• Defence Notes

  South Korea accepts two bids for KF-X fighter

  10th March 2015

  Two companies have submitted bids for South Korea’s US$7.9 billion programme to develop and procure a locally-build fighter. The project suffered a slight hiccup when …

• Land Warfare

  CACI to continue US Army NVESD support

  9th March 2015

  CACI International will continue supporting the US Army's Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), under a task order announced by the company on 5 …

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed restarts P-3 Orion wing production line

  9th March 2015

  Lockheed Martin restarted the wing production line for the Canadian and Chilean P-3 Orion Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) programme on 4 March. The wing line for …

• Military Logistics

  US team successfully demonstrates microgrid system

  6th March 2015

  An advanced microgrid system capable of off-grid operation using stored and high penetration renewable energy has been demonstrated by a team comprised of Raytheon, the …

• Military Logistics

  SAIC to upgrade ten AAV prototypes

  6th March 2015

  Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) has progressed to the next phase of the US Marine Corps’ Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) upgrade programme, with the Program …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE to bid for Australian patrol boat programme

  6th March 2015

  BAE Systems Australia has announced that it will bid for Australia's patrol boat replacement programme. The Request for Tender for the project was released by …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAAF EA-18G Growler training reaches milestone

  5th March 2015

  Five aircrew personnel from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) graduated basic training at the US Navy's EA-18G Growler Fleet Replacement Squadron at a ceremony …

• Naval Warfare

  Australia releases Pacific Patrol Boat RfT

  5th March 2015

  The Australian Department of Defence has released a Request for Tender (RFT) for Australian-made replacements for its Pacific Patrol Boats under the Pacific Maritime Security …

• Naval Warfare

  Rescue 21 gets 'Safety of Life at Sea' Declaration

  5th March 2015

  The General Dynamics-built Rescue 21 system has achieved 'Safety of Life at Sea' Declaration from US Department of Homeland Security, the company announced on 3 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman updates on USAF Global Hawk

  5th March 2015

  The US Air Force (USAF) RQ-4 Global Hawk Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) saw its cost per flight hour drop and number of flight hours increase …

• Defence Helicopter

  DARPA awards Sikorsky ALIAS Phase 1 contract

  5th March 2015

  Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. has been awarded a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for Phase 1 of the Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation …

• Military Logistics

  Barge ramp facility project in Darwin

  5th March 2015

  A project for building a Multi User Barge Ramp Facility in Darwin, Australia, has been referred to the parliamentary standing committee on public works, as …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Heli-Expo 2015: ASU brings new microgimbal to the UAV market

  4th March 2015

  Aviation Specialities Unlimited (ASU) is demonstrating the new Observation Wide-Area Low-Altitude Sensor (OWLS) microgimbal at Heli-Expo 2015.   Adapted for small UAVs, the new sensor is …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Stryker Brigades get WIN-T Increment 2

  4th March 2015

  The US Army has been fielding General Dynamics' Warfighter Information Network – Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2 to selected Stryker Brigade combat teams, the company announced …

• Naval Warfare

  ISIS can threaten Med

  3rd March 2015

  ISIS extremists could present a threat to shipping in the Mediterranean as a result of the unstable situation in Libya. International consultancy Perim Associates, experts …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Logistics, Ammunition Carrier and Mortar Carrier Variants) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Amphibious Vehicles) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland]

  Programme Background Requirement Since the early 2010s Poland wanted to upgrade its Soviet-era tank fleet due to modernisation requirements, the need to increase interoperability with NATO ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Drone40 (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background In August 2022, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank, held a podcast with Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, in which ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements Australia has set out requirements for a fleet of up to 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels - Medium (LMV-M) with the release of ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Land 400 Phase 2 - Boxer CRV [Australia]

  Programme Background History The Land 400 Phase 2 programme will procure a replacement for the ASLAV, a derivative of the General Dynamics Land Systems Light Armoured Vehicle ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A4 [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background  The Czech Republic currently operates a small fleet of T-72s, which, while undergoing upgrades and life extension programmes, are increasingly obsolete. In October ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Second Hand SSNs [Australia]

  Programme Background Timeline In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• Main battle tanks

  Viatura Blindada de Combate-Carro de Combate (VBC-CC) [Brazil]

  Programme Background Several key technical requirements have been outlined by the Brazilian MoD. Among the most important are that the platform should weigh less than ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A1 Abrams (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Australia has been amongst the various Western allies providing Ukraine with military aid. Prior ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  Programme Background AUKUS Australia announced on 16 September 2021 that the contract with Naval Group signed in 2016 had been cancelled. Although not a surprising ...

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

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R [Spain]

  Programme Background On 16 March 2022, the US State Department approved an FMS to Spain for eight MH-60R helicopters and associated equipment and weaponry for $950 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Carl-Gustaf M3

  The Carl-Gustaf M3 is the third generation of the 84mm shoulder-fired recoilless antitank gun, first fielded by the Swedish Army in 1946. Since then, it ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm KE DM63 / DM53 A1 Tank Ammunition

  The 120mm kinetic energy tank ammunition is manufactured by Rheinmetall. There are several variations of the ammunition, including the DM63, which can be fired from ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120MM HEAT-TP F1A

  Franco-German KNDS-Nexter produce the 120mm High-Explosive Anti-Tank Training-Purpose F1A (HEAT-TP F1A) round to enable reduced-cost training for Main Battle Tank crews. 

• Main battle tanks

  M1/M1A1 Abrams

  The 105mm-armed M1 Abrams tracked MBT was introduced into US Army service in 1980 as a replacement for the 105mm-armed M60 MBT. In April 1991, ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm PELE Tank Ammunition

  The 120mm Penetrator with Enhanced Lateral Effect (PELE) tank ammunition is an inert round produced by Rheinmetall. It is suitable for use against semi-hard targets ...

• S-64 Helitanker Fire-fighting Equipment

  Erickson's 10,031l tank for the S-64 helitanker drops water, retardant or foam mix at a rate of around 95l/h. Microprocessor-controlled tank doors offer eight individual ...

• Naval: RF, IR and acoustic decoys

  Nulka

  The Nulka is an active anti-ship missile decoy originally conceived in Australia, and developed under a joint Australian-US programme. BAE Systems Australia is prime contractor, while ...

• Light mortars

  60mm Mortar Ammunition

  US-based LD Systems' 60mm Mortar ammunition fulfils the NATO standard for lightweight mortar ammunition.

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  120mm L55A1

  The 120mm L55A1 is a smoothbore high-pressure gun based on the L55 tank gun. The L55A1 has been qualified and in service since 2019. It ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  120mm L55 Tank Gun

  The 120mm L55 is a smoothbore tank gun produced by Rheinmetall. It is designed for use on the Leopard main battle tank, to which it ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3

  The M1A2 System Enhancement Package 3 (M1A2 SEPv3, also known as M1A2C) is the latest production-standard variant of the Abrams MBT. Designed primarily to address ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP)

  The M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) is a 120mm tank round developed by Northrop Grumman Defence Systems. Various customers, including Bahrain, Israel, and the US, use the tank ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  Next Generation Combat Vehicle Ammunition

  The Next Generation Combat Vehicle Ammunition (NGVA) is a family of ammunition being developed by the US Army's Armaments Center and manufactured by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN AUKUS

  The SSN-AUKUS will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  CVTESS

  Saab's Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CVTESS) is a laser-based simulator which supports every version of the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Bradley ...