• Defence Notes

  India fast tracks Rafale purchase

  14th April 2015

  India’s new government has put its sluggish defense procurement on track by ordering two squadrons for 36 Dassault Rafales. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced …

• Naval Warfare

  SRSAM cleared for Indian Navy

  10th April 2015

  Following a seven-year wait India’s Defence Acquisition Council has cleared the way for production of the Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SRSAM) for the Indian Navy. …

• Land Warfare

  China a stalwart of UN peacekeeping missions

  1st April 2015

  China, which currently has 2,370 personnel engaged in United Nations peacekeeping missions, is being lauded as a stalwart of such international endeavours. The majority of …

• Naval Warfare

  French-UK mine countermeasure contract awarded

  31st March 2015

  Thales and BAE Systems, along with partners ECA Group, ASV, Wood & Douglas and SAAB, have won the French-UK Maritime Mine Counter Measures (MMCM) contract, …

• Land Warfare

  General Dynamics to upgrade Buffalo A2 M1272

  25th March 2015

  General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a contract to upgrade and revise all logistic requirements and data in support of the US Army's Buffalo …

• Military Logistics

  Renault delivers 570 vehicles to French armed forces

  20th March 2015

  Renault Trucks Defense delivered 570 logistics vehicles to the French armed forces under purchase orders by the French public procurement grouping (UGAP), the company announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  Netherlands beefs up its Apaches

  17th March 2015

  The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) has developed a new set of modifications and operational techniques to turn its AH-64D Apaches into an ISTAR platform …

• Naval Warfare

  LIMA 2015: Saab on standby for SEA 1000

  17th March 2015

  Although outside of Australia’s SEA 1000 submarine replacement programme, Saab Kockums is waiting to make a competitive bid. Gunilla Fransson, senior VP and head of …

• Military Logistics

  Clermont-Ferrand workshop certified for A400M maintenance

  16th March 2015

  The AIA CF industrial aerospace workshop in Clermont-Ferrand, France, was certified for base and on-line maintenance of the Airbus A400M Atlas aircraft on 11 March. …

• Defence Helicopter

  France receives two upgraded AS532 Cougars

  16th March 2015

  The French General Directorate for Armament (DGA) took delivery of two upgraded AS532 Cougar helicopters for French Army Aviation on 13 March from Airbus Helicopters. …

• Digital Battlespace

  No R&R for RAF ISTAR

  13th March 2015

  There are ‘significant challenges’ operating in contemporary environments, says the UK RAF ISTAR command. The RAF had been looking forward to 12 months of ‘recuperation …

• Naval Warfare

  LIMA 2015: Malaysia looks to naval constraints

  13th March 2015

  Since the 2013 incursion by Sulu militants, the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) has had to focus on both blue water and brown water operations simultaneously. …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus introduces new technologies for ASR-NG

  12th March 2015

  Airbus Defence and Space has introduced new technologies to its Airport Surveillance Radar Next Generation (ASR-NG), giving it greater air traffic control capabilities. The new …

• Naval Warfare

  IDEX 2015: DCNS eyes Middle East expansion

  24th February 2015

  Following the sale of a FREMM frigate to Egypt this month, DCNS believes that there are further opportunities for naval vessels in the Middle East …

• Land Warfare

  Thales to supply French DGA with VENUS terminals

  22nd February 2015

  Thales will supply 20 VENUS ground terminals to the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) as part of the French armed forces’ Syracuse III satellite programme. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Mali]

  Programme Background Six Drones On 22 December 2022, Joseph Dempsey, a research associate at IISS, tweeted photographs showing a Baytraktar TB2 adorned with the Malian ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  VBMR-L Serval [Luxembourg]

  Programme Background Luxembourg currently operates a small military of just over 1,000 personnel. Despite its small size, Luxembourg has contributed troops to both NATO and EU ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  EBRC Jaguar [Luxembourg]

  Programme Background Luxembourg currently operates a small military of just over 1,000 personnel. Despite its small size, Luxembourg has contributed troops to both NATO and EU ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  VBMR Griffon [Luxembourg]

  Programme Background Luxembourg currently operates a small military of just over 1,000 personnel. Despite its small size, Luxembourg has contributed troops to both NATO and EU ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Akinci [Mali]

  Background Presentation In December 2024, Akinci drones were presented to the Malian Armed Forces by transitional President General Assimi Goita during a ceremony in Bamako, confirming ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-171Sh

  While the Burkinabe Armed Forces declined to discuss the deal when contacted by Shephard, a Burkinabe military source did acknowledge that the aircraft were being ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Surplus Maxxpro [Bangladesh - Batch 1]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires MRAPs to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the Central African ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Surplus Maxxpro [Bangladesh - Batch 2]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires MRAPs to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the Central African ...

