• Defence Notes

  Gulf States continue to forge defence industry partnerships, boosting autonomy and economic diversification

  3rd March 2023

  Gulf states are shoring up their defence industrial bases and forging deeper partnerships with traditional Western primes.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems future-proofs Typhoon with 'Tranche 5' upgrades and GCAP synergies

  7th July 2023

  BAE Systems is working to enhance the Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter with advanced chip technology, delivering significant computational power and improved cyber-resilience for future air combat capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  EDA begins study into adaptive materials for armoured vehicle camouflage

  28th June 2023

  Six European Defence Agency member states are joining efforts under the ASCALS project to develop new solutions and application processes to better conceal combat vehicles on the battlefield.

• Land Warfare

  Greensea demos robotic vehicle to locate buried munitions in the surf zone

  23rd June 2023

  On the boundaries between the land and naval domains, US company Greensea Systems has demonstrated the potential of a UGV to search for unexploded ordnance.

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX 2023: Israel Shipyards courts interest in OPV S-45 and S-80 Corvette

  3rd May 2023

  Earlier this year, Israel Shipyards delivered the first OPV S-45 to Côte d'Ivoire, making port calls along the way where potential customers got a chance to see the ship in person.

• Air Warfare

  AW149: Designed to Survive the Modern Battlefield (Sponsored)

  3rd July 2023

  Built for the most demanding operations on the modern battlefield, survivability is at the heart of Leonardo’s AW149 multi-role helicopter.

• Naval Warfare

  Indo-Pacific-geared corvette design unveiled by Abu Dhabi Ship Building

  24th May 2023

  At the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2023) event in Malaysia, Emirati shipbuilder Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) has unveiled a new 92m corvette design.

• Training

  British Army's training capabilities reach new heights with VBS4

  4th April 2023

  Elbit Systems UK has integrated Bohemia Interactive Simulation's DVS2 into the British Army's Combined Arms Virtual Simulation system for advanced military training. IFTech has also integrated BISim's VBS4 into its smart battle suit.

• Naval Warfare

  Chile sails ahead with construction of new naval transport vessel

  1st June 2023

  Chile's ASMAR shipyard has achieved a milestone in the construction of the first of four transport and support vessels for the country's navy.

• Air Warfare

  2023 F-35 deliveries take hit due to engine problem and Tech Refresh delays

  20th April 2023

  Lockheed Martin is expected to fall short of its target for delivering 156 F-35 fighter jets in 2023 due to a three-month pause in engine deliveries and delays with the Tech Refresh 3 update.

• Naval Warfare

  Australian navy receives final Bluebottle USV

  13th June 2023

  Australia's navy now has in its hands all five USVs that it ordered from a Sydney innovator and manufacturer.

• Land Warfare

  Teledyne FLiR delivers 1,000th anti-IED robot to US Army

  9th June 2023

  Teledyne FLIR has delivered the 1,000th robot to the US Army under the Man Transportable Robot System Increment II (MTRS Inc II) contract.

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman delivers key elements for Poland's new air defence system

  19th May 2023

  Northrop Grumman has begun delivering Integrated Battle Command System relay units under Poland's Wisla medium-range air defence programme.

• Air Warfare

  CAE delivers first magnetic anomaly detectors for Japanese maritime patrol aircraft fleet

  2nd June 2023

  CAE has delivered the first MAD-XR magnetic anomaly detectors for installation in new P-1 maritime patrol aircraft operated by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

• Naval Warfare

  German and Indian shipbuilders vie for Project 75I submarine contract

  8th June 2023

  Another twist has occurred in India's tortuous pathway to obtaining six AIP-equipped submarines, as Germany seeks pole position.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Landing Platform Docks [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF) is in the process of a fleet transformation plan (SNEP II) which, so far, has seen the procurement ...

• Frigates

  Frigates Procurement Programme [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Saudi Navy urges to enhance its combat capabilities and to replace older vessels. Riyadh has recently embarked on major naval ...

• Loitering munitions

  HERO-120 [Argentina]

  Programme Background Initial Purchase As reported by Janes, on 27 December 2022, the Argentine MoD announced it had signed a contract with Israeli MoD's Directorate ...

• Loitering munitions

  HERO-30 [Argentina]

  Programme Background Initial Purchase As reported by Janes, on 27 December 2022, the Argentine MoD announced it had signed a contract with Israeli MoD's Directorate ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Surion Marine Attack Helicopter (South Korea)

  Programme Background The ROKMC wants to obtain 24 attack helicopters for the first time. When bidding opened in January 2019, there were five contenders: Bell ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Brazil]

  Programme Background First Batch (2014) In 2014, Elbit reported supplying the Hermes 900 to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The drone is called the RQ-900 in ...

