• Defence Notes

  Afghan security force shrinks sharply: US watchdog

  1st May 2018

  The Taliban and other insurgent groups are gaining control over increasing numbers of the Afghan population and the strength of local security forces has declined …

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall Lynx stalks Czech Army

  20th April 2018

  Rheinmetall has put forward its Lynx armoured vehicle for the Czech Army’s infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) replacement programme, the company announced on 17 April. The …

• Defence Notes

  Syria strikes kill 26 fighters, mostly Iranians: monitor

  30th April 2018

  Missile strikes overnight in central Syria killed at least 26 pro-regime fighters, most of them Iranians, a monitor said on 30 April. The Syrian Observatory …

• Special Operations

  SOF explores unmanned naval platform

  20th April 2018

  The US Navy has conducted its latest demonstration of Textron Systems’ Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) as it considers a variety of concepts of operation …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSA 2018: Malaysian MD 530Gs approach their Destini

  19th April 2018

  When the Malaysian Army ordered its six MD 530G scout helicopters from MD Helicopters, as announced on 1 February 2016, the first aircraft were to …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army evolves night vision requirements

  18th April 2018

  The US Army is looking to replace its existing night vision monocular systems with new binocular systems to improve its night fighting capabilities. The Enhanced …

• Digital Battlespace

  German Army looks to 'smart' weapon sights

  20th April 2018

  The German Army is preparing to evaluate Elbit Systems’ SmartSight digital weapon sight as it considers how the technology could support dismounted close combat troops …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon to demo FoXTEN intelligence platform

  16th April 2018

  Raytheon has received a contract from the US Army to demonstrate its FoXTEN mobile intelligence platform, designed to allow soldiers to collect and access real-time …

• Naval Warfare

  Japan to bolster patrols near disputed isles

  13th April 2018

  Japan will beef up airborne patrols of disputed islands in the East China Sea, an official said on 13 April, in response to increased Chinese …

• Defence Helicopter

  Black Hawk grip spreading in Latin America

  24th April 2018

  With 174 UH-60 Black Hawk variants currently operating in Latin America this figure is set to grow due to pending deliveries and further still as a result …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2018: Sikorsky-Boeing remain 'confident' that Defiant will fly in 2018

  29th April 2018

  By the end of the year, the Sikorsky-Boeing team still expect to have their SB-1 Defiant helicopter in the air. Speaking with reporters 26 April …

• Land Warfare

  DSA 2018: Tigon goes on trial in Malaysia

  16th April 2018

  Hanwha Defense Systems selected DSA 2018 in Kuala Lumpur as the location to unveil its new Tigon 6x6 armoured wheeled vehicle. In fact, soon after the …

• Digital Battlespace

  DSA 2018: Hanwha defends with Naval Shield CMS

  19th April 2018

  Hanwha Systems displayed a mock-up of a triple-display console for its combat management system (CMS), which it generically calls Naval Shield, at the DSA 2018 …

• Naval Warfare

  Canadian navy sees greater engagement in Asia

  4th May 2018

  Half of Canada’s seaboard fronts onto the Pacific Ocean, yet the country’s military is rarely seen across the other side of the Pacific in Asia. …

• Land Warfare

  Turkey to receive Russian S-400 missiles in July 2019

  4th April 2018

  Turkey and Russia have agreed to bring forward to July 2019 the delivery of S-400 air defence missile systems to Ankara, a Turkish official said, …

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 ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ezuwgu

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

• 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, ...