• Military Logistics

  Boeing C-17 production ends

  30th November 2015

  Boeing has officially ended production of the C-17 Globemaster III military airlifter in Long Beach, California. The final aircraft produced on the line flew for …

• Training

  USAF F-35 training picks up pace

  2nd December 2015

  US Air Force pilots are training on new simulators at Hill Air Force Base in preparation for the start of F-35 Lightning II operations, Lockheed …

• Land Warfare

  Ukraine to ramp up arms production

  3rd November 2015

  Ukraine's state-owned defence firm Ukroboronprom will increase weapon supplies to the Ukrainian army from next year.    The company plans to increase production of the BM …

• Naval Warfare

  Vietnam launches new OPV

  4th December 2015

  Vietnamese shipbuilder Song Thu Corporation launched an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) destined for the country’s coast guard on 30 November. Based on a Damen 9014 …

• Defence Helicopter

  NH90 upgrades continue as H145M launches

  2nd December 2015

  The first NH90 multirole helicopter delivered to the German armed forces in 2006 is undergoing an 18-month retrofit at the Airbus Helicopters Donauwörth facility after completing …

• Military Logistics

  GDELS receives Aussie bridge order

  6th November 2015

  The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has ordered the Improved Ribbon Bridge (IRB) from General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) in a $28 million deal …

• Naval Warfare

  Kestrel ViDAR system for Aussie SAR jets

  3rd December 2015

  Sentient Vision will supply its Kestrel Maritime Visual Detection and Ranging (ViDAR) system as part of the sensor suite for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s …

• Military Logistics

  US looks to increase MRTT usage

  2nd November 2015

  With many its allies now deploying A330 aerial refuelling aircraft to the Middle East and its own next-generation KC-46A tanker still two years away, the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  MQ-8C completes Operational Assessment

  2nd December 2015

  The US Navy has successfully completed land-based operational assessment (OA) of the MQ-8C Fire Scout, Northrop Grumman announced on 1 December.  The OA was conducted at Naval …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2015: Rockwell Collins unveils Whole Earth

  2nd December 2015

  Rockwell Collins has unveiled its new enhanced synthetic training environment, WholeEarth, at this year’s I/ITSEC in Orlando. The high-resolution complete Earth database enables simulated flight …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2015: Cubic plans for the future

  25th November 2015

  Cubic's new president of global defence, Bill Toti, has set strategic goals for the future of training and simulation following the consolidation of the defence …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2015: New training approaches for Boeing

  25th November 2015

  For the first time at this year’s I/ITSEC exhibition, aerospace manufacturer Boeing will show off a student trainer for the CH-47 Chinook that utilises the …

• Military Logistics

  Dubai 2015: Auto refuelling for MRTTs

  9th November 2015

  A human boom operator on the A330 multi-role tanker transport (MRTT) could soon be a thing of the past as Airbus Defence and Space (DS) …

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2015: Mockingbird RPA software flies in

  1st December 2015

  ZedaSoft’s mockingbird software for remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) and unmanned aerial system (UAS) operator training is making its debut at I/ITSEC in Orlando. The company …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk in Ex Southern Katipo

  2nd November 2015

  An RQ-4 Global Hawk from the US Air Force (USAF) will take part in the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF’s) largest military exercise, Exercise Southern …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Logistics, Ammunition Carrier and Mortar Carrier Variants)

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Land 400 Phase 3 (Amphibious Vehicles) [Australia]

  Programme Background The Australian DoD released the initial RfI for the Land 400 Phase 3 programme in November 2015. Following consultations with local industry, the ...

• Tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland]

  Programme Background Requirement Since the early 2010s Poland wanted to upgrade its Soviet-era tank fleet due to modernisation requirements, the need to increase interoperability with NATO ...

• Loitering munitions, Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Drone40 (Ukraine Aid) [Australia]

  Programme Background In August 2022, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), a think tank, held a podcast with Ukraine's ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, in which ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Land 400 Phase 2 - Boxer CRV (Australia)

  Programme Background History The Land 400 Phase 2 programme will procure a replacement for the ASLAV, a derivative of the General Dynamics Land Systems Light Armoured Vehicle ...

• Landing craft and hovercraft

  Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel - Medium (Project Land 8710 Phase 1A) [Australia]

  Programme Background Requirements Australia has set out requirements for a fleet of up to 18 Littoral Manoeuvre Vessels - Medium (LMV-M) with the release of ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  Second Hand SSNs [Australia]

  Programme Background Timeline In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock ...

• Tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3 Abrams [Poland - Forecast]

  Programme Background Requirement The Polish Army wants to replace its legacy Soviet T-72 MBTs with new NATO-standard platforms to increase interoperability with its allies and ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• Naval: shipboard communication systems

  Naval: shipboard communication systems | AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  In September 2021, it was announced in a trilateral announcement between Australia, the US and the UK that Australia, in a shock move, will not ...

• Tanks

  Viatura Blindada de Combate-Carro de Combate (VBC-CC) [Brazil]

  Programme Background Several key technical requirements have been outlined by the Brazilian MoD. Among the most important are that the platform should weigh less than ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS-SSNs (1-5) [Australia]

  Programme Background AUKUS Australia announced on 16 September 2021 that the contract with Naval Group signed in 2016 had been cancelled. Although not a surprising ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Project Air 7003 (Australia)

  Programme Background Requirement The Royal Australian Air Force has been without a UAS capability since the Heron was withdrawn in mid-2017. According to Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, ...

• Military helicopters - maritime

  MH-60R (Spain)

  Programme Background On 16 March 2022, the US State Department approved an FMS to Spain for eight MH-60R helicopters and associated equipment and weaponry for $950 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (Contracted) [Australia]

  Programme Background Three Contracted Units In June 2018, the Government provided Second Pass (Tranche 1) Approval to procure the first of six air vehicles, supporting ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Naval: RF, IR and acoustic decoys

  Nulka

  The Nulka active anti-ship missile decoy was originally conceived in Australia, and developed under a joint Australian-US programme. BAE Systems Australia is prime contractor, while ...

• S-64 Helitanker Fire-fighting Equipment

  Erickson's 10,031l tank for the S-64 helitanker drops water, retardant or foam mix at a rate of around 95l/h. Microprocessor-controlled tank doors offer eight individual ...

• Submarines: nuclear, attack

  AUKUS SSN

  The AUKUS-SSN will be the submarine design resulting from the AUKUS trilateral pact between Australia, the US and the UK. Expected to incorporate technology from ...

• Air: helicopter flight simulators

  HATS

  In October 2014, the Australian government approved a A$700 million (US$530 million) contract award to Boeing Defence Australia, teamed with Thales Australia, to provide the ...

• Land: tactical engagement simulators

  CVTESS

  Saab's Combat Vehicle Tactical Engagement Simulation System (CVTESS) is a laser-based simulator which supports every version of the Abrams Main Battle Tank and the Bradley ...

• Tanks

  M1A2 SEPv3

  The M1A2 System Enhancement Package 3 (M1A2 SEPv3, also known as M1A2C) is the latest production-standard variant of the Abrams MBT. Designed primarily to address ...

• AEW&C

  Global 550 CAEW

  The G550 CAEW aircraft is a Gulfstream G550 adapted for AEW&C;, EW and ISTAR missions in Australia, Israel, Italy, Singapore and the US. The base platform is ...

• Frigates

  Adelaide Class

  The Adelaide-class guided missile frigates (FFG) were based on the US Navy's Oliver Hazard Perry design, with the first four ships in class built for ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  FGM-148 Javelin

  The Lockheed Martin-Raytheon Javelin JV developed the FGM-148 Javelin for the US Army’s requirement for an Advanced Anti-Tank Weapon System-Medium. Selected in 1989, the first ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  AS21 Redback

  First unveiled in scale model form at the Land Forces 2018 exhibition, the AS21 Redback is a tracked IFV developed to meet the Australian Army's Land ...

• Data links, UAS: communication systems

  MUMT-X

  The Manned/Unmanned Teaming - eXpanded (MUMT-X) system allows AH-64E helicopters to communicate with and control UAS in flight. Capable of transmitting data and video across four ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  Spike LR2

  The Spike LR2 (NT-S) is Rafael’s fifth generation of the Spike missile and is backwards-compatible with existing Spike launchers.  Two warheads have been developed: a ...

• Tanks

  M10 Booker

  The US Army has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) with a contract worth US$1.14 billion to supply 96 light tanks under the Mobile Protected ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-35A

  The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation multirole combat aircraft with CTOL capabilities. It is a multinational programme led by the US DoD, bringing together ...

• Towed guns

  105mm Light Gun

  The 105mm Light Gun was designed and manufactured by Royal Ordnance Nottingham (now BAE Systems), with the first guns introduced to the British Army in ...