• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Watchkeeper deployment to Afghanistan ‘unlikely’

  25th March 2014

  The British Army’s WK450 Watchkeeper is unlikely to be deployed to Afghanistan due to ‘significant delays’ to the programme, the UK House of Commons Defence …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Triton completes initial envelope expansion testing

  24th March 2014

  The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) under development by Northrop Grumman for the US Navy has completed its initial envelope expansion test programme, with …

• Digital Battlespace

  New P-8A operational flight trainers for US Navy

  21st March 2014

  In addition to new simulation system orders announced on 20 March, CAE has received a new order from Boeing and the US Navy to supply …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Brimstone integration on Reaper success, MBDA says

  21st March 2014

  MBDA has revealed details about the integration of the Dual-Mode Brimstone munition on board a UK Royal Air Force (RAF) MQ-9 Reaper UAV following a …

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall expects recovery of defence sales in 2014

  21st March 2014

  Rheinmetall has reported a lower group operating profit for 2013 compared to 2012 as defence sales have been affected by a challenging budget environment.  Operating …

• Naval Warfare

  Rheinmetall successfully demo’s MASS with Elta NavGuard

  21st March 2014

  Rheinmetall announced on 21 March that in cooperation with the German armed forces and IAI Elta it had successfully tested the Multi Ammunition Softkill System …

• Land Warfare

  GD-OTS confirms submission for ULCV

  21st March 2014

  The Flyer Gen III vehicle from General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) is being put forward for the US Army’s new Ultra Light Combat …

• Land Warfare

  New Afghan MSFV orders on hold

  21st March 2014

  Plans for additional Commando Select armoured vehicles for the Afghan National Army (ANA) are being put on hold until a bi-lateral US-Afghanistan security agreement is …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk Block 40 UAV delivered to USAF

  20th March 2014

  A second Global Hawk Block 40 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) ordered under Northrop Grumman’s Lot 10 contract has been delivered to the US Air Force …

• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems wins MBT upgrade contract

  20th March 2014

  Elbit Systems will perform work to upgrade a number of systems on an unnamed Asia-Pacific customer’s main battle tank fleet under a new contract, worth …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Navy to study MH-53E engine fire risk

  20th March 2014

  The US Navy plans to award Sikorsky a contract to study ways to ‘reduce or eliminate’ the risk of engine-fires on its MH-53E Sea Dragon …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Army to increase Gray Eagle flight hours

  19th March 2014

  The US Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS will be subject to a surge in flight hours upon its return from operations in Afghanistan to maintain …

• Defence Notes

  China becomes fourth-largest arms exporter

  18th March 2014

  China has become the world’s fourth largest weapons exporter amid continued growth in international arms sales, according to a new study by Sweden-based think-tank SIPRI.  …

• Military Logistics

  First KC-130J Tanker delivered to USMC Reserve

  18th March 2014

  The US Marine Corps Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 (VMGR-234) stationed at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, has taken delivery of …

• Digital Battlespace

  Sniper ATP-SE achieves IOC with US Air Force

  18th March 2014

  Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod - Sensor Enhancement (ATP-SE) has achieved initial operating capability (IOC) with the US Air Force, clearing the way for …

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 ...