• Training

  Malaysian Army inducts simulation system

  27th August 2017

  The Malaysian Army inaugurated its Immersive Virtual Training Simulator (VIRTSIM) on 14 August at Syed Sirajuddin Camp in Gemas. Developed by Motion Reality in the US, …

• Land Warfare

  US Army releases active protection roadmap

  30th August 2017

  As the US army contemplates whether it will field an active protective system (APS) for its current fleet of vehicles, the service has unveiled a …

• Defence Helicopter

  MSPO 2017: The Kruk of the matter

  29th August 2017

  Despite the postponed advancement of the Polish attack helicopter requirement, likely related to the delayed ASW/SOF tender, companies are outlining proposed platforms for the much …

• Defence Helicopter

  Merlin Mk4 carries out deck landing trials

  17th August 2017

  A Royal Marines newly upgraded Merlin Mk4 helicopter has spent four weeks aboard aviation training ship RFA Argus as part of work to prepare the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Finland finalises K9 digitisation deal

  24th August 2017

  Kongsberg Defence Systems has entered into a contract with Hanwha Land Systems to deliver its Integrated Combat Solution (ICS) as part of Finland’s acquisition of …

• Naval Warfare

  Malaysia launches first LCS

  24th August 2017

  Malaysia’s first Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), Maharaja Lela, was launched in a formal ceremony on 24 August at the Boustead Naval Shipyard facility in Lumut.  …

• Special Operations

  MARSOC embraces WWII heritage

  25th August 2017

  The recent re-designation of the US Marine Special Operations School as the Marine Raider Training Center marked a return to a traditional designation that had …

• Naval Warfare

  Germany, Norway sub cooperation green lit

  22nd August 2017

  Germany and Norway have sealed the deal on the intention to cooperate on future naval defence equipment, including the procurement of new submarines. The two …

• Defence Notes

  PLAAF restructures its Airborne Corps

  6th September 2017

  Greater clarity has begun to emerge about the radical restructuring of China’s airborne force – what was once referred to as the 15th Airborne Corps …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Starter underway as Harris wins EOD contract

  22nd August 2017

  In the modern military environment that land forces find themselves operating in automation and the use of unmanned platforms continues to play a vital role …

• Defence Helicopter

  Ka-226T to undergo testing in Iran

  11th August 2017

  Russian Helicopters and Iran Helicopter Support and Renewal Company (IHSRC) are to test the Ka-226T light utility helicopter in Iran for its ability to operate …

• Special Operations

  Analysis: US SOF involvement in Philippines

  8th September 2017

  The US closure of Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines (JSOTF-P) in Mindanao, southern Philippines in 2015 appears to have been premature, in light …

• Defence Notes

  Reforms are needed for Vietnam’s military

  2nd August 2017

  Vietnam must begin serious modernisation and structural reform if it wants to hold its own against China’s growing control of the South China Sea and, …

• Defence Helicopter

  GTLK orders Russian-made HEMs helicopters

  26th July 2017

  Russian Helicopters and Russia’s state-owned leasing company GTLK signed on 20 July 2017 a contract detailing the delivery of 30 EMS helicopters under a newly-designed, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Orion UAV shown for first time

  27th July 2017

  The first Russian-made MALE class UAV, for a wide variety of military applications, was revealed at MAKS 2017 aerospace & defence exhibition near Moscow on …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Golden Eagle (Ukraine Aid) [NATO Member]

  Programme Background 2022 Russian Invasion of Ukraine Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, the usage and effectiveness of micro and mini UAV platforms ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 600 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background $300 Million USAI (1 April 2022) On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine following ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Norway]

  Programme Background September 2024 On 3 September 2024, the Norwegian government announced that "Ukraine will get more drones donated to their frontline, and more air ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Phoenix Ghost (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (21 April 2022) Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, on 21 April 2022, President Biden announced an $800 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  RQ-35 Heidrun (Ukraine Aid) [Germany]

  Programme Background Early 2024 On 28 March 2024, the German Federal Government provided an update on the military aid it had given to Ukraine. In ...

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

  Drone40 (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background In August 2022, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank, held a podcast with Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, in which ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  SkyRanger R70 (Ukraine Aid) [Canada]

  Programme Background On 19 February 2024, the Canadian Defence Minister, Bill Blair, announced that the country would donate more than 800 SkyRanger R70 UAVs to ...

