• Defence Notes

  New UK MoD equipment report demonstrates spending progress

  31st January 2013

  Following the scrutiny of its spending costs by the National Audit Office (NAO) in 2011, the UK MoD has now made ‘significant positive steps’ to …

• Digital Battlespace

  Sagem delivers Sterna PTLS to French, US forces

  31st January 2013

  Sagem has delivered its Sterna Precision Target Locating System (PTLS) to the French Army and the US Army following the launch of production for the …

• Land Warfare

  Australia receives final Giraffe system

  30th January 2013

  Australia’s Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced on 30 January that the final of three Counter Rocket Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM) Giraffe radars had …

• Land Warfare

  British Army conducts largest ever virtual exercise

  30th January 2013

  The British Army has announced that soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh completed the army’s largest ever virtual simulation exercise on 30 January. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Poland launches comprehensive helicopter fleet renewal

  30th January 2013

  The Polish Armed Forces is reviewing bids for an initial 70 helicopter requirement, with a contract expected to be awarded at the end of this …

• Digital Battlespace

  West 2013: JIE framework implementation gathers pace

  30th January 2013

  The DoD is progressing with the implementation of the Joint Information Environment (JIE) framework that will create a single seamless, secure network accessible by employees …

• Digital Battlespace

  West 2013: budget cuts will affect US military readiness, warns vice chairman

  30th January 2013

  The ability of US military forces to maintain high levels readiness is under threat due to the budgetary challenges faced by the US government. Speaking …

• Military Logistics

  Details of Chinese Y-20 emerge

  29th January 2013

  Following the successful maiden flight of the Y-20, China’s first domestically developed heavy air transport, Chinese media revealed further details of the project on 26 …

• Land Warfare

  Spain selects Husky Mounted Detection System

  28th January 2013

  Critical Solutions International (CSI) has delivered six Husky Mounted Detection Systems (HMDS) to the Spanish Army as part of a contract valued at more than …

• Defence Notes

  Canada moves on CF-18 fleet replacement

  28th January 2013

  Canada’s National Fighter Procurement Secretariat has kicked off its replacement of the CF-18 fleet with the issuing of a draft questionnaire to five companies on …

• Defence Helicopter

  Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter takes flight

  28th January 2013

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced that the first Wildcat attack helicopter to be delivered to the Royal Navy successfully completed its first …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Anka UAV completes test flight programme

  25th January 2013

  Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has announced that the Anka Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV has completed the last flights of its acceptance test campaign. …

• Digital Battlespace

  General Dynamics details US Army MUOS upgrade award

  25th January 2013

  General Dynamics has received an order from the US Army for upgrade kits that will enable the force’s AN/PRC-155 two-channel Manpack radios to communicate with …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales to upgrade NATO protected SATCOM capability

  25th January 2013

  Thales will upgrade the protected SATCOM capability of NATO under a new contract announced on 25 January. The award, issued by the NATO Communications and …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon submits GASNT proposal to USAF

  24th January 2013

  Raytheon announced on 23 January that it has submitted its proposal to build the US Air Force’s (USAF) Global Aircrew Strategic Network Terminal (GASNT). The …

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 ...

• 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 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Undisclosed European Country]

  Background Various Contracts On 18 November 2024, Elbit Systems announced it had awarded various contacts with a combined $335 million to an undisclosed European country. ...

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 ...