US Army seeks industry support to prepare acquisitions of Group 4+ UAVs
The US Army is keen to hear about vendor designs, strategies and potential hardware and software solutions to inform requirements for procurement efforts.
Safran company Optics 1’s Integrated Compact Ultralight Gun-mounted Rangefinder (I-CUGR) has been selected by the US Marine Corps (USMC) for its Sniper Range Finder (SRF) programme, the company announced on 31 August.
The I-CUGR is a small, lightweight and rugged weapon-mounted laser rangefinder with integrated illumination and aiming lasers. It is designed to give the user the capability to quickly range targets without taking their hand off the rifle, providing more accurate first round hits.
The initial order is for 315 units with deliveries starting this year.
The US Army is keen to hear about vendor designs, strategies and potential hardware and software solutions to inform requirements for procurement efforts.
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.