• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Hughes offers upgrade to US Army‘s Gray Eagle

  12th March 2020

  EchoStar Corporation subsidiary Hughes Network Systems has been awarded a data link modernisation sub-contract by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, to provide Next Gen SATCOMs for …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Orbital UAV becomes Insitu primary engine supplier

  11th March 2020

  Orbital UAV has signed a MoU with Boeing subsidiary Insitu which identifies them as the primary supplier of two Insitu-designed engines. The MoU builds on …

• Defence Notes

  US sees huge spike in Middle East arms exports

  10th March 2020

  Booming arms export trade between the US defence industry and the Middle East has risen by 79% over the course of the last five years, …

• Defence Notes

  US Army Europe commander self-isolates after potential COVID-19 exposure

  10th March 2020

  The commander of US Army Europe and several of his staff have placed themselves in self-isolation after attending a recent conference which may have exposed …

• Special Operations

  USSOCOM to receive ATACR scopes

  11th March 2020

  Nightforce Optics is set to deliver 40 new sights to US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) under the Precision Variable Power Scope (P-VPS) programme. The company …

• Training

  Spanish Army improves simulation training

  10th March 2020

  The Spanish Army is seeking ways to improve the training of its personnel in command posts, after MASA Group was awarded a contract to provide its Sword software to …

• Defence Helicopter

  Malaysia falls back in love with MD 530G

  11th March 2020

  Malaysia will take delivery of six MD 530G helicopters from the end of 2020, following a decision by the then Pakatan Harapan government, before its …

• Training

  L3 Technologies to support USAF F-16 training

  17th March 2020

  The Link Training & Simulation division of L3 Harris Technologies has been awarded a $10.86 million firm-fixed-price modification to a previous contract for F-16 aircraft …

• Defence Notes

  No easy choices for UK in latest strategic review

  11th March 2020

  With the first phase of Brexit completed, the UK now faces strategic choices about the role it wishes to play in the world, and the …

• Training

  Connected training enables precise strike planning, says IAF

  12th March 2020

  Four Israeli Air Force (IAF) F-16s fly over Syria and launch different types of weapon systems that hit Iranian rocket upgrade factories. The weapons hit …

• Defence Notes

  NATO HQ staffer tests positive for COVID-19

  9th March 2020

  NATO confirmed on 9 March that a member of staff at its headquarters in Brussels, Belgium has tested positive for coronavirus. The individual had recently …

• Naval Warfare

  C-UAS laser makes USN debut

  9th March 2020

  The USN has installed a first-of-a-kind laser on a destroyer, in order to blind the sensors of hostile unmanned aircraft.  This marks a major development …

• Training

  Project Selborne decision expected in May

  11th March 2020

  The UK RN is currently in a ‘competitive dialogue phase’ with bidders for its Project Selborne training programme and is now ‘approaching final tenders in …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  ADF picks XTEK for Wasp support

  12th March 2020

  XTEK is to supply spare parts for the fleet of Wasp AE small UAS (SUAS) operated by the Australian Defence Force (ADF), under a A$3.2 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed to develop protected SATCOM for US Space Force

  10th March 2020

  Lockheed Martin was awarded a $240 million contract to develop and produce a prototype payload for its Protected Tactical SATCOM (PTS) system. PTS will use …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH90 TTH [France]

  Background In 2001, the French government made its first purchase of 34 NH90 Tactical Transport Helicopters, followed by a second order in 2013 for an ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  Joint Light Helicopter (HIL) programme [France]

  Background The French Ministry of the Armed Forces has elected to bring the launch of the French Armed Forces’ HIL programme forward to 2021. The ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - mini

  Micro & Mini Drones (France)

  Programme Background RequirementOn 23 April 2021, an RfP was published by the Direction de la Maintenance Aéronautique (DMAé) to supply around 500 micro and nano drones for the ...

• Short Range Missile Defence Systems: 0 to 20 km range

  Mistral SHORAD [Romania]

  Background Romania signed a contract with the Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans of the French Republic within the "European Joint Acquisition of Mistral ...

• Loitering munitions

  Colibri: Short-range loitering munition (Contracted) [France]

  Background Origins French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated at a press conference in May 2022 that the General Directorate for Armament (DGA) ...

• Loitering munitions

  Switchblade 300 [France]

  Programme Background Plans to Purchase At Eurosatory 2022, Col. Arnaud Goujon, the French Army's chief of plans, told the media that the French Army was ...

• Loitering munitions

  Colibri: Short-range loitering munition (Uncontracted) [France]

  Background Origins French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated at a press conference in May 2022 that the General Directorate for Armament (DGA) ...

