• Defence Notes

  Five Czech soldiers wounded in Afghanistan attack: ministry

  18th October 2018

  Five Czech soldiers have been injured in an attack in Afghanistan only two months after three others were killed, the Czech defence ministry said on …

• Special Operations

  NATO to create special aviation programme

  10th October 2018

  NATO has announced that Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a Multinational Special Aviation Programme. As part of …

• Land Warfare

  British NATO troops to show post-Brexit 'commitment'

  10th October 2018

  A convoy of British troops landed in The Netherlands on Wednesday en route to NATO's largest exercise since the Cold War, pledging London's commitment to …

• Military Logistics

  Lithuania receives new Unimog trucks

  16th October 2018

  The Lithuanian armed forces have received a new batch of 54 Unimog U5000 trucks from Daimler, the Lithuania Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 12 …

• Defence Notes

  NATO flexes muscles in show of strength to Russia

  9th October 2018

  NATO's largest exercise since the end of the Cold War will see 50,000 troops deploy into the first snows of a Norwegian winter to show …

• Training

  Saab to expand Poland's Gamer LSS

  15th October 2018

  Saab has received an order to expand Poland's General Tadeusz Kosciuszko Military University of Land Forces’ (AWL's) fully-instrumented, Gamer laser-based training capability (LSS), the company …

• Naval Warfare

  JS Atago completes Aegis combat system test

  19th September 2018

  The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has successfully used an upgraded Aegis combat system to test its ballistic missile defence (BMD) capabilities. The Japanese Flight Test …

• Defence Notes

  Euronaval 2018: Spectre of Russian, Chinese expansion looms over naval planners

  23rd October 2018

  The twin spectres of China and Russia formed a regularly invoked backdrop to proceedings at the Euronaval conference on 22 October, as senior European naval …

• Defence Notes

  Belgium to buy F-35 fighters in blow to EU defence

  25th October 2018

  Belgium said Thursday it had chosen to buy US-made F-35 stealth warplanes over the Eurofighter Typhoon, which critics call a blow to the EU's bid …

• Training

  NFTC training device upgrades

  18th October 2018

  Originally signed in May 1998, the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) programme has been highly successful and is likely …

• Land Warfare

  US Army to procure BONUS precision-guided munitions

  12th October 2018

  The US Army is procuring BAE Systems’ Bofors 155mm BONUS ammunition through a contract with the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. The latest version of …

• Defence Helicopter

  BAE Systems introduces Smart D2 system

  12th October 2018

  BAE Systems has developed a new next-generation threat management technology, Smart D2, designed to dispense countermeasures and defend military aircraft, the company announced on 8 …

• Military Logistics

  Trident Juncture tests NATO’s logistics model

  30th October 2018

  NATO’s Trident Juncture 18 in Norway marks the first use of the alliance’s Joint Logistics Support Group (JLSG) in a live exercise, bringing a range …

• Training

  Mixed reality training systems for T-38C programme

  11th October 2018

  FlightSafety and Global Simulation have received a contract to provide ten mixed reality training systems for the T-38C programme, FlightSafety announced on 9 October. The …

• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2018: Profense confirms minigun testing success

  12th October 2018

  Small arms manufacturer Profense has confirmed that testing of its PF556 minigun has been successful and the company is now setting its sights on low …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMD-4M

  Programme Background Since 2017, 11 battalion sets of the BMD-4M have been delivered to units of the VDV in addition to 27 located at the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BTR-MDM Rakushka

  Programme Background Since 2016, 11 battalion sets of BTR-MDMs are known to have been delivered to units of the VDV in addition to 12 platforms ...

• Tanks

  2S25 Sprut-SDM1

  Programme Background The Sprut-SDM1 is an upgraded version of the Sprut-SD, a mere 30 of which were produced for the VDV between 2006 and 2010 ...

• Destroyers

  Maya Class (27DDG) (1-2) [Japan]

  Programme Background The 27DD Maya class destroyers were previously known as the Improved Atago class because they are an addition to the existing two Atago-class destroyers that have entered service. ...

