• Military Logistics

  Hercules fuel efficiency studies show promise

  12th April 2012

  Wind tunnel experiments to boost the fuel efficiency of the C-130 Hercules have shown that a system of microvanes show the most promise. Lockheed Martin …

• Digital Battlespace

  Layered ISTAR 'critical' to evolving operations

  11th April 2012

  The UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) and Raytheon UK have described the use of layered ISTAR assets as ‘critical’ to current operations. According to RAF …

• Defence Helicopter

  Egyptian Air Force receives AW139

  11th April 2012

  AgustaWestland has announced that it has delivered AW139 aircraft to the Egyptian Air Force under a Foreign Military Sales contract with the US Army Aviation …

• Digital Battlespace

  New CN235s for US Coast Guard

  11th April 2012

  Airbus Military has announced that the US Coast Guard has exercised a $78.5 million contract option to purchase two additional HC-144A Ocean Sentry Maritime Patrol …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USN grounds Fire Scout

  11th April 2012

  The US Navy has grounded its MQ-8B Fire Scout fleet following two recent incidents, it has been announced. According to the Naval Air Systems Command …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indian Navy launches third UAV squadron

  11th April 2012

  The Indian Navy has announced that it is due to commission a third UAV squadron on 11 April. In an effort to increase its surveillance …

• Military Logistics

  A400M propeller system gains certification

  10th April 2012

  Hamilton Sundstrand has announced that the FH385/386 propeller system produced by its subsidiary Ratier-Figeac has been certified for the A400M military transport aircraft. The European …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thales wins French Navy Lynx helicopter contract

  10th April 2012

  Thales has announced that it has been awarded a contract by the Service Industriel de l'Aéronautique (SIAé), France's military aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul service, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DoD still awaiting benefits of LTA investment

  10th April 2012

  The US DoD is not benefiting enough from multi-million dollar investment in lighter-than-air (LTA) technology, the CEO of Bye Aerospace has warned. According to George …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin awarded US Navy MH-60R/S contract

  10th April 2012

  Lockheed Martin has announced that the US Navy has awarded it a five-year contract to provide more than 200 digital cockpits and integrated mission systems …

• Military Logistics

  RAF A330 MRTT makes maiden flight

  10th April 2012

  Airbus Military has announced that the Royal Air Force’s (RAF’s) A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) has completed its first flight in RAF service on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ScanEagle completes hydrogen-powered fuel cell flight

  10th April 2012

  Insitu has announced that the ScanEagle UAV has successfully completed its first hydrogen-powered fuel cell flight. The two-and-a-half-hour flight test marks an important step in …

• Defence Helicopter

  PTDI purchases six EC725 for air force

  5th April 2012

  Eurocopter has announced that PT Dirgantara Indonesian (PTDI) Aerospace has purchased six EC725 aircraft for combat SAR missions. A statement from Eurocopter on 5 April …

• Defence Helicopter

  QuadA2012: Questions linger over next-generation engine funding

  4th April 2012

  The US Army hopes to move both candidates for its next-generation rotorcraft engine programme into an engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) phase but is yet …

• Defence Helicopter

  QuadA2012: US Army to carry out avionics upgrade to UH-60L Black Hawk fleet

  4th April 2012

  The US Army is planning to upgrade the cockpits on its fleet of UH-60L 'Lima' fleet in a bid to standardise the fleet, it has …

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 ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Polar Support Vessel [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirements In June 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a Request for Proposal (RfP) to procure a new Antarctic vessel to be manufactured in Brazil. The ...

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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• EO/IR systems, Land: unattended sensor/surveillance systems, Sea: ship surveillance and fire control systems

  SHAPO

  SHAPO is a multi-sensor, gyro-stabilised observation payload. It is intended for UAVs, helicopters, light aircraft, patrol boats, aerostats, airships, armoured vehicles and masts. Sensors include a ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...