• Defence Notes

  Russian defence industry faces long-term damage from US sanctions

  28th February 2022

  It may take time, but US-imposed sanctions will prevent Russia from accessing certain essential components such as microelectronics and chips. They will also affect the capacity of Russian industry to produce cutting-edge defence systems and hinder efforts by Moscow to match the technological trajectories of the West and China.

• Land Warfare

  Kongsberg eyes potential UK turret opportunities

  3rd March 2022

  Kongsberg sees the uncrewed turret market as an area of growing interest.

• Land Warfare

  General Atomics completes railgun and powder gun testing contract

  11th March 2022

  General Atomics has announced further success with the development of gun-launched projectile designs.

• Defence Notes

  Ukraine invasion has potential ramifications for Latin American procurement

  23rd March 2022

  Central and South American militaries may have to reconsider their procurement habits in view of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

• Defence Notes

  DSA 2022: Denel eyes Asian opportunities with restructuring process almost complete

  28th March 2022

  A revamped Denel aims to make an impact in Malaysia and the broader Southeast Asian market, its interim CEO tells Shephard in an exclusive interview.

• Defence Notes

  Russia claims import substitution success for guided missiles

  24th March 2022

  KTRV, which makes missiles such as the Iskander-M, has supposedly been able to source domestic replacements for Ukrainian engines and seeker heads — but broader problems persist for the Russian defence industry.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems and US DoD announce MUM-T success

  2nd March 2022

  BAE Systems and the US Deputy Secretary of Defense’s Strategic Capabilities Office have reported a successful MUM-T test flight.

• Air Warfare

  US to supply maritime patrol aircraft to Sri Lanka

  25th February 2022

  Sri Lanka is improving its aerial maritime patrol capability, with a little help from the US.

• Naval Warfare

  Australia narrows down locations for nuke sub base

  8th March 2022

  It will be nearly 20 years before Australia gets its hands on a first SSN, but in the meantime a new base will be established on the country's east coast.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Space Forces issues contract for ballistic and hypersonic missile defence sensor payloads

  2nd March 2022

  The US is augmenting its space-based missile defence capabilities by developing two polar-orbiting satellites with optical and IR sensors.

• Defence Notes

  US seeks to regain lost ground against China on rare earths

  23rd February 2022

  A newly announced facility from MP Materials strengthens US rare earths processing for DoD programmes.

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman enhances USN Hueys

  9th March 2022

  The USN has contracted Northrop Grumman to improve the avionics of its AH-1Z and UH-1Y fleets in order to keep the platform flying.

• Defence Helicopter

  Algeria content with Night Hunters but has JV option for helicopter production

  22nd March 2022

  Since 2012, there has been speculation regarding Algeria’s order of 42 Russian-made Mi-28NE attack helicopters and the timeline for the deliveries. How many has it received, and will recently imposed Western sanctions on Russian arms imports affect Algerian helicopter procurement planning?

• Land Warfare

  France bets on armoured vehicles to ensure deterrence

  21st March 2022

  The French Army is betting on the acquisition and modernisation of armoured vehicles to ensure deterrence in multiple scenarios and avoid being in high-intensity conflicts. Currently, it is carrying out the Scorpion programme, which is intended to deliver around 4,500 new and upgraded platforms by 2034.

• Land Warfare

  GIWS waits for green light on SMArt 155 munition Phase 2

  16th March 2022

  The German parliament is expected by mid-2022 to approve the next step in a programme to revive production of the SMArt 155mm artillery projectile.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (US Army) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (Second Contract) [Croatia]

  Programme Background Western Technology With the help of the US, Croatia has attempted to improve its military technology, replacing Soviet equipment, such as the Mi-8/Mi-17. ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven (US Army)

  Programme Background The AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven began to be deployed by the US Army in 2004 and was selected as its sole small UAS in ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Lower Tier Air and Missile Defence Sensor [US]

  Background The US Army's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defence Sensor (LTAMDS) is being acquired from US-based Raytheon.  The United States Army is the primary customer ...

• Main battle tanks

  Decisive Lethality Platform [USA]

  Background The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in October 2018, ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USAF) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Baclground As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Medium Range Intercept Capability [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' Medium Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) is a new medium-range air defence capability developed from the Israeli Tamir surface-to-air missile and Iron ...

• Maritime patrol

  P-8A Poseidon [UK]

  Background In July 2016, the UK government announced that it had ordered nine aircraft for service with the RAF. Under this frame, in January 2019, ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Surplus M2A2 ODS Bradley IFV (Greece)

  Programme Background The Greek Army has a long-standing need for new tracked IFVs to replace more than 200 legacy M113 tracked APCs in service with ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk Add-on [Lithuania]

  Programme Background On 6 June 2020, the US State Department announced that it had approved a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of six UH-60M Black Hawk ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH (March 2026) [US]

  Background The US Army has been operating the Stryker since 2002. The Stryker DVH is an upgraded variant that has additional armour on its underside ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (USMC) (Batch 1) [USA]

  Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH (September 2026) [US]

  Background The US Army has been operating the Stryker since 2002. The Stryker DVH is an upgraded variant that has additional armour on its underside ...

• Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Data links

  GNOMAD US Domestic

  The US domestic version of GNOMAD (see separate entry) is a ruggedised system comprising a satellite antenna and baseband modular chassis that can be installed ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Indirect Fire Protection Capability [US]

  Leidos' Indirect Fire Protection Capability has been selected to provide medium-range Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) to sit between SHORAD and the high-end Patriot. 

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Directed energy weapons

  Leonidas High-Powered Microwave DEW

  Leonardo's US-based subsidiary Epirus has received funding from both the US and Singapore to develop its Leonidas High-Powered Microwave (HPM) directed-energy weapon (DEW).

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Lockheed Martin Next Generation Short Range Interceptor

  US-based Lockheed Martin is competing for the US Army's Next Generation Short Range Interceptor (NGSRI) programme with its QuadStar missile.  The programme aims to replace ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  RG33

  BAE Systems RG33 is a family of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles available in both 4x4 and 6x6. The medium-weight class of BAE Systems MRAP ...

• Military - USVs

  Voyager

  Voyager is an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) built by US-based Saildrone. Voyager has been used by the US Navy (USN) and is one of three ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-119 (TH-73A Thrasher )

  The US Navy announced on 13 January 2020 that Leonardo had been awarded a US$176.5 million contract for the production of 32 TH-119 helicopters in ...

• Frigates

  Oliver Hazard Perry Class

  The Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were initially designed for the US Navy in the mid-1970s as cost-efficient surface combatants. The robust design has ...

• Self-propelled guns

  SIGMA

  The SIGMA is the latest self-propelled howitzer (SPH) developed by Elbit America and Oshkosh Defense. Produced entirely in the US, the SIGMA is intended to ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLT-5 Thor-II

  Sierra Nevada Corporations’s (SNC's) AN/PLT-5 Thor-II Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) system is designed to equip CIED teams and is used throughout the US armed ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Air: Defensive Systems - Laser Warning Receivers

  LIMWS

  BAE Systems is leading the US Army’s Limited Interim Missile Warning System (LIMWS) initiative. This is intended to enhance the missile protection provided to US ...