• Defence Notes

  Avalon 2025: Australian defence budget meets the low expectations of show attendees

  26th March 2025

  The Australian Budget was marked by tax cuts and a looming general election which led to little hope that there would be a substantial defence boost even with a big bill for nuclear submarines due.

• Air Warfare

  IDEX 2025: Jump 20-X marks the spot for AeroVironment

  19th February 2025

  AeroVironment showcased the Jump 20-X, an advancement of the company’s Jump 20 VTOL-capable fixed-wing UAV, at this year’s IDEX in Abu Dhabi.

• Land Warfare

  Latest UK Army Warfighting Experiment urban exercise underway

  13th November 2024

  The series of exercises focuses on war fighting in the urban environment with the intention of aligning experimentation to tactical functions and integrating them all during a final experiment.

• Land Warfare

  How the Ukraine war is shifting the US Army’s EW capabilities

  4th November 2024

  The branch has been planning multi-billion dollar investments in reliable communications and solutions to prevent enemy detection.

• Naval Warfare

  Red Cat expands its manufacturing capacities to surge production of UAVs and USVs

  13th August 2025

  The company has invested $80 million to enhance its facilities and establish a new maritime division.

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2025: Debutant vehicles announced as companies look for partnerships

  17th February 2025

  The International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in UAE capital Abu Dhabi will bring together more than 1,300 exhibitors from more than 65 countries.

• Land Warfare

  British Army and UK Royal Navy new counter-drone soft-kill systems near fielding

  13th January 2025

  Ongoing military operations in Europe and the Middle East have accelerated the development of a variety of systems to defeat uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).

• Air Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Australia’s missile and ordnance plans excite companies

  31st March 2025

  Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) industrial plan is ambitious and promises big spending in an effort to create a local and sovereign capability. Companies at last week’s Australian International Airshow near Melbourne were making their pitches.

• Land Warfare

  Sweden to receive production Archer howitzers next year with capability expected in 2030

  11th March 2025

  When compared to some other wheeled artillery systems Archer has the advantage of quicker deployment and relocation as the complete fire mission is carried out without the crew leaving the protected cab at the front.

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine Defence Contact Group commit another $24 billion for Ukraine

  14th April 2025

  The announcement of the funds followed a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) which consists of 57 countries. The UK has committed a further £350 million to Ukraine to provide repairs and maintenance to previously donated vehicles and equipment and additional equipment.

• Land Warfare

  Inside Pearson Engineering’s £8 million investment in future-ready manufacturing (Studio)

  8th September 2025

  Pearson Engineering’s home, Armstrong Works, has been an engineering hub for almost 200 years, delivering critical capabilities for the UK Armed Forces and customers around the globe. The company is now investing for the future, to meet customers’ evolving requirements for a battlespace defined by data and autonomous systems.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall awarded contract to supply Gepard 35mm ammunition to Ukraine

  6th January 2025

  Ukraine is operating ex-German Army Gepard air-defence guns donated more than two years ago.

• Land Warfare

  Cutting the weight while keeping the protection: NP Aerospace looks for an answer

  31st December 2024

  Vehicles in the Mine Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) class have done the job so far this century in protecting crews but this has meant additional weight and reduced mobility. One recent upgrade approach is looking to redress that balance.

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems to continue work on active protection system for US Army

  20th November 2024

  BAE Systems Multi-Class Soft Kill System (MCSKS) countermeasure system has been designed to provide protection without the need for kinetic effort and will reduce the logistic chain required for protection.

• Land Warfare

  UK fires Archer for first time in live-fire exercise

  22nd November 2024

  Exercise Dynamic Front 25 is part of a series of NATO exercises that will run until 26 November.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions [Czechia]

  Programme Background KVAČR Concept In February 2024, the Czech Army unveiled the Construction of the Army of the Czech Republic (KVAČR) concept, which outlined a ...

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

  Parrot Anafi (Singapore)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, the Singapore Army posted photographs on Facebook that showed the Anafi UAV used as training devices in a five-day ...

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

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RfI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Viper (Nigeria)

  Programme Background Due to its ongoing campaign against Islamist insurgents in the north of Nigeria, the Nigerian Army has procured a wide range of mine-protected armoured ...

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

  FPV Drones [Czechia]

  Programme Background KVAČR Concept In February 2024, the Czech Army unveiled the Construction of the Army of the Czech Republic (KVAČR) concept, which outlined a mass ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational organisations, ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAS [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Titan-B

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) (Forecast) [US Army]

  Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• Tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kalyani M4 (India)

  Programme Background In the wake of border clashes with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2020, the Indian Army has accelerated several of its ...

• 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 helicopters - attack

  AH-64E Apache-India-Army Forecast

  The Indian Army was originally granted co-ownership of the 22 Apaches that Air Force procured by the Indian MoD. However, the IAF refused to cede ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  StreamCaster Mini 4210

  The StreamCaster Mini 4210 (SM4210) is a single-channel data radio (SCDR) that can create MANET mesh networks. It is currently in use with the US ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  M2A4/M7A4 Bradley

  Since 2011, the US Army and BAE Systems have been developing modifications for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle platform to address concerns regarding its ever-increasing weight, ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  German Army Aviation School

  CAE is the prime contractor for the German Army’s Night-Time Low-Level Flight Training Facility, commonly known as the German Army Aviation School, at Bückeburg. This ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  British Army Apache Training Facilities

  Aviation Training International (ATIL) – a Leonardo Helicopters/Boeing joint venture formed in 1998 - was selected to provide the attack helicopter training service to the ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  ROC Army UH-60M OFT

  L3 Link (now L3Harris Technologies) gained ready-for-training certification in 2015 on two UH-60M OFT delivered to the Taiwan Army. These training devices are similar to ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Army S-70 Training System

  The Australian Army S-70A-9 Black Hawk is a turnkey programme including a full flight and mission simulator (FF&MS;), building, facilities and maintenance support. This CAE-built ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  German Army CH-53 Simulator Upgrades

  In 2011, CAE completed major upgrades on two CAE-built CH-53 full mission simulators operated at the German Army Aviation School at Bückeburg. Airbus Helicopters has ...

• Major networking projects

  Army BCT Modernisation Program Increment 1

  The US Army brigade combat team (BCT) modernisation strategy will build a mix of mobile, networked BCTs that can gain leverage from mobility, protection, information ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ARTEMIS BMS

  The Army Tactical Engagement and Information System (ARTEMIS) is a battle management system in service with the Singapore Army. Designed for applications between the Platoon ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Major networking projects

  LandWarNet

  The combination of ‘infostructure’ and services across the US Army, LandWarNet provides for processing, storing and transporting information over a network. It is the army ...