• Defence Notes

  Tokyo defence report annoys China

  25th February 2017

  A new Japanese think tank report on Taiwan's defence and the Chinese military threat has received a thumbs down by Beijing for not respecting the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus Helicopters considers Polish helo options

  24th February 2017

  After the Polish government cancelled its original plan to acquire the H225M Caracal helicopter, Warsaw has launched new negotiations for the purchase of 16 multi-role …

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2017: Harris to digitise UAE battle management

  23rd February 2017

  The UAE Land Forces are set to receive and upgrade to their battle management that will see them transition to digital systems.A contract worth $189 …

• Special Operations

  IDEX 2017: UAE eyes additional Archangels

  23rd February 2017

  After successful deployment to Yemen and other regional hotspots, the United Arab Emirates is expected to place even more orders for the US-built Iomax 'Archangel' …

• Defence Helicopter

  Italian Navy receives NH90 MITT helicopter

  23rd February 2017

  The Italian Navy has received its first NH90 Maritime – Italian Navy Tactical Transport (MITT) helicopter from Leonardo, the company announced on 21 February.This is …

• Defence Helicopter

  IDEX 2017: Sikorsky talks Blackhawk and S-92 (video)

  22nd February 2017

  Balancing the needs and demands of the military and commercial aviation markets has seen Sikorsky focusing much of its efforts into customer support and aircraft …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russian Navy receives Mi-8 Arctic helicopter

  22nd February 2017

  The Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet aviation base has taken delivery of a new Mi-8AMTSh-VA helicopter, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced on 20 February.The helicopter …

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2017: Sudan upgrades armour

  22nd February 2017

  Sudan's Army is modernising its armoured vehicles to keep them operational and to provide more power and capability.At IDEX, Sudan's Military Industrial Corporation was displaying …

• Defence Helicopter

  Pakistan orders more AW139s

  22nd February 2017

  Leonardo has received an order from the government of Pakistan to deliver additional AW139 intermediate twin engine helicopters, the company announced on 20 February.The undisclosed …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  EDA moves on MALE UAS training

  22nd February 2017

  Défense Conseil International (DCI) has been awarded a contract by the European Defence Agency (EDA) to lead a partnership with Diginext for UAS training. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IDEX 2017: Tracking the AUDS system (video)

  22nd February 2017

  The AUDS system is one of a range of technologies developed in recent years to counter the threat posed by rogue operators of UAS and …

• Military Logistics

  An-140-100 aircraft delivered to Russian Navy

  21st February 2017

  A new An-140-100 transport aircraft has been delivered to the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet, the Russian Ministry of Defence announced on 17 February.The aircraft is …

• Defence Helicopter

  Japan extends Airbus H225 support

  21st February 2017

  Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) has extended Airbus Helicopters' performance-based logistics (PBL) contract for its H225 helicopter fleet for the next five years, …

• Military Logistics

  More countries sign for NATO MRTT programme

  21st February 2017

  Three more countries have joined NATO's multinational tanker-transport programme, with Belgium, Germany and Norway signing a Declaration of Intent to join the initiative.The programme was …

• Digital Battlespace

  IDEX 2017: Viper sees further

  21st February 2017

  Lockheed Martin has secured a contract to provide the US Marine Corp with its Targeting Sight System to be fitted to the AH-1Z Viper attack …

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 ...