• Land Warfare

  Austria may buy 100 more trucks under expanded $329 million truck deal

  19th December 2023

  Austria committed to 1,375 trucks under a framework agreement and has now expanded the agreement to potentially add another 100 trucks.

• Training

  Dubai Airshow 2023: First Bell 505 training helicopters delivered to Royal Jordanian Air Force

  17th November 2023

  Jordan ordered ten helicopters 12 months ago and joins Montenegro and the army and navy of South Korea as military operators of the 505.

• Land Warfare

  Future of the CPI2 programme remains blurry

  31st October 2023

  Despite planning to release a RfP by the end of the year, the US Army has placed the effort into ‘hold’ status, with details on its next steps and schedule yet to be disclosed.

• Defence Notes

  AUKUS countries look to Pillar 2 as Pillar 1 progresses

  4th December 2023

  Australia, UK and US to collaborate on maritime autonomy, AI, cyber, hypersonics, quantum and undersea warfare, as Australian officers graduate from US Nuclear Power School.

• Air Warfare

  South Korean manufacturers invest heavily in new UAV designs

  23rd October 2023

  South Korean companies displayed a multitude of developmental and conceptual UAVs at Seoul ADEX 2023.

• Defence Notes

  Boom time has arrived for South Korean defence exports (Opinion)

  9th October 2023

  The Asian country to make the most spectacular and stellar success in terms of arms exports is none other than South Korea, a nation of 51.7 million citizens.

• Air Warfare

  Two ready to tango in South Korean helicopter competition

  20th October 2023

  Two US-based OEMs will be vying for supremacy in a forthcoming competition for special forces heavy helicopters for the South Korean military.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Anduril's extra-large UUV Ghost Shark edges closer to production in Australia

  10th November 2023

  Australia has been focusing on uncrewed systems solutions as a way of expanding coverage of its extensive maritime exclusive economic zones and as a way of expanding mass for the Royal Australian Navy.

• Digital Battlespace

  Indian military drafts wish list for space technologies to counter Chinese developments

  9th February 2024

  India has ambitious plans to develop its ISR capabilities in space but has a fight on its hands if it wants to keep in touch with competing nations.

• Land Warfare

  UK fleshes out Boxer programme

  24th January 2024

  ARTEC, a joint venture between Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and Rheinmetall Military Vehicles Nederland, has produced the Boxer to meet the requirements of several militaries.

• Land Warfare

  Vegvisir to supply vehicle awareness systems to Ukraine

  8th January 2024

  Vegvisir applies cameras, four layers of sensors and image-processing algorithms to deliver a 360° mixed reality/virtual reality (MR/VR) picture to vehicle crew members wearing a head-mounted display.

• Land Warfare

  Production ramps up for Swiss Piranha 120mm mortar

  7th December 2023

  The Swiss Army has ordered 48 Piranha 3+ vehicles equipped with RUAG Cobra 120mm mortars, which can fire up to 10 rounds per minute and have a range of 9,000m. The vehicles have a Scania diesel engine, a Kongsberg RWS with a 12.7mm MG and an applique passive armour package.

• Naval Warfare

  UK to boost submarine maintenance and nuclear defueling at Devonport facility

  10th November 2023

  The construction programme, one of the largest projects of its kind, will cost more than US$900 million and will lead to substantial upgrades to existing infrastructure at the site on the Devon coast.

• Defence Notes

  US Congress approves FY2024 defence spending bill

  18th December 2023

  The US House of Representatives and Senate agreed to a $841.4 billion funding to cover DoD activities in the current fiscal year.

• Air Warfare

  Dubai Airshow 2023: Saab GlobalEye could be jointly operated by Scandinavian countries

  14th November 2023

  Saab has revealed ongoing discussion in expanding collaboration among Scandinavian nations, highlighting the aspiration for Sweden, Finland and Denmark to share common GlobalEye AEW&C platforms.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Indiza (South Africa)

  Programme Background Trials The South African National Defense Force (SANDF) is known to have begun trialling the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Indiza ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Indiza - Additional Units (South Africa)

  Programme Background First Procurement After trialling the platform, in September 2019 the South African Army chief confirmed the Indiza had been procured to support SANDF peacekeepers ...

• Military UAS - mini

  ECAC/2022/199 [South Africa]

  Programma Background Two Tenders In March 2023, DefenceWeb reported that the South African Army's tender ECAC/2022/154 was put on hold due to bidders failing to ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | SAS Drakensberg Replacement [South Africa]

  The South African Navy needs to replace the SAS Drakensberg Combat Support Ship (CSS), which entered service in 1987. In October 2023, the South African Navy Chief ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | SAS Drakensberg Replacement [South Africa]

  The South African Navy needs to replace the SAS Drakensberg Combat Support Ship (CSS), which entered service in 1987. In October 2023, the South African Navy Chief ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Project Hoefyster (South Africa)

  Programme Background History The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) first formulated operational requirements for a new ICV in 1995, but modernisation of South Africa's ...

