• Defence Helicopter

  Bell 407s to support MQ-8 Fire Scout UAS

  23rd March 2018

  Bell Helicopter has received a contract from the US Naval Air Systems Command to provide three Bell 407  helicopters to support MQ-8 Fire Scout UAS …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Thales, NASA partner on UAS traffic management

  2nd April 2018

  Thales will support NASA's UAS traffic management (UTM) activity under an agreement announced on 27 March. This agreement will allow Thales to engage with NASA …

• Military Logistics

  Australia and Thales to deploy OneSKY programme

  2nd March 2018

  Thales has signed a contract worth around $949 million with the Australian Defence Force and Airservices Australia for the delivery and deployment of the OneSKY …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Latvia set to receive RQ-20A systems

  27th March 2018

  A US Army justification and approval notification has revealed that Latvia is set to receive RQ-20A Puma UAVs from AeroVironment. The contract for two RQ-20A Digital Data Link …

• Defence Notes

  Axe to fall on US Army programmes

  5th April 2018

  The US Army leadership is deciding which programmes to cut in a bid to ensure funds are available in the coming years to pay for …

• Training

  Italian Air Force receives Predator Mission Trainer

  27th February 2018

  CAE has delivered a Predator Mission Trainer system to the Italian Air Force, the company announced on 25 February. The simulator has entered into service …

• Military Logistics

  DIMDEX 2018: DND's search for treasure continues

  13th March 2018

  Naval logistics forms the backbone for any naval force deployed persistently overseas, removing much of the requirements for vessels to leave stations for lengthy trips …

• Defence Notes

  Russian strikes kill 37 civilians in Ghouta

  23rd March 2018

  Russian air strikes killed 37 civilians in the Arbin area of the shrinking rebel enclave of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus overnight, the Syrian Observatory for …

• Military Logistics

  Indonesian state-owned company eyes pair of A400Ms

  8th March 2018

  Indonesia’s Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises appears to be moving towards acquiring two Airbus A400M transport aircraft for use by the state-owned trading company PT Perusahaan …

• Training

  USAF to get enhanced training courseware

  2nd March 2018

  US company Alpha-Omega Change Engineering (AOCE) has been awarded a $8.5 million firm, fixed-price contract modification, known as Phase 1, to produce additional training courseware for …

• Defence Notes

  US, Israel forces ready for evolving threats with major drill

  8th March 2018

  US and Israeli commanders overseeing a major joint air defence exercise spoke on 8 March of preparing for evolving threats in the Middle East during …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Continued investment proves less risky for Watchkeeper

  26th March 2018

  The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) remains committed to the troubled Watchkeeper project despite missing its full operating capability (FOC) one milestone in November 2017. It …

• Defence Helicopter

  Choules conducts flight trials for CH-47F

  29th March 2018

  The Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN)  landing ship dock HMAS Choules has conducted first of class flight trials for the CH-47F Chinook helicopter, the RAN announced …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon developing UV swarm control tech

  29th March 2018

  Raytheon’s BBN Technologies is developing technology to direct and control swarms of small UAS and UGVs, the company announced on 26 March. The new technology …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  French DGA launches PEA MMT

  22nd March 2018

  Dassault Aviation and Thales are to carry out the French DGA's Man-Machine-Teaming preliminary advanced study programme (PEA MMT), Dassault announced on 16 March. The programme …

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 ...