• Defence Helicopter

  Indo Defence 2018: Profense sets the pace with M134

  8th November 2018

  Profense’s M134 Gatling Gun has been operational in Indonesia since 2014, a purchase the company believes is down to the weapon's key features, such as …

• Defence Notes

  ​US carrier visits Hong Kong amid heightened China tensions

  21st November 2018

  An American warship and carrier strike group visited Hong Kong on 21 November in a move seen as a conciliatory gesture by China ahead of …

• Special Operations

  Exclusive: Netherlands SOCOM stands up

  4th December 2018

  On 5 December, the Netherlands Special Operations Command (NLD SOCOM) will officially stand up as a single entity to command the various special operations force …

• Digital Battlespace

  India initiates search for thermal imagers

  26th October 2018

  The Indian Army is on the hunt for thousands of handheld thermal imagers for utilisation as day/night surveillance devices, with an RfI released to industry …

• Naval Warfare

  Ballistic reaction to faulty boomer welds prompts fixes

  8th November 2018

  BWX Technologies is improving its welding and inspection processes to prevent a recurrence of the defects it found in several missile tubes it made for …

• Training

  USMC orders Rheinmetall 40mm practice ammo

  2nd November 2018

  Rheinmetall has received a $59 million contract from the US Marine Corps to produce and deliver 40mm practice ammunition, the company announced on 29 October. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Army demonstrates convoy autonomy

  9th November 2018

  The US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) demonstrated advanced behaviours in an autonomous leader-follower convoy at the American Center for Mobility …

• Digital Battlespace

  SRC receives EWIR IMD contract

  9th November 2018

  SRC has received a $33 million contract from the US Army to deliver an end-to-end electronic warfare integrated reprogramming (EWIR) intelligence mission data (IMD) production …

• Land Warfare

  Romania to buy three more Patriot systems

  7th November 2018

  The Romanian government has signed an agreement with the US Army for the purchase of three additional Raytheon Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems. The …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2018: USAF joins Red Flag Alaska from Japan

  19th November 2018

  Another milestone has recently been reached on the road to achieving a total I-LVC training environment, when for the first time two F-16 simulators from …

• Digital Battlespace

  A310 MRTT tests 'first step' toward combat cloud development

  8th November 2018

  A communications node test programme involving an Airbus A310 multirole tanker transport [MRTT] aircraft is representative of the company's 'first step' to developing a secure …

• Land Warfare

  Latvia receives Stinger air defence systems

  2nd November 2018

  Latvia has received man-portable Stinger air defence systems from Denmark to be used by the National Armed Forces (NAF). The Stinger missiles have been delivered …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Zhuhai Air Show 2018: Wing Loong II now serves in PLA

  10th November 2018

  The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) exhibited a Wing Loong II UCAV at its outdoor display area at Airshow China 2018, therefore confirming that …

• Land Warfare

  Indo Defence 2018: Filipino handguns triggering into Myanmar

  7th November 2018

  The Philippines is becoming a dominant player in the Myanmar handgun market Shephard has learnt, further to the latest acquisitions between the two nations. Mely …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon receives KuRFS radar contract

  7th November 2018

  Raytheon has received a $191 million contract from the US Army for its Ku-band radio frequency (KuRFS) radars. KuRFS is an advanced electronically scanned array …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Nauru 1000C [Brazil]

  Background Contract award The Logistics Command (COLOG) of the Brazilian Army purchased three Nauru 1000C UAVs, training, 36-month integrated logistics support, two EO/MWIR XSIS 222A gimbals, ...

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

  WanderB or ThunderB [Colombia]

  Programme Background Expodefensa 2019 During Colombia's Expodefensa 2019 exhibition, BlueBird Aero Systems displayed its ThunderB VTOL small UAV. Reportedly, the Colombian Army requested information on ...

• VMOE

  Programme Background The Spanish Army's SOF units are procuring the VMOE to meet their requirements for an SOV with sufficient firepower, mobility and mine-protection to ...

• Military UAS - micro

  NX70 Microdrone (First Batch)

  Programme Background The French Army procured the NX70 to meet an urgent operational requirement for a small UAS that could provide short-range ISR for dismounted ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CU172 Blackjack (Second System) [Canada]

  Programme Background Requirement The Canadian Army identified a requirement for two new tactical UAV systems after recognising that the squadron and company-level Aerovironment RQ-11 Raven ...

