• Defence Notes

  AUSA Winter: Army outlines potential budget impact on NIE process

  25th February 2013

  Service panelists speaking at this week’s Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Winter Symposium and Exposition in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, outlined potential impacts of …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australian Army chief calls for unmanned technology use reassessment

  25th February 2013

  There is no foreseeable alternative to close combat, and the issue of unmanned platforms in symmetric warfare needs to be addressed according to the Chief …

• Land Warfare

  Navistar Defense receives Afghan vehicle order

  22nd February 2013

  Navistar Defense will retrofit 205 armoured cabs onto Navistar Medium Tactical Vehicles (MTV) designated for service with the Afghan National Security Forces. The company received …

• Land Warfare

  US Army becomes 'army of preparation'

  22nd February 2013

  After 12 years of conducting counter insurgency and stability operations in Afghanistan and Iraq the US Army will shift its focus in the future to …

• Defence Helicopter

  German CH-53 Mission Tactical Workstation operational debut

  22nd February 2013

  It has emerged that the German air force has recently commenced operations with the Mission Tactical Workstation from ESG Elektroniksystem & Logistik on board its …

• Land Warfare

  GDELS, FSDS team for Danish APC-R programme

  21st February 2013

  General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) has teamed with Falck Schmidt Defence Systems (FSDS) for the Danish Armored Personnel Carriers Replacement (APC-R) programme. The companies …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MX-25 EO/IR imaging system evaluated by US Army

  21st February 2013

  L-3 Wescam has announced that the MX-25 electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) imaging system has been evaluated by the US Army’s Persistent Threat and Detection System (PTDS) Communications-Electronics …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  SMSS successfully operated via satellite control

  20th February 2013

  Lockheed Martin has successfully demonstrated the ability for the Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) to be operated via satellite at a distance of more than …

• Land Warfare

  Excalibur Ib enters low-rate initial production

  20th February 2013

  Raytheon’s Increment Ib precision-guided projectile has entered low-rate initial production (LRIP) under a US Army contract announced on 20 February. The contract for the production …

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon targets Mobile Range at Middle East

  20th February 2013

  Raytheon used IDEX 2013 as the venue to launch its Mobile Range concept, designed to be a total solution for all complex weapon testing missions. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon JLENS aerostat successfully detects missile threats

  19th February 2013

  Raytheon has announced that its Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) tethered surveillance aerostat managed to detect and track four …

• Digital Battlespace

  ISAF withdrawal prompts Afghan air power changes

  18th February 2013

  Despite ISR assets being critical to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, as coalition forces withdraw from theatre this capability will not immediately be carried over …

• Land Warfare

  Mortar-capable MRAP destined for Afghanistan

  18th February 2013

  A new mortar variant of the Commando MRAP family of vehicles built by Textron Marine & Land Systems has been shown at the IDEX exhibition …

• Land Warfare

  Thales and Renault team for vehicle digitisation

  17th February 2013

  Under an agreement announced at the IDEX exhibition in Abu Dhabi, Thales and Renault Defense Trucks will cooperate on the development of digitised vehicle systems. …

• Land Warfare

  Oshkosh Defense unveils JLTV utility vehicle bid

  15th February 2013

  Oshkosh Defense has unveiled its Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) utility variant for the US Army-led Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programme. The company …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Nauru 1000C [Brazil]

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

• 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 ...

• 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 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, ...

• 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 (Batch 1) [Germany]

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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

  Project Land 4503 [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian Army has begun its search for a successor to the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH), with an RfI issued by the ...

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 - small

  Nauru 1000C

  Manufactured by XMobtos, the Nauru 1000C, or V2-1 Nauru, is a VTOL-capable small fixed-wing UAV. The UAV features a hybrid propulsion system, autopilot and a gyro-stabilised payload.  In ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Ezuwgu

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

• 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, ...