• Digital Battlespace

  Thailand inducts Chinese artillery radar

  22nd August 2016

  Thailand continues to buy Chinese weapons, the latest being the BL904A artillery locating and fire correction radar from Norinco. Developed and upgraded from the BL904, …

• Land Warfare

  Can Type 96 tank fill PLA ranks?

  12th August 2016

  The Type 96 (ZTZ-96) tank is already an important platform in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), and its latest version could form the future backbone …

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall enters the ring for UK tank upgrade

  11th August 2016

  As the deadline looms Rheinmetall has finally submitted a proposal for the UK Challenger 2 main battle tank Life Extension Project (LEP). The company said …

• Land Warfare

  Saudi Arabia requests more M1A2S

  10th August 2016

  Saudi Arabia is looking to boost its fleet of M1A2S main battle tanks (MBTs), and replace at least 20 destroyed in combat, the US State …

• Land Warfare

  Analysis: Challenger 2 - the bids are in

  16th August 2016

  Given the lack of armoured vehicle manufacturing capability in the UK, domestic contenders for the Life Extension Project (LEP) for the British Challenger 2 MBT are being …

• Land Warfare

  Eitan to field alongside Namer

  2nd August 2016

  The Israel Defense Force unveiled its 8x8 Eitan (Hebrew for ‘steadfast’) APC demonstrator on 1 August 2016.  It is the first wheeled APC developed for …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed challenges for British tank

  10th August 2016

  Lockheed Martin UK has announced it is bidding for the UK’s Challenger 2 main battle tank Life Extension Programme (CLEP). The company will work in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Farnborough 2016: Brimstone in for a firing shot with UK

  15th July 2016

  MBDA’s Brimstone missile has undergone successful firing tests from the AH-64E, heightening the weapon's potential appeal to the British Army for future capability plans. It was …

• Land Warfare

  Russia’s wheeled Koalitsia emerges

  15th July 2016

  The Koalitsia-SV self-propelled artillery system has been developed in a new version on a wheeled chassis.  The first photos appeared on the Russian internet in …

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory: Tank turret drive powers up

  16th June 2016

  Curtiss-Wright will supply its Electric Gun Turret Drive Upgrade Kit to Raytheon as part of a turret drive and stabilisation system upgrade solution for M60 …

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory: Seeing through steel

  14th June 2016

  Elbit have launched their own prototype driving aid that will allow armoured vehicle commanders and driver to see through the hull of their vehicles. Called …

• Land Warfare

  China targets further Thai arms sales

  13th June 2016

  On the back of a recent sale of VT4 main battle tanks (MBT), China is making a major push to sell further armoured vehicles to …

• Land Warfare

  Eurosatory: Scorpion looks for new technology

  6th June 2016

  With delivery dates set all eyes are on French industry at this year’s Eurosatroy as the French Army’s Scorpion modernisation programme gathers pace. Scorpion is …

• Land Warfare

  Thailand snaps up Chinese tanks

  30th May 2016

  The Royal Thai Army (RTA) has ordered 28 Norinco VT4 tanks from China to replace elderly M41s due to delays in Oplot-M deliveries from Ukraine. …

• Land Warfare

  Leopard finds home in Indonesia

  27th May 2016

  The first eight Leopard 2 RI main battle tanks (MBT) reached Indonesian shores in May. With ‘RI’ denoting the Republic of Indonesia, these vehicles taken …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Tanks

  MBT (Belgium)

  Programme Background Belgium formally retired its MBT capability in 2014, when it took the last of its 132 KMW Leopard 1A5BE MBTs out of service. ...

• Tanks

  Peru T-55 MBT Replacement

  Programme Background Peru received 280 T-55 MBTs from the Soviet Union during the 1970s. Despite their age, these tanks continue to see service, alongside even ...

• Tanks

  MBT (Tunisia)

  Programme Background The Tunisian MoD has not disclosed any intention to modernise or replace its M60A3s, but an unconfirmed report published by Tactical Report in January ...

• Tanks

  PETEF - MBT

  The Colombian Army has evaluated several offers for MBT platforms in the past, though none of these have progressed to the formal contract stage. For ...

• Tanks

  MBT Replacement [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background In order to meet its NATO obligations to field a modern mechanised brigade by 2026, the Czech Army is seeking new tracked IFVs ...

• Tanks

  M1A2 Abrams SEPv3 [Romania]

  Programme Background Requirement The Romanian Army's MBT fleet is composed of T-55 variants that are due to be retired in the mid-2020s. Although Romania's TR-85 ...

• Tanks

  New MBT [Romania]

  Programme Background Requirement The Romanian Army's MBT fleet is composed of T-55 variants that are due to be retired in the mid-2020s. Although Romania's TR-85 ...

