• Defence Notes

  Air Power 2017: Brazil getting to Gripen (video)

  11th July 2017

  The Brazilian Air Force provides Shephard  with an overview and closer look at the capabilities of the Gripen E. The single-seat fighter jet's first flight took place in …

• Training

  Taiwan to receive F-16V Peace Phoenix MTC

  4th August 2017

  L3 Link Simulation and Training has been awarded a contract to build and deliver the F-16V Peace Phoenix Rising Mission Training Centre (MTC) to the …

• Military Logistics

  US DoD trials robotic fuel tank inspection

  28th August 2017

  A robotics inspection team from Burns and McDonnell and A Hak Industrial Services has conducted a tank bottom inspection of a US Department of Defense …

• Defence Helicopter

  Modernised Ka-27Ms set for delivery

  25th August 2017

  Russian Helicopters is set to begin delivery of modernised Ka-27M helicopters to the Russian Ministry of Defence, with the first aircraft having completed factory testing, the …

• Land Warfare

  US equips Lebanese Army with Bradleys

  15th August 2017

  The US has delivered an initial batch of Bradley Fighting Vehicles to the Lebanese Armed Forces during a ceremony held at the Port of Beirut. The …

• Land Warfare

  Uganda confirmed as T-90, Type 85-IIM operator

  1st August 2017

  While the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) is known to operate a sizeable fleet of T-55 MBTs, photos recently posted online have confirmed that Uganda …

• Military Logistics

  USS Theodore Roosevelt carries out FAS

  25th August 2017

  A US Navy Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, USS Theodore Roosevelt, has successfully completed a fuelling at sea (FAS) with guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson, the US Pacific …

• Training

  Flaim Trainer to enhance training safety

  22nd August 2017

  The Royal Australian Navy is working with a team of engineers led by fire fighting experts at Deakin University to develop next generation simulation tools …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Taiwan shows off its drones

  21st August 2017

  Running in conjunction with last week’s Taipei Aerospace and Defence Technology Exhibition (TADTE), the Taiwan Drone 2017 show demonstrated a range of unmanned platforms to …

• Defence Helicopter

  German Army Tiger helicopter crashes in Mali

  2nd August 2017

  An Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack helicopter belonging to the German Helicopter Detachment (HELIDET) based in Gao, Mali, crashed South of Tabankort on 26 July according …

• Defence Helicopter

  Varley USA delivers initial H-60 toolkits

  25th August 2017

  Varley USA has delivered new H-60 Bridge Tool Kits to the US Army, US Army National Guard and US Coast Guard, the company announced on …

• Defence Helicopter

  First batch of Mi-28UB helicopters produced

  24th August 2017

  Russian Helicopters has completed production of the first batch of Mi-28UB helicopters for the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD), the company announced on 22 August.  …

• Defence Helicopter

  JAC to support T53 engines

  23rd August 2017

  Honeywell has signed a license agreement with Jordanian Aeronautical Systems Company (JAC) to provide support services for Honeywell’s T53 series engines, the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  General Dynamics unveils Hook3

  3rd August 2017

  General Dynamics has introduced a new Combat Survival Radio (CSR) designed to provide direct line-of-sight voice and two-way data communications to help combat search and rescue …

• Naval Warfare

  US coastal patrol ships test Griffin missiles

  8th August 2017

  US Navy coastal patrol ships assigned to Patrol Coastal Squadron (PCRON) One have carried out proficiency fire testing of their MK 60 Griffin Missile Systems …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Data links

  Data links | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390 [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirement The aircraft deliveries were scheduled to start by the end of 2016 and continue over a period of ten years. However,  the first ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-130H Replacement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements Sweden has five C-130H aircraft (designated Tp-84) and one KC-130H. Two C-130Es bought in the 1960s have retired, but the six H ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Chile]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  H145M [Brazil]

  Background  Brazilian leadership announced in February 2022 that the Sabre Mil Mi-35M Hind-E attack helicopters were being retired from active service. This decision came as a ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS 39E/F Gripen [Brazil]

  Background In 2016, Gripen’s Project and Development Center was opened in Sao Paulo to allow Sweedish and Brazillian engineers to work together in the Gripen ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Colombia]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated gross ...

