• Defence Helicopter

  Eurocopter reveals optionally piloted EC145

  25th April 2013

  Eurocopter has validated its EC145 helicopter in an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) role following a successful series of flight tests using its testbed demonstrator. Demonstrated …

• Defence Helicopter

  French DGA takes delivery of first Tiger HAD

  22nd April 2013

  The first production Tiger helicopter in the HAD attack configuration built by Eurocopter has been delivered to the French GDA for the French Army Aviation …

• Defence Helicopter

  German medevac NH90s sent to Afghanistan

  18th April 2013

  Germany has delivered the first of four multi-role NH90 utility helicopters to Mazer-e Sharif, Afghanistan to provide emergency air rescue for front-line casualties.  The helicopter …

• Defence Helicopter

  Spain deploys Tiger attack helicopters to Afghanistan

  16th April 2013

  Despite ISAF operations winding down, Spain has sent three Eurocopter Tiger HAP attack helicopters to Afghanistan in an effort to bolster its helicopter forces which …

• Naval Warfare

  LAAD 2013: Brazil reveals submarine design details

  9th April 2013

  The PWR reactor design for the Brazilian Navy’s future nuclear-powered submarine (SN-Br) has been completed. A model of the design, known as the 2131-R, and …

• Digital Battlespace

  Estonia accepts air defence radar

  26th March 2013

  The Estonian Air Force has accepted into service its first ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) Ground Master 403 long-range air defence radar. The radar, inaugurated on 26 March, …

• Defence Helicopter

  MBDA: major projects on hold pending white paper release

  21st March 2013

  Despite a record year for exports, MBDA faces a series of challenges to the development of its domestic and international projects in 2013, chief executive …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2013: Eurocopter provides details on Tiger crashes

  6th March 2013

  Lutz Bertling, president and chief executive officer of Eurocopter, reviewed ongoing military activities and recent operational crashes involving the Tiger attack helicopter at the Heli-Expo …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales to conduct future military communications study

  4th March 2013

  Thales has been selected by the European Defence Agency (EDA) to conduct a study of the main terrestrial and satellite communication network programmes in European …

• Digital Battlespace

  Another Ground Master 400 radar base for France

  27th February 2013

  ThalesRaytheonSystems (TRS) will supply the French Air Force with a third Ground Master 406 (GM 406) radar for the Lyon Mont-Verdun airbase. The order includes …

• Military Logistics

  Avalon: Airbus expects A400M type certification mid-year

  26th February 2013

  Airbus Military aircraft expects the type certification of the A400M transport and refueling aircraft before the middle of 2013 after the aircraft completed cold weather …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman AHRS played critical role in nEUROn flight

  19th February 2013

  Northrop Grumman has announced that its German navigation systems subsidiary, Northrop Grumman LITEF, provided the fibre-optic, gyrocompassing LCR-100 attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) for …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales to extend French full-IP theatre network

  18th February 2013

  Thales will carry out work to extend the full-IP network that supports convergence between French armed forces’ theatre networks to the entire Syracuse military SATCOM …

• Military Logistics

  Airbus Military signs French A400M support contract

  18th February 2013

  Airbus Military has announced that it has signed the initial In-Service Support (ISS) contract with OCCAR, acting on behalf of France, which will see the …

• Land Warfare

  French army chief outlines equipment plans

  7th February 2013

  The Scorpion armoured vehicle programme for the French Army will be the ‘largest turnover of vehicles since the 1960s’, according to the head of the …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Bayraktar TB2 [Mali]

  Programme Background Six Drones On 22 December 2022, Joseph Dempsey, a research associate at IISS, tweeted photographs showing a Baytraktar TB2 adorned with the Malian ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  VBMR-L Serval [Luxembourg]

  Programme Background Luxembourg currently operates a small military of just over 1,000 personnel. Despite its small size, Luxembourg has contributed troops to both NATO and EU ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  EBRC Jaguar [Luxembourg]

  Programme Background Luxembourg currently operates a small military of just over 1,000 personnel. Despite its small size, Luxembourg has contributed troops to both NATO and EU ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  VBMR Griffon [Luxembourg]

  Programme Background Luxembourg currently operates a small military of just over 1,000 personnel. Despite its small size, Luxembourg has contributed troops to both NATO and EU ...

