• Air Warfare

  Checkmate marks latest Russian move in AI-centric fighter design

  21st July 2021

  There was razzmatazz at MAKS-2021 as Sukhoi lifted the lid on Checkmate with the export market in mind.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall and Escribano showcase new modules for the Mission Master SP A-UGV

  10th August 2021

  Spanish Army witnesses demonstrations of Mission Master with Escribano remote weapon station and EO sensor.

• Air Warfare

  Marshall passes maintenance milestone for USMC

  6th July 2021

  First USMC KC-130J to be upgraded under 2020 contract returns to its squadron.

• Land Warfare

  UK Ajax viability in question

  26th July 2021

  As more information emerges about the problems with the Ajax armoured reconnaissance vehicle, doubts at the official, military and political level are increasing about whether it can be delivered.

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell puts faith in FARA redesign

  23rd August 2021

  As a FARA flyoff edges closer Bell has made a key design change to the 360 Invictus, one it hopes can produce a competitive advantage over Sikorsky.

• Air Warfare

  AARGM-ER developer has next milestone in its sights

  4th August 2021

  AARGM-ER is scheduled to achieve IOC on USN Super Hornets in September 2023 — and Northrop Grumman also continues to work on the surface-launched AReS variant.

• Land Warfare

  Tempo continues on VBL Ultima and Hornet production

  23rd July 2021

  Efforts are stepping up to provide 800 enhanced VBL vehicles for the French Army and new remote weapon stations for vehicles in the Scorpion programme

• Air Warfare

  US approves Hellenic F-16 fleet upgrades

  4th August 2021

  An FMS has been approved by the US State Department for F-16 support and equipment to be delivered to Greece.

• Land Warfare

  Venezuela refurbishes legacy vehicles to maintain army capabilities

  12th July 2021

  Starved of funding, the Venezuelan Army is repairing and refurbishing obsolete Western-supplied vehicle fleets to maintain a meaningful capability.

• Air Warfare

  India requests Harpoon equipment

  4th August 2021

  Harpoon Joint Common Test Set would join ten AGM-84L Harpoon Block IIs previously requested by India under the FMS programme.

• Land Warfare

  State Department approves Javelin sale to Thailand

  2nd August 2021

  Thailand may receive Javelin antitank missiles to replace decades-old 106mm recoilless rifles.

• Land Warfare

  Italy to upgrade army support capabilities

  17th August 2021

  The latest Italian defence multi-year plan has identified key areas across the Army's support capabilities that need to be modernised.

• Land Warfare

  IDEF 2021: Turkish Armoured Vehicle Procurement (Defence Insight analysis)

  13th August 2021

  The growing domestic industrial base in Turkey is capable of delivering several armoured vehicle programmes — but stumbling blocks remain, especially with the difficult Altay MBT programme.

• Defence Notes

  US persists with efforts to harness hydrogen

  2nd August 2021

  Research teams in the US military and industry are looking to prove the practical benefits of using hydrogen fuel cells.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania receives JLTVs

  18th August 2021

  The Lithuanian Armed Forces are introducing their first batch of 50 JLTVs following delivery from US manufacturer Oshkosh.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  ARV (USMC)

  Programme Background The ARV constitutes one component of a wider USMC effort to develop an interconnected network of manned and unmanned platforms more suited to ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV (US - USMC)

  Programme Background The Armored Combat Vehicle (ACV) programme is intended to provide a replacement for the USMC's fleet of Amphibious Assault Vehicle 7 (AAV7) tracked ...

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

  Medium Range/Medium Endurance (MR/ME) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• Military helicopters - maritime, Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-53K - US Navy

  Programme Background The Marine Corps is replacing its aging CH-53E helicopters with the CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter. Designed as an evolution of the CH-53E, the CH-53K ...

• Military helicopters - multirole

  UH-1Y Venom (Czechia)

  Programme Background Czech Armed Forces intended to use the UH-1Y Venom helicopters in various missions including utility, search and rescue, aerial reconnaissance, air-to-ground support and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Large ULS-A / Aerial Logistics Connector (ALC) [USMC]

  Programme Background US Marine ULS-A programmes The US Marines are seeking a family of Unmanned Logistics Systems-Air (ULS-A), which will provide logistics and ground units with ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Belgium Jaguar Medium Common Armoured Vehicle Platform

  Programme Background In its Strategic Vision for Defence document published in June 2016, the Belgian MoD outlined its aspirations for equipping five motorised manoeuvre battalions ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Belgium Griffon Light Common Armoured Vehicle Platform

  Programme Background In its Strategic Vision for Defence document published in June 2016, the Belgian MoD outlined its aspirations for equipping five motorised manoeuvre battalions ...