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

  Hermes 900 (5) [Brazil]

  Background First three batches (2014-2024) Across three purchases, Defence Insight estimates that Brazil has acquired five Hermes 900 UAVs. In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one ...

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

  Hermes 900 (1-4) [Brazil]

  Background First batch (2014) In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one Hermes 900 UAV to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The drone is called the RQ-900 in Brazilian ...

• Maritime patrol

  C295 add-on [Brazil]

  Programme Background  In 2014 Brazil signed a contracted for two additional C-295 SAR platforms with the option to acquire one additional platform. In 2018, reports ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Polar Support Vessel [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirements In June 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a Request for Proposal (RfP) to procure a new Antarctic vessel to be manufactured in Brazil. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air-to-surface missiles

  MAR-1

  The MAR-1 is a Brazilian air-to-surface anti-radiation missile (ARM) developed by Mectron in collaboration with the Aerospace Technology and Science Department (DCTA) of the Brazilian ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Harpia

  Described as the UAV with the most onboard technology in Latin America, Harpia is a multifunctional fixed-wing Brazilian drone developed by Advanced Technologies Security & Defence.  The Uruguayan ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  EMB-312 Tucano

  The EMB-312 Tucano (Brazilian designation T-27) is a trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Embraer to meet the training requirements of the Brazilian Air ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  TPTS

  Tactical Procedures Training Simulators (TPTS), operating with SWARM software, can be used to provide most core training elements to pilots or offload training tasks from ...

• Guided munitions

  SMKB (Smart-MK-Bomb)

  The Smart-MK-Bomb, or the SMKB, is a precision guidance kit developed by Mectron and designed to turn Mk 82 and Mk 83 bombs into guided munitions.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Albatroz Vortex

  The Albatroz Vortex from Stella Tecnologia is a development of the company's Albatroz UAV.  The key differentiator is that the Vortex is fitted with an ATJR ...

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

  Condor

  The Condor, or Atobá XR, is an in-development MALE-class UAV from Stella Technologia.  The development of the multi-role is tied to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which has ...

• Trainer, Transport

  EMB-121 Xingu

  The EMB-121 Xingu is a twin-turboprop light transport and advanced multi-engine trainer aircraft developed by Embraer based on the EMB-110 Bandeirante. Its maiden flight was ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Arkhe Mission & Combat

  Launched in 2017, Atech's Arkhe Mission & Combat solutions offer a variety of solutions enabling operator to conduct missions from planning to execution and debriefing. It ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390/C-390 Millennium

  The KC-390 is a high-wing, twin-turbofan, T-tail design intended to meet the needs of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) for a tanker/transport aircraft. Developed and ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-5E/F Tiger II

  The F-5E (single-seat)/F (twin-seat) Tiger II is an air superiority fighter developed by Northrop Grumman based on the original F-5 Freedom Fighter. Production of the ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M

  The medium-weight, 11t-class H225M (formerly known as the EC725) is the latest military Super Puma/Cougar family member.  Technical features include a modular design of mechanical ...

• EO/IR systems

  Skyward

  The SkyWard system is an advanced Infrared Search and Track (IRST) solution developed for next-generation airborne platforms, including 5th-generation fighter aircraft.  Designed with modularity in ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Saber M60

  The Saber M60 is a low-altitude air-defence radar developed by the Brazilian Army's CTEx (Army Technology Centre) in collaboration with Bradar, part of Embraer Defence ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  RBS 70 system

  The RBS 70 was developed in the 1970s to meet the Swedish Army’s requirement for a low-cost, easy-to-use MANPADS which could function in extreme climatic ...