Here is another assortment of recent news articles on armored vehices. Click on the headline to go to the complete piece. It’s been a while since we did one of these, so this one is a bit longer than usual.
Jane’s 360 – USMC’s AAV7, ACV programmes trade capacity, terrain capability for survivability
The US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) two-pronged amphibious vehicle modernisation effort will include some significant survivability upgrades to its legacy AAV7 amphibious assault vehicles, and be complemented with a new personnel carrier with mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP)-levels of protection.
Jane’s 360 – Over half of Bundeswehr’s Leopard 2 MBTs are not operationally ready
German media reported on 16 November that only 95 of the 244 Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) in service with the Bundeswehr are operationally ready. A further 53 vehicles – thought to be Leopard 2A6Ms – are being converted to the new Leopard 2A6M+ standard, and 86 are in a state of disrepair without any spare parts. The German report states that “the unavailability of the required replacement parts would be detrimental”.
Jane’s 360 – Ukraine to purchase more BTR-3DA IFVs
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has placed an order with the Kiev Armoured Plant for BTR-3DA vehicles, Ukraine-based industry sources reported on 30 October. The order is for an unknown quantity of BTR-3DA infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), a locally developed upgrade for the BTR family of armoured fighting vehicles. The order follows a series of delays because of MoD concerns that the vehicle was not suitably priced.
Jane’s 360 – Challenger 2 trialled with ROSY, Iron Fist APS
Rheinmetall’s ROSY rapid obscurant system has been demonstrated on a British Army Challenger 2 main battle tank (MBT), Jane’s has learned, with components of Israeli Military Industries’ (IMI) Iron Fist hard-kill active protection system (APS) also understood to have been integrated.
Defense News – Industry expresses ‘fears’ over India’s future combat vehicle program
NEW DELHI — India has launched a $4.8 billion program for the domestic production of 1,770 multipurpose future ready combat vehicles by private companies partnered with overseas original equipment manufacturers, but some leaders in the local industry are hesitant about what they consider an overly ambitious program that lacks clarity.
The Telegraph – Government has spent £381m upgrading army’s ageing armoured vehicles even though half could be scrapped
The Ministry of Defence has spent £381 million upgrading the army’s ageing infantry fighting vehicles even though half of them could now be scrapped to cut costs. Lockheed Martin was hired six years ago to overhaul and fit new gun turrets to Britain’s ageing fleet of Warriors, which have served in the Gulf, Bosnia and Iraq. But Ministry of Defence documents forecast the Warrior upgrade is a year behind schedule, with the programme incurring extra costs as a result of delays.
Bangkok Post – Five Ukraine tanks on way to Thailand
A new batch of five more tanks from Ukraine will be delivered late this month as the Royal Thai Army has so far received 31 of the Ukraine-made T84 Oplot tanks, according to an army source. Ukraine was contracted to supply a battalion of 49 T84 Oplot tanks worth 7.2 billion baht in 2011 but was slow to press ahead with production and delivery due to security problems in the country.
BBC News – Commander says tanks as ‘relevant’ now as 100 years ago
The regiment, based at Tidworth in Wiltshire, has commemorated the anniversary of the Cambrai battle. Formed out of the Tank Corps, the tanks broke the stalemate of trench warfare in World War One. Lt Col Simon Ridgway said the soldiers “changed the course of the war” with their courage.
Reuters – Turkey received bids in tender for 500 battle tanks last week: minister
Turkey received bids last Friday for the production of 500 Altay battle tanks, of which 250 are optional, Defence Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Wednesday. Speaking to parliament’s budget commission, Canikli said the tender would be finalised in the coming days. The domestic Altay tank project is worth an estimated 7 billion euros ($8.24 billion).
Newsweek – Russia says it has more tanks than any other nation in the world
Russia has boosted its arsenal of tanks and armored vehicles by more than 25,000 over the last half a decade, one of its deputy defense ministers boasted on Wednesday. Russia’s Deputy Minister of Defense and Army General Dmitry Bulgakov told army newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda: “Over the five years between 2012 and 2017, the army has received more than 25,000 units of new armored tank and automobile kit, as well as 4,000 modern items of rocket and artillery weaponry.”
The Sentinel – Tanks a lot: Welder helps build replica tank
A Staffordshire Moorlands welder has helped TV presenter Guy Martin build a replica of a WW1 tank for the Armistice Day commemorations in France which marked 100 years since tanks were first used in battle. Welder Chris Shenton, from Leek, has been part of excavator giant JCB’s team to help TV personality Guy Martin to engineer a tribute to the role tanks played in helping change the course of the First World War.
Tank and AFV News 
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