• Defence Notes

  China's Xi calls for military loyalty to new constitution

  12th March 2018

  A day after he won the mandate to rule for life, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on China's military to follow the country's newly-amended constitution …

• Training

  DSET 2018: British Army plans future collective training

  6th March 2018

  The British Army is in the process of re-aligning its collective training process to address training gaps and the entry into service of new equipment. …

• Training

  DSET 2018: RAF completes training need analysis

  7th March 2018

  The RAF has now completed a training needs analysis (TNA) that is helping it assess its method of adoption for I-LVC through a LVC roadmap. …

• Naval Warfare

  Questions surround number of LCS to be built

  7th March 2018

  When US Navy leaders headed to Capitol Hill to defend their Fiscal Year 2019 budget request, they laid out plans to increase their ship fleet and batted down …

• Special Operations

  Venezuela to enhance SOF capabilities

  12th March 2018

  Venezuela’s special operations forces are set to receive a USD $20 million uplift in materiel and equipment, according to President Nicolas Maduro. Announcing the news …

• Land Warfare

  Ceradyne awarded ballistic helmet order

  8th March 2018

  Ceradyne has received a $34 million order from the US Army to continue to supply ballistic helmets, the company announced on 1 March. The new …

• Defence Notes

  UK to invest in chemical weapons defence centre

  15th March 2018

  Britain will invest £48 million in a new chemical weapons defence centre and vaccinate thousands of British soldiers against anthrax, the country’s defence minister said …

• Defence Notes

  US military secretaries tout S&T collaboration

  13th March 2018

  Every week to two weeks, the US military secretaries are meeting for breakfast to discuss ways they can become more integrated and share insights into …

• Defence Notes

  Colombia government and ELN rebels to resume peace talks

  15th March 2018

  The Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) will resume peace talks on 15 March in the Ecuadorian capital Quito, both parties said. Colombian …

• Defence Notes

  Top US military leader calls for BMDS space sensors

  28th February 2018

  With the US eyeing ways to bolster its Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), the head of Strategic Command said the time has come to send …

• Land Warfare

  Boxer scores KO in Australian competition

  14th March 2018

  Rheinmetall’s Boxer has come out on top of BAE Systems’ Patria AMV35 in a bitter fight to win a lucrative contract for 225 Combat Reconnaissance …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky's year of flight for FVL

  7th March 2018

  As the US Army deliberates its Future Vertical Lift (FVL) development timeline, Sikorsky said it will be ready to pitch one of two options based …

• Land Warfare

  Featured: Philippines eyes wheeled and tracked AFVs

  6th March 2018

  The Philippine Army told Shephard as far back as 2014 that it harboured ambitions to procure main battle tanks within the 2020-28 period. However, a …

• Digital Battlespace

  Latvia to test new TPS-77 MRR radar

  13th March 2018

  The Latvian National Armed Forces (NAF) will finalise the delivery of the first TPS-77 Multi-Role Radar (MRR) by testing the system’s air surveillance capabilities, the …

• Military Logistics

  DIMDEX 2018: Atkins present to cement in-country ties

  14th March 2018

  British consultancy and logistics company Atkins detailed its ongoing work in the Gulf region in support of a number of military facilities, while in attendance …

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, ...