• Land Warfare

  DefExpo 2020: Biho to get a friendly push in India

  6th February 2020

  Following successful teamwork between South Korean firm Hanwha Defense and Larsen & Toubro of India, the two wish to promote broader cooperation on various land …

• Digital Battlespace

  Terma North America awarded Defensive System Suite contract

  27th February 2020

  Terma North America has received a $15 million contract from Lockheed Martin for Defensive System Suite equipment for the US Air Force HC-130J. Under the …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell not conceding defeat on Israeli V-22 deal

  28th February 2020

  Manufacturer Bell-Boeing will continue to push for an export order of the V-22 Osprey from Israel despite political uncertainty and funding shortages casting major doubts over …

• Defence Notes

  DefExpo 2020: Indian missiles abound but are yet to be fielded

  10th February 2020

  Indian state-owned entities displayed a number of missiles at DefExpo 2020 in Lucknow, including a couple for the first time, indicating practical progress on several …

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh to deliver more JLTVs

  17th February 2020

  Oshkosh Defense was awarded a contract modification worth $407.3 million to provide 1,240 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), predominantly to the US Army and the …

• Training

  NATO allies and Finland participate in Exercise Cold Response 2020

  26th February 2020

  Norway is hosting Exercise Cold Response 2020 from 12-18 March, involving 14,000 personnel from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the UK …

• Military Logistics

  RAAF C-130J trials Litening sensor pod

  31st January 2020

  A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-130J Hercules aircraft has begun flight trials equipped with a Northrop Grumman Litening sensor pod. Mounted on a pylon underneath …

• Air Warfare

  Tunisia requests AT-6C Wolverines

  27th February 2020

  The government of Tunisia has requested to purchase AT-6C Wolverine light attack aircraft from the US under a foreign military sale. Tunisia wants to buy …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy orders E-2D advanced radar processor systems

  17th February 2020

  Lockheed Martin has received an order for equipment for the US Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The order, announced by the US Department of Defense, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to develop PTS rapid prototype

  25th February 2020

  Northrop Grumman is to develop a Protected Tactical SATCOM (PTS) rapid prototype payload for the US Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center. The payload …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Navy renews Lockheed Martin Seahawk PBL contract

  18th February 2020

  The US Navy has renewed Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission System’s H-60 Seahawk Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract, it announced on 15 February. The $2.3 …

• Land Warfare

  FN America awarded M4/M4A1 contract

  17th February 2020

  FN America will supply M4/M4A1 carbines to the US Army under a contract announced by the US Department of Defense on 13 February. The contract …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing awarded P-8A contract modification

  13th January 2020

  Boeing has received a $42 million contract modification from US Naval Air Systems Command for integrated logistics services and site activation support for the P-8A …

• Naval Warfare

  RFA Wave Knight​ completes Middle East deployment

  24th February 2020

  UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) tanker Wave Knighthas returned to the UK following a seven-month deployment to the Middle East. The vessel sustained Royal Navy, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Royal Navy Merlin Mk2s hunt subs in the Ionian Sea

  26th February 2020

  The Royal Navy’s Merlin Mk2 helicopters are being put through their paces during NATO’s annual test of anti-submarine forces in the Ionian Sea. The Flying …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Logistics, Ammunition Carrier and Mortar Carrier Variants) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Amphibious Vehicles) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland]

  Background Requirement Since the early 2010s, Poland has wanted to upgrade its Soviet-era tank fleet due to modernisation requirements, the need to increase interoperability with NATO ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro

  Drone40 (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background In August 2022, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank, held a podcast with Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, in which ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

  Background Requirements Australia has set out requirements for a fleet of up to 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels - Medium (LMV-M) with the release of a ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Land 400 Phase 2 - Boxer CRV [Australia]

  Programme Background History The Land 400 Phase 2 programme will procure a replacement for the ASLAV, a derivative of the General Dynamics Land Systems Light Armoured Vehicle ...

