• Air Warfare

  US Army UH-60M Black Hawk fitted with T901 engine approaches first flight

  10th February 2025

  The service recently started ground run testing to verify the full integration of the T901-GE-900 engine.

• Defence Notes

  Leonardo CEO urges “speed as important as money” as joint ventures progress picks up

  9th May 2025

  The company’s Q1 2025 results showed a 20% increase in new orders and a 15% increase in revenue across the business.

• Naval Warfare

  Euroatlas brings Greyshark AUV to Asia for its maiden visit

  9th May 2025

  Euroatlas displayed its Greyshark autonomous underwater vehicle outside Europe for the first time, highlighting variant specifications and development progress at IMDEX 2025.

• Air Warfare

  Four companies chosen for COTS, dual-use air-launched system

  5th June 2024

  An enterprise test vehicle (ETV) will use dual-use and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) technology to develop an air-launched multi-purpose system with an emphasis on modularity.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan reinvigorates its asymmetrical approach to naval warfare

  22nd November 2024

  The threat from China has prompted Taiwan’s naval forces to shift from traditional naval structures to a more balanced strategy blending asymmetric defences with conventional platforms.

• Air Warfare

  Northrop gets $3.5 billion contract to integrate mission systems for E-6B successor

  19th December 2024

  The E-130J aircraft will take over the E-6B for the US Navy’s Take Charge and Move Out system.

• Land Warfare

  Companies and militaries look to artificial intelligence to improve support of equipment

  22nd August 2025

  Companies are turning to rapidly advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) to to reduce maintenance times and costs and increase operational hours and tempo.

• Air Warfare

  UK, Japan and Italy discuss potential to bring other countries into GCAP programme

  21st November 2024

  At the G20 summit in Brazil, the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to the trilateral Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), with a nod given to potentially widening the participation out to other countries.

• Air Warfare

  EuroDASS partners unveil details on next-gen EW system for Eurofighter Typhoon

  22nd November 2024

  The consortium has given details on the next-generation of sensing and jamming capabilities on the Eurofighter Typhoon without needing to update the airframe, according to the group’s partners.

• Defence Notes

  US tests Minuteman III as Sentinel successor ICBM programme struggles

  7th June 2024

  In service for nearly 60 years, the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile is due to be replaced by the Sentinel, but cost overruns and delays continue to plague this successor programme.

• Air Warfare

  NATO membership’s ripple effect: Transforming Nordic air forces

  3rd April 2024

  As Sweden and Finland embrace their newfound NATO membership, alignment with alliance requirements and regional interests could herald the dawn of a reinvigorated Nordic Air Force with enhanced defence capabilities.

• Defence Notes

  Rheinmetall sales up by almost a quarter on wave of German spending

  8th August 2025

  Germany’s Rheinmetall released its 1H 2025 results on 7 August, continuing the strong growth of recent years. A particular highlight of the result’s presentation was the Skyranger air defence system for which the company is predicting sales of about US$8.2 billion from the German Government before the end of the year.

• Air Warfare

  More AMRAAMs approved for Denmark under $744 million deal

  30th October 2024

  There has been a spike in demand for Raytheon’s Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAMs), including a US$1.2 billion Pentagon order for 12 countries as well as US Navy and US Air Force. There have also been approvals this year for sales to Israel, Norway, Romania and Singapore.

• Air Warfare

  JF-17 fighter fills expanding niche in a competitive geopolitical market

  26th December 2024

  With orders from three countries, 2024 is unlikely to be the last of the export years for the joint Pakistan-Chinese fighter jet.

• Land Warfare

  Uruguay receives Mamba Mk7 APCs for peacekeeping operations

  29th July 2024

  The Mamba has been widely used in peacekeeping operations as a lower-cost alternative to more protected vehicles which are expected to go onto the frontline. It can be upgraded with the addition of optional extra armour including underneath the engine compartment.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Additional FLIT-LCA [Malaysia]

  The Royal Malaysian Air Force is planning to acquire Fighter Lead-In Training - Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA). This will provide an interim solution for the ...

• Data links

  Data links | Additional FLIT-LCA [Malaysia]

  The Royal Malaysian Air Force is planning to acquire Fighter Lead-In Training - Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA). This will provide an interim solution for the ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Additional FLIT-LCA [Malaysia]

  The Royal Malaysian Air Force is planning to acquire Fighter Lead-In Training - Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA). This will provide an interim solution for the ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Additional FLIT-LCA [Malaysia]

  The Royal Malaysian Air Force is planning to acquire Fighter Lead-In Training - Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA). This will provide an interim solution for the ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Additional FLIT-LCA [Malaysia]

  The Royal Malaysian Air Force is planning to acquire Fighter Lead-In Training - Light Combat Aircraft (FLIT-LCA). This will provide an interim solution for the ...

