• Digital Battlespace

  ADF exploring aircraft countermeasures

  21st August 2017

  Australia's Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) and Chemring Australia have signed a five-year research agreement to explore new technologies for protecting Australian Defence Force …

• Defence Helicopter

  Brazilian Army eyes new utility helicopters

  2nd August 2017

  The Brazilian Army is paving the way to launch an acquisition procedure to replace its incumbent fleet of Cougars and Black Hawks. The army currently operates …

• Digital Battlespace

  US DoD certifies ViaSat's VRG-1000

  12th September 2017

  ViaSat has received certification from the US Department of Defense (DoD) AIMS Program Office for its Radio Frequency Generator 1000 (VRG-1000), the company announced on …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  AFRL testing highly-efficient diesel aircraft engine

  15th August 2017

  The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Advanced Power Technology Office has completed a ground test series on a new highly-efficiency diesel aircraft engine, the US …

• Defence Helicopter

  H145M flies with HForce

  12th September 2017

  Airbus Helicopters’ H145M has performed its first flight with a complete HForce weapon system, the company announced on 8 September.HForce is a modular weapon system …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2017: Unmanned skies over Europe (video)

  6th September 2017

  UAV programmes in Europe are dominated by France and the UK with work continuing on the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) design between the two nations.  The …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2017: European military helicopter review (video)

  8th September 2017

  Across Europe militaries have received a wide range of helicopters to bolster their fleets for different missions this year. Shephard  takes a closer look at orders …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed’s AOEW system passes PDR

  7th September 2017

  Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare (AOEW) system has successfully passed its preliminary design review (PDR), the company announced on 5 September. The company’s AOEW …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed’s AN/APR-52 RWR achieves TRL 6

  18th August 2017

  Lockheed Martin’s AN/APR-52 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) for the US Air Force (USAF) Combat Rescue Helicopter programme has achieved Technical Readiness Level (TRL) 6 assessment. …

• Defence Notes

  Taiwan stitches together F-35 request

  18th August 2017

  Taiwan is preparing to draft a request for price and availability for F-35 fighters to replace its ageing Dassault Mirage 2000 fighters, now numbering 56 …

• Training

  NZDF acquires VBS3 FiresFST enterprise license

  18th August 2017

  The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has completed its acquisition of a perpetual enterprise licence of VBS3 FiresFST, SimCentric Technologies announced on 16 August. The …

• Defence Helicopter

  India raining with helicopter requirements

  24th August 2017

  India’s MoD has released an RfI to procure 111 naval utility helicopters (NUH) along with two flight simulators and one maintenance simulator under the ‘strategic …

• Land Warfare

  Analysis: Australia experiences embarrassing amphibious gap

  31st August 2017

  The Australian Army has a vexing problem. How can it deliver its M1A1 AIM Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) ashore from the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Philippines acquires six ScanEagles

  16th August 2017

  Insitu is set to supply the Philippines with six ScanEagle UAS following a contract announcement on 15 August. The US Department of Defence (DoD) awarded a …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin to build two CH-53K

  5th September 2017

  Lockheed Martin has received a Low Rate Initial Production Lot 1 contract worth $304 million from the US Naval Air Systems Command to build two …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Data links

  Data links | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390 [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirement The aircraft deliveries were scheduled to start by the end of 2016 and continue over a period of ten years. However,  the first ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-130H Replacement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements Sweden has five C-130H aircraft (designated Tp-84) and one KC-130H. Two C-130Es bought in the 1960s have retired, but the six H ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Chile]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS 39E/F Gripen [Brazil]

  Background In 2016, Gripen’s Project and Development Center was opened in Sao Paulo to allow Sweedish and Brazillian engineers to work together in the Gripen ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  H145M [Brazil]

  Background  Brazilian leadership announced in February 2022 that the Sabre Mil Mi-35M Hind-E attack helicopters were being retired from active service. This decision came as a ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Colombia]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated gross ...

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

  Hermes 900 (5) [Brazil]

  Background First three batches (2014-2024) Across three purchases, Defence Insight estimates that Brazil has acquired five Hermes 900 UAVs. In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one ...

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

  Hermes 900 (1-4) [Brazil]

  Background First batch (2014) In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one Hermes 900 UAV to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The drone is called the RQ-900 in Brazilian ...

• Maritime patrol

  C295 add-on [Brazil]

  Programme Background  In 2014 Brazil signed a contracted for two additional C-295 SAR platforms with the option to acquire one additional platform. In 2018, reports ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air-to-surface missiles

  MAR-1

  The MAR-1 is a Brazilian air-to-surface anti-radiation missile (ARM) developed by Mectron in collaboration with the Aerospace Technology and Science Department (DCTA) of the Brazilian ...

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

  Harpia

  Described as the UAV with the most onboard technology in Latin America, Harpia is a multifunctional fixed-wing Brazilian drone developed by Advanced Technologies Security & Defence.  The Uruguayan ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  EMB-312 Tucano

  The EMB-312 Tucano (Brazilian designation T-27) is a trainer and light attack aircraft developed by Embraer to meet the training requirements of the Brazilian Air ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  TPTS

  Tactical Procedures Training Simulators (TPTS), operating with SWARM software, can be used to provide most core training elements to pilots or offload training tasks from ...

• Guided munitions

  SMKB (Smart-MK-Bomb)

  The Smart-MK-Bomb, or the SMKB, is a precision guidance kit developed by Mectron and designed to turn Mk 82 and Mk 83 bombs into guided munitions.

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

  Condor

  The Condor, or Atobá XR, is an in-development MALE-class UAV from Stella Technologia.  The development of the multi-role is tied to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which has ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Albatroz Vortex

  The Albatroz Vortex from Stella Tecnologia is a development of the company's Albatroz UAV.  The key differentiator is that the Vortex is fitted with an ATJR ...

• Trainer, Transport

  EMB-121 Xingu

  The EMB-121 Xingu is a twin-turboprop light transport and advanced multi-engine trainer aircraft developed by Embraer based on the EMB-110 Bandeirante. Its maiden flight was ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M

  The medium-weight, 11t-class H225M (formerly known as the EC725) is the latest military Super Puma/Cougar family member.  Technical features include a modular design of mechanical ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390/C-390 Millennium

  The KC-390 is a high-wing, twin-turbofan, T-tail design intended to meet the needs of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) for a tanker/transport aircraft. Developed and ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Arkhe Mission & Combat

  Launched in 2017, Atech's Arkhe Mission & Combat solutions offer a variety of solutions enabling operator to conduct missions from planning to execution and debriefing. It ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-5E/F Tiger II

  The F-5E (single-seat)/F (twin-seat) Tiger II is an air superiority fighter developed by Northrop Grumman based on the original F-5 Freedom Fighter. Production of the ...

• EO/IR systems, Land: unattended sensor/surveillance systems, Sea: ship surveillance and fire control systems

  SHAPO

  SHAPO is a multi-sensor, gyro-stabilised observation payload. It is intended for UAVs, helicopters, light aircraft, patrol boats, aerostats, airships, armoured vehicles and masts. Sensors include a ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Saber M60

  The Saber M60 is a low-altitude air-defence radar developed by the Brazilian Army's CTEx (Army Technology Centre) in collaboration with Bradar, part of Embraer Defence ...

• EO/IR systems

  Skyward

  The SkyWard system is an advanced Infrared Search and Track (IRST) solution developed for next-generation airborne platforms, including 5th-generation fighter aircraft.  Designed with modularity in ...