• Land Warfare

  NZDF trials electric motorbikes

  28th July 2020

  The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced on 27 July that it is testing electric-powered motorcycles manufactured by Tauranga-based Ubco. The NZDF has four of …

• Air Warfare

  Brazilian Gripen passes local production milestone

  8th July 2020

  Brazilian factory Saab Aeronáutica Montagens (SAM) has begun production of the Gripen E/F fighter for the Brazilian Air Force. ‘The tail cone and front fuselage of …

• Training

  Czech Army adds TESS capabilities

  13th July 2020

  Soldiers of the 71st Mechanized Battalion based at Hranice have tested the latest tranche of laser-based Tactical Engagement Simulation Systems (TESS) delivered by Saab Training …

• Land Warfare

  Dozor-B production to start soon, says Ukroboronprom

  22nd July 2020

  The Dozor-B tactical combat wheeled vehicle is set to begin serial production once qualification tests are completed by the Ukrainian Army. Designed by the Kharkiv …

• Land Warfare

  India picks Bharat to provide T-90 mine ploughs

  21st July 2020

  The Indian MoD has ordered 1,512 mine ploughs from state-owned Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) for installation on T-90 tanks. Under a INR5.57 billion (USD74.6 …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army seeks to move with the times on satellite hardware

  10th July 2020

  The US is adapting to the changing nature of communications and reconnaissance satellite hardware, as the space industry moves towards smaller and cheaper systems in low …

• Training

  Italian Army receives initial UH-169Bs

  13th July 2020

  Leonardo has delivered its first UH-169B basic training helicopters to the Italian Army, as part of the broader AW169MA Light Utility Helicopter acquisition programme. ‘Two AW169 …

• Naval Warfare

  Naval BMD could lose the human touch

  7th July 2020

  The US is exploring a new platform for ballistic missile defence (BMD), after the Pentagon floated the idea of using unmanned surface ships. This concept …

• Training

  EDRE marks end of DEFENDER-Europe 20

  14th July 2020

  The DEFENDER-Europe 20 exercise, disrupted by COVID-19, will culminate when a US-based combined arms battalion conducts an Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise (EDRE) to Europe from …

• Land Warfare

  VBL replacement could attract non-French bidders

  28th June 2020

  Although the French Army will soon receive upgraded Arquus (ex-Panhard Defense) VBL 4x4 scout vehicles, in the longer term a new vehicle will be required …

• Land Warfare

  Serbia wrings extra life out of M-84

  30th June 2020

  The Serbian military formally unveiled its M-84AS-1 MBT earlier this month, as the latest upgrade of a licensed-built version of the venerable T-72M. The M-84AS-1 …

• Air Warfare

  Honeywell orders sonobuoy launch carousels

  3rd July 2020

  Marshall Advanced Composites has received a £890,000 ($1.1 million) order from Honeywell for 21 sonobuoy launch carousel assembly units. The units will be delivered in …

• Land Warfare

  Poland orders more Grot rifles

  10th July 2020

  The Polish MoD has ordered 18,000 more MSBS Grot (‘Arrowhead’) rifles for the country’s army from FB Łucznik – Radom. Deliveries will take place from …

• Land Warfare

  NZ Army orders significant Bushmaster fleet

  9th July 2020

  It comes as no surprise that the New Zealand Army has confirmed an order for Thales Australia’s Bushmaster NZ5.5 protected mobility vehicle. The country’s 1st SAS …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bullish Boeing foresees new CH-47F Middle East and Asian sales

  15th July 2020

  Boeing is confident it can capture a host of new orders for the CH-47F Chinook and the company has a number of active campaigns in …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Nauru 1000C [Brazil]

  Background Contract award The Logistics Command (COLOG) of the Brazilian Army purchased three Nauru 1000C UAVs, training, 36-month integrated logistics support, two EO/MWIR XSIS 222A gimbals, ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  WanderB or ThunderB [Colombia]

  Programme Background Expodefensa 2019 During Colombia's Expodefensa 2019 exhibition, BlueBird Aero Systems displayed its ThunderB VTOL small UAV. Reportedly, the Colombian Army requested information on ...

