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.
True Velocity and LoneStar are teamed in a bid for the NGSW programme. (Photo: True Velocity)
True Velocity announced on 10 November that it is acquiring LoneStar Future Weapons — its team-mate in a bid for the US Army Next Generation Squad Weapons (NGSW) programme — in a ‘strategic acquistion’ worth about $84 million.
LoneStar will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of True Velocity parent company TV Ammo. True Velocity stated that the deal ‘allows the two companies to leverage substantial synergies and business efficiencies in the development and production of advanced weapons and ammunition for the Next Generation Squad Weapons programme and other forthcoming force modernisation contracts’.
True Velocity and LoneStar formed a strategic partnership for NGSW in April 2021, offering a semi-automatic rifle and an automatic rifle designed to fire the 6.8TVCM cartridge.
LoneStar assumed the prime contractor role from General Dynamics Ordnance & Tactical Systems and True Velocity continued to serve as a subcontractor responsible for the provision of its 6.8TVCM composite-cased cartridge.
Beretta (ammunition design) and Delta P Design (suppressors) are also part of the TrueVelocity team for NGSW.
The NGSW programme is expected to reach the vendor selection stage in January 2022.
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