• Digital Battlespace

  How has Russia progressed with the development of a nuclear anti-satellite weapon?

  1st July 2024

  The Pentagon recently confirmed that Moscow launched a LEO satellite that could offer a counter-space capability. Media news outlets also reported that the Kremlin was approaching initial trials.

• Defence Notes

  How temporary funding could affect the US military’s critical acquisition programmes

  25th September 2024

  Operating under continuing resolutions would affect Patriot, Virginia-class, Columbia-class and B-21 programmes.

• Air Warfare

  AN/APR-39E(V)2 radar warning receivers contracted for initial production

  13th March 2024

  Northrop Grumman’s AN/APR-39(V) series of Radar Warning Receivers (RWRs) have been designed to equip a wide array of aircraft. Specifications regarding the waveband have not been revealed but the equipment will likely be able to detect emissions from radars transmitting in wavebands of two gigahertz/GHz to 18GHz.

• Air Warfare

  AUSA 2024: Leonardo unveils BriteStorm stand-in jammer payload

  14th October 2024

  Leonardo’s BriteStorm payload has been designed to be flown forward of aircraft to deceive ground forces.

• Naval Warfare

  What does the arrival of the USS Wasp in the Mediterranean Sea mean for US European and African Commands?

  3rd July 2024

  The vessel is intended to boost the US deterrence in the region and de-escalate tensions between Israel and Lebanon.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Exail Robotics secures €60 million NATO contract for underwater mine disposal vehicles

  28th August 2024

  The contract covers disposal and training vehicles for the Belgian and Dutch navies.

• Digital Battlespace

  Seizing the Future: The Imperative for Militaries to Master AI and Forge Strategic Alliances

  16th August 2024

  The current pace of innovation demands a new strategy for success, focusing on developing technology to meet specific defence goals and ensuring collaborative efforts.

• Air Warfare

  Boeing lines up helicopter deals and delivers first US Army CH-47F Block II

  3rd July 2024

  Boeing is nearing the end of its new-build V-22 but is set to sign new Apache orders, as well as progressing MH-139 and new generation Chinook helicopter efforts.

• Digital Battlespace

  Thales takes new HF communications system from ship to shore

  1st July 2024

  The HF XL family was unveiled at last month’s Eurosatory 2024 with the company pushing the system’s capability of searching out unjammed channels or channels with the highest data rate available.

• Defence Notes

  UK boosts defence budget by 5.3%, but is this enough?

  30th October 2024

  The UK budget announced in Parliament on 30 October is the first by a Labour government in 14 years. While it sees a boost in defence spending, this comes in the face of fiscal challenges and the effects of inflation.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Thunderstrike establishes major drone facility at Danish airport

  22nd August 2024

  The hangar will be used to eventually produce 200-300 drones per year.

• Training

  Rheinmetall and Lightspace Technologies to develop augmented reality systems

  14th June 2024

  The new agreement is continuation of development work which took place in 2023 and marks a strengthening in the collaboration between the two companies.

• Special Operations

  Cubic unveils new single-case solution to enable data-rich processing in complex environments

  7th May 2024

  DTECH Fusion Edge High-Performance Compute (eHPC) is designed to run data centre-type level processing at the tactical edge.

• Land Warfare

  The UK’s directed energy counter-unmanned weapon could see service in 2026

  23rd September 2024

  The Radio Frequency Directed Energy Weapon (RFDEW), a joint effort by the UK’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), has been designed to detect, track and engage a range of threats across land, air and sea.

• Digital Battlespace

  First South Korean 425 Project observation satellite launched

  8th April 2024

  In 2015, South Korea named a consortium of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Systems, along with Thales Alenia Space providing the SAR payload derived from its HE-R1000 product, as preferred bidder to develop new Korea 425 Project reconnaissance satellites.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Joint Tactical Autonomous Aerial Resupply System (JTAARS) / Medium ULS-A [USMC]

  Programme Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with ...

• Loitering munitions

  Small-Sized Suicide Drones [South Korea]

  Programme Background Drone Ambition As reported by Shephard, South Korea has ambitions to possess a large arsenal of drones. In May 2024, the presidential office ...

• Sealift/replenishment vessels

  Type 707 (1-2) [Germany]

  Programme Background Requirements The German Navy approved an acquisition to start replacing the two ageing Rhön-class (Type 704) class single-hulled tankers, which were constructed in the ...

• 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 ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  F-5E/F Adversary Trainer US Navy

  The F-5N is a single seat, dual engine supersonic land based fighter. It is designed to a service life of 9000 flight hours. The aircraft ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F (Australia)

  Programme Background The government of Australia has requested to buy four CH-47F cargo helicopters with unique modifications: eight T55-GA-714A aircraft turbine engines, five AN/AAR-57 common ...

