• Defence Notes

  Farnborough 2018: Brexit bad news for UK defence growth

  12th July 2018

  The UK’s lack of strategy surrounding Brexit could be impacting the defence sector’s annual turnover if figures released by the ADS Group are anything to …

• Military Logistics

  Mikros to continue CBM system development

  11th July 2018

  Mikros Systems has received a $2.5 million follow-on contract from the US Navy to continue to develop its condition-based maintenance systems for the navy's MK …

• Naval Warfare

  Philippines prepares to reactivate ROKN corvette

  13th July 2018

  The transfer of a decommissioned 1,200t Pohang-class corvette from the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) to the Philippine Navy (PN) had languished for some time …

• Training

  Farnborough 2018: ATAC grows its Mirage F1 fleet

  13th July 2018

  US adversary air specialists, Textron-owned ATAC, has now received the first 13 of a total of 63 Mirage F1 aircraft from the French Government. The …

• Special Operations

  Fuerzas Comando begins for Latin American SOF

  17th July 2018

  The Latin American special operations community has come together to conduct the 2018 iteration of the annual Fuerzas Comandocompetition in Panama.Due to run from 16-26 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Farnborough 2018: Tekever launches AR5 for maritime missions

  17th July 2018

  Portuguese UAS manufacturer Tekever has unveiled its new twin-engined, fixed-wing unmanned aircraft – AR5 – designed for wide area maritime surveillance missions. The system holds …

• Naval Warfare

  ESSM Block 2 completes flight test

  9th July 2018

  NATO’s Seasparrow Project Office has conducted a successful flight test of the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2, intercepting a BQM-74E aerial target, NAVSEA …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Japan trials ‘drone highways’ as regulations loosen

  18th July 2018

  A grouping of three companies in Japan is exploring the feasibility of what they call ‘drone highways’ for logistics deliveries. The three firms – TEPCO …

• Defence Notes

  Rolls-Royce sells commercial marine unit

  6th July 2018

  British engine maker Rolls-Royce announced on 6 July that it has agreed to sell its loss-making commercial marine business to Norwegian industrial group Kongsberg for …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  GA-ASI maximising MQ-25 fuel capacity offload

  9th July 2018

  General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has developed an integrated fuel tank structure to maximise fuel offload for the proposed MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueling aircraft for …

• Defence Helicopter

  Issues surface over UK's Crowsnest programme

  6th July 2018

  The UK's Crowsnest surveillance programme has been hit by a number of industry development challenges, according to an official assessment.  A Ministry of Defence (MoD) …

• Defence Notes

  Boeing widens embrace of Embraer

  5th July 2018

  Boeing will take control of the commercial business of Brazil's Embraer, the companies announced on 5 July, better positioning the US aerospace giant to compete …

• Digital Battlespace

  ​Insight: Australia on China’s AI shopping list

  4th July 2018

  China’s advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are closely entangled in obtaining talent and dual-use technologies in both Australia and the US, according to a new …

• Defence Helicopter

  First EMD CH-47F​ Block II inches closer

  2nd July 2018

  The first engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) CH-47F Block II programme helicopter has entered final assembly, Boeing announced on 27 June.Boeing is developing the next-generation …

• Digital Battlespace

  Chemring USA receives decoys contracts

  4th July 2018

  Chemring Countermeasures USA has received two contracts totalling approximately $42 million for the manufacture and delivery of decoys for the US Army and Air Force, …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Loitering munitions

  Warmate [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Ukraine placed an order for an undisclosed number of Warmate systems in 2017. Shepherd believes units acquired in this order later were utilised ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Ashok Leyland LBPV (India - Air Force)

  Programme Background The IAF created the Garud commando force in 2004 to protect its airbases, carry out combat search and rescue and conduct covert operations ...

• Minehunters

  Awaji Class

  Programme Background Two Awaji class mine countermeasures vessels (MCMV) were ordered from the Japanese shipyard Japan Marine United (JMU) for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) initially. ...

• OPVs

  Inlay Class (second OPV)

  Programme Background The Inlay class originally consists of a single OPV in service with the Myanmar Navy. However, a second Inlay-class OPV has been reported under construction since ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Eagle V 4x4

  According to documents released by the Danish Ministry of Defence, a total of 233.6 million Danish Krone (US$34.669 million) were allocated to this programme. 62.1 ...

• OPVs

  Cyprus Second Sa'ar 62 OPV

  Programme BackgroundThe Republic of Cyrus' Ministry of Defence placed an order with Israel Shipyards for its first Sa'ar 62  OPV in December 2015 in a project valued ...

• Loitering munitions

  Warmate (2017) [Poland]

  Programme Background Order In November 2017, Poland ordered 100 sets of Warmate loitering munitions, each consisting of ten platforms, for a reported 100 million Polish Zloty ...

