[JLRC]

Germany Extends Afghan Mission
 
 
(Source: Deutsche Welle German radio; issued Sept. 30, 2004)
 
 
 
Germany’s parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a one-year extension of the Bundeswehr’s Afghanistan mandate. The decision comes a day after a grenade attack on a German camp in Kunduz injured five.  
 
A large majority of Social Democrat, Green and opposition conservative Christian Democratic parliaments voted in favor of extending the German armed forces mandate in Afghanistan for another year.  
 
The extension ensures that a maximum number of 2,250 German troops can continue their role in the multi-national ISAF NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kabul and its surroundings as well as their work in two provincial reconstruction teams in Kunduz and Faizabad in northern Afghanistan.  
 
The current mandate of the German troops expires on Oct. 13.  
 
“No guarantee against attacks”  
 
Thursday’s decision comes on the heels of another surge in violence in Afghanistan.  
 
On Wednesday, a grenade attack on a German camp in Kunduz in northeastern Afghanistan injured five soldiers, three of them German. Though the soldiers are now said to be out of danger, the incident underlined the continuing danger and security threat in the volatile country.  
 
Earlier German Defense Minister Peter Struck said he saw no connection between Wednesday’s rocket attack and the prolongation of the Bundeswehr mandate. Struck said the attack was a sign that the extension of the mandate “shouldn’t be seen as simply routine.”  
 
“There is no one hundred percent guarantee against attacks of this kind,” Struck said, adding that German soldiers in Afghanistan weren’t questioning their commitment there.  
 
Struck also said that attacks had been expected in the run-up to the October 9th presidential election in Afghanistan.  
 
“Our teams in northern Afghanistan will be reinforced early next year by 80 troops from the Czech Republic and Denmark,” he said. “We’re convinced that our efforts to stabilize peace and security in the region will not be in vain.”  
 
The German government has been supported by the CDU in its commitment in Afghanistan.  
 
“You can’t withdraw soldiers just because it really is getting dangerous,” Christian Schmidt, the CDU’s parliamentary spokesman on defense affairs, said on Thursday. At the same time the party has emphasized that the contingents in northern Afghanistan had to be beefed up to be made more secure.  
 
FDP: half-hearted mission  
 
But like in the past, the opposition Liberal Democrats (FDP) remained opposed to an extended mandate.  
 
FDP parliamentarians said the work of the provincial reconstruction teams there could not be called a success story, as their mission did not include the fight against drug cultivation and trafficking. FDP defense spokesman Werner Hoyer also criticized that the original concept of building up a network of Provisional Reconstruction Teams across the country had not materialized in any way, as other NATO members had not provided enough resources to join the campaign.  
 
“A closely-knit network of PRTs across Afghanistan would be required to extend the central government’s influence to the provinces which are mostly under the control of warlords,” Hoyer said. “But apart from a few exceptions in the north, nothing has happened on this front so far. And I can’t see much progress being made in the months to come despite the desperate campaigning by the NATO secretary-general in recent weeks.”  
 
The FDP believes that it would have been a better idea to separate the uncontroversial mandate for Kabul from the one for northern Afghanistan. There is cross-party agreement, though, that a withdrawal of troops in general would have sent a devastating political signal to the Karzai government.  
 
Schröder might drop Afghanistan visit  
 
However, Wednesday’s rocket attack may have changed Chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s original decision to visit Kabul on Oct. 11 as part of his planned tour of Asia next week.  
 
A spokesman for the chancellery said on Thursday that the security situation on the ground would be followed closely. A final decision on whether Schröder would include Kabul in his itinerary would only be taken at a date close to his departure for Asia, he added.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Austria Orders Dingo 2
 
 
(Source: Krauss Maffei Wegmann; dated Sept. 30, issued Oct. 1, 2004)
 
 
 MUNICH --- On September 30, 2004 a contract for the supply of twenty Dingo 2 APC vehicles was signed in Vienna between Austria’s Ministry of Defence and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).  
 
Dingo 2, a four-wheel drive all-round protected APC, offers a high level of mobility as well as providing the vehicle occupants with protection against modern hand-held infantry firearms, artillery shrapnels and shell splinters, and anti-personnel and anti-tank mines. Dingo 2 can accommodate up to eight fully equipped soldiers and has a top speed of 90 km/h and a range of around 1000 km. It can be carried in the C-130 and A400M transport aircraft and can be air-lifted using the CH47 Chinook helicopter.  
 
Another outstanding feature of the Dingo 2 is the high off-road-capability profided by the UNIMOG chassis which forms its basis and which guarantees excellent maneuverability on bendy roads and in severe terrain. The fact that this chassis unit is a commercially available product makes the vehicle both cost-effective and easy to maintain. The manufacturer also guarantees worldwide availability of spare parts throughout the vehicle's service-life.  
 
The Dingo 2 is equipped with air-conditioning, a parking heating system, ABS, a rear-view camera, a GPS-based navigation system, a modern radio and outboard intercom system and a overpressure NBC protection system.  
 
The twenty vehicles for the Austrian forces will be fitted with an equipment kit for eight soldiers. The first Dingo 2 is scheduled for handover to Austria in December, 2004, with the remaining nineteen vehicles following in 2005.  
 
