Laser Shark

Another update regarding the Norwegian tank replacement project (P 9360).
 
The cost limit has been revealed to be around 19.3 billion NOK or 2.3 billion USD. That’s almost double the sum that was mentioned a year ago. Now this might be a result of lifetime costs being included and/or because parts of the production line is expected to be moved to Norway, but with an increase like that, I can’t help but wonder if they aren’t also planning on acquiring more tanks than the often quoted “84” number, which would basically only allow for a single squadron of 18 tanks for each of the 4 (current and planned) mechanized battalions of Brigade Nord.
 
In any case, from the part below, it seems pretty clear that this contest won’t simply be determined by who earns the highest marks during the upcoming winter trials in Norway:
 
“The procurement is carried out as a competition between two suppliers from Germany and South Korea, respectively. The choice of supplier will be based on the tender that offers the best overall outcome in regards to, among other things, operational, logistical, mercantile, industrial and security policy criteria.”
 
And further:
 
“The Ministry of Defense has initiated an inter-governmental dialogue with Germany and South Korea, respectively, with the intention of establishing a government agreement, where relevant elements are security policy issues, logistics cooperation, operational military cooperation, opportunities for government-to-government cooperation, opening of the supplier country's defense market for Norwegian weapons systems. products, strategic cooperation between Norwegian industrial companies and the supplier country's industry, etc. The content of the government agreement will form an important part of the decision basis for choosing a supplier.”
 
A final decision and contract is expected next year according to the same document, but that seems a bit optimistic to me. Hope to be proven wrong, however.
 
Source: https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/ac3c943108aa44cd8ecb59e217833ed7/no/pdfs/prp202120220001_fddddpdfs.pdf (page 78-79)

Another view of the GDLS OMFV candidate.

Another update regarding the Norwegian tank replacement project (P 9360).
 
The cost limit has been revealed to be around 19.3 billion NOK or 2.3 billion USD. That’s almost double the sum that was mentioned a year ago. Now this might be a result of lifetime costs being included and/or because parts of the production line is expected to be moved to Norway, but with an increase like that, I can’t help but wonder if they aren’t also planning on acquiring more tanks than the often quoted “84” number, which would basically only allow for a single squadron of 18 tanks for each of the 4 (current and planned) mechanized battalions of Brigade Nord.
 
In any case, from the part below, it seems pretty clear that this contest won’t simply be determined by who earns the highest marks during the upcoming winter trials in Norway:
 
“The procurement is carried out as a competition between two suppliers from Germany and South Korea, respectively. The choice of supplier will be based on the tender that offers the best overall outcome in regards to, among other things, operational, logistical, mercantile, industrial and security policy criteria.”
 
And further:
 
“The Ministry of Defense has initiated an inter-governmental dialogue with Germany and South Korea, respectively, with the intention of establishing a government agreement, where relevant elements are security policy issues, logistics cooperation, operational military cooperation, opportunities for government-to-government cooperation, opening of the supplier country's defense market for Norwegian weapons systems. products, strategic cooperation between Norwegian industrial companies and the supplier country's industry, etc. The content of the government agreement will form an important part of the decision basis for choosing a supplier.”
 
A final decision and contract is expected next year according to the same document, but that seems a bit optimistic to me. Hope to be proven wrong, however.
 
Source: https://www.regjeringen.no/contentassets/ac3c943108aa44cd8ecb59e217833ed7/no/pdfs/prp202120220001_fddddpdfs.pdf (page 78-79)

I’m fairly certain that both contenders will bring their own people to crew the tanks during the tests, as well as to explain and demonstrate how things works.

I’m fairly certain that both contenders will bring their own people to crew the tanks during the tests, as well as to explain and demonstrate how things works.

I'm guessing it's also one of the tanks that will take part in the upcoming tank trials in Norway this winter (February/March IIRC).

The possible K2NO
 
Fitted with Trophy radars and Norwegian camo. It's said that this K2 will be spotted at the upcoming ADEX 2021 (along with the Desert K2 we've seen at expos in the past) so we may get more pictures and details then.
 

Yes, this seems to be the weight baseline for Norwegian MBT project. Seems easier for the K2 to fulfill.
 
The Kappa system has really great pictures. I was told that they are used in aerospace as well. Quality is better than some weapon stations I've seen but I think the price is high as well. So other vehicles will most likely stick to SAAB or Spectus.
 