• Tanks

  New MBT (Spain)

  Programme Background One of the long-term needs identified in the Spanish Army's Force 2035 modernisation plan is a next-generation MBT. To this end, the Spanish ...

• Tanks

  C1 Ariete Replacement [Italy]

  Programme Background Background Following nearly 20 years of service within the Italian Army, the C1 Ariete MBT is due for an upgrade or replacement. Suffering ...

• Tanks

  MBT (Egypt)

  Programme Background The Egyptian Army operates a vast number of MBTs, including 1,130 General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) M1A1 Abrams assembled in fits and starts between 1984 ...

• Tanks

  Botswana K2 MBT

  Programme Background The only indication that the Botswana Ground Force was considering the acquisition of the K2 MBT came from a report in Botswana's The ...

• Tanks

  Saudi Arabia New MBT

  Programme Background Between 1993 and 1994, 315 M1A2 Abrams MBTs were delivered to Saudi Arabia as part of a US$1.5 billion deal with the US. ...

• Tanks

  Leclerc Upgrade (UAE)

  Programme Background The UAE MoD has not disclosed any intention to modernise or replace its Leclerc MBTs, but an unconfirmed report published by the Asian Defence ...

• Tanks

  VT4 Haider (Pakistan)

  Programme Background Pakistan appears to have commenced its programme to acquire a new military off-the-shelf MBT in 2015, when several MBT designs were tested under ...

• Tanks

  New MBT (Oman)

  One platform that is known to have been under consideration for this requirement is the Hyundai Rotem K2 Black Panther MBT. It is understood that ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Tanks

  MBT-2000

  Norinco originally developed the Type 90-II for China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), but when it was not selected by the PLA, it continued to develop and ...

• Land: vehicle simulators

  MBT-S

  The DynaSim Main Battle Tank Simulator (MBT-S) is a medium-fidelity training system for crews and platoon/company commanders. It provides interoperable simultaneous tactical training of multiple ...

• Tanks

  Al-Khalid/Al-Khalid-I

  In 1990, China and Pakistan agreed to jointly develop a new MBT which would be manufactured by HIT for the Pakistan Army.  The Al-Khalid is ...

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  GPTTS

  Deployed on the Korean K1 MBT, the Gunner’s Primary Tank Thermal Sight (GPTTS) is an integrated FCS that combines direct-view optics, a Gen I 120-channel ...

• Tanks

  KF51 Panther

  Rheinmetall unveiled the KF51 Panther at Eurosatory 2022. The MBT uses Leopard 2 components in its bare chassis but with a brand new turret. Its main armament is the ...

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems

  ELRF M1/LRFD M1

  The ELRF M1 eyesafe laser range finder (LRF) and the LRFD M1 LRF/designator both bolt onto the gunner’s primary sight on the M1 Abrams MBT. ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  P-200 Credo-1

  The P-200 Credo-1 is a tripod-mounted, pulse-Doppler ground/coastal surveillance radar capable of detecting and tracking a variety of targets. This includes people, vehicles, ships and ...

• Tanks

  VT4 (MBT-3000)

  The 125mm-armed VT4, also known as the MBT-3000, is the latest MBT developed and manufactured by Norinco. Displayed internationally for the first time at Eurosatory in ...

• Tanks

  EMBT

  KNDS (KMW + NEXTER Defense Systems) presented its first joint product, the EMBT (European Main Battle Tank) demonstrator, at the June 2018 Eurosatory defence exhibition. The EMBT mounts ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  RATAC-S

  The Radar d’Aide au Tir d’Artillerie de Campagne (RATAC-S) is a multipurpose radar designed to detect, locate and classify ground targets or low-flying aircraft at ...

• Tanks

  Leopard 2 Next Generation

  Aselsan unveiled its Leopard 2 Next Generation (NG) MBT upgrade proposal for the Turkish Land Forces Command’s fleet of almost 300 Leopard 2A4s at Turkey’s ...

• Tanks

  Type 74

  The Type 74 MBT was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) to replace the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's (JGSDF) Type 61 MBT. Equipped with thicker ...

• Tanks

  CV90120-T

  BAE Systems developed the CV90120-T as a private venture to provide customers with a vehicle that combines the firepower of a 120mm-armed MBT with the ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Arjun Catapult Mk II

  India's Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) publicly unveiled the Arjun Catapult Mk II at Defexpo India in February 2014. The Arjun Catapult is ...

• Land: vehicle surveillance/target acquisition systems, Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  Iris

  The Iris is a thermal imager designed for multiple applications, including ship optronic masts. The Iris has claimed detection/recognition ranges with two FOVs of 13/5km ...