• Land Warfare

  Russia reverses tank mothballing

  6th December 2016

  The Russian MoD has announced plans to refurbish and upgrade its T-80BV MBT inventory in a reversal of a decision taken three years ago. In …

• Land Warfare

  UK to test active protection

  7th December 2016

  The UK MoD has set 2018 as the date it will carry out live-fire tests of an active protection system (APS). It is a part of …

• Land Warfare

  Thai army invents eucalyptus tank armour

  20th November 2016

  The Royal Thai Army has invented multipurpose armour made from eucalyptus wood for its M60A3 main battle tanks (MBT) to improve their protection against anti-tank …

• Land Warfare

  Zhuhai 2016: China shows off brawn

  9th November 2016

  The variety of armoured vehicles on display at the 11th Zhuhai Air Show in southern China was dazzling, as China South Industries Group Corporation and …

• Land Warfare

  Israel to get more Trophy protection

  11th November 2016

  Israel has given the green light to equip all of its new main battle tanks and armoured personnel carriers with Trophy active protection systems, it …

• Land Warfare

  India to buy T-90MS tanks

  11th November 2016

  The procurement of 464 T-90 main battle tanks by India was approved in early November by the defence minister, Manohar Parrikar. He chaired India’s Defence …

• Land Warfare

  Zhuhai 2016: Norinco unveils VT5 light tank

  4th November 2016

  China North Industries Corporation (Norinco) chose the occasion of the 11th Zhuhai Air Show in China to unveil its VT5, a new light main battle …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thailand upgrades FCS of M60A3

  6th November 2016

  The Royal Thai Army (RTA) received its first five M60A3 MBTs following an upgrade of their fire control system from analogue to digital, plus installation …

• Land Warfare

  Otokar submits final offer for Altay production

  12th September 2016

  Otokar has submitted its final offer for the serial production of Altay main battle tanks (MBTs) to the Turkish Undersecretariat of Defence Industry (SSM), the …

• Land Warfare

  TAM tank upgrade stalls

  20th September 2016

  Following the unveiling of the TAM 2IP medium tank for Argentina in June, it is not clear if will be combined with the TAM 2C …

• Land Warfare

  AAD 2016: Algeria receives more T-90s

  14th September 2016

  Algeria has taken delivery of another batch of T-90 tanks under a contract between Russian and Algeria. The latest batch of 67 units handed over …

• Land Warfare

  DVD 2016: Challenger 2 BAE’S ‘natural position’

  9th September 2016

  BAE Systems is bullish about success in their bid, instrategic partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems, for the assessment phase of the Challenger 2 Life Extension Project …

• Land Warfare

  MSPO 2016: Poland's Leopard upgrade breaks cover

  7th September 2016

  The first prototype Leopard 2PL main battle tank, an upgrade of the Polish Army’s legacy 2A4 variant, is on display at this year’s MSPO exhibition …

• 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

  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 …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  New 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. ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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. ...

• Main battle tanks

  MBT replacement [Slovenia]

  Programme Background When Slovenia became independent in 1991, it inherited 54 M-84 MBTs from the former Yugoslav National Army. In the years after independence, the Slovenian ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  Wilk

  Programme Background The Wilk programme was included in the Polish MoDs Technical Modernisation Plan of the Polish Armed Forces for 2021-2035. It was primarily aimed ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Main battle 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 ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  130 mm MBT gun

  The 130mm L/52 main battle tank (MBT) gun is produced by Rheinmetall and forms part of the company’s Future Gun System. The L/52 is compatible ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Light tanks

  Type 100 Tank

  Officially unveiled at the September 2025 V-Day parade, the Type 100 Tank is claimed by China to be a fourth-generation Main Battle Tank (MBT), making ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• Main battle 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, 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 ...

• Light 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 ...