• Defence Notes

  Lockheed Martin UK untroubled by RAF C-130J early retirement or F-35 sustainment costs

  19th July 2021

  Lockheed Martin UK will not suffer in any meaningful way from the early retirement of RAF C-130J tactical transport aircraft and has addressed recent criticism of F-35 operating costs.

• Naval Warfare

  Introduction of Australian frigates could be substantially delayed

  16th July 2021

  While Australian defence officials have not made any official announcement, it seems the Hunter class is facing sizeable delays.

• Defence Notes

  US military could start new nanotech tests by 2023

  6th July 2021

  Progress in nanomaterial technologies could help militaries to counter directed-energy weapons, as the latest research finds new applications for defence.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Marines trial UAS swarms and autonomous systems

  19th July 2021

  A UAS swarm dropped underwater vehicles into the sea and delivered supplies to Royal Marine (RM) Commandos, while an autonomous surface vessel monitored the horizon during Autonomous Advance Force 4.0.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing leads UK Poseidon maintenance and training effort

  8th July 2021

  £233.5 million contract boosts the RAF submarine-hunter fleet, says MoD.

• Air Warfare

  F135 repair and upgrade facility goes operational in Australia

  20th July 2021

  TAE Aerospace sets up the first Asia-Pacific engine maintenance depot for F-35 engines.

• Defence Notes

  Huntington Ingalls Industries to acquire Alion Science and Technology

  6th July 2021

  Huntington Ingalls Industries has announced that it has entered into a contract to acquire Alion Science and Technology.

• Air Warfare

  Australia receives latest pair of new Chinooks

  8th July 2021

  Australia has a quartet of CH-47F Chinooks on order, and the first pair has just flown in from the US.

• Naval Warfare

  Germany, Norway order six Type 212CD submarines

  13th July 2021

  Germany and Norway have placed a long-awaited contract for six Type 212 Common Design (CD) submarines from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the largest order in the company’s history.

• Naval Warfare

  CAMM integration to boost Type 45 missile arsenal by half

  7th July 2021

  The UK MoD is upgrading the capabilities of its Daring-class Type 45 destroyers with the addition of MBDA’s Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM), known as Sea Ceptor.

• 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.

• Defence Notes

  Air Mobility Command approves KC-46 Centreline Drogue System

  19th July 2021

  US Air Mobility Command has chalked up a new capability milestone for the KC-46A Pegasus.

• Air Warfare

  Airbus lines up H145M Spike ER2 live fire tests

  27th July 2021

  Airbus wants to add to the lethality of the H145M multirole helicopter by adding Rafael's Spike ER2 fifth-generation precision-guided missile.

• Defence Notes

  UK procurement fiascos and FLRAA update (Podcast)

  2nd July 2021

  Welcome to Episode 26 of the third series of The Weekly Defence Podcast. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and more.

• Naval Warfare

  Norway and Germany secure Naval Strike Missiles

  9th July 2021

  Norway and Germany have jointly contracted Kongsberg to provide a naval combat system and Naval Strike Missiles.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light tanks

  Light Tank Programme (Tracked) [Philippines]

  Programme Background The decision to split the programme into a wheeled and a tracked element follows the belief of the Philippine Army that this will ...

• VBR-MSR Medium Wheeled Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicle

  Technical Requirements The Brazilian Army released two documents outlining the technical and operational requirements for the VBR-MR programme in early 2020. These outlined a number ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Combat Fighter Jet [Ireland]

  Programme Background  In February 2025, the Irish Minister for Defence and Tánaiste Simon Harris highlighted Irelands need to procure a new combat fighter jet to combat ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Polish Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Sweden]

  Background Swedish Support Package On 31 March 2025, the Swedish Government presented its 19th and largest military support package to Ukraine to date, valued at almost SEK ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | A400M (forecast) [United Kingdom]

  In April 2025, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that as part of the Strategic Defence Review is reviewing a potential purchase of additional A400M Atlas ...

