• Digital Battlespace

  Africa SATCOMs restricted

  6th November 2015

  African nations have a fundamental issue with ground infrastructure that is holding the region back from full SATCOM capabilities. While SATCOMs, commercial or military, can offer …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop Grumman delivers IAMD shelters

  5th November 2015

  Northrop Grumman has delivered four prototype enhanced engagement operations centre shelters to the US Army for the Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS).  …

• Defence Helicopter

  D&S 2015: Transworld upgrading Thai helicopters

  5th November 2015

  Transworld Aviation (Thailand) is currently upgrading helicopters for the Thai military, with a new agreement to do the same for Royal Thai Police helicopters also …

• Land Warfare

  D&S 2015: Ukraine conflict hits Thai exports

  5th November 2015

  Exports from Ukraine to Thailand are being delayed and a new agreement will amend the delivery schedule. Ukrspecexport, Ukraine’s state agency responsible for military imports …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Watchkeeper crash probe begins

  4th November 2015

  The UK's Defence Safety Authority (DSA) has begun an inquiry into the crash landing of a WK450 Watchkeeper UAV on 2 November. The British Army confirmed to …

• Digital Battlespace

  US awards support contract to CACI

  4th November 2015

  The US Army has awarded a contract to CACI International to provide software application development and sustainment support for the army’s Communications-Electronics Command's (CECOM) Software …

• Land Warfare

  Belarus re-caps land equipment

  4th November 2015

  The Belarus Army has started a couple of recapitalization programmes that will improve their armour and air defence capabilities. The army has signed contracts for …

• Land Warfare

  D&S 2015: First Win wins first exports

  4th November 2015

  Chaiseri Metal and Rubber Company, the Thai developer and manufacturer of the First Win 4x4 mine resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle, is accumulating its first …

• Digital Battlespace

  BMDS showcases layered defences

  4th November 2015

  The US’ ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) has undergone operational testing to demonstrate its ability to defeat three near-simultaneous air and missile targets, consisting of …

• Land Warfare

  D&S 2015: Black Widow Spider grows up

  4th November 2015

  The Black Widow Spider, an effort by Thailand’s Defence Technology Institute (DTI) to create an 8x8 armoured vehicle, has grown from a mock-up two years …

• Naval Warfare

  Croatian Navy fires RBS15

  3rd November 2015

  The Croatian Navy has fired the Saab RBS15 anti-ship missile from the Kralj-class missile boat Dmitar Zvonimir, marking the force’s first firing of the missile …

• Land Warfare

  Cobham to develop C-IED system

  3rd November 2015

  The US Army has awarded a contract to Cobham to develop next-generation technologies for the detection of landmines and other explosive hazards hidden in the …

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine to ramp up arms production

  3rd November 2015

  Ukraine's state-owned defence firm Ukroboronprom will increase weapon supplies to the Ukrainian army from next year.    The company plans to increase production of the BM …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army orders counterfire radars

  3rd November 2015

  The US Army has ordered seven additional AN/TPQ-53 (Q-53) counterfire target acquisition radars from Lockheed Martin, the company announced on 2 November. The order is valued …

• Land Warfare

  D&S 2015: Thailand explores fast attack

  3rd November 2015

  With Thai soldiers regularly using motorcycles to patrol the insurgent-plagued southern provinces of their country, the military is exploring the use of a lightly armoured …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 3) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Military UAS - micro

  First Person View (FPV) Drones [UK]

  Background Parliament Questions On 20 May 2025, Ben Obese-Jecty, Conservative MP for Huntingdon, asked the Secretary of State for Defence how many FPV drones had been procured ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

• Military UAS - small

  Bug Nano UAS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army previously took delivery of 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS in 2013 to support operations in Afghanistan. After these ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Boxer (MIV) [UK]

  Background History The UK MoD announced in March 2018 that it would re-join the Boxer programme and pursue a sole-source acquisition of the 8x8 vehicle. ...

• Military UAS - small

  Black Hornet 3 PRS (UK)

  Programme Background The British Army operated approximately 160 first-generation Black Hornet PD-100 nano UAS between 2013 and 2017, when the decision was made to retire ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  HMT Extenda [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 & 600 [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it had a requirement for at least 70 new HMT platforms with ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Ajax [UK]

  Background Under its $4.3 billion production contract, GDUK will provide 589 Ajax to the British Army. These will be delivered in six different variants: 245 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Multi-Role Vehicle (Protected) (MRV-P) Package 1 (UK)

  Programme Background Requirement The MRV-P programme was intended to procure replacements for a diverse fleet of 4x4 and 6x6 vehicles purchased during the wars in Iraq ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  Recce Strike Vehicle 4x4 [UK]

  Background Under Project Niala, the British Army has sought a new recce strike vehicle to augment the operations of 11th Brigade. This sits outside of ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6, LTVs - 4x4

  Supacat HMT 400 [UK]

  Background Programme requirements The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated in a Contract Notice that it required at least 240 new HMT platforms to mitigate a shortfall ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  British Army Apache Training Facilities

  Aviation Training International (ATIL) – a Leonardo Helicopters/Boeing joint venture formed in 1998 - was selected to provide the attack helicopter training service to the ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 1

  420 Challenger 1 MBTs were delivered to the British Army between 1983 and 1990. Developed from the Shir 2 MBT originally designed for Iran, the ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  HIDAS

  Leonardo’s Helicopter Integrated Defensive Aids System (HIDAS) combines laser, missile and Radar Warning Receivers, and a Chaff and Flare Dispensing System (CFDS). The system is ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L52 Smoke

  The L52 Smoke is a 105mm smoke artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  The British Army uses it in its L118 Light Guns.

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L21 High Explosive (HE)

  The L21 High Explosive (HE) is a 155mm artillery shell manufactured by BAE Systems. The British Army uses the L21 with its Archer artillery systems.

• Towed guns

  105mm Light Gun

  The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...

• Main battle tanks

  Challenger 2

  The 120mm-armed Challenger 2 MBT was introduced into British Army service in 1994 as a replacement for the Challenger 1, which was successfully employed in ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog

  The FV432 Mk 3 Bulldog is an upgraded version of the long-serving FV432 family of tracked vehicles, of which approximately 3,000 were delivered to the British ...

• Unguided Artillery Ammunition

  L17 Inert

  The L17 Inert is a 155mm training artillery round manufactured by BAE Systems.  It is in service with the British Army, where its Archer artillery systems use ...

• 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 ...

• Subsystems: software

  Exonaut Software Suite

  Since 2000, 4C has been developing the Exonaut software suite. The products within the Exonaut suite can either be used standalone or as part of ...

• Self-propelled guns

  AS90

  The AS90 155mm/39cal tracked SPH was designed and built by Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering (acquired by BAE Systems in 1999) to meet the requirements of ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Instrumented Ground Combat Training Systems

  Cubic supplies combat training systems for CTCs, homestations and forward-deployed environments. The systems are designed to support missions including force-on-force, urban operations, joint, combined arms ...

• Main battle tanks

  Olifant

  The Olifant (Elephant) is a South African variant of the British Centurion MBT. Development of the Centurion began in 1943. It was introduced into service ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  Trojan

  In 2001, Vickers Defence Systems (now part of BAE Systems) received a £250 million ($300 million) UK MoD contract to build 66 Engineer Tank Systems ...