• Defence Notes

  Aero India 2017: Textron reports G-Claw testing

  16th February 2017

  Textron Systems Weapon and Sensor Systems' G-Claw precision guided glide weapon has undergone successful testing at Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona, the company announced on …

• Naval Warfare

  IDEX 2017: Patria showcases Nemo (video)

  21st February 2017

  The fully containerised Nemo mortar solution was showcased by Patria at the IDEX exhibition with its compact form potentially providing a highly transportable capability for …

• Land Warfare

  Aero India 2017: BEL completes RWS for Arjun

  15th February 2017

  Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) unveiled its finalised design for a remote-controlled weapon station (RWS) at Aero India 2017 in Bangalore, this weapon system being destined …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon 2017: Team Reaper forms in Australia

  28th February 2017

  Team Reaper Australia, led by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI), was formally launched on 28 February, the opening day of the Avalon Air Show …

• Land Warfare

  Indonesia hails CAESAR

  22nd February 2017

  In a vote of confidence for Nexter's truck-based CAESAR 155mm L/52 howitzer, the Indonesian Army has lodged a repeat order for 18 systems.In a press …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IDEX 2017: Rheinmetall eyes armed UGV market

  22nd February 2017

  German company Rheinmetall is planning to enter into the armed ground robot market with the integration of a remote weapon station (RWS) for its new …

• Naval Warfare

  IDEX 2017: Ferretti Group and Fincantieri in cooperation agreement (video)

  21st February 2017

  Fincantieri and Ferretti Group announced a cooperation agreement on 20 Feb at the IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi with both parties set to explore new …

• Land Warfare

  Amphibious vehicles arriving for USMC

  27th February 2017

  The US Marine Corp's Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV 1.1) programme is gathering pace as more vehicles are delivered for testing.On 21 February it took delivery …

• Defence Helicopter

  IDEX 2017: Armed 429 testing this year

  20th February 2017

  NorthStar Aviation is looking to build on its success supplying armed Bell 407 multirole helicopters (MRH) to the United Arab Emirates by extending its weapon …

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2017: AMV28A takes on turret requirements

  20th February 2017

  Patria's new AMV28A 8x8 vehicle variant has been developed to take a larger payload while remaining an effective amphibious platform.A spokesperson for the company told …

• Defence Helicopter

  IDEX 2017: Sea Venom starts to spit

  20th February 2017

  European missile manufacturer MBDA is moving forward with trials of its Anglo-French Sea Venom anti-ship missile and is using this year's IDEX exhibition to promote …

• Naval Warfare

  IDEX 2017: Baynunah-class upgrades arms

  19th February 2017

  The UAE has awarded US missile manufacturer, Raytheon, a contract for its Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2 interceptors.The value of the contract and the …

• Digital Battlespace

  IDEX 2017: Viper sees further

  21st February 2017

  Lockheed Martin has secured a contract to provide the US Marine Corp with its Targeting Sight System to be fitted to the AH-1Z Viper attack …

• Land Warfare

  IDEX 2017: Getting FATS in the Middle East

  13th February 2017

  The Middle East is a 'key market' for Meggitt Training Systems, which is introducing its FATS 100e virtual training system to IDEX for the first …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  IDEX 2017: Ukraine assesses armed ground robots

  20th February 2017

  The Ukrainian government is in the final evaluation stage for an armed unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) concept known as 'Fantom'.Developed by the company Spets Techno …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• OPVs

  Continental Defence Corvette [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirements Under the second pillar of its shipbuilding strategy, Canada is seeking to procure an undisclosed number of small vessels (below 1000t). Part ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• Destroyers

  Next-Generation Large Surface Combatants (LSC) - DDG(X) [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy (USN) is acknowledging a need to move away from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer design, which is slowly outgrowing. Flight III ...

• Destroyers

  Type 83 Future Air Defence System (FADS) [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements The Daring-class (Type 45) consists of six ships, although the original plan was to have 12 destroyers. This was cut to eight in ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Multi-Role Strike Ship (MRSS) Programme [UK]

  Programme Background Requirements According to the UK MoD's March 2021 Defence Command Paper, entitled 'Defence in a Competitive Age', the RN will invest in six ...

