• Defence Notes

  MBDA calls for greater Anglo-French co-operation

  21st March 2012

  MBDA has called for 'mutual dependence' between the UK and France, warning that a lack of co-operation could see both countries losing out in the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to build Ku Band MFRFS radar prototype

  20th March 2012

  Raytheon has announced that it has been awarded a contract for the prototype build of the Ku Band Multi-Function RF System (MFRFS) Sense and Warn …

• Naval Warfare

  Selex Elsag selected for US Navy E-2C radios

  20th March 2012

  Selex Elsag has announced that it has signed a contract with Northrop Grumman ISS International, for the manufacturing, integration, test and delivery of the high …

• Land Warfare

  Meprolight shooting for synergy

  20th March 2012

  Meprolight is planning to create more of a ‘synergy’ with sister company IWI in order to best integrate its weapon sights onto firearms, company sources have …

• Defence Notes

  RT pursues civil aerostat capability

  20th March 2012

  Aeronautics subsidiary RT is preparing to take its Skystar 180 and 300 aerostats to Nimes, France on 24 March to evaluate its transition from a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman receives LAIRCM contract

  19th March 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it has been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract from the US Air Force (USAF) for the provision of Large Aircraft Infrared …

• Military Logistics

  Additional C17 for RAAF

  19th March 2012

  The Australian government has confirmed that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) will be receiving a sixth C-17A Globemaster III heavy-lift aircraft in a statement …

• Land Warfare

  Australia presses for more Bushmaster vehicles

  19th March 2012

  The Australian Minister for Defence, Stephen Smith, and Minister for Defence Materiel, Jason Clare, have announced that the Federal Government will spend more than $15.5 …

• Military Logistics

  Sierra Nevada wins US Army contract

  16th March 2012

  Sierra Nevada has announced that it has been awarded a $56 million contract by the US Army to manufacture SNC's Mobile Tower System (MOTS). The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris Corporation wins USMC radio order

  15th March 2012

  Harris Corporation has announced that it has received orders worth a total of $64 million from the US Marine Corps (USMC) for its Falcon III …

• Land Warfare

  Navistar Defense wins MRAP work

  15th March 2012

  Navistar Defense has announced that it has been issued with an award to conduct the installation work associated with its January order to upgrade 2,717 …

• Digital Battlespace

  iGov wins US Navy SPAWAR contract

  15th March 2012

  iGov has announced that it has been selected to provide Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), Information Operations (IO), and Information Assurance Equipment (IA) to the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman wins USAF C2 contract

  14th March 2012

  Northrop Grumman has announced that it has been selected by the US Air Force (USAF) for the Air and Space Operations Centre (AOC) Weapon System …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ReconRobotics announces USMC Recon Scout order

  14th March 2012

  ReconRobotics has been awarded a contract for 126 Recon Scout XT micro-UGV kits by the US Marine Corps (USMC) through the Robotic Systems Joint Project …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australian Navy retires the A109

  14th March 2012

  The Australian Navy has retired its fleet of AgustaWestland A109 helicopters as the type makes way for the introduction of the Bell 429. The aircraft, …

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]

  Background Requirement Since the early 2010s, Poland has wanted to upgrade its Soviet-era tank fleet due to modernisation requirements, the need to increase interoperability with NATO ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro

  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]

  Background Requirements Australia has set out requirements for a fleet of up to 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels - Medium (LMV-M) with the release of a ...

• 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

  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

  Leopard 2A4 [Czech Republic]

  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 2022, ...

• 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 ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Chios class LST replacement [Greece]

  Background Requirements The Hellenic Navy’s Chios-class tank landing ship platforms have been in service for almost 30 years. Shephard estimates they will start reaching their out-of-service date (OSD) ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS (Batch 2) [Australia]

  Programme background Prior to selecting HIMARS in January 2023, Australia did not operate an MLRS system. However, the effectiveness of Ukrainian HIMARS convinced the Australian government ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle USV (16-55) [Australia]

  Programme Background Timeline The RAN purchased a number of the 6.8m-long Bluebottles, including five under an A$4.9 million ($3.3 million) contract signed in November 2022. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Project Land 400 Phase 3 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement: 2015 RfI The Land 400 Phase 3 programme will procure a new tracked IFV to replace the Australian Army's legacy fleet of ...

• 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, ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• Naval: RF/IR/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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Land: RWS

  R400 Slinger

  The R400 Slinger is a counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) remote weapon system (RWS) being developed in Australia. The development is a response to growing international ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...