The Canadian company Marmen Inc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Force Protection Industries Inc to provide manufacturing and machining services for the Timberwolf weeled protected vehicle. Timberwolf is being developed to meet Canada´s Tactical Armoured Patrol Vehicle (TAPV) programme, which comprise the acquisition of up to 600 combat vehicles and related long term support services. The Department of National Defence (DND) expects to award a contract to the final selected bidder in 2012.

In signing the MoU, Marmen Inc has joined Team Timberwolf, led by Force Protection Industries Inc and CAE Inc. Team Timberwolf is also composed of Lockheed Martin Corporation, Elbit Systems Land & C4I Ltd and Malley Industries Inc.

Timberwolf is a variant of the Cougar 6×6 armoured vehicle.

The Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil-MB) could be considering to procure the ocean patrol vessels built by the United Kingdom based BAE Systems Surface Ships shipbuilder for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Trinidad and Tobago procured three vessels (Scarborough, Port of Spain and San Fernando) to equip the country Coast Guard service, but declined to introduce them in service.

As part of PROSUPER surface vessels procurement programme, the Brazilian Navy is looking to procured five ocean patrol vessels to perform Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) patrol, search and rescue missions, special operations and maritime law enforcement tasks.

(BAE Systems Surface Ships Ltd).

French company DCI-NAVFCO will train 20 young cadets from Kuwait for a four-year curriculum within French Navy CENOE (Cours de l’Ecole Navale pour Officiers Étrangers) naval academy training courses for foreign officers.

The objective of this course is to provide foreign officer trainees with military, maritime and scientific instruction enabling them to fulfill several the functions.

By integrating the latest 2011 batch, 60 young future officers from Middle Eastern naval forces, essentially Kuwaitis, are under training on three different sites in France.

Israel based company ESC BAZ Ltd has been awarded by a undiclosed country in Central Asia to deliver TOM SMS advanced vehicle-mounted surveillance mast systems.

The TOM SMS system, designed for security patrol vehicles, is concealed and folded in the rear of the vehicle when not in use, and deployed only when the targeted destination is reached. It is suited land surveillance, border control, and perimeter security.

The systems are connected by a wireless transmitter to a mobile control and monitoring center. Once their destination is reached, all the vehicles can simultaneously perform observation, and wirelessly transmit their live videos to the control vehicle or directly to the headquarters for mission assessment and real-time investigation

(ESC BAZ Ltd).

Following factory acceptance tests, Thales Nederland has completed the installation of its IM400 modular integrated mast on the Royal Netherlands Navy P840 HrMs “Holland” patrol vessel. The ship is to start in early 2012 a series of trials in the Caribbean.

The mast was shipped from Hengelo where it was assembled, to Flushing where it was installed on to the vessel. The IM400 five decks structure was built in Den Helder by the Royal Netherlands Navy.

IM400 consists of various subsystems which comprise SeaMaster 400 non-rotating S-band radar, SeaWatcher 100 non-rotating active phased array X-band radar, Gatekeeper panoramic electro-optical surveillance and alerter system, ICAS (Integrated Communication Antenna System) communications antenna system, NR IFF non-rotating cylindrical array antenna system (combining interrogator, transponder and Link-16 Tx functions), UHF satellite communications antenna, a SHF satellite communications antenna in the top of the mast, and an ESM antenna.

The mast include as well as cabinets, processing units, a automatic fire detection and extinguishing system, navigation lights, searchlights, racks, communications systems terminals and the TSB 3525 (IFF system) interrogator transponder system.

ICAS antenna system provides communications for VHF, UHF, GSM+UMTS, Wimax, Iridium and Link 16.

SeaMaster 400 radar system concept of multi-beam volume search with four active scanning faces ensures the simultaneous performance of all operational tasks at a high update rate and very low false alarm rate. The radar system also provides helicopter direction and approach capabilities and has three fire control channels.

SeaWatcher 100 radar enables fully automatic detection and tracking of all class of surface targets + slow air targets in single mode in most difficult environment with low false alarm rate.

Gatekeeper 360° panoramic electro-optical system is designed to counter emerging asymmetric threats down to small boats and swimmers. The system increases short-range situational awareness in littoral environments.

The second IM400 is to be installed on the second Patrol Ship HrMs “Zeeland” early 2013. The Dutch MoD aprocurement agency DMO (Defensie Materieel Organisatie) ordered IM400 for installation in the four Holland Class patrol ships (P840 HrMs “Holland”, P841 HrMs “Zeeland”, P842 HrMs “Friesland” and P843 HrMs “Groningen”) and in the single HrMs “Karel Doorman” joint support ship currently being built by DSNS (Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding).

The DMO has ordered four masts in 2007 and a single mast in 2010. The system was developed by the DMO, Thales Nederland, the TNO and several partners.

The ICCS 5 integrated communications control system from the Portuguese company Empresa de Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Electrónica SA (EID) was chosen to equip the four patrol vessels.

(Thales Nederland).

(Thales Nederland).

(Thales Nederland).

The French Ministry of Defence procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l´Armement) has received the first BAE Systems Hägglunds AB BvS 10 MKII armoured all terrain vehicle of 53 units procured to BAE Systems Global Combat Systems to equip the French Army (Armée de Terre).

