• Defence Notes

  Brazilian Congress to review constitution amendment to secure defence budget increase

  15th May 2025

  An amendment to the Brazilian Constitution currently under discussion would permanently assign 2% of annual GDP to the defence budget, potentially cementing modernisation programmes for the country’s armed forces.

• Land Warfare

  Leopard MBT: Alpha beast gets a reboot (updated 2025)

  6th March 2025

  Leopard MBTs are German-made main battle tanks that have been in service since the Cold War and have undergone several upgrades to remain competitive in modern warfare. This article traces the history and development of the Leopard 1 and 2, its variants, its operational service and its future prospects.

• Land Warfare

  Canadian Army to progress with ACSV programme in 2025

  3rd March 2025

  The Armoured Combat Support Vehicle will also achieve several milestones in the coming years.

• Air Warfare

  Second Hypersonic Test Bed flight completed for US Missile Defence Agency

  15th January 2025

  The US Missile Defence Agency (MDA) teamed up with other Department of Defense organisations, industry and academia to conduct the test.

• Air Warfare

  Israel cleared for $20 billion in arms packages

  14th August 2024

  Israel’s requests reflect the high demands of its military and on its local production capability as it continues with its operations in Gaza and against others in the region.

• Air Warfare

  US Air Force aiming to have CCA operational by end of the decade

  18th November 2024

  By making “tough choices”, the US Air Force’s CCA programme has continued to move forward with Increment 2 on the horizon.

• Air Warfare

  Swarm drones and CCAs take flight in India

  14th March 2025

  India reaches new milestones as it pushes it unmanned combat and surveillance strategy forward.

• Naval Warfare

  Raytheon, Nammo and Northrop Grumman join forces to produce MK72 solid rocket motors

  8th April 2025

  MK72 is a crucial capability for the SM-3 interceptors and the Aegis BMD system.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed nets $4.9 billion US Army contract to build more precision strike missiles

  1st April 2025

  The PrSM missiles, known as Increment 1 weapon systems, will eventually replace the US Army’s Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS).

• Naval Warfare

  Lockheed extends SEWIP programme with US Navy and Japan

  30th October 2024

  The sale of SEWIP to the Government of Japan is the first international sale of the system.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing’s Ghost Bat clocks up the milestones and progresses as Saab Australia gets on board

  15th January 2025

  More than 100 hours of physical flight have taken place since the first flight of MQ-28 Ghost Bat uncrewed aerial system (UAS) four years ago and this has been underpinned by approximately 20,000 hours of flying the digital twin.

• Naval Warfare

  Thin-line towed arrays on uncrewed vessels deliver more cost-effective sonar, says SEA

  24th April 2025

  Miniaturisation of technology opens up radical sensing technologies to smaller navies under submarine threat, according to SEA sonar expert.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: India’s Kalyani brings latest 155mm gun to Abu Dhabi

  20th February 2025

  The MArG 45 wheeled self-propelled artillery system has made it debut at IDEX 2025 but has yet to enter production.

• Land Warfare

  Improved British Army Javelin launcher passes milestone as more missile orders placed

  27th May 2025

  Almost US$2 billon has been placed in orders for the Javelin anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) in the past 18 months with the British Army just announcing firing of its Lightweight Command Launch Unit (LWCLU) over an extended range.

• Defence Notes

  UK defence budget increased to 2.5% by 2027 as geopolitical landscape darkens

  25th February 2025

  UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer raises defence spending, while both NATO and President Trump demand significant further increases.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  P-8 Poseidon [South Korea]

  Programme Background South Korea is facing an imminent submarine threat from North Korea. The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) is operating an aging fleet of P-3C ...

• ISR/special mission

  King Air 350ER ISR - Kuwait

  Feb 2018: The US State Department has approved an estimated $259m potential foreign military sale of King Air 350ER intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-2 (Japan)

  Programme BackgroundKawasaki Heavy Industries developed the C-2 for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) to replace its Kawasaki C-1 and Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules fleets. ...

• Death Adder RTV 2 (Options)

  Programme Background The 2nd Commando Regiment currently operates an RTV designed and manufactured by Australia's Bale Defence. These were delivered between 2014 and 2015. Intended ...

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

  Teal 2 (Customs and Border Protection Force) [US]

  Programme Background First Order Global News Wire reported that Red Cat had filled an order for 54 Teal 2 units from the US Customs and ...

