Arquus and Milrem push their UGVs fitted with long-range missiles
Arquus displayed the Drailer uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) integrating the Akeron LP long-range missile at the Techterre technology demonstrator event ahead of trials in September.
PARM has been in service with Ukrainian forces and its production line has now been reopened by manufacturer TDW GmbH. (Photo: MBDA)
TDW GmbH, a subsidiary of MBDA, has said it will restart its PARM DM22 roadside anti-tank mine production line following a contract agreement with the German government announced on 15 November.
The contract to provide 2,600 systems has been estimated to be worth EUR68 million (US$72.5 million) and features an option for the German government to purchase as many as 10,000 more units.
The firing unit and effector is mounted on a tripod and can be activated remotely by a soldier, or with the vehicle passing over a cable or past a sensor.
A company official said: ‘With the procurement, PARM is in the process of returning to serial production [and] marks a first milestone of the ramp up of our production capacities.’
The combat-proven PARM system has been can be carried by a single soldier and has been designed to require little training. Its modular design means it can be adapted with different sensors and a remote control.
The German government said the order was a direct result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with the newly ordered units set to replace units sent to Ukraine.
Ukrainian sources on social media reported that Germany had delivered 14,900 DM22 and DM31 anti-tank mines to Ukraine but a breakdown has not been provided of how many of either type.
Arquus displayed the Drailer uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) integrating the Akeron LP long-range missile at the Techterre technology demonstrator event ahead of trials in September.
The Czech Republic ordered 52 CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie (CAESAR) self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) in 2021 and added another 10 a year later. A cancellation of the programme would impact both the army’s capabilities and local industry which is involved in the manufacture.
Demand for ammunition continues to increase with manufacturing capability growing to match. Sweden have turned to the two supply lines of Rheinmetall and Nammo as part of a Nordic effort to meet demand. The Polish Government has also announced a US$700 million investment to boost manufacture of munitions.
Several US Army vehicle programmes were axed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s plans to transform the US Army, as outlined in the Letter to the Force: Army Transformation Initiative document. However, the new generation Abrams M1E3 main battle tank (MBT) was singled out for survival. But what will it look like?
The order is in addition to two systems ordered in 2023. It forms part of a family of systems which is becoming widely used and part of a growing demand for the capability, both in deliveries and requirements.
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile system and is a planned replanned replacement for MGM-140 Army Tactical Missiles System (ATACMS). It is to be fired from M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers.