• Defence Notes

  Future F-35 production numbers released

  19th May 2017

  A new document released by the US Department of the Navy reveals further specifics of future Lockheed Martin F-35 multirole fighter aircraft production lots and confirms …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2017: The week in Tampa (video)

  19th May 2017

  Over the last few days, the Shephard team has had several opportunities to speak to top officials from US Special Operations Command, as well as leading figures …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2017: NSW Expands Surface Mobility

  18th May 2017

  US Naval Special Warfare (NSW) elements are expanding the size of their surface mobility platform fleet. The fleet changes were included in an update presented …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: UFA sims accredited by US Army

  15th May 2017

  The US Army's Directorate of Simulation has accredited its UFA Inc ATCoach and ATTower air traffic control (ATC) simulators at Martindale AHP in San Antonio, …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: A26 sub goes vertical

  17th May 2017

  Sweden’s Saab is displaying a model of its A26 conventional submarine (SSK) fitted with vertical launch missile tubes at IMDEX Asia. This version of the …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: iXblue offers autonomous navigation capabilities

  18th May 2017

  France-based iXBlue promoted its Marins series of naval inertial navigation systems at IMDEX Asia. Guillaume Dandrieux, naval business development manager, highlighted the company’s M7 as its …

• Defence Helicopter

  HeliRussia 2017: Russian Helicopters reduced order book

  27th May 2017

  Last year has proven to be a difficult year for Russian Helicopters’ business. The state-controlled umbrella holding company which controls Russia’s two design bureaus – …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2017: SOF prepares for DroneWERX

  17th May 2017

  US Special Operations Command hopes to expand on the success of its SOFWERX ecosystem in a collaborative effort focused on commercially available remote control technologies.According …

• Digital Battlespace

  RFP released for COBRA DANE radar support

  18th May 2017

  The US Air Force is seeking a contractor for sustainment of the COBRA DANE radar system at Shemya, Alaska, with a request for proposal released for …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Austal up-guns LCS to frigate standard

  17th May 2017

  A new model of a trimaran vessel from Austal USA is on display that could be one of the designs on offer for the US …

• Training

  ITEC 2017: USAF aeromedical on motion

  16th May 2017

  CAE has confirmed that the C-130 Aeromedical Evacuation Training System (AETS) for the US Air Force at Dobbins Air Reserve Base is now on-motion, fully …

• Special Operations

  SOFIC 2017: Lockheed proposes exoskeleton tech (video)

  17th May 2017

  Lockheed Martin is using this year's SOFIC exhibition in Tampa, Florida, to showcase its FORTIS exoskeleton technologies, which it is developing in partnership with the …

• Land Warfare

  India requests CBRN equipment FMS

  15th May 2017

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale (FMS) of CBRN support equipment to the government of India, it …

• Naval Warfare

  First Whidbey Island P-8 squadron cleared for flight

  16th May 2017

  The first Boeing Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) squadron at US Naval Air Station Whidbey Island has gained Safe for Flight certification with an …

• Military Logistics

  AECOM to support US Navy’s NAWCAD

  15th May 2017

  AECOM has been awarded a contract to support the US Navy's Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's (NAWCAD's) Fleet Readiness Center Aviation Support Equipment sites, …

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 ...