• Defence Notes

  Mattis makes unannounced visit to Afghanistan

  7th September 2018

  US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis landed in Kabul on 7 September for an unannounced visit to war-torn Afghanistan, adding his weight to a flurry of …

• Digital Battlespace

  Intelsat encrypting Five Eyes as contested operations increase

  18th September 2018

  The safe transference of data is of the upmost importance to civil and military operators alike; however, the conduct of clandestine missions conducted by multinational …

• Military Logistics

  Rolls-Royce engines for MQ-25

  11th September 2018

  Rolls-Royce's AE 3007N engines have been selected by Boeing to power the US Navy’s new MQ-25 Stingray aircraft, the company announced on 6 September. Each …

• Special Operations

  ONR develops wetsuit to increase navy dive time

  11th September 2018

  The US Office of Naval Research (ONR) is sponsoring work to design a wetsuit that replicates the insulating properties of animal blubber—allowing divers to swim …

• Digital Battlespace

  Russia to receive two A-50U AWACS

  4th September 2018

  The Russian military will receive two modernised A-50U Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) by the end of 2018, the Ministry of Defence announced on …

• Land Warfare

  Saab to deliver Carl-Gustaf M4 to Australia

  7th September 2018

  Saab has received an order to deliver its Carl-Gustaf M4 multi-role weapon system to the Australian Army, the company announced on 5 September. Carl-Gustaf M4’s …

• Naval Warfare

  Third Anzac frigate arrives for AMCAP upgrade

  13th September 2018

  BAE Systems Australia has received the Royal Australian Navy's third Anzac-class frigate at its Henderson facility as part of a fleet upgrade, the company announced …

• Naval Warfare

  South Korea launches its first missile-capable submarine

  14th September 2018

  South Korea launched its first ever missile-capable attack submarine on 14 September, despite a recent diplomatic thaw with the nuclear-armed North. The $700 million, 3,000t …

• Digital Battlespace

  Land Forces 2018: CEA unveils GBAD radar

  5th September 2018

  CEA Technologies displayed the first-of-type ground-based CEATAC radar – which stands for CEA Tactical – at Land Forces 2018 in Adelaide. The short/medium-range AESA radar …

• Land Warfare

  EOS launches new R150 remote weapon system

  6th September 2018

  Electro Optic Systems has launched a new R150 stabilised, lightweight platform for remotely mounting weapon systems on protected vehicles, the company announced on 4 September. …

• Naval Warfare

  Ukraine strengthens its naval power

  18th September 2018

  Ukraine continues to invest in its naval fleet development by taking delivery of new vessels while also planning the purchase of additional platforms. The first …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army engineers explore USV potential

  10th September 2018

  After the capsizing of the Portland district US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) survey vessel in April 2018, the USACE is turning towards USV in …

• Land Warfare

  BAE Systems unveils upgraded 'Mark 2' Challenger 2

  17th September 2018

  BAE Systems has revealed its final design proposal for the British Army’s Challenger 2 Life Extension Programme (LEP), which will refresh much of the vehicle’s …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Royal Navy goes global, but treads fine line with China

  12th September 2018

  The Royal Navy’s flagship, the amphibious assault ship HMS Albion, has spent much of 2018 deployed in the Far East supporting UK strategic interests in …

• Military Logistics

  Rostec introduces new exoskeleton

  24th August 2018

  Rostec has introduced a new exoskeleton for the new generation of the Ratnik combat suit at the International Military-Technical Forum Army 2018. The exoskeleton has …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle tanks

  VT5 [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh MoD issued an RfI for a new light tank and a related ARV in September 2017. This will be easier to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  PMV (S) [India]

  Programme Background Requirement The PMV programme is aimed at improving the Indian Army's capability in manoeuvre warfare. Since the mid-2010s, The Indian Army has been seeking to modernise ...

• Main battle tanks

  VT5 [Bangladesh - Forecast]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh MoD issued an RfI for a new light tank and a related ARV in September 2017. This will be easier to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  PMV (HA) [India]

  Programme Background Requirement India's PMV programme is aimed at improving the Indian Army's capability in manoeuvre warfare. Since the mid-2010s, The Indian Army has been seeking to modernise ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Alpha 900 [Uruguay]

  Background Acqustiion In October 2022, the Alpha 900 from Alpha Unmanned Systems was reportedly jointly purchased by the Uruguayan state energy company UTE and the ...

• Wheeled assault guns

  B1 Centauro Replacement [Spain]

  Programme Background The Spanish Army entered the B1 Centauro into service between 2000 and 2006. Manufactured by the Italian Iveco and Oto Melara consortium CIO, the ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicle [India]

  Programme Background Aiming to boost mobility and enhance Recce and Command elements, the Indian Army is seeking 91 High Mobility Reconnaissance Vehicles (HMRV). Prioritising mobility and protection ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Mi-26T2 Halo [Russia]

  Programme Background The original Mi-26 was initially revealed to the West at the Paris airshow in June 1981. In terms of carrying capacity (weight and ...

