• Air Warfare

  Kongsberg to invest $110 million to increase production capacities in the US

  19th September 2024

  Expected contracts from the US Armed Forces will see the company build a new facility in Virginia, as well as improving and expanding its manufacturing capabilities in Pennsylvania.

• Land Warfare

  Need sensor fusion on the move?

  18th September 2024

  Maximise the role of SitaWare Frontline in delivering sensor-based intelligence across all echelons.

• Air Warfare

  Slovakia approved for US$600 million AH-1Z helicopter order

  1st August 2024

  The US offered a dozen AH-1Z Viper helicopters to Slovakia at two-thirds discount with the latter sending fighter aircraft to Ukraine, which would extend H-1 production beyond 2024.

• Land Warfare

  Saab releases details on Sirius Compact EW sensor

  2nd July 2024

  Sirius Compact can be operated as a stand-alone unit or as part of a network with several sensors typically supporting Ground Based Air Defence with target information.

• Digital Battlespace

  How to build navigational resilience for your military in a hackable world

  17th September 2024

  If the position or navigation information of your defence assets are compromised, they are as good as useless.

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales combines lightweight sensors on specialist target designator vehicle

  20th June 2024

  The 6x6 Griffon VOA specialist vehicle uses a mix of mast-mounted electro-optics and radar to locate and designate targets primarily for French Army artillery batteries, but can also perform the same role for combat aircraft and helicopters. The Thales mission package is platform-agnostic and could be integrated on other vehicle families for export.

• Land Warfare

  Long-range strike: US announces European hypersonic missile deployment

  8th August 2024

  The US plans to deploy a suite of long-range precision strike missiles, including developmental hypersonics, to counter the advanced precision strike systems of Russia and China. It will form part of the US Army’s Multi Domain Task Force (MDTF) to enhance European long-range fires capabilities and include SM-6 air defence, Tomahawk cruise missiles and HIMARS batteries.

• Air Warfare

  USAF orders Joint Strike Missile for its F-35s

  3rd June 2024

  The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multirole version of the Naval Strike Missile. Norway funded the programme to develop and produce the JSM for the F-35 for anti-ship and land-attack missions.

• Land Warfare

  CAESAR Mk II experiences high demand at Eurosatory

  24th June 2024

  KNDS-France debuted the advanced CAESAR Mk II 155mm 6x6 self-propelled artillery system at Eurosatory last week with orders now exceeding 600 units valued at $3.5 billion.

• Air Warfare

  US State Department approves $1.9 billion Black Hawk sales for Sweden and Austria

  30th May 2024

  Foreign Military Sales (FMS) have been approved for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to both Sweden and Austria. The announcements follow the approval of 12 to Brazil on 24 May, Greece signing for the procurement 35 of the helicopters in April and FMS approval to Croatia for eight aircraft in January.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall eyes German Army requirement with new artillery rocket system

  19th June 2024

  The GMARS wheeled artillery rocket launcher offers greater mobility than the tracked M270 MLRS and double the firepower of the M142 HIMARS, and can support next-generation munitions. Germany has a requirement for 70 launchers and many other NATO armies are looking to renew or supplement their indirect fire capabilities.

• Land Warfare

  Brazil gets go-ahead for 12 Black Hawk helicopters

  28th May 2024

  The Brazilian Army announced in 2023 that it was aiming to replace the eight HM-3 Cougar (Airbus Helicopters AS532 UE) and four HM-2 Black Hawk helicopters (Sikorsky S-70A) that have been in service with Army Aviation Command, with the aircraft beginning to be decommissioned in December 2023.

• Naval Warfare

  Could compact submarines become part of future naval warfare?

  19th June 2024

  Low-profile submarines can provide diverse advantages to navies including improved mobility and flexibility.

• Air Warfare

  Leonardo and Textron pitch M-346N for upcoming US Navy T-45 replacement

  30th April 2024

  Leonardo and Textron’s joint effort to introduce the M-346N aircraft into the US Navy’s training programme has promised to offer a proven efficient training enterprise as the T-45 replacement.

• Land Warfare

  Reviving coastal protection: The renewed focus on shoreline defence

  15th May 2024

  The sinking of the Russian cruiser Moskva has been among a range of incidents and geopolitical developments in recent years that has brought the issue of coastal defence back into the minds of government and defence decision-makers.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F (Australia)

  Programme Background The government of Australia has requested to buy four CH-47F cargo helicopters with unique modifications: eight T55-GA-714A aircraft turbine engines, five AN/AAR-57 common ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Su-30SM Armenia

  The Su-30SM is upgraded variant of Su-30MKI. Its capabilities include Bars-R radar, RVV-SV medium-range air-to-air missile, Thales SMD55S/VEN-3022 or Russian IKSh-1M avionics replacing Elbit SU967 head-up display, LINS-1000RS inertial ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R Seahawk [Greece]

  Programme Background Contract In July 2019, the US State Department approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) of MH-60R helicopters to Greece for an estimated cost ...

