• Defence Notes

  Nagorno-Karabakh conflict adds extra motivation for Georgian procurement

  21st October 2020

  The ex-Soviet republic aims for a rapid overhaul of its equipment inventory to NATO standard, but this may actually turn out to be an expensive and lengthy process

• Naval Warfare

  Timelines and details emerge on European Patrol Corvette programme

  22nd October 2020

  Aiming to improving naval commonality across Europe’s surface platforms, the fledgling European Patrol Corvette (EPC) concept has embraced modularity in the hope that the continent’s naval powers buy into its design philosophy and, more importantly, the programme itself.

• Military Logistics

  Luxembourg becomes seventh A400M operator

  8th October 2020

  The Luxembourg Army Air Force has received its Airbus A400M military transport aircraft, manufacturer Airbus Defence and Space announced on 7 October. The aircraft was …

• Digital Battlespace

  Slovakia evaluates 3D radar bids

  6th October 2020

  The Slovak MoD and a team of technical experts began on 5 October to evaluate government-to-government offers for the supply of 3D air defence radars. …

• Naval Warfare

  FDI programme completion date stays fixed at 2030 despite pandemic

  19th October 2020

  The French Navy envisages the FDI class as a means of helping it to reach its target of 15 frigates by 2030; the timeline remains steady despite COVID-19 and any delays will be made up ahead of completion.

• Air Warfare

  Safran extends Ardiden 3TP team

  5th October 2020

  Spanish company joins Franco-German team to develop Ardiden 3TP turboprop engine

• Defence Helicopter

  Tiger on its last legs in Aussie attack helicopter bout

  8th October 2020

  Despite the best efforts of Airbus, will the Australian Army achieve its long-standing ambition to acquire US-made attack helicopters?

• Land Warfare

  France orders more Griffons and Jaguars

  23rd September 2020

  French defence procurement agency DGA has ordered more than 300 additional vehicles in the second production phase of the Scorpion modernisation and digitalisation programme. The order …

• Naval Warfare

  OCEA launches research vessel for Nigeria

  28th September 2020

  A new vessel for the Nigerian Navy was launched on 24 September at the OCEA shipyard in Les Sables d'Olonne, France. The hydrographic research vessel …

• Defence Notes

  Proxy power play continues in Nagorno-Karabakh

  9th October 2020

  Ethnic-religious nationalism is not the only factor behind hostilities between Azerbaijan and Armenia, with Russia and Turkey lurking in the wings

• Naval Warfare

  Western Europe pins hopes on technology to tackle next-gen MCM challenges

  13th October 2020

  With hundreds of thousands of legacy mines languishing in various states of wear in Europe’s seas and waterways, it is little wonder that the topic of mine countermeasure (MCM) operations remains at the forefront of naval considerations for the region’s navies.

• Training

  NATO uses exercise to develop TTPs

  8th October 2020

  Multinational virtual networked exercises are not new — but the recently concluded Spartan Warrior 20-9 was unique for its focus on NATO assets

• Naval Warfare

  Regeneration of UK carrier capability promises payoff for US support

  2nd October 2020

  As HMS Queen Elizabeth embarks USMC F-35Bs, what kind of benefits will such a capability bring to the US?

• Air Warfare

  Déjà vu reigns in Croatia

  21st September 2020

  The Croatian government is to choose between four offers in its latest attempt to run a government-to-government tender for 12 fighter aircraft. Offers came from …

• Air Warfare

  General Atomics to work on French Reapers

  14th September 2020

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has been awarded a maximum $27.8 million FMS contract from the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. The deal covers …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Bayraktar TB2 [Mali]

  Programme Background Six Drones On 22 December 2022, Joseph Dempsey, a research associate at IISS, tweeted photographs showing a Baytraktar TB2 adorned with the Malian ...

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

  Akinci [Mali]

  Background Presentation In December 2024, Akinci drones were presented to the Malian Armed Forces by transitional President General Assimi Goita during a ceremony in Bamako, confirming ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-171Sh

  While the Burkinabe Armed Forces declined to discuss the deal when contacted by Shephard, a Burkinabe military source did acknowledge that the aircraft were being ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Surplus Maxxpro [Bangladesh - Batch 1]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires MRAPs to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the Central African ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Surplus Maxxpro [Bangladesh - Batch 2]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires MRAPs to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the Central African ...

