European Defence Procurement Special Report

European Defence Procurement Special Report Hide

Italian 3.0 Centauro II procurement remains unfinalised

As the Italian MoD and the Iveco-Oto Melara (CIO) consortium continue negotiations, details remain undefined of a plan to acquire 40 8×8 Centauro II armoured vehicles …
Serbia wrings extra life out of M-84

The Serbian military formally unveiled its M-84AS-1 MBT earlier this month, as the latest upgrade of a licensed-built version of the venerable T-72M. The M-84AS-1 …

Land Warfare

VBL replacement could attract non-French bidders

Although the French Army will soon receive upgraded Arquus (ex-Panhard Defense) VBL 4x4 scout vehicles, in the longer term a new vehicle will be required …

Land Warfare

Slovak vehicle procurement faces a blurry future

The new leadership in the Slovak MoD faces a series of hard decisions over many procurement programmes that are expected to change the posture of …

Land Warfare

Spanish Army will acquire new sniper rifles

The Spanish Army is to procure 27 new semi-automatic sniper rifles, as it continues efforts to strengthen its small arms inventory. The service intends to …

Air Warfare

Sweden hits deadlock over new defence spending plans

Cross party political talks in Sweden addressing future defence funding have collapsed, following disagreement over whether additional money should be approved. The Swedish government will …

Air Warfare

FCAS leads the next-generation combat aircraft market

25th June 2020

The development of sixth-generation combat aircraft is in its infancy, yet competition to supply prospective global requirements is already ramping up. Projects already initiated by …
Land Warfare

Spanish Army defines its NBC priorities in context of COVID-19

25th June 2020

The outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Spain shed light on the importance of maintaining and enhancing NBC capabilities among the armed forces. Therefore, to …
Land Warfare

Two stages down, three to go with MGCS

25th June 2020

France and Germany are striding firmly towards new MBTs to replace the Leclerc and Leopard 2A6 respectively, having signed an 18-month contract in May for …
Land Warfare

Two stages down, three to go with MGCS

25th June 2020

France and Germany are striding firmly towards new MBTs to replace the Leclerc and Leopard 2A6 respectively, having signed an 18-month contract in May for …
Defence Notes

Don’t guess, test – the case for a European defence startup landscape

25th June 2020

The increasing geopolitical competition of the digital world powers - US and China- requires Europe to unleash its own innovative forces to preserve multilateralism in …
Naval Warfare

Germany bucks the European trend with ambitious frigate programmes

24th June 2020

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, European navies were feeling the strain of procuring expensive platforms at the cost of fleet sizes. Ambitions to replace …
Naval Warfare

Germany sets dates for delivery of new MKS 180 combat ships

24th June 2020

With the signing of the contract by the German MoD for the procurement of four MKS 180 multipurpose combat ships, the saga as to what …
Land Warfare

COVID-19 casts uncertainty over Central and Eastern European armoured vehicle procurement

22nd June 2020

Before the arrival of the COVID-19 coronavirus in Europe, the 2020s looked set to usher in a rise in Central and Eastern European investment into procurement …
Land Warfare

Rafael pitches Spike NLOS for Polish tank destroyer programme

22nd June 2020

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced on 22 June that it intends to enter the Polish Ottokar-Brzoza competition for ATGM-equipped tank destroyers. Teamed with local co-production partner …
Training

Polish military aviation academy buys six aircraft

19th June 2020

The Polish Air Force University has ordered six trainer aircraft from JB Investments. Announced via the EU tenders database, the deal is worth PLN11.73 million …
Land Warfare

Germany to procure MG4 A3 from 2021

19th June 2020

Amid continued efforts to improve the lethality of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr recently released images of paratroopers from Zweibrücken training with the new …
Land Warfare

Spain to conduct first VCR 8x8 shooting tests in July

19th June 2020

The Spanish Army reported on 18 June that the first two units of its new 8x8 wheeled combat vehicle (VCR) will conduct initial firing tests …
Defence Notes

COVID crisis should catalyse deeper cooperation, says EDA chief

18th June 2020

Jiří Šedivý officially took the helm at the European Defence Agency (EDA) in early May at a time of unprecedented crisis. With the COVID-19 pandemic set to …
Air Warfare

Hensoldt to supply German Eurofighters with AESA radar

18th June 2020

Hensoldt will design and develop a new AESA radar for the entire German fleet of Eurofighters following a decision by the Bundestag to release €1.5 …
Defence Notes

EDA approaches industry for dual-use C-UAS technology

18th June 2020

UAS have evolved in recent years to pose an increasing threat to military installations and critical national infrastructure, prompting defence and security agencies to pay …
Land Warfare

Collaborative All-Terrain Vehicle to improve the readiness of British and German armed forces

17th June 2020

The UK and Germany are moving ahead to improve the mobility of their armies by signing a joint procurement agreement for a Collaborative All-Terrain Vehicle …
Digital Battlespace

European team seeks holy grail of unifying airborne EM systems

17th June 2020

More light can be shed on the European Defence Agency’s (EDA’s) CROWN initiative to develop a scalable, single architecture for airborne radar, EW and communications …
Defence Notes

Spanish MoD signs development protocol for NGWS

17th June 2020

The Spanish MoD on 16 June signed a General Action Protocol with national defence industry partners which establishes the mechanisms needed to protect industrial assets. …
Uncrewed Vehicles

Denmark seeks new unmanned air capability

16th June 2020

The Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) is planning to acquire a new UAS capability to support the Danish Armed Forces. According to an EU-wide …
Land Warfare

Estonia buys new Volvo FMX trucks

15th June 2020

The Estonian Defence Forces (EDF) will receive 40 new Volvo FMX container trucks in order to bolster national defence capabilities. This is the outcome of …