• Defence Helicopter

  DSA 2016: MD Helicopters forges Malaysian alliances

  21st April 2016

  MD Helicopters capitalised on its sales success to Malaysia by forging agreements to support the army’s six future MD 530G light scout helicopters. Although the …

• Land Warfare

  Australia orders new thermal sights

  21st April 2016

  Elbit Systems of Australia has received a $30 million contract from the Australian Department of Defence for the supply of its XACTth65 thermal weapon sights, …

• Defence Notes

  Affordability gap to face ‘next administration’

  20th April 2016

  Hon. Frank Kendall, US under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, at the 32nd Annual National Logistics Forum, in Washington D.C., outlined significant …

• Digital Battlespace

  IBCS in dual engagement testing

  20th April 2016

  The US Army has conducted a dual engagement flight test of the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) developed by Northrop …

• Land Warfare

  DSA 2016: The Force grows in Indonesia

  20th April 2016

  Delivery of the first set of URO 4x4 Vamtac ST5 vehicles to Indonesia as part of the country’s ForceShield air defence programme are underway. A …

• Land Warfare

  DSA 2016: FNSS to assist further AV8 production

  19th April 2016

  The production of the AV8 Gempita 8x8 vehicle for the Malaysian Army is expected to ramp up this year following a slow start. Plans were …

• Training

  US Navy orders more ELGTRs

  18th April 2016

  Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $25.8 million contract by the US Navy for the production of Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds (ELGTR), the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  Brazil certifies weaponised Fennecs

  18th April 2016

  The Brazilian Army has completed qualification trials of a new integrated weapon system fitted to the service’s upgraded AS550 C3e (H125M) Fennec helicopters. Airbus Helicopters’ …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-EMS tests LiFT battery

  13th April 2016

  General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems’ (GA-EMS) Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant (LiFT) battery has successfully completed on-hull demonstration testing on a Special Operations Command (SOCOM) undersea vehicle, it …

• Land Warfare

  DSA 2016: Saab firepower in Malaysia

  13th April 2016

  The Carl Gustav M4 shoulder-launched multi-role weapon and the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB) will be featured at the DSA exhibition in Malaysia. The …

• Naval Warfare

  Pakistan Navy tests Zarb missile

  13th April 2016

  The Pakistan Navy has conducted a test launch of its new Zarb shore-based anti-ship missile, it was announced on 9 April. During the test, the …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed MHTK completes engineering demo

  11th April 2016

  In an engineering demonstration at the White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, Lockheed Martin’s miniature hit-to-kill (MHTK) interceptor was successfully launched from a multi mission …

• Naval Warfare

  Sonardyne upgrades Sentinel IDS

  11th April 2016

  A new portable variant of Sonardyne’s Sentinel diver detection sonar has been installed at an undisclosed coastal facility in the Middle East, the company announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  Airbus tests HFI concept for Germany

  8th April 2016

  Airbus Helicopters has conducted the first testing phase of a research and technology study for a Hostile Fire Indication (HFI) concept for the German armed …

• Land Warfare

  Estonia sharpens its spears

  7th April 2016

  The US and NATO are starting to ramp up weapon supplies to the Baltic states in response to Russian activity in Ukraine and Eastern Europe. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - mini

  U&C reconnaissance drones [US Army]

  Methodology PGO The programme has been assigned a PGO of 100%, as a contract has been awarded. Unit cost It has not been clarified what ...

• Corvettes

  Continental Defence Corvette [Canada]

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

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Alpha 900 [Uruguay]

  Background Acqustiion In October 2022, the Alpha 900 from Alpha Unmanned Systems was reportedly jointly purchased by the Uruguayan state energy company UTE and the ...

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, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  SCATA Mk1

  The SCATA Mk1 is the first military vehicle developed by Finland's SCATA.