Royal Netherlands Army selects Iron Fist APS for CV90
The Royal Netherlands Army has awarded BAE Systems Hägglunds a long-anticipated contract to integrate the Elbit Systems Iron Fist hard kill active protection system (APS) with its fleet of CV9035NL tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).
The decision follows a two-phase series of studies, system evaluation, and subsystem trials by the army, in collaboration with platform original equipment manufacturer (OEM) BAE Systems Hägglunds, beginning in 2015, for the implementation of Iron Fist onto the CV9035NL turret.
According to BAE Systems, an initial phase provided for an evaluation of "the feasibility of five systems", and the second pre-definition study phase focused on "the inherent performance and high-level integration of the APS."
The contract, which provides for the initial integration of the Iron Fist system with the CV9035, is part of a larger upgrade programme on the CV9035NL. The value of the contract has not been disclosed. A follow-on contract to furnish an undisclosed number of Royal Netherlands Army CV953NL platforms is expected next year, Dan Lindell, Director of Combat Vehicles at BAE Systems Hägglunds, told Jane's. The army currently operates a fleet of approximately 149 CV90 platforms.
https://www.janes.com/article/91385/roy ... s-for-cv90
DSEI 2019: Dutch Army leads on CV90 Iron Fist integration (11. September 2019)
BAE Systems Hägglunds, the vehicle’s OEM, has been selected by the Royal Netherlands Army to integrate the Iron Fist APS from Elbit Systems onto the IFV.
Hägglunds was unable to confirm how many of the 184-strong fleet of CV90s would be equipped with the APS. On timing BAE Systems said that it had passed the system test this summer.
‘We have been testing with both different anti-tank rockets and missiles with a good outcome,’ Dan Lindell, director combat vehicles Hägglunds at BAE Systems Hägglunds told Shephard.
Since 2015 the Royal Netherlands Army has been working with BAE Systems Hägglunds to study the implementation of the Iron Fist APS onto the CV9035NL.
The first phase of testing evaluated the feasibility of five systems. The second phase focused on the inherent performance and high-level integration of the APS. With the first layer of soft-kill technology integrated onto the Royal Netherlands Army’s CV9035NL fleet, plans are underway to add the Iron Fist’s final layer.
Vernooij added that the Netherlands will continue the next phase of the mid-life upgrade programme for CV9035NL with focus on integration, human machine interfacing and performance optimisation.
Hägglunds was unable to confirm if other CV90 users were likely to integrate the APS onto their own vehicles, however Lindell said: ‘This is a significant technology step forward for the platform, but it’s also another example of how the user groups interacts for sharing development.
‘For the APS development the Dutch is in lead and other users follow closely. In other developments – for example rubber trucks with Norway in lead, mortar with Sweden in lead – we have different countries in lead and all users benefits.’
However, BAE Systems told Shephard no other testing had been carried out of the APS for other nations.
On whether the Iron Fist APS could be part of the company’s offering of the CV90 for both the Australian Army under it Land 400 Phase 3 effort and the Czech Republic the company said that it was unable to comment on future bids.
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