• Air Warfare

  China’s J-20 fighter hits milestone with suspected first flight with WS15 engines

  7th July 2023

  The consensus amongst the open-source community is that China has test-flown a J-20 powered fully by WS15 engines for the first time.

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan reveals first indigenous submarine to much fanfare

  2nd October 2023

  Taiwan has made good progress with its submarine programme, revealing its initial boat in late September.

• Naval Warfare

  First Flight III destroyer for US Navy introduces innovative radar capabilities

  8th October 2023

  The introduction of USS Jack H. Lucas to the US Navy's fleet has led to a series of innovative developments that will enhance US capabilities in A2AD zones.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall, Elbit test-fire automated howitzer system

  19th May 2023

  Rheinmetall and Elbit have test-fired a new 155mm wheeled howitzer system aimed primarily at fulfilling Germany's Future System, Indirect Fire, Medium-Range (ZukSysIndF) requirement.

• Air Warfare

  Indonesia orders Anka UAVs from Turkiye

  3rd August 2023

  Indonesia becomes the eighth customer for the Anka, as Turkiye further cements its positions as a major supplier of UAVs.

• Training

  Collins Aerospace to deliver full-rate production for US Navy air combat training

  30th May 2023

  The air-to-air and air-to-ground Tactical Combat Training System aims to replace the US Navy's legacy equipment.

• Defence Helicopter

  India turns to leasing companies to plug military helicopter gaps

  27th July 2023

  India's MoD is inviting proposals for leasing 20 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters for the Indian Army. Vendors are cautious due to a past unfulfilled naval RfI, but leasing offers new opportunities for defence acquisition.

• Naval Warfare

  MBDA, Italian Navy detail development of Teseo Mk2/E missile

  8th June 2023

  The new missile, which incorporates land-attack capabilities, is the latest evolution of the Otomat/Teseo anti-ship weapon family and is set to replace the legacy Mk2/A version in service with the Italian Navy.

• Air Warfare

  Ukraine lessons: is bringing an attack helicopter to a missile fight too dangerous?

  15th September 2023

  According to multiple OSINT sources, Russian forces have lost possibly as many as 200 rotary-wing aircraft since February 2022. Some of these occurred in early high-profile operations, but most have been attrition casualties during the ongoing fighting. Shephard analyses the nature of these losses, and what lessons NATO attack helicopter operators should draw.

• Air Warfare

  UK takes delivery of two new F-35B fighter jets

  26th June 2023

  RAF Marham has taken delivery of two new Lockheed Martin F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) fighter aircraft.

• Land Warfare

  GM Defense selected for DoD energy storage project, showcases concept vehicles

  29th June 2023

  GM Defense announced on 27 June that it has been selected by the DoD's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to prototype an efficient energy storage unit (ESU). The company also displayed its new Electric Military Concept Vehicle at Modern Day Marine.

• Naval Warfare

  Italy marks progress on U212 NFS programme, as plans for next-gen submarines emerge

  6th June 2023

  On 6 June at Fincantieri's Muggiano shipyard, steel was cut for the Italian Navy's second U212 Near Future Submarine (NFS).

• Naval Warfare

  UK and Netherlands team up for future littoral strike platforms

  30th June 2023

  London and The Hague have agreed to explore opportunities to collaboratively develop a future littoral strike platform as the two countries celebrate 50 years of the Joint Amphibious Force.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall secures another major contract for artillery ammunition replenishment

  19th July 2023

  Rheinmetall has signed a framework contract worth €1.3 billion for artillery ammunition replenishment, including shells and fuses, to replenish stores of ammunition used in the war in Ukraine.

• Land Warfare

  Saab wins A$56 million contract for Carl-Gustaf M4 weapons

  4th July 2023

  Saab Australia has been awarded an A$56 million contract by the Australian Department of Defence to supply additional Carl-Gustaf M4 weapons for delivery in 2024-2025.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Light attack, Trainer

  Hürkuş-C Advanced Armed Trainer (Turkey)

  The Hurjet-C development programme funding was included in the Hurkus-B procurement contract awarded by  the Turkish Undersecretariat for Defence Industries in December 2013.  The Hurjet will ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 530F -Kenya

  Crew transition training took place at the MD Helicopters headquarters in Mesa, Arizona, with field service support, armament, and gunnery training scheduled to occur at ...

• Trainer

  Joint Terminal Attack Controller (Project Air 6016)[Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements Project Air 6016 aims to deliver a sovereign training system to ensure the sustainable generation of sufficient and appropriately skilled Joint Terminal Attack ...

• Trainer

  Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS)/T-45 Replacement [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The US Navy’s (USN) Undergraduate Jet Training System (UJTS) programme is intended to replace the troubled T-45 Goshhawk trainer. The June 2024 RFI includes ...

