Thales Australia has received a sizeable order to manufacture new 5.56mm rifles for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) under the auspices of Project Land 125 Phase 3C.
The Australian company announced conclusion of the deal on 4 August, stating it was worth A$100 million ($73.6 million). The contract covers EF88 rifles, SL40 40mm under-barrel grenade launchers and spare parts.
Manufacture of approximately 30,000 rifles and 2,500 grenade launchers will occur at the Thales Australia facility in Lithgow, New South Wales. Thales said in a statement, ‘Deliveries to the ADF will begin in the next few weeks and phased over
Already have an account? Log in
The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.
Romania received its first Cobra MkII 4×4 light tactical armoured vehicles, ordered Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and VAMTAC light vehicles, and is set to invest billions-of-dollars in infantry fighting vehicles.
The Italian Army operates Pumas in 6×6 and 4×4 configurations but the platforms are ageing and numbers have fallen with obsolescence also being an issue. Any replacement is likely to have a focus on the involvement of local industry.
The VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico or High Mobility Tactical Vehicle) 4×4 by Urovesa is in service with or has been ordered by eight countries, the most recent being Spain this month and Romania last month.
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile with the solid rocket motor (SRM) provided by Northrop Grumman. The company is working to boost its SRM production capability.
The CV90 is in service with or ordered by ten countries. The agreement between six of these countries is designed to create commonality to provide economies of scale and a reduced training burden.
Connect with us on socials
