Trials and testing

Winter 2008

Vehicles:
The Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) are planning for the future replacement of vehicles in the motor pool fleet. Vehicles like the Peugeot 307 HDI, Peugeot 407 and Volkswagen Transporter M70 are due to be replaced in the near future. The vehicles DALO is looking after are divided into 6 classes, and the contenders are:

Cars, small:
Fiat Grande Punto, Opel Corsa, Opel Agila, Peugeot 207, Peugeot 207 SW, Mercedes-Benz A 160, Volkswagen Polo, Suzuki Splash and Suzuki Swift.

Cars, medium:
Fiat Bravo, Opel Astra, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 308, Peugeot 308 STN, Peugeot 407, Mercedes-Benz A 160, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat, Toyota Auris, Skoda Octavia, Skoda Superb.

Cars, heavy:
Fiat Croma, Peugeot 607, Skoda Superb (Ambition & Elegance), Volkswagen Passat.

Cars, van:
Volkswagen Caddy, Volkswagen Golf Variant, Fiat Bravo, Opel Combo Van, Opel Corsa Van, Peugeot 207 SW, Peugeot Partner Van, Toyota Sportsvan, Mercedes-Benz A 160, Mercedes-Benz B 180.

Busses, small:
Peugeot Expert Teepee, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Renault Traffic Passenger, Volkswagen Transporter Kombi.

Commercial vehicles:
Peugeot Boxer, Peugeot Expert, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz Vito, Renault Master, Renault Traffic, Volkswagen Transporter.

To evaluate the vehicles 35 men and woman from both the military branches and the civilian branch of the armed forces have spent 3 days in Camp Jonstrup.

A contract is expected in spring 2009.

Autumn 2005

Armoured Patrol Vehicles (update):

Four contenders for a Danish Army 4 x 4 armoured patrol vehicle (APV) requirement are undergoing trails in Denmark. The Danish Army Materiel Command earlier in 2005 issued an invitation to tender for the APV to 11 companies, including AM General (US), BAE Systems, Land Systems OMC (South Africa), IVECO Defence Vehicle Division (Italy), Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (Germany), MOWAG (Switzerland), Panhard (France), Patria Vehicles (Finland), Renault Trucks Defense (France), Rheinmetall Landsysteme (Germany), Sabiex (Belgium) and Textron Marine & Land Systems (US).
Of these, four replied and the Danish Army is now testing the BAE Systems Land Systems OMC RG-32M (158 kb), the MOWAG Eagle IV (130 kb), the Panhard armoured reconnaissance vehicle (VBR) and the Textron Marine & Land Systems Guardian M1117 Armored Security Vehicle (ASV).
Key APV user requirements include the ability to carry five people including the driver and to be fitted with an overhead weapon station that will be provided as government-furnished equipment.
The 4 x 4 vehicle is also required to be armour protected, including the engine compartment and have a minimum payload of 2,000 kg.
The Danish Army currently operates a fleet of 36 MOWAG Eagle I 4 x 4 APVs based on a modified AM HMMWV chassis, which have seen extensive service at home and overseas. These were delivered from 1995 in two batches, 10 and then 26.
The Danish Defence Agreement for the period 2005 until 2009 states that the country will improve its military capability in order to participate in international military operations. The procurement of these APVs and other purchases will enable this objective to be met.
Following extensive trials in Denmark it is expected that the Army Materiel Command will award a contract for the selected vehicle by the end of this year. The APV programme is currently funded at 425 million DKr. (USD 70 million), which covers the supply of about 85 vehicles, weapons, communications equipment, training and integrated logistic support.
The BAE Systems Land Systems RG-32M is the latest model of the proven RG-32 and has already been selected and is in quantity production for the Swedish Army.
The MOWAG Eagle IV is the latest generation vehicle and is a follow on to the earlier Eagle I, II and III of which 485 have been built for the domestic and export market. It is based on the MOWAG Duro chassis with greater payload than the earlier vehicles.
The Panhard VBR has been developed as private venture for a vehicle with greater capacity and internal volume than the current production VBL reconnaissance vehicle, of which over 2,000 have been built for the home and export markets.
Textron Marine & Land Systems is currently in quantity production of the ASV for the US Army and Iraq (the company was awarded a contract to deliver 43 vehicles for the Iraqi Civil Intervention Force in 2004) where it has seen extensive operational use.

(Jane's Defence Weekly, September 2005)

Summer 2005

Armoured Patrol Vehicles:
The Danish Army Material Command has expressed a requirement for approx. 85 armoured patrol vehicles. The vehicle, which are intended to supersede the Mowag Eagle and some of the unarmoured Mercedes-Benz GD240/24 scout cars, shall give room to minimum five persons and shall be armoured and armed with weapons for for self-defence (weapons will be government furnished equipment. Overhead weapon station is expected to be government furnished equipment, but alternatives will be received and evaluated. In order to secure the operational functionality and mobility and to prevent a mobility kill the armour shall be able to protect not only the personnel and their material and equipment but also the vital parts of the vehicle.
The payload of the vehicle at curb weight without personnel, materiel, supplies, personal equipment, vehicle equipment and other equipment shall be minimum 2.000 kg.
An in-country user evaluation test prior to contract award is planned to be carried out for a period of about three month starting at 29th of August 2005.

