BAE Systems wins infra red artillery round development contract
BAE Systems has won two contracts worth £7.2 million for 105mm artillery illuminating shells from the UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD).
One is for 6000 105mm Luma illumination rounds to be delivered during 2011-2012. BAE Systems' Weapons business has supplied this round to the MoD since 2003.
The other is to develop an infra-red (IR) version of the Luma round where the target area is only illuminated to troops equipped with night vision goggles.
If tests being conducted later this year are successful, the latter contract will likely lead to the purchase of five-digit quantities of ammunition by the end of this year to meet current requirements in Afghanistan.
With a production order, Luma IR final assembly will be brought in-house to the Weapons facility in Karlskoga. The chemical part of the round will be subcontracted to Chemring Defence in the UK.
BAE Systems' UK Munitions business will supply the charge system (L35 Cart Normal) directly to UK MoD under the existing MASS munitions supply contract.
Munitions recently qualified an 81mm IR mortar bomb for use by UK forces under an Urgent Operational Requirement.
Source: BAE Systems
You may also like
More from Land Warfare
-
![Hanwha awarded $482 million in major step for South Korea’s missile defence programme]()
Hanwha awarded $482 million in major step for South Korea’s missile defence programme
The deal to produce and supply launchers and missiles to South Korea follows a contract placed with Hanwha Systems last month for the manufacture of multi-function radars.
-
![Strengthening Baltic defence capabilities]()
Strengthening Baltic defence capabilities
How Latvia is bolstering its territorial defences, industrial capacity and international cooperation with Dynamit Nobel Defence’s SKORPION2 Remote Mining System.
-
![Land forces review: British Army vehicle programme stalls and company results land]()
Land forces review: British Army vehicle programme stalls and company results land
In the first monthly review of land forces stories, the Shephard team looks back to evaluate the major news events that have impacted the sector. The UK’s Land Mobility Programme was notable but another setback occurred when a market industry day was scrapped.
-
![Sweden boosts air defence capabilities with Diehl Defence, Saab and MBDA orders]()
Sweden boosts air defence capabilities with Diehl Defence, Saab and MBDA orders
The orders continue the country’s growing investment in its air defence systems across land and sea, coming months after previous investments by the government into IRIS-T SLM equipment.
-
![Russian T-90MS MBT goes for maximum survivability]()
Russian T-90MS MBT goes for maximum survivability
The in-production T-90MS comes with five levels of protection to tackle a wide range of evolving threats on the battlefield.