• AEW&C

  Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  Programme Background NATO’s E-3A AWACS fleet is set to retire in 2035, after 50 years of service. To plan for the required follow-on capability, NATO's ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Data links

  Data links | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (1-6) [NATO]

  NATO is estimated to procure up to 18 AEW aircraft under the Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) programme to replace the current E-3 Sentry fleet when ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - small

  Small VTOL UAV (Denmark)

  Programme Background 2020 Tender In January 2018, Denmark's three main political parties signed the Danish Defence Agreement, a cross-party defence white paper covering the period ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Greece)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) - (Italy)

  Programme Background EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) EU Next Generation Rotorcraft Technologies Project (ENGRT) was announced in early 2022 and the project contract was awarded ...

• ISR/special mission

  EC-37B Compass Call [USAF]

  Programme Background Requirement The retirement of the EF-111A in 1990 left the USAF largely out of the operational and tactical level radar jamming business. Lockheed Martin ...

• Fighter - multirole

  MiG-35 (Russia)

  The MiG-35 is a new-generation derivative of the twin-engine MiG-29 (NATO code-name ‘Fulcrum’) featuring multi-role combat capabilities, significantly reworked airframe and a vastly expanded arsenal ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Multirole Underwater Seabed Surveillance Ship (MU3S) [Italy]

  In June 2024, during a presentation provided at the NATO Maritime Security Centre of Excellence (MARSEC COE), the Italian Navy detailed the new capabilities it ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Major networking projects

  Ballistic Missile Defence

  In early 2010, NATO acquired the first phase of an initial theatre ballistic missile defence capability to protect alliance forces. 

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMD-2

  Between 1,000 and 2,000 BMD-2 (Boevaya Mashina Desantnaya - Airborne Combat Vehicle) amphibious IFVs were produced for the Soviet Airborne Forces (VDV) by the Volgograd ...

• Deployable/static missile systems

  Aegis Ashore

  Aegis Ashore is the first operational land-based version of the Aegis Combat System originally developed by Lockheed Martin for the US Navy's Ballistic Missile Defence ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMD-4M

  The BMD-4M is based on the BMD-4, which has been in the Russian Army's airborne forces (VDV) service since 2004. It was developed to provide an ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BMD-1

  The Volgograd Tractor Plant (now known as the Volgograd Machine-Building Company) developed the BMD-1 amphibious IFV specifically to meet the requirements of the Soviet Union's ...

• Land: battle management systems

  BMD-Flex

  BMD-Flex is a modular C2 software system for integrated air and missile defence. Built on T-Core, BMD-Flex’s features and functions can be tailored, ranging from ...

• Sea: naval surveillance radar

  Smart-L MM/N

  The Thales Smart-L MM/N is an AESA D-band next-generation Long Range Multi-Mission Radar for Air and Space Surveillance and Ballistic Missile Detection. It is based ...

• Land: manned turrets

  Bereg

  KBP developed the Bereg one-person turret (referred to as a ‘combat module’ in Russia) to provide an upgrade option for the Russian-designed BMD-series airborne IFV ...

• Land: manned turrets

  Bakhcha

  The Bakhcha is the latest version of the two-man turret originally developed for the BMP-3 tracked IFV, which entered Soviet Army service in 1987.  It ...

• Cannons

  2A70

  The 2A70 is a 100mm cannon that has been designed to equip infantry fighting vehicles, including the BMP-3, BMP-3F and the BMD-4M.

• Major networking projects

  NATO SATCOM

  Leonardo has been awarded a turnkey contract to rationalise and upgrade NATO’s SATCOM systems and associated infrastructure. The company will design, build, test, commission and ...

• Major networking projects

  NATO DCIS

  Airbus is delivering the NATO Deployable Communication and Information System (DCIS). The project represents a major upgrade in the capability of NATO Response Forces (NRF) ...

• Land: RWS

  Qimek NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS. The Qimek NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range day/night all-weather sights and a ...

• Land: RWS

  Nanuk NATO

  Rheinmetall's RWS family includes the Qimek single-weapon RWS and the Nanuk dual-weapon RWS, which was introduced in 2008. The Nanuk NATO combines full stabilisation, long-range ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  ZBD-03/VN10

  The ZBD-03 (initially referred to as the ZLC2000) is an air-droppable tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) designed to support airborne assault operations. Although it shares many ...