Nexter's eight-wheel drive VBCI infantry
fighting vehicle. (Nexter)
By: Pierre Tran
PARIS — A letter of intent from Qatar for exclusive
negotiations with Nexter has opened talks for various versions of the VBCI
armored vehicle and an exploration of onboard systems, weaponry and services,
according to three French defense executives.
The Gulf state has chosen the VBCI in a vehicle tender
and signed the letter for talks with Nexter, the French Armed Forces Ministry
said Dec. 9.
A lengthy Qatari competition led to a last round fought
between the French state-owned land systems company and Patria’s armored
modular vehicle, an executive said.
The three defense executives, one of whom works for a
defense company and the others as consultants, spoke to Defense News on
condition of anonymity.
Qatar has picked the VBCI chassis and will now seek to
decide which of the 490 units will be fitted for missions including infantry
fighting vehicle, troop carrier, reconnaissance, command post, mortar, and
ambulance, a second executive said. Weapons and ammunition will require large
budgets on top of the planned vehicle purchase.
Discussions on weapons will likely include a CTA
International 40mm and Kongsberg 30mm cannon. Nexter and BAE Systems are joint
venture partners on the former.
Other weapons to be pitched include remotely operated
7.62mm and 12.7mm machine guns, the second executive said. The MBDA MMP
anti-tank missile could compete with the Lockheed Martin Javelin.
Lockheed has a strong presence in Qatar, and the U.K.
unit will likely pitch its 40mm gun turret against the Nexter model, the
executive added.
CMI, a Belgian firm, could also pitch its gun turrets, a
third executive said.
There could be offers of mortar versions armed with TDA
81mm and 120mm weapons, according to the second executive.
Onboard digital systems will be offered for a battle
management system and communications, such as those developed for the French
Army’s Scorpion program, the second executive said.
Thales gave a Nov. 24 demonstration to armed forces of
SYNAPS, the export version of its Contact software-defined radio.
A vehicle service contract will also need to be
negotiated, which could lead to an “enormous Nexter service workshop,” the
executive said. Service offers a steady income for decades.
Qatar has been keen for local assembly of the vehicle
rather than receiving all the vehicles “built up,” the third executive said.
One of the possibilities considered is a first batch of 100-150 built-up units,
with the rest assembled in Qatar.
The 30-ton, eight-wheel drive VBCI will replace Qatari
fleets of wheeled and tracked vehicles, including the French AMX-30 and AMX-10.
Qatar has also ordered the Leopard 2 heavy tank from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and
Rheinmetall.
Nexter has completed delivery of 630 VBCI to the French
Army and has been actively seeking export orders amid concern in the workforce
that work was drying up at its site at Roanne, central France.
The French company presented the VBCI 2 export model at
the DSEI trade show in London two years ago.
Qatar announced the pick of the VBCI along with
exercising an option for a further 12 Rafale fighter jets, bringing the total
order to 36.
Original post: defensenews.com
62 Leopard 2A7+ series main battle tanks (MBTs) and 24
PzH 2000 155mm/52 self-propelled (SP) artillery systems, which were ordered
under a €1.89 billion contract placed early in 2013 by Qatar. Source: janes.com
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