• Defence Notes

  CANSEC 2017: Canada severs talks with Boeing

  2nd June 2017

  CANSEC 2017 opened in dramatic style on Tuesday as an ongoing dispute between the Canadian government and Boeing boiled over. Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan …

• Defence Helicopter

  UDT Europe 2017: ASW renewal challenges loom

  1st June 2017

  Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) is returning as a key agenda item for many nations looking at the future of maritime security. Germany is aware that a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IMDEX Asia: Seagull sets sail from Singapore

  17th May 2017

  The main highlight at Elbit Systems’ booth is a live demonstration of its Seagull unmanned surface vessel (USV), with an operator positioned at IMDEX Asia …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Denied airspace difficulties for operators

  25th May 2017

  Future efforts by NATO to integrate unmanned systems into maritime and airborne area-denied operations could have been hampered by a decade of UAV activity in …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Security at India’s minor ports shockingly low

  12th May 2017

  India's porous 7,500km coastline is dotted with fishing harbours, and because these are often adjacent to major ports, an incident could have severe security ramifications. …

• Military Logistics

  Flight testing for KC-46 continues

  5th May 2017

  Boeing now has six aircraft in its KC-46 tanker testing programme as it works on completing ground and flight tests for the US Air Force, …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: C-130J training requirements emerge

  8th May 2017

  In February, Germany and France signed an agreement at a NATO Ministers meeting in Brussels to create a joint air transport unit to operate the …

• Digital Battlespace

  ViaSat terminals selected for Harrier

  26th May 2017

  ViaSat has received a contract worth $20 million from Boeing to deliver its KOR-24A Small Tactical Terminals (STT) for integration onto the AV-8B Harrier attack …

• Land Warfare

  US approves $2 billion arms sale to UAE

  15th May 2017

  The US State Department has approved a $2 billion arms sale to the UAE. Approved on 11 May, the deal includes 60 Patriot Advanced Capability …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: MUM-T first up at opening conference

  9th May 2017

  Among the key challenges for future integration of unmanned technology with manned platforms is the risk of saturating pilots and operators with additional tasks, resulting …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IMDEX Asia: China promotes armed UAVs

  22nd May 2017

  The Ziyan Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Company, based in Zhuhai, China, promoted three new rotorcraft UAVs at IMDEX Asia 2017 in Singapore. Only one of the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Safran to support German NH90 engines

  22nd May 2017

  Safran Helicopter Engines has signed a seven-year contract to support engines powering German NH90 helicopters with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and …

• Defence Helicopter

  Taiwan determined to defend itself

  26th May 2017

  Taiwan conducted its annual Han Kuang war games from 22-26 May, a highlight of which was the Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces repelling a …

• Land Warfare

  Serbia kitted out with indigenous vehicles

  16th May 2017

  The Serbian military and internal security forces have begun ordering indigenous armour vehicles and self-propelled artillery.  The news had been announced openly for the first …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Singapore’s navy celebrates 50

  16th May 2017

  This year is of major importance to the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) since it is marking its 50th anniversary. As well as the navy’s …

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 ...