• Military Logistics

  Kongsberg takes full control of Patria Helicopters

  1st July 2020

  Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services on 1 July formally took over Bardufoss, Norway-based Patria Helicopters after buying a minority share held by Finnish defence and aerospace …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GDLS awarded UGV contract by British Army

  4th June 2020

  General Dynamics Land Systems confirmed on 4 June that it has delivered two of its fully electric 8x8 Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT) UGVs to the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Romanian Pumas light up Mali with BrightNite

  7th July 2020

  The Romanian Air Force’s contribution to the UN-led peacekeeping mission in Mali has been greatly enhanced by the use of four BrightNite-equipped IAR 330 Puma …

• Defence Notes

  NSA appointment reflects UK defence policy vacuum

  29th July 2020

  The corridors of Whitehall are generally quiet peaceful places, but in recent weeks there has been the Civil Service equivalent of an almighty shouting match, …

• Land Warfare

  Polish Army receives its first batch of Leopard 2PL MBTs

  12th June 2020

  After a delay in the initial phases of the modernisation programme, the Polish Armed Forces have received their first two Leopard 2PL MBTs. State-run Polish Armaments …

• Land Warfare

  Norway accelerates CV90 upgrade

  5th June 2020

  In order to support its defence industry to handle the impact of COVID-19, the Norwegian government has announced that it will accelerate investments in defence …

• Training

  USN outlines F/A-18 STE enhancements

  8th July 2020

  The USN has unveiled plans for its continued update of F/A-18 and EA-18G synthetic training equipment (STE) over the next four years. With all but …

• Land Warfare

  Germany to procure MG4 A3 from 2021

  19th June 2020

  Amid continued efforts to improve the lethality of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr recently released images of paratroopers from Zweibrücken training with the new …

• Defence Notes

  Merged L3Harris adapts to the new normal

  24th June 2020

  The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the greatest challenge for L3Harris Technologies during its first year of operation, the president for the communications systems segment of …

• Military Logistics

  Israel pushes US for accelerated KC-46 deliveries

  19th June 2020

  As the risk of regional conflict with Iran shows no sign of abating, Israel has asked the US to expedite delivery of its first pair …

• Air Warfare

  SBIRS Geo-5 moves closer to launch

  22nd June 2020

  The fifth geosynchronous Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellite for the US Space Force has successfully completed two months of thermal vacuum tests, according to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Indian Army seeks micro-UAVs

  3rd June 2020

  Responses from domestic and foreign vendors to an Indian Army RfI for micro-remotely piloted aircraft systems (Type B) will close on 26 June. The military …

• Land Warfare

  ​US Army picks Raytheon to continue NASAMS services

  22nd May 2020

  Raytheon will continue to support the National Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (NASAMS) under a $92.37 million contract from the US Army. The deal …

• Naval Warfare

  Countermeasures for Taiwanese frigates trigger Chinese unease

  23rd June 2020

  Not for the first time, controversy dogs the six Kang Ding-class frigates bought by Taiwan in the 1990s, as China continues to apply pressure on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SOCOM picks six for MEUAS III task orders

  26th June 2020

  US Special Operations Command (SOCOM) has awarded six contracts, with a total combined value of $975 million, for ISR services worldwide to support the Mid-Endurance …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  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 increased ...

• Main battle 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 ...

• 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 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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

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

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  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 ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [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 ...

• 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, ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

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

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

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

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• 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

• 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

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• 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 ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

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

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...