Latest news with #MRAP
India.com
02-08-2025
- Business
- India.com
This Muslim Country is joining hands with China, making joint ammunition manufacturing facility for..., not Pakistan, Saudi Arabia
The Middle East remains a focal point of global attention due to ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran. The two long-time enemies just reached a temporary state of peace after a conflict for 12 days. In a serious situation like this one, all eyes and ears are focused on their military posturings and arms purchases. However, in this state of discontent, there is one country that is neither at war nor has any enemies. It is Kuwait. Even with Kuwait identifying itself as a nation of peace, they have started to invest heavily in weapons. Interestingly, Kuwait has now reached a new milestone by agreeing to cooperate with China to make these weapons on a mass scale. In particular, the important defense project between Kuwait and China—an ammunition manufacturing factory —is near completion and is expected to be unveiled shortly. This was announced by Kuwait's Deputy Defense Minister, Sheikh Abdullah Mashal Al-Sabah. According to The TimesKuwait, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, Sheikh Dr. Abdullah Mishaal Al-Sabha, stated that a joint ammunition manufacturing facility for light and medium calibers is nearly completed and will be operational soon as part of larger cooperative projects with China. As reported in the Kuwait Times, Sheikh Abdullah made the statement at an event arranged by the Chinese Embassy in Kuwait on the 98th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Sheikh Abdullah described the project as a milestone in military cooperation between the two nations and explained that the scope of several military training programs, which started in 2019, is expanding yearly. While details of the factory location and other information has not been publicly disclosed, there is speculation that this factory will produce light and medium-grade munitions. Importantly, Kuwait has been a close military partner of the United States. During the Gulf War in 1991, a coalition led by the United States freed Kuwait from the Iraqi army. Currently there are about 13,500 American military personnel and 2,200 MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles in Kuwait Even though Kuwait has a good relationship with the United States, there is an orientation towards China. In 1995 it was the first Gulf state to sign a military agreement with China. Since then, China has provided Kuwait 155mm artillery guns and People's Liberation Army (PLA) naval teams have visited Kuwait three times. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Kuwait was the 10th largest arms importer in the world from 2020 to 2024, with a 466% increase in imports. The U.S. accounted for 63% of Kuwait's arms during that time. An intelligence agency known as Tactical Report states that China has also offered to address most of Kuwait's defense needs with no conditions. However, it is unclear if this fact is independently verifiable.
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
‘The Rhino' at Rhino Week
ARMSCOR developed the Rhino Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle in the early 1980s following a private needs assessment, shortly after the conclusion of Project Sireb, which evaluated the feasibility of replacing the Buffel MRAP. Only twenty Rhino vehicles were manufactured for the South African Air Force. Based on the Samil 20 chassis, the Rhino was designed specifically for troop transport and patrol duties around air force bases. It has a crew of seven consisting of a driver, co-driver in the front, and five troops in the rear compartment. The vehicle features a fully enclosed V-shaped hull, offering excellent protection against landmines, while its armoured hull and ballistic glass windows provide effective defence against small arms fire and light artillery fragments. Key features include two roof hatches, firing ports beneath each window in the troop compartment, and provision for mounting a roof-mounted machine gun. The driver's cabin is accessible via side doors on both sides, reached by a short ladder, while the troop compartment is entered through a small door at the rear left of the vehicle. A spare wheel is mounted at the rear. Although originally intended for military use, the Rhino went on to prove its worth in a range of international humanitarian demining operations. It consistently demonstrated its reliability and adaptability as a platform in both conflict zones and peacetime missions. With the adoption of the Mamba MRAP family by the South African military in the early 1990s, the Rhino was gradually withdrawn from service and subsequently sold to the private security sector. The Rhino stands as a testament to South African engineering excellence and tactical innovation. * Dewald Venter is a professor at the Vaal University of Technology. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Citizen
Rare rhino armoured vehicle turns heads at VUT
