• Defence Notes

  UK watchdog reveals $22 billion hole in military equipment plan

  4th December 2023

  The UK National Audit Office (NAO) has delivered a scathing evaluation of the MoD's Equipment Plan for 2023–33, revealing a nearly £17 billion 'blackhole' in the budget.

• Land Warfare

  JLTVs bound for five export customers under US$160 million deal with Oshkosh

  17th November 2023

  Oshkosh has added more than a thousand Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) to its books this month alone with this order and another announced on 4 November for the US Army, USMC and USAF.

• Land Warfare

  Pentagon runs out of funds to support Ukraine

  11th January 2024

  DoD authorities have been urging the US Congress to approve the national security supplemental request to ensure future donations to Kyiv.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall to upgrade Austria’s Skyguard air defence system

  12th December 2023

  Rheinmetall's Oerlikon Skyguard, the air defence system developed for the protection of stationary high value assets such as air fields, bridges, industrial installations and military command and control centres, will undergo a multimillion dollar upgrade.

• Land Warfare

  US Army picks Elbit for JETS II prototype development

  27th October 2023

  The JETS II prototype will be designed to help soldiers prosecute threats in operational environments quickly.

• Defence Notes

  Ireland commits to major equipment procurement schedules

  23rd November 2023

  The Irish Defence Forces has a range of challenges to overcome including discontent in sections of the forces, a need for cultural change, pay rates and equipment shortfalls. An implementation plan released 21 November has, however, provided projected timelines for change and procurement.

• Land Warfare

  US Navy expects to complete delivery of VAMPIRE CUAS to Ukraine this month

  8th December 2023

  As the Ukraine continues to battle against Russia’s use of UAS in a range of sizes, the VAMPIRE CUAS will be used against higher-tier UAVs with the inclusion of a fuzed warhead.

• Air Warfare

  Irish C295 MPAs fitted with Viasat SATCOM terminals

  5th December 2023

  The terminals enable secure, reliable satellite connectivity and support a range of command, control and communication needs for the C295 aircraft, which have roles in maritime patrol, tactical transport, special operations and medical evacuation.

• Air Warfare

  US Army delivers FARA engines to Bell and Sikorsky

  24th October 2023

  In a significant development for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) programme, the first two T901 flight test engines have been delivered for the Bell 360 Invictus and Sikorsky Raider X Competitive Prototypes.

• Air Warfare

  Poland receives first two AW149 helicopters

  31st October 2023

  This acquisition was the result of a signed US$2 billion contract for 32 AW149 helicopters announced in mid-June 2022.

• Land Warfare

  Jankel rolls out armoured Land Cruiser

  7th December 2023

  The British Army is looking to replace its ageing Land Rover fleet in the short term and Jankel’s armoured Land Cruiser could fit the bill.

• Land Warfare

  Nothing Goes Unseen: Raytheon’s LTAMDS Radar Enhances Situational Awareness Amidst Increasing Aerial Threats (Studio)

  13th November 2023

  Never before have air defenders contended with such complex, rapid and varied threats in the air environment. Raytheon’s LTAMDS radar is the system they need for this ever-changing threatscape.

• Air Warfare

  US Army launches Textron Beechcraft turboprop acquisition for Peru and Ecuador

  8th November 2023

  The three Textron Beechcraft turboprops will perform maritime patrol missions for Peru and Ecuador.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: US Marine Corps seek AI capabilities for training purposes

  28th November 2023

  The US Marine Corps is divesting its legacy training systems and simulations to adopt solutions that can enable replicating current and future operating environments with high fidelity.

• Land Warfare

  GDLS studies M10 Booker armoured recovery vehicle

  9th November 2023

  The MWRV will support the M10 Booker Combat Vehicle and has been in LRIP with 96 scheduled to be produced before 2026.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Programme Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions [Czechia]

  Programme Background KVAČR Concept In February 2024, the Czech Army unveiled the Construction of the Army of the Czech Republic (KVAČR) concept, which outlined a ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Viper (Nigeria)

  Programme Background Due to its ongoing campaign against Islamist insurgents in the north of Nigeria, the Nigerian Army has procured a wide range of mine-protected armoured ...

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

  FPV Drones [Czechia]

  Programme Background KVAČR Concept In February 2024, the Czech Army unveiled the Construction of the Army of the Czech Republic (KVAČR) concept, which outlined a mass ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munitions [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational organisations, ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAS [Spain]

  Programme Background Fuerza 35 Project This project is a Spanish Army initiative to create and maintain an effective force by forming flexible and cohesive operational ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Titan-B

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) (Forecast) [US Army]

  Background USMC In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, which had been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV (USA)

  Programme Background The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has been in ...

• Tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kalyani M4 (India)

  Programme Background In the wake of border clashes with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2020, the Indian Army has accelerated several of its ...

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

  DEF129 (Nano UAS) [Australia]

  Programme Background DEF129 The Australian Ground Service has combined various army procurement efforts under the DEF129 programme to increase the abundance and proliferation of UAVs ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  US Army Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL)

  Programme BackgroundThe Maneuver Support Vessel (Light) or MSV(L) contract was awarded by the US Army to Vigor in 2017 and are being built to replace ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  StreamCaster Mini 4210

  The StreamCaster Mini 4210 (SM4210) is a single-channel data radio (SCDR) that can create MANET mesh networks. It is currently in use with the US ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Comm@nder Army

  Comm@nder Army is an integrated C4I system suitable for use in command post operational environments (infrastructure, shelter-based), providing specialised application services from the HQ of ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  M2A4/M7A4 Bradley

  Since 2011, the US Army and BAE Systems have been developing modifications for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle platform to address concerns regarding its ever-increasing weight, ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  German Army Aviation School

  CAE is the prime contractor for the German Army’s Night-Time Low-Level Flight Training Facility, commonly known as the German Army Aviation School, at Bückeburg. This ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• 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 ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  ROC Army UH-60M OFT

  L3 Link (now L3Harris Technologies) gained ready-for-training certification in 2015 on two UH-60M OFT delivered to the Taiwan Army. These training devices are similar to ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  Australian Army S-70 Training System

  The Australian Army S-70A-9 Black Hawk is a turnkey programme including a full flight and mission simulator (FF&MS;), building, facilities and maintenance support. This CAE-built ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  German Army CH-53 Simulator Upgrades

  In 2011, CAE completed major upgrades on two CAE-built CH-53 full mission simulators operated at the German Army Aviation School at Bückeburg. Airbus Helicopters has ...

• Major networking projects

  Army BCT Modernisation Program Increment 1

  The US Army brigade combat team (BCT) modernisation strategy will build a mix of mobile, networked BCTs that can gain leverage from mobility, protection, information ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Land: battle management systems

  ARTEMIS BMS

  The Army Tactical Engagement and Information System (ARTEMIS) is a battle management system in service with the Singapore Army. Designed for applications between the Platoon ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Air: mission management systems

  FüWES/FüES

  The FüWES army weapon C2 system and FüES C2 system, which connect sensors and effectors, are implemented as branch-specific functional supplements to Germany's army FüInfoSys ...