• Land Warfare

  The Italian Army’s ambitious IFV plan

  14th June 2024

  The Italian Army has plans in place to procure up to 679 tracked IFVs to replace 200 Dardo IFVs currently in service with its mechanised units, as well as its M113 fleet.

• Land Warfare

  Tata to build IFVs in North Africa

  3rd October 2024

  The Wheeled Amphibious Armoured Platform (WhAP) was designed to meet an Indian Army requirement. Only six have been ordered by India and it is likely the US Stryker may be purchased instead.

• Naval Warfare

  Steel cutting begins on third Type 31 Inspiration-class frigate in UK

  9th October 2024

  HMS Formidable has begun steel cutting just 20 months after its predecessor vessel, HMS Active.

• Digital Battlespace

  L3Harris Technologies satellite communications system passes design review

  11th September 2024

  L3Harris’s Rapidly Adaptable Standards-compliant Open Radio (RASOR) system has been designed to support the connection of service-specified waveforms from Earth to Commercial Satellite Internet (CSI) constellations.

• Training

  Vietnam receives first batch of L-39NG jets and awaits US trainers

  30th August 2024

  The 12 L-39NGs jet trainers ordered by Vietnam will replace the country’s fleet of L-39C Albatros jets.

• Defence Notes

  RTX’s unauthorised exports result in $200 million fine

  2nd September 2024

  According to the US Department of State, 750 company violations were recorded from 2017 to 2023.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems wins $4 million in DARPA cash for AI programme

  11th September 2024

  The challenges of getting artificial intelligence into a jet fighter’s cockpit have proved considerable to date. BAE Systems will take a machine-learning approach to the problem.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Revolutionising Warfare: The Rapid Rise and Future of UGVs (Analysis)

  17th June 2024

  The uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) market is advancing rapidly due to technological growth and geopolitical shifts. Increased investment and evolving defence priorities are driving interest in UGVs, although political, technological, and production challenges must be addressed for full market potential.

• Air Warfare

  Egypt orders two C-130J Super Hercules

  6th September 2024

  The two aircraft may well be the first instalment of up to a dozen replacements for Egypt’s legacy Hercules fleet.

• Air Warfare

  L3 Technologies awarded $587 million contract for next stage of new Growler jammer

  11th September 2024

  The Next Generation Jammer-Low Band (NGJ-LB) is part of a larger NGJ system that will augment and ultimately replace the legacy ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System on the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan to procure technical support for its Aegis-class destroyer fleet

  5th September 2024

  The sale would allow Japan significant technical and computer support for its Aegis-class destroyers for the immediate future.

• Air Warfare

  MBDA shows Orchestrike swarming missile system progress at Farnborough

  22nd July 2024

  MBDA demonstrated Orchestrike, a collaborative combat solution designed to help overcome complex air defence challenges, at Paris Air Show in 2023 and is showing the progress made since then at Farnborough International Airshow.

• Training

  Australia’s ‘Top Gun’ exercise in Top End reaches unprecedented scale in face of Chinese military build up

  24th July 2024

  Fast-jet exercise focuses on interoperability and cooperation between allies amid growing regional security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin to work with DARPA on AI effort

  11th July 2024

  During the 18-month period of the contract, Lockheed Martin will apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to create surrogate models of aircraft, sensors, electronic warfare and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments.

• Digital Battlespace

  The New Battlefield: Space Defence, Emerging Threats, and Strategic Opportunities (Studio)

  11th July 2024

  The growing importance of space in modern warfare, advancements in satellite technology, and increasing threats from rivals like China and Russia were among the topics of a Eurosatory 2024 panel on military space operations.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  The Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike (FVL-MS) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement The FVL-MS programme seeks to develop and acquire a family of systems, including crewed and uncrewed aircraft, to replace rotary life aircraft utilised ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Short Range (LE-SR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Loitering munitions

  Launched Effects - Medium Range (LE-MR) [US]

  Background Air-launched effect (ALE) In 2022, the US sought a family of systems comprising an air vehicle, payload, mission systems applications and support equipment to ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Medium Aerial Resupply Vehicle – Expeditionary ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift UAV [Germany]