• VMOE

  Programme Background The Spanish Army's SOF units are procuring the VMOE to meet their requirements for an SOV with sufficient firepower, mobility and mine-protection to ...

• Military UAS - micro

  NX70 Microdrone (First Batch)

  Programme Background The French Army procured the NX70 to meet an urgent operational requirement for a small UAS that could provide short-range ISR for dismounted ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CU172 Blackjack (Second System) [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirement The Canadian Army identified a requirement for two new tactical UAV systems after recognising that the squadron and company-level Aerovironment RQ-11 Raven ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  French Operational Pocket Drone / DrOP (France)

  Programme Background French UAV Procurment / DrOP Under its 2019-2025 Military Programming Law (LPM), France aims to introduce 1,200 new UAVs into service with the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Puma IFV (Batch 1) [Germany]

  By March 2019, 269 of the 350 Pumas on order had been delivered to the German Army. Deliveries of the remaining 81 vehicles are scheduled ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 (Pre-War) [Ukraine Army]

  Programme Background The Ukraine Army purchased 12 TB2 units in January 2019 for a reported $69 million. The units were reportedly delivered from June 2019 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Rosomak [Poland - Second Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Polish Army selected Patria's XC-360 Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV) to meet its requirement for a new 8x8 armoured vehicle to replace ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CU172 Blackjack (First System) [Canada]

  Background Requirement The Canadian Army identified a requirement for two new tactical UAV systems after recognising that the squadron and company-level Aerovironment RQ-11 Raven (CU173 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2018, the US Army initiated the FARA project to develop a replacement for Army attack and scout helicopters, such as the OH-58D Kiowa and AH-64 ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Project Land 4503 [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian Army has begun its search for a successor to the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), with an RfI issued by the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  LCU 2000 (Runnymede-class)

  The LCU 2000 class is in service with the US Army. They were built by VT Halter Marine and first entered service in February 1990. The ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Nauru 1000C

  Manufactured by XMobtos, the Nauru 1000C, or V2-1 Nauru, is a VTOL-capable small fixed-wing UAV. The UAV features a hybrid propulsion system, autopilot and a gyro-stabilised payload.  In ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  WZ-8

  First shown in October 2019, the WZ-8 is HALE UAV. Two closed-cycle liquid-fuelled rocket engines power the WZ-8 to a claimed supersonic speed of Mach 3.  In ...

• Land: RWS

  Guardian 2.0

  The Guardian 2.0 RWS is an upgraded version of Escribano's Guardian RWS in service with the Spanish Army, which offers improved sensors and better stabilisation. ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Sapsan-Bekas

  Unveiled at ARMY-2019 in Moscow, the Sapsan-Bekas is a C-UAS system comprising active radar, video and EO tracking, signal detection and jamming subsystems. The system ...

• Main battle tanks

  C2 Ariete

  The C2 Ariete is an upgraded variant of the C1 Ariete, designed for the Italian Army in the 1990s. Work on the C2 began in ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Comm@nder Army

  Comm@nder Army is an integrated C4I system suitable for use in command post operational environments (infrastructure, shelter-based), providing specialised application services from the HQ of ...

• Sniper rifles

  SV-18

  The SV-18 is a light sniper rifle in a 12.7mm calibre, designed to be easier to carry and operate than existing rifles of that family. 

• Military helicopters - light/training

  LUH

  The Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) is being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to meet the requirements of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  RBS 70 missile

  The RBS 70 missile was produced to meet the requirements of the Swedish Army's short-range air defence needs. The missile is unique in being the ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT)

  The Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT) is an in-development UAV from Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) based on an MD 500 twin-seat American commercial helicopter airframe. With the ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• Land: air defence radar, Land: indirect fire location radar

  AN/TPQ-50

  The AN/TPQ-50 is a lightweight, L-Band counterfire radar that performs early warning for indirect fire, target acquisition, and air surveillance modes. Part of SRC’s Lightweight ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ezuwgu

  The Ezuwgu is an MRAP 4x4 APC designed and produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). 

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BTR-82AT

  The BTR-82AT is an upgraded version of the BTR-82A and BTR-82AM 8x8 IFVs developed for the Russian Army. Introduced in 2019, it features a new, ...