• Main battle tanks

  Viatura Blindada de Combate-Carro de Combate (VBC-CC) [Brazil]

  Programme Background Several key technical requirements have been outlined by the Brazilian MoD. Among the most important are that the platform should weigh less than ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A4 [Czech Republic]

  Background  The Czech Republic currently operates a small fleet of T-72s, which, while undergoing upgrades and life extension programmes, are increasingly obsolete. In October 2022, ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  Second Hand SSNs [Australia]

  Programme background Timeline In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Chios class LST replacement [Greece]

  Background Requirements The Hellenic Navy’s Chios-class tank landing ship platforms have been in service for almost 30 years. Shephard estimates they will start reaching their out-of-service date (OSD) ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS (Batch 2) [Australia]

  Programme background Prior to selecting HIMARS in January 2023, Australia did not operate an MLRS system. However, the effectiveness of Ukrainian HIMARS convinced the Australian government ...

• 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 ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle USV (16-55) [Australia]

  Programme Background Timeline The RAN purchased a number of the 6.8m-long Bluebottles, including five under an A$4.9 million ($3.3 million) contract signed in November 2022. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Project Land 400 Phase 3 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement: 2015 RfI The Land 400 Phase 3 programme will procure a new tracked IFV to replace the Australian Army's legacy fleet of ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Carl-Gustaf M3

  The Carl-Gustaf M3 is the third generation of the 84mm shoulder-fired recoilless antitank gun, first fielded by the Swedish Army in 1946. Since then, it ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm KE DM63 / DM53 A1 Tank Ammunition

  The 120mm kinetic energy tank ammunition is manufactured by Rheinmetall. There are several variations of the ammunition, including the DM63, which can be fired from ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120MM HEAT-TP F1A

  Franco-German KNDS-Nexter produce the 120mm High-Explosive Anti-Tank Training-Purpose F1A (HEAT-TP F1A) round to enable reduced-cost training for Main Battle Tank crews. 

• Main battle tanks

  M1/M1A1 Abrams

  The 105mm-armed M1 Abrams tracked MBT was introduced into US Army service in 1980 as a replacement for the 105mm-armed M60 MBT. In April 1991, ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm PELE Tank Ammunition

  The 120mm Penetrator with Enhanced Lateral Effect (PELE) tank ammunition is an inert round produced by Rheinmetall. It is suitable for use against semi-hard targets ...

• Light mortars

  60mm Mortar Ammunition

  US-based LD Systems' 60mm Mortar ammunition fulfils the NATO standard for lightweight mortar ammunition.

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  120mm L55A1

  The 120mm L55A1 is a smoothbore high-pressure gun based on the L55 tank gun. The L55A1 has been qualified and in service since 2019. It ...

• Naval: RF/IR/acoustic decoys

  Nulka

  The Nulka is an active anti-ship missile decoy originally conceived in Australia, and developed under a joint Australian-US programme. BAE Systems Australia is prime contractor, while ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  120mm L55 Tank Gun

  The 120mm L55 is a smoothbore tank gun produced by Rheinmetall. It is designed for use on the Leopard main battle tank, to which it ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP)

  The M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) is a 120mm tank round developed by Northrop Grumman Defence Systems. Various customers, including Bahrain, Israel, and the US, use the tank ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3

  The M1A2 System Enhancement Package 3 (M1A2 SEPv3, also known as M1A2C) is the latest production-standard variant of the Abrams MBT. Designed primarily to address ...

• Land: RWS

  R400 Slinger

  The R400 Slinger is a counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) remote weapon system (RWS) being developed in Australia. The development is a response to growing international ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  Next Generation Combat Vehicle Ammunition

  The Next Generation Combat Vehicle Ammunition (NGVA) is a family of ammunition being developed by the US Army's Armaments Center and manufactured by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  CVTESS

  Saab's Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CVTESS) is a laser-based simulator which supports every version of the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Bradley ...

• Submarines: nuclear/attack

  SSN AUKUS

  The SSN-AUKUS will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...