Rheinmetall has been contracted to deliver 9,640 VarioRay LLM (laser light modules) to the Swiss Army between May 2020 and Q4 2022.
The contract also covers the provision of accessories, spare parts and training services.
In Switzerland the device is known as LLM19. It is used on assault rifles and can discover, identify and mark targets. It weights approximately 240g. Night vision and thermal imaging modes are also available with the VarioRay LLM.
Although no set value for the contract has been made public, it is reported to be in the low double- digit million euro range.
The VarioRay LLM is also in service with soldiers from the British and German armies.
If all goes to plan, initial delivery of the selected vehicle could take place in 2029/2030 with final delivery in 2031/2032. The Bv206 were supplied to Canada many years ago and are in urgent need of replacement. More than 11,000 Bv206 were built for worldwide sale.
The One-Way Effector (OWE) is a ground-launched missile or drome designed to act as a swarm to overwhelm air defence systems. It was displayed for the first time in Paris this week.
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.
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