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

  Scorpio 500 [US]

  Background Contract Award In December 2024, XTEND was awarded a US$8.8 million contract by the US Department of Defense (DoD) for its Scorpio 500. As reported by ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V Block 70 (Bahrain)

  Programme Background In 2018, the US government awarded a $1.12 billion contract to Lockheed Martin to produce 16 F-16 Block 70 aircraft for Bahrain, which ...

• Special operations vehicles

  PLFS [France]

  Programme Background The Sabre, then known as the Sherpa FS, was developed as a response to a 2014 requirement for three types of new vehicles ...

• Loitering munitions

  Maritime Launched Effects (MLE) [US]

  Background Origin & Requirment The loitering munition effort dates back to at least 2018 and used to be called the Maritime Precision Engagement (MPE). The US Special ...

• Fighter - naval

  Multi-Role Carrier Borne Fighters (MRCBF) [India]

  Programme Background RFI / Requirments In January 2017, India issued an RFI for the procurement of 57 multirole naval fighters. The RFI for the Indian Navy ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Mi2 Challenge [USN]

  Programme Background Requirements The USN wants a UAV to be flown in austere environments without dedicated launch or recovery equipment; since it would be launched ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Tethered UAS (UK)

  Programme Background Requirements The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is seeking one UAV system, two drones, which operate from a tethered power supply and have the 'flexibility ...

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

  Artillery UAV [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirement & Replacement The Royal Thai Army (RTA) was understood to be seeking a new tactical UAV to replace four legacy Israel Aerospace Industries ...

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

  ScanEagle 2 (Philippines)

  Programme Background MSI ProgrammeThe Philippines are receiving the ScanEagle 2's thought to be provided by the US under the Maritime Security Initiative (MSI) programme. This ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: air defence simulators

  Live Training System for Air Defence

  Elbit Systems' Live Training System for Air Defence is integrated on various short- and medium-range air defence systems. The Live Training System provides networked and ...

• Land: range systems and targets

  Targets

  Meggitt deployable live-fire range targets can be installed on unimproved terrain with no special equipment required. Products include modular, mobile and stationary field range targets; ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Live Training Systems-Range Instrumentation

  End-to-end, networked, live training communications systems providing live training range products, communications infrastructure and instrumented participant voice, video and data communications. These include range voice, ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Field Artillery Training Systems

  The ICE Field Artillery Training Systems for the M109A6 Paladin and M270/M270A1 MLRS provides instrumented real-time data and performance monitoring during training and live-fire missions. ...

• Land: counter-IED simulators

  Large IED Trainer

  The Large IED Trainer can be integrated into a number of training scenarios including convoy roadside bombs, vehicle-borne IEDs, artillery/mortar impact, vehicle search and/or destruction, ...

• Land: counter-IED simulators

  High Impact Pipe Bomb Trainer

  The T50PB High Impact Pipe Bomb Trainer can be detonated using a wireless or wired command detonate module. Either compressed gas or CO2 can be ...

• Land: infantry weapon simulators

  PRISim Suite Live Fire Trainer

  The PRISim Suite Live Fire Trainer provides a training environment for military and law enforcement professionals to practise live firing at interactive video-based or CGI ...

• Land: range systems and targets

  Thermal Shot

  The Thermal Shot live-fire virtual targetry system enables immersive live-fire training throughout Laser Shot’s line of training platforms. Thermal Shot-equipped systems provide training on virtual ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  LCTS

  Designed for tactical combined arms force-on-force live training, the Live Combat Training System (LCTS) combines infantry and armoured vehicle laser suites, independent broadband communications and ...

• BCTC Operations and Management

  The Battle Command Training Center (BCTC) at Fort Lewis, Washington, is the US Army’s centre of excellence for Army Battle Command Systems training for Stryker ...

• Land: range systems and targets

  Range and Training Facilities

  Cubic designs and delivers training complexes incorporating indoor and outdoor shooting ranges and specialist facilities. Outdoor ranges include conventional gallery and open ranges as well ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  Live Training Solutions

  Thales offers live training solutions for land and combined forces around the world. Thales Combat Training Centres are available for open and urban battlefields, and ...

• Land: air defence simulators

  ADTS

  The Air Defense Training System (ADTS) is an LVC training package based on integrated technologies of IAI MLM. The ADTS allows pilots and air defence ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  CAE 700MR

  The CAE 700MR FTD is a full mission simulator platform for military helicopter-specific flight and mission training. It is a fixed-base system based on CAE's ...

• Land: range systems and targets

  Crosshair

  Powered by the Thermal Shot live-fire detection system, the Crosshair downrange virtual targetry system places life-sized, immersive scenario-based human targets at actual distances on outdoor ...