• Naval Warfare

  Micronesia receives first Guardian-class patrol boat with another to come

  16th March 2022

  FSS Tosiwo Nakayama is the first of two 39.5m-long Guardian-class boats for the Federated States of Micronesia, built by Austal under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project.

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF raises contract ceiling for DB-110 reconnaissance pod

  9th May 2022

  Major modification raises ceiling of DB-110 airborne ISR pod contract to beyond $1 billion.

• Land Warfare

  Javelin JV to provide extra support for Ukraine and other FMS customers

  11th March 2022

  Contract modification from US Army will see Raytheon and Lockheed Martin provide additional support to US users and 14 FMS customers.

• Defence Notes

  Australia promises major boost to size of armed forces

  10th March 2022

  Alarmed by increasing strategic competition and belligerent states, Australia has promised to increase the size of its military by nearly a third.

• Training

  USAF simulator division opens Sims Holodeck

  10th May 2022

  The new Innovation Lab will allow the force to explore novel training solutions while creating a space to engage with industry partners.

• Naval Warfare

  USN offers three paths forward for future fleet

  28th April 2022

  At the high end, the USN’s plans could deliver a fleet of 367 vessels by 2032; however, the lowest alternative would only provide a fleet of 316 ships and submarines.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  NAVAIR orders more Triton support from Northrop Grumman

  10th March 2022

  Continued input from OEM Northrop Grumman will help ensure that the MQ-4C is ready to conduct ISR missions, says NAVAIR.

• Air Warfare

  US and Ukrainian Air Force deny transfer of fighter aircraft

  21st April 2022

  The US has sent aircraft parts to Ukraine enlarging its operational fleet of fighter jets, while both the US and Ukraine deny any transfer of whole MiG-29s has occurred.

• Air Warfare

  Australian Army selects Integrator as next tactical UAV

  14th March 2022

  A winner has been declared for the Australian Army's quest to find a new tactical UAV to replace the Shadow 200.

• Naval Warfare

  Sweet sixteen for Austal with extra EPF deal

  4th May 2022

  EPF 16 will be the third Spearhead-class ship in the Flight II configuration for USN Military Sealift Command.

• Naval Warfare

  Rohde & Schwarz delivers comms systems for first Australian enhanced Cape-class boat

  23rd March 2022

  Rohde & Schwarz delivered communication systems for the first of the Royal Australian Navy’s Enhanced Cape-class Patrol Boat (ECCPB) on 23 March.

• Land Warfare

  Estonia to acquire new armoured vehicles in Q2 2022

  1st April 2022

  Estonia has concluded a market survey for new 4x4 and 6x6 platforms and is seeking suppliers able to deliver new vehicles by the end of 2024.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy awards Raytheon up to $1.68 billion for Zumwalt destroyer engineering services

  22nd April 2022

  The Zumwalt-class destroyers recently achieved initial operational capability in December 2021, with the inaugural fleet employment of USS Zumwalt scheduled for later this year.

• Defence Notes

  International military expenditure reaches new height of $2.1 trillion

  26th April 2022

  For the seventh consecutive year, world military expenditure has continued to grow, reaching an all-time high of $2.1 trillion.

• Land Warfare

  Slovakia awaits Patria AMVxp 8x8s in 2023

  4th April 2022

  The Slovak MoD is progressing with the BOV programme and expects to have all 76 vehicles in service with its heavy mechanised brigade by 2026. The Patria 8x8 platforms will be equipped with a Turra-30 turret and a 30mm cannon.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Logistics, Ammunition Carrier and Mortar Carrier Variants) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Amphibious Vehicles) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland]

  Background Requirement Since the early 2010s, Poland has wanted to upgrade its Soviet-era tank fleet due to modernisation requirements, the need to increase interoperability with NATO ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro

  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 ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

  Background Requirements Australia has set out requirements for a fleet of up to 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels - Medium (LMV-M) with the release of a ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Land 400 Phase 2 - Boxer CRV [Australia]

  Programme Background History The Land 400 Phase 2 programme will procure a replacement for the ASLAV, a derivative of the General Dynamics Land Systems Light Armoured Vehicle ...

