Can NATO’s CUAS marketplace turn urgent demand into deliveries?
Framework contracts and leasing options aim to shorten acquisition timelines, while manufacturing partnerships could help suppliers scale production to meet allied demand.
The new Mk13 Mod 7 long range sniper rifle has reached full operational capability with the US Marine Corps.
The bolt-action, precision-firing rifle will bring increased lethality at longer ranges compared to the legacy M40A6 it is partially replacing. Other advantages include the ability to deliver larger bullets and additional velocity to keep the bullet stable over longer distances.
The rifle includes the M571, an enhanced day optic that provides greater magnification range and an improved reticle, giving users the ability to identify targets at greater distances.
The marines will primarily use the Mk13 during deployments, while the M40A6 will serve as a training rifle for snipers.
Framework contracts and leasing options aim to shorten acquisition timelines, while manufacturing partnerships could help suppliers scale production to meet allied demand.
The US is pursuing multiple UGV programmes, from commercial robotic platforms to new autonomy technologies. The combination of these efforts could prove key to turning ambition into operational capability.
NATO is looking to artificial intelligence to provide integration between different C2 systems to create a common operational picture, potentially offering a faster route to interoperability than the slow-moving processes of NATO standards committees.
The large-scale exercise in Latvia was the culmination of three experimentation initiatives to see how platforms, weapons and systems could fit into the alliance’s Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative. As well as forces, it brought together companies and equipment.
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.