(Extract of Danish Defence Procurement Bulletin, May 2005)

Spring 2005

Scout vehicles:
The Danish Army is testing an unarmoured scout vehicle based on the Mercedes-Benz G270 CDI. The vehicle has 8 smoke dischargers and mount for machine guns front and rear. The soldiers is partly protected from scrapnells by kevlar plates, and a wire cutter is mounted on the roll bar.

Summer 2005 - Latest news:
The scout vehicle has been chosen for procurement, and some 30 vehicles will be delivered. They were delivered to the Danish Forces in Iraq late July.
In the same deliverence 6 MAN 27.314 protected from IED´s were present. The protection kit, which is a bolt-on kit, covers the front and sides of the cab.

Winter 2004

Expandable Command and Control container:
The Danish Army is testing expandable containers for use as Command and Control (C²) in headquarters at division and brigade level. One container, mounted on trucks like IVECO Eurotrakker or MAN 27.314 will be able to replace 3 trucks as used currently.
The aim is to enable the headquarters to carry out long distance missions, and rapidly establish relevant facilities for staff personnel.

Summer 2004

Command and Control vehicles:
A new Command and Control (C²) Center concept have been tested by the Danish Reaction Brigade. The center is situated in a combination of tents and armoured personnel carriers. Besides the standard M113 G3 DK and the lengthened G3 DK APC, the M113 G4 WARAN was tested in order to increase the working space in the C² center.
The WARAN armoured weapon carrier is FFG's newest product. The WARAN is based on an M113 hull and offers an increased volume and payload, a modern MTU/ZF power unit, mine protection, 360º ballistic protection, air cooling in combination with NBC protection and a fire suppression system. The WARAN fulfils the requirements of a modern tracked vehicle and is available in different variants, adapted to the needs of the customer.
Besides Denmark, Australia has shown interest in the M113 WARAN.

Spring 2004

Infantry fighting vehicles:
According to a press release from the Swedish Department of Defence, the Danish Army are to lease up to 4 CV9040C in 2004 and up to 15 CV9040A in 2005. The CV9040C, which is produced by Alvis Hägglunds, is in service with the Swedish Army. It carries an eight man section and is designed to defeat other armoured vehicles and ground troops. It is fitted with a Bofors 40 mm cannon. The CV9040C has a stabilised turret and additional protection, including mine protection.

It is also planned to co-operate in a future purchase of the Leopard 2 AVLB (PSB 2) bridgelayer and the Leopard 2 AEV 3 engineering vehicle.

The bridgelayer, produced by Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, consists of three modules which can be combined to form bridges of variable length.
In this manner, it is possible to create either three bridges of 9.7 m length, two bridges of 9.7 m and 18.7 m length or a single bridge with a total span of 27.7 m.
A short bridge can be laid within approximately three minutes, whereas laying a bridge with maximum span takes six minutes.
The bridge can handle Military Load Class 70 (MLC 70) for tracked vehicles and Military Load Class 100 (MLC 100) for wheeled vehicles

Autumn 2002:

Armored scout vehicles:
A new scout vehicle is planned to be acquired in the near future. In order to keep track of the development in this area the Army Combat School invited the manufacturers of the German/Dutch Fennek and the Canadian Coyote to demonstrate the respective vehicles.
Furthermore the Combat School has been briefed about the US/British Future Scout Cavalry System (FSCS/Tracer) development project.
A contract on the planned acquisition is planned to be signed in year 2004.

Spring 2001:

Armored personnel carriers:
In conjunction with the upgrade of the M113 armored personnel carrier, the Danish army is testing a extended version with an extra road wheel. If successful and approved, the extended version will be used for mechanized infantry squads, as Combat engineer vehicle and as armored ambulance.

Winter 2000:

Motorcycles:
To supersede the BMW R65GS, which have to be replaced due to logistical problems, 3 different bikes have been tested. The F650 GS and the R850 GS from BMW and the LC4 640 from KTM.
The testing was finished in December and the choice are to be made by the Danish Army Material Command in spring/summer 2001.
The Military Police are also looking into new bikes. Competitors are the R850 R and the R850 RT from BMW, the Ducati 750 Monster City Dark and the Honda NT 650V Deauville.

Summer 1999

Elevated TOW system (ETS):
Elevated TOW System firing trials a success. 
The Elevated TOW System (ETS), developed as a private venture by Raytheon Company , GM Delco Defense Systems, USA., Indra EWS S.A, Spain, and E. Falck Schmidt A/S, Denmark, has completed a series of successful firing trials in Denmark. The primary objective of the concept demonstrations was to prove the operation of the system.
The Danish Army conducted the demonstrations, which took place at Borris Base Training Area, Denmark, as part of a development test of the new system. The Danish MOD provided the targets, the M113 vehicle, range and range support. Raytheon Systems Company, along with Indra EWS, provided technical support for the system integration and demonstrations.
ETS is a telescoping platform incorporated into a Danish M113 Armored Personnel Carrier. The ETS platform, built by E. Falck Schmidt and Delco, contains an armored pod that mounts at the top of an elevating mast. The pod has four launch tubes for firing Tube-Launched, Optically Tracked, Wire Guided (TOW) missiles. The pod also contains a Lightweight Launcher (LWL) produced by Indra EWS of Spain. The LWL has the visual and infrared sights and electronics required to fire, track and guide TOW missiles. The LWL was co-developed by Raytheon and Indra.
No reports of procurements of the system yet.

Spring 1997:

Armored personnel carriers:
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