• OPVs

  58m OPV Procurement [Guyana]

  Programme Background Timeline In April 2024, OCEA announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (loI) with the Guyana Defence Force for the procurement of an ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Second LHD [Turkey]

  Programme Background Timeline On 29 October 2023, during the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Turkey, Turkish President Recep Erdogan stated that the Navy is ...

• Corvettes

  Ada Class Corvettes (1-2) [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Timeline In October 2020, the MoD of Ukraine and the President of the Turkish Defence Industries signed a memorandum of understanding. This outlined ...

• Frigates

  Multi-Role Combat Vessels (1-6) [Singapore]

  Programme Background Requirements Singapore is planning to replace its current ageing Victory-class corvettes, which are due to leave service in 2025, with an equal number of ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail (737) - UK

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 covering the ...

• AEW&C

  E-7 Wedgetail - UK (Second Order)

  Programme Background Seeking to replace its six ageing Boeing E-3 Sentry AEW&C;, the British Royal Air Force awarded Boeing a £1.89 billion contract in 2019 ...

• Amphibious assault ships

  TCG Anadolu LHD [Turkey]

  Programme Background TCG Anadolu is a Multipurpose Assault Ship (LHD) built by Sedef in Tuzla for the Turkish Navy. The vessel, which is the single ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  VN16 (Thailand - First Batch)

  Programme Background The RTMC has the capability to carry out amphibious landing operations, having previously taken delivery of more than 30 AAV7s (formerly known as ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | E-7 Wedgetail - UK (Second Order)

  The UK MoD signed a £1.51 billion ($1.98 billion) deal to purchase five E-7 Wedgetail aircraft from Boeing for the Royal Air Force (RAF) in ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Surface-to-air missiles

  Cheetah

  The new Denel Cheetah counter-rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) missile is designed to be integrated into existing air defence systems. It complements cannon-based systems and ...

• EO/IR systems

  MEES

  Developed by Rheinmetall, the Mobile Eagle Eye System (MEES) is an air space and ground surveillance unit with its own command post. It combines the ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Oerlikon Laser Gun

  Rheinmetall showcased the applications for its High Energy Laser (HEL) guns for the first time at IDEX 2015 in Abu Dhabi. The Oerlikon Laser Gun ...

• Self-propelled missile systems, Land: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Skyranger Missile

  Rheinmetall's Skyranger Missile is a short-range air defence system that is being developed to defeat low-flying air threats such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and UAVs, as ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  InShield

  Indra’s InShield Directional Infrared Countermeasure (DIRCM) system has been developed by the company to protect the Ejército del Aire (Spanish Air Force) Airbus A400M Atlas. 

• Light machine guns

  LSAT LMG

  Textron Systems Unmanned Systems is developing and maturing a Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) family of weapons and ammunition with the US Army that fires ...

• EO/IR systems

  MSP600

  Modular Sensor Platform MSP600 is a lightweight, four-axis stabilised EO system, which can be used in land-based applications (eg border or coastal surveillance and air ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  MEWS

  The Modular Electronic Warfare System (MEWS) is a land COMINT sensor that was jointly developed by L3 TRL and Qinetiq. Utilising L3 TRL compact receiver ...

• Land: fire control systems

  Oerlikon Skymaster

  Oerlikon Skymaster is the command and control unit of Rheinmetall's Skynex air defence system. The Skymaster is intended to support tactical and operational level air ...

• EO/IR systems

  UMIT

  Universal Multispectral Information and Tracking (UMIT) system, developed by Rheinmetall, is a multi-sensor platform for airspace surveillance missions. The UMIT is modular and provides flexibility ...

• Land: air defence radar

  X-TAR 3D

  The X-Band Tactical Acquisition Radar 3D (X-TAR 3D) air surveillance and acquisition radar is the newest member of Rheinmetall’s X-TAR family. The fully coherent phased-array ...

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  Manta

  Manta is a laser-based DIRCM system for airborne platforms. Designed to defeat first- and second-generation and imaging IR seekers, it is said to be effective ...

• Land: COMINT and ELINT systems

  Smartscan- MEWS

  MEWS (Modular Electronic Warfare System) is a software-driven spectrum surveillance system covering two megahertz to three gigahertz. It is designed to detect, collect and geolocate ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  CM32/33/34 Yunpao

  The CM32 Yunpao (Cloud Leopard) family of 8x8 armoured vehicles has been developed to meet the requirements of the Republic of China Army to replace ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems, Sea: sonar systems

  SBTS

  The Shore-Based Sonar Training System (SBTS), launched in 2016, incorporates technology from the Model 997 Hull/Bow-Mounted Sonar Model 980 ALOFTS system to help support sonar ...