Ministry of Defense will launch seven other contracts for 400 million: designators, fuses, trucks or logistics vessels
The Ministry of Defence has received the Government’s approval for seven contracts for the acquisition of a wide range of defence equipment for more than 400 million euros. The department will launch the purchase of pod laser designators for fighters, two logistics vessels, fuses or trucks.
Some contracts, such as logistics vessels, are already in the processing phase, but the approval of the contract by the Council of Ministers was pending. These authorizations coincide with the approval, also by the Executive, of the contract for the C-295 maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft for more than 2,000 million euros and the spending ceiling of four others: 25 Eurofighter (Falcon II program), the Spike LR2 anti-tank missile, the Silam rocket launcher and the modernization of the Nasams batteries.
These are the approved contracts:
-Pod laser designator for air combat systems for 207.4 million euros. It is a four-year framework agreement – until December 2027 – for the purchase of this type of equipment that allows increasing the combat effectiveness of these weapons systems, improving the capacity for detection, identification and passive tracking of traces, day or night, both in air police missions and in operations. The use of laser-guided precision ammunition and even GPS requires targets to be illuminated by these pods.
-Development, integration and qualification of trajectory correcting fuze for 155 mm extended range projectile for 16.7 million euros. The brief description of the contract states that “when using extended range ammunition there is an increase in dispersion that limits its use when there are own troops nearby, collateral damage is unaffordable or the objectives to be beaten are included within reduced dimensions.
The increase in range and accuracy, underlines Defense, seek the superiority of indirect fire means to allow Force 2035 to become a Force of Advantage and supports the evolution of military capabilities included in the Joint Force Objective (OFC). The contract will run for four years, until October 2027.
-Two logistics vessels -two different contracts-, one for the Army and another for the Navy, for 41.5 million euros. In the case of the Army, the vessel is necessary to “be able to have autonomous transport capacity, as well as to be able to operate during the periods of time in which the Ysabel ship is immobilized for maintenance tasks.”
The Navy, for its part, seeks to “guarantee that the actions of logistics transport by sea, high altitude towing and support for the training of the units are carried out with agility, fluidity and safety.” “At present, although the Navy has deep-sea tugs dedicated to smaller-scale logistics transport, deep-sea towing and support for training, surveillance of maritime spaces of sovereignty, maritime search and rescue and the fight against marine pollution, these vessels have exceeded the normal life cycle of a unit,” argues Defense.