Riding in the Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle, the US Navy’s response to the cyber threat and going green with Nammo

How is Rheinmetall positioning its Lynx infantry fighting vehicle for current programmes? How prepared is the US Navy to face the cyber threats of the future? And just how is the defence industry involved in the climate change debate?

This week on the Weekly Defence Podcast, we take a look at the Lynx KF41 IFV and how it is being offered for Australian and US requirements, talk to the J6 Deputy Director at US Indo-Pacific Command about the US Navy’s cyber capabilities, and hear from our sponsor Nammo in our Industry Voice segment.

• News Round-Up (01:00)

With the continuing tensions between the US and Iran dominating the news, the team considers the wider ramifications of the issue, before moving on to what else caught their eye this week.

Helicopter manufacturer Bell has successfully completed all of the main performance standards associated with its Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) flight test efforts, having now demonstrated a low-speed agility key performance parameter on its V-280 Valor. 

The Romanian Air Force has taken delivery of an unspecified number of counterterrorism Gryf UGVs designed and manufactured by the Polish Lukasiewicz-PIAP Institute, which will be used to detect, identify and neutralise explosive ordnance, as well as protect strategic assets and infrastructure located in the country and abroad.

Australia is again on the hunt for a new self-propelled howitzer (SPH), seven years after it abruptly cancelled the Project Land 17 Phase 2 tender process that had selected the South Korean AS9 (a variant of the K9 Thunder used by the Republic of Korea Army) as preferred tenderer. The Australian Army is now seeking 30 SPHs, all of which are to be indigenously built and maintained at a new green-field facility in Geelong, Victoria from 2022/23.

Meanwhile, air domain editor Helen Haxell is in Sweden, where she spoke to Saab about the company's development of S-band radar technology.

Bell hits last of JMR-TD key performance targets

Romania acquires Polish C-IED robots

Australia resuscitates howitzer ambitions

Saab's Arexis jamming pod nears flight testing

• Interview – Oliver Mittelsdorf, Rheinmetall (17:50)

Kate Martyr sits down inside the Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle with Oliver Mittelsdorf, Rheinmetall Head of Sales Tracked Tactical Vehicles, to discuss recent developments of the Lynx platform and how the company is positioning the vehicle for the Australian Army’s Land 400 Phase 3 - Mounted Close Combat Capability requirement and the US Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) programme.

• Interview – Captain Erik Pittman, US Navy (26:00)

Tony Skinner, our VP of content, talks to Captain Erik Pittman, J6 Deputy Director at US Indo-Pacific Command, about the US Navy electromagnetic manoeuvre warfare concept, and their response to the growing cyber threat.

• Industry Voice (37:00)

Tony also talks to Endre Lunde, the SVP of Communications for Nammo, about how the defence industry is increasingly looking to go green and the reasons why.

Music and sound mixing provided by Fred Prest