• Training

  I/ITSEC 2024: US military to deploy Cubic SPEAR in Indo-Pacific

  4th December 2024

  Cubic Defense’s Simplified Planning Execution Analysis and Reconstruction (SPEAR) capability will be used in five multi-domain exercises in the region in FY2025.

• Land Warfare

  Leopard MBT: Alpha beast gets a reboot (updated 2025)

  6th March 2025

  Leopard MBTs are German-made main battle tanks that have been in service since the Cold War and have undergone several upgrades to remain competitive in modern warfare. This article traces the history and development of the Leopard 1 and 2, its variants, its operational service and its future prospects.

• Land Warfare

  HII awarded contract to support US ground vehicles

  7th November 2024

  The Department of Defense Information Analysis Center (DoDIAC) provides technical data management and research support for vehicle users. The HII contract will focus on ground combat systems and service lifecycle efforts.

• Naval Warfare

  Japan introduces new landing craft classes to transport army equipment

  12th November 2024

  Japan’s new Nihonbare-class landing craft has highlighted Tokyo’s strategic moves to secure its archipelagic regions. Their introduction could be of interest to Australia as it develops its own amphibious capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  NATO’s Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability moves ahead with development contracts

  26th July 2024

  The Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) programme is a transnational effort across NATO to replace a range of helicopters which are expected to begin retiring from the mid-2030s.

• Naval Warfare

  Thales and FEBUS Optics unite to protect critical undersea infrastructure

  8th November 2024

  The marriage of two branches of undersea technical expertise is expected to bring saleable results for both companies.

• Land Warfare

  British Army programme cuts could continue in 2025

  24th December 2024

  The six-month old Labour leadership in the UK has already made cuts and army programmes could be on the chopping block in 2025. Where might the axe fall?

• Air Warfare

  US Navy carrier ground control station conducts ‘first live control of a UAV’

  8th November 2024

  The US Navy (USN) used its MD-5 Ground Control Station (GCS) with Lockheed Martin’s MDCX autonomy platform to control a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-20 Avenger UAS.

• Air Warfare

  RTX signs multinational NATO deal on Paveway laser guidance kits

  18th July 2024

  RTX has signed a multinational framework contract with NATO, providing Paveway laser guidance kits to improve the accuracy of the alliance’s air missions.

• Land Warfare

  Leonardo and Rheinmetall join forces to build new tanks

  15th October 2024

  The 50:50 joint venture, which will have legal headquarters in Rome and operational headquarters in La Spezia, is expected to be established in the first quarter of 2025 and will initially aim to equip the Italian Armed Forces with combat vehicles.

• Land Warfare

  Australian tank delivery schedule moved earlier

  8th November 2024

  Australia has ordered 75 ex-US Army M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) upgraded to the M1A2 System Enhancement Package version 3 standard (SEPv3) to expand and replace its existing fleet of 59 M1A1 tanks.

• Naval Warfare

  Russian shipyards set to merge as sanctions hit productivity

  12th November 2024

  The planned merger, approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin, will attempt to boost Russian naval production as US sanctions continue to impact the country's shipbuilding industry.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer promotes C-390 Millennium as it signs for closer ties with Morocco

  31st October 2024

  A Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the Marrakesh Air Show, with the C-390 Millennium positioned as the ideal future choice for the Moroccan Air Force.

• Land Warfare

  US Army selects RTX Raytheon as supplier of a wireless power beaming technology

  14th November 2024

  The capability will work like wireless communication systems but will deliver energy wirelessly through the air instead of providing information.

• Land Warfare

  Switzerland approved for $450 million Patriot support contract

  29th October 2024

  There has been strong demand for Patriot air defence and missile systems since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine with units going towards the country’s defensive efforts and systems to existing and new European customers.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - multirole

  H-145M-Luxembourg

  With a MTOW of 3.7t, the H145M can be used for a wide range of tasks, including troop and passenger transport, surveillance, air rescue, reconnaissance ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  RapidRanger [Portugal]

  Background In October 2024, Portugal signed a contract through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) for the supply of three Thales RapidRanger systems, part ...

• Military UAS - mini

  RQ-11 Raven B [Portugal]

  Methodology PGO The programme is completed; thereby, by default, it has a PGO of 100% Programme value and quanity required As noted above, the contract, ...

