• Land Warfare

  US Army awards Abrams upgrade order

  21st December 2020

  M1A2 SEPv3 includes enhancements to lethality, maintainability, situational awareness and survivability.

• Defence Notes

  Effective C-sUAS demands agile mindset

  12th January 2021

  A new strategy from the DoD describes how the US armed forces can mitigate or defeat the risks posed by small drones to personnel, facilities and assets. Whereas previous strategies followed a piecemeal or service-specific approach, this time the DoD looked at the challenges confronting the whole department.

• Digital Battlespace

  Spectra demonstrates COMET to British Army

  17th November 2020

  COMET provides low-latency data without the need to rely on satellites or multiple line-of-sight repeaters. As it does not need a GPS, this system can work even in denied scenarios.

• Defence Helicopter

  KBR to help with US Army Chinook improvements

  16th December 2020

  Company will provide research, development, testing, studies, analysis and recommendations.

• Land Warfare

  Northrop Grumman to supply XM813 Bushmaster Chain Guns for US Army Strykers

  17th December 2020

  The US Army has recently awarded Northrop Grumman a deal under the Stryker Medium Caliber Weapon System 30mm Lethality Upgrade programme. The base contract and first order call for 95 XM813 Bushmaster Chain Guns with initial deliveries beginning in 2022.

• Defence Notes

  US Army seals first South Korean CRADA

  16th December 2020

  Hanwha Corporation and Hanwha Defense will work on R&D and technology transfer with DEVCOM AC.

• Land Warfare

  Dutch combat network capabilities to improve with Elbit

  16th December 2020

  Israeli company will provide dismounted C2 equipment, software-defined radios and compact night vision systems.

• Land Warfare

  EDA plans joint programmes to procure or upgrade MBTs

  1st December 2020

  The latest Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) report mentions an initiative to develop and procure a next-generation MBT in the long term, as well as modernisation and upgrades of in-service platforms in the short term. Any solution will have to address aspects of C2, target acquisition, firepower, mobility, survivability and sustainability.

• Land Warfare

  EDA plans joint programmes to procure or upgrade MBTs

  1st December 2020

  The latest Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) report mentions an initiative to develop and procure a next-generation MBT in the long term, as well as modernisation and upgrades of in-service platforms in the short term. Any solution will have to address aspects of C2, target acquisition, firepower, mobility, survivability and sustainability.

• Military Logistics

  Belgium receives first A400M

  22nd December 2020

  Aircraft arrives in-country to serve in joint air transport wing with Luxembourg.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Salvaged sea glider shows wide extent of Chinese surveillance

  8th January 2021

  Chinese sea gliders are roving far and wide across regional seas, as the latest discovery in Indonesia indicates.

• Land Warfare

  Third Redback embarks for Australia

  21st December 2020

  Prototype IFV to be assessed in the Project Land 400 Phase 3 competition.

• Land Warfare

  OMFV inches towards five-way contest

  11th December 2020

  Industry holds its breath for Phase 2 RfP (specifically for digital designs) on 18 December

• Land Warfare

  Silent Sentinel to provide electro-optics for Rheinmetall Mission Master UGV

  27th November 2020

  The British company has been awarded a contract to supply a bespoke multi-sensor electro-optic platform. Silent Sentinel will provide a dual Electro-Optic/Infra-Red camera payload, a laser range finder and a 360º surveillance panoramic full ring camera.

• Digital Battlespace

  Vehicle-borne IED jammer passes Spanish exam

  21st December 2020

  More than 50 C-Guard units delivered out of order for more then 320 kits.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 3) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Military UAS - micro

  First Person View (FPV) Drones [UK]

  Background Parliament Questions On 20 May 2025, Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many FPV drones had been procured ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  Background History The UK MoD announced in March 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 vehicle. ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it had a requirement for at least 70 new HMT platforms with ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  HMT Extenda [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax [UK]

  Background Under its $4.3 billion production contract, GDUK will provide 589 Ajax to the British Army. These will be delivered in six different variants: 245 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Land Ground Based Air Defence (SHORAD) [UK]

  Background In November 2023 the UK published the Land Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) Prior Information Notice which informed industry of the future direction of the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate a shortfall ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Recce Strike Vehicle 4x4 [UK]

  Background Under Project Niala, the British Army has sought a new recce strike vehicle to augment the operations of 11th Brigade. This sits outside of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 1

  420 Challenger 1 MBTs were delivered to the British Army between 1983 and 1990. Developed from the Shir 2 MBT originally designed for Iran, the ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  HIDAS

  Leonardo’s Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System (HIDAS) combines laser, missile and Radar Warning Receivers, and a Chaff and Flare Dispensing System (CFDS). The system is ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L52 Smoke

  The L52 Smoke is a 105mm smoke artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  The British Army uses it in its L118 Light Guns.

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L21 High Explosive (HE)

  The L21 High Explosive (HE) is a 155mm artillery shell manufactured by BAE Systems. The British Army uses the L21 with its Archer artillery systems.

• Towed guns

  105mm Light Gun

  The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 2

  The 120mm-armed Challenger 2 MBT was introduced into British Army service in 1994 as a replacement for the Challenger 1, which was successfully employed in ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog

  The FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog is an upgraded version of the long-serving FV432 family of tracked vehicles, of which approximately 3,000 were delivered to the British ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L17 Inert

  The L17 Inert is a 155mm training artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  It is in service with the British Army, where its Archer artillery systems use ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Buffalo MPCV

  The Buffalo Mine-Protected Clearance Vehicle (MPCV) is in service with the armed forces of Canada, France, Italy, Pakistan, the UK and the US and has ...

• Subsystems: software

  Exonaut Software Suite

  Since 2000, 4C has been developing the Exonaut software suite. The products within the Exonaut suite can either be used standalone or as part of ...

• Self-propelled guns

  AS90

  The AS90 155mm/39cal tracked SPH was designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering (acquired by BAE Systems in 1999) to meet the requirements of ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Instrumented Ground Combat Training Systems

  Cubic supplies combat training systems for CTCs, homestations and forward-deployed environments. The systems are designed to support missions including force-on-force, urban operations, joint, combined arms ...

• Main battle tanks

  Olifant

  The Olifant (Elephant) is a South African variant of the British Centurion MBT. Development of the Centurion began in 1943. It was introduced into service ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Trojan

  In 2001, Vickers Defence Systems (now part of BAE Systems) received a £250 million ($300 million) UK MoD contract to build 66 Engineer Tank Systems ...