• Main battle tanks

  Viatura Blindada de Combate-Carro de Combate (VBC-CC) [Brazil]

  Programme Background Several key technical requirements have been outlined by the Brazilian MoD. Among the most important are that the platform should weigh less than ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A4 [Czech Republic]

  Background  The Czech Republic currently operates a small fleet of T-72s, which, while undergoing upgrades and life extension programmes, are increasingly obsolete. In October 2022, ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  Second Hand SSNs [Australia]

  Programme background Timeline In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Chios class LST replacement [Greece]

  Background Requirements The Hellenic Navy’s Chios-class tank landing ship platforms have been in service for almost 30 years. Shephard estimates they will start reaching their out-of-service date (OSD) ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS (Batch 2) [Australia]

  Programme background Prior to selecting HIMARS in January 2023, Australia did not operate an MLRS system. However, the effectiveness of Ukrainian HIMARS convinced the Australian government ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle USV (16-55) [Australia]

  Programme Background Timeline The RAN purchased a number of the 6.8m-long Bluebottles, including five under an A$4.9 million ($3.3 million) contract signed in November 2022. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Project Land 400 Phase 3 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement: 2015 RfI The Land 400 Phase 3 programme will procure a new tracked IFV to replace the Australian Army's legacy fleet of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Carl-Gustaf M3

  The Carl-Gustaf M3 is the third generation of the 84mm shoulder-fired recoilless antitank gun, first fielded by the Swedish Army in 1946. Since then, it ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm KE DM63 / DM53 A1 Tank Ammunition

  The 120mm kinetic energy tank ammunition is manufactured by Rheinmetall. There are several variations of the ammunition, including the DM63, which can be fired from ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120MM HEAT-TP F1A

  Franco-German KNDS-Nexter produce the 120mm High-Explosive Anti-Tank Training-Purpose F1A (HEAT-TP F1A) round to enable reduced-cost training for Main Battle Tank crews. 

• Main battle tanks

  M1/M1A1 Abrams

  The 105mm-armed M1 Abrams tracked MBT was introduced into US Army service in 1980 as a replacement for the 105mm-armed M60 MBT. In April 1991, ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm PELE Tank Ammunition

  The 120mm Penetrator with Enhanced Lateral Effect (PELE) tank ammunition is an inert round produced by Rheinmetall. It is suitable for use against semi-hard targets ...

• Light mortars

  60mm Mortar Ammunition

  US-based LD Systems' 60mm Mortar ammunition fulfils the NATO standard for lightweight mortar ammunition.

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  120mm L55A1

  The 120mm L55A1 is a smoothbore high-pressure gun based on the L55 tank gun. The L55A1 has been qualified and in service since 2019. It ...

• Naval: RF/IR/acoustic decoys

  Nulka

  The Nulka is an active anti-ship missile decoy originally conceived in Australia, and developed under a joint Australian-US programme. BAE Systems Australia is prime contractor, while ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  120mm L55 Tank Gun

  The 120mm L55 is a smoothbore tank gun produced by Rheinmetall. It is designed for use on the Leopard main battle tank, to which it ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP)

  The M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) is a 120mm tank round developed by Northrop Grumman Defence Systems. Various customers, including Bahrain, Israel, and the US, use the tank ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3

  The M1A2 System Enhancement Package 3 (M1A2 SEPv3, also known as M1A2C) is the latest production-standard variant of the Abrams MBT. Designed primarily to address ...

• Land: RWS

  R400 Slinger

  The R400 Slinger is a counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) remote weapon system (RWS) being developed in Australia. The development is a response to growing international ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  Next Generation Combat Vehicle Ammunition

  The Next Generation Combat Vehicle Ammunition (NGVA) is a family of ammunition being developed by the US Army's Armaments Center and manufactured by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  CVTESS

  Saab's Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CVTESS) is a laser-based simulator which supports every version of the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Bradley ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  SSN AUKUS

  The SSN-AUKUS will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...