• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ARL demonstrates hoverbike prototype

  20th January 2017

  The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and industry partners have carried out a demonstration of the in-development unmanned hoverbike technology prototype to Department of Defense …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Cyberhawk surveys UK rail infrastructure

  20th January 2017

  Cyberhawk Innovations has carried out internal and external structural inspections on the UK rail network in a company first, it announced on 19 January. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northern Plains granted flight upgrade

  20th January 2017

  The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the Northern Plains UAS test site in North Dakota authorisation to fly large UAVs beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS), starting …

• Land Warfare

  Indian Spike buy ahead

  20th January 2017

  The Indian Army is on the verge of acquiring the Israeli Spike anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) systems to equip its infantry battalions and mechanised units. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Israeli Air Force gets Arrow-3 interceptors

  20th January 2017

  Arrow-3 interceptors developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) MLM division have been formally integrated into the Israeli Air Force’s Arrow Weapon System (AWS), the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  CH-53K experiences engine heat issues

  20th January 2017

  Engine heating issues appear to be the major lesson of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) FY2016 annual report for the CH-53K programme. The Heavy Lift …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Frequentis’ LIS in NASA UAS test

  19th January 2017

  Frequentis' Location Information Service (LIS) provided situational awareness for ground control stations during NASA’s latest UAS Traffic Management (UTM) flight tests in Nevada, the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  CPI awarded contract for AH-1Z assemblies

  19th January 2017

  CPI Aerostructures will continue to manufacture engine cowl assemblies and support assemblies for the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter under a $14.8 million IDIQ contract from …

• Defence Helicopter

  K-MAX airframe delivered

  19th January 2017

  Kaman Aerosystems has delivered the first K-MAX airframe from its reopened production line in Jacksonville, Florida, the company announced on 17 January. The airframe has …

• Naval Warfare

  White Paper calls for USN shipbuilding increase

  19th January 2017

  The US Senate Armed Services Committee has in a new white paper called for an increase in shipbuilding for the US Navy with additional submarines …

• Land Warfare

  Russia to field more SAM

  19th January 2017

  Russia’s Air and Space Forces (RuSAF) has announced plans for introducing more surface to air missile (SAM) systems into its inventory this year. They are …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales to upgrade Swiss radars

  19th January 2017

  Thales has been awarded a contract to upgrade the Swiss Air Force’s Master radars, the company announced on 18 January. The contract is valued at …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop signs Lufthansa Technik for KC-30A support

  19th January 2017

  Northrop Grumman Integrated Defence Services (IDS) has teamed with Lufthansa Technik to provide support services to the Royal Australian Air Force’s fleet of KC-30A Multi-Role …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Singapore: Italy developing anti-UAV system

  19th January 2017

  To meet an urgent need for a system to counter the threat from rogue UAVs, Elettronica (also known as ELT) continues to develop its ADRIAN …

• Defence Helicopter

  Italy reveals AW129 replacement

  19th January 2017

  Replacement of the Italian Army’s AW129 with a new exploration and escort (NEES) helicopter has come to light, further to a joint contract between Leonardo Helicopters and the …

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 ...