• Defence Helicopter

  Boeing to upgrade RNLAF Chinooks

  19th December 2017

  Boeing will upgrade six Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Chinook helicopters to the F-model configuration under an agreement with the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, the company …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy's new tactical data link finally moving forward

  15th December 2017

  BAE Systems is preparing for the preliminary design review of its Network Tactical Common Data Link (NTCDL) system, currently being developed for the US Navy, …

• Military Logistics

  US Navy to commission ninth EPF

  15th December 2017

  The US Navy will receive its newest Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel, City of Bismarck, later this month. USNS City of Bismarck is the ninth …

• Defence Helicopter

  Japan V-22 deliveries rescheduled

  13th December 2017

  The Japanese government - the first export customer of the Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey - will receive five of the aircraft when deliveries take place from …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Four selected for US Army cargo carrying robots

  15th December 2017

  The US Army has selected four UGVs to enter Phase II of its Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET), it has been revealed. The selected entries …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF completes FMRT on GPS III, OCX

  20th December 2017

  Factory mission readiness testing (FMRT) has been completed on the US Air Force's first GPS III Space Vehicle 01 (GPS III SV01) and the Operational Control …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Kongsberg to develop new USV

  22nd December 2017

  Kongsberg is in discussion with a partner to develop a hull for a new USV that utilises the K-Mate maritime autonomous control system, with a …

• Land Warfare

  FN Herstal unveils FN 509 pistol

  22nd November 2017

  FN Herstal has launched a full-size (9x19mm) FN 509 striker pistol specially designed for security forces, the company announced on 20 November. The FN 509’s slide …

• Naval Warfare

  Australia’s AWD Brisbane starts sea trials

  21st November 2017

  The Royal Australian Navy’s future Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Brisbane has started the first phase of its sea trials, the Australian Department of Defence announced …

• Military Logistics

  Japan will expand military base in Djibouti

  29th November 2017

  Great attention has been paid to the establishment of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) base in Djibouti – and rightly so – but less attention …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Autonomous convoy brings logistics technology to the last mile

  23rd November 2017

  With global defence forces continuing to develop autonomous technologies, recent demonstrations of such capabilities are helping to inform decision makers on the readiness of such …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MANET radios integrated on new US Army UGV

  13th December 2017

  Persistent Systems has teamed up with Endeavor Robotics to provide its mobile ad hoc network (MANET) technology as part of the US Army’s Man-Transportable Robotic …

• Military Logistics

  ONR details latest AACUS demonstration

  19th December 2017

  The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has carried out a final helicopter flight demonstration with autonomous capability at Marine Corps Base Quantico as part of …

• Digital Battlespace

  LGS Innovations, Persistent Systems partner up

  18th December 2017

  LGS Innovations has partnered with Persistent Systems to incorporate Persistent's Wave Relay mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) technology into LGS's portfolio of C4ISR, electronic warfare …

• Special Operations

  MARSOC expands canine combat medicine

  14th December 2017

  Operators from the US Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) have become the first US Special Forces personnel to begin battlefield medicine training with …

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 ...