• Defence Notes

  UK MoD Equipment Plan is affordable, but watchdog warns of risks

  22nd February 2022

  The National Audit Office has warned that the MoD’s 10-year Equipment Plan could be ‘over-optimistic’.

• Defence Helicopter

  One down, 16 to go as Spain receives first remanufactured Chinook

  2nd February 2022

  Spain is part of a European trend to modernise CH-47 Chinooks.

• Defence Notes

  North Korea launches first ICBM since 2017

  30th March 2022

  North Korea has engaged in a flurry of ICBM testing, with both successes and a failure.

• Defence Notes

  US military aid to Ukraine reaches $1 billion

  2nd March 2022

  President Joe Biden has allocated an emergency $350 million in military aid for Ukraine against the ongoing Russian invasion, as a supplement to the more than $650 million in defensive assistance that the US provided to Ukraine in 2021.

• Land Warfare

  Indian Army adopts new camouflage uniform

  26th January 2022

  The Indian Army goes 'digital' as it introduces a new uniform for more than a million soldiers.

• Air Warfare

  US Army seeks additional LMAMS

  27th January 2022

  Responses are due by 8 February to a Sources Sought notice for LMAMS.

• Defence Notes

  US could offer Ukraine extra military assistance under new $10 billion package

  8th March 2022

  After providing $1 billion in military aid to Ukraine, the Biden administration has asked Congress to approve $10 billion in supplemental funding, including security assistance.

• Land Warfare

  Bangladesh seeks Russian assault rifles

  1st February 2022

  New assault rifles are just one new piece of equipment on the agenda for the Bangladesh Army.

• Defence Notes

  Will time and politics dilute NATO spending pledges? (Opinion)

  25th April 2022

  For all the assertive rhetoric by NATO member states about increasing defence spending in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine, it will not, in the short term at least, translate into a meaningful uplift in capability on the ground.

• Defence Notes

  Russia-Ukraine war challenges UK force structure assumptions (Opinion)

  25th March 2022

  Barely a year after the publication of the Integrated Review, the UK MoD now finds itself observing a major conflict in Europe, and it will have to draw conclusions on what this means for force structures and presence.

• Digital Battlespace

  Ultra-small mission computer addresses SWaP constraints

  15th March 2022

  A new ultra-small form factor rugged mission computer can be used in diverse defence and aerospace applications, says developer Curtiss-Wright.

• Land Warfare

  Singapore Airshow 2022: Mystery customer in Asia orders BNET

  15th February 2022

  An unnamed Asian army is to receive software-defined radios from Rafael, with deliveries starting this year.

• Land Warfare

  DE&S picks Ricardo for Project LTMP Heavy

  11th February 2022

  Ricardo is providing up to six ‘low technological, high-mobility’ platforms for experiments with the British Army.

• Land Warfare

  US CATV approaches end of test phase

  25th January 2022

  Trials with the BAE Systems Beowulf and the Oshkosh Defense/ST Engineering Bronco 3 will be concluded by the end of January 2022.

• Air Warfare

  Pakistan receives a first batch of J-10 fighters

  14th March 2022

  China achieved its first sale of J-10 fighters last year, to its closest ally across the Karakoram Mountains.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Titan-B

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAV (Colombia)

  Programme Background Many of the Colombian military's UAVs are operated by the Colombian Air Force, but the Colombian Army has also employed several different types ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Titan-C

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Colombia M113A3

  Programme Background The Colombian Army currently operates 54 M113A1 and M113A2 APCs, which are divided among two mechanised infantry battalions and a training school. Known ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Surplus M1117 Guardian ASV (Colombia)

  Programme Background The Colombian Army has requested surplus M1117s to assist with counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics operations. Due to a lack of armoured vehicles suitable for ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  PETEF - Light Tactical Vehicles

  The Colombian MoD has not outlined how many new patrol vehicles will be needed to equip all seven of the light cavalry groups, nor how ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle (Colombia - Forecast)