• Loitering munitions

  Long-Range Attack Munition (LRAM) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. The update to ...

• Loitering munitions

  Organic Precision Fire - Light (OPF-L) [USMC]

  Programme Background Force Design 2030 The USMC Force Design 2030 is a modernisation effort to create a lighter, more agile maritime force. In May 2022, an annual ...

• Military UAS - small

  RQ-21A Blackjack / STUASLO - Replacement Units (USMC)

  Programme Background Joint USN and USMC Procurment The RQ-21 Blackjack, or STUALSO, was a combined United States Navy (USN) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) programme ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1Z

  In issuing the Force Design 2030 report into the future direction of the USMC, the corps is attempting to steer the course of its development, ...

• Military helicopters - light/training

  TH-73 Advanced Helicopter Training System - AHTS (TH-57 Replacement)

  Contenders for the competition included the Leonardo single engine TH-119 – a military variant of the AW119Kx – and Bell’s newly upgraded single engine 407GXi. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Expeditionary (MUX) (Increment 1) [USMC]

  Programme Background All-in-One UAV Since 2016, the USMC has wished to acquire a UAV that could be deployed from a vessel, be used for various missions, ...

• Fighter - naval

  F-35B Follow-On UK

  Programme Background  The forthcoming UK Integrated Foreign Policy and Defence Review will shed further light on whether changes to the UK F-35B programme are to ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• EO/IR systems

  ATARS

  Operational on USMC F/A-18s, the Advanced Tactical Airborne Reconnaissance System (ATARS) provides high-resolution imagery for real/near-real time reconnaissance and can perform strike and bomb damage ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  ACV

  BAE Systems teamed with Iveco Defence to offer a version of Iveco Defence Vehicle's Superav for the USMC's Armored Combat Vehicle Phase 1 Increment 1 ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  JAB

  The US Army is leading the Joint Assault Bridge (JAB) project to replace legacy M60A1-based bridge launchers in service with itself and USMC with an M1-based ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Jaguar EBRC

  The Jaguar Armored Reconnaissance and Combat Vehicle (EBRC) is a 6x6 armoured reconnaissance vehicle manufactured by a consortium formed of Nexter Systems, Arquus (formerly Renault Trucks Defense) and ...

• Military UGVs

  XM1216 SUGV

  The XM1216 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) is a tactical system that can enter and secure areas that are either inaccessible or too dangerous for ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Flyer 60 ALSV

  General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS), in partnership with Flyer Defense, developed the Flyer 60 Advanced Light Strike Vehicle (ALSV) in parallel with the ...

• Armoured engineer vehicles

  M1150 ABV

  The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) project, launched by the USMC in 2002, is a joint programme to meet the requirements of both the US ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Commando Elite

  The 4x4 Commando Elite is an improved derivative of Textron's M1117 Armored Security Vehicle which offers improved mobility, lethality and survivability. The Canadian Army chose ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  Type 82

  The Type 82 command and communications vehicle was developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to perform specialised roles for the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) such ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  LTMPAV Dino 519

  The LTMPAV Dino 519 is an armored vesion of Concept's Dino 319.

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  Cottonmouth

  The Cottonmouth is a purpose-built 6x6 amphibious reconnaissance vehicle designed by Textron Systems to meet the requirements of the USMC's Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) programme. It ...

• Land: RWS

  LW30/RS6

  The LW30 (since rebranded RS6) is part of the Protector RWS family developed by Kongsberg. Designed to carry a heavier armament than earlier Protector systems, ...

• Crew-served assault/anti-tank weapons

  SMAW Mod 0

  Developed to meet the requirements of the USMC, the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW), introduced in 1984, is a development of the IMI B-300. Its ...

• Land: manned turrets

  GD30

  General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has developed a two-person turret designed to accommodate the Northrop Grumman Mk44S Bushmaster II 30mm cannon. Called the GD30, little ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  AH-1W SuperCobra

  Bell’s AH-1W SuperCobra attack helicopter was developed from the AH-1T for the USMC. It has been in service since 1986 to the present day, first ...