• OPVs

  OPV Procurement (1-2) [Montenegro]

  Programme Background Timeline During Euronaval 2024, the French Ministry of Armed Forces and Veterans announced that Montenegro signed a contract for the acquisition of two ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH90 (Special Forces) [France]

  Background In French service, advanced H225M Caracals with aerial refuelling capabilities are used by SOF units of the French Air Force (FAF) and French Army. ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  A330 MRTT (13-15) [France]

  Background In June 2020, The French government has pledged to buy new military heavy-lift helicopters and accelerate plans for naval drone, ISTAR and tanker aircraft programmes ...

• OPVs

  OPV 58 S [Senegal]

  Programme Background Senegal ordered three OPV 58 S patrol vessels on 17 November 2019. A procurement contract was signed between the Ministry of Armed Forces ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - mini

  UX11 (Ukraine Aid) [France]

  Programme Background First Batch On 6 September 2023, Sébastien Lecornu, the French Minister of Defence, announced Delair was providing Ukraine with more than 150 drones. ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  French MALE UAVs [France]

  Background Requirements The French Ministry of the Armed Forces wishes to develop a French MALE offering comparable to the MQ-9 Reaper, which would, it is hoped, promote ...

• LTVs - 4x4

  PLFS [France]

  Background The Sabre, then known as the Sherpa FS, was developed as a response to a 2014 requirement for three types of new vehicles to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Larinae: Medium-range loitering munition [France]

  Background Origins French Ministry of Armed Forces spokesperson Hervé Grandjean stated at a press conference in May 2022 that the General Directorate for Armament (DGA) ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• CUAS - hybrid effector systems

  Boreades

  Boreades is a modular anti-UAV system developed by CS. This suite combines multi-sensors and multi-effectors in order to enable the detection, identification and neutralisation of rogue ...

• Military UAS - tactical

  UAS 100

  The UAS 100 is an autonomous, three-engined platform, modular UAS manufactured by Thales in partnership with Issoire Aviation, Hionos and with the support of the ...

• Military UAS - micro

  Vespa-15

  The Vespa-15 is a first-person view (FPV) rotary-wing UAV manufactured by a Ukrainian company.  In May 2025, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of Ukraine announced it ...

• Loitering munitions

  MX-10 Damocles

  The MX-10 Damocles is a quadcopter loitering munition from KNDS France and Delair. Unveiled at IDEX 2025, it features a 500g fragmentation payload. It is part ...

• Military UAS - small

  LEMUR

  LEMUR is a VTOL, fixed-wing UAV designed for long-endurance observation and reconnaissance missions. The aircraft is available with either an electric motor or an internal ...

• Military UAS - mini

  Tundra 2

  The Tundra 2 is a rotary-wing UAV from Hexadrone. It is described as a new, modular, plug-and-play, and multi-trade drone. Hexadrone's website states that the French Armed ...

• OPVs

  OPV 60

  The OPV 60 is designed to conduct surveillance missions in coastal and EEZ waters. The ship can be armed with a 40mm naval gun and ...

• EO/IR systems

  Euroflir 350

  The Euroflir 350 is an out-of-production gyro-stabilised optronic system. According to Safran, it is effective at long ranges, can track mobile targets, designate important areas for ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  NH90 TTH

  Developed as a multinational programme between France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, the European NH90 was designed to meet NATO requirements for multirole capability from ...

• Military UAS - small

  Lanner

  Unveiled at Eurosatory 2024, the Lenner is a modified variant of the Pengion C VTOL drone, specifically modified to meet the SDTL (Light Tactical Drone System) program ...

• Military helicopters - light/training, Military helicopters - multirole, Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  H160M

  Airbus is developing the H160M to meet the requirements of the French military for the Joint Light Helicopter (Hélicoptère Interarmées Léger, or HIL) programme. It ...

• Land: handheld NV devices

  O-NYX

  The Thales O-NYX is a Ultra-Compact Night Vision Goggle used by the French armed forces. They have an enlarged field of vision to 51° compared ...

• Pistols

  Glock Pistol

  The Glock family of pistols have been in widespread service since the Glock 17 was selected for Austrian military and police service in 1982. The company's ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  TDS-FA/-TA/-H

  Thales’ TDS family is comprised of Radar Warning Receivers (RWRs) designed to equip a range of fixed-wing aircraft. The product series includes the TDS-FA designed ...

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Mistral 2

  MISTRAL is a man-portable, fully digital, heat-seeking missile designed to meet the requirements of all branches of the armed forces to defend against air threats. ...