• Defence Notes

  US defence chief Mattis has 'no reservations' about Bolton

  27th March 2018

  US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said 27 March he had 'no reservations' about working with John Bolton, the controversial hawk named by President Donald Trump …

• Military Logistics

  New UK naval base comes online

  5th April 2018

  The UK officially opened its new naval support facility in Manama, Bahrain, on 5 March, the latest in a series of moves to boost its …

• Military Logistics

  Study underway to examine US mobility requirements

  1st April 2018

  United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), together with the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation organisation within the Office of the Secretary of Defense, have begun a …

• Defence Notes

  Baltic states to ask for greater protection from Russia

  3rd April 2018

  Baltic state leaders will ask the US to send more troops and bolster air defences on NATO's eastern flank to deter Russia when they meet …

• Land Warfare

  Estonia to send 50 troops to reinforce French-led Mali mission

  22nd March 2018

  Tallinn, March 22, 2018 (AFP) - Estonia's government on Thursday agreed to send 50 troops from the Baltic state to Mali as part of France's …

• Defence Notes

  NATO expels seven Russian diplomats

  27th March 2018

  NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said on 27 March that the alliance was expelling seven Russian diplomats to show that Moscow faces ‘costs and consequences’ over …

• Digital Battlespace

  Saab rolls out first GlobalEye destined for UAE

  23rd February 2018

  Saab has rolled out the first of three GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C;) aircraft for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE selected …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: UK needs Saudi defence relationship

  16th March 2018

  The recent visit by the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammad Bin Sultan (MBS) to the United Kingdom has generated a flurry of announcements about the future …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Continued investment proves less risky for Watchkeeper

  26th March 2018

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) remains committed to the troubled Watchkeeper project despite missing its full operating capability (FOC) one milestone in November 2017. It …

• Land Warfare

  Patriot missile contract mod issued

  13th February 2018

  Lockheed Martin has received a contract modification for the production and delivery of Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) and PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE) interceptors, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Canada to deploy troops, helicopters to help UN in Mali

  19th March 2018

  Canada will deploy an infantry unit and military trainers along with attack and transport helicopters to Mali for 12 months in support of an ongoing …

• Digital Battlespace

  UAE F-16 fleet get HUD upgrade

  13th February 2018

  BAE Systems will modernise head-up displays (HUD) on the United Arab Emirates’ F-16 aircraft under a contract with Lockheed Martin. The HUD, which sits directly …

• Naval Warfare

  Japan commissions replacement sub rescue ship

  21st March 2018

  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) commissioned a new submarine rescue ship, JS Chiyoda (ASR-404), on 20 March. Built by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding, the …

• Defence Notes

  Insight: Trump signs Taiwan Travel Act

  19th March 2018

  China’s Foreign Ministry expressed displeasure over US President Donald Trump’s signing of the Taiwan Travel Act (HR 535) on 16 March. The legislation, though non-binding, …

• Land Warfare

  US Army chief explains increased 155mm buy

  16th March 2018

  US Army officials are looking to stockpile 155mm projectiles in case of a contingency that causes the service to run through its cache.  During a House Appropriations …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | A-400M [United Arab Emirates]

  At IDEX 2025, two representatives from Airbus discussed the details behind a potential bid from the United Arab Emirates for the A-400M aircraft. The A-400M ...

• Data links

  Data links | A-400M [United Arab Emirates]

  At IDEX 2025, two representatives from Airbus discussed the details behind a potential bid from the United Arab Emirates for the A-400M aircraft. The A-400M ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | A-400M [United Arab Emirates]

  At IDEX 2025, two representatives from Airbus discussed the details behind a potential bid from the United Arab Emirates for the A-400M aircraft. The A-400M ...

• AEW&C

  GlobalEye (4-5) [UAE]

  Programme Background The United Arab Emirates Air Force is taking delivery of three GlobalEye (known also as Global 6000) aircraft from Saab. The UAE signed a contract ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT (4-5) [UAE]

  Programme Background United Arab Emirates Air Force had a requirement for three tanker aircraft. Boeing confirmed that the UAE sent an official request for three ...

• Transport

  A-400M [United Arab Emirates]

  Programme Background At IDEX 2025, two Airbus representatives shared insights into a possible offer from the United Arab Emirates for the A-400M aircraft. The A-400M ...

• Corvettes

  Gowind 2500 (1-2) [UAE]

  Programme Background Timeline The Gowind 2500 design has proved a popular export, and variants have been ordered by four countries. Naval Group confirmed the sale of ...