Austria’s Ministry of Defence is the first foreign customer to opt for the high all-round protection and excellent mobility offered by the new generation Dingo 2. The vehicle also makes a significant contribution to the achievement of interoperability vital for modern-day missions.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Canada - TOW-2A/B Anti-Armor Guided and Bunker Buster Missiles
 
 
(Source: US Defense Security Cooperation Agency; issued Sept. 30, web posted Oct. 1, 2004)
 
 
 On 30 September 2004, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Canada of 2,000 Radio Frequency (RF) TOW-2A and 600 RF TOW-2B Anti-Armor Guided Missiles, 400 RF Bunker Buster Missiles as well as associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $136 million.  
 
The Government of Canada has requested a possible sale of 2,000 Radio Frequency (RF) TOW-2A and 600 RF TOW-2B Anti-Armor Guided Missiles, 400 RF Bunker Buster Missiles, spare and repair parts, technical support, support equipment, personnel training and training equipment, technical data and publications, U.S.  
 
Government and contractor engineering and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support. The estimated cost is $136 million.  
 
This proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by improving the military capabilities of Canada and further weapon system standardization and interoperability with U.S. forces.  
 
Canada will use these missiles to increase its military defensive posture and will have no difficulty absorbing these additional missiles into its armed forces.  
 
The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not affect the basic military balance in the region.  
 
The prime contractor will be Raytheon Company in Tucson, Arizona. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.  
 
Implementation of this proposed sale will not require the assignment of any additional U.S. Government or contractor representatives to Canada.  
 
There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale.  
 
This notice of a potential sale is required by law; it does not mean that the sale has been concluded.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Pentagon Contact Announcement  
 
 
(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Oct. 1, 2004)
 
 
 --AM General Corp., South Bend, Ind., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2004, a $115,573,953 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for 1,408 M1114 Chassis for the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle.  
Work will be performed in South Bend, Ind., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on July 17, 2000.  
The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity.  
 
 
 
--O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring Co., Fairfield, Ohio, was awarded on Sept. 29, 2004, a $93,238,340 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for 1,441 M1114, 78 M1116 Up-Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, and 1,234 Gunner Protection Kits.  
Work will be performed in Fairfield, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on April 10, 2000.  
The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Further Mowag Piranhas for Denmark
 
 
(Source: Mowag AG; dated Oct. 7, 2004)
 
 
 On October 5, 2004 the Danish Army Materiel Command (DAMC) and Mowag AG - a General Dynamics company - signed a contract for the delivery of 91 armoured vehicles of the Piranha IIIC 8x8 type with a total value of close to 140 Million Swiss Francs (approx. US$ 112 Million). This is already the third order from the Danish Army  
 
At the beginning of this year, the Danish Army announced that it intended to use the Mowag Piranha III 8x8 as the standard platform for future procurement activities of protected vehicles in this category, after having ordered the first 22 Piranhas in 1997 and a further 22 Piranhas in 2003. The vehicles ordered in 2003 are at present being manufactured in Kreuzlingen.  
 
The newly signed contract comprises 69 Piranha IIIC 8x8 in the APC, Ambulance, Command Post, and Reconnaissance vehicle versions and also the 22 APC and Ambulance vehicles contracted already in 2003. Delivery will start in February 2005 with the Ambulance vehicles being delivered first.  
 
Mowag's CEO, Simon T. Honess, was proud and pleased about the close cooperation with Denmark, and he declared: "This contract is further proof of our customers' confidence in the performance and reliability of our Piranha, and of the good strategic partnership between the Danish authorities and Mowag AG".  
 
The Piranhas of the most recent order, too, will be used primarily within the framework of international missions of the Danish Army, and thus signifies the changed focus of Danish Armed Forces. The threat situation in such missions specifically calls for a high level of protection for the vehicle crews against mines and ballistic weapons. With the Piranha IIIC 8x8, the technology-minded company from Kreuzlingen offers a proven vehicle, which fulfils this high-ranking requirement of protection. With its third order, the Danish Army continues to trust in the reliability and performance of the successful product from Kreuzlingen.  
 
With the Piranha III, which is manufactured in the 8x8 and 10x10 versions and was first presented in 1997, Mowag has set the standard in the domain of armoured wheeled vehicles in the weight class of up to 20 t. The Piranha IIIC 8x8 is 7.58 m long and 2.66 m wide. The total useful volume in the interior is approx. 12 m3. On the road, the Piranha III reaches a speed of up to 100 km/h; it manages gradients of up to 60%, obstacles with a height of up to 60 cm, and fording depths of up to 1.5 m without problems.  
 
