• Land Warfare

  Four issues the armoured vehicle industry needs to tackle

  18th June 2024

  As evident at Eurosatory 2024, the procurement of armoured vehicles is progressing, but some projects have stalled or been abandoned due to the fluid geopolitical and conflict landscape. Buyers, manufacturers and operators have been reassessing their needs, desires and capabilities amid tightening budgets and escalating demands.

• Air Warfare

  New vision-based navigation integration offers protection to UAS

  12th September 2024

  ESEN has integrated its vision-based navigation system into ArduPilot providing an alternative PNT source for UAS.

• Land Warfare

  General Motors completes first version of next-gen 4x4 military vehicle

  22nd October 2024

  GM has unveiled its “Next Generation” 4x4 military vehicle, a technology demonstrator based on the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2, featuring commercial components, a flexible design and advanced weapon systems.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  First flights of Rattler Supersonic Target prove successful

  20th March 2024

  The US Department of Defense (DoD), along with QinetiQ, successfully conducted the first flights of the Rattler Supersonic Target MkI marking a significant advance in supersonic target technology.

• Special Operations

  Anduril launches Menace-X C4 solution, broadening tactical communications for SOF

  3rd May 2024

  Anduril introduces Menace-X, a vehicle-based C4 solution enhancing SOF communications that supports complex missions with advanced networking.

• Digital Battlespace

  Why the US would struggle to overcome Russia’s nuclear anti-satellite weapon

  11th March 2024

  Russia's move to develop a nuclear anti-satellite weapon has highlighted US anxieties over space combat readiness, challenging the Pentagon's strategic defences in a potential cosmic battleground.

• Air Warfare

  Embraer’s Millennium and Super Tucanos generate new customers

  19th September 2024

  Described as a “true” multi-role aircraft, Embraer has set an aim for the C-390 Millennium to be the cornerstone for different operations, from HA/DR to combat missions.

• Defence Notes

  US Pentagon to reduce investments in main acquisition programmes over FY2025

  12th March 2024

  The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.

• Air Warfare

  L3Harris wins P-8A Poseidon support contract

  1st October 2024

  L3Harris has provided support for previous generation P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). As many P-3 Orion users retire the aircraft, they have been picking up P-8A Poseidon MPAs, which L3Harris has now been contracted to support.

• Air Warfare

  Assessing Saab’s future as an independent combat aircraft developer

  27th December 2024

  Can Sweden’s Saab continue to go it alone in the fighter jet market, or could it boost its profile by forging new partnerships?

• Naval Warfare

  Steel cutting begins on German Type 424 SIGINT ships

  28th November 2024

  The new signals vessels will replace the ageing 423 Oste-class ships, which have been operating since the late 1980s.

• Naval Warfare

  NATO to strengthen its Baltic Sea presence after new cable cutting incident

  27th December 2024

  The vessel suspected of cutting cables has been boarded by the Finnish Coast Guard, and Estonia has launched naval protection patrols.

• Land Warfare

  Lockheed Martin to increase PAC-3 MSE production by 70%

  15th November 2024

  The company manufactured 380 missiles in 2023 and plans to build 650 missiles per year from 2027.

• Digital Battlespace

  BAE Systems contracted to advance Insight AI system

  7th August 2024

  Insight, an Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) exploitation and resource management system, was designed to fill gaps in military intelligence analysis capability.

• Naval Warfare

  Italian Navy receives first full capability multipurpose combat ship

  3rd October 2024

  The Pattugliatori Polivalenti d'Altura (PPA or multipurpose combat ship) Thaon di Revel Class class consists of seven multi-role offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Italian Navy. Giovanni delle Bande Nere is the fourth of class.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

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

  Puma 3 AE (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Military Aid - $300 Million On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine to "bolster Urkaine's capacity ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract (US Navy) [US]

  As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches of ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  M1165 Special Ops HMMWV [USA]

  Programme Background The HHMWV or Humvee has been in US service since 1983. The M1165A1B3 is a special operations variant of the platform.  In 2015, the ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (16 March 2022 & 13 April 2022) On 16 March 2022, President Biden announced $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine through ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A Joint Strike Fighter - USAF

  According to the US FY2021 budget document, Turkey's removal from the JSF program and transition to the alternate supply chain sources may challenge to achieve ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B STOVL - US Navy

  The JSF programme will develop and field a family of aircraft that meets the needs of the US DoD and US allies with the F-35A ...

• MPVs - 4x4

  JLTV Oshkosh Contract [US Air Force]

  As of November 2020, the US DoD had signed 14 contracts with Oshkosh Defense covering the delivery of approximately 17,731 JLTVs to all branches of ...