• Tanks

  Leopard 2A8 [Croatia]

  Programme Background Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Croatia becomes the latest in a string of Eastern/Central European countries to bolster its ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background In April 2024, while in Lviv, Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles announced a new AU$100 million military assistance package for Ukraine. This reaffirms ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 (Aid & Discounted Units) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Pre Invasion Units The Ukrainian Army purchased 12 TB2 units in January 2019 for a reported $69 million. Deliveries began in June 2019, ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 (Pre-War) [Ukraine Navy]

  Programme Background Ukrainian Army The Ukraine Army purchased 12 TB2 units in January 2019 for a reported $69 million.  Contract According to Ukrainian Navy Commander ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  CV90 [Sweden]

  Programme Background As the domestic manufacturer and original operator of the CV90 IFV, Sweden has had a continuous fleet of CV90s in service since the ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  Heavy Lift Helicopter [Philippines]

  Programme Background Procurement from Russia In November 2021, Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed that a contract had been signed to acquire 16 Mi-171 heavy ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multi Role Combat Aircraft [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) continues its quest to acquire a new multirole combat aircraft. Under the country’s Forces Goal 2030 plan, which ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Next Generation Fighter Aircraft (Vietnam)

  Programme Background Requirement The Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) operates an ageing fleet of Su-22 aircraft as well as Su-27s and Su-30s. According to expert commentary, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  Il-78M

  Based on the Il-76 transport, the Il-78 convertible tanker/transport aircraft first entered service in 1974 and was followed three years later by the improved Il-78M ...

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

  Shark

  The Shark is a fixed-wing catapult launched ISR UAV developed by Ukrspecsystems. The Shark-D is the original variant; an improved Shark-M variant was unveiled in early ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2

  The Bayraktar TB2, or Bayraktar-2, is a medium-altitude long-endurance UAV developed and manufactured by Baykar. The platform can conduct ISR and armed attack missions and has a ...

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

  Orion / Orion-E

  The Orion, sometimes called the Inokhodets, is the first Russian-manufactured MALE UAV that has been designed to carry out a wide variety of military surveillance applications. Russia has ...

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

  Forpost / Forpost-R

  The Forpost was a variant of the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Searcher Mk II produced under license in Russia until 2016. Following US pressure, Israel refused to ...

• Land: battlefield and ground surveillance radar, Land: coastal surveillance radars

  SNAR-10M1

  The SNAR-10M1 is a mobile, armoured, self-propelled radar system manufactured by Almaz-Antey. It is designed with an automatic coordinate readout for locating moving ground and ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMP-1

  The BMP-1 (Bronevaya Maschina Piekhota-1) is a tracked amphibious IFV that was developed in the Soviet Union during the 1960s.  Entering service with the Soviet ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Nebo-SVU

  The Nebo-SVU is an air defence radar distributed by Rosoboronexport in Russia and is currently used by the Russian Army and the Iranian Army. It ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Eleron-3 (Series)

  The Eleron series comprises several variants, including Eleron-3 (T23E), Eleron-3SV, Eleron-B, Eleron-10 (T10D and 10E) and Eleron-10SV (T10). The Russian Armed Forces use Eleron-3 aircraft ...

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

  Orlan-10/10E

  Developed by the Russia-based Special Technology Center, the Orlan-10 is a medium-range UAS with many variants, such as the 10E, an export version introduced in 2017. The ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  KamAZ-43269 Vystrel

  The KamAZ-43269 Vystrel (originally known as the BPM-97) is a 4x4 armoured vehicle based on the proven KamAZ-4326 4x4 military truck chassis. Although development started in ...

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

  Mavic 3 (Series)

  The Mavic 3 is a rotary-wing UAV manufactured by DJI designed for commercial aerial photography and video capture. It has a Hasselblad L2D-20c two-camera payload, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, and ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Gerbera

  The Gerbera is a rudimentary Russian UAV manufactured by Gastello Design Bureau.  The drone's body is made of radar-absorbent foam, and the platform is reportedly available ...

• Tanks

  BMPT

  UVZ developed the BMPT Fire Support Combat Vehicle, nicknamed Terminator by the company, after studying the Russian Army's performance during the Chechen War. Designed to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BTR-70

  The BTR-70 is an amphibious 8x8 armoured personnel carrier originally developed for the Soviet Union's armed forces. Produced in the Soviet Union from 1972 until ...