• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to develop SPOC radio terminal

  13th January 2020

  Northrop Grumman will develop and demonstrate a Software Programmable Open Mission Systems (OMS) Compliant (SPOC) radio terminal for the US Air Force under a contract …

• Defence Notes

  IRST Block II pod flies on F/A-18 Super Hornet

  16th January 2020

  Boeing and the US Navy have flown an F/A-18 Super Hornet equipped with an Infrared Search & Track (IRST) Block II pod for the first …

• Digital Battlespace

  Rheinmetall receives Skyguard modernisation order

  11th December 2019

  Rheinmetall has received a contract from an unnamed customer to modernise its air defence systems. The €120 million order will see the company carry out …

• Digital Battlespace

  DAPA hands out slew of contracts in South Korea

  12th December 2019

  Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has received a contract to update Link 16 data links aboard FA-50 light fighters belonging to the Republic of Korea Air …

• Defence Notes

  Singapore requests F-35B from US

  10th January 2020

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale of F-35B Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft to Singapore. …

• Military Logistics

  US Navy launches sustainment pilot for E-2D

  8th January 2020

  The US Navy has launched the first Sustainment Program Baseline (SPB) pilot for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. Sustainment is the management of everything required to …

• Military Logistics

  Delta Digital Video converters approved for FRP

  15th January 2020

  Lockheed Martin has approved full rate production for Delta Digital Video to deliver multiple Model VSC/900 Universal Video Format Converters for use in the Electronic …

• Land Warfare

  New weapons for Philippine marines

  18th January 2020

  New weapons are on their way to the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) following the recent award of two contracts for RPGs and 81mm mortars. With …

• Naval Warfare

  Ace Electronics Defense Systems receives Tomahawk kit IDIQ

  7th January 2020

  Ace Electronics Defense Systems has been issued an IDIQ contract by the US Naval Surface Warfare Center to produce kits for the hardware component refresh …

• Military Logistics

  GD NASSCO awarded Harpers Ferry maintenance work

  7th January 2020

  General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASSCO) will carry out phased maintenance availability on the US Navy’s USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) landing ship dock. …

• Training

  RAAF retires PC-9/A fleet

  13th December 2019

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has officially retired its PC-9/A fleet after more than 30 years of flying operations. The aircraft has provided the …

• Defence Notes

  Insight: Retaliation bites but Iran risks catastrophic consequences from the air

  8th January 2020

  Ensure you don't miss any of our analysis and exclusive news – sign up for our Premium News service now  After days of uncertainty as …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to continue Joint STARS support

  13th January 2020

  Northrop Grumman has received a $302 million contract from the US Air Force to continue providing support for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System …

• Naval Warfare

  New P-8A arrives at RAAF Base Edinburgh

  13th December 2019

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has received its twelfth and final P-8A Poseidon at RAAF Base Edinburgh. The P-8A Poseidon and the MQ-4C Triton …

• Naval Warfare

  Panic over shipping routes through tense Middle East subside

  10th January 2020

  As the embers of US-Iranian struggle for influence in the Middle East return to a dull glow following a week of tensions, the heightened threat …

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 ...

• 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]

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

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland]

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

• 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

  Leopard 2A4 [Czech Republic]

  Programme 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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. ...

• 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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A1 Abrams (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Australia has been amongst the various Western allies providing Ukraine with military aid. Prior ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Spike LR2

  The Spike LR2 (also known as NT-S) is Rafael's fifth-generation anti-tank guided missile system. It is a long-range, multi-purpose, multi-platform weapon designed for infantry, armored ...