Dedicated drone munitions could unlock modular mission potential
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The new contract includes British Army training in Oman. (Photo: Saab)
Saab has received a £20 million (US$26 million) amendment to an instrumented live training (ILT-D) contract originally signed with the UK MoD in April 2024 to allow for British Army training in Oman.
The amendment will deliver equipment and training support services for British Army training in Oman and deliveries will take place over the next 14 months.
The solution will operate as part of the MoD’s existing Tactical Engagement Simulation capability.
Saab technicians will also provide training services to ensure availability and performance at all stages. In addition to this, Saab will manage the Exercise Control environment including the captured data to support objective measurement of the training.
Andy Fraser, group managing director of Saab UK, said the “contract will enable seamless cooperation with the Royal Army of Oman and other key international allies and partners”.
The ILT-D contract replaces the previous Direct Fire Weapon Effect Simulator contract. ILT-D supports high fidelity systems that use a blend of laser and geometric pairing technology to simulate direct and indirect fire effects.
This capability provides objective feedback which is used to inform the After Action Review process and validate training.
ILT-D is designed to ensure that the British Army has access to a training capability ahead of the Collective Training Transformation Programme also referred to as Army Collective Training System.
Top attacks have proven effective against heavily armoured vehicles in Ukraine. A new family of uncrewed aerial system-delivered munitions is looking to press that advantage further.
The Israeli company hopes that producing its Sigma artillery system wholly in the US will help it win a key US Army contract, but it will be up against the popular CAESAR Mk II wheeled weapon and the K9 tracked.
Germany has ordered 84 RCH 155 self-propelled guns, as system incorporating Boxer 8×8 vehicles and the Artillery Gun Module, and 200 Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles while the UK has committed to a single Early Capability Demonstrator RCH 155.
While integration of guided weapons on modern armoured vehicles usually takes the form of a podded launcher on the turret exterior, recent developments suggest the concept of firing missiles from a tank’s main gun could be seeing a revival.
The order is a further boost for the Common Armoured Vehicles System programme which has notched notable successes in the past 12 months. The first vehicle, made in Finland, will be delivered next year with local production expected to ramp up in 2027.
The French and German governments signed an agreement in June 2018 to cooperate on the development of a new main battle tank under the Main Ground Combat System programme but the effort has struggled. This new agreement may damage it further.