• AEW&C

  Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-10) [NATO]

  Background NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet is set to retire in 2035, after 50 years of service. To plan for the required follow-on capability, NATO's Alliance ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Anafi UKR [Finland]

  Background Announcment On 18 December 2025, the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command announced it would acquire the Parrot Anafi UKR under a EUR 15 million ($17.88 ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  MRZR D4 [Belgium]

  Background In September 2025, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) awarded Polaris a framework agreement to supply vehicles across the alliance. This framework is intended to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  CLRV [Luxembourg]

  Background Requirement The Luxembourg MoD wants to replace the Luxembourg Army's fleet of 42 AM General M1151 HMMWV Up-Armoured (UA) and 48 KMW Dingo 2 ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Patroller (Armed) [Greece]

  Background Unarmed purchase The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) announced in June 2023 that Greece had contracted four unarmed Patroller MALE UAVs from Safran ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Bayraktar TB2 [Poland]

  Programme Background Requirement Under the Gryf programme, the Polish MoD identified the need for an indigenously produced MALE UAV to provide ISTAR and strike capabilities at ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Patroller (Unarmed) [Greece]

  Programme Background Contract Award On 20 June 2023, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) announced at the Paris Air Show that Greece had signed a contract with ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Vector [Belgium]

  Background Contract award In December 2025, the Council of Ministers approved the purchase of new reconnaissance and surveillance drones to support troops in Romania and Lithuania ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT (1-9) [NATO]

  Programme Background Following operations in Libya and extensive analyses by the European Defence Agency (EDA), it was agreed at the NATO Summit in 2012 that ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT Follow-On [NATO]

  Programme Background Following operations in Libya and extensive analyses by the European Defence Agency (EDA), it was agreed at the NATO Summit in 2012 that ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  VTLB [Portugal]

  Background The Portuguese Army planned to allocate funds for the procurement of 167 VTLBs during the Military Programming Law running from 2015 until 2026. These ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Nordic Micro-UAV [Finland]

  Background Nordic Micro Procurement The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) announced that Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden had signed two procurement agreements in October 2025. One of these ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-air missiles

  MIM-104E PAC-2 Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical ballistic missile (GEM-T)

  An upgrade to the PAC-2 missile, the Guidance Enhanced Missile TBM (GEM-T) is designed to defeat tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles or enemy aircraft in ...

• Major networking projects

  JBMC2

  Formerly overseen by US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), Joint Battle Management Command and Control (JBMC2) brings together several different programmes and initiatives to support improved ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Deployable Joint Fires Trainer (DJFT)

  MVRsimulation’s DJFT is a portable joint fires training solution designed to provide a quick deploy capability for Joint Terminal Attack Controllers and Forward Observers to train ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships, Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Joint Support Ship

  Navantia Australia's Joint Support Ship design was unveiled at Pacific 2019. The platform is intended to fulfil the Royal Australian Navy's requirements for new multirole ...

• Data links

  Joint Tactical Terminal

  Leonardo's Joint Tactical Terminal (JTT) family of products provides Integrated Broadcast Service (IBS) capability to air, land and naval platforms. According to the manufacturer, over 1,200 ...

• EO/IR systems

  Mantis i23

  AeroVironment's Mantis i23 EO/IR payload is designed to conduct ISR from the Raven UAV. The system features a laser illuminator in addition to its 5MP daylight ...

• Patrol boats

  Coastal Patrol Vessel

  In March 2024, Vera Navis unveiled a trimaran vessel design concept, which is being developed as a solution for the future class of Coastal Patrol Vessels ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-8C Joint STARS

  The E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (STARS) is an ISR aircraft based on the 707-300 airliner. It is fitted with an 8-meter-long, canoe-shaped radome ...

• Major networking projects

  ACT

  Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is leading at strategic command level the transformation of NATO’s military structure, forces, capabilities and doctrine. It is working to enhance ...

• Guided munitions

  AGM-154 JSOW

  The AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) is a joint United States Navy (USN)/United States Air Force (USAF) programme with the USN as the lead service. ...

• Land: fire support simulators

  IDF

  Development of the CFFT system in support of the US Army led to the Indirect Fires Training (IDF) line of products focusing on joint fires ...

• Tiltrotors

  V-22 Osprey

  The V-22 Osprey is a joint-service multirole combat aircraft manufactured by Bell and Boeing in a joint venture. The platform has tiltrotor technology to combine a helicopter's vertical performance with ...

• Major networking projects

  DIB

  The Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) Integration Backbone (DIB) is being established as common infrastructure for DCGS to provide a cost-effective, interoperable, net-centric enterprise solution ...

• Land: C2 simulators

  Joint Warfare Training Center

  This system provides multi-level simulation of joint forces operations (Air Force, Army and Navy) for training of tactical proficiency of divisions', brigades' and battalions' commanding ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Joint Battle Command - Platform

  Joint Battle Command - Platform (JBC-P) is a networked mission command information system designed for the US Army and USMC. It can provide real-time blue ...