Defenture

Last updated
Defenture
Company type Private limited (B.V.)
Industry Automotive, Arms industry
Founded2013
FounderGerard Rond
Headquarters
Tiel
,
Netherlands
Key people
Henk van der Scheer (CEO)
ProductsMilitary vehicles
Website www.defenture.com

Defenture B.V. is a defence company based in Tiel, the Netherlands that develops and produces specialist vehicles for military purposes. [1] [2] Defenture was established when it won the tender for the replacement of the Mercedes-Benz G280 CDI fleet of the Royal Netherlands Army's special forces, the Korps Commandotroepen .

Contents

History

In 2013, the Dutch Ministry of Defence launched a procurement program aimed at replacing the Mercedes-Benz G280 CDI fleet of the KCT.[ citation needed ] While experiences with the Mercedes-Benz vehicles in Afghanistan and Mali were generally satisfactory, the vehicles lacked power, payload capacity and clearance deemed necessary for the SOF Mobility Concept. In addition to the engine and payload requirements, the replacement vehicles should be transportable in and under the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopters of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Dutch entrepreneur Gerard Rond, who had extensive experience in the rallying branch, created the consortium Defenture which incorporated (among others) VDL Groep and TenCate. [3] The consortium developed the Groundforce (GRF) platform which became the basis of the ATTV (Air Transportable Tactical Vehicle, designated VECTOR by the Netherlands Armed Forces. Consequently, Defenture submitted the bid and on 3 July 2013 it was announced that Defenture won the tender for a total of 50 vehicles with their VECTOR offer. Other bids included the General Dynamics Flyer. [4]

The research and development phase continued after the contract was awarded and involved close cooperation with the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) and the end-users. In 2014, the KCT received the first two prototypes which were subsequently subject to an extensive set of trials. Deliveries of serial production vehicles commenced in December 2017 at the production facilities located in Tiel. [5] In June 2018, the Ministry of Defence announced that Defenture was awarded the contract for an additional 25 vehicles, the complete order therefore amounting to 75 vehicles. Deliveries were completed in July 2020. [6]

On 6 August 2020, Defenture was awarded the contract for the development and production of 249 all-terrain vehicles. The ATVs are based on Defenture's SCORPION 6.6 platform and are designated militaire dieselquad (MDQ). Deliveries are set to commence in 2023. [7]

In March 2021 it was announced that Armasuisse, the procurement agency of the Swiss Armed Forces, had received a Defenture demonstrator vehicle based on the GRF platform under the name LAUF 20. The LAUF 20 demonstrator vehicle will be utilised to determine the optimal configuration for a follow-up order of 20 vehicles. [8] [9]

In June 2021 the Bundestag approved the budget for the development of a new special operations vehicle family based on Defenture's GRF platform. Budgets for an initial 49 vehicles have been approved, the total program requirements amount to 80 vehicles. Defenture will supply the Bundeswehr with four prototypes for trials and configuration optimalisations. [10]

In December 2022, the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) commissioned Defenture to deliver a further 41 VECTOR vehicles for the 11th Airmobile Brigade, with a possibility for additional purchases. [11] [12]

Products

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Armed Forces</span> Combined military forces of the Netherlands

The Netherlands armed forces are the military forces of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The armed forces consist of four service branches: the Royal Netherlands Navy, the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Netherlands Air Force and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. The service branches are supplemented by various joint support organizations. In addition, local conscript forces exist on the Dutch Caribbean islands of Aruba and Curaçao. These operate under the auspices of the Royal Netherlands Navy and the Netherlands Marine Corps. The armed forces are part of the Ministry of Defence.

