13 June 2022
by Alexander Stronell
Kongsberg's RT40 Protector integrated onto a Milrem Type-X UGV. (Kongsberg)
Kongsberg has tested its RT40 Protector remote weapon station (RWS) integrated onto Milrem Robotics' developmental Type-X combat unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), company representatives told Janes.
The live-fire demonstration was conducted on 8 June at the Poček training ground in Slovenia, and was attended by partners and support staff from 26 countries.
The RT40 Protector has previously been selected for robotic vehicle programmes in the United States and various Kongsberg RWS systems have been integrated with Milrem's THeMIS UGV. The RT40 Protector weighs 2,450 kg and can be armed with an XM813 or MK44 30/40mm Bushmaster Automatic Cannon. It is equipped with a day camera, a thermal imager, and a laser rangefinder.
At the same demonstration, Kongsberg exhibited a number of Protector RWS variants integrated onto a wide range of manned and unmanned vehicles, including the THeMIS UGV, General Dynamics' Pandur and Eagle armoured vehicles, Patria's 8×8 armoured modular vehicle (AMV), and Oshkosh Defense's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).
07 May 2024
by Kapil Kajal
The Tarantula vehicle (pictured above from the DSA 2024 exhibition) is equipped with a remote-controlled weapon station with multiple machine guns – a 12.7 mm machine gun and a 7.62 mm co-axial machine gun – and 16 units of 76 mm grenade launchers. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)
Malaysian firm Mildef International Technologies (Mildef) has showcased three 4×4 armoured vehicles known as Tarantula, High Mobility Light Tactical Vehicle (HMLTV), and Weapon Carrier Vehicle (WCV) at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.
Ahmad Ziad Rehman Bin Ahmad Zaidi, senior assistant engineer at Mildef, told Janes that the Malaysian Army has already ordered 178 Tarantula vehicles in 2023, while the other two vehicles are yet to be tested by the service.
The delivery of Tarantula vehicles will be initiated by the end of 2024, and nearly 80 vehicles will be delivered in the first batch, with final delivery in 2027, Ahmad said.
According to Mildef specifications, Tarantula has a crew capacity of 10, and it has a length of 5,700 mm, a width of 2,500 mm, and a height of 2,500 mm.
06 May 2024
by Kapil Kajal
The upgraded ACV-300 – pictured above from the DSA 2024 exhibition – is fitted with a new-generation remote-controlled weapon system with a close-range surveillance system, auxiliary power unit, air conditioning system, automatic fire suppression system, spall liners, driver vision system, and navigation system. (Janes/Kapil Kajal)
Malaysia's state-owned DRB-HICOM Defence Technologies (DEFTECH) and Turkish vehicle manufacturer FNSS have unveiled a prototype of the upgraded ACV-300 ‘Adnan' tracked armoured combat vehicle at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2024 exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur from 6 to 9 May.
Mohd Nizam Saedon, head of the engineering department at DEFTECH, told Janes on 6 May that the vehicle, which has been in operation since the early 2000s, is being upgraded to extend its operational life.
The turret of the vehicle is upgraded with a 25 mm sharpshooter turret as a part of the upgrades, Mohd said.
Other enhancements include the addition of a laser rangefinder and a thermal imager in the turret, a laser warning system, and a 360° situational awareness system, Mohd added.
He said the Malaysian Army has “successfully” tested the upgraded vehicle, and DEFTECH is awaiting orders from the service.
06 May 2024
by Nicholas Fiorenza
After joining the CAVS programme in April 2023, Germany has joined the programme's R&D phase. (Patria)
Germany has joined the Finnish-led 6×6 Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) vehicle research and development (R&D) phase, Patria announced in a press release on 2 May. It joins the other CAVS countries – Finland, Latvia, and Sweden – participating in the R&D phase.
Patria said joining the R&D phase would give Germany access to the results of the product development packages developed in the CAVS programme and allow it to co-define its requirements for future mission variants.
A Patria spokesperson told Janes on 3 May, “During the R&D phase those variants that are important for every individual country participating in the programme are being evaluated by those countries. Germany now has access to the results of the product development packages developed in the programme and will be in a position to co-define the requirements for future mission variants. The timeline for this phase has been different for each participating country, depending on their requirements and needs.”
Germany formally joined the CAVS programme in April 2023 with the signing of the programme's technical arrangement.
Kongsberg has tested its RT40 Protector remote weapon station (RWS) integrated onto Milrem Robotics'...
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