Italy set to begin evaluation of KF41 IFV
The KF41 is entering service in Hungary and a version of it is in the running to meet the US XM30 requirement. An order from Italy could be for as many as 1,050 vehicles.
Estonian construction company Mapri Ehitus has been awarded a €4 million (US$4.2 million) contract by the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) for the design and building of a new radar post.
The work is being funded by the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Facility and the new system will have a detection range extending beyond Estonia’s borders in every direction. Construction is expected to take 17 months.
In June 2023, as part of the Medium Range Radar 2023 project (MRR 2023), the ECDI contracted Thales to supply two Ground Master 400 Alpha (GM400α) radars. They have been designed to complement airspace protection offered by the previous generation’s GM400 delivered with the MRR2010 project.
The GM400α is a 3D radar with full digital architecture which tracks air threats at a range of up to 515km and has a low altitude detection capability which includes slow moving UAVs.
Major Tõnis Pärn, commander of the air surveillance wing of Estonian Defence Forces, said: “The new post is a significant development and it helps to ensure flight safety and supports maritime rescue operations.
“Given its location and radar range, it greatly enhances our situational awareness.”
The KF41 is entering service in Hungary and a version of it is in the running to meet the US XM30 requirement. An order from Italy could be for as many as 1,050 vehicles.
The approval is for the upgrade of 555 of Egypt’s M1A1 Abrams tanks into M1A1SA configuration.
The system beams radio waves to disrupt or damage the critical electronic components of enemy vehicles causing them to stop in their tracks or fall out of the sky. It has been described as costing only £0.10 (US$0.12) per shot.
The first Kaplan Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) is due to be completed by FNSS in Turkey next year, with the second rolled out in Indonesia by Pindad, and qualification trials undertaken in both countries by 2026.
Reductions approved by the US Congress impact the US Army's and US Marine Corps' (USMCs') acquisition programmes.
Vehicles in the Mine Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) class have done the job so far this century in protecting crews but this has meant additional weight and reduced mobility. One recent upgrade approach is looking to redress that balance.