Companies Submit Final Proposals for Denmark Armored Vehicles
One of Europe’s most important armored vehicle export contests moved closer to resolution today when four manufacturers delivered best and final offers covering five different platforms to the Danish Ministry of Defence.
Denmark is looking for a fleet of wheeled or tracked vehicles to replace aging M113 armored personnel carriers.
Numbers are uncertain at this stage. Denmark included options for 206, 360 and 450 machines built in six configurations in their requirements.
Industry executives reckon the current focus appears to be leaning toward an initial buy of 206 machines.
The competition pits tracked contenders BAE Systems Hagglunds with its CV90 Armadillo, Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) with the PMMC G5, and General Dynamics European Land Systems ASCOD against 8x8 wheeled rivals Nexter with the Vehicule Blindé Combat d’Infanterie (VBCI) and General Dynamics with the Piranha V.
BAE, FFG and Nexter confirmed they have submitted a final offer. General Dynamics declined to comment.
Companies submitted original bids in 2012 with the current contenders shortlisted in February 2013.
One industry executive said the competition is important in its own right because it’s a buyer’s market for armored vehicles in Europe right now, but winning the deal could also have wider significance.
“The contract could be a potential gateway into a market for the large number of M113s coming up for replacement; a good chunk of those will involve high-end users like the Danes,” said the executive, who asked not to be named.
The Danish decision probably won’t answer the perennial tracks-versus-wheels argument, but it might provide a pointer or two as to which way the debate is moving, particularly as the selected vehicle will likely have to operate in extremes of climate from the Arctic to the desert.
One French source said there was informal feedback that the wheeled vehicles outperformed the tracked during a 17-week trial of all the vehicles last year.
That view needs to be balanced by pictures that appeared on the web last year of a French Army VBCI stuck in sand during operations in Mali.
Other executives said there was no indication from the Danes about which vehicles performed well and which performed poorly.
All three tracked contenders used rubber band tracks during the trials rather than conventional steel. Although the rubber tracks were not mandated they are an option in the Danish requirement.
The Danes have experience with the new track material during operations in Afghanistan.
Rubber tracks make life easier for the occupants of the vehicle and the vehicles themselves by reducing vibration as well as other performance benefits.
The Danes have previously said they wouldn’t split the buy between tracks and wheels, and industry executives spoken to by Defense News said there was no indication that policy was about to change.
Denmark’s Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) had hoped to have the contractor selected by now, but plans to make a decision earlier this year were blown off course, in part due to drawn out discussions between the Danes and the European Union over what the offset package for the vehicle could look like under tightened regulations.
A spokesman for DALO said new guidelines for defense sector offsets had come into force in July.
If the procurement process stays on target, the winning supplier could be named and under contract by the end of May 2015.
The spokesman said the armored vehicle has “ a current in service date of around 2018.”
Denmark faces a general election before mid-September next year, possibly in the spring, but with the armored vehicle program having broad support across the political parties as part of the nation’s 2013-2017 defense agreement, the advent of a new government is not expected to impact the program significantly.
Signed contracts have been returned to DALO by the rival bidders as part of their best and final offers so it appears there will be little need for drawn out contract negotiations once the winner is selected.
The armored vehicle competition is one of two best and final offers Nexter has on the table.
In October, Nexter submitted its truck-mounted 155mm/52-caliber Caesar cannon in a best and final offer for Denmark’s artillery tender, the source said. The French gun is up against the Samsung K9 Thunder and Elbit Atmos.
The Danish Army request for 15 guns and options for six more units may seem small but Denmark is highly active in the field, and winning the artillery order is seen as a significant international reference.
From
Companies Submit Final Proposals for Denmark Armored Vehicles | Defense News | defensenews.com
Pictures and specs of the competitors:
Pirhana V
Weight 30 t
Length 8 m
Width 2.99 m
Height 2.34 m
Crew 3 (+ 8 passengers)
Main
armament
1 ×
ATK 30mm
chain gun
Secondary
armament
1 ×
M151 Protector
1 ×
LEDS-150 hard kill
Engine MTU 6V199 TE21
430 kW
Power/weight 15 kW/t
Suspension Hydropneumatic
Operational
range
550 km
Speed 100 km/h
VBCI
Weight VCI: 25.6 t (normal combat load).