The 400 HP Caterpillar engine, in connection with the ZF 7-speed automatic transmission, the modern independent wheel suspension, the tire pressure regulation system, and the disengageable all-wheel drive give the Piranha an outstanding mobility even in difficult terrain  
 
Mowag AG of Kreuzlingen develops, designs, and manufactures technologically advanced special vehicles for military use. Far more than 10'000 armoured wheeled vehicles of the Mowag Piranha, Mowag EAGLE, and Mowag DURO series are fielded all over the world. Since October of 2003, Mowag is part of the General Dynamics European Land Combat Systems group, and employs a qualified staff of more than 500 in its Kreuzlingen site.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Armoured Infantry Gets Latest Anti-Tank Missile  
 
 
(Source: UK Ministry of Defence; issued Oct. 14, 2004)
 
 
 The Ministry of Defence has announced an additional purchase of Javelin - the shoulder launched anti-tank guided weapon - with a value of around £100M.  
 
Already in production for 16 Air Assault Brigade, 3 Commando Brigade and the Mechanised Infantry, Javelin has now also been selected to equip British Army Armoured Infantry (AI) and Formation Reconnaissance (FR) forces.  
 
Javelin is the most advanced medium-range anti-tank missile system in the world. Each system is light enough to be easily carried by two men and can be set up, locked onto its target and fired in moments.  
 
Once launched the weapon uses sensitive electronic guidance systems to guide itself towards its target, allowing the user time to reload or move position. Javelin also offers a variety of different attack modes - in top attack it will climb to more than one hundred feet above the target, coming straight down on top of it for maximum effect.  
 
Minister for Defence Procurement, Lord Bach said: "Javelin is already in service with the US Army and has proved its worth in recent operations in Iraq. It can be moved quickly around the battlefield but also has enough power to take out the most heavily protected tanks and armoured vehicles.  
 
"We agreed a contract to provide the weapon to 16 Air Assault Brigade, 3 Commando Brigade and the Mechanised Infantry last year and have now agreed an additional purchase for other infantry and reconnaissance units, ensuring they are equipped with the very best weaponry available.  
 
"It took less than a year to go from formulating the requirement to signing the contract - a contract which promises to deliver an exceptional combination of capability and value-for-money. This is a prime example of the benefits that SMART acquisition can bring.  
 
I am delighted the purchase will help to sustain some 200 jobs around the UK."  
 
The Javelin system is expected to be with 16 Air Assault Brigade and 3 Commando Brigade from 2005 and the Mechanised Infantry Armoured Infantry and Formation Reconnaissance from 2007.  
 
 
BACKGROUND NOTES:  
 
1. Javelin will be provided by a joint venture between Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.  
 
2. Javelin will replace the Milan and Swingfire anti-tank missiles, which have been in service for more than 20 years.  
 
3. Javelin is being procured by the Infantry Guided Weapons Integrated Project Team at the Defence Procurement Agency, Bristol. (ends)  
 
 
 
 UK Increases Order for Raytheon-Lockheed Javelin for Light Forces Anti-Tank Guided Weapon system  
 
 
(Source: Raytheon Company, Lockheed Martin; issued Oct. 14, 2004)
 
 
 TUCSON, Ariz. --- The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence has placed a follow-on order, valued at approximately $180 million, for the Raytheon-Lockheed Martin Javelin weapon system. This purchase of Javelin will provide a medium-range anti-tank missile for the British Army’s Armored Ground Component (AGC) requirement.  
 
The selection of Javelin for AGC follows a competitive win by the Javelin Joint Venture and its U.K. partners for the U.K. Light Forces Anti-tank Guided Weapon program in 2003.  
 
This follow-on order increases the number of rounds and command launch units that will be procured through a hybrid foreign military sale/ direct commercial sale.  
 
Minister for Defence Procurement Lord Bach said: “Javelin is already in service with the U.S. Army and has proved its worth in recent operations in Iraq. It is manoeuvrable enough to move quickly around the battlefield but also has enough power to take out the most heavily protected tanks and armoured vehicles.”  
 
“We agreed a contract to provide the weapon to 16 Air Assault Brigade, 3 Commando Brigade and the Mechanised Infantry last year and have now agreed an additional purchase for other infantry and reconnaissance units, ensuring they are equipped with the very best weaponry available.”  
 
“It took less than a year to go from formulating the requirement to signing the contract -- a contract which promises to deliver an exceptional combination of capability and value-for-money. This is a prime example of the benefits that SMART acquisition can bring.”  
 
“I am delighted the purchase will help to sustain some 200 jobs around the U.K.,” concluded Lord Bach.  
 
“Continued Javelin procurement will provide the U.K. forces with one of the most precise and lethal weapons on the battlefield for many years in the future,” said Col. Lloyd E. McDaniels, the U.S. Army’s project manager at U.S. Army Close Combat Weapon Systems. “Also, the Javelin’s integrated day and thermal night sights provide the soldier with the ability to perform surveillance missions and increases situational awareness to the commander and Javelin gunners and ensures both operational and logistic interoperability with U.S. Army, Marine and Special Operation Forces.”  
 
With this award, Javelin becomes the U.K.’s premier anti-armor/assault weapon and will be fielded with light rapid reaction forces, mechanized forces and now the armored forces. Javelin will provide the latest man-portable, anti-tank weapon capability that can be used day or night. With a range of up to 2,500 metres, using long-wave imaging infrared technology, it will allow for deployment by a single soldier and can be fired from within a confined space. The Light Forces component of the Javelin program will enter service in 2005. The AGC Javelin program will enter service in 2007.  
 
