294: US & Israel Discuss Strategies for De-escalation in North + US Sec Def has Call with Russian Def Minister + BAE Increases Production of AMPV + Finland's Senop Unveils Carl Gustaf Day/Thermal Sight + More

For review:1. USNI  posts the Memorandum of Understanding (11 June 2024), between the USMC & US Navy concerning amphibious warship readiness terms. 2. US has fully cleared equipment from Base 101 in Niger. Work on Base 201 continues in order to meet the 15 September 2024 departure date of US Forces agreed upon by the US & Niger. 3. US Secretary of Defense (Lloyd Austin) has Call with Russian Defense Minister (Andrei Belousov).  Last call between Secretary Austin and Russian Defense Minister was 15 March 2023. 4.  US & Israel Discuss Strategies for De-escalation in North with Hezbollah (Lebanon Border region).5.  IDF to control all of Rafah with two weeks.  162d Division has operational control of 60-70% of Rafah (Division Commander, Brigadier General Itzik Cohen).6. BAE Increases Production of AMPV at York, PA facility.  Goal is to produce up to 220 AMPVs per year- almost 2 x Brigades worth. 7. Oshkosh has contract worth $27.3 to deliver Medium Equipment Trailers (METs) to the US Army. METs are used for loading and shipping Bradley armored fighting vehicles, Paladin turreted self-propelled howitzers, M992 field artillery ammunition support vehicles, and Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles. 8. Germany is planning to order 105 additional Leopard 2 A8 battle tanks from defense firm KNDS. If approved, the tanks will be delivered from 2027 to 2030, with around 70 during the contract’s final two years. Estimated purchase is worth 2.9-billion euros ($3.1 billion).9. Finland's Senop Unveils Carl Gustaf Day/Thermal Sight. The sight consists of a day camera, thermal camera, laser rangefinder, and ballistic calculation- which aids in first round probability of hit. The sight weighs 1.7 kilograms (3.74 pounds).