• Defence Notes

  China to hold military drills in Taiwan Strait

  18th April 2018

  China was scheduled to hold live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait on 18 April, flexing its military muscle after warning Taipei about seeking independence or …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSA 2018: Malaysian MD 530Gs approach their Destini

  19th April 2018

  When the Malaysian Army ordered its six MD 530G scout helicopters from MD Helicopters, as announced on 1 February 2016, the first aircraft were to …

• Land Warfare

  ManTech receives C4I integration contract

  17th April 2018

  ManTech has received a $82 million contract from the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) Atlantic to integrate C4I capabilities into the …

• Defence Notes

  Western air strikes in Syria illegal: German parliament experts

  20th April 2018

  The air strikes unleashed in Syria by Western allies in mid-April were a violation of international law, jurists at the German parliament said in a …

• Land Warfare

  JLTV testing completes in California

  23rd April 2018

  The US Army and Marine Corps has completed testing of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in …

• Defence Helicopter

  Salt water blamed for multiple AH-64E Apache parts issues

  20th April 2018

  Salt water corrosion issues have forced the US Army to stop accepting deliveries of Boeing's AH-64E Apache attack helicopter. During a 20 April press conference, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Leonardo positions AWHERO for Australian market

  27th March 2018

  Leonardo is showcasing its AWHERO rotary UAS to national and local authorities in Australia through 30 March, the company announced on 22 March. The company …

• Defence Helicopter

  Quad A 2018: Lockheed's PDAS ready for debut

  27th April 2018

  Lockheed Martin will debut its Pilotage Distributed Aperture System (PDAS) later this year as part of Bell's V-280 Valor tiltrotor flight testing. During the Army …

• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s P-8A Poseidon achieves IOC

  21st March 2018

  Australia’s P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft has achieved initial operating capability (IOC), the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) announced on 20 March. Together the Poseidon …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mexico requests MH-60R helicopters

  23rd April 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of MH-60R helicopters to Mexico, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced …

• Military Logistics

  DLA updating battery technologies

  21st March 2018

  The US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is working with industry to update battery systems that power some of the US military’s key weapons systems, the …

• Military Logistics

  US Marine Corps seeks lightweight amphibious track

  17th April 2018

  The US Marine Corps (USMC) is looking for a lighter weight amphibious track to enhance both land mobility and water swim performance for its new Amphibious …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thales’ FZ220 receives qualification for MD 530G

  18th April 2018

  Thales’ FZ220 rocket launcher has been qualified for use on MDHI’s MD 530G light helicopter, Thales announced on 17 April. This qualification follows trials at …

• Naval Warfare

  US technology will support Taiwanese submarine aspirations

  13th April 2018

  After nearly two decades of delay, the Republic of China Navy’s (ROCN) Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) programme is on track after the US State Department …

• Defence Notes

  Poll shows most French against weapons sales to Saudi

  26th March 2018

  Three out of four French people believe it is ‘unacceptable’ to sell military weapons to Saudi Arabia, according to a poll published on 26 March. …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Logistics, Ammunition Carrier and Mortar Carrier Variants) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Amphibious Vehicles) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

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

  Drone40 (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background In August 2022, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank, held a podcast with Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, in which ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland]

  Programme Background Requirement Since the early 2010s Poland wanted to upgrade its Soviet-era tank fleet due to modernisation requirements, the need to increase interoperability with NATO ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements Australia has set out requirements for a fleet of up to 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels - Medium (LMV-M) with the release of ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Land 400 Phase 2 - Boxer CRV [Australia]

  Programme Background History The Land 400 Phase 2 programme will procure a replacement for the ASLAV, a derivative of the General Dynamics Land Systems Light Armoured Vehicle ...

• Main battle tanks

  Leopard 2A4 [Czech Republic]

  Programme Background  The Czech Republic currently operates a small fleet of T-72s, which, while undergoing upgrades and life extension programmes, are increasingly obsolete. In October ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Second Hand SSNs [Australia]

  Programme Background Timeline In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• Main battle tanks

  Viatura Blindada de Combate-Carro de Combate (VBC-CC) [Brazil]

  Programme Background Several key technical requirements have been outlined by the Brazilian MoD. Among the most important are that the platform should weigh less than ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A1 Abrams (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Australia has been amongst the various Western allies providing Ukraine with military aid. Prior ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  Programme Background AUKUS Australia announced on 16 September 2021 that the contract with Naval Group signed in 2016 had been cancelled. Although not a surprising ...

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

  Project Air 7003 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R [Spain]

  Programme Background On 16 March 2022, the US State Department approved an FMS to Spain for eight MH-60R helicopters and associated equipment and weaponry for $950 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Carl-Gustaf M3

  The Carl-Gustaf M3 is the third generation of the 84mm shoulder-fired recoilless antitank gun, first fielded by the Swedish Army in 1946. Since then, it ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm KE DM63 / DM53 A1 Tank Ammunition

  The 120mm kinetic energy tank ammunition is manufactured by Rheinmetall. There are several variations of the ammunition, including the DM63, which can be fired from ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120MM HEAT-TP F1A

  Franco-German KNDS-Nexter produce the 120mm High-Explosive Anti-Tank Training-Purpose F1A (HEAT-TP F1A) round to enable reduced-cost training for Main Battle Tank crews. 

• Main battle tanks

  M1/M1A1 Abrams

  The 105mm-armed M1 Abrams tracked MBT was introduced into US Army service in 1980 as a replacement for the 105mm-armed M60 MBT. In April 1991, ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  120mm PELE Tank Ammunition

  The 120mm Penetrator with Enhanced Lateral Effect (PELE) tank ammunition is an inert round produced by Rheinmetall. It is suitable for use against semi-hard targets ...

• S-64 Helitanker Fire-fighting Equipment

  Erickson's 10,031l tank for the S-64 helitanker drops water, retardant or foam mix at a rate of around 95l/h. Microprocessor-controlled tank doors offer eight individual ...

• Naval: RF, IR and acoustic decoys

  Nulka

  The Nulka is an active anti-ship missile decoy originally conceived in Australia, and developed under a joint Australian-US programme. BAE Systems Australia is prime contractor, while ...

• Light mortars

  60mm Mortar Ammunition

  US-based LD Systems' 60mm Mortar ammunition fulfils the NATO standard for lightweight mortar ammunition.

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  120mm L55A1

  The 120mm L55A1 is a smoothbore high-pressure gun based on the L55 tank gun. The L55A1 has been qualified and in service since 2019. It ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  120mm L55 Tank Gun

  The 120mm L55 is a smoothbore tank gun produced by Rheinmetall. It is designed for use on the Leopard main battle tank, to which it ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3

  The M1A2 System Enhancement Package 3 (M1A2 SEPv3, also known as M1A2C) is the latest production-standard variant of the Abrams MBT. Designed primarily to address ...

• Unguided Tank Ammunition

  M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP)

  The M1147 Advanced Multi-Purpose (AMP) is a 120mm tank round developed by Northrop Grumman Defence Systems. Various customers, including Bahrain, Israel, and the US, use the tank ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  Next Generation Combat Vehicle Ammunition

  The Next Generation Combat Vehicle Ammunition (NGVA) is a family of ammunition being developed by the US Army's Armaments Center and manufactured by General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  SSN AUKUS

  The SSN-AUKUS will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  CVTESS

  Saab's Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CVTESS) is a laser-based simulator which supports every version of the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Bradley ...