• 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 …

• Training

  ITEC 2016: Saab shows new capabilities

  20th May 2016

  Saab has used ITEC 2016 to announce a number of new contracts and highlight their participation in Exercise Arrow, the first time that the US and …

• Defence Notes

  Will Duterte rock Philippine defence boat?

  17th May 2016

  The presidential electoral victory of Rodrigo Duterte on 9 May could have seismic implications for not only the Philippines, but also the whole region. Duterte, …

• Land Warfare

  SOFEX 2016: Centurion re-born

  13th May 2016

  A prototype tracked armoured personnel carrier called Al-Dawsar (Lion) was displayed at SOFEX for the first time. Built by Jordan’s King Abdullah II Design and …

• Land Warfare

  South Korea wants more K2

  13th May 2016

  In the face of ongoing North Korean belligerence, South Korea’s military is seeking to lodge an order for 100 additional Hyundai Rotem K2 main battle …

• Land Warfare

  Analysis: Azerbaijan and Armenian land forces

  6th April 2016

  Hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorni Karabakh enclave have re-ignited with exchanges of fire over the border. According to officially-released data, during the …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2016: Arjun Mk II raises dust

  31st March 2016

  The updated Arjun Mk II MBT from India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has been demonstrated alongside the Arjun Mk I. The prototype Mk …

• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2016: Nimda offers T-72 upgrade

  28th March 2016

  Israeli firm Nimda is positioning itself to offer an upgrade for the Indian Army’s ageing Ajeya main battle tanks (MBT), a domestic version of the …

• Military Logistics

  Israel to get Backtrail tank trailers

  21st March 2016

  Urdan Metal & Casting Industries is supplying Backtrail transport trailer systems to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), the company announced on 17 March. The exact …

• Land Warfare

  Russia tests Armata

  4th March 2016

  An experimental batch of Armata T-14 MBTs and new T-15 IFVs are set to be taken on strength by the Russian Land Forces from 2017 …

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall to upgrade Polish Leopard 2 tanks

  24th February 2016

  Rheinmetall has been awarded a contract by Poland to upgrade its 128 Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs), it announced on 22 February. The order …

• Land Warfare

  Thailand wants more tanks

  22nd February 2016

  The Royal Thai Army (RTA) wants to buy more main battle tanks (MBT), with Chinese and Russian offerings are most likely at this point. The RTA …

• Land Warfare

  Russia’s MBTs ‘a concern’ for West

  9th February 2016

  Western defence planners should be ‘very concerned’ with Russia’s developments in land warfare capabilities, particular main battle banks (MBT). Last year, Russia unveiled several new …

• Land Warfare

  Tank life extension challenge

  16th December 2015

  The UK MoD has released a tender document for an initial pre-competition phase for the life extension of 227 Challenger II (CR2) main battle tanks …

• Land Warfare

  Australia goes IFV shopping

  19th November 2015

  Australia has issued an RfI for a new tracked infantry carrier for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).  Issued under Project Land 400 Phase 3 for …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 [Belgium]

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

• 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 [Colombia]

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

• 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

  T-55 Replacement [Peru]

  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

  C1 Ariete Replacement [Italy]

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

• 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

  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

  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

  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

  Leclerc XLR [UAE]

  Programme Background Having retired its fleet of AMX-30s in 2021, the UAE relies on its ageing Leclerc MBT fleet to equip its armoured units. Delivered ...

• 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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  Al-Khalid-II

  Programme Background Pakistan operates a vast fleet of Chinese and Ukrainian MBTs primarily aimed at deterring regional rivals such as India. In order to build ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm CAN

  The 120mm Canister (CAN), manufactured by KNDS, is designed to provide crews with an effective close-defence solution against various threats. The round is STANAG 4385 ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Land: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Korean Active Protection System (KAPS)

  South Korea’s Agency for Defence Development’s Korean Active Protection System (KAPS) is an active vehicle protection system which equips the Republic of Korea Army’s Hyundai ...