Javelin is in service with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps and has been used extensively on operations including Operation Iraqi Freedom. Along with the U.K. selection of Javelin, other commonwealth nations that have already procured Javelin include Australia and New Zealand. Javelin is also on order for the armed forces of several other countries and is being evaluated for integration onto ground and naval platforms.  
 
“Javelin and our U.K. team members are very pleased that the U.K. has put its trust in us to deliver such an important capability to the British Army and Royal Marines,” said Michael Crisp, Javelin Joint Venture president. “The Javelin system is the world’s only combat-proven medium range fire-and-forget anti-armor system. I look forward to continuing our relationship with world- class U.K. teammates to bring a combat proven, highly effective, low risk, value for money solution to the British armed forces.”  
 
“Lockheed Martin chose BAE Systems Basildon to continue to produce the Javelin seeker, a high-technology item,” said Howard Weaver, Javelin Joint Venture vice president. “BAEs’ excellent performance was a key factor in winning this follow-on contract. This lays the foundation for continuing trans-Atlantic cooperation.”  
 
The Javelin JV is working on a number of technology spirals with both the U.S. and U.K. in support of future requirements including extended range. Future applications such as U.S. Future Combat Systems and the U.K. Future Rapid Effects Systems-Guided Weapon are considered potential future technology insertions.  
 
The Raytheon-Lockheed Martin Javelin Joint Venture has a large U.K. partnership base and this procurement will further enhance their position within the wider Javelin community. Currently 15 companies throughout the country are supplying components up to sub-assembly level for the Javelin program.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Russia to Establish Permanent Military Base in Tajikistan
 
 
(Source: Voice of America news; issued Oct. 16, 2004)
 
 
 Russia and Tajikistan have signed a deal to have a permanent Russian military base in the former Soviet republic.  
 
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Tajik counterpart, Emomali Rakhmonov, made the agreement Saturday in the Tajik capital, Dushanbe.  
 
In exchange for the base, Russia will invest about $2 billion in Tajikistan's economy over the next five years. Details about the base were not immediately clear, but Mr. Putin said it will guarantee Tajikistan's stability.  
 
He and Mr. Rakhmonov also set a timetable for Tajik forces to replace Russian soldiers who currently guard the Central Asian country's border. And they finalized an agreement for Russia to take control of a space monitoring system that is in Tajikistan.  
 
Mr. Putin is scheduled to meet officials from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan during his visit.  
 
-ends-

[Tiger22]

Diário Digital 2004/10/18

O Exército português dá início, esta segunda-feira, em Lisboa, às comemorações de mais um aniversário, com a certeza de que o Governo se prepara para disponibilizar, no Orçamento de Estado para 2005, 40 milhões de euros para o serviço militar profissional, que formalmente começa a 19 de Novembro deste ano.

A notícia é avançada na edição desta segunda-feira do Diário de Notícias, que recorda que, embora o montante seja destinado aos três ramos das Forças Armadas – Exército, Marinha e Força Aérea -, é o Exército que mais tem reclamado por recursos financeiros que permitam atrair e reter os voluntários.
No entanto, o ministro da Defesa, paulo Portas, já assumiu que os 40 milhões só vão dar para a instituição castrense atingir os seus «objectivos operacionais mínimos» ao longo do próximo ano.

Quanto às forças portuguesas estacionadas no estrangeiro, têm previsto, no Orçamento para 2005, uma verba de 60 milhões euros.

Refira-se igualmente que, ainda no âmbito das comemorações do Dia do Exército, o ministro da Defesa, Paulo Portas, prepara-se para anunciar, no dia 24 de Outubro, o nome do vencedor do concurso das viaturas blindadas de rodas.

[JLRC]

Force Protection, Inc. Announces Delivery of Cougar HEV to U.S. Marines in Iraq
 
 
(Source: Force Protection; issued Oct. 18, 2004)
 
 
 LADSON, S.C. --- Force Protection, Inc., the leading manufacturer of mine and blast protected vehicles for military and security users, announced today the first delivery of a mine protected 4x4 Cougar Hardened Engineer Vehicle (HEV) to the U.S. Marines in Iraq. An additional thirteen Cougar vehicles are scheduled to be shipped prior to the end of 2004.  
 
“Force Protection’s vehicles are critically needed to protect our troops and save lives,” said CEO Michael Watts. “Landmines and IEDs have had a devastating effect on our armed services that require vehicles specifically designed to withstand these types of attacks. This shipment is reflective of the fact that our vehicles continue to meet this urgent and critical need.”  
 
The Cougar H series is a family of medium size mine protected vehicles that can be supplied in 4X4 or 6X6 layout. It can be configured for a wide range of tasks including troop transport, EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), command and control, reconnaissance and lead convoy vehicle.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Iraqi Army’s 4th Brigade Completes Initial Training  
 
 
(Source: US Central Command; issued Oct. 18, 2004)
 
 
 BAGHDAD, Iraq --- Three battalions from the Iraqi army’s 4th Brigade graduated basic training in a “march-on” ceremony at the Al Kasik Military Training Base west of Mosul, Oct. 15, as the Iraqi army continues the training effort in Iraq. The Iraqi army is slated to complete training of its originally programmed 27-battalion force by early 2005.  
 
