• Defence Notes

  NATO flexes muscles in show of strength to Russia

  9th October 2018

  NATO's largest exercise since the end of the Cold War will see 50,000 troops deploy into the first snows of a Norwegian winter to show …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raven UAS for Portuguese Army

  19th September 2018

  AeroVironment has received a $5.9 million contract to deliver RQ-11B Raven UAS equipped with Mantis i23 sensors and pocket Remote Video Terminals to the Portuguese Army. …

• Military Logistics

  QinetiQ receives two contracts from ONR

  10th October 2018

  QinetiQ has received two contracts from the US Office of Naval Research to develop its proprietary hub drive unit electric propulsion system and long travel …

• Digital Battlespace

  Canada requests King Air 350ER ISR aircraft

  9th October 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale to Canada of King Air 350ER aircraft modified for ISR operations, …

• Defence Helicopter

  Iraq requests armed Bell 407GX helicopters

  8th October 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of armed Bell 407GX helicopters to Iraq, the Defense Security Cooperation …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop to upgrade E-8C central computers

  8th October 2018

  Northrop Grumman has received a $17.5 million contract for a fifth generation upgrade to the central computers on 16 aircraft in the US Air Force's …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Army to trial 'radio-over-satellite' communications

  10th September 2018

  Spectra Group’s Slingshot appliqué kit has been selected to support the US Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments (AEWEs) in 2019, company officials have disclosed to Shephard. …

• Land Warfare

  Boxer UK update: Boxing clever

  18th September 2018

  Since its inception in the 1990s, the Boxer programme has had highs and lows. By 2015, the vehicle had only secured two customers – lead …

• Defence Notes

  ​​​​​​​​​​​​Lethality of DF-21D anti-ship missile revealed

  15th October 2018

  Designed specifically to destroy US aircraft carriers, the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is one of China’s key anti-access area denial weapons.  However, how it would …

• Defence Notes

  Italy, Sweden, US bid to sell combat jets to Bulgaria

  2nd October 2018

  Italy, Sweden and the US have submitted bids to sell fighter jets to Bulgaria's ailing air force, the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed. …

• Land Warfare

  New variants of Belrex PCSV developed

  25th September 2018

  ST Engineering’s Land Systems arm and Paramount Group have developed new variants of the Belrex Protected Combat Support Vehicle (PCSV). The Belrex vehicle - commissioned …

• Defence Notes

  Battle rages over EU defence pact

  1st October 2018

  A diplomatic tussle has broken out over the European Union's (EU) flagship defence cooperation pact, amid warnings the bloc could cut itself off from major …

• Defence Notes

  US coalition to block North Korean oil

  20th September 2018

  A US government effort to build a multinational coalition to monitor North Korean violations of fuel smuggling appears to be gaining steam. The Trump administration, …

• Land Warfare

  Leonardo DRS, Rafael test lighter Trophy VPS

  1st October 2018

  Leonardo DRS, with partner Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, has successfully completed a live-fire qualification process for key elements of the lighter Trophy Vehicle Protection System …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: Stilwell considered for Thornton job

  3rd October 2018

  Sources within Washington’s Beltway indicate that retired USAF Brig Gen David Stilwell will serve as the next Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and …

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 ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker DVH [USA]

  Background The US Army has been operating the Stryker since 2002. The Stryker DVH is an upgraded variant that has additional armour on its underside ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV (US Army) (Batch 1) [USA]

  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 branches ...

• 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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  Decisive Lethality Platform [USA]

  Background The DLP is one of five vehicle families being developed for the US Army's NGCV programme. Expanded to include five programmes in October 2018, ...

• Military UAS - micro

  eBee Vision [US]

  Background Multiple orders In November 2025, the US Army acquired three eBee Vision systems to enhance training operations at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany. A ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AMPV [USA]

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

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Stryker (Sergeant Stout) (Batch 2) [USA]

  Background As part of the Army Transformation Initiative, the US DoD is fundamentally reorganising the structure of the US Army. The development of the Sergeant ...

• 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]

  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 Brigade ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Mobile Tactical Cannon [USA]

  Background The US Army began using the M777 in 1995. Since then, it has served as a field artillery piece providing fire support for American ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-72 Follow-On [USA]

  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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

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 ...

• 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. 

• 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 ...

• 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) ...

• 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 ...

• 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). ...

• 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 ...

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M821A3 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M821A3 High Explosive Mortar Round is an 81mm mortar round manufactured by Day & Zimmerman for the US Army.

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M933A1 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M933A1 High Explosive Mortar Round is a 120mm mortar round manufactured by Day & Zimmermann for the US Army.

• Unguided Mortar Ammunition

  M934A1 High Explosive Mortar Round

  The M934A1 High Explosive Mortar Round is a 120mm mortar round produced by Day & Zimmermann for the US Army.