• OPVs

  Project Biro (1-3) [South Africa]

  Programme Background Three multi-mission inshore patrol vessels (MMIPVs) have been procured for the South African Navy under Project Biro. Based on Damen's Stan Patrol 6211 ...

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

  Milkor 380 [South Africa]

  Programme Background According to Milkor, as reported by defenceWeb, during its successful showing of the UAV at AAD 2022, an MoU was signed with the South ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  Project Kiepie [South Africa]

  Programme Background South African Air Force has been planning to replace 47TP (DC-3)s and C212s since mid-2010s. However, budget issues put this replacement programme behind the other ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  SAS Drakensberg Replacement [South Africa]

  Programme Background Requirements The South African Navy needs to replace the SAS Drakensberg Combat Support Ship (CSS). SAS Drakensberg was launched in 1986 and commissioned ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | C-130 Replacement [South Africa]

  The South African Air Force (SAAF) is actively exploring options to replace its ageing fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130BZ Hercules transport aircraft, which have been ...

• Data links

  Data links | C-130 Replacement [South Africa]

  The South African Air Force (SAAF) is actively exploring options to replace its ageing fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130BZ Hercules transport aircraft, which have been ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | C-130 Replacement [South Africa]

  The South African Air Force (SAAF) is actively exploring options to replace its ageing fleet of Lockheed Martin C-130BZ Hercules transport aircraft, which have been ...

• Main battle tanks

  Project Aorta

  During the 1990s, the SANDF envisioned the procurement of 282 new MBTs to replace the Olifants then in service. Should a similar tender be initiated ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Action Plan of the Georgian Defence Force (Warmate) [Georgia]

  Programme Background Action Plan of the Georgian Defence Forces 2020-30 In July 2021, the Georgian Minister of Defence, Juansher Burchuladze, outlined the country's military modernisation ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Wheeled assault guns

  Rooikat

  The 76mm-armed Rooikat 6x6 armoured car was developed in 1976-89 for the South African Army and the first of 240 vehicles was delivered in 1989. The ...

• Trucks and utility vehicles - 4x4

  SAMIL 50

  Like other vehicles in the South African Military (SAMIL) series the SAMIL 50 all-wheel-drive 4x4 truck was developed in the 1980s to meet the requirements ...

• Trucks and utility vehicles - 4x4

  SAMIL 20

  The all-wheel-drive 4x4 SAMIL 20 is the smallest member in the South African Military (SAMIL) truck range developed in the 1980s to meet the requirements ...

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

  Indiza

  The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Indiza small fixed-wing mini-UAV started its development in 2017 and was deployed to the Democratic Republic of Congo ...

• Naval guns

  Denel 35mm Dual Purpose

  The Denel 35mm Dual-Purpose is a naval dun system developed by South African Denel. The Denel 35mm comprises two Denel GA35 cannons and the non-deck-penetration ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Casspir

  Originally adopted by the Apartheid-era South African Police for COIN operations in Namibia, the Casspir is generally regarded as having pioneered the development of the ...

• Patrol boats

  Warrior Class (Stan Patrol 6211)

  Under Project Biro, the South African Navy is acquiring three new multi-mission inshore patrol vessels. The project is expected to run for approximately seven years, ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Oryx

  The Oryx is a medium-sized utility helicopter based on the Airbus SA 330 Puma. It was manufactured to meet South African military requirements during the ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Umkhonto-IR Block II

  The Umkhonto-IR Block II is a South African-developed medium-range surface-to-air missile. It was designed for all-around defence against simultaneous air attacks from multiple targets. The ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Skua

  The Skua is a high-speed aerial target in service with the South African National Defence Force since 1994.

• Trucks and utility vehicles - 6x6

  SAMIL 100

  The all-wheel-drive 6x6 SAMIL 100 is the largest member of the South African Military (SAMIL) truck series developed in the 1980s to meet the requirements ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  AML

  Panhard developed the 4x4 AML (Auto Mitrailleuse Légère) in 1956-1960 to meet a French Army requirement for a fast, long range light armoured car which carried ...

• Land: air defence radar

  RSR 320 – DBRXL

  The RSR 320 – DBRXL 3D ground-based dual-band radar is based on the ESR 220 Thutlwa local warning radar already in service with the South ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Ratel

  The Ratel Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) was developed to meet the specific operational requirements of the Apartheid-era South African military for a highly mobile, reliable ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  Maatla 4x4

  Paramount's Maatla 4x4 is a Light Protected Vehicle (LPV) aimed at the African off-road armoured vehicle market. Announced at the African Aerospace and Defence Expo (AAD 2022) in ...