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As usual, we published a lot of news on our three websites, mererecognition.com, navirecognition.com
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and airrecognition.com. Here is a selection of what we propose you for this week
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The topics selected from the news we published on armyrecognition.com last week are these
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The German Leopard 2 could be an option to replace British Army's Challenger 2s
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The Australian Army has conducted various tests with its Boxer 8x8 combat vehicle during
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amphibious operations. Morocco has confirmed its plan to buy Arcus VAB Mark III armoured personnel carriers
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And the US Special Operations Command has ordered Barrett Mark 22 sniper rifles
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The British Army is examining a number of options to modernize fleets of Challenger
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2 main battle tanks. The options are the acquisition of new Leopard 2A7s or the modernization of the Challenger
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2s currently in service. In October 2018, BAE Systems unveiled its proposed Challenger 2 LEP for Life Extension Program
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Technology Demonstrator The Black Knight. The new improvements include a Saffron Paseo Commander's Independent Sight, Leonardo's
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Thermal Imager for the gunner and Leonardo's Night Sight DNVS4. The Black Knight turret has been modified to improve the speed of traverse and provide
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greater space as well as regenerative braking to generate and store power
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Other enhancements include a laser warning system and active protection system. The Australian Army's new Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle, the CRV, has been
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put to test during the Amphibious Task Group's Exercise Sea Wader 2020
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The Boxer completed a series of beach training scenarios including driving over sand, vehicle
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recovery, embarking and disembarking from LCM-8 and Navy Light landing craft, and transiting
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to and from Royal Australian Navy Ship HMS Adelaide. Exercise Sea Wader 2020 enabled newly qualified Boxer crews from the 2nd XIV Light Horse Regiments
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to practice operating in a coastal environment. Morocco has confirmed its plan to acquire French-made surface-to-air defence systems
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Matra VL and Mika from MBDA, 155mm self-propelled howitzers César from Nexter, and 6x6 armoured
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vehicles VAB Mark III manufactured by the French company Arcus. The VAB Mark III is the latest development of wheeled armoured vehicles in the family
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of VAB, Véhicule de l'Avent Blindé, designed and manufactured by Arcus, formerly Renault
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Trucks Defence. The VAB Mark III was unveiled at Eurosatury 2012 in Paris
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The VAB Mark III is not a simple upgrade of the previous VAB
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It's a new vehicle design, fully adapted to new threats on the battlefield such as
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IEDs and mine blasts. Its new armour provides protection for the crew and the soldiers level 4 STANAG 4569
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against ballistic threats up to 14.5mm armour-piercing rounds. It provides also a mine IED protection like other MRAP vehicles
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The VAB Mark III can be fitted with a wide range of turrets or remote weapon stations
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up to a 30mm calibre cannon. It's motorised with a Renault Trucks engine of 220-400hp coupled to an automatic transmission
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with six forward and one reverse gears. The vehicle can reach 105kmph
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Barrett has announced it has received the first delivery order for the US SOCOM, the
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Special Operations Command, for its Mark 22 precision sniper rifle. The submission of its initial production multi-role, adaptive design Mark 22 rifles have met all
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requirements from the US Department of Defence contract for advanced sniper rifles in support
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of US SOCOM. In March 2019, the US Special Operations Command awarded Barrett a US$50m contract ordering
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the Barrett MRAD chambered in .338 Norma Magnum for the Advanced Sniper Rifle project as the
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Mark 22 ASR. The issued rifle kit includes swappable barrels and bolts chambered in .308 Winchester, .200
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Norma Magnum and .338 Norma Magnum. Since being awarded the contract in 2019, the Mark 22 has completed all aspects of the
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production, qualification, testing and operational testing phases. Deliveries will just begin in January 2021
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Which news published on NavyRecognition.com last week did you prefer? Well, Japan launches its second new Kumano multi-mission frigate
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The Odinsovo Project 22,800 Karakut-class corvette officially enters service with the Russian Navy
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The Saudi Navy officially launches its new Corvette Avanti 2200 Aldaria built by Navantia
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And the US Navy destroyer, USS John Flynn, destroyed an ICBM target with the Standard
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Missile 3 Block IIA. Japan has launched its new 30 FFM frigate Kumano for its Maritime Self-Defense Force
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This is the second ship of this class. The 30 FFM is a new generation of multi-mission frigate built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
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and Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding. The design is based on the stealth technology used for the research and development of the
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Mitsubishi X-2 Shinshin, then ATD-X stealth fighter technology demonstrator, as both platforms are designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
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Along with stealth capabilities, the frigate also emphasizes on having a high level of automation
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This allows the frigate to have a crew of only 90 personnel
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The ship will have a hangar with flight deck able to accommodate an SH-60L naval helicopter
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The 30 FFM Kodak propulsion – Kodak stands for Combined Diesel and Gas – includes a