“We graduate these people today to defend the Iraqi people and our dear country,” 4th Brigade Commander, Lt. Col. Qais Khalid Ghaly said.”You’re the protectors of our people and the leaders of the good future,” Khalid Ghaly said.  
 
A single company from each of the brigade’s three battalions took part in the ceremony serving as a ceremonious “moving on” to follow-on training in anticipation of future operational duties.The 4th Brigade is assigned to the Iraqi army’s 3rd Division.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Australia Rejects Plea to Send More Troops to Iraq to Protect UN Staff
 
 
(Source: Voice of America; issued Oct. 18, 2004)
 
 
 Australia has turned down a request by the United Nations to send more troops to Iraq to protect U.N. personnel there. Australia has agreed instead to train a contingent of Fijian soldiers for the job.  
 
Australia was approached informally through its diplomatic missions in the United States to send more troops to help protect U.N. workers in Iraq.  
 
Australia has around 920 military personnel in the Gulf region, and a Foreign Ministry spokesman say the government has refused to send any more.  
 
Foreign Minister Alexander Downer says Canberra has already made a substantial commitment to Iraq, and has no intention of deploying more troops there.  
 
“There is something to be said for the argument that we could provide some support to the United Nations, but there is more to be said for us sticking with the commitment we made that we would not send ever-increasing numbers of troops there,” Mr. Downer says.  
 
Instead, the government says it will help to help train and equip troops from Fiji, which has offered a detachment of 155 soldiers to protect the U.N. mission.  
 
Canberra’s decision is another headache for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan as he struggles to win international backing for a security force to try to keep the U.N. staff in Iraq safe.  
 
A lack of protection for U.N. workers has been a key concern since a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including the organization’s special representative to Iraq, Sergio de Mello, in Baghdad last year.  
 
Only a few countries, including Fiji, have answered the U.N. calls for help in Iraq. In the meantime, the U.N. mission there is relying on the increasingly hard-pressed U.S. military for protection.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

General Dynamics Awarded $5 Million Contract to Perform Engineering Studies in Support of Mobile Gun System
 
 
(Source: General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada; issued Oct. 22, 2004)
 
 
 LONDON, Ontario --- The Canadian Department of National Defence has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada a $5 million CAD (approx. $4 million USD) contract to perform engineering feasibility studies in support of the Canadian Mobile Gun System program.  
 
These studies will assist the Department of National Defence in defining modifications to the Stryker Mobile Gun System to meet Canadian requirements. Studies are anticipated in a number of technical areas including communications, navigation and logistics support.  
 
In April 2004, the Canadian Government announced that they would be entering into negotiations with General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada for the acquisition of 66 Mobile Gun Systems. These vehicles will provide direct-fire support and are a key element of the Canadian Army Transformation. The performance of these engineering studies will be an important part of the negotiation process.  
 
The Mobile Gun System is a variant of the Stryker family of infantry combat vehicles that are currently being manufactured for use by the U.S. Army Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. On Thursday, October 14, 2004, the U.S. Army authorized low-rate initial production of the Stryker Mobile Gun System. All ten Stryker variants are now in full-rate or low-rate initial production.  
 
General Dynamics Land Systems - Canada, located in London, Ontario, Canada is a business unit of General Dynamics Land Systems of Sterling Heights, Michigan. For more than 25 years, approximately 1,500 highly skilled technical personnel at the company have designed, manufactured and delivered a unique family of light armoured vehicles (LAV).  
 
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 71,600 people worldwide and anticipates 2004 revenue in excess of $19 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

As Germany’s Role Changes, So Does Military
 
 
(Source: Deutsche Welle; issued Oct. 31, 2004)
 
 
 A military spokesman confirmed Sunday that Germany’s Bundeswehr will shut down more than 105 military bases as part of an overall plan to trim down the country’s military forces.  
 
The announcement, which will be made official by German Defense Minister Peter Struck in Berlin on Tuesday, ends weeks of speculation on the fate of the bases.  
 
Military officials said last week that they planned closures in each one of Germany’s 16 states. The shut-downs come as the Bundeswehr embarks on a reform that will reduce the number of troops from 280,000 to 250,000 by 2010.  
 
The changes are supposed to reflect the transformation the Bundeswehr has undergone from a national guard to an army serving in peace missions around the world. There are more than 2,000 German troops currently serving in the NATO peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. An additional 5,000 troops are stationed in the Balkans.  
 
Struck, echoing a modern military philosophy shared in Washington, has repeatedly said he wants his military smaller, more specialized and able to deploy quickly.  
 
Germany’s larger role on the world stage, evident by its ambitions of winning a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, has meant more is expected of the country than the “checkbook diplomacy” former Chancellor Helmut Kohl exercised in the Persian Gulf War in 1991.  
 
Current military structures make the sort of long-term missions currently required of German troops by NATO and the European Union in Central Asia and the Balkans difficult. In addition, mobilizing troops takes too long, say critics, a major problem when rapid troop deployment in crisis regions is called for.  
 