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

  Akinci [Mali]

  Background Presentation In December 2024, Akinci drones were presented to the Malian Armed Forces by transitional President General Assimi Goita during a ceremony in Bamako, confirming ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-171Sh

  While the Burkinabe Armed Forces declined to discuss the deal when contacted by Shephard, a Burkinabe military source did acknowledge that the aircraft were being ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Surplus Maxxpro [Bangladesh - Batch 1]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires MRAPs to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the Central African ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Surplus Maxxpro [Bangladesh - Batch 2]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires MRAPs to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the Central African ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  UN Peacekeeping Vehicles [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires 4x4 armoured vehicles to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [Netherlands and Estonia]

  Programme Background The Estonian Armed Forces had already been operating the THeMIS UGV in Mali for a year at the time the programme was announced ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS [Sweden]

  Programme Background Many countries have been acquiring small numbers of Milrem's THeMIS UGV since its success in the hands of Estonian Forces in Mali. The ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VBCI Replacement [France]

  Programme Background The VBCI is currently France's primary IFV. As an 8x8 wheel vehicle, it fits within a French force structure that favours agile, manoeuvrable ...

• Minehunters

  Mine Warfare Vessels [France]

  Programme Background Requirements France’s Mine Warfare Vessels programme is aimed at replacing the ageing Eridan-class minehunters. The programme will follow the Future Naval Mine Action System ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  Long-Range Ground Strike (FLP-T) [France]

  Background The French Army currently operates the M270 as its only MLRS. France previously procured a total of 55, though this number had reduced to ...

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

  MQ-9 Reaper [France]

  Programme Background 2013 (Block 1) The then-French Defence Minister, Kean-Yves Le Drian, confirmed on 31 May 2013 that France had ordered its first two MQ-9 platforms. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: mission management systems

  FINDSAT - BFT System

  Using geo-satellite positioning, Nexter’s BFT system (FINDSAT) is capable of identifying and locating friendly personnel who are not equipped with networked information or radio systems. ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS

  Milrem's Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) is a modular, hybrid UGV.  The vehicle's modular design and open architecture allow it to be reconfigured to ...

• Land: indirect fire location radar

  GA10

  The Ground Alerter 10 (GA10), developed by Thales, is a portable Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) early warning system. It provides 360° azimuth coverage with ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  HOT 3

  Designed to destroy reactive armour, the HOT (Haut subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube, or High Subsonic, Optical, Remote-Guided, Tube-Launched) family has demonstrated its multipurpose capability. Tens ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-8/Mi-17

  The Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name Hip) is a twin-engine, multirole, medium helicopter developed from 1960 to meet Soviet military requirements. More than 18,000 examples of the ...

• Light UGVs

  Probot

  The 4x4 Professional Robot (Probot) is suitable for various applications, both indoor and outdoor, and is designed to carry a payload of up to 700kg. ...

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

  Heron Mk 1

  The Heron, now called the Heron Mk I, is a MALE UAS manufactured by Isreal Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Malat Division. Designed for various missions, including ISTAR and artillery fire ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  AS532

  The AS532 is a development of the SA 330 Puma, with a long fuselage and marketed for tactical transport and logistical support missions. It has ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Puma M36 Mk 5

  OTT developed the Puma M36 Mk 5 to meet the needs of African customers for a lower-cost vehicle that offers a greater payload than its ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  TopOwl

  The TopOwl binocular helmet-mounted sight and display has been chosen by 16 countries for their army, navy and/or air force attack and transport helicopters. It ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VBCI

  Nexter developed the VBCI to meet a French Army requirement for an infantry fighting vehicle to replace the tracked AMX-10P. The 8x8 design was specified ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Protivnik-GE

  The Protivnik-GE is a mobile 3D surveillance radar distributed by Russian supplier Rosoboronexport and is currently used by the Russian Armed Forces and the Egyptian ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  SPREOS

  Bird Aerosystems’ SPREO is a Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) designed to protect rotary and fixed-wing aircraft against incoming infrared (IR) guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. ...

• Frigates

  La Fayette/Kang Ding Class

  The La Fayette-class frigates have a stealthy design and are in service with France and Taiwan, with some variance between the ships on length and ...

• Air-to-air missiles

  9M39 Igla-V

  The 9M39 Igla-V (‘needle’) is a Russian IR homing SAM adapted for helicopter use. It is an air-launched version of the Igla MANPADS, which the ...