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  PETEF - LAV III (Colombia)

  Programme Background Since the replacement of the M113 is understood to be a priority for the Colombian Army, it is anticipated that a contract could ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle (Colombia - Announced)

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Coelum (Colombia)

  Programme Background Testing Colombian Aeronautical Industry Cooperation (CIAC) was working on a project called Dron Coelum X-001. In late 2020, the CIAC tested a redesigned prototype of the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  PETEF - Tracked IFV

  Since a programme to procure a tracked IFV has yet to be launched by the Colombian Army, it is unclear how many tracked IFVs could ...

• Tanks

  PETEF - MBT

  The Colombian Army has evaluated several offers for MBT platforms in the past, though none of these have progressed to the formal contract stage. For ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Kfir Replacement (Colombia)

  Programme Background In May 2021, budget constraints prompted new Colombian finance minister José Manuel Restrepo (in post since 3 May) to place on indefinite hold ...

• Frigates

  Plataforma Estratégica de Superficie (PES) - Frigate Acquisition Programme [Colombia]

  Programme Background The replacement of the existing ageing Almirante Padilla-class frigates was first initiated in 2015. The predecessors, built by Germany's Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) have been in service ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Type 206/209 Replacement (PLOTEOS) [Colombia]

  The 2042 "Plan de Desarrollo Naval" (Naval Development Plan) outlines the intention to procure four new SSKs for the Colombian Navy. Saab, Navantia and Naval ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Titan

  Blindex developed the Titan series of APCs to provide the Colombian Army with an affordable means of transporting large numbers of troops for internal security ...

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

  Quimbaya X-003

  The Quimbaya X-003 is a Colombian fixed-wing UAV designed and developed by the Colombian Aeronautical Industry Corporation (CIAC). Reportedly, following evaluation tests in late 2023, ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  M1117 Guardian ASV

  In December 1995, the US Army selected a design based on the Textron ASV 150 to provide the military police with a vehicle that combined ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Coelum

  Manufactured by Corporación de la Industria Aeronáutica Colombiana (CIAC), the Coelum is a mini UAV that is fitted with a 40x zoom EO/IR camera payload for ISR missions.  The ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  PRC-710

  The PRC-710 is a VHF/FM voice and data handheld radio with COMSEC and ECCM capabilities. Designed in response to emerging combat requirements, the PRC-710 is ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  LPR 40 MKII

  The LPR acts as a command boat for the group of tactical riverine combat boats operated by the Colombian Marine Corps. It is equipped with ...

• EO/IR systems, Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  SERO 250

  The SERO 250 is a compact submarine periscope that can be installed in both new-build and upgraded boats. Little or no structural modifications are required ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  SCTV

  The Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicle (SCTV), developed by Textron Marine & Land Systems and Granite Tactical Vehicles, is an upgrade solution for the AM General ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Airmor

  Airmor is an autonomous modular countermeasure SPS designed for helicopters and transport aircraft. Airmor’s core components are IMI’s management control unit (MCU), which processes information ...

• OPVs

  OPV 93C

  The OPV 93C is an offshore patrol vessel designed and developed by Cotecmar. The Colombian Navy ordered one platform in November 2022 and one in ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 500

  The MD 500 is a single-engine light helicopter derived from the Hughes OH-6A Cayuse developed for the US Army in the early 1960s and the ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  SandCat

  The 4x4 SandCat family of vehicles was designed by Israeli armour specialist Plasan Sasa in 2005 for a range of military, special operations, homeland security, ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Type 209/1200

  The Type 209/1200 diesel-electric submarine is a variant of the Type 209 submarine designed by the German company Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft exclusively for the export market. ...

• Naval guns

  OTO Strales/Davide

  The OTO Strales represents the second iteration of the OTO 76/62mm Super Rapido gun from Leonardo. The weapon, which is in service with the Italian ...

• 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 ...