The Royal Netherlands Navy is the maritime service branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was founded on 8 January 1488, making it the third-oldest naval force in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Air Force</span> Air warfare branch of the Netherlands armed forces

The Royal Netherlands Air Force is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. It was created in 1953 to succeed its predecessor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army, which was founded in 1913. The aerobatic display team of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, active from 1979 until 2019, was the Solo Display Team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military Order of William</span> Oldest and highest honor of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

The Military William Order, or often named Military Order of William, is the oldest and highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is named after St. William of Gellone (755–814), the first Prince of Orange. Its motto is Voor Moed, Beleid en Trouw. The chivalric order was established on 30 April 1815 by King William I and was presented for feats of excellent bravery on the battlefield and as a meritorious decoration to senior military officers. Comparable with the French Légion d’Honneur but far less often awarded, it is open to everyone regardless of rank or nobility—not only to Dutch military, but also to foreigners. To date, membership in the Order is extremely rarely awarded, and only for exceptional bravery in battle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Netherlands Army</span> Land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces

The Royal Netherlands Army is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the Staatse Leger was raised making the Dutch standing army one of the oldest in the world. It fought in the Napoleonic Wars, World War II, the Indonesian War of Independence and the Korean War, as well as served with NATO on the Cold War frontiers in West Germany from the 1950s to the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fennek</span> German scout car

The Fennek, named after the fennec, or LGS Fennek, with LGS being short for Leichter Gepanzerter Spähwagen in German, is a four-wheeled armed reconnaissance vehicle produced by the German company Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Dutch Defence Vehicle Systems. The Turkish company FNSS Defence Systems acquired the right for licence production in 2004. It was developed for both the German Army and Royal Netherlands Army to replace their current vehicles.

HNLMS <i>Karel Doorman</i> (A833) Multi-function support ship

HNLMS Karel Doorman is a multi-function support ship for amphibious operations of the Royal Netherlands Navy, which is also used by the German Navy. The ship replaced both of the navy's replenishment oilers: HNLMS Zuiderkruis and HNLMS Amsterdam. At 204.7 m she is the largest ship in service with the Royal Netherlands Navy.

The 11 Air Assault Brigade is the rapid light infantry brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army, focused on conducting air assault operations. Troops of the brigade are qualified to wear the maroon beret upon completion of the demanding training course, those qualified as military parachutists wear the appropriate parachutist wings. The brigade received the name "7 December" when the First Division "7 December" was disbanded in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">13th Light Brigade (Netherlands)</span> Military unit

The 13th Light Brigade is one of the three combat brigades of the Royal Netherlands Army, the other ones being 11th Airmobile Brigade and 43rd Mechanised Brigade. The brigade is a fully motorised brigade, equipped with Fennek, Boxer and Bushmaster wheeled, armoured vehicles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korps Commandotroepen</span> Special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army

The Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) is the elite special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army. The KCT traces its origins to the Second World War with the founding of No. 2 (Dutch) Troop, and the founding of the Korps Speciale Troepen during the Indonesian War of Independence. At present, the unit is tasked with conducting the full spectrum of special operations, its principal tasks being direct action, special reconnaissance, military assistance and counter-terrorism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luchtmobiel Speciaal Voertuig</span> Military off-road vehicle

The Luchtmobiel Speciaal Voertuig (LSV) is a small, open off-road vehicle that can be transported by air. It is specifically designed for, and used by, the Dutch Airmobile Brigade of the Royal Netherlands Army. The LSV is nicknamed affectionately 'playmobiel' (Playmobil) by Dutch soldiers. The vehicle is designed to be transported by helicopters, and had three main variants: One for medical transport, anti-tank, and a general purpose one. The vehicle served the Dutch army for two decades and is in the process of being replaced by a new a light vehicle, although in the later years it was supplemented by the G280 CDI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces</span> Maritime special forces

The Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces is the special forces unit of the Marine Corps of the Royal Netherlands Navy. It is one of the three principal units tasked with special operations in the Netherlands. The unit can be deployed worldwide to conduct special operations, including counter-terrorism both overseas and domestically, with a maritime focus. Its operations are planned and coordinated by the Netherlands Special Operations Command.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VECTOR</span> Military light utility vehicle