• Corvettes

  Gowind 2500 Procurement (3-4) [UAE]

  Programme Background Timeline The Gowind 2500 design has proved a popular export and variants have been ordered by four countries. Naval Group confirmed the sale ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Sherpa Light [Egypt]

  Programme Background Egypt is believed to have taken delivery of at least 173 Sherpa Lights and 18 Sherpa Light Scout 4x4 armoured vehicles from Arquus ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  FA-50 (1-36) [Egypt]

  Programme Background  In March 2025, the Egyptian Ambassador to South Korea confirmed ongoing talks regarding the possible export of the FA-50 Fighting Eagle; shortly after in April, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Hunter Family [UAE]

  Programme Background IDEX Contract Announcement On 21 February 2023, EDGE announced that its subsidiary, HALCON, had been awarded an AED 1.1 billion ($272.29 million) contract to supply ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV [Romania]

  Programme Background  The Oshkosh Defence Joint Light Tactical Vehicle is a 4x4 armoured vehicle manufactured in the United States. Originally intended to supplement to Humvee ...

• Transport

  C-130J-30 - Germany

  This common air transport squadron will have unrestricted exchange of aircraft, air crews, and maintainers, as well as technical and logistical support based on a ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-130J - Germany

  This common air transport squadron will have unrestricted exchange of aircraft, air crews, and maintainers, as well as technical and logistical support based on a ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Falcon Edge/IEWS

  Northrop Grumman’s Falcon Edge Integrated Self-Protection System (ISPS) equips the United Arab Emirates Air Force’s (UAEAF) Lockheed Martin F-16E/F Block-60 fighters. 

• MPVs - 4x4

  Kasser II

  Produced by M4 Industries based in Abu Dhabi, Kasser is a 4x4 MRAP that is currently being developed for the United Arab Emirates. The vehicle ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  MCRL

  The Multiple Cradle Rocket Launcher (MCRL) was developed by Al Jaber Land Systems (AJLS) in cooperation with Roketsan to meet the requirements of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and ...

• Air: Displays

  Digital Light Engine Head-Up Display

  BAE Systems Digital Light Engine (DLE) HUD is designed to upgrade existing display equipment with a modular, electro-optic digital system. According to the manufacturer, DLE HUDs ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM, Land: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARS-6(V12) PLS

  The new AN/ARS-6 (V12) Personnel Locator System (PLS) Receiver/Transmitter (R/T) is a functional replacement for the old AN/ARS-6. These systems are used to locate missing ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Al Saadiyat (Logistics Support Vessel)

  Al Saadiyat is the most recent logistics support vessel to be built for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Navy. The vessel is effectively a large ...

• Fixed wing aircraft engines

  F110-GE-129

  The F110-GE-129, manufactured by GE Aviation, is a derivative of the F110-GE-100 engine. It powers the F-16V Block 70, the F-16C/D Block 50 and Japan's ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming, Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  Eclair-M

  MBDA’s Éclair-M is the standard countermeasure launching system for the Dassault Mirage-2000 series of combat aircraft. It is used widely by the myriad of Mirage-2000 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  IPN

  Produced by Selex ES (now part of Leonardo), the IPN is a family of combat management systems. Also known as SADOC 2, it is in ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-80

  The AN/APG-80 is an X-band active electronically scanned array radar system with approximately 1,000 transmit/receive modules, designed for continuous search and multi-target tracking capabilities in ...

• Corvettes

  Comandanti/Sirio Class (FCX15)

  The Comandanti-class corvettes designed and built by Italian company Financatieri are in service with the Italian Navy, which operates four, with the first commissioned in 2001, ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - MLDS, Land: Defensive Systems - Gunshot Detection / Hostile Fire Indicator

  ShotFinder Acoustic Hostile Fire Detection

  Northrop Grumman’s ShotFinder is a hostile fire detection system designed to protect aircraft against small arms and light weapons fire. The apparatus employs acoustic technology ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  SkyKnight

  The SkyKnight missile, developed by Halcon—a subsidiary of the UAE's EDGE Group—is the nation's first indigenous counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) system. Unveiled at IDEX ...

• EO/IR systems

  Damocles

  The Damocles is a third-generation targeting pod developed by Thales Group, designed for advanced reconnaissance and laser designation. It is modular, features an eye-safe laser, ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  THAAD missile

  THAAD missile is one of the most important components of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. The THAAD missile starts to intercept incoming ...