• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Insitu to build Blackjacks for US forces

  3rd August 2015

  Insitu has been awarded a contract to build six RQ-21A Blackjack UAS for the US Marine Corps (USMC) and US Navy, the company announced on …

• Digital Battlespace

  US military buys RADA MHR

  31st July 2015

  The US military has acquired a Multi-Mission Hemispheric Radar (MHR) system from RADA Electronic Industries for testing and evaluation, the company announced on 28 July. …

• Land Warfare

  Colt’s course to bankruptcy

  31st July 2015

  Colt Defense is expected to re-emerge from bankruptcy as Sciens Capital Management is expected to purchase almost all of its assets. Cold filed for voluntary …

• Military Logistics

  Australia gifts landing craft to Philippines

  24th July 2015

  The Australian government has gifted two decommissioned Australian Balikpapan class landing craft to the Philippines government, it announced 23 July. The decommissioned vessels, known as …

• Military Logistics

  MLP boosts China’s amphibious capability

  24th July 2015

  China boosted its amphibious and naval logistics capability with the commissioning of a semi-submersible, heavy-lift mobile landing platform (MLP) into the South Sea Fleet on …

• Digital Battlespace

  Skynet casts eye over Asia-Pacific

  23rd July 2015

  The Skynet 5A spacecraft from Airbus Defence and Space will go live in the Asia Pacific region at the end of August. Skynet 5A will …

• Military Logistics

  Cubic Australia wins ADSTC contract

  22nd July 2015

  Cubic Defence Australia has been selected as the primary contractor to provide a managed workforce solution for the Australian Defence Simulation and Training Centre's (ADSTC) …

• Digital Battlespace

  Brazil builds home-grown simulators

  22nd July 2015

  The Brazilian Army is developing its own simulators to expand training capabilities in its armoured training centre and parachute brigade. These simulators run alongside those …

• Defence Helicopter

  Australia forced to extend life of Black Hawk

  22nd July 2015

  Despite the ongoing introduction of 47 NHIndustries MRH90 Taipan helicopters into Australian service, persistent programme delays will force the Black Hawk fleet to remain in service until …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australian Army’s BMS gets workout

  20th July 2015

  The Australian Army is gaining greater efficiencies with its Elbit Systems-sourced battle management system (BMS), as demonstrated during the recent Exercise Talisman Sabre in July. …

• Defence Helicopter

  Aussie Tiger FOC expected by year end

  20th July 2015

  Despite lingering sustainment issues, full operational capability (FOC) of the Australian Army's Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack helicopter is expected to be achieved before year’s end. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australian Herons fly in civil airspace

  20th July 2015

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) flew its pair of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron UAVs in civil airspace from a civil airport for the …

• Military Logistics

  Final NZ MAN truck delivery

  17th July 2015

  The final MAN HX-series trucks for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) were delivered on 25 June and at the same time have started their first overseas deployment. The NZDF has …

• Defence Notes

  DCNS drops details of Aussie sub design

  16th July 2015

  DCNS has unveiled the pre-concept design that it will propose for Australia's future submarine Competitive Evaluation Process (CEP). The proposed conventionally-powered submarine is named Shortfin …

• Defence Helicopter

  Maiden overseas deployment for RNZAF NH90

  16th July 2015

  Completing another milestone in its operational capability, the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) conducted the first overseas deployment of its NHIndustries NH90 transport helicopter during …

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 ...