• Land Warfare

  Italy picks Rheinmetall and Leonardo for MBT and IFV and gives MGCS a boost

  3rd July 2024

  Italy has been looking replace its Ariete MBTs but has gone back and forth between a future European tank, more Leopards, an upgrade of existing vehicles and other options. It now seems to have thrown its hand in with the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS).

• Training

  Embraer and Rheinmetall plan C-390 training for Europe

  7th June 2024

  The C-390 is a high-wing, twin-turbofan transport developed and manufactured by Embraer. It has been ordered by Brazil, Portugal, Hungary and the Netherlands with Austria and the Czech Republic also in the frame to purchase it.

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy places $312 million contract with Textron Systems for landing craft

  19th July 2024

  Textron’s latest order for Ship to Shore Connector (SSC), Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) follows on from a contract placed in August 2023 for five LCAC.

• Air Warfare

  Israeli Air Force to receive first KC-46A aerial refuelling aircraft in May 2025

  31st July 2024

  The delivery would mark an end to long delays in the programme with additional aircraft expected through to 2027.

• Land Warfare

  MBDA and Rheinmetall sign agreement to integrate anti-drone missile on Skyranger 30

  6th June 2024

  The Rheinmetall Air Defence Skyranger is a mobile ground-based air defence system which can be deployed against air targets at short and very short range as well as ground targets. The Skyranger's search and tracking sensors provide 360° surveillance and fire control data.

• Air Warfare

  Greece joins the F-35 Lightning II world alliance

  30th July 2024

  Greece has signed an offer for 20 F-35 aircraft with an option on 20 more platforms.

• Air Warfare

  India expands ammunition production with Adani–Thales collaboration

  10th July 2024

  Adani Defence & Aerospace has teamed up with Thales Belgium to manufacture and assemble NATO-standard 70mm calibre ammunition, strengthening India's self-reliance in defence production.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris to upgrade USAF’s B-52H bomber cockpits

  7th June 2024

  The Boeing B-52H is the final model of the Stratofortress heavy bomber. More than 100 were built with 58 remaining in service plus 18 in reserve.

• Defence Notes

  How Chinese and Russian ambitions are forcing US posture in the Arctic to shift

  25th July 2024

  The recently released 2024 DoD Arctic Strategy established lines of action to improve US extreme cold-weather capabilities against perceived threats from China and Russia throughout the region.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall to manufacture ammunition in Lithuania

  4th June 2024

  Rheinmetall has contracts or framework agreements worth billions to make munitions and has been building a new ammunition factory in Lower Saxony in Germany. It has also begun the production of artillery shells in Queensland, Australia and has establishing a vehicle joint venture in Ukraine. The new Lithuanian factory has marked another expansion for the company.

• Air Warfare

  First donated F-16s arrive in Ukraine but more pilot training will be ‘critical’

  7th August 2024

  Denmark and the Netherlands were the first Western nations to promise donated aircraft.

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales selected for Syracuse satellite communications terminals for French vehicles

  15th July 2024

  The Syracuse 4B communications satellite, developed by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, was launched last year, bolstering secure military satellite communications for the French Armed Forces. Thales has now been selected to provide terminals for vehicles.

• Naval Warfare

  European patrol corvette plan approved to move to next phase

  10th June 2024

  The Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette (MMPC) has been planned to meet requirements for France, Italy and Spain, as well as potentially for Denmark, Greece, Norway, Ireland, Romania and Portugal.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  How Airbus’s UH-72 Unmanned Logistics Connector is revolutionising USMC logistics

  18th June 2024

  Unveiled in early 2024, the UH-72 Logistics Connector is a pivotal component of the Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC), aimed at addressing the logistics needs of the US Marine Corps (USMC).

• Land Warfare

  Patria reveals FAMOUS tracked vehicle

  18th June 2024

  Patria, leading a nine-country EU-funded consortium, has designed the FAMOUS ATV to replace ageing fleets like the M113 in Europe.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Self-propelled guns, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Mobile Fires Platform [UK]

  Background Post-Cold War requirements Following the end of the Cold War, the UK operated a single 155mm artillery system, the AS90. The UK procured a ...

• Loitering munitions

  Larinae: Medium-range loitering munition [France]

  Background Origins French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated at a press conference in May 2022 that the General Directorate for Armament (DGA) ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Caesar [Croatia]

  Background Croatia currently operates the Soviet 2S1 Gvozdika, alongside a small number of German PzH 2000s.  Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, multiple ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 [France]

  Programme Background Plans to Purchase At Eurosatory 2022, Col. Arnaud Goujon, the French Army's chief of plans, told the media that the French Army was ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Donar 10x10 [Switzerland]

  Background Switzerland currently operates the M109 Paladin as its only SPH. As with many M109 operators, Switzerland is now looking for a replacement, as the ...

