• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed to provide targeting pods for FMS customers

  20th May 2020

  Lockheed Martin is to produce new and upgraded targeting systems, IR Search and Track (IRST) sensors and navigation pods for the US DoD and a …

• Naval Warfare

  USN orders Harpoon and SLAM-ER weapon systems

  14th May 2020

  The USN has awarded a $3.1 billion contract for Boeing’s Harpoon and Standoff Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) weapons systems, in support of FMS …

• Land Warfare

  Arquus bolsters production of VAB Mk 3

  26th May 2020

  French company Arquus has ramped up production of its latest VAB Mk III 6x6 wheeled armoured vehicle for the export market. Some 5,000 units of the …

• Military Logistics

  First two MMF tanker aircraft set to arrive in June, says NATO

  19th May 2020

  The first two Airbus A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft to be purchased by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) will arrive in the …

• Air Warfare

  Saab to provide more Erieye AEW&C aircraft

  18th May 2020

  Saab announced on 18 May that it has received an order from an unnamed customer for its Saab 2000 Erieye AEW&C; solution, under a SEK1.55 …

• Defence Notes

  COVID-19 propels reforms in Indian defence production

  19th May 2020

  Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced more measures to boost self-sufficiency in defence production, among them raising from 49% to 74% the foreign direct investment …

• Defence Notes

  Spain amends legislation on foreign military deals

  30th April 2020

  Spain’s Council of Ministers approved a new royal decree on 28 April which changes the country’s arms export control regulations with the aim of ensuring …

• Land Warfare

  Iran phased-array radar claims - bombast or capability leap?

  27th April 2020

  Iran last week unveiled two new indigenously developed long-range radar systems, but Israeli experts are downplaying their capabilities. The Khalij-e Fars ('Persian Gulf') and Moraqeb …

• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing delivers 500th AH-64E Apache

  16th April 2020

  Boeing confirmed on 16 April that it has delivered its 500th AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopter, which is used by the US Army and other militaries …

• Naval Warfare

  FREMM-derived design wins out in USN FFG(X) programme

  1st May 2020

  The decision by the USN on 30 April to award the contract for the build up to ten of the future FFG(X) guided missile frigates …

• Training

  Leonardo to supply Spanish PC-21 trainer avionics

  9th April 2020

  Leonardo has received an order for its airborne communications, cockpit control panels and other avionics from Pilatus Aircraft, the company reported on 9 April. The …

• Land Warfare

  Saudi Arabia to receive THAAD interceptors

  25th March 2020

  Lockheed Martin has secured a $932.83 million contract modification, including $605.34 million in FMS funding, to provide Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and …

• Naval Warfare

  Raytheon to carry out RAM Block 2/2A FMS

  31st March 2020

  Raytheon has secured a new $146.08 million firm-fixed-price contract for the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2/2A Guided Missile Round Pack and spare replacement parts …

• Land Warfare

  Griffon to pack a punch with MEPAC

  25th March 2020

  The French Army has disclosed how it will deploy its recently ordered Thales (previously TDA) 120mm 2R2M rifled mortars in the Mortier Embarqué Pour l'Appui au Contact …

• Defence Notes

  US sees huge spike in Middle East arms exports

  10th March 2020

  Booming arms export trade between the US defence industry and the Middle East has risen by 79% over the course of the last five years, …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Transport

  C-130 Replacement [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Requirement The Royal Saudi Air Force operates 33 C-130H, 7 KC-130H aircraft and two KC-130Js. The country has been seeking to replace its older ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  VAB MK III [Saudi Arabia]

  Background As part of a $3 billion aid package provided by Saudi Arabia to Lebanon, Saudi Arabia ordered 100 VAB MK III 6x6 IFVs from ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2S [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Saudi Arabia was the first export customer for the M1A2 Abrams. 315 were delivered between 1993 and 1994 as part of a $1.5 billion ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kozak 5 [Saudi Arabia]

  Background  In 2021, Ukrainian firm Pracktika announced that they had fulfilled an export contract to deliver 60 Kozak-5 armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia. The contract ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  Patriot Upgrade [Greece]

  Background In September 2021, Saudi Arabia deployed a Greek battery near Riyadh under the Integrated Air Missile Defense Concept. The battery was used to intercept ...