  Background  Victor U250 agreement On 10 June 2026, at ILA Berlin, Rheinmetall, ERC Systems, and the North Rhine-Westphalia state formed a strategic partnership to lay ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) (MV-75 Cheyenne II) [USA]

  Programme Background US Army's Future Vertical Lift Programme The FLRAA is one of three strands of a broader army programme. The others are the Future ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey [Japan]

  Programme Background Procurement Contracts The Japanese government is the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey, having ordered 17 helicopters from the US across ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A) that will provide logistics and ground units with their ...

• Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F CHINOOK [USA]

  Programme Background As the Army's only heavy-lift helicopter, the CH-47F Improved Cargo helicopter is an essential component of the Army's Multi-Domain Battle framework. The CH-47F ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

• Data links

  Data links | Future Naval Fighter China

  China is planning to deploy stealth naval fighter aircraft with vertical take-off landing capabilities to operate from Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)'s future Type 075A class ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  V-247 Vigilant

  The V-247 Vigilant is a tiltrotor UAV from Bell. Officially introduced in 2016, it features an open modular architecture and can host several payloads. These include ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  SB-1 Defiant

  The SB-1 Defiant is a Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) aircraft. Sikorsky and Boeing announced in February 2013 that they would submit a joint proposal ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Aerosonde Mk 4.8 HQ FTUAS

  From the Texton family of Aerosonde UAS, the Aerosonde Mk 4.8 Hybrid Quad (HQ) FTUAS is a tactical drone purpose-built to meet the US Army's Future Vertical Lift ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL)

  Unveiled at KADEX 2024, the Korean Future Vertical Lift (KFVL) is a family of uncrewed helicopters from Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). Despite being in the ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-97 Raider

  The S-97 Raider helicopter is based on the five-year, company-funded X2 Technology Demonstrator project. Like the X2, the S-97 Raider will feature twin coaxial, counter-rotating ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AVX JMR

  AVX Aircraft proposed a compound helicopter with coaxial rotors, small wings and dual ducted-fan propulsors for the US Army’s JMR-TD FVL programme. In April 2015, ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  APR-39E(V)2

  The AN/APR-39E(V)2 is a digital radar warning receiver manufactured by Northrop Grumman. The receiver is a modernised version of the AN/APR-39 radar warning receiver and ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  HQ-60

  Similarly to other platforms in the L3 Technologies Hybrid Quadrotor (HQ) and Fixed-Wing Rotator family (see separate entries) of VTOL fixed-wing UAVs, the HQ-60 has ...

• Military UAS - small

  H6 Poseidon

  Manufactured by Swarmly, the H6 Poseidon is a fixed-wing VTOL-capable UAV. The second largest member of the Poseidon family, the vertical lift is provided through ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  X-Sight

  Elbit X-Sight is a developmental helmet-mounted display system designed for helicopters. According to the manufacturer, it will offer a high field of view and colour binocular ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Kargo II

  The Kargo II is a cargo-carrying rotary-wing UAV from Piasecki. It has a cargo capacity of 1,300 lbs, 500 lbs more than the original Kargo ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Bell 360 Invictus

  The Bell 360 Invictus was the company's prototype for the US Army's Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme.  The helicopter features retractable weapon bays, two ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Veloce-15

  The ST Engineering Veloce-15 (V-15) is a hybrid fixed-wing UAV with four rotors for vertical lift and a tail-mounted two-bladed pusher propeller for horizontal propulsion.  ...

• Military helicopters - multirole, Military UAS - tactical

  Hexa

  The Hexa, or LIFT Hexa, is a rotary-wing aircraft developed by LIFT Aircraft for military and commercial markets. Due to its configuration and triple redundant autopilot computer, ...

• Land: soldier modernisation systems - industry programmes

  Warrior Systems

  General Dynamics Mission Systems is prime contractor and system integrator for the US Army’s Warrior soldier systems, which include Air Warrior, Future Force Warrior, Land Warrior ...