• Loitering munitions

  Deep-strike, low-cost, loitering munition [Ukraine]

  Background 30,000 On 2 December 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told Reuters that Ukraine was targeting the production of 30,000 deep-strike loitering munitions in 2025. Three ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  4x4 Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle [Poland]

  Programme Background The Polish Army wants to replace legacy Soviet equipment procured during the Cold War with new NATO-standard platforms to enhance its interoperability with ...

• Self-propelled guns

  New tracked howitzer [Canada]

  Background Canada previously operated the M109 Paladin; however, it was withdrawn from service in 2005, having been judged surplus to requirements. Consequently, the Canadian army ...

• Loitering munitions

  Deluge (First batch) [France]

  Background Unveiling MBDA unveiled a scale model of the One-Way Effector (OWE), later named the Deluge, at the Paris Air Show 2025. As Breaking Defence reported at the ...

• Loitering munitions

  Deluge (Additional batches) [France]

  Background Unveiling MBDA unveiled a scale model of the One-Way Effector (OWE), later named the Deluge, at the Paris Air Show 2025. As Breaking Defence reported at the ...

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

  UX11 (Ukraine Aid) [France]

  Programme Background First Batch On 6 September 2023, Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister of Defence, announced Delair was providing Ukraine with more than 150 drones. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  DT46 [France]

  Programme Background Reports Around Eurosatory 2024, multiple defence news outlets, notably Army Recognition and The Defence Post, reported that the French Army had acquired Delair's ...

• Military UAS - small

  Tactical Drone System Light (SDTL) [France]

  Background Requirments The French 2024-2030 military programme unveiled the SDTL for the special forces and the French Army. According to reports, the requirement would cover 30 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Rosomak [Poland - Fifth Batch]

  Programme Background The Polish Army selected the Rosomak 8x8 armoured vehicle (a version of Patria's Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV) 8x8 produced under licence by Rosomak) ...

• Loitering munitions

  European Long-range Strike Approach (ELSA) [France]

  Background Letter of Intent In February 2026, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Sweden and the UK signed a letter of intent to formalise their commitment to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Self-propelled guns

  Morana

  Developed by Excalibur Army, the Morana is a 155mm self-propelled-howitzer capable of hitting targets up to 41km away. The howitzer is mounted on a Tatra Force ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Boxer Tracked

  At Eurosatory 2022, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) has unveiled a tracked version of the 8x8 Boxer armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) with an increased gross vehicle weight and ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Caracal

  The Caracal from Rheinmetall is a special operations vehicle first unveiled at Eurosatory 2022. Designed for the German and Dutch markets, the Caracal is based ...

• Main battle tanks

  KF51 Panther EVO

  Rheinmetall unveiled the KF51 Panther at Eurosatory 2022. Following negotiations with Hungary, Rheinmetall announced the development of the Panther EVO, a lighter variant based on a ...

• Light UGVs

  Natrix

  The Natrix is a multipurpose UGV developed by Brasa Defence Systems. Conceived to carry equipment and conduct CASEVAC in a wide range of environments, the system ...

• Main battle tanks

  KF51 Panther

  Rheinmetall unveiled the KF51 Panther at Eurosatory 2022. The MBT uses Leopard 2 components in its bare chassis but with a brand new turret. Its main armament is the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Trojan

  In June 2022, Aeronautics launched the Trojan, an uncrewed platform that it describes as a hover plane. A user can control the electrically powered UAV via ...

• 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 ...

• Air: helicopter radar, Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: UAS radar

  ELM-2022

  The ELM-2022, developed by IAI ELTA, is a maritime patrol radar family operating in the X-band designed for manned and unmanned, fixed- or rotary-wing airborne platforms. It is engineered for ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Aravis

  Nexter unveiled its 12.5t Aravis at Eurosatory 2008, and in April 2009, the company received a launch order for 15 vehicles to equip French Army ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  ELK-6060

  ELK-6060 is a radio location system designed to address the need of the combat unit to collect on-the-move, real-time intelligence on hostile V/UHF communication transmissions' ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Caesar 6x6 MkII + 8x8

  Nexter’s Caesar (CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie) is a self-propelled 155mm/52cal artillery mounted available on either a 6x6 or 8x8 truck chassis. The configuration was chosen to provide ...

• Land: RWS

  Mangart 300

  The Mangart 300 unmanned turret is being developed by a consortium of seven Slovenian companies led by Valhalla Turrets. Armed with a Northrop Grumman XM813 ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Brutus

  AM General and Mandus produce the Brutus self-propelled howitzer. It is a truck-mounted system armed with the M776 155mm Howitzer.  Developed with hopes of securing a ...

• Guided munitions

  M1156 PGK

  The M1156 Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) is a guidance fuse that can be fitted within the fuse well of 155mm high-explosive artillery projectiles. The fuse ...