• Training

  Northrop wins Saudi JTE support contract

  13th February 2018

  Northrop Grumman has received a contract to deliver Joint Threat Emitter (JTE) support services to Saudi Arabia, the company announced on 8 February. The indefinite …

• Military Logistics

  Embraer’s KC-390 achieves IOC

  28th December 2017

  Embraer’s KC-390 military transport and aerial refuelling aircraft has achieved initial operational capability (IOC) with the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the company announced on 20 …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Sikorsky qualifies weapons system and markets Fire Hawk (video)

  7th February 2018

  Sikorsky has completed qualification to military standards of a comprehensive weapons system for its Black Hawk helicopters. Fully integrated with the aircraft's existing avionics, the system …

• Military Logistics

  France receives first C-130J Super Hercules

  19th January 2018

  The first C-130J Super Hercules aircraft has been delivered to the French Air Force 62st Transport Wing at Orléans-Bricy Air Base in France, Lockheed Martin …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  USMC to receive 800 more InstantEye sUAS

  12th February 2018

  InstantEye Robotics has received an order from the US Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Office to supply an additional 800 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Airbus floats military A320neo family

  9th February 2018

  Airbus Defence & Space used the occasion of Singapore Airshow 2018 to reveal future plans for a family of specialist aircraft based on the A320neo …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MDA to deliver MMUAS to Canadian navy

  15th February 2018

  MDA has signed a contract with Canada’s Department of National Defence (DND) to provide maritime miniature UAS (MMUAS) to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), the …

• Naval Warfare

  ADECS 2018: Might Asia’s submarine fleet shrink rather than grow?

  30th January 2018

  The conventional wisdom being propounded is that the size of Asia-Pacific’s combined submarine fleet will increase greatly, perhaps up to 350 boats by 2030. However, …

• Special Operations

  NROL-47 payload launched

  16th January 2018

  United Launch Alliance (ULA) has successfully launched a Delta IV rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying the NROL-47 mission payload for the US National …

• Digital Battlespace

  Finland’s Dragon Shield achieves FOC

  13th February 2018

  The Finnish Defence Forces’ Dragon Shield airborne surveillance system has achieved final operational capability (FOC) following the completion of flight testing, Lockheed Martin announced on …

• Special Operations

  New body armour design sees European SOF evaluation

  15th February 2018

  BCB International has launched a new plate carrier vest, with the body armour now being evaluated by a European special forces unit. The Kastell Pro …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky qualifies weapons system for S-70M/S-70i helicopters

  8th February 2018

  Sikorsky has qualified a comprehensive weapons system for the S-70M/S-70i Black Hawk helicopter to military standards. The system is fully integrated with the aircraft's existing …

• Defence Helicopter

  Singapore Airshow 2018: Singapore receives final Seahawks

  8th February 2018

  The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has displayed one of its two newest Sikorsky S-70B Seahawk helicopters at Singapore Airshow 2018, with the pair of …

• Defence Notes

  Opinion: China’s Silk Road project – a PLA weapon?

  7th February 2018

  On 7 September 2013, President Xi Jinping called for the construction of a Silk Road Economic Belt during a speech at Nazarbayev University in Astana, …

• Training

  Inzpire delivers Exercise Steel Dragon to UK

  6th February 2018

  Inzpire has successfully designed and delivered the first Exercise Steel Dragon of 2018 to the UK military, the company announced on 2 February. The four-week …

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 ...

• 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 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Transport

  C-130 Replacement [Greece]

  Programme Background Requirement The existing C-130 fleet of the Hellenic Air Force has faced operational readiness issues, with only one or two airframes in service at ...

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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• EO/IR systems, Land: unattended sensor/surveillance systems, Sea: ship surveillance and fire control systems

  SHAPO

  SHAPO is a multi-sensor, gyro-stabilised observation payload. It is intended for UAVs, helicopters, light aircraft, patrol boats, aerostats, airships, armoured vehicles and masts. Sensors include a ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...