• Maritime patrol

  Maritime Patrol Aircraft [Malaysia]

  Programme Background In June 2019, The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) has confirmed to Shephard that the government has given approval for the service to prepare ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Multi-Role Combat Aircraft [Malaysia]

  Malaysia’s Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme is part of a broader effort to modernise the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) under the Capability Development Plan ...

• Data links

  Data links | Multi-Role Combat Aircraft [Malaysia]

  Malaysia’s Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme is part of a broader effort to modernise the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) under the Capability Development Plan ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Multi-Role Combat Aircraft [Malaysia]

  Malaysia’s Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme is part of a broader effort to modernise the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) under the Capability Development Plan ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Multi-Role Combat Aircraft [Malaysia]

  Malaysia’s Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme is part of a broader effort to modernise the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) under the Capability Development Plan ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Multi-Role Combat Aircraft [Malaysia]

  Malaysia’s Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) programme is part of a broader effort to modernise the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) under the Capability Development Plan ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Multi-Role Support Ship (MRSS) (3) [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirements The Royal Malaysian Navy are in the process of a fleet transformation plan known as the 15 to 5 Transformation Plan, which ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  Additional FLIT-LCA [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Malaysia released a RfI in early January 2019 seeking light combat aircraft capable of some air-to-air and full air-to-ground missions. The requirement is ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Multi-Role Combat Aircraft [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirement Malaysia has long had a requirement known as the Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) designed to replace the MiG-29 fleet. The MRCA programme ...

• Corvettes

  New Generation Patrol Vessels Batch III (13-18) [Malaysia]

  Programme Background Requirements Malaysia unveiled a plan in 2015 to restructure and recapitalise its navy. The plan is called the 15 to 5 Plan and ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Medium mortars

  81mm M8 Long-Range Mortar

  The M8 is a development of Denel's M3 81mm mortar, featuring a heavier barrel to fire long-range 81mm ammunition. 

• Crew-served grenade launchers

  LG3

  The LG3 is an air-cooled, blowback-type 40mm AGL that fires a variety of high-velocity 40mm ammunition, including the BLG3 HE round, the BGJ3 HE dual-purpose ...

• Crew-served grenade launchers

  LG3A

  The LG3A is an improved variant of the LG3, with an added muzzle-setting device to fire Norinco’s BGL3A airburst ammunition and similar rounds produced by ...

• Weapon sights for night use (thermal imaging)

  Artim-LR

  The Artim-LR is a battery-operated 8-12µm TI camera/sight. Features: high image quality; dual FOV; integral CRT display and eyepiece; remote-control operation capability; communication interfaces to ...

• Sniper rifles

  NTW-20

  The NTW-20 is a large-calibre, bolt-action, anti-materiel sniper rifle developed by Denel in 1995 and fielded by the South African National Defence Force since 1998. ...

• Heavy machine guns

  QJZ89

  The 12.7x108mm QJZ89 is a multipurpose heavy machine gun derived from the earlier 12.7mm Type 85 – used primarily in the air defence role – ...

• Light mortars

  60mm M6 Long-Range Mortar

  The 60mm M6 long-range mortar is a further development of Denel’s M3 81mm mortar. The M6 can fire standard 60mm mortar ammunition and long-range ammunition ...

• Individual assault/anti-tank weapons

  NLAW

  The Next-Generation Light Antitank Weapon (NLAW) is a light, fire-and-forget, top-attack missile system that is designed to provide a single soldier with the capability of ...

• Medium/general-purpose machine guns

  Type 80

  The Type 80 is a general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) manufactured by Norinco in China, based on the Soviet PKM. Certified in 1980, it entered PLA ...

• Heavy machine guns

  CS/LM6

  Norinco developed the CS/LM6 50cal heavy machine gun (HMG) to provide export customers with a less expensive alternative to M2-series HMGs produced by other manufacturers. ...

• Assault rifles/carbines/shotguns

  SCP 70/90

  The SCP 70/90 is the current production model of the AR 70/90 which was developed by Beretta in the 1980s to meet an Italian military ...

• Individual grenade launchers

  Fort-600

  The Fort-600 is a standalone, shoulder-fired, single-shot 40mm grenade launcher. It is equipped with a folding buttstock and an accessory rail at the six and ...

• Sniper rifles

  TAC-50 A1-R2

  The TAC-50 A1-R2 introduces a hydraulic mitigation system to the 50cal TAC-50 series, which reduces peak recoil from the cartridge by approximately 90%. The system ...

• Medium/general-purpose machine guns

  LWMMG

  General Dynamics (GD) unveiled the Lightweight Medium Machine Gun (LWMMG) in May 2012. Intended to eliminate the gap between 7.62mm and 50cal weapons, the LWMMG ...

• Light mortars

  60mm M4 Commando Mortar

  Denel markets two variants of its M4 60mm Commando Mortar system: M4 Mk 1 and M4L3. Both are handheld mortars designed for use by one ...