• Fardier SOV

  Programme Background The French Army's airborne units previously operated 280 Lohr FL500 Fardier utility vehicles to carry heavy equipment. Those vehicles increased the tactical mobility ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  UN Peacekeeping Vehicles [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires 4x4 armoured vehicles to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [Netherlands and Estonia]

  Programme Background The Estonian Armed Forces had already been operating the THeMIS UGV in Mali for a year at the time the programme was announced ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [Sweden]

  Programme Background Many countries have been acquiring small numbers of Milrem's THeMIS UGV since its success in the hands of Estonian Forces in Mali. The ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VBCI Replacement [France]

  Programme Background The VBCI is currently France's primary IFV. As an 8x8 wheel vehicle, it fits within a French force structure that favours agile, manoeuvrable ...

• Minehunters

  Mine Warfare Vessels [France]

  Programme Background Requirements France’s Mine Warfare Vessels programme is aimed at replacing the ageing Eridan-class minehunters. The programme will follow the Future Naval Mine Action System ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-9 Reaper [France]

  Programme Background 2013 (Block 1) The then-French Defence Minister, Kean-Yves Le Drian, confirmed on 31 May 2013 that France had ordered its first two MQ-9 platforms. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: mission management systems

  FINDSAT - BFT System

  Using geo-satellite positioning, Nexter’s BFT system (FINDSAT) is capable of identifying and locating friendly personnel who are not equipped with networked information or radio systems. ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS

  Milrem's Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) is a modular, hybrid UGV.  The vehicle's modular design and open architecture allow it to be reconfigured to ...

• Land: indirect fire location radar

  GA10

  The Ground Alerter 10 (GA10), developed by Thales, is a portable Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) early warning system. It provides 360° azimuth coverage with ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  HOT 3

  Designed to destroy reactive armour, the HOT (Haut subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube, or High Subsonic, Optical, Remote-Guided, Tube-Launched) family has demonstrated its multipurpose capability. Tens ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-8/Mi-17

  The Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name Hip) is a twin-engine, multirole, medium helicopter developed from 1960 to meet Soviet military requirements. More than 18,000 examples of the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Heron Mk 1

  The Heron, now called the Heron Mk I, is a MALE UAS manufactured by Isreal Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Malat Division. Designed for various missions, including ISTAR and artillery fire ...

• Light UGVs

  Probot

  The 4x4 Professional Robot (Probot) is suitable for various applications, both indoor and outdoor, and is designed to carry a payload of up to 700kg. ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AS532

  The AS532 is a development of the SA 330 Puma, with a long fuselage and marketed for tactical transport and logistical support missions. It has ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  TopOwl

  The TopOwl binocular helmet-mounted sight and display has been chosen by 16 countries for their army, navy and/or air force attack and transport helicopters. It ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Puma M36 Mk 5

  OTT developed the Puma M36 Mk 5 to meet the needs of African customers for a lower-cost vehicle that offers a greater payload than its ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VBCI

  Nexter developed the VBCI to meet a French Army requirement for an infantry fighting vehicle to replace the tracked AMX-10P. The 8x8 design was specified ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Protivnik-GE

  The Protivnik-GE is a mobile 3D surveillance radar distributed by Russian supplier Rosoboronexport and is currently used by the Russian Armed Forces and the Egyptian ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  SPREOS

  Bird Aerosystems’ SPREO is a Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) designed to protect rotary and fixed-wing aircraft against incoming infrared (IR) guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. ...

• Frigates

  La Fayette/Kang Ding Class

  The La Fayette-class frigates have a stealthy design and are in service with France and Taiwan, with some variance between the ships on length and ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Storm

  The Storm is a light APC based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 commercial SUV developed by Qatari armoured vehicle manufacturer Stark Motors.  The Storm ...