• Loitering munitions

  Point Blank [US]

  Programme Background As IAI stated in a 19 January 2023 press release, it had been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract by the Irregular Warfare Technical Support ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  BQM-177A [US Navy]

  Background Previous Purchases The BQM-177A was designed for the USN and has been in service with the USN for many years. Indeed, in August 2022, Shephard reported ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 600 (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background $300 Million USAI (1 April 2022) On 1 April 2022, the US DoD announced a $300 million military aid package for Ukraine following ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35C Carrier Variant

  The US Navy is planning to order 130 F-35Cs between FY2026 and FY2030 under the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. The purchase is estimated be ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Phoenix Ghost (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background Presidential Drawdown (21 April 2022) Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, on 21 April 2022, President Biden announced an $800 ...

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

  Puma LE [Kosovo]

  Background Contract Award On 21 January 2022, the US Department of Defence (DoD) announced that AeroVironment had been awarded an $11.01 million firm-fixed contract for Puma ...

• Loitering munitions

  ALTIUS-600M (Ukraine Aid) [US]

  Programme Background On 24 February 2023, the US DoD announced that the Biden Administration had released an additional aid package under the Ukraine Security Assistance ...

• Loitering munitions

  Lethal Unmanned Systems Directed Requirement (LUS DR) [US Army]

  Programme Background DoD Contract On 27 August 2024, the US DoD announced that AeroVironment had been awarded a ceiling $990 million hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to provide ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Pistols

  M9

  M9 is the US DoD designation for the military-specification 9mm Beretta 92FS, selected in 1985 to replace the 45cal M1911A1 in US service. Sales to ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  Igla/SA-18

  The 9K38 Igla (US DoD designation SA-18, NATO reporting name Grouse ) IR-homing MANPADS was developed by KBM and entered service in 1983 to meet the requirements ...

• Loitering munitions

  Point Blank

  Point Blank Weapon System is a hand-launched electro-optical VTOL-capable loitering munition developed by Isreal Aerospace Industries (IAI). IAI has been awarded a contract by the US ...

• Air: aerial targets, Military UAS - fixed-wing

  BQM-177A/i

  The BQM-177A subsonic aerial target (SSAT) was designed for the USN, and the BQM-177i is the export variant. The BQM-177 provides realistic threat emulation for ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  BAT-850

  Pathfinder's BAT-850 VSAT is a carbon fibre, tri-band terminal with auto-acquisition capability. Suitable for flyaway (case-based) and vehicle-mounted applications, it is in service with the ...

• Autonomous GPADS

  Airborne Systems has developed a family of smart systems ranging in payload capacity from 90-4,536kg. Utilising the technology developed and used in ram-air canopies, Guided ...

• Crew-served grenade launchers

  Striker 40/MK47

  General Dynamics is systems integrator for the Striker 40 (MK47 AGL in US service). The complete system comprises the weapon, AN/PWG-1 Lightweight Video Sight and ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  URC-300

  The URC-300 is a software-defined radio designed for line-of-sight, ground-to-air communications in particular. Introduced in 2020, it adheres to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards as well ...

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

  ScanEagle 3

  Insitu unveiled the ScanEagle 3 at the Xponential exhibition in Denver in May 2018. The platform has twice the payload capacity of its ScanEagle predecessor ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  Banshee Tactical Radio

  Developed by Fenix Group, the Banshee Tactical Radio (BTR) is a communications system that uses 4G/LTE connectivity to provide secure mesh networking capability on the ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  AN/ARC-231 Skyfire

  The AN/ARC-231 Skyfire is an airborne VHF/UHF/LOS and DAMA SATCOM system. This system supports US DoD requirements for airborne, multi-band, multi-mission, secure anti-jam voice, data ...

• Air-to-air missiles

  9M39 Igla-V

  The 9M39 Igla-V (‘needle’) is a Russian IR homing SAM adapted for helicopter use. It is an air-launched version of the Igla MANPADS, which the ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Global Observer

  The AeroVironment Global Observer HALE UAV was a developmental HALE UAV designed for various civil, commercial and government applications.  Development of the platform began in 2007 ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  CLWS

  Developed by Boeing, Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS or CLaWS) is a medium-range, low-power laser C-UAS system. According to the reports, the CLWS prototype has ...

• Data links, Land: Radio and SATCOM, UAS: communication systems

  QNT-200

  The Collins QNT-200 is a dual-channel software-defined radio (SDR) designed for size, weight and power-constrained platforms. Using IP-based mesh networks, it offers high-bandwidth mobile networking ...