• Defence Helicopter

  IDEX 2019: Lebanese Air Force adapts for terrorism fight

  12th February 2019

  Lebanon has had to increase the capabilities of the its armed forces in a bid to stop the rise of terrorism in the country, according …

• Special Operations

  JSOU looks to yoga and meditation

  12th February 2019

  Readiness and resilience of special operations forces could be extended through increased emphasis on yoga and meditation, a Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) report has …

• Defence Helicopter

  Serbia purchases Mi-35Ms and Mi-17V-5s

  18th January 2019

  Russia has received an order to supply seven Mi-35 and three Mi-17V-5 helicopters to Serbia, with delivery planned for completion in 2019. This agreement has …

• Land Warfare

  Nammo assumes majority ownership position in MAC

  8th January 2019

  Nammo has assumed a majority ownership position in MAC, a US company based in Bay St Louis, Mississippi, the company announced on 3 January. MAC …

• Defence Notes

  Insight: How China’s military machine still runs on Soviet technology

  5th February 2019

  Ever since it first flew in January 2011, the J-20 fighter has been the poster child for China’s massive military build-up. The aircraft’s first flight, …

• Land Warfare

  Leonardo DRS to expand in Missouri

  12th February 2019

  Leonardo DRS is set to build a new engineering, development and light manufacturing facility in Bridgeton, Missouri, to accommodate its growing land systems business, the …

• Digital Battlespace

  Avionics refresh for RC-26B

  7th February 2019

  Elbit Systems of America has received an initial $5 million contract from Support Systems Associates to provide an avionics refresh for the US Air National …

• Digital Battlespace

  Germany to let NATO use its cyber skills

  14th February 2019

  Germany is to join the ranks of NATO countries making its cyber warfare skills available to the alliance to help fight hacking and electronic warfare, …

• Defence Notes

  Singapore hedges its bets with F-35 decision

  22nd January 2019

  Catching few by surprise, Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced in a terse statement on 18 January that his country had identified the F-35 …

• Digital Battlespace

  India requests LAIRCM SPS

  12th February 2019

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) Self-Protection Suites (SPS) to India, …

• Special Operations

  US Navy issues presolicitation for new SOF scope

  15th January 2019

  The US Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane (Indiana) has issued the presolicitation announcement for the SOF Precision-Variable Power Scope (P-VPS). The 14 January 2019 …

• Digital Battlespace

  IDEX 2019: Hensoldt to show new sensor solutions

  15th February 2019

  Hensoldt is set to appear at 2019’s International Defence Exhibition (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi to present its new PrecISR airborne multifunction radar, in addition to …

• Naval Warfare

  Construction begins on DDG 120

  6th February 2019

  General Dynamics has begun construction of the US Navy’s future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Carl M Levin (DDG 120), at its Bath Iron Works …

• Training

  L3 receives training contract from USAF

  11th February 2019

  L3 Technologies has received a contract to continue providing training to the US Air Force’s B-2 aircraft pilots, maintainers and weapons-loading personnel, the company announced …

• Special Operations

  SOCOM lifts the veil on Next Generation AGMS

  11th February 2019

  USSOCOM representatives have provided the first glimpse of a potential follow-on program to the command’s seldom-discussed Armored Ground Mobility System (AGMS). The program, currently dubbed …

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 ...