• OPVs

  PV43-M (1-10) [Egypt]

  Programme Background Timeline At NAVDEX 2023, Shephard understood that DIV M.E.S. and NVL are discussing with Egypt to supply the Egyptian Navy with up to ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-60M Black Hawk (First Contact) [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 helicopters - scout/light attack

  AH-6i (Thailand)

  Programme Background The US State Department has made a determination approving the possible $400 million sale on 24 September 2019. The eight AH-6i light attack ...

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

  Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (SiRTAP) [Colombia]

  Background MoU In 2017, it was announced that Spain was jointly developing a MALE UAV with Colombia to meet the ISR requirement of both armed ...

• Maritime patrol

  AVSIMAR (France)

  Background In November 2018, the French MoD announced that it awarded a contract for the detailed definition study of the future surveillance and maritime intervention ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton [Germany]

  Background Global Hawk Early in the development of the Global Hawk, the German MoD also expressed interest in procuring the aircraft as a replacement for ...

• Trainer

  T-54A Multi-Engine Training System (METS) [USA]

  Programme Background Multi-Engine Training System is a USN programme to replace the ageing T-44C Pegasus fleet and modernize multi-engine aircraft training. Multi-Engine Training System provides ...

• OPVs

  Jan Mayen Class (1-3) [Norway]

  Programme Background Contract The Jan Mayen-class vessels were designed by LMG Marin, with the process beginning with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) in 2013 and ...

• Bomber

  TU-160M strategic bombers

  Programme Background The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) operate a fleet of 16 Tu-160 strategic bombers, the last of which  ("Peter Denikin", serial number 8-04) was built ...

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

  Sistema RPAS Táctico de Altas Prestaciones (SiRTAP) [Spain]

  Background MoU In 2017, it was announced that Spain was jointly developing a MALE UAV with Colombia to meet the ISR requirement of both armed ...

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

  MQ-9A Reaper (Second Batch) [Netherlands]

  Programme Background First Batch Following a cancelled MALE UAV project in 2007, the Dutch MOD revealed its intention to acquire four MQ-9A Reapers from General ...

• Bomber

  Tu-160M Follow-On (Russia)

  Programme Background The Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) operate a fleet of 16 Tu-160 strategic bombers, the last of which  ("Peter Denikin", serial number 8-04) was built ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• UAS: flight control systems

  Polar AHRS-IMU

  The Polar is a MEMS-based Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS) and inertial navigation system (INS). It is able to offer assistance with system integration ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  KI-4921 Tactical Grade Modular IMU/INU

  Kearfott's KI-4921/KI-4922 monolithic ring laser gyro and accelerometer triad-based IMU/INU delivers two functionalities in a modular configuration (kit) which can serve as an IMU/INU for ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  KI-4901/4902 High Performance Modular IMU/INU

  The KI-4901/4902 is a high-accuracy monolithic ring laser gyro and accelerometer triad-based IMU/INU that delivers two functionalities in a modular configuration (kit). This can serve ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  STIM

  Safran's STIM (Small Tactical IMU) products are ITAR-free, non-GPS-aided inertial measurement units. Providing high-accuracy measurements while maintaining low weight, they are suitable for uncrewed applications, weapon systems, airborne ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  3DM-RQ1-45

  The 3DM-RQ1-45 is a ruggedised tactical grade GPS/INS. It combines a MEMS inertial sensor core with a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and a sophisticated Extended Kalman ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  Iconyx

  Developed by Safran Federal Systems, Iconyx is a high-performance HRG-based inertial measurement unit. It was unveiled during the Joint Navigation Conference 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  LN-200

  Northrop Grumman's LN-200 is a small, lightweight, fiber-optic, all-altitude, strap down Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). It has three solid-state gyros and three accelerometers that measure velocity ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  Athena 511

  The Athena 511 is a compact all-in-one GPS-aided INS air data system. The system’s integrated inertial sensing uses a tactical grade, ring-laser gyro IMU, with ...

• UAS: Integrated systems - uncrewed

  MMQ50 MMQ

  The MMQ50 Miniature MEMS Quartz is an IMU incorporating solid-state quartz micro-machined inertial rate sensors and silicon MEMS accelerometers. The MMQ is suited for embedded ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  Tamnava MLRS

  The Tamnava 122/267mm dual MLRS is produced by Serbia's Yugoimport. It is fitted to an 8x8 Kamaz 6560 chassis with armored crew cabin. The system ...

• Military - UUVs

  Bluefin-SandShark

  The Bluefin SandShark is a one-person deployable and autonomous micro-UMV designed by General Dynamics Mission Systems. It can be used for offshore/littoral surveys, exploration, environmental ...

• EO/IR systems

  M-DSA

  M-DSA is the next step in the sensor modernisation of the M-TADS/PNVS system. Upgraded capabilities support more rapid target identification and coordination, as well as ...

• Military - USVs

  Silver Marlin

  The Silver Marlin USV is designed by Elbit Systems. It can be used for ISR, force protection, or anti-terror and anti-surface warfare missions.

• Loitering munitions

  Hunter V2

  Unveiled in early 2025, the Hunter V2 is a loitering from the Brazilian company BRVANT. It is designed for anti-tank missions and can be equipped with a ...

• Loitering munitions

  Hunter V1

  Unveiled in early 2025, the Hunter V1 is a loitering from the Brazilian company BRVANT. It is designed for anti-personnel strikes and is equipped with ...