VANDERBIJLPARK – Anyone who attended Rhino Week at the Vaal University of Technology's Isak Steyl Stadium over the past two weeks, likely noticed the armoured vehicle on display and wondered about its identity and origins. Coincidentally sharing its name with the event, the vehicle is known as the Rhino. ARMSCOR developed the Rhino Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle in the early 1980s following a private needs assessment, shortly after the conclusion of Project Sireb, which evaluated the feasibility of replacing the Buffel MRAP. Only twenty Rhino vehicles were manufactured for the South African Air Force. Based on the Samil 20 chassis, the Rhino was designed specifically for troop transport and patrol duties around air force bases. It has a crew of seven consisting of a driver, co-driver in the front, and five troops in the rear compartment. The vehicle features a fully enclosed V-shaped hull, offering excellent protection against landmines, while its armoured hull and ballistic glass windows provide effective defence against small arms fire and light artillery fragments. Key features include two roof hatches, firing ports beneath each window in the troop compartment, and provision for mounting a roof-mounted machine gun. The driver's cabin is accessible via side doors on both sides, reached by a short ladder, while the troop compartment is entered through a small door at the rear left of the vehicle. A spare wheel is mounted at the rear. Although originally intended for military use, the Rhino went on to prove its worth in a range of international humanitarian demining operations. It consistently demonstrated its reliability and adaptability as a platform in both conflict zones and peacetime missions. With the adoption of the Mamba MRAP family by the South African military in the early 1990s, the Rhino was gradually withdrawn from service and subsequently sold to the private security sector. The Rhino stands as a testament to South African engineering excellence and tactical innovation. * Dewald Venter is a professor at the Vaal University of Technology. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
India slams Pak for seeking to blame it for suicide attack in Waziristan
At least 13 security personnel were killed and 24 others injured in a suicide attack on Saturday in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Press Trust of India New Delhi India blasted Pakistan on Saturday night for attempting to blame it for a suicide attack in the Waziristan area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. "We have seen an official statement by the Pakistan Army seeking to blame India for the attack in Waziristan on June 28," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "We reject this statement with the contempt it deserves," it added. At least 13 security personnel were killed and 24 others injured in a suicide attack on Saturday in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, security sources said. A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle belonging to the Bomb Disposal Unit early this morning in Khaddi village in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, the sources added. Among the 24 injured are 14 civilians, including women and children, with several said to be in critical condition. A curfew was imposed in the area at the time of the incident due to ongoing military movement, sources said. Security agencies launched a rescue operation following the explosion. The militant group Usud al-Harb, a sub-faction of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, has claimed responsibility for the attack, they added. Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, has strongly condemned the suicide attack. We salute the brave security personnel and their families who have sacrificed their lives for the nation, said the chief minister. This incident is being described as one of the deadliest in North Waziristan in recent months and has raised serious concerns about the security situation in the region. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
28-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
13 security personnel killed in suicide attack in Pak's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
At least 13 security personnel were killed and 24 others injured in a suicide attack on Saturday in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, security sources said. A suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle belonging to the Bomb Disposal Unit early this morning in Khaddi village in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, the sources added. Among the 24 injured are 14 civilians, including women and children, with several said to be in critical condition. A curfew was imposed in the area at the time of the incident due to ongoing military movement, sources said. Security agencies launched a rescue operation following the explosion. The militant group Usud al-Harb, a sub-faction of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, has claimed responsibility for the attack, they added. Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ali Amin Gandapur, has strongly condemned the suicide attack. We salute the brave security personnel and their families who have sacrificed their lives for the nation, said the chief minister. This incident is being described as one of the deadliest in North Waziristan in recent months and has raised serious concerns about the security situation in the region. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in terrorist incidents, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, following the collapse of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan in November 2022. Militant attacks and counter-terrorism operations surged in March 2025, with the number of terrorist incidents crossing 100 for the first time since November 2014, a Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies report said. Pakistan ranked second on the Global Terrorism Index 2025, with terror-related deaths rising by 45 per cent over the past year to 1,081. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