• Data links

  Data links | A400M (forecast) [United Kingdom]

  In April 2025, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that as part of the Strategic Defence Review is reviewing a potential purchase of additional A400M Atlas ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | A400M (forecast) [United Kingdom]

  In April 2025, the Ministry of Defence confirmed that as part of the Strategic Defence Review is reviewing a potential purchase of additional A400M Atlas ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Landing Craft Utility (LCU) [Japan]

  According to the 2022 Defence Buildup Programme, Japan will procure new Landing Craft Utility (LCUs). This was already specified in the Medium Term Defence Programme (FY2019 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Landing Craft Utility (LCU) [Japan]

  According to the 2022 Defence Buildup Programme, Japan will procure new Landing Craft Utility (LCUs). This was already specified in the Medium Term Defence Programme (FY2019 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Landing Craft Utility (LCU)/Small Transport Vessels (1-4) [Japan]

  According to the 2022 Defence Buildup Programme, Japan will procure new Landing Craft Utility (LCUs). This was already specified in the Medium Term Defence Programme (FY2019 ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Landing Craft Utility (LCU)/Small Transport Vessels (1-4) [Japan]

  According to the 2022 Defence Buildup Programme, Japan will procure new Landing Craft Utility (LCUs). This was already specified in the Medium Term Defence Programme (FY2019 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (Skyranger) [Germany]

  Programme Background The SPD-led approach Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany has been under consistent pressure to increase its defence spending. In the ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Manoeuvrable Boats [Japan]

  According to the 2022 Defence Buildup Programme, Japan will procure new manoeuvrable boats for the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF). Deliveries are set to start ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | Manoeuvrable Boats [Japan]

  According to the 2022 Defence Buildup Programme, Japan will procure new manoeuvrable boats for the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF). Deliveries are set to start ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Manoeuvrable Boats (1-3) [Japan]

  According to the 2022 Defence Buildup Programme, Japan will procure new manoeuvrable boats for the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force (JGSDF). Deliveries are set to start ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Anoa

  Pindad designed the 6x6 Anoa APC to meet the requirements of the Indonesian Army. Since the vehicle was publicly unveiled in November 2008, close to ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  Antasena

  Antasena is an X-18 tank boat developed as a joint collaboration between CMI Defence and PT Lundin. The fast craft has been designed to support ...

• Wheeled assault guns

  Badak

  A prototype of the 90mm-armed 6x6 Badak (Indonesian for rhinoceros) direct fire support vehicle was unveiled at IndoDefence in November 2014 by Pindad and partner ...

• Core systems: cameras and IR detectors, EO/IR systems

  NightConqueror CMI

  The NightConqueror Compact Modular Imager (CMI) is the main component of a variety of thermal imaging systems. It is used in stabilised imaging turrets for ...

• Light tanks

  Tulpar Light Tank

  Otokar unveiled its tracked Tulpar Light Tank, which mounts CMI's Cockerill 3105 turret on Otokar's Tulpar IFV chassis, at the June 2018 Eurosatory exhibition. The ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BTR-3

  Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau produced the first 8x8 BTR-3-series amphibious APC in 2001. The series includes the BTR-3U, the BTR-3U Guardian (variant for ...

• Land: manned turrets

  Cockerill CPWS 25-30

  The remotely-operated Cockerill Protected Weapon Station (CPWS) can be armed with 25 mm or 30 mm guns from various manufacturers and can be integrated on 4x4, ...

• Wheeled assault guns

  ERC 90 NG

  The ERC 90 Sagaie 6x6 armoured vehicles were acquired by the French Army to provide a well-armed vehicle for its rapid reaction armoured units. Capitalising ...

• Frigates

  Drazki Class

  The Bulgarian Navy's three Drazki-class frigates began life as four Wielingen-class (Type E-71) frigates with the Belgian Navy. The ships underwent a major refurbishment and ...

• Light tanks

  K21-105 Light Tank

  At IDEX 2013, Doosan and John Cockerill Defense presented the K21-105 Light Tank concept which integrates the Cockerill 105mm-armed XC-8 turret on the Doosan K21 ...

• Major networking projects

  Missile Defence

  In 2010, NATO rolled out an initial capability to protect alliance forces against missile threats and is now examining options for protecting territory and populations. ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Commando Select

  The Commando Select 4x4 APC, built on knowledge gained from the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle’s ten years of combat theatre use by the US Army, ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Anders Multirole Combat Platform

  The tracked WPB Anders multirole combat platform was designed to replace the BMP-1 IFV and other vehicles in Polish Army service. The Anders family is ...

• Land: RWS

  CPWS

  Building on the success of the Cockerill Protected Weapon Station (CPWS) 25-30, John Cockerill Defense introduced a new version of the CPWS at the June 2018 ...

• Major networking projects

  Defence Architecture Framework

  BAE Systems is developing a broad base of systems architecture expertise to execute network-centric warfare projects on behalf of the Australian Defence Force. This is ...