VPC: 23.3 t (normal combat load).
Length 7.6 m
Width 2.98 m
Height 3 m
Crew 3 + 9-man combat team
Armour 14.5 mm API
[2]
Main
armament
M811 25 mm x 137 mm NATO cannon
Secondary
armament
co-axial 7.62 mm NATO machine gun
Engine Renault Diesel
550 hp (410 kW)
Suspension Wheel
Operational
range
750 km (470 mi)
Speed 100 km/h (62 mph)
ASCOD
Weight 28
tonnes (30.9
short tons)
Length 6.83 m (22 ft)
Width 3.64 m (12 ft)
Height 2.43 m (8 ft)
Crew 3 + 8 passengers
Main
armament
30 mm Mauser MK 30-2
Secondary
armament
MG3 7.62 mm (Pizarro)
MG74
7.62 mm (Ulan)
Engine Diesel
600 hp (Pizarro)
720 hp (Ulan)
Suspension torsion bar
Speed Road: 72 km/h
PMMC G5
Weight (kg)
25000
Payload (kg)
6500
Engine power output (h.p.)
560
Max. road speed (km/h)
72
Max. road range (km)
600
CV 90
Specifications
Weight 23–35 tonnes (Mk0 to MkIII)
Length 6.55 m
Width 3.1 m
Height 2.7 m
Crew 3 (commander, gunner, driver)
8 troopers
Main
armament
40mm Bofors Autocannon,
30mm Bushmaster Cannon (MkI & MkII export model) or
35mm/50 Bushmaster Cannon (MkIII export model)
Secondary
armament
7.62 mm
Browning machine gun
6× 76 mm grenade launchers
Engine Scania DSI 14 litres or DSI 16, V8 Diesel
550–810 hp (410–595 kW) 2,300 Nm
Power/weight 24.1 hp/tonne
Transmission Automatic
Suspension torsion bar
Operational
range
320 km
Speed 70 km/h
Norway has also selected the CV90
CV90 multicarrier vehicle to Norwegian Army
BAE Systems Haggulands has delivered the third CV90 armoured combat vehicle to the Norwegian Army. Known as the MultiC in the Norwegian service, the multicarrier vehicle was delivered as part of contract signed by the company in June 2012. Valued at £500m, it involves an upgrade to the army's existing 103-vehicle CV9030 fleet and the manufacture 41 new vehicles, giving the army a total of 144 CV90s in five different configurations to undertake different functions, including mortar carrier and logistics roles.The vehicles include 74 infantry fighting variants, 21 reconnaissance, 15 command and 16 engineering, as well as 16 multirole and two driver training vehicles.
Norwegian Army CV90 project leader colonel Ragnar Wennevik said: "Norway will have the next generation CV90 and the world's most advanced IFV (infantry fighting vehicle), [which is] a low risk, proven solution.
"We are proud that our army takes onboard the five different configurations of CV90 from 2015 onwards, on time and on budget."
BAE collaborated with the Norwegian Army and industry, including Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace and Ritek, to execute work under the contract.
The first and second variant, namely the infantry fighting variant and engineering vehicle (STING), were delivered to the army at the company's facilities in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, in February and September, respectively.
According to BAE, the new vehicle fleet will feature significantly enhanced protection, survivability, situational awareness, intelligence and interoperability, based on experiences drawn from the Norwegian Army's combat operations in Afghanistan.
The vehicles are expected to enhance the operational capabilities of Norway's armoured and telemark battalions.
In addition to Norway, the CV90 vehicles have also been selected by other Nordic nations, including Sweden, Denmark and Finland, as well as Switzerland and the Netherlands.
From
Full story - Norwaynews.com
*And as I believe should be customary, I'll provide a few pictures (of the CV9040) too. Also, the CV90 comes in different variants. There's the CV9040, the CV90120, the CV90 Armadillo, the CV90 Sting and the CV90 AMOS.