• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Ready for the race: Air separation drone swarms vs. air defence systems

  11th April 2024

  As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.

• Land Warfare

  Austria trebles Pandur EVO 6x6 fleet via $1.9 billion order

  20th February 2024

  The Pandur EVO, a 6x6 APC which features a longer hull design, improved driveline technology and powerpack, will provide a significantly increased level of protection, payload and mobility compared to the Pandur I.

• Naval Warfare

  Royal Marines transformation programme shows early signs of progress

  9th April 2024

  The UK’s Royal Marines have taken significant strides in the first year of a decade-long transformation programme focusing on advanced communications, distributed operations and enhancing its capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  Brazil looks for attack helicopter two years after fleet retirement

  1st March 2024

  The Brazilian Armed Forces has faced challenges in terms of it size and geography and has long had an emphasis on better serving Amazonia. Plans for a new battalion are set to become a reality and improvement of rotary capability is underway.

• Naval Warfare

  Plans halted for joint German-Dutch frigate replacement

  28th February 2024

  Cooperation between the governments of Germany and the Netherlands on a replacement air defence frigate project for their respective fleets will likely be cancelled.

• Land Warfare

  UK fleshes out Boxer programme

  24th January 2024

  ARTEC, a joint venture between Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and Rheinmetall Military Vehicles Nederland, has produced the Boxer to meet the requirements of several militaries.

• Digital Battlespace

  NATO adopts high-data-rate waveform for tactical communications

  23rd November 2023

  NATO member countries can now access to the ESSOR HDR Base Waveform which can offer secure and high-speed tactical communications.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2023: Combined and joint exercises – when is bigger better?

  26th November 2023

  Why armed forces need to focus on the challenges associated with conducting military exercises at different levels and domains, by focusing on interoperability, as well as joint and combined operations.

• Digital Battlespace

  US consortium aims to improve platoon power by factor of 10

  31st October 2023

  A consortium of nine companies plans to conduct experiments and exercises over the next 12 months to demonstrate how new technologies can massively increase the power of forces at platoon level.

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2023: AM General shows latest JLTV

  10th October 2023

  The JLTV A2 features a new General Motors MY 2024 and trials have been set for July 2024.

• Air Warfare

  Chinese air power – analysing the bigger picture

  14th September 2023

  Admitted by the US to be a ‘pacing threat’, the development of Chinese air power will continue to be a core measure of Beijing’s military capability.

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2023: Hanwha highlights UK industrial benefits of K9 Thunder British Army artillery bid

  13th September 2023

  Hanwha. which is offering the K9A2 self-propelled artillery system for the British Army's Mobile Fires Platform (MFP) requirement, is offering to bring additional R&D and upgrade work to the UK if it wins the contest.

• Naval Warfare

  German F127 frigate programme moves to next phase, while Dutch say still open to joint procurement

  1st September 2023

  The initial analysis for the first stage of Germany’s Next Generation Frigate – Air Defence (NGFrig-AD, F127) programme has been completed, while Dutch shipbuilder Damen has reasserted the Netherlands' interest in a joint procurement.

• Land Warfare

  Russia tests C-UAS slat protection over turrets and anti-UAV jamming systems for armoured vehicles

  20th September 2023

  Russian defence companies are adapting to emerging threats and exploring ways to counter top-attack munitions and first-person-view (FPV) UAVs.

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh Defense receives $201 million order for FMTV A2 vehicles

  4th August 2023

  Oshkosh Defense has been awarded a $201 million contract for additional Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles A2 (FMTV A2) from the US Army, taking the total number of ordered platforms to 2,000.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• MPVs - 4x4

  Komodo (Indonesia)

  Programme Background Previous Orders The Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) has taken delivery of many Komodo 4x4 armoured vehicles since PT Pindad first unveiled the platform in ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Cobra IFV [Indonesia - Batch 2]

  Programme Background It is unclear how many different variants of the Cobra have been ordered by the TNI-AD, but it is thought that the majority ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV [Israel]

  Programme Background Israel first procured the JLTV in November 2023, when it ordered 75 vehicles from Oshkosh. Before this, Israel primarily operated a fleet of ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Surplus M113 APC [Indonesia]

  Programme Background Between 2014 and 2017, the Indonesian Army (TNI-AD) received 125 surplus M113 tracked APCs from Belgium. These provide a cost-effective means to mechanise ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer A2 (Second Batch)

  Programme BackgroundRheinmetall announced that deliveries of the second batch of 131 Boxers had been completed in June 2021.In addition to these standard Boxers, the German ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV A2 [Canada]

  Background This programme comes amid uncertainty over both the JLTV and Canada's defence relationship with the US. A shadow was cast over the JLTV programme ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender would be ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender would be ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Cobra IFV [Indonesia]

  Programme Background It is unclear how many different variants of the Cobra have been ordered by the TNI-AD, but it is thought that the majority ...