In addition to the 35,000 soldiers cut from the army, the Bundeswehr plans to eliminate 10,000 civilian jobs.  
 
Talk of cuts has been a political hot potato in recent months, especially with the announcement by Washington last summer that it will withdraw a large portion of its 70,000 troop contingent stationed in Germany.  
 
Residents of the cities in which the bases were located had protested possible closures. As in the case of US and British military camps in Southern Germany, the Bundeswehr barracks and camps help support local economies.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Up-Armored Vehicle Effort Progressing Full Steam Ahead
 
 
(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Oct. 29, 2004)
 
 
 WASHINGTON --- The assembly lines are moving 24/7 to keep up with the demand for up-armored vehicles in Iraq and for conversion kits to add extra protection to vehicles already there.  
 
Gary Motsek, director of support operations for the U.S. Army Materiel Command, said the effort to provide increased vehicle protection against grenades, improvised explosive devices and small-arms fire is progressing fast and furiously as demand continues to increase.  
 
Nearly 5,100 up-armored Humvees have been delivered to Army and Marine Corps units in Iraq, with another 724 on ships bound for the theater, Motsek said.  
 
There, the up-armored Humvees are being issued to units based on their missions — regardless whether they’re Army or Marine Corps, or active or reserve component, Motsek emphasized. “These factors have no bearing whatsoever on who’s getting them,” he said. “It’s all based on the missions, and who has the greatest need for them,” he said.  
 
U.S. Central Command’s current requirement for up-armored Humvees, one that has continued to increase, is for 8,105 up-armored Humvees in Iraq.  
 
It’s a number Motsek said was once considered almost unthinkable. At the beginning of the Iraqi war, the Army had only about 500 up-armored Humvees, called “UAHs,” in its inventory. These were primarily used by military police units in their rear-protection role, he said.  
 
No longer. Because they’re easy to maneuver and just the right size for many of the missions being conducted in Iraq, Humvees have become “the platform of choice,” Motsek said.  
 
“If anyone would have told me a Humvee would be the platform of choice in a war, I would have told them they’re crazy,” he said.  
 
Motsek said AM General, the company that builds the up-armored Humvees, has gone into around-the-clock production to churn out the vehicles as quickly as possible, but still is able to produce only several hundred a month.  
 
“There’s a perception that all you need to do is cut some carbon steel and slap it on the side of a vehicle,” Motsek said. “That’s simply not the case.”  
 
In addition to increased armor protection, up-armored Humvees feature more rugged suspension systems able to handle the added weight and ballistic- resistant glass. They also include air conditioners that enable crews to operate with the windows up, even in stifling temperatures.  
 
Unwilling to leave deployed troops vulnerable while the production lines struggled to keep up with the demand, the Army came up with a second solution: add-on armor kits.  
 
Not confident that commercial contractors could respond to the need quickly enough, Motsek said the Army ultimately designed and designed its own add-on armor kits in record time.  
 
Engineers at the Army Research Laboratory in Adelphi, Md., went to the drawing board to design the kits “over a weekend,” he said. The Army field-tested them at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Md., to ensure they met strict ballistics protection standards.  
 
Even as the field tests were taking place, the Army started ordering the special steel and bullet-resistant glass needed to build the vehicles, he said.  
 
That calculation proved to be decisive in moving the effort forward with unprecedented speed. Within six weeks of putting pen to paper to come up with a design, Motsek said the Army had the first kits in hand, ready for shipment to Iraq.  
In contrast, the normal procurement process takes five to seven years.  
 
The Army also field tested prototype add-on armor kits from several contractors, Motsek said, ultimately settling on one produced by O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt.  
 
Today, Army employees at four depots, two arsenals and an ammunition plant are working three shifts a day, producing the Army-designed kits to keep up with demand. Motsek said they’ve produced 8,800 add-on-armor kits, 8,700 of which have already been installed in vehicles in Iraq. O’Gara-Hess & Eisenhardt has provided 289 more kits, he said.  
 
Yet despite the progress, Motsek said employees at production facilities keep their eye on the demand for more kits. The current requirement is for 13,872 kits.  
 
During a recent visit to Letterkenny Army Depot, Pa., one facility producing the kits, Motsek said he was particularly impressed with the motivation of the workers he saw. One worker, who operated a laser-cutting machine that cuts the steel used in the kits, hadn’t taken a single day off — not weekends, not holidays – since starting the job seven months earlier.  
 
“No sir, I have a mission to do” was the employee’s response, Motsek said.  
 
In addition to Letterkenny, other Army facilities producing the kits are Anniston Army Depot, Ala.; Red River Army Depot, Texas; Sierra Army Depot, Calif.; Watervliet Arsenal, N.Y.; Rock Island Arsenal, Ill.; and Crane Ammunition Activity, Ind.  
 
Fueling the motivation of workers at these facilities, Motsek said, are the testimonials they regularly receive from Iraq from troops who credit the kits with saving their lives. “That’s a real motivator, when you hear soldiers telling stories about how they were able to survive because of their up-armored equipment,” he said.  
 