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

  HUSAR (2023 Order) [Germany]

  Programme Background First Order In 2015, the German Army launched the HUSAR programme to identify a replacement for its Airbus Defence & Space KZO and ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Makassar Class LPD (7)

  Indonesia signed a contract for $150 million for two LPDs in the Makassar class, KRI Makassar and KRI Surabaya, with South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering ...

• Patrol boats

  Rajshree Class (Flight II)

  Programme BackgroundThe Rajshree class is to consist of 13 FPVs built in two separate flights. Flight I saw construction begin in 2010 and all eight vessels ...

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

  HUSAR (2017 Order) [Germany]

  Programme Background Requirement In 2015, the German Army launched the HUSAR programme to identify a replacement for its Airbus Defence & Space KZO and first-generation ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  New Exploration and Escort Helicopter (NEES) (Phase I) [Italy]

  Programme Background In 2017, the Italian government signed a contract with Leonardo to replace its fleet of AW129 Mangusta attack helicopters with the in-development AW249, ...

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

  ScanEagle [Czechia]

  Programme Background Earmarked The ACR took delivery of ten ScanEagle systems (100 UAVs), which were received as a donation from the US in 2015. In ...

• Aircraft carriers

  Queen Elizabeth Class

  The contract to begin the construction of the first ship was awarded in 2008, ten years after the programme was announced in the 1998 SDR. ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  S26T [Thailand]

  Programme Background The Royal Thai Navy has been in the process of acquiring a new submarine for a number of years. They formally selected China's ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Pistols

  Jericho Pistol 941

  Designed for military and law enforcement users, the Jericho Pistol 941 is available in 9mm, .40 S&W; and .45 ACP calibres and in standard, short ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  V-RAPTOR

  Unveiled at LAAD 2023 in Rio de Janeiro, the V-RAPTOR is a tactical police armoured vehicle from domestic manufacturer Combat Armor Defense do Brasil.

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Guará WS

  Avibras is marketing the 4x4 Guará WS light armoured vehicle, a further development of its 4x4 AV-VB4 RE Guará prototype. Developed in cooperation with the ...

• OPVs

  Israel Shipyards OPV

  The Israel Shipyards OPV design is a 400t-500t vessel designed for naval security operations. The 500t version can equip a light marine helicopter (up to five ...

• Land: manned turrets

  TORC30

  The TORC30 is a stabilised unmanned turret armed with a Rheinmetall MK30-2/ABM 30mm cannon being developed by Ares, an Elbit subsidiary, and the Brazilian Army’s ...

• Air: Displays

  Panoramic Cockpit Display

  Developed by L3Harris and Elbit Systems America, the Panoramic Cockpit Display (PCD) is a touchscreen MFD integrated into F-35 aircraft. It provides two electronically divided ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  Armadillo TA-2

  The Armadillo TA-2 is an automatic or manned rocket launcher system designed to be fully retracted inside a 4x4 light vehicle.The concept, which was being ...

• EW test systems, Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  CAST-easy

  RUAG unveiled the Countermeasure Advanced System Test Equipment (CAST-easy) in 2017 earmarking it for the Panavia Tornado series of combat aircraft. The 2017 announcement stated ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Drone Deterrence System

  First unveiled at the LIMA 2017 exhibition by Mitsubishi Electric, the Drone Deterrence System began to be developed in 2014 and made its first sale in ...

• Naval guns, Land: RWS

  DragonFire

  Dragonfire is a new laser weapon system built for the UK MoD, receiving £30 million of funding in early 2017. The design of the gun ...

• Military - UUVs

  ThunderFish Alpha

  The ThunderFish Alpha (formerly DeDAvE) is an AUV designed for deep-sea military, commercial and scientific applications. In March 2017, Kraken announced a licensing agreement for ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  Fletcher

  Arnold Defense, which has produced more than 1.1 million 2.75in/70mm rocket launchers for airborne applications since 1961, unveiled the Fletcher 2.75in/70mm Weapon System at the September ...

• Minehunters

  Kormoran II Class

  Three Kormoran II-class minehunters were budgeted for the Polish Navy in 2011, and a contract was placed for a prototype in 2013, with the first ...

• OPVs

  La Confiance Class (PLG)

  The La Confiance-class, also known as the Guyanese Light Patrol Vessel (PLG), in service with the French Navy, was designed by Bureau Mauric and built ...

• Submachine guns

  FN SCAR-SC

  FN Herstal unveiled the 5.56mm FN SCAR-SC (Subcompact Carbine), the newest member of the SCAR (SOF Combat Assault Rifle) family originally developed for the US ...