• Digital Battlespace

  DRS awarded RAN communications system contract

  25th March 2014

  DRS Technologies will supply the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) ANZAC-Class frigates with communications systems under a new contract announced on 25 March. The systems will …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Watchkeeper deployment to Afghanistan ‘unlikely’

  25th March 2014

  The British Army’s WK450 Watchkeeper is unlikely to be deployed to Afghanistan due to ‘significant delays’ to the programme, the UK House of Commons Defence …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Triton completes initial envelope expansion testing

  24th March 2014

  The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) under development by Northrop Grumman for the US Navy has completed its initial envelope expansion test programme, with …

• Digital Battlespace

  New P-8A operational flight trainers for US Navy

  21st March 2014

  In addition to new simulation system orders announced on 20 March, CAE has received a new order from Boeing and the US Navy to supply …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Brimstone integration on Reaper success, MBDA says

  21st March 2014

  MBDA has revealed details about the integration of the Dual-Mode Brimstone munition on board a UK Royal Air Force (RAF) MQ-9 Reaper UAV following a …

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall expects recovery of defence sales in 2014

  21st March 2014

  Rheinmetall has reported a lower group operating profit for 2013 compared to 2012 as defence sales have been affected by a challenging budget environment.  Operating …

• Naval Warfare

  Rheinmetall successfully demo’s MASS with Elta NavGuard

  21st March 2014

  Rheinmetall announced on 21 March that in cooperation with the German armed forces and IAI Elta it had successfully tested the Multi Ammunition Softkill System …

• Land Warfare

  GD-OTS confirms submission for ULCV

  21st March 2014

  The Flyer Gen III vehicle from General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) is being put forward for the US Army’s new Ultra Light Combat …

• Land Warfare

  New Afghan MSFV orders on hold

  21st March 2014

  Plans for additional Commando Select armoured vehicles for the Afghan National Army (ANA) are being put on hold until a bi-lateral US-Afghanistan security agreement is …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk Block 40 UAV delivered to USAF

  20th March 2014

  A second Global Hawk Block 40 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) ordered under Northrop Grumman’s Lot 10 contract has been delivered to the US Air Force …

• Land Warfare

  Elbit Systems wins MBT upgrade contract

  20th March 2014

  Elbit Systems will perform work to upgrade a number of systems on an unnamed Asia-Pacific customer’s main battle tank fleet under a new contract, worth …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Navy to study MH-53E engine fire risk

  20th March 2014

  The US Navy plans to award Sikorsky a contract to study ways to ‘reduce or eliminate’ the risk of engine-fires on its MH-53E Sea Dragon …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Army to increase Gray Eagle flight hours

  19th March 2014

  The US Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle UAS will be subject to a surge in flight hours upon its return from operations in Afghanistan to maintain …

• Defence Notes

  China becomes fourth-largest arms exporter

  18th March 2014

  China has become the world’s fourth largest weapons exporter amid continued growth in international arms sales, according to a new study by Sweden-based think-tank SIPRI.  …

• Military Logistics

  First KC-130J Tanker delivered to USMC Reserve

  18th March 2014

  The US Marine Corps Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 234 (VMGR-234) stationed at Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, has taken delivery of …

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 ...