• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA awards Aurora ALIAS programme contract

  8th January 2015

  According to a press release on 5 January 2015 by Aurora Flight Sciences, the company has won a $6 million contract for the first phase …

• Military Logistics

  US Army seeks frontline water solutions

  8th January 2015

  The US Army is looking for technical solutions to bring water supplies further into the tactical environment. Following a prototype development phase the Army’s Rapid …

• Defence Helicopter

  Z-18A undergoes high-altitude testing

  8th January 2015

  Pictures of the new Z-18A troop-carrying helicopter undergoing high-altitude testing have emerged on the Chinese internet as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) looks for a …

• Defence Notes

  Cubic selected to enhance F-35 fighter jet ACTS

  7th January 2015

  Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has awarded Cubic Corporation a series of contracts for creating and adding enhancements to the Air Combat Training System (ACTS) of its …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army focuses on sensor research for situational awareness

  7th January 2015

  US Army scientists and engineers are advancing sensor technology research to enhance the situational awareness of soldiers in the battlefield. The army reported the latest …

• Digital Battlespace

  Second BMD radar for Japan

  7th January 2015

  The US has deployed a second X-band Raytheon AN/TPY-2 radar system to Japan. The US DoD announced on 29 December that the radar, which is …

• Land Warfare

  Cubic receives Italian Army training award

  7th January 2015

  Cubic Defense Applications will provide equipment to enhance the Italian Army’s full spectrum training capacity under a $6.5 million follow-on option announced on 6 January. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales fire control system selected for French Navy

  7th January 2015

  Thales has received a contract to upgrade the anti-air missile fire control system on the French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the company announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  Russia accelerates rotorcraft fleet renewal

  6th January 2015

  Around 135 new helicopters were delivered to the Russian military in 2014, as the country continues a wide-ranging modernisation of its rotorcraft fleet. The majority …

• Defence Helicopter

  New Zealand NH90s take up responsibilities

  6th January 2015

  Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) NH90 transport helicopters continue to take up greater mission responsibilities, as demonstrated by the type’s transition from the Helicopter …

• Land Warfare

  Taiwan advances CM32 8x8

  6th January 2015

  Taiwan has stated that 205 production variants of its CM32/CM33 8x8 Cloud Leopard armoured vehicle were completed by the end of 2014. Built by the …

• Military Logistics

  SNC awarded US Army MOTS follow-on contract

  5th January 2015

  Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) will supply five AN/TSQ-135 Mobile Tower Systems (MOTS) to the US Army under a $17 million follow-on Low Rate Initial Production …

• Naval Warfare

  Terma SCANTER radars selected for RN OPVs

  5th January 2015

  BAE Systems has selected the Terma SCANTER 4100 radar system for the three River Class offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) currently under construction for the Royal …

• Military Logistics

  Italian Air Force orders three M-346 aircraft

  5th January 2015

  A contract signed on 22 December will see Alenia Aermacchi supply three additional M-346 advanced trainer aircraft to the Italian Air Force along with ground …

• Military Logistics

  Elbit Systems of America to upgrade Brazilian C-1A aircraft

  5th January 2015

  Elbit Systems of America will upgrade four Grumman C-1A aircraft for the Brazilian Navy under a $106 million sub-contract announced on 23 December. The programme’s …

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 ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Long Range Air Defence [Brazil]

  Background Brazil is in the process of expanding its medium-range air defence capabilities and is known to be interested in acquiring a long-range air defence ...

• 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 ...

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 ...