• Fardier SOV

  Programme Background The French Army's airborne units previously operated 280 Lohr FL500 Fardier utility vehicles to carry heavy equipment. Those vehicles increased the tactical mobility ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  UN Peacekeeping Vehicles [Bangladesh]

  Programme Background The Bangladesh Army requires 4x4 armoured vehicles to provide protected mobility to its troops deployed on UN peacekeeping missions in Mali and the ...

• 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 ...

• Minehunters

  Mine Warfare Vessels [France]

  Programme Background Requirements France’s Mine Warfare Vessels programme is aimed at replacing the ageing Eridan-class minehunters. The programme will follow the Future Naval Mine Action System ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Parrot Anafi (Singapore)

  Programme Background On 7 February 2022, the Singapore Army posted photographs on Facebook that showed the Anafi UAV used as training devices in a five-day ...

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

  MQ-9 Reaper [France]

  Programme Background 2013 (Block 1) The then-French Defence Minister, Kean-Yves Le Drian, confirmed on 31 May 2013 that France had ordered its first two MQ-9 platforms. The ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Wheeled Armoured Vehicles (Sri Lanka)

  Programme Background Requirement The Sri Lankan army operates armoured vehicles from several countries, with Russia and China being its biggest suppliers. Its wheeled APC inventory ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

• Data links

  Data links | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | MAWS/PATMAR [France]

  French Navy is planning to purchase up to 22 MPA aircraft to replace its ATL2 fleet in service. Germany and France agreed to develop a ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: mission management systems

  FINDSAT - BFT System

  Using geo-satellite positioning, Nexter’s BFT system (FINDSAT) is capable of identifying and locating friendly personnel who are not equipped with networked information or radio systems. ...

• Medium UGVs

  THeMIS

  Milrem's Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) is a modular, hybrid UGV.  The vehicle's modular design and open architecture allow it to be reconfigured to ...

• Land: indirect fire location radar

  GA10

  The Ground Alerter 10 (GA10), developed by Thales, is a portable Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) early warning system. It provides 360° azimuth coverage with ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  HOT 3

  Designed to destroy reactive armour, the HOT (Haut subsonique Optiquement Téléguidé Tiré d'un Tube, or High Subsonic, Optical, Remote-Guided, Tube-Launched) family has demonstrated its multipurpose capability. Tens ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Mi-8/Mi-17

  The Mil Mi-8 (NATO reporting name Hip) is a twin-engine, multirole, medium helicopter developed from 1960 to meet Soviet military requirements. More than 18,000 examples of the ...

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

  Heron Mk 1

  The Heron, now called the Heron Mk I, is a MALE UAS manufactured by Isreal Aerospace Industries' (IAI) Malat Division. Designed for various missions, including ISTAR and artillery fire ...

• Light UGVs

  Probot

  The 4x4 Professional Robot (Probot) is suitable for various applications, both indoor and outdoor, and is designed to carry a payload of up to 700kg. ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  TopOwl

  The TopOwl binocular helmet-mounted sight and display has been chosen by 16 countries for their army, navy and/or air force attack and transport helicopters. It ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Puma M36 Mk 5

  OTT developed the Puma M36 Mk 5 to meet the needs of African customers for a lower-cost vehicle that offers a greater payload than its ...

• Frigates

  La Fayette/Kang Ding Class

  The La Fayette-class frigates have a stealthy design and are in service with France and Taiwan, with some variance between the ships on length and ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  VBCI

  Nexter developed the VBCI to meet a French Army requirement for an infantry fighting vehicle to replace the tracked AMX-10P. The 8x8 design was specified ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Protivnik-GE

  The Protivnik-GE is a mobile 3D surveillance radar distributed by Russian supplier Rosoboronexport and is currently used by the Russian Armed Forces and the Egyptian ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  SPREOS

  Bird Aerosystems’ SPREO is a Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) designed to protect rotary and fixed-wing aircraft against incoming infrared (IR) guided surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles. ...

• Trainer

  TB 30 Epsilon

  The Socata TB 30 Epsilon is a light truboprop trainer aircraft. The first aircraft flew in 1979 and entered service in 1983. It is in ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MSR1000I

  The MSR1000I is a very-short-range Monopulse Secondary Radar which acts as an IFF interrogator. Equipped with the Mode 5 standard, it is suitable for man-portable and ...