• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2015: 1SL on manpower challenges

  14th September 2015

  Manpower requirements remain a ‘critical challenge’ to Royal Navy operations as changing national demographics affect recruitment, according to First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Skyward launches UAV info management solution

  11th September 2015

  Skyward has introduced an information management solution for commercial unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators, the company announced on 9 September. The cloud-based solution complies with …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2015: Next-gen Zephyr in the making

  10th September 2015

  Airbus Defence and Space is making its next-generation version of high altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) Zephyr.  The new UAV will have a 35m wingspan in comparison to …

• Land Warfare

  Netherlands orders Excalibur Ib

  9th September 2015

  Raytheon is to supply the Excalibur Ib precision-guided projectile to the Netherlands Ministry of Defence as part of a previously agreed foreign military sale, the …

• Naval Warfare

  US Navy extends Aegis modernisation contract

  7th September 2015

  The US Navy has awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin that will continue the modernisation of its Aegis naval combat hardware and software, the company …

• Defence Helicopter

  Raytheon bags AN/AQS-22 sonar contract

  4th September 2015

  Raytheon has been awarded a $33 million contract to produce, deliver, integrate, and test AN/AQS-22 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar (ALFS) systems to the US Navy, it …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Army finally commits to guided rockets

  4th September 2015

  The US Army has begun to acquire smart guidance kits for its 70mm (2.75in) rocket systems and is fielding them to frontline units for evaluation, …

• Land Warfare

  DSEI 2015: UK mech role for upgraded VBCI

  15th September 2015

  French armoured vehicle manufacturer Nexter has unveiled a new variant of its Véhicule Blindé de Combat d'Infanterie (VBCI) 8x8 vehicle, which it sees as a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  DSEI 2015: Selex ES hunts drones (video)

  15th September 2015

  Selex ES has unveiled a new system designed to counter the threat posed by the rapid proliferation of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) such as …

• Defence Helicopter

  DSEI 2015: FVL milestone on horizon

  15th September 2015

  The US military’s ambitious rotary-wing modernisation programme, known as Future Vertical Lift (FVL), is on track to complete its first major milestone in 2016, according …

• Digital Battlespace

  DataPath launches satellite terminal

  11th September 2015

  DataPath has introduced DataPath QCT90, a lightweight, man-portable satellite terminal available in configurations for both military and commercial markets, the company announced on 10 September.  …

• Land Warfare

  QinetiQ to develop electric hub-drive

  10th September 2015

  The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded a contract to QinetiQ to develop an electric hub-drive, the company announced on 8 September. …

• Naval Warfare

  DSEI 2015: QinetiQ displays stand-off scanner

  9th September 2015

  QinetiQ will display its latest generation stand-off body scanner, at this year’s DSEI exhibition in London. It is currently in development with the US Transportation …

• Digital Battlespace

  MUOS-4 launch completes smoothly

  4th September 2015

  The fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite of the US Navy, MUOS-4, has been successfully launched and is responding normally to ground control, Lockheed …

• Training

  Ukraine gets Cubic training systems

  4th September 2015

  The Ukrainian Army has received new training systems worth $1.7 million from Cubic Global Defense, the company announced on 2 September. The training systems are …

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 ...