• Special Operations

  SOFINS 2019: France’s Special Operations Command to continue innovating

  4th April 2019

  French special operations forces must be equipped with the cutting-edge technology necessary to defeat increasingly creative and intelligent adversaries, Minister of the Armed Forces Florence …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG receives and commissions new FRCs

  27th March 2019

  The US Coast Guard (USCG) commissioned its 31st fast response cutter (FRC), Terrell Horne, in San Pedro, California on 22 March. The cutter is the …

• Training

  LIMA 2019: Malaysian Hawks soldier on but await upgrade decision

  28th March 2019

  Hawk trainer jets of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will continue to play an important role in the RMAF as they are expected to …

• Land Warfare

  US Army ploughs on with Bradley replacement

  1st April 2019

  The release of the RfP for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) prototype phase by the US Army clearly shows how the service is getting …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mi-26T2V completes preliminary flight tests

  5th April 2019

  Russian Helicopters has successfully completed preliminary flight tests of the Mi-26T2V helicopter, the company announced on 3 April. The aircraft is being prepared for delivery …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Unmanned Systems Asia 2019: ScanEagle joins the coalface

  25th March 2019

  Insitu has begun working with Australia’s Shell Queensland Gas Corporation (SQGC) to provide automated surveillance and trouble-spotting of wellheads under a contract signed in early …

• Digital Battlespace

  LIMA 2019: Malaysian radio launched

  27th March 2019

  Sapura Thales Electronics (STE), a JV established between Sapura and Thales in 1996, launched a second-generation VHF radio called the TRC 5200 at LIMA 2019. …

• Naval Warfare

  LIMA 2019: Production of Malaysian LMS shifts back to China

  26th March 2019

  Malaysia ordered four Littoral Mission Ships (LMS) from CSIC in China, with that deal stipulating that the third and fourth vessels would be built locally …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  L3, Sonardyne introduce 6G-enabled AUVs

  1st April 2019

  L3 Technologies, together with Sonardyne, will offer 6G-enabled capability across its commercial autonomous vessel product range, the company announced on 26 March. L3’s C-Stat 2 …

• Digital Battlespace

  EASR to begin live testing

  22nd March 2019

  The Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar being built by Raytheon is set to begin live testing at the Surface Combat Systems Center at Wallops Island, Virginia, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Plane glass for plain protection

  26th March 2019

  With ground-based attacks during theatre operation a real threat to military helicopters, Israel-based OSG has developed an ultra-light ballistic window that protect these aircraft, the …

• Training

  DSET 2019: CTTP is learning from others

  21st March 2019

  The British Army’s Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) continues to move forward and the CTTP team has been looking at other large projects ‘to increase …

• Land Warfare

  L3 receives STORM 2 production contract

  2nd April 2019

  L3 Technologies has received a seven-year, $215 million contract from the US Army Contracting Command to provide soldiers with the Small Tactical Optical Rifle-Mounted Micro …

• Defence Notes

  Poland will acquire 5th-generation fighter jets

  22nd March 2019

  The Polish MoD has announced its intention to acquire a number of 5th-generation fighter jets and gradually phase out legacy Soviet-era fighters and bombers. Under …

• Defence Notes

  US successfully tests anti-ICBM system

  28th March 2019

  The US military said on 26 March 2019 that it had successfully tested an anti-intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system, with a target launched from the …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Sky Scout-X [Thailand]

  Programme Background At the Defence & Security (D&S;) 2019 show in Bangkok, RV Connex displayed a variant of this Sky Scout, the Sky Scout-X. This ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M [Türkiye]

  Turkey has become the second country to receive the new-generation A400M airlifter, with the first of ten aircraft handed over by Airbus Defence and Space ...

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

  DP18A [Thailand]

  Background 2023 According to Aero Technology Industry Company Limited (ATIL) officials, speaking to Janes at Defence & Security (D&S;) 2023 in Bangkok, the company was at ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow-On [USA]

  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 - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Anka-S (Saudi Arabia)

  Programme Background Desired Procurement Saudi Arabia has reportedly been in negotiations to procure six Anka UAVs since 2013. It has not been disclosed which Anka ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)

  Programme Background Five prototypes will be manufactured for developmental tests. Indian Air Force will buy 36 AMCA Mark-I aircraft from 2029-30. The Mark-I configuration will ...

• Trainer

  S-211 Replacement [Philippines]

  Programme Background Requirement The Philippines is looking at replacement options for its ageing fleet of S-211 trainer jets. The S-211s have been in operation with ...

