Romania opens the chequebook and reorganises as it watches Russian aggression
Romania is retiring old systems, some Soviet, and replacing them with western equipment from countries such as Sweden and Turkey and boosting existing modern fleets.
BAE Systems is offering thermal imaging technology to the British Army as part of its Team Challenger 2 bid to upgrade the army’s main battle tank, the company announced on 5 September.
The electro-optic technology, developed by Leonardo, would provide independent night vision for both the gunner and the commander, enabling the identification of potential threats in hostile situations and shortening reaction times.
Leonardo’s infrared camera senses heat emitted by all objects with temperatures greater than absolute zero (-273°C). The hundreds-of-thousands of individual pixels in the camera can detect temperature differences as small as one-fiftieth of a centigrade, allowing for better image quality.
Mike Gilbert, SVP optronics systems UK at Leonardo, said: ‘Our thermal cameras – designed and built in the UK – can see in total darkness as far as the horizon and the applications for this technology are endless – from helping improve our understanding of the natural world to improving the operational capabilities of the British Army’s Challenger 2 main battle tank.
‘Our infra-red technology plays a crucial role in supporting British troops in the most challenging environments and we’re pleased to be working alongside BAE Systems to offer this technology for Challenger 2, helping extend its life to 2035 and beyond.’
Romania is retiring old systems, some Soviet, and replacing them with western equipment from countries such as Sweden and Turkey and boosting existing modern fleets.
Exercise Dynamic Front 25 is part of a series of NATO exercises that will run until 26 November.
Milrem has delivered or is building a total of 200 Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System UGVs and has chosen Texelis as partner in its effort to develop a UGV.
The most recent nation to join NATO has joined other member nations in using the M3 system.
Slovakia is undergoing a radical refresh of its equipment, like many central and eastern European countries, and the arrival of new vehicles will form a substantial part of this.
In conversation... Patria’s Lauri Pauniaho talks to Shephard's Gerrard Cowan about how high mobility levels are essential for mortar systems in the face of modern counter-battery fire, and how a new platform-agnostic module can combine existing vehicles and mortar barrels into a cost-effective new weapon system.