• Death Adder RTV 2

  Programme Background The 2nd Commando Regiment currently operates an RTV designed and manufactured by Australia's Bale Defence. These were delivered between 2014 and 2015. Intended ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ara 2 (Chad - Options)

  Programme Background The Chadian Armed Forces have a requirement for mine-resistant armoured vehicles to provide protected mobility to troops deployed on operations against hostile forces. ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [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 intended to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Fuchs 2 Local Assembly

  The Fuchs 2 will replace a variety of legacy APCs currently in service with the Algerian Army including the Panhard M3 VTT, the BTR-60 and ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  VTLM 2 (2021 Contract)

  Programme Background Requirements The Italian Army's current fleet of VTLMs based on the original Iveco Defence Vehicles LMV-1 is suffering from technological obsolescence and the ...

• OPVs

  River Class Batch 2

  Programme Background BAE Systems developed an improved version at the River class Batch 1 ships (which first entered service in 2003), to be dubbed the ...

• ISR/special mission

  RC-2 - Japan

  Programme Background Japan has decided to develop its own EW aircraft to oppose China and Russia, countries that are already reinforcing their own EW capabilities. ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton - Germany (Cancelled)

  Programme Background Germany requested to buy four MQ-4C Triton HALE UAVs from Northrop Grumman. On 5 April 2018, the US State Department announced that it ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  VTLM 2 Phase 1 (Funded)

  Programme Background Requirements The Italian Army's current fleet of VTLMs based on the original Iveco Defence Vehicles LMV-1 is suffering from technological obsolescence and the ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  VTLM 2 Phase 2 (Funded)

  Programme Background Requirements The Italian Army's current fleet of VTLMs based on the original Iveco Defence Vehicles LMV-1 is suffering from technological obsolescence and the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• EO/IR systems

  AN/AAQ-14

  The AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) targeting pod is a crucial component of the LANTIRN system, developed by Martin Marietta ...

• EO/IR systems

  AN/AAQ-27A

  In production for USMC MV-22 Osprey tiltrotors, the AAQ-27A allows pilots to see through darkness, smoke, haze and adverse weather. The third-generation medium-wave IR system ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/AAQ-45

  Leonardo’s AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasures is designed to equip rotorcraft. The system is being installed on Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk medium-lift utility helicopters used ...

• EO/IR systems

  AN/AAQ-13

  The AN/AAQ-13 is a navigation pod developed by Martin Marietta (now part of Lockheed Martin) for the U.S. Air Force. It is a key component ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/AAQ-24(V)

  Northrop Grumman’s AN/AAQ-24(V) is a Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) designed to protect large aircraft. The system has been used to protect both military aircraft and ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, EO/IR systems

  AN/AAQ-37 DAS

  The AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System (DAS) comprises six high-resolution infrared sensors mounted around the aircraft's airframe to provide seamless, spherical coverage (4π steradians).  The DAS ...

• EO/IR systems

  AN/AAQ-29A

  In production for USMC CH-53E and USAF HH-60G platforms, the medium-wave IR AAQ-29A is similar to the AN/AAQ-27A, the difference being its incorporation of an ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  Guardian

  Northrop Grumman’s Guardian Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) is intended to product airliners and large aircraft against IR-guided missiles, principally surface-to-air missiles fired from Man-Portable Air ...

• EO/IR systems

  LITENING

  The LITENING Advanced Targeting Pod is an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system designed to detect, acquire, identify, and track targets over extended ranges.  It supports diverse mission ...

• EO/IR systems

  LANTIRN

  The Low-Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) system increases the combat effectiveness of fighter aircraft, allowing them to fly at low altitudes, at night ...

• Combat Search and Rescue

  Saab 340B+ / SAR-200

  The Saab 340B+, known also as SAR-200, is a search and rescue aircraft based on the Saab 340 regional airliner.  It is powered by two CT7-9B turboprop ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS

  AN/AAR-54(V)

  Northrop Grumman’s AN/AAR-54(V) is a Missile Approach Warning System (MAWS) designed for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. The MAWS employs ultraviolet sensing to detect the hot ...

• EW test systems

  Meon v3

  Developed as an end-to-end confidence flight-line test set for stimulation and radiometric measurement of MWS/IRCM systems. It is compatible with ALQ-144, ALQ-157, ALQ-204 Matador, AAQ-24 ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  SISCM

  The Suite of Integrated Sensors and Countermeasures (SISCM) is designed to provide an integrated, multi-sensor threat warning and countermeasures capability using off-the-shelf technology for helicopters ...

• Combat Search and Rescue

  HC-130P/N

  HC-130P/N is a SAR aircraft developed as extended-range version of C-130 Hercules transport airframe to execute all weather personnel recovery operations from austere airfields and ...