• Defence Notes

  Dubai Airshow 2021: Tawazun deepens involvement with Marakeb

  15th November 2021

  The investment arm of UAE defence acquisition authority Tawazun now owns 50% of autonomous systems specialist Marakeb Technologies.

• Defence Notes

  Watchdog suggests changes to DoD acquisition process

  3rd November 2021

  The US Government Accountability Office has released a report criticising US defence procurement as ‘inefficient, cumbersome, and bureaucratic’.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ukrainian TB2 strike in Donbass elicits muted Russian response

  28th October 2021

  Why has Russia reacted so tepidly to the first use of a Turkish-supplied combat drone against its proxy forces in eastern Ukraine?

• Defence Helicopter

  Philippines welcomes final five Black Hawks

  11th November 2021

  Delivery of five S-70i helicopters to the Philippines marks the completion of a 16-aircraft order.

• Land Warfare

  Slovakia advances acquisition of IFVs and AFVs

  22nd December 2021

  The Slovak MoD is on track to receive proposals for the supply of 76 8x8 AFVs and 152 IFVs to replace an ageing fleet of BMP-1, BMP-2 and modernised version of the BMP.

• Air Warfare

  Iraq orders T-50IQ repair, maintenance and training services

  10th November 2021

  KAI will support a fleet of 24 T-50IQ supersonic advanced trainer aircraft in service with the Iraqi Air Force.

• Air Warfare

  Safeguarding fleet readiness through sustainment innovation (Studio)

  15th December 2021

  As the US and its allies increasingly focus on the threat from peer and near-peer rivals, aircraft readiness is more important than ever.

• Air Warfare

  US MDA prepares hypersonic and ballistic missile defence

  12th November 2021

  Northrop Grumman has completed work for the US MDA on the development of satellites intended to track and target enemy missiles.

• Air Warfare

  Seoul ponders possible avenues for extra AEW&C aircraft

  21st November 2021

  Industry sources suspect that South Korea will increase its follow-on AEW&C aircraft buy to four units.

• Air Warfare

  RAAF enhances air operations capability with TAOT

  11th November 2021

  Rohde & Schwarz says it is undertaking substantial upgrades of its Transportable Air Operations Tower.

• Naval Warfare

  Leidos advances torpedo protection for US submarines

  9th November 2021

  NAVSEA exercises contract option for further development of active countermeasure against acoustic anti-submarine torpedoes.

• Air Warfare

  Pakistan’s Shahpar II UCAV breaks cover

  2nd December 2021

  Pakistan is pushing a new indigenously designed and built MALE-class UCAV on the export market.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Norway seeks bids for SkyRanger R70 support

  10th November 2021

  Norwegian Coast Guard intends to issue a three-year contract for support of its six SkyRanger R70 UASs.

• Digital Battlespace

  I/ITSEC 2021: BAE Systems gains National Cyber Range Complex contract

  22nd November 2021

  Digital engineering and model-based systems engineering will be applied to solve IT integration problems for the US military.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2021: Is NGSW ‘the dog that didn’t bark’?

  15th October 2021

  A lack of information at AUSA suggests a lack of progress in the Next Generation Squad Weapons programme for the US Army.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Nauru 1000C [Brazil]

  Programme Background The Logistics Command (COLOG) of the Brazilian Army purchased three Nauru 1000C UAVs, training, 36-month interested logistics support, two EO/MWIR XSIS 222A gimbals, two ...

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

  WanderB or ThunderB [Colombia]

  Programme Background Expodefensa 2019 During Colombia's Expodefensa 2019 exhibition, BlueBird Aero Systems displayed its ThunderB VTOL small UAV. Reportedly, the Colombian Army requested information on ...

• Mexico Light Armoured Reconaissance Vehicle

  Programme Background The Mexican Army is struggling to maintain its large fleet of ageing armoured vehicles, the vast majority of which have significantly exceeded their ...

• VMOE

  Programme Background The Spanish Army's SOF units are procuring the VMOE to meet their requirements for an SOV with sufficient firepower, mobility and mine-protection to ...

