Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The first French marine unit has received new Glock 17 sidearms that were procured under the Military Programming Law (Loi de Programmation Militaire – LPM) 2019-2025. Training with the 6th Engineering Regiment, part of the 19th Marine Brigade, began in Angers on 10 February, the French MoD announced on 12 February.
A total of 1,040 Glock 17s have been ordered under the LPM, 520 of which have been delivered to date. By 2022, more than 38,000 of these pistols will be delivered to army units, according to a French MoD spokesperson.
The Glock-17 replaces the in-service PAMAS G1 and PA MAC 50 pistols. The PAMAS G1 is a version of Beretta 92FS. It was produced by Manufacture D'Armes de Saint-Étienne (MAS) and has equipped the French armed forces since the 1990s.
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Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.
Germany has ordered 84 RCH 155 self-propelled guns, as system incorporating Boxer 8×8 vehicles and the Artillery Gun Module, and 200 Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles while the UK has committed to a single Early Capability Demonstrator RCH 155.
While integration of guided weapons on modern armoured vehicles usually takes the form of a podded launcher on the turret exterior, recent developments suggest the concept of firing missiles from a tank’s main gun could be seeing a revival.
The order is a further boost for the Common Armoured Vehicles System programme which has notched notable successes in the past 12 months. The first vehicle, made in Finland, will be delivered next year with local production expected to ramp up in 2027.
The French and German governments signed an agreement in June 2018 to cooperate on the development of a new main battle tank under the Main Ground Combat System programme but the effort has struggled. This new agreement may damage it further.