• Main battle tanks

  Future Ready Combat Vehicle MBT (India)

  Programme Background At least three RfIs have been published for the FRCV requirement, but the programme has struggled to get off the ground. The FRCV ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  New Generation Light Armoured Vehicles - Wheeled (Future batches) [Turkey]

  Programme background The NGLAV is an umbrella programme that will be composed of three phases and 2962 units of tracked and wheeled vehicles. Phase I ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Future Infantry Combat Vehicle [India]

  Programme Background Requirement The Indian Army first identified its requirement for a new tracked IFV to replace the BMP-2 Sarath in 2009, but this initial ...

• Frigates

  F125 (Baden-Württemberg Class)

  Programme Background The Baden Württemberg class (F125) frigates are in fact closer to the size of a destroyer than a traditional frigate, however, designed for ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  New Generation Light Armoured Vehicles - Wheeled (Batch 1) [Turkey]

  Programme background The NGLAV is an umbrella programme that will be composed of three phases and 2962 units of tracked and wheeled vehicles. Phase I ...

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

  Akinci [UAE]

  Programme Background Surprise Delivery Baykar, in a statement of its 2024 achievements, stated that it had delivered two Akinci UAVs to the UAE, one in ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  AW169MA

  The support and training element includes integrated logistics support ensuring at least 400 hours flight for each of two training AW169s in 2022 and 2023, 432 hours ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: communication systems

  Helix Mesh Rider

  Helix Mesh Rider is a SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) optimised mesh radio designed for uncrewed systems. Notably, it supports six frequency bands in a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  LiteHUD

  BAE Systems' LiteHUD is a low-profile head-up display compatible with various aircraft ranging from conventional turboprops to next-generation fighter jets. 

• Data links

  Missile Data Links

  The Missile Data Links developed by the Turkish defence manufacturer Meteksan Savunma Sanayi provide a permanent and secure communication channel between the missile launcher platform ...

• Data links, UAS: communication systems

  Tove RF Datalink

  The Tove RF Data Link is a lightweight Software Defined Radio (SDR) designed for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) and Unmanned Surface ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: surveillance radar, Air: UAS radar

  Osprey 30

  The Osprey 30, also known as the Osprey, is an airborne active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar optimised for low size, weight and power (SWAP) requirements. As a multi-mode ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  Ophir IR optics optimised for 10-12µm LWIR detectors

  Ophir, addressing the new market shift in the direction of 10-12μm detectors, is offering a wide collection of lenses, optimised to meet the needs of ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  NavStorm-M

  BAE Systems' NavStorm-M is a gun-hardened, integrated anti-jamming and Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver for artillery rounds, bombs, missiles, and uncrewed systems. It was revealed ...

• Air: COMINT and ELINT systems, Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  SI-8649A/PF PicoFlexor Transceiver

  The PicoFlexor Transceiver is a miniature tactical software-defined radio (SDR) platform manufactured by Leonardo DRS. It integrates a transmitter with a high-performance SIGINT superheterodyne receiver in ...

• UAS: communication systems

  TW-880 TSM Ghost

  Designed for uncrewed applications, TrellisWare TW-880 TSM Embedded Module provides communication in a small form factor. The transceiver provides simultaneous voice, data and PLI communication ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors

  CamSight

  CamSight is a family of lightweight, compact core cameras to be integrated into complex optronic systems equipping UAV, UGV, and UGS systems. The CamSight optronic modules ...

• EO/IR systems

  TASE250

  Launched in 2018, the TASE250, sometimes called the TASE350 LWIR, is a dual-axis fully stabilised gimbal incorporating a daylight and an IR camera. It is particularly suited ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: EO/IR – Jamming Systems, Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  CIRCM

  The Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system is an infrared (IR) countermeasure designed to defeat IR-guided Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs).The system is manufactured by Northrop Grumman, and ...

• Weapon sights for night use (image intensifiers)

  Merlin

  Merlin SR, MR and LR inline sights are aimed at the assault rifle, sharpshooter rifle and sniper rifle end user. They provide different size/weight/performance trade-offs ...

• Data links, Land: Radio and SATCOM, UAS: communication systems

  QNT-200

  The Collins QNT-200 is a dual-channel software-defined radio (SDR) designed for size, weight and power-constrained platforms. Using IP-based mesh networks, it offers high-bandwidth mobile networking ...

• Air: UAS radar

  OKIS Automatic Take-off and Landing System

  The OKIS Automatic Take-off and Landing System by Turkish Meteksan Defence Inc. is a radar-based system designed for the automatic take-off and landing processes of ...