• Land Warfare

  Thales Australia to develop Lithgow Arms facility

  13th March 2019

  Thales Australia has unveiled plans to develop its Lithgow Arms facility in NSW, Australia, to develop and manufacture Australian Defence Force (ADF) next-generation soldier weapons …

• Digital Battlespace

  Viasat integrates CMR into Link 16 products

  17th April 2019

  Viasat has successfully integrated concurrent multiple reception (CMR) capabilities into its line of next-generation Link 16 products, the company announced on 10 April. The work …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2019: CH-47F Block II cancellation fears return

  16th April 2019

  The future of the CH-47F Block II programme is again in doubt, with Boeing admitting cancellation of the project remains a possibility. It was made …

• Naval Warfare

  USCG transfers third HC-130J to Kodiak

  22nd April 2019

  The US Coast Guard transferred an HC-130J Super Hercules long range surveillance aircraft to Air Station Kodiak, Alaska at the end of March 2019. The …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop Grumman named on CMMARS contract

  12th April 2019

  Northrop Grumman has been selected as part of a $12.6 billion IDIQ contract to compete to provide contracted maintenance, modification, aircrew and related services (CMMARS) …

• Naval Warfare

  Australia to launch Indian Ocean military exercises from Colombo

  15th March 2019

  Australia will launch a seven-nation Indian Ocean military exercise the week of 18 March 2019, starting in Sri Lanka where China has invested in strategic …

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall submits Land 400 Phase 3 bid

  7th March 2019

  Rheinmetall has submitted its bid in response to the Australian Army’s Land 400 Phase 3 - Mounted Close Combat Capability Request For Tender (RfT), the …

• Defence Notes

  Asia-Pacific dominates global defence spending

  14th March 2019

  Asia-Pacific nations figure prominently on the recently released list of top defence importers from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Indeed, the region is …

• Digital Battlespace

  Indonesia signs radar MoU with Thales

  26th April 2019

  PT Len, a state-owned Indonesian electronics company, signed an MoU with Thales on 24 April on the topic of radar development suitable for use by …

• Naval Warfare

  US warship cruises disputed sea in Philippine war games

  11th April 2019

  A US warship laden with hi-tech fighter planes took centre stage at key war games in the Philippines on 11 April, brandishing military might as …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Australia remains ‘regionally superior’

  13th March 2019

  Despite a revolving door at the prime ministerial and political levels – punctuated by the latest news that Defence Minister Christopher Pyne is retiring this …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  France joins maritime unmanned systems project

  18th April 2019

  NATO has announced that France has joined a multinational effort to cooperate on the development of maritime unmanned systems. Launched in October 2018, the project …

• Land Warfare

  Milrem to sustain Latvian Bv206 vehicles

  18th April 2019

  Patria’s subsidiary Milrem LCM has signed a framework agreement with the Logistics Command of the Latvian National Armed Forces for the maintenance and repair of …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX 2019: USS Blue Ridge gains new lease on life

  23rd April 2019

  The US Navy’s oldest operational vessel, USS Blue Ridge, arrived in Hong Kong for a port call on 20 April, fresh from a major upgrade that …

• Defence Notes

  Erdogan says Russia missile deal to go ahead after US suspension

  8th April 2019

  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 5 April vowed to go ahead with a deal to purchase Russian missiles despite Washington's suspension of Turkey's participation in …

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, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  Programme Background AUKUS Australia announced on 16 September 2021 that the contract with Naval Group signed in 2016 had been cancelled. Although not a surprising ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

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

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• S-64 Helitanker Fire-fighting Equipment

  Erickson's 10,031l tank for the S-64 helitanker drops water, retardant or foam mix at a rate of around 95l/h. Microprocessor-controlled tank doors offer eight individual ...

• Naval: RF, IR and 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...