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
-
![Land forces review: Tanks, trucks and IFVs dominate but woes remain for Ajax]()
Land forces review: Tanks, trucks and IFVs dominate but woes remain for Ajax
This year has begun with main battle tanks taking the lead while orders for large logistics and support vehicles continued from last year. Additionally, two of the British Army’s most significant contracted vehicle programmes, Ajax reconnaissance vehicle and Challenger 3 tank, continued to make news in January.
-
![Canada looking to expedite purchase of armoured fighting vehicle and a new tank]()
Canada looking to expedite purchase of armoured fighting vehicle and a new tank
Canada is improving its Leopard main battle tank fleet but before this is fully completed, it is expected to begin looking for new vehicles.
-
![Layered protection: How air defence is adapting to rising drone and missile threats (podcast)]()
Layered protection: How air defence is adapting to rising drone and missile threats (podcast)
A surge in aerial threats – from advanced missiles to low-cost drones – is reshaping the way militaries approach air defence, driving demand for flexible, multi-layered solutions.
-
![UK agrees parallel development and production process for British Army Challenger 3]()
UK agrees parallel development and production process for British Army Challenger 3
In a bid to accelerate delivery of the British Army’s Challenger 3 main battle tank, which has just carried out its first crewed firings with the latest Rheinmetall 120mm L55A1 smoothbore gun, the UK has opted for an unconventional approach.
-
![Romania intensifies search for more tanks and could look beyond Abrams]()
Romania intensifies search for more tanks and could look beyond Abrams
Since signing a contract to purchase 54 M1A2 Abrams tanks last year, Romania has been looking into options to buy more tanks, but it could cast the net wider than Abrams with funding considerations potentially set to shape the outcome.
