Army Awards Contracts for Armor Upgrades

 The Army's Famae armaments supplier selected Elbit Systems to modernize the fire control system for the Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks. Famae also picked Belgium-based OIP Land Systems to upgrade the optics and aiming systems in the Army's Marder 1A3 infantry fighting vehicles. Both programs will replace obsolete systems in the German-made armored vehicles, which were acquired second hand with much of their original equipment. The contracts are part of an electronics modernization program for Chile's armor units, a project named Proaco. As InfoDefensa notes, the new contracts could pose challenges because Famae chose companies that don't have as much experience with Leopard 2 and Marder vehicles.