• Main battle tanks

  T-90S [Saudi Arabia]

  Background.  It is possible that Saudi Arabia may have sought the T-90S to replace stocks of legacy equipment. In addition to its modern M1A2S tanks, Saudi Arabia ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Data links

  Data links | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Typhoon Tranche 3A [Saudi Arabia]

  In June 2018, Saudi Arabia agreed to procure 48 Eurofighter Typhoon multirole fighter aircraft from BAE. The total procurement cost for 48 aircraft is estimated at ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  LAV 700 [Saudi Arabia]

  Background In 2014, the Saudi Arabian government signed a contract worth approximately C$15 billion (US$11 billion) to procure the LAV 700 8x8 platform from General ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven [Saudi Arabia]

  Background Small UAS family In June 2012, AeroVironment confirmed that Saudi Arabia was among the customers that had acquired aircraft from its small UAS family, ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Seeker 400 [Saudi Arabia]

  Methodology PGO and programme status The PGO has been set to 100% due to the programme being completed. Units required Across a first-batch and second-batch ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | P-8 Poseidon [Saudi Arabia]

  Saudi Arabia is planning to procure new P-8 Poseidon aircraft to set up its maritime patrol squadron as a part of wider naval plans under ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Hazem

  Produced by SAMI Navantia, Hazem is a combat management system designed for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces. Based on the Cadiz CMS, it is integrated ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Eurofighter Typhoon Tranche 2 (Block 8, 8A, 9, 10, 10C, 11, 11C, 15, 15C)

  Under the Typhoon Tranche 2 procurement,  the four European partner nations of Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK and the export customer Saudi Arabia took delivery ...

• Transport

  An-132

  The An-132 is a multipurpose transport aircraft based on the Soviet-era An-32. It is being jointly developed by Antonov and Saudi Arabia's Technology Development and ...

• Ship-launched torpedoes, Submarine-launched torpedoes

  F17

  The F17 is a wire-guided anti-surface ship torpedo developed for the French Navy and purchased by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The latest version is the F17 ...

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

  Agrion

  The Agrion is a surveillance and missile targeting pulse radar manufactured by Thomson-CSF (now Thales). It is designed to work alongside the AS-15TT anti-ship missiles ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  THAAD missile

  THAAD missile is one of the most important components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system. The THAAD missile starts to intercept incoming ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Shahine

  The Shahine radar is a key component of the Shahine self-propelled surface-to-air missile system, developed by Thomson-CSF (now Thales) for Saudi Arabia in the 1970s. ...

• Loitering munitions

  SKYWASP

  SKYWASP, developed by Vector Defence and SR2 Defence Systems, is a one-way attack drone modelled after the Iranian Shahed drone. The aircraft is in the ...

• Data links

  TTR

  Offered through Data Link Solutions (DLS) – Rockwell Collins' joint venture with BAE Systems – TacNet Tactical Radio (TTR) is claimed to be the smallest ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Silent Hunter

  Silent Hunter, also known as the low-altitude laser defence system (LASS), is a Chinese laser energy weapon believed to have been developed by the China Electronics ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Interceptor HSI32

  The Interceptor HSI32 was designed by French shipbuilder CMN to meet the needs of modern navies and coastguards. The vessel's primary missions are sea policing ...

• Sea: sonar systems

  Captas-1

  CAPTAS-1 is a low-frequency Variable Depth Sonar (VDS) developed by Thales. It is the smallest member of the CAPTAS family optimised for littoral and shallow water ...

• Loitering munitions

  Jaser

  The Jaser is an electronically powered loitering munition manufactured by Serb Advanced Industries. It is pneumatically launched and is equipped with both day and thermal imaging cameras. At ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar

  Cymbeline

  The Cymbeline is a phased-array, mortar-locating radar that detects the flight path of a mortar bomb at two points in its trajectory as it passes ...

• Naval: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ALTESSE

  Thales' Alert and Surface Ship Evaluation (ALTESSE) provides alerts on communication signals, tactical situation development and COMINT capabilities. Its wideband instantaneous bandwidth and processing capacities ...