FN Herstal Minimi 5.56mm light machine gun. (Photo: Italian MoD)
The General Secretariat and National Armaments Directorate (DNA) in the Italian MoD has ordered machine guns from Belgian manufacturer FN Herstal.
Details of the quantity, type of weapons or delivery timescale were not disclosed, although a post on the official EU contracts database noted that the deal is worth €1.4 million ($1.58 million).
According to the Small Arms and Light Weapons Guide run by the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (using data provided by the German Armed Forces), Italian military and paramilitary units already use the FN Minimi light machine gun in 5.56mm and 7.62mm calibre.
The effort to develop uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) is heating up with research efforts and exercises improving the speed of the process and the war in Ukraine is working as a proving ground for rapid development and fielding.
The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher is in high demand with Lockheed Martin doubling speed of manufacture since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. As orders are racked up in Europe, the Indo-Pacific region is seeing the increasing presence of the system.
The company's Riddler uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) is designed to be small and light to allow easy deployment and the ability to access smaller areas such as bus or train aisles.
The Spanish Government has outlined plans to purchase communications and cybersecurity capabilities but most notably amphibious combat vehicles, self-propelled howitzers (SPHs), bridge-laying vehicles and an effort to replace its tanks from 2040.
Germany is Europe’s leading country for tank manufacture and until this month was committed to the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System (MGCS) which included tanks and other vehicles. Earlier this month, Germany and other European countries set up the Main ARmoured Tank of Europe (MARTE) project casting a shadow over the MGCS.
Denmark signed the Technical Arrangement for the multinational Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) in April this year. The order means the country will receive its first vehicle this year.
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