• Defence Helicopter

  Lakota flies while Leonardo spies navy trainer

  21st March 2018

  Further to Leonardo's retreat over litigation procedures the company now turns its focus to opportunities with the US Navy while Airbus Helicopters remains dedicated to …

• Defence Notes

  Chinese railgun puts US on notice

  22nd March 2018

  China is fond of magic-bullet weapons, whether they are anti-ship ballistic missiles such as the DF-21D, hypersonic glide vehicles or anti-satellite weapons capable of blinding or …

• Defence Helicopter

  TAIGlobal keeping Black Hawks cool

  22nd March 2018

  TAIGlobal Group has been awarded a five year IDIQ contract to overhaul 750 vaneaxial fans used on the US Army’s Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, …

• Land Warfare

  Japan creates Ground Component Command

  27th March 2018

  The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) established a new Ground Component Command on 27 March to unify its five existing armies: the Northern, Northeastern, Eastern, …

• Naval Warfare

  DIMDEX 2018: Minor changes to continued Qatar OPV design

  14th March 2018

  British naval design bureau BMT revealed that only ‘minor’ changes were made to the design of the second batch of OPVs intended for the Qatari …

• Training

  Simulation support success for Lockheed Martin team

  19th March 2018

  A Lockheed Martin-led team has been awarded a seven year, $3.53 billion contract to support the 300,000 fielded Training Aids, Devices, Simulators and Simulations (TADSS), including …

• Land Warfare

  US Army tests precision targeting system

  19th March 2018

  The US Army is testing the Joint Effects Targeting System Target Laser Designation System (JETS-TLDS) at the Cold Regions Test Center in Alaska, the US …

• Defence Notes

  Congress unveils FY18 US defence spending bill

  22nd March 2018

  US lawmakers are rushing to pass a $1.3 trillion spending bill before the end of 23 March to avoid another government shutdown and the US …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Latvia set to receive RQ-20A systems

  27th March 2018

  A US Army justification and approval notification has revealed that Latvia is set to receive RQ-20A Puma UAVs from AeroVironment. The contract for two RQ-20A Digital Data Link …

• Military Logistics

  DLA updating battery technologies

  21st March 2018

  The US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is working with industry to update battery systems that power some of the US military’s key weapons systems, the …

• Training

  H135s for German Army pilot training

  16th March 2018

  Milestone Aviation has leased four Airbus H135 helicopters to ADAC Luftfahrt Technik for German Army pilot training, the company announced on 14 March. Two aircraft …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon directs energy towards drone countermeasures

  20th March 2018

  As the US military continuously looks for ways to protect convoys and forward operating bases from enemy UAVs, Raytheon is touting recent successes in shooting …

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania, UK strengthen defence cooperation

  23rd March 2018

  UK and Lithuanian defence ministers have met to discuss the challenges of adapting the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) for European nations. The Oshkosh Defense …

• Defence Helicopter

  MD Helicopters sets ambitious timeline for international orders

  19th March 2018

  With the 6XX delayed due to certification hold ups, despite ambitions of that happening last year, MD Helicopters has set itself a tight schedule to deliver …

• Land Warfare

  US Army chief explains increased 155mm buy

  16th March 2018

  US Army officials are looking to stockpile 155mm projectiles in case of a contingency that causes the service to run through its cache.  During a House Appropriations …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 3) [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 ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing

  First Person View (FPV) Drones [UK]

  Background Parliament Questions On 20 May 2025, Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many FPV drones had been procured ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  Programme Background History The UK MoD announced in March 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it had a requirement for at least 70 new HMT platforms ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  HMT Extenda [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax [UK]

  Programme Background Under its $4.3 billion production contract, GDUK will provide 589 Ajax to the British Army. These will be delivered in six different variants: ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Protected Mobility (LPM) programme. Information on the LMV and HPM can ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 [UK]

  Programme Background Programme Requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate ...

• Medium UGVs

  DSTL Medium UGV [UK]

  Programme Background This programme was established to determine the future use of medium UGVs for logistical purposes in the British Army, although it was run ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  British Army Apache Training Facilities

  Aviation Training International (ATIL) – a Leonardo Helicopters/Boeing joint venture formed in 1998 - was selected to provide the attack helicopter training service to the ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 1

  420 Challenger 1 MBTs were delivered to the British Army between 1983 and 1990. Developed from the Shir 2 MBT originally designed for Iran, the ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  HIDAS

  Leonardo’s Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System (HIDAS) combines laser, missile and Radar Warning Receivers, and a Chaff and Flare Dispensing System (CFDS). The system is ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L52 Smoke

  The L52 Smoke is a 105mm smoke artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  The British Army uses it in its L118 Light Guns.

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L21 High Explosive (HE)

  The L21 High Explosive (HE) is a 155mm artillery shell manufactured by BAE Systems. The British Army uses the L21 with its Archer artillery systems.

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog

  The FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog is an upgraded version of the long-serving FV432 family of tracked vehicles, of which approximately 3,000 were delivered to the British ...

• Towed guns

  105mm Light Gun

  The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 2

  The 120mm-armed Challenger 2 MBT was introduced into British Army service in 1994 as a replacement for the Challenger 1, which was successfully employed in ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L17 Inert

  The L17 Inert is a 155mm training artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  It is in service with the British Army, where its Archer artillery systems use ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Buffalo MPCV

  The Buffalo Mine-Protected Clearance Vehicle (MPCV) is in service with the armed forces of Canada, France, Italy, Pakistan, the UK and the US and has ...

• Subsystems: software

  Exonaut Software Suite

  Since 2000, 4C has been developing the Exonaut software suite. The products within the Exonaut suite can either be used standalone or as part of ...

• Self-propelled guns

  AS90

  The AS90 155mm/39cal tracked SPH was designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering (acquired by BAE Systems in 1999) to meet the requirements of ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Instrumented Ground Combat Training Systems

  Cubic supplies combat training systems for CTCs, homestations and forward-deployed environments. The systems are designed to support missions including force-on-force, urban operations, joint, combined arms ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Cougar 6x6

  The Cougar 6x6 has its origins as a South African vehicle manufactured by Force Protection, a company eventually purchased by General Dynamics. Mine-protected vehicles manufactured ...

• Main battle tanks

  Olifant

  The Olifant (Elephant) is a South African variant of the British Centurion MBT. Development of the Centurion began in 1943. It was introduced into service ...