French company Panhard General Defense is responsible to integrate several equipment including the armament, communications suite and the Sagem SA SITEL (Système d’Information Terminal Elémentaire) tactical information system on the vehicle known as VHM (Véhicule à Haute Mobilité).

VHM v-shaped hull articulate armoured vehicle has a weight of 14 tonnes, a length of 7,60 meters, a top speed of 65 km/h, a payload of 5 tonnes and a range of 250 km. It can transport 11 combatants equipped with Sagem SA FELIN (Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons Intégrés) dismounted soldier system.

The troop carrier configuration of VHM is equipped with the Panhard General Defense PL80 manually operated protected ring mount which is armed with a 12.7mm heavy machine gun, slat armor (front, rear and sides), a multiple antenna mount system, a basket for the transport of equipment in the top of the hull (in the rear vehicle) and smoke grenade launchers.

The fleet includes provisions to accommodate light weapons ammunition, MBDA Eryx anti-armour missiles, 81mm mortar, MBDA MILAN anti-tank missiles, SAAB Bofors Dynamics AT4CS anti-armour rounds and FELIN´s batteries charger.

The remaining vehicles in the confirmed initial batch of 53 will be delivered by the end of next year. The contract awarded in December 2009 includes training, a through-life support package and an option for 76 additional vehicles.

(STAT CIC/GM D.Dupuis).

The Brazilian Navy (Marinha do Brasil-MB) has awarded the U.S. Based company Marsh Aviation to upgrade four C-1A Trader transport aircraft to the Turbo Trader standard. The integration of a complete navigation suite, engines, communications systems and an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) are included in the modernization project.

The contract firmed in late October for an undisclosed amount comprise as well as two year integrated logistic support, training services, ground support equipment, special tools e technical manuals. The company will be also responsible to deliver an offsets package.

In 2010, Brazil brought eight former U.S. Navy C1-A aircraft stocked at the AMARG (Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Group) of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, under a U$ 234.806 million foreign military sale (FMS) contract firmed with the US Government.

The aircraft to be upgraded to the Carrier-on-Board Delivery/Air-to-Air Refueling (COD/AAR) configuration will allow them to refuel AF-1/1A Skyhawk light combat aircraft operated onboard the A-12 “São Paulo” aircraft carrier and to transport personnel and materiel. Two of the four remaining aircraft will be used as spare parts sources.

The fleet is to be operated by the 1º Esquadrão de Aeronaves de Transporte e Vigilância Marítima (VCE-1) transport and maritime surveillance squadron.

The French Ministry of Defence procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l´Armement) has received the first (L9092) of four EDA-R (Engin de Débarquement Amphibie Rapide) landing catamarans ordered in June 2009 to CNIM (CoNstructions Industrielles de la Méditerranée). The remaining vessels are scheduled to be delivered until mid 2012.

The ships based in the L-CAT concept are built by French SOCARENAM shipbuilder. The contract includes logistic support services.

EDA-R will be operated from the three French Navy (Marine Nationale) BPC (Bâtiment de Projection et de Commandement) command & projection ships, L9013 FS “Mistral” and L9014 FS “Tonnerre”, and as well as L9015 FS “Dixmude”, which will be delivered in February 2012. The two BPCs are now equipped with CTM (Chaland de Transport de Matériel) landing boats. Each BPC is capable to accommodate two EDA-Rs.

EDA-R has a weight of 175 tonnes, a length of 30 meters, a width of 12.6 meters, an autonomy of 400 nautical miles, a top speed of 25 knots (18 knots when full of equipment) and a payload of 80 tonnes. It is equipped with mounts for 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine guns, a navigation radar, tactical communication system and armor. The propulsion consists of four diesel engines and four waterjets.

EDA-R main task is to transport troops, equipment and tactical and armoured vehicle from and to the BPCs. The boats could be used also to evacuate civilian personnel during a humanitarian crisis or to provide relief support or medical equipment to the population affected by a natural disasters or a war.

The French Army (Armée de Terre) SIMMT (Structure Intégrée du Maintien en condition opérationnelle des Matériels Terrestres) integrated through-life support structure has awarded a EUR25 million contract to the French company Renault Trucks Defense (RTD) for the logistic support of more than 8000 wheeled trucks in service with the French Army.

The Maintien en Condition Opérationnelle (MCO) contract comprise the support of GBC 180, GBC ADR, TRM 2000, TRM 10000, E-Tech 480 TRPC (Tracteur Routier Porte-Chars), Kerax, Kerax 270dCi THOT, VTL (Véhicule de Transport Logistique) and VLRA (Véhicule Léger de Reconnaissance et d’Appui) vehicles.

These Level 1 and 2 technical interventions will be carried out in the civil dealerships and branches of Renault Trucks.

Helicopters manufacturer Eurocopter (of EADS group) delivered the first of six EC145 multi-purpose light helicopters ordered by the Kazakh Ministries of Defence and Emergencies.

A total of 45 of the helicopters are to be purchased, and will be assembled by the new joint venture Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering, in which Eurocopter and Kazakhstan Engineering have a 50/50 share.

Eurocopter Kazakhstan Engineering is scheduled to deliver the initial six EC145s to the Kazakh Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Emergencies before the end of the year for search and rescue and medical evacuation missions. The remaining helicopters are to be delivered by the end of 2016.