• Digital Battlespace

  Air Power 2017: AWACS upgrades questioned (video)

  12th July 2017

  Billions of pounds allocated to upgrading the Royal Air Force’s ageing fleet of E-3D Sentry aircraft could be better spent purchasing a more advanced off-the-shelf …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  CH-5 ready for series production

  18th July 2017

  The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) flew its first serial production version of the CH-5 UAV on 14 July, the flight occurring in …

• Naval Warfare

  Air Power 2017: UK MPA squadrons announced

  13th July 2017

  The reformation of 120 Squadron and 201 Squadron, RAF, will see the first P-8 Poseidon MPAs operated from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray to protect the …

• Land Warfare

  Romania seeks Patriot air defence system

  13th July 2017

  Romania is seeking to buy the Patriot air defence system from the US government under the foreign military sale programme, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency …

• Military Logistics

  Rockwell Collins wins USAF KC-10 repair contract

  12th July 2017

  Rockwell Collins has been selected by L-3 Communications to support the repair of parts on the US Air Force's KC-10 aircraft, the company announced on 10 July.The contract …

• Special Operations

  Flyer 60 evaluated by Special Operations

  7th July 2017

  The US Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Command is evaluating the General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) Flyer 60 as an additional option for ‘fly …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australia to host Zephyr trials in 2018

  13th June 2017

  Airbus Defence and Space will conduct a series of trials in Australia next year with its Zephyr high-altitude pseudo satellite system, the company revealed. Tony …

• Training

  ASDOT gains pace

  17th July 2017

  The UK’s Air Support to Defence Operational Training (ASDOT) requirement has been ratcheted up following the declaration that Cobham Special Missions had signed a teaming …

• Training

  Lockheed, Saab win army training simulation contract

  12th July 2017

  Lockheed Martin has won a US Army contract worth $288 million to modernise its live vehicle training capabilities, the company announced on 10 July. Lockheed …

• Military Logistics

  Portland completes builder’s trials

  5th July 2017

  The US Navy’s upcoming San Antonio class amphibious transport dock, the future USS Portland (LPD 27), has successfully completed builder’s trials following four days of operations …

• Military Logistics

  China preps ‘logistics base’ in Djibouti

  13th July 2017

  Chinese ships and troops departed the port of Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province on 11 July, destined for a new so-called ‘logistics facility’ that Beijing is currently …

• Defence Helicopter

  CH-53K flight testing moves to Patuxent River

  7th July 2017

  The CH-53K King Stallion has completed its first long-range test flight from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, as it …

• Defence Helicopter

  Paris Air Show: Boeing’s eagle eyes scan Australia

  12th June 2017

  Boeing has begun to plan for the likely early retirement of the Australian Army’s Tiger armed reconnaissance helicopter by considering such a requirement as a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show: UAV inspection down under and beyond

  15th June 2017

  Boeing plans to offer its full-service UAV infrastructure inspection system internationally after more than a year of providing inspection for well heads, pipelines and processing …

• Land Warfare

  L3 awarded M783 mortar fuze contract

  4th July 2017

  L3 Technologies will supply the US Army with M783 Point Detonating/Delay mortar fuzes and M734A1 Multi-Option Fuze for Mortars under a $89.2 million contract announced …

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]

  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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...