The Portuguese Army is continuing its efforts to improve troop mobility by equipping the Parachutist Regiment in Tancos with ten new Multipurpose Airborne Platforms (MPAPs).
The service released pictures online in late July showing the delivery of these vehicles, emphasising that the main characteristics of the MPAP are mobility and versatility, as the vehicles can be easily transported by air and dropped by parachute.
Shephard understands from Portuguese Army officials that the MPAPs were acquired under a contract between the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) and the supplier, Spanish company Toro Vehículos Especiales y Sistemas (Toroves).
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The new artillery and howitzer factory pre-dates the emphasis on this capability from this month’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR). The first joint industry-government meeting outlined in the review took place this week.
Romania received its first Cobra MkII 4×4 light tactical armoured vehicles, ordered Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and VAMTAC light vehicles, and is set to invest billions-of-dollars in infantry fighting vehicles.
The Italian Army operates Pumas in 6×6 and 4×4 configurations but the platforms are ageing and numbers have fallen with obsolescence also being an issue. Any replacement is likely to have a focus on the involvement of local industry.
The VAMTAC (Vehículo de Alta Movilidad Táctico or High Mobility Tactical Vehicle) 4×4 by Urovesa is in service with or has been ordered by eight countries, the most recent being Spain this month and Romania last month.
Lockheed Martin’s Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) is a next-generation surface-to-surface missile with the solid rocket motor (SRM) provided by Northrop Grumman. The company is working to boost its SRM production capability.
The CV90 is in service with or ordered by ten countries. The agreement between six of these countries is designed to create commonality to provide economies of scale and a reduced training burden.
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