• Digital Battlespace

  Insight: Deciphering China’s AI militarisation

  9th April 2018

  Even with Beijing’s recent announcement that artificial intelligence (AI) will rewrite the very nature of a revolution in military affairs (RMA), China faces as many …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI Avenger ER sets new flight record

  11th April 2018

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems’ (GA-ASI's) Avenger Extended Range (ER) UAS has set a new endurance record by flying for 23.4 consecutive hours, the company announced …

• Defence Notes

  Saudi Arabia hosts multi-nation military drills

  16th April 2018

  Saudi Arabia concluded a month-long military exercise involving more than 24 nations on 16 April, a day after hosting an Arab summit that slammed what …

• Military Logistics

  UK requests support for MQ-9 Reapers

  9th April 2018

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a potential foreign military sale of follow-on support for the MQ-9 Reaper UAS programme, the Defense …

• Digital Battlespace

  RNLAF to get Air Power Information Hub

  16th March 2018

  Thales and the Netherlands Aerospace Center (NLR) will support the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) in the development of an Air Power Information Hub platform, …

• Military Logistics

  US Army looks to heavier airdrops

  26th March 2018

  The US Army is exploring options for a new heavy weight airdrop system. Under a RfI released on 23 March 2018, the army’s Natick Soldier …

• Naval Warfare

  Sea-Air-Space 2018: DDG 51 contract award on track for summer decision

  10th April 2018

  A new multiyear contract award for the US Navy's DDG 51 destroyers is on track for this summer. US Navy Capt Casey Morton, the DDG …

• Naval Warfare

  Sea-Air-Space 2018: Testing for GE's turbine composite module gets passing grade

  10th April 2018

  General Electric has wrapped up acoustic and weight comparison testing on its new, lighter weight composite module slated enclose the USS Arleigh Burke DDG 51 …

• Digital Battlespace

  InDyne to support SSPARS

  14th March 2018

  InDyne has received a contract to support operations and maintenance of the US Air Force's Solid State Phased Array Radar System (SSPARS), the company announced …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSA 2018: Indonesia receives final Apache Guardians

  11th April 2018

  The Indonesian Army received its five remaining AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters on 29 March. Photos of the arrival and unloading of the helicopters from a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Elbit Systems to supply SAR solution

  20th March 2018

  Elbit Systems has received a contract to supply a comprehensive search and rescue (SAR) solution to an unnamed Asia-Pacific country, the company announced on 14 …

• Military Logistics

  Cobham receives KF-X aircraft oxygen system contract

  13th April 2018

  Cobham has been awarded a contract by Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) to design and supply a pilot oxygen system for the future KF-X fighter aircraft …

• Military Logistics

  Cobham tests VigilOX pilot breathing sensors

  11th April 2018

  Cobham’s VigilOX pilot breathing sensor system has flown three test flights on the US Navy’s F-18 and T-45 aircraft, the company announced on 9 April. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  RAF preps for MQ-9B Protector

  16th March 2018

  A Royal Air Force (RAF) team based in the US is preparing the way to introduce the MQ-9B Protector into service, the RAF announced on …

• Defence Notes

  AUSA Global: Army lethality focus on ‘Close Combat 100,000’

  31st March 2018

  As one of the US Amy’s new ‘6 + 2’ cross functional teams (CFT) the Soldier Lethality CFT is focusing its initial efforts on that …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Data links

  Data links | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390 [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirement The aircraft deliveries were scheduled to start by the end of 2016 and continue over a period of ten years. However,  the first ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-130H Replacement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements Sweden has five C-130H aircraft (designated Tp-84) and one KC-130H. Two C-130Es bought in the 1960s have retired, but the six H ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Hermes 900 [Chile]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  H145M [Brazil]

  Background  Brazilian leadership announced in February 2022 that the Sabre Mil Mi-35M Hind-E attack helicopters were being retired from active service. This decision came as a ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS 39E/F Gripen [Brazil]

  Background In 2016, Gripen’s Project and Development Center was opened in Sao Paulo to allow Sweedish and Brazillian engineers to work together in the Gripen ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Hermes 900 [Colombia]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated gross ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Hermes 900 (5) [Brazil]

  Background First three batches (2014-2024) Across three purchases, Defence Insight estimates that Brazil has acquired five Hermes 900 UAVs. In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Hermes 900 (1-4) [Brazil]

  Background First batch (2014) In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one Hermes 900 UAV to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The drone is called the RQ-900 in Brazilian ...

• Maritime patrol

  C295 add-on [Brazil]

  Programme Background  In 2014 Brazil signed a contracted for two additional C-295 SAR platforms with the option to acquire one additional platform. In 2018, reports ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Polar Support Vessel [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirements In June 2020, the Brazilian Navy released a Request for Proposal (RfP) to procure a new Antarctic vessel to be manufactured in Brazil. The ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air-to-surface missiles

  MAR-1

  The MAR-1 is a Brazilian air-to-surface anti-radiation missile (ARM) developed by Mectron in collaboration with the Aerospace Technology and Science Department (DCTA) of the Brazilian ...

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

  Harpia

  Described as the UAV with the most onboard technology in Latin America, Harpia is a multifunctional fixed-wing Brazilian drone developed by Advanced Technologies Security & Defence.  The Uruguayan ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  EMB-312 Tucano

  The EMB-312 Tucano (Brazilian designation T-27) is a trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Embraer to meet the training requirements of the Brazilian Air ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  TPTS

  Tactical Procedures Training Simulators (TPTS), operating with SWARM software, can be used to provide most core training elements to pilots or offload training tasks from ...

• Guided munitions

  SMKB (Smart-MK-Bomb)

  The Smart-MK-Bomb, or the SMKB, is a precision guidance kit developed by Mectron and designed to turn Mk 82 and Mk 83 bombs into guided munitions.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Albatroz Vortex

  The Albatroz Vortex from Stella Tecnologia is a development of the company's Albatroz UAV.  The key differentiator is that the Vortex is fitted with an ATJR ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Condor

  The Condor, or Atobá XR, is an in-development MALE-class UAV from Stella Technologia.  The development of the multi-role is tied to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which has ...

• Trainer, Transport

  EMB-121 Xingu

  The EMB-121 Xingu is a twin-turboprop light transport and advanced multi-engine trainer aircraft developed by Embraer based on the EMB-110 Bandeirante. Its maiden flight was ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Arkhe Mission & Combat

  Launched in 2017, Atech's Arkhe Mission & Combat solutions offer a variety of solutions enabling operator to conduct missions from planning to execution and debriefing. It ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390/C-390 Millennium

  The KC-390 is a high-wing, twin-turbofan, T-tail design intended to meet the needs of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) for a tanker/transport aircraft. Developed and ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-5E/F Tiger II

  The F-5E (single-seat)/F (twin-seat) Tiger II is an air superiority fighter developed by Northrop Grumman based on the original F-5 Freedom Fighter. Production of the ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M

  The medium-weight, 11t-class H225M (formerly known as the EC725) is the latest military Super Puma/Cougar family member.  Technical features include a modular design of mechanical ...

• EO/IR systems

  Skyward

  The SkyWard system is an advanced Infrared Search and Track (IRST) solution developed for next-generation airborne platforms, including 5th-generation fighter aircraft.  Designed with modularity in ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Saber M60

  The Saber M60 is a low-altitude air-defence radar developed by the Brazilian Army's CTEx (Army Technology Centre) in collaboration with Bradar, part of Embraer Defence ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  RBS 70 system

  The RBS 70 was developed in the 1970s to meet the Swedish Army’s requirement for a low-cost, easy-to-use MANPADS which could function in extreme climatic ...