• Land Warfare

  RAFAEL at DSEI: Delivering Assured Overmatch for Modern Battlefield Challenges (sponsored)

  8th September 2021

  RAFAEL, a global leader in the defence industry, showcases its comprehensive line of advanced, combat-proven solutions for land, sea & air, effectively countering evolving threats. Visit us at Stand # H5-220 at DSEI.

• Digital Battlespace

  PAR Government to launch upgraded geospatial analysis tool

  21st September 2021

  GV-X is aimed at end-users — such as US defence and intelligence agencies — who need full-motion video analysis from UAVs.

• Air Warfare

  AFSOC seeks shift in VTOL and amphibious capabilities

  25th September 2021

  AFSOC has an eye on the future with plans to test an amphibious MC-130J and acquire high-speed VTOL aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Sprut-SDM1 to undergo Black Sea firing trials

  16th July 2021

  During the first stage of trials on the Black Sea, the vehicle completed navigation capability tests and demonstrated its ability to be transported via large landing craft.

• Training

  Bridging the gap between the Original Equipment Manufacturer and the user community (sponsored)

  6th September 2021

  The requirement for the Ministry of Defence to evidence cost controls in the defence equipment space is seeing the emphasis for design and delivery of equipment training packages being placed onto the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).

• Defence Notes

  Milrem Robotics expands into Canada

  28th September 2021

  Estonia-based Milrem is teaming with Canadian company Lumina Technology Partners

• Training

  First firing of GQM-163 Coyote SSST in UK

  10th August 2021

  QinetiQ hosts major US-led exercise that sees the GQM-16SA Coyote fired in UK for the first time.

• Air Warfare

  Block III Super Hornet is ready for USN service

  28th September 2021

  Boeing has delivered the first operational Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet to the USN.

• Air Warfare

  DSEI 2021: Defence primes form strategic alliance for VTOL UAS

  21st September 2021

  New VTOL UAS would combine Leonardo’s airframe experience with Northrop Grumman’s knowledge of autonomous UAV technology.

• Land Warfare

  State Department approves Javelin sale to Thailand

  2nd August 2021

  Thailand may receive Javelin antitank missiles to replace decades-old 106mm recoilless rifles.

• Air Warfare

  US State Department approves continuation of MSS to Saudi Arabia

  17th September 2021

  ​US announces possible FMS for continued maintenance support services for the Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command.

• Training

  ANDSF training – where did it go so wrong? (Analysis)

  17th August 2021

  NATO and ISAF forces in Afghanistan have been training the ANDSF for many years, but when it came to the acid test of independent combat, Afghan forces were simply not up to the task. Why?

• Air Warfare

  Argentina evaluates fast jet options

  5th October 2021

  Buenos Aires initially intended to purchase Chinese/Pakistani JF-17 Thunder Block III fighters, but is now analysing five alternative options.

• Air Warfare

  USN orders engineering services for airborne minehunting system

  23rd September 2021

  COBRA multispectral unmanned aircraft sensor helps to detect and localise minefields and obstacles when flown over beach zones.

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2021: Lockheed Martin details Greek frigate bid

  20th September 2021

  Shephard understands that Greece will decide on its frigate requirement by the end of this year.

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 ...

• 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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland]

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

• Landing craft and hovercraft

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

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

• 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

  Leopard 2A4 [Czech Republic]

  Programme 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

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

• Main battle tanks

  M1A1 Abrams (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Australia has been amongst the various Western allies providing Ukraine with military aid. Prior ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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. 

• 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 ...

• 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, ...

• Light mortars

  60mm Mortar Ammunition

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

• S-64 Helitanker Fire-fighting Equipment

  Erickson's 10,031l tank for the S-64 helitanker drops water, retardant or foam mix at a rate of around 95l/h. Microprocessor-controlled tank doors offer eight individual ...

• 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 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...