• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Protonex powers ScanEagle UAV flight

  28th April 2017

  Ballard Power Systems' subsidiary Protonex has successfully powered test flights of the Insitu ScanEagle UAS with its Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell propulsion system, …

• Training

  Second T-X aircraft completes first flight

  27th April 2017

  The first flight of the second aircraft under development by Boeing and Saab for the US Air Force's (USAF's) T-X advanced pilot training programme has …

• Defence Notes

  F-35s for Taiwan: Will US cross China’s ‘red line’?

  12th April 2017

  Taiwan's National Security Council has made repeated requests to the Trump White House for the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter, a high-level US defence industry …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed to support US TBMCS

  5th April 2017

  Lockheed Martin has signed a $38 million contract to support the US military's Theater Battle Management Core System (TBMCS), the company announced on 3 April.The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Fury flight demonstrations continue

  1st May 2017

  Lockheed Martin is regularly flying long-range endurance test missions with its Fury UAS as the company prepares for low-rate production.Since May 2016, Fury has flown …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A: Arnold finds launcher sweet spot

  28th April 2017

  Arnold Defense is seeking to expand on both special operations and conventional aviation interest in its 12-shot rocket pod. Designated LWL-12A by the company, the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thales, Europavia win Spanish helo support

  28th April 2017

  The Thales Programas and Europavia consortium has received a contract from the Spanish Army for the maintenance of helicopter communications and electronics systems, Thales announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Additional AN/TPQ-53 radars ordered

  27th April 2017

  Lockheed Martin has received a $1.6 billion order-dependent contract from the US Army to provide additional AN/TPQ-53 counterfire radar systems, the company announced on 24 …

• Defence Notes

  NATO kicks off tech refresh project

  27th April 2017

  NATO has embarked on a major technology refresh project, with the agency briefing industry representatives on bids that will be launched in September.Agency officials briefed …

• Digital Battlespace

  Typhoon Captor-E integration continues

  11th April 2017

  The first Eurofighter Typhoon fitted with the Captor-E active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar has completed power-on flights, with trials continuing for launch customer Kuwait.Speaking …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AUVSI 2017: Homeland Security increases UAV focus

  2nd May 2017

  The Department of Homeland Security has selected Mississippi State University to lead a major research and development programme for a new demonstration facility.Mississippi State University …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A: Apache turret replacement develops

  28th April 2017

  Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control is currently anticipating receipt of a producibility contract for its High Reliability Turret (HRT). According to Thomas Eldredge, director …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A: ITEP funding shutdown looming?

  28th April 2017

  One point of agreement among Army leaders at this week's Army Aviation Association of America (AAAA) Mission Summit has been the critical importance of the …

• Defence Helicopter

  ​Quad A 2017: Defiant by name...

  27th April 2017

  One of the offerings of the next-generation of rotorcraft being developed under the Pentagon's Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstration is the Sikorsky-Boeing SB-1 coaxial compound.While there …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2017: BAE unveils new aircraft survivability system

  25th April 2017

  BAE Systems has developed a new aircraft survivability solution, the 3-Dimensional Advanced Warning System (3DAWS) product suite.3DAWS is designed to protect fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft …

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 ...