Canada accelerates uncrewed aerial system procurement for NATO and Arctic forces
Canada plans to acquire at least 120 uncrewed aerial systems through two competitions with combined funding ceilings of C$32 million.
India will not order additional SIG 716 Patrol 7.62mm assault rifles. (SIG Sauer)
India has decided against progressing an INR7 billion ($91.9 million) repeat order, approved in late 2020, for 72,400 SIG Sauer assault rifles from the US.
Official sources said the MoD’s decision followed ‘snags’ that had surfaced in the earlier import of an equal number of SIG 716 Patrol 7.62mm rifles in late 2019. The weapons were issued to Indian Army units deployed along the border with Pakistan in Kashmir and on counterinsurgency operations in the same region.
Problems included higher recoil, jamming and accuracy in burst-mode firing when using locally sourced ammunition, as imported stocks had largely been depleted. Army
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Canada plans to acquire at least 120 uncrewed aerial systems through two competitions with combined funding ceilings of C$32 million.
New counter-drone technologies, autonomous launchers and manufacturing modernisation initiatives highlighted emerging opportunities for defence suppliers, while the UK advanced a major military vehicle procurement programme.
Non-US companies are increasingly looking to establish subsidiary and partnerships to access the potential billions of dollars of vehicle and land systems contracts and there has already been some success.
Pearson Engineering has provided equipment and engineering expertise to the Armed Forces of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022. The British company is now working to deepen engagement with the Ukrainian defence industry, expanding its support for the country’s population and laying the foundations for future technological innovation.
Rather than developing entirely new weapons, defence companies are looking to build on existing weapons and systems to deliver greater capability, control costs and accelerate fielding.
With a production rate of more than 10 million vehicles annually, the US commercial car and vehicle manufacturing base is second only to China. Defence companies are looking at how the vehicles, technology and manufacturing capability can support programmes.