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

  Long-Endurance UAV [US AFRICOM]

  Programme Background Ageing MQ-9A Reapers In November 2022, Shephard reported that GA-ASI would continue supporting contractor SMX with its MQ-9A after winning a $2.3 billion task ...

• Trainer

  T-4 Replacement [Japan]

  Programme Background The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) has been using the T-4 as an intermediate trainer jet since 1988, but now the Acquisition, Technology ...

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

  Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (SiRTAP) [Colombia]

  Background MoU In 2017, it was announced that Spain was jointly developing a MALE UAV with Colombia to meet the ISR requirement of both armed ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  S-70i (Philippines)

  The Black Hawk is believed to have been the most expensive of the aircraft that had been shortlisted for the PAF project, others being the ...

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

  Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (SiRTAP) [Serbia]

  Background MoU In 2017, it was announced that Spain was jointly developing an MALE UAV with Colombia to meet the ISR requirement of both armed ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Turkish Air Force ordered 100 F-35A aircraft as a partner nation, however, the country was removed from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Camcopter Project (Thailand)

  Programme Background Batch One In November 2019, as reported by Shephard, Schiebel was awarded a TBH600 million ($18.76 million) contract from the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) ...

• Aircraft carriers

  Gerald R. Ford Class (CVN 79 to CVN 81) [USN]

  Programme Background Timeline The Gerald R. Ford-class consists of four nuclear-powered aircraft carriers (CVNs) to keep the carrier force at 11. The first of the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Naval guns

  Gökdeniz

  Gökdeniz, also known as Korkut-D, is a 35mm Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) developed by Turkish Aselsan. It was unveiled for the first time at IDEF ...

• Land: RWS

  D-RWS

  The Dual-RWS (D-RWS) is designed to be installed on the Republic of Korea Marine Corps' Korean Amphibious Assault Vehicle fleet. Weighing approximately 350kg, it is ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  PC-21 FTD

  Airbus D&S; has technical responsibility for overall system integration and the geo-specific database within the consortium for the development and production of the Pilatus PC-21 ...

• Transponders and IFF

  IFF Mk XIIA(S)

  Aselsan IFF Mk XIIA(S) is a Mode 5/S compatible long-range IFF interrogator. According to the manufacturer, it may be mounted to a standard 19-inch rack ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  AN/ALQ-213(V) DAC

  Terma’s AN/ALQ-213(V) electronic warfare management unit is used extensively on General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon series combat aircraft around the world. The AN/ALQ-213(V) is ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Bavar 373

  The Bavar 373 is a medium/long range ground based air defence missile system developed by Iran. It is claimed to offer similar capabilities between S-300PMU2 ...

• OPVs

  OPV 58 S

  The OPV 58 S is a versatile patrol vessel developed by the French company Piriou. The vessels have been designed primarily for surveillance, identification and ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  CMS (Vikrant-Class)

  The Combat Management System abroad INS Vikrant is developed by TATA Power's Strategic Engineering Division, the Indian MoD's Weapon and Electonic System Engineering Establishment and ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Distributed and Networked Mission Training

  Airbus D&S; networks training systems to enable joint and distributed mission training across local and national boundaries, generating realistic and needs-oriented scenarios. The solution uses ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BTR-MDM

  The BTR-MDM Rakushka is an amphibious tracked armoured vehicle developed by Kurganmashzavod to meet the Russian Airborne Forces' (VDV) need for a new air-droppable APC. ...

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

  Sky Scout-M

  Unveiled at the Defense & Security (D&S;) 2023 exhibition in Bangkok, the Sky Scout-M is a combat version of the Sky Scout from RV Connex.  ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BTR-3

  Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau produced the first 8x8 BTR-3-series amphibious APC in 2001. The series includes the BTR-3U, the BTR-3U Guardian (variant for ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  TEagle Eye III

  Thailand’s state-owned Defence Technology Institute (DTI) unveiled the TEagle Eye III fixed-wing UAV in November 2015 at the country's Defence and Security (D&S;) exhibition. It ...

• Helicopter guns

  FN D-HMP 250

  The FN D-HMP (Digital Heavy Machine Gun Pod) 250 is a self-contained airborne weapon system armed with a .50 cal FN M3P heavy machine gun, ...

• Land: battle management systems, Naval: Combat Management Systems

  SENIN

  The French Navy has chosen Airbus D&S; and SODENA for development and installation of SENIN on its entire fleet of the ECDIS electronic cartography system. ...