• Naval Warfare

  Investigative report: Industry waits on the ebb and flow of Somali piracy

  9th October 2019

  With the military and commercial response to the Somali pirate threat in full swing back in the early 2010’s – as multinational fleets worked to …

• Defence Notes

  US fighter jet crashes in Germany

  8th October 2019

  An American F-16 fighter jet crashed and its pilot ejected to safety near the city of Trier in western Germany on Tuesday, the German air …

• Defence Helicopter

  AUSA 2019: Boeing prepares for CH-47F Block II delay

  18th October 2019

  Boeing is making preparations for a worst-case scenario where the procurement of Chinook CH-47F Block II helicopters for the US Army is delayed by anything up …

• Naval Warfare

  UK F-35s land onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth

  14th October 2019

  UK F-35 Lightning jets have landed onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time as part of operational trials being carried out off the East …

• Defence Helicopter

  Viper ready to strike with venom in Asia-Pacific

  8th October 2019

  Buoyed by several regional attack helicopter acquisition programmes ongoing in Asia-Pacific, Bell is pushing its Viper and Venom duo hard. At the moment, there are …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AQS-24 performance envelope expands

  11th October 2019

  Recent testing carried out by Northrop Grumman on the AQS-24 minehunting sonar has doubled the current AQS-24 Program of Record depth performance metric.The test team …

• Military Logistics

  A400M reaches paratroop certification milestone

  10th October 2019

  More paratroop dispatch certification testing of the Airbus A400M airlifter has been completed in France, the company announced on 7 October. Testing carried out in …

• Military Logistics

  Shifting military operations set to impact base camp requirements

  1st October 2019

  A transition from counter-insurgency to peer-on-peer military operations could necessitate smaller, more autonomous base camps with less dependence on lengthy logistics supply chains; smaller, easily …

• Defence Helicopter

  V-22 fleet logs 500,000 flight hours

  9th October 2019

  The Bell-Boeing V-22 tiltrotor programme has reached a new milestone, with the fleet logging a combined 500,000 flight hours. More than 375 Ospreys are flying …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  XQ-58A Valkyrie in third flight test

  11th October 2019

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ XQ-58A Valkyrie has completed its third flight test, the company announced on 10 October. During the 90 minute flight, the …

• Military Logistics

  RAF Voyager flies in Exercise Bersama Lima

  11th October 2019

  A Royal Air Force (RAF) Voyager aircraft is taking part in Exercise Bersama Lima out of Paya Lebar Airbase in Singapore. Exercise Bersama Lima, the annual …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kratos to expand capability of tactical jet UAS

  9th October 2019

  Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ Unmanned Systems Division has received a $3.6 million contract for capability expansion, mission system integration, and test work associated with …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Multi-mission USV proposed as floating comms nexus for CEE region

  19th October 2019

  Boeing, acting through its subsidiary, Liquid Robotics, is offering its Wave Glider USV for countries in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region as a …

• Military Logistics

  Canada's first C295 approaches delivery

  9th October 2019

  Airbus has presented the first C295 built for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF’s) Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) programme in its …

• Training

  Meggitt awarded Aerial Weapons Scoring Systems IDIQ

  8th October 2019

  Meggitt announced on 4 October that it has received a $48 million IDIQ contract to supply Aerial Weapons Scoring Systems (AWSS) to the US Army. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - MALE

  Tactical Drone System (SDT) (15-28) [France]

  Background Tactical Drone System (SDT) programme The French Army launched the SDT programme to replace the Sagem (now Safran) Sperwer Intermediate Tactical Drone System (SDTI) ...

• Military UAS - micro

  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 - 6x6

  VBMR Griffon [France]

  Background Development of the Griffon commenced in 2014 when the consortium of Arquus, Nexter and Thales was awarded a development contract to design the VBMR ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Future UAVs: Navy Aerial Drone System (SDAM) [France]

  Background Requirement The requirement for the SDAM programme was a rotary-wing VTOL-capable UAV with a modular configuration that can host a range of payloads. France ...

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  C-UAS [Portugal]

  Background Portugal's Military Programming Law 2023–2034 includes $8.8724 million (€8.2 million) to acquire counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) by 2034. It is assumed that this acquisition requires ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Light Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Light Protected Mobility (LPM) programme. Information on the LMV and HPM can ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  ASTER / VL MICA Multi-layer [France]

  Background The Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation, acting on behalf of France, awarded EUROSAM a contract on April 30th, 2026, for the development of the ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  Medium Range Air Defence [Portugal]

  Background Portugal's Military Programming Law 2023-2034 includes a requirement for medium-range air defence. In order to facilitate this, Portugal has joined the European Sky Shield Initiative ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Navio Polivalente Logistico (NAVPOL) (Portugal)

  Programme Background Requirements The NAVPOL is expected to feature a flexible and modular LPD design capable of amphibious operations and HADR tasks. Timeline The plans for ...