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Rolls-Royce MP30 gas turbine and two MAN diesel engines, thanks to which the ship can reach
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a top speed of 30 plus knots. The new project 22,800 Karakut-class corvette Odintsovo was officially commissioned by the
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Russian Navy on the 24th of November. This is the first surface ship of the Russian Navy equipped with a Pantsir-M anti-aircraft
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missile and gun system. The Karakut-class corvette is designed by Almaz Design Bureau and manufactured by Pella Shipyard
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The ship features stealth technology and is based on a modular design, allowing the development
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of different type ships that can be configured to mission requirements. The Karakut-class corvette is armed with a 76.2 mm or 100 mm automatic dual-purpose
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naval gun, a Pantsir-M air defence system, eight vertical launching system cells for
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Kalibr or Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles and two 14.5 mm machine guns
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A total of 16 such corvettes has been ordered by the Russian Navy and two of them are already
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in service. The Royal Saudi Naval Force has officially launched its new corvette Avanti 2200 Christian
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HMS Aldaria, designed and built by the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia. On the 12th of July 2018, the Saudi government signed a contract with Navantia for the construction
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of five corvettes for an amount of 1.8 billion euro. The corvettes will be based on the Avanti 2200 design, with new features according to
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the requirements of the Saudi Navy. It's the biggest contract in the history of the public Spanish shipyards with a foreign customer
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The design of these corvettes maximises Navantia's incorporation of its own products like the
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combat system Catiz, the Amesys systems of integrated communication, the Donar aiming
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system, the integrated bridge Minerva, the engines and reduction gear boxes. On the 17th of November, the USS John Finn, an Arlebar-class destroyer, and Aegis ballistic
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missile defence system equipped ship intercepted and destroyed a threat representative intercontinental
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ballistic missile target with a standard missile 3 Block 2A during a test in the ocean area
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located northeast of Hawaii. The ICBM representative target was loaned from the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defence
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Test Site located on Kwajalein, Earth. The ICBM representative target was loaned from the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defence
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Test Site located on Kwajalein, Atoll, in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
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After receiving tracking data, the destroyer launched an SM-3 Block 2A guided missile which
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destroyed the target. Let's remind that the Aegis Ballistic Missile Weapon System is the naval component of the
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US Missile Defence System. The news we published on air-recognition.com drew your particular attention last week
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The Hungarian Air Force will get two Embraer KC-390 Millennium Multi-Role Air Tankers
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An NH-90, an FH naval helicopter was deployed from Belgian frigate Leopold I withstanding
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NATO Maritime Group 1. And Northrop Grumman delivered the fifth and last NATO RQ-4D Phoenix UAV
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On 17 November, the Hungarian Government and Embraer signed a contract for the acquisition
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of two new generation multi-mission transport aircraft Embraer C-390 Millennium in the air-to-air
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refuelling configuration, hence designated KC-390. Additionally, pilots and technicians training as well as other services and support are
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included in the contract as part of the process to strengthen the Hungarian Air Force capabilities
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especially on the tactical airlift, air refuelling and medical evacuation roles, as well as in
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other missions of public interest. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2023
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The KC-390 for the Hungarian Air Force will be the first in the world with the intensive
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care unit in its configuration, an essential feature to perform humanitarian missions
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Furthermore, the KC-390 probe and drogue refuelling system means the aircraft can refuel the Hungarian
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JS-39 Gripen, as well as other aircraft that use the same technology
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From 27 September to 11 November, the Belgian Navy participated with frigate F930 Leopold
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I in the standing NATO Maritime Group One, which is an integrated multinational naval
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immediate reaction force unit made up of warships and their associated helicopters from various
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allies under the direct command of NATO. The mission of this immediate reaction force is versatile, ranging from participation in
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multinational exercises, disaster assistance to the execution of operational missions in international conflicts
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During this S&M G1 period, an NH-90 NFH helicopter from the Coxide Air Base was on board of the
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Leopold I frigate, a very profitable asset for a wide range of missions
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Northrop Grumman successfully ferried the fifth NATO Alliance ground surveillance unmanned aircraft via a non-stop transatlantic flight
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The aircraft departed from Palmdale in California and landed nearly 20 hours later at
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Sigonella Air Base in Italy. The UAV is the last of five NATO RQ-4Ds, thus completing their reach to the main operating
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base of the NATO AGS system. Work remains to complete handover of the AGS system to the NATO AGS force
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The NATO AGS RQ-4D is based on the US Air Force Global Hope UAV