• 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 ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

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

  French Operational Pocket Drone / DrOP (France)

  Programme Background French UAV Procurment / DrOP Under its 2019-2025 Military Programming Law (LPM), France aims to introduce 1,200 new UAVs into service with the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Puma IFV (Batch 1) [Germany]

  By March 2019, 269 of the 350 Pumas on order had been delivered to the German Army. Deliveries of the remaining 81 vehicles are scheduled ...

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

  Bayraktar TB2 (Pre-War) [Ukraine Army]

  Programme Background The Ukraine Army purchased 12 TB2 units in January 2019 for a reported $69 million. The units were reportedly delivered from June 2019 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Rosomak [Poland - Second Batch]

  Programme Background Requirement The Polish Army selected Patria's XC-360 Armored Modular Vehicle (AMV) to meet its requirement for a new 8x8 armoured vehicle to replace ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  CU172 Blackjack (First System) [Canada]

  Background Requirement The Canadian Army identified a requirement for two new tactical UAV systems after recognising that the squadron and company-level Aerovironment RQ-11 Raven (CU173 ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) [USA]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2018, the US Army initiated the FARA project to develop a replacement for Army attack and scout helicopters, such as the OH-58D Kiowa and AH-64 ...

• AGMV 1.1

  Programme Background The US Army has been seeking a lightweight, air-droppable, high mobility vehicle since as early as 2014, when it initiated its Ultra Light ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  Project Land 4503 [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian Army has begun its search for a successor to the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), with an RfI issued by the ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  LCU 2000 (Runnymede-class)

  The LCU 2000 class is in service with the US Army. They were built by VT Halter Marine and first entered service in February 1990. The ...

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

  Nauru 1000C

  Manufactured by XMobtos, the Nauru 1000C, or V2-1 Nauru, is a VTOL-capable small fixed-wing UAV. The UAV features a hybrid propulsion system, autopilot and a gyro-stabilised payload.  In ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  WZ-8

  First shown in October 2019, the WZ-8 is HALE UAV. Two closed-cycle liquid-fuelled rocket engines power the WZ-8 to a claimed supersonic speed of Mach 3.  In ...

• Land: RWS

  Guardian 2.0

  The Guardian 2.0 RWS is an upgraded version of Escribano's Guardian RWS in service with the Spanish Army, which offers improved sensors and better stabilisation. ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Sapsan-Bekas

  Unveiled at ARMY-2019 in Moscow, the Sapsan-Bekas is a C-UAS system comprising active radar, video and EO tracking, signal detection and jamming subsystems. The system ...

• Main battle tanks

  C2 Ariete

  The C2 Ariete is an upgraded variant of the C1 Ariete, designed for the Italian Army in the 1990s. Work on the C2 began in ...

• 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 ...

• Sniper rifles

  SV-18

  The SV-18 is a light sniper rifle in a 12.7mm calibre, designed to be easier to carry and operate than existing rifles of that family. 

• Military helicopters - light/training

  LUH

  The Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) is being developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to meet the requirements of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  RBS 70 missile

  The RBS 70 missile was produced to meet the requirements of the Swedish Army's short-range air defence needs. The missile is unique in being the ...

• Military UAS - MALE, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT)

  The Night Intruder 600 Vertical Take-Off (NI-600VT) is an in-development UAV from Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) based on an MD 500 twin-seat American commercial helicopter airframe. With the ...

• Light UGVs

  T7

  The T7 is a multi-mission robotic system designed for military, police and hazardous missions. At DSEI 2017, the UK MoD awarded the Harris Corporation a ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ezuwgu

  The Ezuwgu is an MRAP 4x4 APC designed and produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). 

• Land: air defence radar, Land: indirect fire location radar

  AN/TPQ-50

  The AN/TPQ-50 is a lightweight, L-Band counterfire radar that performs early warning for indirect fire, target acquisition, and air surveillance modes. Part of SRC’s Lightweight ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  BTR-82AT

  The BTR-82AT is an upgraded version of the BTR-82A and BTR-82AM 8x8 IFVs developed for the Russian Army. Introduced in 2019, it features a new, ...