The VECTOR is a Dutch light all-terrain tactical vehicle, designed and developed by defence contractor Defenture for use with special operations forces. The VECTOR was developed in close cooperation with the Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) of the Royal Netherlands Army and is tailor-made for use in special operations, providing a combination of high mobility and firepower with light armour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iveco MTV</span> Infantry mobility vehicle

The Iveco MTV, military designation Manticore, is an infantry mobility vehicle designed and manufactered by IVECO Defence Vehicles for the Netherlands Armed Forces. The acquisition is part of the Joint Replacement Programme of Wheeled Vehicles of the Dutch Ministry of Defence, with deliveries planned from 2023 until 2026. In Dutch service, the Manticore will replace the ageing fleet of Mercedes-Benz 290GDs of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Land Rovers of the Netherlands Marine Corps and the remaining YPR-765s of the Royal Netherlands Air Force and Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. Deliveries are planned for the second half of 2023 and should be completed by 2026.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint Ground-based Air Defence Command</span> Military unit

The Joint Ground-based Air Defence Command is a joint command of the Royal Netherlands Army, formed in 2012 after amalgamation of the Commando Luchtdoelartillerie of the Royal Netherlands Army and the Groep Geleide Wapens of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The command is responsible for all ground-based air defence tasks and consists of both army and air force personnel. The DGLC employs an integrated layered air-defence approach featuring FIM-92 Stinger, NASAMS II and MIM-104 Patriot systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operational Support Command Land</span> Military unit

The Operational Support Command Land is a support command of the Royal Netherlands Army. The command consists of multiple combat support and combat service support units that provide the army with a broad variety of services. The OOCL was established in 2009, with the simultaneous disbandment of 1 Logistics Brigade and 101 Combat Support Brigade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fire Support Command</span> Military unit

The Fire Support Command is the artillery arm of the Royal Netherlands Army. The command consists of 41 Artillery Battalion, a staff, the Fire Support School and the artillery training grounds and is part of the Operational Support Command Land.

References

  1. ↑ Daling, Tjabel (16 March 2021). "Tielse producent van militaire voertuigen trekt nieuwe investeerder aan". Financieel Dagblad. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ↑ "About us". Defenture. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  3. ↑ de Waard, Peter (20 February 2017). "Voertuigen bouwen volgens de wensen van commando's". De Volkskrant . Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  4. ↑ Westerhoven, Leo van (8 December 2014). "De VECTOR: het ultieme Special Operation Forces-voertuig die de commando's altijd al hadden willen hebben". Dutch Defence Press (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  5. ↑ "Eerste SF-voertuig VECTOR voor commando's". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 21 December 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-03-09. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  6. ↑ "Defenture completes Vector deliveries for Dutch SOF". Shephard Media. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  7. ↑ "Militaire dieselquads voor Defensie". defensie.nl. Ministry of Defence. 6 August 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  8. ↑ van Osbree, Gerard (1 March 2021). "LAUF 20 – Defenture levert prototype aan Zwitserland". Dutch Defence Press. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  9. ↑ Heiming, Gerhard (2 March 2021). "Mobilität für Spezialkräfte: Prototyp LAUF 20 an die Schweiz geliefert". Soldat & Technik. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  10. ↑ Geiger, Waldemar (23 June 2021). "Bundestag billigt Haushaltsmittel für neue Spezialkräfte-Fahrzeugfamilie". Soldat & Technik. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
  11. ↑ Defensie, Ministerie van (2022-12-19). "Luchtmobiele brigade krijgt Vector-terreinvoertuigen - Nieuwsbericht - Defensie.nl". www.defensie.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  12. ↑ "Renewed investments by Dutch armed forces in Dutch Defenture vehicles". Defenture. Retrieved 2023-01-17.
  13. ↑ "ATTV (Air Transportable Tactical Vehicle)". Defenture (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  14. ↑ "Scorpion 6.6". Defenture (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 July 2021.
  15. ↑ https://www.defenture.com/mammoth/
  16. ↑ "Eurosatory 2024: Defenture BV Showcases Mammoth Next-Gen Air Transportable Vehicle for Special Forces". Army Recognition. 19 June 2024.

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