• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore strengthens its cyber defences

  22nd February 2018

  Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) is continuing to bolster cyber defences as hackers becomes more innovative and persistent, the latter ranging from amateur hackers to …

• Training

  MILES system reintroduced into training cycle

  31st January 2018

  The US Army’s 39th Infantry Regiment has reintroduced the Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System (MILES) into the basic combat training cycle. MILES is designed to …

• Land Warfare

  RUAG Australia to produce ballistic armour

  23rd February 2018

  BAE Systems and Patria have selected RUAG Australia to produce ballistic armour in support of their bid for the Australian Army’s Land 400 Phase 2 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  B200 upgrades cease as Heron TP capabilities grow

  28th February 2018

  No future upgrades are planned for the B200 reconnaissance aircraft currently operated by the Israeli Air Force (IAF), following a decision to transfer its expected …

• Special Operations

  GA-EMS delivers batteries for DCS

  19th February 2018

  General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) has delivered the first shipset of Lithium-ion Fault Tolerant (LiFT) batteries for the US Special Operations Command’s new Dry Combat …

• Land Warfare

  Indian Army buying more BMP-2s, updating tank fleet

  22nd February 2018

  India's Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the acquisition of 156 BMP-2/BMP-2K IFVs on 20 February, which will be licence-produced by the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board …

• Digital Battlespace

  Japan is testing C-2 ELINT aircraft

  19th February 2018

  The Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) is developing a new ELINT aircraft based on Kawasaki’s C-2 transporter (pictured). As the C-2 has a 30t payload …

• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Taiwan produces Rockwell Collins radios

  4th February 2018

  Rockwell Collins has achieved a sale of its next-generation AR-1500 networked communications airborne radio, with Taiwan revealed as the equipment’s maiden customer. Using software-defined architecture, …

• Digital Battlespace

  EO/IR Special Report: Leonardo eyes Asia SAR market

  20th February 2018

  Infrared detector technology has a wide appeal in the Asia-Pacific, not least to support airborne search and rescue (SAR) operations in the aftermath of natural …

• Land Warfare

  Turkish Army beefs up missile protection for Syria ops

  19th February 2018

  The Turkish Army is bolstering the number of upgraded M60T ‘Fırat’ tanks – equipped with new anti-tank missile protection systems and remote weapon stations – …

• Defence Notes

  Top US military leader calls for BMDS space sensors

  28th February 2018

  With the US eyeing ways to bolster its Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), the head of Strategic Command said the time has come to send …

• Defence Notes

  US lays out plans to speed up hypersonic weapons development

  1st March 2018

  Hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted that the country possesses hypersonic intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), DARPA revealed it has plans to ramp up testing …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  NAF inducts first indigenous UAV

  21st February 2018

  The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has inducted its first indigenous UAS, Tsaigumi, into service. The Tsaigumi UAS, produced by NAF Aerospace in collaboration with UAVision …

• Naval Warfare

  Russian Navy MPA fleet set for upgrade

  1st February 2018

  The small Beriev Be-12 fleet of maritime patrol aircraft is set for an upgrade of its vintage 1970s mission suite according to the Russian Naval …

• Digital Battlespace

  Finland’s Dragon Shield achieves FOC

  13th February 2018

  The Finnish Defence Forces’ Dragon Shield airborne surveillance system has achieved final operational capability (FOC) following the completion of flight testing, Lockheed Martin announced on …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  OC-135B Replacement [USA]

  Programme Background The modification and Treaty Certification works include Digital Visual Imaging System kits, design and development for mission system integration (structural design, interphone communications systems, ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Light Combat Helicopter (India - Air Force)

  Programme Background Requirement India's requirement for light attack helicopters capable of operating at high altitudes became apparent during the 1999 Kargil War. Originally planned to reach ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  Orlan-10 [Russian Navy]

  Background Frigate Augmentation Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country planned to augment its Admiral Gorshkov class frigates with indigenously developed Orlan-10 ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  Light Combat Helicopter (India - Army)

  Programme Background Requirement India's requirement for light attack helicopters capable of operating at high altitudes became apparent during the 1999 Kargil War. Originally planned to reach ...

• Loitering munitions

  Loitering Munition [Switzerland]

  Background Announcement In a February 2023 interview with Swiss news outlet CH-Media, Swiss army chief Thomas Süssli stated that the country was considering acquiring loitering munitions ...

