• Defence Notes

  Analysis: Pentagon’s China report becomes more pastel

  9th June 2017

  Once again, the release of the annual Pentagon report, entitled Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, a US Congress-mandated document, contributes …

• Defence Notes

  Amidst threats, Seoul eyes defence budget hike

  9th June 2017

  South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) has requested a record defence budget of KRW43.7 trillion ($38.7 billion) for next year. Although yet to be …

• Defence Helicopter

  HeliRussia 2017: Russian Helicopters tests its unmanned tiltrotor

  31st May 2017

  A new unmanned tiltrotor is undergoing vertical flight testing, with the first forward flight slated for later this year. The vehicle, driven by four tilting …

• Defence Helicopter

  Safran to support German NH90 engines

  22nd May 2017

  Safran Helicopter Engines has signed a seven-year contract to support engines powering German NH90 helicopters with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and …

• Land Warfare

  GDELS delivers first Piranha to Denmark

  22nd May 2017

  General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) has delivered the first seven pre-production Piranha 8x8 armoured vehicles to the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO), the …

• Military Logistics

  MAN trucks to revolutionise ADF logistics

  24th May 2017

  The Australian Army’s Brisbane-based 7th Brigade and supporting units in southeast Queensland recently began receiving new trucks from Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles Australia (RMMVA), and …

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales Nederland details radar advancements

  19th May 2017

  Thales Nederland is currently undertaking testing activity of an initial three SMART-L MM 3D long-range multi-mission radars for air and space surveillance and ballistic missile …

• Land Warfare

  ​Saab presents mockup of new mobile RBS 70 NG air defence launcher

  12th May 2017

  Saab Dynamics has unveiled a full scale mockup of its RBS 70 NG (New Generation) RWS short range air defence (SHORAD) missile launcher at its …

• Defence Helicopter

  GE Aviation to produce more T700 engines

  1st May 2017

  GE Aviation has announced an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract from the US Army for the continued production of T700 turboshaft engines.The contract was awarded …

• Training

  DST lab develops moon simulator

  16th May 2017

  Australia’s Defence Science and Technology (DST) group is using a night vision laboratory to assess night vision technology under consideration for, or in use with, …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: UFA sims accredited by US Army

  15th May 2017

  The US Army's Directorate of Simulation has accredited its UFA Inc ATCoach and ATTower air traffic control (ATC) simulators at Martindale AHP in San Antonio, …

• Land Warfare

  IDEF 2017: Aselsan tests air defences

  10th May 2017

  The new HISAR-A and HISAR-O air defence missile systems are due to complete testing next year.Tolga Gungor, lead engineer at Aselsan for low/medium altitude air …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2017: LMT aims for sharpshooter growth (video)

  17th May 2017

  Assault rifle manufacturer Lewis Machine & Tool is displaying its Sharpshooter rifle at this year's SOFIC exhibition in Tampa, Florida. The 7.62mm weapon is in …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Rolls-Royce and Garden Reach agree MTU engine assembly

  12th May 2017

  Rolls-Royce and Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) announced on 5 May an agreement on the final assembly of MTU series 4000 engines in India.The …

• Land Warfare

  ​US Army Europe evaluates Saab Barracuda camouflage

  12th May 2017

  The US Army's 2nd Cavalry Regiment, stationed in Vilsek, Germany, is evaluating Saab's Barracuda Mobile Camouflage System (MCS) on its 8x8 Stryker Infantry Combat Vehicles. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Nauru 1000C [Brazil]

  Programme Background The Logistics Command (COLOG) of the Brazilian Army purchased three Nauru 1000C UAVs, training, 36-month interested logistics support, two EO/MWIR XSIS 222A gimbals, two ...

• 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 ...

• Mexico Light Armoured Reconaissance Vehicle

  Programme Background The Mexican Army is struggling to maintain its large fleet of ageing armoured vehicles, the vast majority of which have significantly exceeded their ...

• 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 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 (Contracted)

  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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  VBMR Griffon [France]

  Programme Background Development of the Griffon commenced in 2014 when the consortium of Arquus, Nexter and Thales was awarded a development contract to design the ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  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 ...

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 - 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  Nauru 1000C

  Manufactured by XMobtos, the Nauru 1000C is a VTOL-capable small fixed-wing UAV. The UAV features a hybrid propulsion system, autopilot and a gyro-stabilised payload. It is designed to ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ezuwgu

  The Ezuwgu is an MRAP 4x4 APC designed and produced by the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON). 

• 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 ...

• 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, ...