• Patrol boats

  Mk VI Patrol Boat - Ukraine (1-6)

  Programme Background The Mk VI is described as the USN's next-generation patrol boat and is currently in service with the US Navy's Coastal Riverine Forces (CRF). The ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  AD(X) Destroyer Tenders [USN]

  Programme Background At Surface Navy 2026, General Dynamics NASSCO unveiled an internally developed concept, pitching a AD(X) Destroyer Tender to the USN. The destroyer tender ...

• Submarines: conventional/attack

  Submarines Procurement (1-2) [Greece]

  Programme Background Requirements As of 2025, the Hellenic Navy (HN) submarine force consists of four Type 214, four Type 209/1200 and two Type 209/1100. With ...

• Patrol boats

  Mk VI Patrol Boat - Ukraine (7-8) Optional

  Programme Background The Mk VI is described as the USN's next-generation patrol boat and is currently in service with the US Navy's Coastal Riverine Forces (CRF). The ...

• Patrol boats

  Mk VI Patrol Boat - Ukraine (9-16)

  Programme Background The Mk VI is described as the USN's next-generation patrol boat and is currently in service with the US Navy's Coastal Riverine Forces (CRF). The ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) [French Navy]

  Background Carrier Air Wing plan The French Navy presented a broad plan for its Carrier Air Wing for the coming decades at a briefing during ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Guided munitions

  SmartGlider Heavy

  The SmartGlider Heavy is an advanced air-to-ground precision-guided munition developed by MBDA to address the challenges posed by modern anti-access and area-denial (A2/AD) environments. 

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Fearless MRSS

  Unveiled at Combined Naval Event (CNE) 2024, the Fearless design is Steller System's answer to the upcoming MRSS requirement of the Royal Navy. Fearless is ...

• Loitering munitions

  SkyShark

  SkyShark is a medium-range, high-speed One Way Effector (OWE) drone designed to deliver decisive strike capability at low cost and high volume. Engineered for autonomous ...

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

  FT-5 LOS

  The FT-5 LOS (the Moose), or FT5, is a short-range tactical UAV designed for EW, ISR and strike missions. It is capable of fully autonomous take-off and landing. The ...

• Assault rifles/carbines/shotguns

  CZ 805 Bren A1/A2

  Česká zbrojovka developed the CZ 805 Bren A1 assault rifle and A2 carbine in 2006 to provide the Czech Armed Forces with a new weapon ...

• Anti-ship missiles

  Sea Breaker

  Sea Breaker is a precision-guided, long-range, autonomous missile system manufactured by Rafael. Debuted at DSEI 2021, the platform delivers pinpoint strikes from stand-off ranges up to 300km ...

• Land: air defence radar

  ELM-2288 AD-STAR

  The ELM-2288 Advanced Air Defense, Surveillance, Threat Alert and Air Traffic Control Radar (AD-STAR) is a 3D solid-state long-range S-band family of transportable radars designed ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  KE-W A2 Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APFSDS-T)

  The KE-W A2 Armor-Piercing, Fin-Stabilized, Discarding Sabot-Tracer (APFSDS-T) is a 120mm tank round manufactured by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. 

• Heavy machine guns

  M2A2

  The US Ordnance 50cal M2A2 combines the performance of the venerable M2HB with upgrades such as fixed headspace and timing. This increases the level of ...

• Land: RWS

  Pitbull

  General Robotics developed the lightweight Pitbull family of remote weapons station for use on aerial, land and naval crewed or uncrewed platforms. Armed with a single ...

• Naval guns

  Seahawk LW

  The Seahawk LW naval gun is available in two configurations- the LW A1 and the LW A2. The Seahawk LW combines the Seahawk lightweight gun ...

• Air: chaff/flare/decoy systems

  Cirrus 118

  Cirrus 118 is a development of the DM69 A2 array flare, offering improved effectiveness, according to the company. It is designed to offer an aircraft-like ...

• Counter-UAS systems, Land: air defence radar

  Retinar FAR-AD Drone Detection Radar

  Retinar FAR-AD Drone Detection Radar, developed by Meteksan Defence, is a radar system to enable security against mini/micro unmanned aerial vehicles. Retinar FAR-AD can automatically ...

• 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 ...

• Counter-UAS systems, EO/IR systems, Land: air defence radar

  Hawkeye AD

  Hawkeye Air Defence (AD) is an integrated sensor suite optimised for acquisition, tracking, classification and engagement of air targets from fixed and mobile platforms. The ...