Most interesting statement I got was that their ARV won in recovery and engineering competitions in eFP beating all other Leo 1 and Leo 2 based vehicles in service in Germany and Netherlands. Looking forward to fight that beast with my ARV.

Wisent 2 AEV NOR
 

 

 
Article and video can be found here. It also mentions some of the weight saving measures that @Rico talked about earlier. It seems they went to some lengths to keep the weight of the Wisent 2s at around 62 tonnes, which is interesting in light the ongoing tank replacement project. In other words, I would not be too surprised if the A7NO turns out to be somewhat lighter than its German and Danish counterparts.
 
Other than that, it also mentions that both the AEVs and ARVs have been outfitted with a new camera system from Kappa optronics. It says it offers improved performance for this platform, so I guess they're only for the Wisent 2s, and other vehicles will keep their Saab cameras.
 
It's also nice to see that Saab Barracuda MCS is becoming more common on Norwegian AFVs since I prefer the aesthetics of Norwegian splitter camo over plain ol' NATO green.

Wisent 2 AEV NOR
 

 

 
Article and video can be found here. It also mentions some of the weight saving measures that @Rico talked about earlier. It seems they went to some lengths to keep the weight of the Wisent 2s at around 62 tonnes, which is interesting in light the ongoing tank replacement project. In other words, I would not be too surprised if the A7NO turns out to be somewhat lighter than its German and Danish counterparts.
 
Other than that, it also mentions that both the AEVs and ARVs have been outfitted with a new camera system from Kappa optronics. It says it offers improved performance for this platform, so I guess they're only for the Wisent 2s, and other vehicles will keep their Saab cameras.
 
It's also nice to see that Saab Barracuda MCS is becoming more common on Norwegian AFVs since I prefer the aesthetics of Norwegian splitter camo over plain ol' NATO green.

Wisent 2 AEV NOR
 

 

 
Article and video can be found here. It also mentions some of the weight saving measures that @Rico talked about earlier. It seems they went to some lengths to keep the weight of the Wisent 2s at around 62 tonnes, which is interesting in light the ongoing tank replacement project. In other words, I would not be too surprised if the A7NO turns out to be somewhat lighter than its German and Danish counterparts.
 
Other than that, it also mentions that both the AEVs and ARVs have been outfitted with a new camera system from Kappa optronics. It says it offers improved performance for this platform, so I guess they're only for the Wisent 2s, and other vehicles will keep their Saab cameras.
 
It's also nice to see that Saab Barracuda MCS is becoming more common on Norwegian AFVs since I prefer the aesthetics of Norwegian splitter camo over plain ol' NATO green.

There are a few things the Norwegians already use that are different to 2A7 right now regarding weight. I had a chance to see their WiSENT 2 AEV and saw that they use 571 instead of 570 track. This is 420 kg less. They use a Lithium battery pack instead of APU which is 120kg less. 
Side skirts are much lighter as well.
 
So there are many ways to reduce weight.

It’s a bit grey since Øyvind Isachsen is not only the head of Kavalariklubben (The Cavalry Club), but also a senior advisor at First House who has been contracted by KMW to promote the Leo 2A7 in Norway. Thus the questions that needs to be answered are if the Kavaleriklubben members who created the website did so with KMW's approval, and from where they got the specs that are listed on it. There’s also the question of why KMW haven’t corrected this info now that they are supposedly in control of the website.
 
Edit: According to the second in charge Jørgen Fodstad, the info came from KMW:
"But it is KMW itself that has been responsible for the content on the Leopard page, he states"
https://www.tu.no/artikler/lavmal-uten-like-kavaleriklubben-eide-skryteside-for-leopard-og-kritisk-side-for-black-panther/509639

Leo 2A5DK outfitted with SAAB Barracuda MCS to be precise.

Leo 2A5DK outfitted with SAAB Barracuda MCS to be precise.

Evolution of the Lynx & Lance for OMFV.
 

PENISLOK

1

LuWa system demonstrator

I doubt that. The German government doesn’t put their foot down on arms sales to Hungary and other countries with governments that are unlikeable from their point of view, so I don’t see why they’d do it in this scenario either. No, the decision to acquire tanks from a different source than Germany must be for different reasons IMO, and some of the more probably ones have already been laid out by other posters in this thread.

I doubt that. The German government doesn’t put their foot down on arms sales to Hungary and other countries with governments that are unlikeable from their point of view, so I don’t see why they’d do it in this scenario either. No, the decision to acquire tanks from a different source than Germany must be for different reasons IMO, and some of the more probably ones have already been laid out by other posters in this thread.