• Frigates

  European Combat Vessel [Spain]

  Programme Background Requirements The European Combat Vessel (ECV) is currently a conceptual project that seeks to design a European collaborative multi-mission, modular warship. As of ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Data links

  Data links | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  In February 2025, Simon Harris, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste, emphasised the importance of acquiring a new combat fighter jet to address aerial ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M [Germany]

  Programme Background Germany originally said it would but 60 A400Ms, but when the program was re-baselined in 2010 reduced its planed off take to 53, ...

• Destroyers

  Sejong the Great Class (KDX-III) Batch 2 (1-3) [South Korea]

  Programme Background Requirements The Sejong the Great class (KDX-III) Batch 2 will consist of three improved Sejong the Great-class (KDX-III) batch 1 guided-missile destroyers, which ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Landing Platform Docks [India]

  Programme Background Requirements The LPD tender, although more akin to an LHD, specifies that the quartet of ships must be built within India, although collaboration ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Programme Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Fractl:2

  Fractl:2, developed and manufactured by AIM Defence, is an Australian laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The high-powered portable system is Australia's first acquisition of a directed ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Apollo

  Apollo is a High-Energy Laser Weapon System manufactured by Electro Optic Systems (EOS). Apollo's laser utilises directed energy to disable or destroy aerial targets without ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  DIAL

  The Laser Weapon Instrumental Demonstrator (DIAL), in joint development with Indra and Escribano Mechanical Engineering, is a Spanish laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). The system ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Minotaur

  Minotaur, developed by Soukos Robots, is a Greek laser directed energy weapon (LDEW). Minotaur is an anti-drone platform with the ability to shoot down unmanned ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Italian LDEW (Leonardo/MBDA)

  As announced in December 2024, Leonardo and MBDA are collaborating to produce a Fire Unit Laser Directed Energy Weapon (LDEW) for the Italian Navy. The ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons, Self-propelled guns, Self-propelled missile systems

  SkyRanger 30

  SkyRanger 30 is a mobile ground-based air defence (GBAD) laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system designed by Rheinmetall. The system comprises automatic cannons, guided missiles, and a ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  CROSSBOW MINI

  CROSSBOW MINI, developed by IPG Photonics, is a laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW). The LDEW has multiple deployable configurations and is a part of the manufacturers ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Archimedes

  Archimedes, developed by Aurelius Systems, is a laser-directed energy weapon designed to stop drones at scale. The system is still in development, though Aurelius received ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  ALKA-KAPLAN

  ALKA-KAPLAN is a collaborative effort between Turkish manufacturers ROKETSAN and FNSS. The system is a mobile armoured anti-drone system, which integrates the ALKA directed energy-weapon ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  German LDEW (Rheinmetall/MBDA)

  Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany's collaborative work on laser-directed energy weapon (LDEW) technology has resulted in a German laser weapon system that is close to being ...

• Laser-directed energy weapons

  Guorong-1 Anti Drone System

  Guorong-1 is an anti-drone system developed by China. The system is jointly developed by the Chinese Electronics Technology Group (CETG), Guorong Technology, and the Chinese public ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  DroneDefender

  DroneDefender is a directed-energy UAS countermeasure that disrupts the adversary's control of the aircraft, neutralising it so that no remote action (including detonation) can occur, ...

• Destroyers

  Flight III Destroyer

  During Indo Pacific 2023, Navantia Australia unveiled a 10200t destroyer design. Dubbed as Flight III Destroyer, the Spanish shipbuilder is pitching the ship for the ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  MEHEL 2.0

  The Mobile Expeditionary High-Energy Laser (MEHEL) is a C-UAS-capable vehicle that employs directed energy to neutralise targets. MEHEL 2.0 was first seen at AUSA 2016, ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Kaplan Hybrid Carrier Platform

  Unveiled at IDEF 2025, the Kaplan Hybrid Carrier Platform (HCP) is a tracked vehicle with a hybrid propulsion system manufactured by FNSS. It is designed ...