• Defence Notes

  China steps up defence budget to ‘prepare for armed confrontation’

  27th May 2020

  Beijing has increased its defence expenditure by 6.6% for the coming year, even while many other nations are slashing budgets to deal with the COVID-19 …

• Land Warfare

  JV completes Javelin upgrade as Poland becomes latest FMS customer

  11th May 2020

  The Javelin Joint Venture team, comprising Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Lockheed Martin, has completed the first production Javelin F-Model (FGM-148F) ATGM. The F-model is …

• Air Warfare

  Russia rolls the dice for another Su-35 sale to China

  15th May 2020

  Russia is still hopeful that China will place another Su-35 order after representatives of the two countries held talks on the potential deal. Dmitry Shugaev, …

• Naval Warfare

  EU declines to budge in face of Malta’s migrant concerns

  13th May 2020

  The EU is hopeful that an agreement can be reached with Malta regarding its new maritime security mission to the Mediterranean – known as Operation …

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman upgrades US Army UH-60V cockpits

  22nd April 2020

  Northrop Grumman confirmed on 22 April that it has provided the US Army with new digital cockpit upgrades for its UH-60V Black Hawk helicopters. The …

• Land Warfare

  Czech Republic seals small arms deal

  23rd April 2020

  The Czech Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 21 April confirmed that they had signed an agreement with Česká zbrojovka (ČZUB) to acquire up to 39,000 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  HORIBA MIRA and QinetiQ to supply Dstl with UGVs

  16th March 2020

  The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has awarded HORIBA MIRA and QinetiQ two contracts worth £5 million ($6.1 million) to develop unmanned ground vehicles …

• Naval Warfare

  PLAN deploys to the Gulf of Aden

  29th April 2020

  The Chinese Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced on 28 April that it has deployed its 35th task force from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) …

• Land Warfare

  Russian reconnaissance units to receive Tiger-M APCs

  27th April 2020

  The Russian Ministry of Defence on 24 April confirmed that army reconnaissance units are to receive 15 Tiger-M 4x4 armoured vehicles (pictured). Each Tiger-M is …

• Defence Notes

  Spain analyses impact of COVID-19 on its industrial base

  12th May 2020

  The Spanish MoD is conducting studies with  industry to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus, as it focuses on maintaining the readiness of its armed …

• Defence Notes

  Texelis resumes production at Limoges facilities

  21st April 2020

  Texelis re-started production at its manufacturing facilities in Limoges, France after a period of reduced operations, the company confirmed in a 21 April statement. The …

• Special Operations

  MMP makes its mark in Mali

  17th April 2020

  The French Army has disclosed details regarding the use of MBDA’s Missile Moyenne Portée (MMP) land combat missile system on operations in West Africa. Speaking …

• Defence Helicopter

  Italy approves AW169MA order for army

  21st April 2020

  The Italian MoD's Air Force Armaments and Airworthiness Directorate (AFAAD) has approved the acquisition of 15 new Leonardo AW169MA advanced multirole helicopters and associated technical support, …

• Defence Notes

  USMC must transform to compete with China

  14th May 2020

  The US Marine Corps has a long and storied history in the Pacific, but the rise of China’s military is forcing the corps to either react …

• Digital Battlespace

  DE&S awards anti-jamming research contract to Cobham

  31st March 2020

  Cobham Aerospace Connectivity is to work on researching advanced anti-jamming techniques for the MoD Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S;) to protect Global Navigation Satellite Systems …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• 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 - Option]

  Programme 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8, APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Bulldog FV432 Mk 3 Replacement [UK]

  Programme Background Requirement Serving in several iterations since 1963, the FV432 Mk3 'Bulldog' remains operational and deployed as command vehicles, ambulances, and recovery vehicles within the British Army. Although ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer MIV [UK]

  Programme 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 ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax [UK]

  Programme 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: ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Protected Mobility (LPM) programme. Information on the LMV and MPM can ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK - Contracted]

  Programme 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Medium Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Medium Protected Mobility (MPM) programme. Information on the LMV and MPM can ...

• 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 ...

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

  Black Hornet 3 (First Order) [Norway]

  Programme Background First Batch The Norwegian Home Guard has procured the Black Hornet 3 to provide each of its districts with a nano UAS that ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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.

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Cougar 6x6

  The Cougar 6x6 has its origins as a South African vehicle manufactured by Force Protection, a company eventually purchased by General Dynamics. Mine-protected vehicles manufactured ...

• 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 ...

• Infrastructure - bridges

  IAB

  The Infantry Assault Bridge (IAB) is a lightweight foot bridge for light infantry and airborne troops to cross dry or wet gaps. One complete bridge ...