BAE, KMW Vie For Brazil Armored Vehicle Upgrade BAE Systems and European armored vehicle rival Krauss-Maffei Wegmann are vying to upgrade the Brazilian Army’s M113 armored vehicle fleet. Both companies brought upgraded vehicles to the Latin American Aerospace and Defense show here this week as the two sides stepped up the fight to upgrade about 150 vehicles with new engines, upgraded transmission, new electronic architecture, better armor protection and other improvements. BAE executives here said the U.S. government is in talks with their Brazilian counterparts to upgrade the vehicles to the current U.S. A2 Mk1 standard in a foreign military sales deal. BAE said it would partner with the Brazilian Army’s own depot operation to undertake the upgrade if the deal is agreed. For its part, KMW said it was partnering with German M113 upgrade expert Flensburger Fahrzeugbau Gesellschaft (FFG) to try to secure the Brazilian work. A company spokesman said the vehicle developments would be suited to the Brazilian market but would have the “DNA of vehicles” in the KMW range. The new company would act as the continental hub for KMW’s efforts in the region, the spokesman said. KMW is nearing completion of a deal to supply 270 surplus Leopard 1 main battle tanks to the Brazilian Army.The final vehicles will be delivered by the end of this year and the German vehicle builder hopes to secure a long-term support agreement for the tanks. The partnership with FFG could lead to other co-operation projects in the Brazilian market, KMW said. Armored vehicle upgrades for the
Brazilian market are potentially big business. Erik Hjelm , BAE’s Americas vice president, said the company was looking at upgrading 26 AAV7’s and doubling the existing fleet with another 26 vehicles from the U.S., and upgrading them all to the latest military standard operated by the U.S. Company executives also said they are exploring opportunities for the Swedish developed BVS10 tracked all-terrain vehicle in Brazil and Chile and offering mine- resistant vehicles supplied by its South African arm for duties at the upcoming World Cup and Olympic Games in Brazil.
L-3 Awarded Contract for C-17 Training System Program L-3 Communications announced that its Link Simulation & Training (L-3 Link) unit has been awarded a contract to operate the U.S. Air Force’s C-17 Training System (TS) program. In addition to an initial one-year award, the program includes four one-year options and an additional option for two more years of training support. The contract has a maximum potential value that is expected to be $976 million. L-3 Link will operate the Air Force’s C-17 TS program as the prime contractor, combining the former stand-alone C-17 Aircrew Training System (ATS) and Maintenance Training System (MTS) programs under a single contract. The C-17 TS is the Air Force’s largest airlift transport training system. L-3 Link will oversee the program management, training device modifications, courseware development, instruction and concurrency management between the training system and aircraft platform. A2Z METALWORKER
• 45 • May/June 2011