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

  Akinci [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background Erdogan Visit On 17 July 2023,  President Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Jeddah for the first stop of his Gulf tour. The following day, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Watchkeeper X (Contracted) [Romania]

  Programme Background 2021 In mid-2021, the Romanian manufacturer Aerostar signed a collaboration with U-TacS to potentially produce the Watchkeeper X in Romania. U-TacS is a ...

• Loitering munitions

  Harop [Morocco]

  Programme Background In November 2021, Haaretz reported that a $22 million drone sale between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Morocco had occurred. That publication and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Long-Endurance UAV [US AFRICOM]

  Programme Background Ageing MQ-9A Reapers In November 2022, Shephard reported that GA-ASI would continue supporting contractor SMX with its MQ-9A after winning a $2.3 billion task ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Watchkeeper X (Uncontracted) [Romania]

  Programme Background 2021 In mid-2021, the Romanian manufacturer Aerostar signed a collaboration with U-TacS to potentially produce the Watchkeeper X in Romania. U-TacS is a ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 [Australia]

  Programme Background Contract Award & Delivery On 8 July 2024, the Australian Government announced its soldiers would be equipped with Switchblade 300 following an acquisition ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Heavy Lift Helicopter [Philippines]

  Programme Background Procurement from Russia In November 2021, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that a contract had been signed to acquire 16 Mi-171 heavy ...

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

  WJ-700 [Algeria]

  Forecast Methodology Programme Value Unconfirmed reports show that the completed procurement cost Algeria $145 million in 2022. Quanity Required Reports indicated that Algreia had acquired four ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Persistent Surveillance / High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) [Japan]

  Programme Background Drone Appetite Released in December 2022, the Defence Buildup Programme (DBP) called on the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) to replace some human assets with ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Samoom

  Unveiled at the World Defence Show 2022, the Samoon is a Saudi Arabian UCAV manufactured by Intra Defence Technologies.  It is powered by Belgian ULPower Aero ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Cockerill i-X

  The Cockerill i-X is a wheeled armoured vehicle designed as a light armoured platform with a modular turret for intercepting enemy forces. John Cockerill Defense unveiled the new ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  2800 ASW Patrol Boat

  The 2800 ASW Patrol Boat, developed by Couach, is a vessel designed for ASW operations. Unveiled at the 2022 World Defence Show, the vessel can be ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Mulhim

  Developed by Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI), Mulhim is a developmental Battle Management System designed for brigade-level and below formations. First unveiled in 2022, it ...

• UAS: communication systems

  SkyARX Ku-18

  CTech SkyARX Ku-18 is a lightweight, SATCOM-on-the-move terminal designed for air applications. The Ku-band terminal supports the secure transmission of full-motion video, data, and mission-critical ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8N

  The PT-8D is an IR system from Overwatch Imaging. It is fitted with multiple HD thermal cameras and has been designed to conduct missions at dusk ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  SKAT 350

  Based on the Supercam 350, the SKAT 350 is a mini fixed-wing UAV manufactured by Kalashnikov Concern JSC. The drone was revealed in early 2024, ...

• Air: Displays

  LAD2008DA

  Produced by Psion DSP, LAD2008DA is a 20"x8" Large Area Display for full-glass cockpit applications. It was showcased during the 2022 Farnborough Air Show and the 2023 ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8D

  Marketed as a cost-effective solution, the PT-8D is a wide-area search and ISR payload from Overwatch Imaging. It features an RGB colour camera and a ...

• Land: RWS

  TEBER-II 30/40

  The Teber II-30/40 is a remote-controlled turret developed by Turkish manufacturer FNSS. This RCT is designed to fit tracked or wheeled armour vehicle programs. FNSS ...

• EO/IR systems

  PT-8DN

  The PT-8DN is a versatile day-night payload from Overwatch Imaging.  It has dual RGB sensors of different focal lengths and an HD LWIR sensor. It also ...

• Air: Displays

  RDU-4208 LAD

  ScioTeq RDU-4208 is a 20"x8" Large-Area Display. It features a fully redundant, high-resolution screen with multitouch support. Unveiled in 2022, it was also demonstrated in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  D-Tiger

  Thai Defense Industry (TDI) unveiled its D-Tiger 4x4 armoured tactical vehicle at Defense & Security 2022 in Bangkok. The D-Tiger is aimed at export sales, with ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Pars Alpha 8x8

  Unveiled at the World Defense Show 2024 in Riyadh, the Pars Alpha is the latest 8x8 Armoured Vehicle from Turkish manufacturer FNSS. Featuring improvements on ...

• Aircraft carriers

  Varan Aircraft Carrier

  At the Army 2022 defence exposition, Nevsky Design Bureau unveiled a new model for its light carrier design Varan. Varan is a non-nuclear powered ship capable ...