While the military moves double-time to up-armor its Humvees, it’s also producing add-on armor kits for other vehicles in Iraq.  
 
Motsek said the Army began anticipating this requirement even before U.S. Central Command passed it down, and laying the groundwork for a quick response.  
 
So far, the Army has installed armor add-on kits on almost 400 Heavy Expanded Mobile Tactical Trucks, or HEMTTs, about 35 Palletized Load System tactical trucks and 450 vehicles from the Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, he said.  
 
In addition, Motsek said the Army is in the process of buying the new Armored Support Vehicle, which he describes as a “mini Stryker vehicle” that’s larger and has more armor protection than even the up-armored or enhanced Humvees.  
 
The Army currently has 70 Armored Support Vehicles, all en route to Iraq, where they will support convoy movement, he said.  
 
“For us, the bottom line is getting this equipment to the theater as quickly as possible,” Motsek summarized. “When you’re putting people in harm’s way, you want to ensure that they have everything they need to protect them as they carry out their missions.”  
 
-ends-  
 
 
 
 Ceradyne, Inc. Receives $75.7 Million Ceramic Body Armor Contract
 
 
(Source: Ceradyne Inc.; issued Nov. 1, 2004)
 
 
 COSTA MESA, Calif. --- Ceradyne, Inc. announced the receipt of a $75.7 million delivery order for its lightweight ceramic body armor. This order is the second delivery order issued under the Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) $461 million maximum value contract, which the Company announced on August 20, 2004. The first delivery order was for over $28 million.  
 
These two delivery orders result in at least $100 million in body armor under this contract, scheduled for Ceradyne shipment in the first three quarters of 2005. The contract was awarded to Ceradyne by the U.S. Army Unique Missions Division, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.  
 
Joel Moskowitz, Ceradyne chief executive officer, commented: “We expect to continue to receive additional delivery orders against the base ID/IQ order in the future. However, this $75.7 million delivery order is the largest single order the Company has ever booked. The August 2004 acquisition of our supplier, ESK, of the raw material, boron carbide, coupled with additional armor capacity coming on stream in our new Lexington, Kentucky plant and Irvine, California facility are anticipated to allow Ceradyne to meet these as well as other projected requirements.”  
 
Moskowitz also noted: “Under an ID/IQ government type contract, the government is obligated to purchase only certain minimum quantities. Each delivery order, such as the initial Ceradyne $28 million order, and this $75.7 million order, is issued as a release against a maximum amount, which for this contract is $461 million total. Therefore, our projections of follow-on business under this contract anticipate receipt of additional releases, or delivery orders.”  
 
Moskowitz further added: “Ceradyne is proud to have been awarded this contract and is confident that the Ceradyne armor systems that will be fielded in large quantities will save American lives.”  
 
Ceradyne develops, manufactures and markets advanced technical ceramic products and components for defense, industrial, automotive/diesel and commercial applications. (ends)  
 
 
 
 Armor Holdings. Receives $30 Million Order to Provide Additional Heavy Truck Armor Kits to U.S. Army
 
 
(Source: Armor Holdings Inc.; issued Nov. 1, 2004)
 
 
 JACKSONVILLE, Fla. --- Armor Holdings, Inc. announced that it has received a contract modification from the U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command to supply additional crew protection kits for the U.S. Army’s heavy truck fleet.  
 
The modification adds approximately $30 million to 2005 production levels. Armor Holdings’ Aerospace and Defense Group will supply the additional supplemental armor systems and product support for the Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET), the Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT), and the M915 series of trucks through its Phoenix, Arizona based Simula, Inc.  
 
Robert Schiller, President and Chief Operating Officer of Armor Holdings, Inc., said, “We are working hard to meet the earliest possible deliveries with the highest quality for our U.S. military and coalition forces. The U.S. Army Tank-automotive and Armaments Command has assisted us greatly with this ramp up of add-on armor for heavy truck production. We believe that this contract modification, and the now over $700 million in vehicle armoring awards under contract for production in 2004, 2005 and 2006, are evidence that our customers are confident that we can continue to meet the force protection needs of our forces overseas.”  
 
Armor Holdings, Inc. is a diversified manufacturer of branded products for the military, law enforcement, and personnel safety markets. (ends)  
 
 
 
 Armor Holdings, Inc. Receives $26.6 Million Order for Military Body Armor
 
 
(Source: Armor Holdings Inc.; issued Nov. 1, 2004)
 
 
 JACKSONVILLE, Fla.-- Armor Holdings, Inc. announced today that it has received a contract modification from the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command to supply additional quantities of Small Arms Protective Inserts (SAPI). The modification adds approximately $27 million of anticipated revenue and increases 2005 production backlog. Work under this contract will be performed by the Armor Holdings’ Aerospace and Defense Group through facilities in Phoenix, Arizona and Pittsfield, Massachusetts.  
 
