• Digital Battlespace

  Ukraine taps into its citizens for ISTAR information

  2nd May 2024

  Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 saw the country quickly establish a situational awareness system to support targeting and provide information to frontline troops.

• Air Warfare

  Turkey inches closer to F-16 fighter deal

  4th March 2024

  The majority of US senators have declared their support for the sale of F-16s to Turkey despite concerns regarding the country’s past military behaviour, thereby emphasising the importance of the US in fulfilling its commitments to NATO allies and enhancing Turkey’s military capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems delivers Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle to US Army

  7th March 2024

  BAE Systems' Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) was developed in response to a US Army requirement to replace ageing M113 APCs. The US Army has an acquisition objective of a total of 2,897 AMPVs under this approximately US$14.5 billion programme.

• Defence Notes

  CUAS platforms, security systems and MBTs steal the spotlight as the curtain falls on Eurosatory 2024

  21st June 2024

  Eurosatory 2024 is done, the boxes are mostly put away, vehicles sent home to bed, stalls torn down, ripped carpet rolled up and weary business directors and their engineers have, for the last time for this edition, hung their MKU lanyards around their necks. But what, if anything, have we learned from this show in suburban Paris?

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Analysis: Europe emerges as a crucial strategic market for UAV manufacturers

  5th June 2024

  Europe's fragmented UAV market, driven by geopolitical factors and recent conflicts like the Russo–Ukrainian War, offers significant opportunities for drone manufacturers. Key technological advancements and evolving procurement strategies present a fertile landscape for growth and innovation in the region.

• Land Warfare

  Palantir bags $178 million US Army TITAN deep sensing contract

  8th March 2024

  Palantir has committed to constructing 10 TITAN ground stations and deploying five basic variants on the US Army’s Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, with frontline soldier input ensuring essential capabilities have been integrated into each system.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Autonomous navigation drives UUVs proliferation in the Indo-Pacific

  7th March 2024

  The US Department of Defence has teamed up with Anduril Industries to develop advanced AI-driven long-range uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), countering China’s escalating UUV advancements.

• Naval Warfare

  Italy’s Fincantieri signs $1.3 billion contract to supply PPAs to Indonesia

  28th March 2024

  The contract will include two PPA units which were originally designed for and ordered by the Italian Navy.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin wins contract for more Precision Strike Missiles

  7th March 2024

  In November 2023, Lockheed Martin announced it had successfully completed a production qualification flight test of Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) from an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS). The company has received an order for more missiles.

• Land Warfare

  Logos fire detector ordered for US Army

  1st March 2024

  Serenity, a hostile fire detection (HFD) system, combines EO and acoustic sensors to pinpoint the origin of heavy weapons and explosive detonations up to 10km away in any direction.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  First flights of Rattler Supersonic Target prove successful

  20th March 2024

  The US Department of Defense (DoD), along with QinetiQ, successfully conducted the first flights of the Rattler Supersonic Target MkI marking a significant advance in supersonic target technology.

• Air Warfare

  Germany sets sight on JASSM extended range cruise missiles as potential Taurus successor

  19th March 2024

  The extended range air-to-surface standoff missiles could reportedly replace Germany's coveted Taurus missiles in the long-term.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates to receive life rafts from Survitec

  27th March 2024

  Babcock has signed a contract with the survival tech company for forty life rafts, which will be extended into 2028.

• Special Operations

  USSOCOM to deploy next-generation communications for sUAS in contested scenarios

  4th May 2024

  SOCOM will operate the PDW Blackwave system, which enables critical communications and the operation of small drones in highly congested environments.

• Defence Notes

  Boeing fined $51 million due to unauthorised exports

  5th March 2024

  An administrative settlement between the US Department of State and the manufacturer resolved 199 violations of US regulations including unauthorised exports of technical data to China.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-20A Puma [Latvia]

  Programme Background The US DoD is financing military modernisation in the Baltic to improve the capabilities of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian militaries. This includes ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook [Saudi Arabia]

  Programme Background In addition to the aircraft, the request includes M134D mini-Guns, aircraft survivability equipment, infrared signature suppression system, fast rope insertion extraction system, extended ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Surplus M1126 Stryker APCs (Thailand)

  Programme BackgroundAccording to reports from Thai and US media, the RTA planned to take delivery of 120 Strykers by the end of 2020. These would ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multirole Fighter [Morocco]

  Programme Background 2019 In March 2019, the US State Department announced that it had approved a possible FMS of 25 F-16V Block 72 aircraft to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Data links

  Data links | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | KC-130J [Saudi Arabia]

  Royal Saudi Air Force is seeking to purchase three KC-130J tanker aircraft in addition to two units acquired under foreign military sale (FMS) programme. On 9 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache (Follow-On) [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco has placed a request with the US government for AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. On 20 November 2019, it was announced that the ...

• UAE Surplus MaxxPro MRAP

  Programme Background Following the withdrawal of many of its forces from Iraq and Afghanistan, the US has sought to divest of many of its MRAPs ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• US Navy T-44C training services

  In late 2013, CAE received a contract to provide the USN with comprehensive T-44C aircrew training services at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas. CAE USA is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Trailers

  M900 Series

  Heil’s M900-series tactical refuellers are designed and built to meet US military performance standards. The M967A2 ground equipment refueller and the M969A3 aircraft refueller are ...