• Hybrid effector systems

  Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System [US]

  Background The US Marine Corps' (USMC) Lightweight Marine Air Defence Integrated System (L-MADIS) supports deployed Marine Expeditionary Units with non-kinetic C-UAS capabilities and a shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapon for ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Shahed-171 (ANSU-200) [Venezuela]

  Background Independence Day Parade Venezuela operates the ANSU-200, a UAV with many visual similarities to the Shahed-171, which Defence Insight believes is a domestically produced ...

• Long Range Missile Defence Systems: > 90km range

  S-400 [India]

  Background India is modernising its air defence by procuring  S-400 LRSAM systems (Triumf Missile System), which are planned to be used by the Air Force.  The fifth system ...

• Destroyers

  Canadian Surface Combatant/River Class (1-3) [Canada]

  Background Requirements Fifteen frigates are being procured to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's 12 ageing Halifax-class frigates and the now-retired Iroquois-class destroyers with next-generation surface ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Ground Master 403 Radar [Egypt]

  Background In 2020, Egypt ordered four of France-based Thales Ground Master 403 radars, the mobile member of their GM400 radar family.  At least one of the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Data links

  Data links | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Pegasus SIGINT Aircraft (Follow-On) [Germany]

  In 2021, Germany awarded a contract to Hensoldt for the Kalaetron integrated SIGINT system to be installed on three Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft, forming the Persistent ...

• Self-propelled guns

  Mangart 25 [Slovenia]

  Background Mangart 25 originated from a Slovenian national development project for a lightweight remotely controlled air-defence system. The development contract was signed with Valhalla Turrets ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air: aerial targets

  Lakshya

  The Lakshya is an aerial target developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for training fighter pilots in air-to-air combat or ground-based air ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  StreamCaster Mini 4210

  The StreamCaster Mini 4210 (SM4210) is a single-channel data radio (SCDR) that can create MANET mesh networks. It is currently in use with the US ...

• Air: mission management systems

  FireStorm

  FireStorm is an integrated targeting and mission management system for air-to-ground operations such as close air support, ground targeting and call for fire. It is ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AW129

  The AW129 Mangusta (Mongoose, service designation) is a tandem two-seat, twin-engine attack helicopter originally developed for the Italian Army and subsequently developed into a multirole combat ...

• Air: mission management systems

  CMA-9000

  The CMA-9000  Flight and Radio Management System (FMS/RMS) is manufactured by the Canadian firm CMC Electronics. It is designed for a wide range of commercial, ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Chukar III

  The Chukar III, based on Northrop Grumman’s BQM-74E developed for the USN, is a high subsonic aerial jet target for export customers.

• Sea: weapon training, Military - USVs

  Sprite

  The Sprite is a USV developed by QinetiQ and designed for live-fire training exercises. 

• Air: aerial targets

  Banshee Whirlwind

  Originally made by Meggitt Target Systems, a company QinetiQ acquired in 2016, the Banshee is an aerial target and the first drone in the Banshee series.  ...

• Land: range systems and targets

  Badger UGV-T

  Badger is a remotely controlled, lightly armoured, all-terrain vehicle designed to exercise anti-armour combat systems. No permanent installations are required; Badger is transportable to and ...

• Sea: weapon training, Military - USVs

  Albatros-T

  The Aselsan Albatros-T is a high-speed, unmanned, surface-target boat manufactured by Aselsan. It is designed to be used as a moving target in shooting drills.

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  Integrated Avionics Suite

  Northrup Grumman's Integrated Avionics Suite is an open architecture mission equipment package, which can be deployed on a number of rotorcraft platforms. It consists of ...

• Air: aerial targets

  DO-SK6

  The DO-SK6 is a modular design tow body adaptable for various functions.

• Naval: RF/IR/acoustic decoys

  Integrated Decoy System

  Rafael's integrated ship-defence decoy system features real-time decoy deployment, fixed and/or rotating launchers and a computerised decoy controller that can be integrated with a ship’s ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Integrated Combat System

  The Integrated Combat System (ICS) is a combat management system being developed for the US Navy. The project, currently led by Lockheed Martin, aims to ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  Kuwait Air Force F/A-18 TOFT

  L3Harris Technologies has delivered two F/A-18C Tactical Operational Flight Trainers (TOFTs) built for the Kuwait Air Force (KAF). The high-fidelity TOFTs replace the KAF’s F/A-18 ...