• Medium Range Missile Defence Systems: 20-90km range

  ASTER / VL MICA Multi-layer (additional) [France]

  Background In October 2026, France ordered four additional firing units of the SAMP/T NG air and missile defence system. With this order, the total number of SAMP/T ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Eurodrone [France]

  Background Inception (Stage One) The European MALE RPAS programme was launched in September 2016. Germany, Spain, France and Italy had negotiated and agreed, in collaboration ...

• ISR/special mission

  Strategic Intelligence Aircraft [France]

  Background In February 2018, the Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, announced that the strategic intelligence aircraft program CUGE Universal EW Capability began to ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A400M [France]

  Background Airbus formally delivered the first production A400M to the French Air Force in August 2013. The French Air Force took delivery of its 15th ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Serval LAD [France]

  Background France's Military Planning Law 2025-2030 committed it to purchasing 12 variants of the Serval MPVS specialised for counter-drone operations. Following Senate criticism, this figure was ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Land Mobility Programme (Medium Protected Mobility) [UK]

  This programme briefly introduces the wider Land Mobility Programme and then focuses on the Medium Protected Mobility (MPM) programme. Information on the LMV and MPM can ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Medium UGVs

  Centurio

  At Eurosatory 2024, KNDS unveiled the Centurio family of 4x4 UGVs. Based on the Phobos UGV by SOGECLAIR, Centurio has been developed in the 2024-30 ...

• Land: handheld NV devices

  O-NYX

  The Thales O-NYX is a Ultra-Compact Night Vision Goggle used by the French armed forces. They have an enlarged field of vision to 51° compared ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Patroller

  The Patroller is a long-endurance, multi-mission UAS manufactured by Safran Electronics & Defence. Designed for ISR operations, the platform hosts a Euroflir 410 EO/IR pod and can accommodate ...

• Land: range systems and targets

  Urban Ranges

  Cubic Range Design Solutions has provided facilities around the world for military and law enforcement training in urban terrain. It uses its previous experience, as ...

• Sniper rifles

  Model 95

  The Model 95 is a bolt-action 50cal sniper rifle in a bullpup configuration, which entered production in 1995. Its buttplate, magazine well and trigger housing ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  SandCat

  The 4x4 SandCat family of vehicles was designed by Israeli armour specialist Plasan Sasa in 2005 for a range of military, special operations, homeland security, ...

• Pistols

  P30

  The P30 is available in 9x19mm and .40 S&W; calibres with six variants of each. The grip of the P30 has exchangeable backstrap and grip ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  EK 001 Blue Whale

  The EK 001 Blue Whale is a large, rotary-wing UAV capable of carrying a payload of 23kg. It is in the early stages of development. ...

• Suppressors

  FA556-212

  The Fast Attach 5.56mm (FA556)-212 sound suppressor is designed for use on the AR-15, C8 SFW, HK416, M4, M16 and SA-80. Firearms with 266.7mm barrels ...

• Pistols

  Jericho Steel

  Designed for military and law enforcement users, the Jericho pistol in steel frame configuration is available in 9x19mm and .45 ACP calibres and in standard ...

• Pistols

  P Series

  The S120 pistol series has been used globally in law enforcement and military organisations, with the weapons initially designed as tactical and task force pistols ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  IA-12A Stark

  The IA-12A Stark is a small, rotary-wing UAV that features a dual propulsion system, swappable payload bay, retractable landing gear, single operator control, ground mission planning, ...

• Pistols

  Jericho Polymer

  Jericho pistols have been used for over three decades by military and police units, including law-enforcement entities in Israel and around the world. Designed for ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Tiger LPV

  The MDT Armor 4x4 Tiger Light Protected Vehicle (LPV) is designed to meet the requirements of military and law enforcement customers for a survivable, light ...

• Sniper rifles

  ALIAS CS5

  The ALIAS Concealable Subsonic/Supersonic Suppressed Sniper System (CS5) is designed for concealment in urban settings. With the buttstock and suppressor detached, the CS5 is 597mm ...