• Defence Helicopter

  USMC receives first CH-53 King Stallion

  18th May 2018

  Sikorsky has delivered the first CH-53K King Stallion heavy lift helicopter to the US Marine Corps (USMC). The USMC plans to buy as many as …

• Naval Warfare

  How sovereign will the UK’s carriers be?

  17th May 2018

  The eight acres of mobile territory that the UK Royal Navy’s new Queen Elizabeth class carriers will provide have been broadly welcomed, although how truly …

• Military Logistics

  Opinion: Futenma relocation on Okinawa deserves medal for mediocrity

  16th May 2018

  Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma on Okinawa has distracted from more important needs in the Japan-US defence relationship for more than two decades. The …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2018: SOF community awaiting decisions on new attack helicopter

  29th May 2018

  On the road to developing the US Army's next-generation helicopter fleet, the special forces community is working with the larger service to help guide requirements …

• Naval Warfare

  Timor-Leste to receive two patrol boats from Australia

  20th April 2018

  Australia will gift two new patrol boats to Timor-Leste under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project, the Australian Department of Defence announced on 19 April. The …

• Naval Warfare

  L3 equipment selected for RAN OPVs

  18th April 2018

  L3 Communications Australia has received a contract to provide equipment for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN's) SEA 1180 Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), the company announced …

• Land Warfare

  Slovenia weighs up Boxer mortar variant

  24th April 2018

  Fresh from announcing its intention to purchase the Boxer 8x8 armoured vehicle, Slovenia has revealed an additional requirement for several 120mm mortar carrier variants of …

• Digital Battlespace

  Portugal joins NATO cyber-defence centre

  25th April 2018

  Portugal on 24 April became the 21st country to join NATO's cyber defence centre, the Tallinn-based body said at a flag-raising ceremony. ‘We are facing …

• Defence Notes

  Pentagon probe finds training, command issues in Niger ambush

  10th May 2018

  A comprehensive probe into 2017’s deadly assault of US and local forces in Niger uncovered a series of avoidable blunders leading up to the attack, …

• Training

  ITEC 2018: Growth in US Army’s simulated medical training

  15th May 2018

  The US Army is seeing a growth area in the employment of realistic medical training such as manikins, Brig Gen William Cole told delegates at …

• Defence Helicopter

  New Black Hawk mooring pads underway

  17th May 2018

  Work has begun on the construction of new helicopter mooring pads for the US Army's 1st Air Calvary Brigade in Powidz, Poland, as part of …

• Naval Warfare

  Keel laid for future USS Daniel Inouye

  16th May 2018

  The keel has been laid for the US Navy's future Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Daniel Inouye at the General Dynamics Bath Iron Works …

• Defence Helicopter

  BAE Systems receives order for APKWS

  10th May 2018

  BAE Systems has received a $175 million contract from the US Navy to deliver more than 7,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided rockets, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Alta Devices solar tech for UAV project

  17th May 2018

  Alta Devices’ flexible and lightweight solar technology has been selected by the US Naval Research Laboratory to power its Hybrid Tiger UAV, the company announced …

• Special Operations

  Denmark to pull special forces out of Iraq

  17th May 2018

  NATO-member Denmark said on 17 May that its special forces taking part in the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq would …

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 ...

• Main battle tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland]

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

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro

  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 ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

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

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

• 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

  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

  Leopard 2A4 [Czech Republic]

  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 2022, ...

• 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 ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Chios class LST replacement [Greece]

  Background Requirements The Hellenic Navy’s Chios-class tank landing ship platforms have been in service for almost 30 years. Shephard estimates they will start reaching their out-of-service date (OSD) ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  HIMARS (Batch 2) [Australia]

  Programme background Prior to selecting HIMARS in January 2023, Australia did not operate an MLRS system. However, the effectiveness of Ukrainian HIMARS convinced the Australian government ...

• Medium UGVs

  Mission Master (RPV Sprial 2) [UK]

  Background First announced in April 2017 and referred to in early MOD documents as the ‘last mile resupply’ initiative, the British Army is reportedly evaluating ...

• Military - USVs

  Bluebottle USV (16-55) [Australia]

  Programme Background Timeline The RAN purchased a number of the 6.8m-long Bluebottles, including five under an A$4.9 million ($3.3 million) contract signed in November 2022. ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Project Land 400 Phase 3 [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirement: 2015 RfI The Land 400 Phase 3 programme will procure a new tracked IFV to replace the Australian Army's legacy fleet of ...

• 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, ...

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 ...

• 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 ...

• Naval: RF/IR/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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Land: RWS

  R400 Slinger

  The R400 Slinger is a counter-uncrewed aerial system (C-UAS) remote weapon system (RWS) being developed in Australia. The development is a response to growing international ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...