvee it doesn't. like what it sees. MRAPs and JLTVs are just heavy resource consumers. Way back when, in 2005, ULTRA development focused on "survivability and safety:

• Survivability: This factor involves a vehicle’s ability to shield occupants from hostile action. The ULTRA AP will feature novel design concepts and research advances in lightweight and cost-effective armor to maximize capability and protection. The new armor was designed at GTRI in partnership with the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Egineering. The vehicle also incorporates a “blast bucket” designed to provide ballistic, blast and enhanced roll-over protection. New vehicle designs must incorporate dramatically increased resistance to explosions caused by mines and improvised explosive devices, Caille noted.
  
• Safety with Performance: The ULTRA design explored the use of on-board computers to integrate steering, suspension and brakes to provide an unparalleled level of mobility and safety, Caille added. The new vehicle’s integrated chassis represents an advancement over the most advanced current production vehicles."

At the time David Parekh, GTRI’s deputy director said “By including persons with high-performance automotive engineering and NASCAR expertise as part of our team, we were able to root this advanced concepts project in real-world vehicle design.”

Sources: As cited and GTRI 2005 Release.

Problems at Protected Vehicles deepen

MRAP builder Protected Vehicles Inc. of North Charleston, SC has filed for Chapter 11. Protected Vehicles was founded by Garth Barrett, a former Force Protection executive.

In July, Force Protection, of Ladson, SC, launched a suit claiming, among other things, computer fraud and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Of course the Marine Corps announced in December '07 that they were drastically cutting back on MRAP purchases and looking toward the JLTV.

Protected Vehicles and Rafael had developed the GOLAN MRAP platform.

Sources: Various
Photo: Protected Vehicles