• Military UAS - micro

  NX70 Microdrone (First Batch)

  Programme Background The French Army procured the NX70 to meet an urgent operational requirement for a small UAS that could provide short-range ISR for dismounted ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CU172 Blackjack (Second System) [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirement The Canadian Army identified a requirement for two new tactical UAV systems after recognising that the squadron and company-level Aerovironment RQ-11 Raven ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  French Operational Pocket Drone / DrOP (France)

  Programme Background French UAV Procurment / DrOP Under its 2019-2025 Military Programming Law (LPM), France aims to introduce 1,200 new UAVs into service with the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Puma IFV (Contracted)

  By March 2019, 269 of the 350 Pumas on order had been delivered to the German Army. Deliveries of the remaining 81 vehicles are scheduled ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  VBMR Griffon [France]

  Programme Background Development of the Griffon commenced in 2014 when the consortium of Arquus, Nexter and Thales was awarded a development contract to design the ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 (Pre-War) [Ukraine Army]

  Programme Background The Ukraine Army purchased 12 TB2 units in January 2019 for a reported $69 million. The units were reportedly delivered from June 2019 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Rosomak [Poland - Second Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Polish Army selected Patria's XC-360 Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV) to meet its requirement for a new 8x8 armoured vehicle to replace ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CU172 Blackjack (First System) [Canada]

  Background Requirement The Canadian Army identified a requirement for two new tactical UAV systems after recognising that the squadron and company-level Aerovironment RQ-11 Raven (CU173 ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2018, the US Army initiated the FARA project to develop a replacement for Army attack and scout helicopters, such as the OH-58D Kiowa and AH-64 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  LCU 2000 (Runnymede-class)

  The LCU 2000 class is in service with the US Army. They were built by VT Halter Marine and first entered service in February 1990. The ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  WZ-8

  First shown in October 2019, the WZ-8 is HALE UAV. Two closed-cycle liquid-fuelled rocket engines power the WZ-8 to a claimed supersonic speed of Mach 3.  In ...

• Land: RWS

  Guardian 2.0

  The Guardian 2.0 RWS is an upgraded version of Escribano's Guardian RWS in service with the Spanish Army, which offers improved sensors and better stabilisation. ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Sapsan-Bekas

  Unveiled at ARMY-2019 in Moscow, the Sapsan-Bekas is a C-UAS system comprising active radar, video and EO tracking, signal detection and jamming subsystems. The system ...

• Main battle tanks

  C2 Ariete

  The C2 Ariete is an upgraded variant of the C1 Ariete, designed for the Italian Army in the 1990s. Work on the C2 began in ...

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

  Nauru 1000C

  Manufactured by XMobtos, the Nauru 1000C is a VTOL-capable small fixed-wing UAV. The UAV features a hybrid propulsion system, autopilot and a gyro-stabilised payload. It is designed to ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Comm@nder Army

  Comm@nder Army is an integrated C4I system suitable for use in command post operational environments (infrastructure, shelter-based), providing specialised application services from the HQ of ...

• Sniper rifles

  SV-18

  The SV-18 is a light sniper rifle in a 12.7mm calibre, designed to be easier to carry and operate than existing rifles of that family. 

• Military helicopters - light/training

  LUH

  The Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) is being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to meet the requirements of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT)

  The Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT) is an in-development UAV from Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) based on an MD 500 twin-seat American commercial helicopter airframe. With the ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  RBS 70 missile

  The RBS 70 missile was produced to meet the requirements of the Swedish Army's short-range air defence needs. The missile is unique in being the ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ezuwgu

  The Ezuwgu is an MRAP 4x4 APC designed and produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). 

• Land: air defence radar, Land: indirect fire location radar

  AN/TPQ-50

  The AN/TPQ-50 is a lightweight, L-Band counterfire radar that performs early warning for indirect fire, target acquisition, and air surveillance modes. Part of SRC’s Lightweight ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BTR-82AT

  The BTR-82AT is an upgraded version of the BTR-82A and BTR-82AM 8x8 IFVs developed for the Russian Army. Introduced in 2019, it features a new, ...