• Defence Helicopter

  Chinook Block II moves forward

  31st July 2017

  Boeing has been awarded an engineering, manufacturing and development contract for the manufacture of three CH-47F Chinook Block II aircraft, the US DoD announced on …

• Defence Notes

  PLA celebrates anniversary with new kit

  31st July 2017

  China celebrated the 90th anniversary of the formation of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with a massive military parade at the Zhurihe Combined Tactics Training …

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed’s Camden facility delivers HIMARS

  28th July 2017

  Lockheed Martin has delivered the first High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher in which both the chassis and launcher components were manufactured at its …

• Defence Helicopter

  Gentex wins US AAIH contract

  28th July 2017

  Gentex Corporation has been awarded a $13 million contract by the US Army for the delivery of Apache Aviator Integrated Helmets (AAIH), the company announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australian tanks to get BMS hardware

  28th July 2017

  Leonardo DRS is supplying battle management system (BMS) hardware to the Australian Army for fitment in its M1A1 AIM Abrams main battle tanks (MBT). The …

• Land Warfare

  US Army to field XM17 from November

  26th July 2017

  The US Army will begin fielding the new Sig Sauer XM17 Modular Handgun to soldiers in November 2017, it was announced on 21 July. The US …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army expands electronic warfare focus

  25th July 2017

  The US Army is preparing to conduct what it has dubbed an electronic warfare ‘excursion’ during the closing days of its ongoing Network Integration Evaluation …

• Digital Battlespace

  Leonardo DRS wins MFoCS orders

  24th July 2017

  Leonardo DRS has received orders to supply its Mounted Family of Computer Systems (MFoCS) to the US Army, the company announced on 20 July. The …

• Defence Notes

  Reforms are needed for Vietnam’s military

  2nd August 2017

  Vietnam must begin serious modernisation and structural reform if it wants to hold its own against China’s growing control of the South China Sea and, …

• Land Warfare

  Uganda confirmed as T-90, Type 85-IIM operator

  1st August 2017

  While the Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) is known to operate a sizeable fleet of T-55 MBTs, photos recently posted online have confirmed that Uganda …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Advances in Chinese ocean gliders are overhyped

  1st August 2017

  Chinese press recently reported on a new expedition of domestically-made glider autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV). According to multiple reports, the research vessel Kexue simultaneously deployed 12 …

• Land Warfare

  Canada’s delayed soldier upgrade on horizon

  27th July 2017

  The Canadian Army expects to take delivery of a new soldier electronics suite ‘within a few months’, in a sign that the service’s long-delayed soldier …

• Land Warfare

  Indian SOEs to upgrade BMP-2 fleet

  26th July 2017

  India is modernising 693 examples of its licence-built BMP-2/2K Sarath infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), with the project valued at around $375 million. The programme, which …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US demos robotic aviation refuelling system

  25th July 2017

  The US Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) recently demonstrated initial capabilities of an unmanned air refuelling system to limit helicopters' …

• Land Warfare

  Vietnam orders T-90 tanks from Russia

  25th July 2017

  Vietnam has ordered 64 T-90S/SK main battle tanks (MBT) from Russia, the culmination of months of speculation as the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) sought to …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 3) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Military UAS - micro

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  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 vehicle. ...

• Military UAS - mini

  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 ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• 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]

  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 with ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  HMT Extenda [UK]

  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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax [UK]

  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: 245 ...

• Military UAS - small

  Thor [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 ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Land Ground Based Air Defence (SHORAD) [UK]

  Background In November 2023 the UK published the Land Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD) Prior Information Notice which informed industry of the future direction of the ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 [UK]

  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 a shortfall ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Recce Strike Vehicle 4x4 [UK]

  Background Under Project Niala, the British Army has sought a new recce strike vehicle to augment the operations of 11th Brigade. This sits outside of ...

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.

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Trojan

  In 2001, Vickers Defence Systems (now part of BAE Systems) received a £250 million ($300 million) UK MoD contract to build 66 Engineer Tank Systems ...