Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) and Thales UK signs new Memorandum of Agreement. The new MoA reflects the aspiration by both KONGSBERG and Thales UK to work closer together on PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Systems Programmes in a greater number of areas of military capability, in the UK, but also in foreign markets. The relationship between KONGSBERG and Thales UK has strengthened and grown since the first Teaming Agreement was signed between the two companies in 2007. Since then, KONGSBERG and Thales UK have worked together to promote the PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) in the UK and to deliver the world’s most advanced RWS to its Ministry of Defence. The PROTECTOR RWS has been in regular use in a variety of operational theatres and on a variety of military Land Platforms since the late 1990s. Over 1000 systems have currently been contracted for Service within the UK Armed Forces.
Stephen McCann, Managing Director of OME within Thales UK said: “I am delighted to be re-signing this memorandum of agreement that consolidates our existing partnership over 20 years. A partnership that has secured a major role within the UK Army’s Boxer Strategic Pipeline and has grown from strength to strength. I look forward to extending the reach and scope of a partnership in the UK and throughout Europe and supporting Kongsberg in the United States of America.”
“PROTECTOR Programmes, projects and capability areas KONGSBERG and Thales UK aspire to collaborate in have steadily grown since we signed the last agreement in 2017. Both companies have expressed a high level of ambition to expand our relationship over the coming 5 years,” says Eirik Tord Jensen, Executive Vice President Land Systems, KONGSBERG.
Numbers of PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) in Service with UK Armed Forces have increased steadily over the years, with an important contract to deliver Remote Weapon Systems to AJAX being won in 2015, and with a subsequent contract to deliver Remote Weapon Systems to the British Army’s new BOXER Mechanised Infantry Vehicle Programme being won in 2020. Subsequently, additional contracts have been awarded to KONGSBERG to upgrade existing Remote Weapon Systems and to increase the number of systems in Service with British Army. The PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Systems was originally competitively selected by the UK Ministry of Defence based on the systems’ high sensor performance, firing accuracy and system modularity/flexibility, which have all been key in establishing the PROTECTOR’s role as the Remote Weapon Systems of choice for a number of UK’s Land Platform Programmes.
KONGSBERG is the world’s leading provider of Remote Weapon Systems (RWS) and has to date delivered more than 20.000 PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Systems to 28 nations. The PROTECTOR family of Remote Weapon Systems are suitable for any mission whether on land or at sea. Integrated on mobile or static platforms, the systems enable remote operation of payloads ranging from small caliber weapons to medium caliber automatic cannons. The system is modular, and all of the different variants of the PROTECTOR family share the same baseline technology. The PROTECTOR family includes the RS2, RS4 and RS6 Remote Weapon Stations, – with weapons from light machine guns (5.56mm) to light cannons (30mmx113mm). It also includes the Remote Turrets, – designed for medium caliber cannons like 30mmx173mm and 40mmx180mm. For the last 20 years KONGSBERG has delivered more than 20.000 PROTECTOR Remote Weapon Systems to a total of 28 nations. This includes the major US program Commonly Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS). CROWS is a US Army Program of Record for acquisition and sustainment of Remote Weapon Stations for all U.S. Army vehicle programs.