• Defence Notes

  Strong funding tempo essential to maintain US 'edge' over rivals, says Austin

  4th May 2022

  Lloyd Austin testified before the Senate on 3 May about the FY2023 defence budget request, stressing the need to provide US forces with cutting-edge systems and platforms for the medium term, as well as the short-term value in aiding Ukraine.

• Defence Notes

  US approves new $800 million arms transfer package to Ukraine

  14th April 2022

  Switchblade loitering munitions, Mi-17 helicopters and additional Javelin missiles are among a host of weapons and equipment to be provided by the US to Ukraine in a new military aid package.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Factory upgrades and new radar fit Gray Eagle ER into multi-domain operations

  7th April 2022

  Flight tests and qualification work will begin this year with two factory-upgraded Gray Eagle Extended Range aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Team Thunder expands with Lockheed Martin

  18th March 2022

  South Korea-based Hanwha Defense expands its UK industry team as it hunts for the Mobile Fires Platform contract.

• Land Warfare

  Hungary spends big with Rheinmetall on ammunition

  31st March 2022

  Rheinmetall is to supply vast quantities of ammunition for Hungarian MBTs, IFVs and artillery systems.

• Land Warfare

  GIWS waits for green light on SMArt 155 munition Phase 2

  16th March 2022

  The German parliament is expected by mid-2022 to approve the next step in a programme to revive production of the SMArt 155mm artillery projectile.

• Land Warfare

  Indian 155mm towed howitzers edge forward

  15th March 2022

  India's home-grown delivery of towed howitzers has been stuttering, but progress is now being made.

• Land Warfare

  French MoD awards Nexter contract to develop Caesar 6x6 Mark II

  21st February 2022

  The new generation Caesar 6x6 retains the baseline configuration of the artillery system but adds some improvements in terms of protection and manoeuvrability.

• Defence Notes

  DSA 2022: Denel eyes Asian opportunities with restructuring process almost complete

  28th March 2022

  A revamped Denel aims to make an impact in Malaysia and the broader Southeast Asian market, its interim CEO tells Shephard in an exclusive interview.

• Land Warfare

  NSPA delivers final modernised PzH 2000 to Lithuania

  24th March 2022

  Vehicle features a new fire control system, new sensors and optronics for forward observers and tactical air control parties.

• Land Warfare

  Brazil to announce preliminary results of SPH tender this year

  14th February 2022

  Brazil plans to overhaul its self-propelled artillery capabilities with a tender for 36 howitzers; contenders include Nexter and Elbit.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania seeks new armoured vehicles

  8th April 2022

  Lithuania is interested in 155mm self-propelled howitzers and IFVs in addition to military engineering and demining vehicles.

• Defence Notes

  Fiscal reality could challenge Baltic procurement plans

  11th April 2022

  Baltic countries are ramping up military spending amid the Russo-Ukrainian conflict but ambitious acquisition plans might bump into economic factors.

• Land Warfare

  PT Pindad in the thick of action with tanks, APCs and ammunition

  2nd March 2022

  PT Pindad is pursuing cooperation with partners in Belgium, the Czech Republic, France and Turkey as it seeks to fulfil requirements from the Indonesian Army.

• Land Warfare

  Swiss to field retractable Cobra mortars in 2024

  15th March 2022

  Swiss Army artillery units will be equipped from 2024 with the latest RUAG Defence 120mm Cobra smoothbore recoiling mortar system on a modified GDELS-Mowag Piranha IV 8x8 APC.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  DT46 [France]

  Programme Background Reports Around Eurosatory 2024, multiple defence news outlets, notably Army Recognition and The Defence Post, reported that the French Army had acquired Delair's ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Titus

  While there has been no direct confirmation that Nexter has sold the Titus to Saudi Arabia, it has been confirmed that Nexter has delivered CAESAR ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Sherpa Light [Morocco]

  Programme Background Morocco is in the midst of procuring large quantities of defence equipment from the French defence industry to modernise its forces, with much ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  4x4 Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle (Poland)

  Programme Background The Polish Army wants to replace legacy Soviet equipment procured during the Cold War with new NATO-standard platforms to enhance its interoperability with ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Rosomak [Poland - Fifth Batch]

  Programme Background The Polish Army selected the Rosomak 8x8 armoured vehicle (a version of Patria's Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV) 8x8 produced under licence by Rosomak) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Self-propelled guns

  Caesar 6x6 MkII + 8x8

  Nexter’s Caesar (CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie) is a self-propelled 155mm/52cal artillery mounted available on either a 6x6 or 8x8 truck chassis. The configuration was chosen to provide ...

• Towed guns

  Trajan

  Nexter unveiled the Trajan 155 mm/52 calibre towed gun at IDEX 2013. Trajan was developed for the export market, with the first potential customer being ...

• Land: air defence simulators

  CAESAR

  The Computer Aided Evaluation System for Air Defence Rating (CAESAR) was designed for air defence mission planning and provides a means to train commanders and ...

• Self-propelled guns

  ATMOS

  Unveiled in 1999, the Autonomous Truck Mounted Howitzer System (ATMOS) was developed by Soltam Systems (now Elbit Systems) as a private venture to meet the ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ATLAS

  An interoperable C4I system for artillery missions and resources deployed in the French Army. Commissioned in 2005, ATLAS represents a main element of battlespace digitisation, ...

• Towed guns

  AH4

  In 2010, Norinco revealed that it was developing the AH4 155mm/39cal Lightweight Gun Howitzer to provide a lightweight alternative to its 12.5t AH1 155mm/45cal and ...

• Caesar Trauma Patient Simulator

  Caesar is claimed to be one of the most realistic and physiologically advanced trauma patient simulators available. The mannequin, which represents a 1.93m, 68kg soldier, ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Centauro 155/39

  The Centauro 155/39 artillery system is being developed by CIO to meet the Italian Army's requirement for an ultra-lightweight self-propelled wheeled howitzer to equip the ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Helic³om

  Helic³om is a fully digital, integrated C3 and mission management system designed to provide crew with data communications and accurate, real-time tactical pictures. The modular ...

• Self-propelled guns, Land: manned turrets

  T6 Turret

  Building on its experience producing the G6 6x6 155mm SPH, Denel Land Systems developed the T6 155mm/52cal turret, first shown publicly in 2003, for the ...

• Air: mission management systems

  Storm FCC

  Storm Fire Control Computer (FCC) is a family of computers developed to meet artillery and mortar firing requirements in international markets. Designed according to NATO ...

• Guided munitions

  Hypervelocity Projectile (HVP)

  The Hypervelocity Projectile (HVP), developed by BAE Systems, is a high-speed precision munition capable of operating from existing gun systems. Initially conceived for the electromagnetic ...

• Self-propelled guns

  MGS-25 Aleksandar

  Yugoimport-SDPR unveiled the MGS-25 Aleksandar 155mm/52cal wheeled  SPH at the Partner defence exhibition in July 2017, which builds on the company's experience producing the Nora ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Diana

  Konstrukta developed the Diana 155mm/52cal SPH, unveiled at MSPO in September 2015, to compete for the Indian Army’s tracked SPH requirement. Designed in accordance with ...

• Towed guns

  FH2000

  The 155mm/52cal FH2000 (for Field Howitzer) is a further development of the ST Kinetics 155mm/37cal FH88, which entered Singaporean service in 1987, and uses some ...