• Air Warfare

  Colombia months away from selecting new fighter aircraft, says minister

  18th March 2025

  The country’s Defence Minister said that the selection of a NATO-country fighter aircraft to replace its ageing Kfir jets was a matter of protecting the country.

• Land Warfare

  British Army’s Archer hits bullseye for capability and procurement

  26th December 2024

  The Archer artillery system was rushed into service and training of British Army trainers began in October 2023 before live fire trials just over a year later.

• Land Warfare

  Ovzon trials UGV comms in Arctic conditions

  1st April 2025

  Swedish company showcases Arctic UGV test as it eyes NATO defence market expansion.

• Naval Warfare

  Avalon 2025: Kongsberg confirms its first Australian missile factory

  31st March 2025

  The deal, which has been planned since August 2024, is part of an ongoing attempt to bolster Australia’s defences against the potential of Chinese aggression.

• Air Warfare

  First German P-8 flies and upgrade of first aircraft for USN completed

  28th February 2025

  The P-8 Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) is based on the Boeing 737NG airliner. It has been ordered by several countries, including Germany, and US Navy (USN) P-8s are being upgraded.

• Naval Warfare

  Defending the Fleet: Naval air defence in the drone era (podcast)

  29th May 2025

  In an era of swarming drones, proliferating missiles and saturation attacks, naval air defence must combine cutting-edge effectiveness with low cost per intercept. Israel’s Rafael is applying its long expertise to help navies adapt to emerging threats, while looking to a future of laser technology – and beyond.

• Air Warfare

  Rolls-Royce wins $711 million contract to support UK Royal Air Force Typhoon engines

  9th May 2025

  The contract covers maintenance and service for the EJ200 engine that powers the UK Royal Air Force’s Typhoon fleet.

• Training

  How terrain management capabilities can improve military training

  11th December 2024

  This type of tool provides more realistic training easing the incorporation of new scenarios that accurately represent the threats of the battlefield.

• Defence Notes

  France unveils new strategic review as Macron vows to accelerate defence spend

  15th July 2025

  The 2025 National Strategic Review highlights the importance of readiness against a growing Russian threat and was published days after a speech from the French President Macron who called for an increase in defence spending worth €6.5 billion by 2027.

• Air Warfare

  TAI and Airbus collaborate on Hurjet trainer for Spain

  15th May 2025

  The Hurjet is pitched as the front runner for the Spanish Air Force’s Advanced Jet Trainer replacement programme for its ageing F-5M aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  Missile production being boosted across three continents

  12th December 2024

  The demand for missiles reflects current strategic interests, such as those in the Indo-Pacific region and conflict in Europe, along with an expectation of local involvement in manufacture which also supports a drive to build capacity.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing secures $569 million contract to support Royal Australian Air Force’s E-7 Wedgetail

  10th March 2025

  The fleet of six E-7A Wedgetail aircraft is based at RAAF Base Williamtown and will reportedly support up to 170 jobs in the region.

• Land Warfare

  UK establishes mortar barrel production capability

  11th December 2024

  Precision machining company brings production of 60mm, 81mm and 120mm smooth bore mortar barrels back to the UK.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer evaluates new mission capabilities for C-390 with ISR study to finish by 2026

  10th June 2025

  Alongside its official Maritime Patrol study, Embraer is also evaluating further special missions capabilities for its aircraft, including those in the space domain and with drones, CEO Bosco da Costa Junior told Shephard.

• Naval Warfare

  Edge and CMN Naval create multi-billion dollar joint venture to build high value niche naval vessels

  20th March 2025

  The new company will take possession of the existing non-NATO order pipeline, said to be worth billions of dollars.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-1 Gray Eagle [US Army]

  Background Required Quantity Although the US Army first envisioned a requirement for 132 MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the US Army's Army Acquisition Objective (AAO) was increased ...

• Main battle tanks

  NGCV: DLP

  Programme Background Requirement The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in ...

• 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 UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Heavy Lift VTOL (HVTOL) [US Army]

  Background USMC First, Army Second In September 2021, Kaman unveiled its Kargo UAV, specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

  Programme Background Platform Development The US Army initiated the AMPV programme to acquire a replacement for several variants of the M113 tracked APC, which has ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Army]

  Programme Background As of January 2021, the US DoD had signed 15 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 2) [US Army]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was intended to ...

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

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) [USA]

  Programme Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. As part of this all Infantry ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow On

  Programme Background In March 2019, Airbus stated that it expected orders from the US Army for between 12 and 15 UH-72A helicopters. In March 2020, ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS) [US Army]

  Background First Contract In June 2011, the US awarded AeroVironment a $4.9 million series-production contract for the loitering munition, satisfying the US Army's Lethal Miniature ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) [Tranche 1] / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) (USA)

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the Battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Switchblade 300 (USA)

  Programme Background AeroVironment has been providing the Switchblade 300 loitering munition to the US Army under the long-standing Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile Systems (LMAMS) programme ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Group 4/5 UAV [US Army]

  Background Request for Information (RFI) On 5 June 2024, the American DoD published an RfI with an original response date of 19 July 2024. The ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army AVCATT PDSS

  L3Harris Technologies is the prime contractor for the US Army’s Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) programme. L3Harris Technologies is ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  US Army Flight School XXI OFT/RCTD

  L3Harris Technologies is a major subcontractor to CSC on the US Army’s Flight School XXI (FSXXI) programme. L3Harris Technologies has built or is under contract ...

• Maritime patrol

  US-2

  The ShinMaywa US-2 is an amphibious short take-off and landing aircraft used primarily by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) for SAR. 

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  OH-58 Kiowa

  The single-engine OH-58 Kiowa, derived from the Bell 206, entered US Army service in 1969 as a light observation helicopter. More than 2,200 were built for ...

• Towed guns

  M198

  The US Army developed the M198 155mm towed howitzer from 1969 to replace the M114 155mm howitzer. From 1978, 1,600 weapons were built by Rock ...

• Towed mortars

  M120/M120A1

  The M120/M120A1 120 mm Towed Mortar System is a US-built version of the Soltam K6 mortar that was accepted into US Army service in 1990.

• Light tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) ...

• JPT

  Designed for military applications, the Joint Platform Tablet (JPT) features a rugged design, including a military-grade aluminium case, dual-core processor, 128GB removable hard drive and ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72A/B Lakota

  In 2006, the US Army selected a version of the medium-sized, twin-engine H145, designated the UH-72A Lakota,  to meet its requirement for a new Light ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  RQ-7 Shadow 200

  The Shadow 200, designated RQ-7B by the US Army, is flown by the army brigade combat teams and combat aviation brigades along with the UAV ...

• REBS

  The Rapidly Emplaced Bridge System (REBS) is a 13m dry-gap bridge. It was designed by GDELS to meet a US Army requirement to provide a ...

• Land: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III

  Sierra Nevada’s AN/PLQ-9 Thor-III is the standard Counter Improvised Explosive Device (CIED) manpack system in service with the US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). ...

• DSB

  WFEL was selected in 1996 to develop the M18 Dry Support Bridge (DSB) for the US Army. The company designed, manufactured and integrated the DSB ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  M320 GLM

  The M320 Grenade Launcher Module (GLM) is a further development of the HK AG36 (see separate entry) to meet a US Army requirement. The M320 ...