26 October 2022
by Nicholas Fiorenza
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence's Defence Materiel Agency has signed a contract with Saab Dynamics for Bolide and Mk 2 missiles for the RBS 70 short-range air-defence system. (Lithuanian Army)
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced on its website on 21 October that its Defence Materiel Agency had signed a EUR45 million (USD45.1 million) contract with Sweden's Saab Dynamics for Bolide and Mk 2 missiles for the RBS 70 short-range air-defence system. Saab said in a press release published on 24 October that the missiles would be delivered in 2023−24.
The RBS has been operated by the Lithuanian Air Defence Battalion since 2004, and is easy to operate, mobile, and resistant to mechanical and electromagnetic interference, according to the MND, which said the Mk 2 missile has a range of 7 km and can reach an altitude of 4 km.
The ministry noted the critical role of air defence in the war in Ukraine.
Saab said it had delivered more than 1,600 RBS 70 launchers and 18,000 missiles to 19 countries.
24 April 2024
by Jeremiah Cushman
Saab has developed an autonomy package for its CB 90 fast boat and demonstrated its ability to navigate the Swedish coast. Pictured above is a CB 90 that was delivered to Malaysia. (Dockstavarvet)
Saab has established a new business function to revamp how it develops and delivers products to meet changing customer requirements. Skapa, a Swedish word that means “to create, to make, or to shape”, will focus on solving customer and stakeholder problems at speed, Erik Smith, president and CEO of Saab in the United States, told reporters on 23 April. “Skapa will accelerate the development and deployment of cutting-edge solutions to our warfighters” at pace, he said.
24 April 2024
by Giles Ebbutt
The XR Training consortium's USMC Amphibious Combat Vehicle driver simulator in its seat configuration with two DoF motion platform. The Vive HTC Elite headset is on the seat. The Instructor station laptop is on the table behind. (XR Training)
A consortium led by XR Training has been awarded a contract by the US Marine Corps (USMC) under an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to produce a driver training simulator for the new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV). The value of the contract was not disclosed but Neil Levin, XR Training CEO, told Janes that it was “in the high seven-figure area”.
The consortium, which also includes Talon Simulations (hardware), 302 Interactive (software development), and Theory Studios (modelling and visuals), will deliver 81 simulators by the end of 2024, followed by a two-year training and sustainment period. Most simulators will be deployed to Camps Pendleton and Lejeune, with some for use for “schoolhouse” training and some for deploying units.
18 April 2024
by Jeremiah Cushman
Actual and planned Canadian defence spending by category from 2021–22 to 2026–27. (Janes)
The Canadian government released its fiscal year (FY) 2024 defence budget on 16 April. The document projects spending of CAD33.8 billion (USD24.6 billion) in 2024–25, including adjustments from the Budget 2023 Refocusing Government Spending Exercise and incremental funding in the 2024 budget, although it warns that forecast amounts may change as programmes move through implementation. This is an increase from the forecast CAD29.9 billion spending in 2023–24, according to the document.
The 2024–25 main estimates produced by the Treasury Board projected defence spending of CAD30.6 billion, a small increase from the latest spending estimate for 2023–24, which totalled CAD30.3 billion. This is a 14% increase over the initial 2023–24 main estimate of CAD26.5 billion, according to Treasury Board figures. Expenditures in 2022–23 totalled CAD26.9 billion.
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence (MND) announced on its website on 21 October that its De...
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