Robert Schiller, President and Chief Operating Officer of Armor Holdings, Inc., said, “This order, the second under the Company’s $461 Million multi-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract announced earlier this year, significantly increases 2005 bookings and still leaves us with substantial capacity for other customers. This award requires monthly production rates significantly greater than that required under our initial order from the U.S. Army and recognizes our continual improvements and increasing capability to serve the force protection needs of U.S. and foreign militaries. “  
 
Armor Holdings, Inc. is a diversified manufacturer of branded products for the military, law enforcement, and personnel safety markets. (ends)  
 
 
 
 DHB Industries Announces $19 Million in New Orders
 
 
(Source: DHB Industries; issued Oct. 29, 2004)
 
 
 WESTBURY, N.Y. --- DHB Industries Inc., the market leader in the rapidly growing protective body armor industry, announced today that its Armor Group has recently received new purchase and delivery orders for a wide variety of its protective products in excess of $19 million from various branches of the United States Military, Federal Government and Domestic Law Enforcement Agencies. These new orders follow directly on the heels of $35+ Million in new orders announced by the Company on October 5, 2004.  
 
Sandra Hatfield, Chief Operating Officer of DHB Industries commented, “We continue to provide exceptional products and service that exceed the requirements and expectations of our customers. These purchase and delivery orders substantiate the confidence and demand for DHB Armor Group’s products and underscores our ability to provide unparalleled levels of service and support.”  
 
DHB Industries Inc.’s Armor Group is the market leader in the rapidly growing protective body armor industry. Its highly recognized subsidiaries, Point Blank Body Armor, Inc. and Protective Apparel Corporation of America (PACA) are focused on the design, manufacture, and distribution of bullet resistant and protective body armor for military, law enforcement, and corrections in the U.S. and worldwide.  
 
-ends-

[JLRC]

Soldiers Glimpse Future Capabilities
 
 
(Source: US Department of Defense; issued Nov. 3, 2004)
 
 
 WASHINGTON --- Soldiers of the future will head into battle with lighter loads, enhanced body protection, better chow, and more portable electrical power.  
 
Technologies like nanotechnology and photovoltaics – evolving methods that are responsible for much of the improvements – were part of a recent forum on “Equipping the Soldier for the 21st Century” at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting.  
 
Nanotechnology involves the manipulation of atoms and molecules to create materials or items at the nanometer scale, which is about 50,000 times smaller than the diameter of a strand of human hair. It’s being used to develop lighter, stronger and more flexible body armor, helmets, uniforms, eye protection, and food packaging, among other possibilities.  
 
Using nanotechnology, scientists and engineers envision the Soldier of the future in a battle uniform that can stop or slow bullets and other projectiles, repel water, monitor health and automatically deliver medicines to treat injuries.  
 
Such technology will improve a Soldier’s chance of surviving serious injuries from blasts and firefights, said Lt. Col. Charlie Dean, the Army’s liaison at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies opened earlier this year.  
 
Photovoltaics, or PVs, use solar cells to convert light into electricity, with no noise, no moving parts and without producing pollution, scientists said. PVs can be integrated into existing materials like fabric, shelters, and vehicles.  
 
Lightweight and portable PV panels can be laid out on a table, or spread out on top of a shelter, to generate power that can be used for a variety of things, like recharging batteries. With a small PV panel that rolls up and fits in a pocket, Soldiers can recharge two double-A batteries in about two hours. Larger PV panels can also provide emergency power to field hospitals.  
 
The forum also included a demonstration of the new combat uniform, with Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth Preston fielding questions about it. The uniform, designed with input from Soldiers, has been field tested by Stryker Brigade Soldiers in Iraq.  
 
Wrinkle-free with a digitized camouflage pattern of greens and light browns, the uniform features angled breast pockets, a collar that folds up to prevent chaffing from body armor, Velcro and zippers instead of buttons and pockets on the upper sleeves and toward the bottom of the legs. A pleat in the back shoulders makes the shirt more expandable for larger-chested Soldiers.  
 
Soldiers will also wear moisture-wicking T-shirts and undergarments, and lightweight jungle-style brown boots.  
 
The uniform will help Soldiers blend into a variety of environments and especially so in urban areas and at night, Preston said. It will be phased in much like the physical training uniform was, he added. Soldiers deploying next year for OIF 3 and OEF 6 will get the uniforms, which will replace the desert camouflage uniforms and both the summer and winter versions of the battle dress uniforms.  
 
Basic training Soldiers should start getting them issued in May 2006, with all Soldiers in them by May of 2008. They’ll cost a little more than BDUs, but clothing allowances will be adjusted to compensate, Preston said. Soldiers will also save money because the uniforms cannot be professionally laundered or dry-cleaned; they also won’t pay for patches to be sewn on since Velcro will be used.  
 
Preston said sleeves stay down in theater and the Army is getting away from rolling sleeves up in general.  
 
One concern expressed about the uniform was the noise Velcro makes when a Soldier opens a pocket. Preston said the leg pockets have drawstrings that can be used instead.  
 
Most Soldiers were enthusiastic about the uniform and future technologies. Sgt. Samuel Cowell, a signal intelligence analyst from Korea, appreciated the chance to see the uniform up close. “This dispels a lot of rumors about it,” Cowell said. “People saying there aren’t any real improvements, that the Velcro won’t work right. But with all the testing it’s been through, and showing us, I think it’s going to be fine.”  
 
-ends-