International Army News Thread

[Ananda]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1731318994030752154

Iran finally fields new main battle tank

After an extensive decade-long development phase, the Iranian Army Ground Forces have successfully integrated their latest main battle tank into their ground vehicle fleet. The new T-72F tank is a testament to Iran’s indigenous defense capabilities, representing an enhanced iteration of the...

defence-blog.com

Iran Indegenous MBT seems become operational. Having frames that derive from T-72 design, but with Indegenous turret design.

 

[swerve]

.... Poland however dont have a big enough economy to sustain the development of a new MBT... their GDP is only the 6th of the EU and just 1/8 of the german one. ...

6th nominal (after Netherlands), but 5th at purchasing power parity (after Spain).

 

[SolarisKenzo]

Very important news from Europe.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/italys-leonardo-franco-german-knds-create-tank-alliance-2023-12-13/

Leonardo, KNDS forge European industry alliance for next-gen tanks

The team-up will kickstart Italy’s involvement in the Main Ground Combat System and secure the country a spot at the table for Leopard 2 A8 upgrades.

www.defensenews.com

Official press release:

Detail | KNDS Group

KNDS and the media. Find out more about the latest news of KNDS.

www.knds.com

 

[swerve]

Also mentions the Dardo, suggesting it's out of date. It's newer than the CV90. If out of date, it's only because of lack of modernisation.

 

[SolarisKenzo]

Also mentions the Dardo, suggesting it's out of date. It's newer than the CV90. If out of date, it's only because of lack of modernisation.

Dardo is a very obsolete vehicle, designed and produced when it was already old.
It has several flaws and the Army never really wanted to modernize it (but ended up using it till today because of lack of funds).
Its successor, the AICS, will begin production in the coming years...

 

[kato]

To be fair the CV90 was also fairly obsolete (with regard to then-current requirements) when it was developed. Difference is of course that those shortcomings were to a large extent rectified in subsequent versions.

Mentioning the Dardo replacement is rather interesting though. After all Leonardo had originally aligned with Iveco for AICS, with Rheinmetall Italia pushing for Lynx for a while instead in their usual manner. So, basically KNDS cutting in against Rheinmetall on this new front now.

 

[koxinga]

Yet another T-72 upgrade, this time from India.

The problems with marketing T-72 upgrades are well known; operators of T-72s tend to be price sensitive and are not exactly in the market for the best. Deep modernizations to deliver significant capability improvements are usually too expensive and never found large buyers. The Ukrainians/Czechs should know. They have been pitching various T-72 upgrade packages for decades.

A new T-90 turret would likely cost significantly more than a used T-72 chasiss so it is an odd starting point, nevermind the reliability of such used chassis.

India Creates Strange Hybrid of T-72 and T-90 With Reduced Mobility | Defense Express

An interesting attempt to revitalize old Soviet tanks

en.defence-ua.com

India’s Hybrid Tank: Atharva Unveiled – Merging T-72 Power with T-90 Prowess – Indian Defence Research Wing

idrw.org

 

[Ananda]

Couple photos from Army Recognition FB sites on Saudi's defense industry products in Riyadh Defense.



Interesting design for Saudi's SAMI on 155mm Truck Mounted Self Propelled gun.

 

[Ananda]

While China, Russia also participate alongside with Western Industry in Riyadh. After all this is big defense market, and they open almost every one to enter.


Norinco Point Defense.


Rosoboron 4x4


UK Ajax makes debut in Riyadh.

 

[Ananda]

North Korea media circulating Kim's new MBT, and circulating in some Korean and defense enthusiasts sites. The pictures shown him try to maneuver one of them in driving seat. I wonder if he really drive that MBT or sit on top real driver.

Not much talk tough on specifications of new MBT. However not surprising if some Russianor Chinese parts being used of licensing by North Korean.

M-2020 이라 불리는 북한 신형전차 훈련모습 공개

3세대급 북한 신형 M-2020전차 훈련장면 공개및 김정은 직접 조종하며 전쟁준비 과시조선중앙통신은 김정은 북한 국무위원장이 지난......

bemil.chosun.com

Add article on this Tanks from Bemil Chosun, which being call temporary as M2020. Not much info added but more pictures on the exercise.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

View attachment 51218View attachment 51219

North Korea media circulating Kim's new MBT, and circulating in some Korean and defense enthusiasts sites. The pictures shown him try to maneuver one of them in driving seat. I wonder if he really drive that MBT or sit on top real driver.

Not much talk tough on specifications of new MBT. However not surprising if some Russianor Chinese parts being used of licensing by North Korean.

M-2020 이라 불리는 북한 신형전차 훈련모습 공개

3세대급 북한 신형 M-2020전차 훈련장면 공개및 김정은 직접 조종하며 전쟁준비 과시조선중앙통신은 김정은 북한 국무위원장이 지난......

bemil.chosun.com

Add article on this Tanks from Bemil Chosun, which being call temporary as M2020. Not much info added but more pictures on the exercise.

This high-tech top-notch state-of-the-art MBT is not only driven by the Great Leader himself, but is also of course designed by him and constructed under his direct personal supervision. Because of it's superior characteristics compared to the Abrams M1A3, Challenger III, K2A1 Black Panther, Leopard 2A18 and T-14M Armata II, it will flood soon the export market.

 

[Sandhi Yudha]

Maybe a weird question, but what do they mean with "fly-to-buy" missiles?
Missiles a potential customer can test before they make a decision or something? Or missiles the manufacturer use to demonstrate the capabilities?

Morocco – Javelin Missiles | Defense Security Cooperation Agency

www.dsca.mil