• Digital Battlespace

  USAF takes delivery of third SBIRS satellite

  1st July 2013

  The US Air Force has taken delivery of the third of four Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) satellite payloads as part of its Space Based Infrared …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US details French Reaper purchase ahead of Mali ops

  1st July 2013

  The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has progressed with plans to sell 16 MQ-9 Reaper UAVs to France as the European nation considers deploying …

• Defence Helicopter

  First USAF Ospreys arrive in UK

  30th June 2013

  The first US Air Force Special Operations Command CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft to be permanently based in the UK have arrived at RAF Mildenhall, England. …

• Military Logistics

  Israel’s first C-130J Super Hercules inches closer

  28th June 2013

  The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has moved a step closer to operating its first C-130J Super Hercules airlifter following a ceremony to mark Lockheed Martin’s …

• Naval Warfare

  BAE Systems announces US Navy Mk 41 VLS contract

  28th June 2013

  BAE Systems will advance the development of the US Navy’s Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) under a new $91.4 million contract announced on 27 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Chemring to develop EW solution for Australian market

  27th June 2013

  Chemring Australia will develop an Australian-designed, manufactured and supported Electronic Attack solution under a new grant awarded by the Australian government. The $3.07 million Priority …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing starts up KC-46A tanker aircraft production

  27th June 2013

  Boeing has begun production of the KC-46A aerial refuelling tanker for the US Air Force, with the first wing spar loaded at the company’s facilities …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Aeryon UAVs complete public safety trials

  27th June 2013

  Aeryon Labs has announced that its Scout and SkyRanger small unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAS) have recently taken part in trials conducted by the US Department …

• Defence Helicopter

  Lockheed Martin to support US Army helicopters

  26th June 2013

  Lockheed Martin will provide field and sustainment-level maintenance for US Army helicopters under a new contract awarded by the US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal. …

• Defence Helicopter

  First Italian Army ICH-47F Chinook takes flight

  26th June 2013

  The first ICH-47F Chinook built for the Italian Army has successfully accomplished its maiden flight in Vergiate, Italy. AgustaWestland said the 24 June flight saw …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rockwell Collins technologies used in RQ-21A tests

  25th June 2013

  When the US Navy’s RQ-21A Integrator Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) completed its first flight tests at sea recently, technologies provided by Rockwell Collins …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sense and avoid sensor for UAVs makes progress

  25th June 2013

  Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has conducted the second airborne demonstration of its prototype radar Airborne Sense and Avoid (ABSAA) sensor for UAVs. The company reported …

• Defence Helicopter

  Thailand seeks UH-72A Lakota helicopters

  25th June 2013

  The government of Thailand has expressed interest in acquiring the UH-72A Lakota helicopter from the US government at an estimated cost of $77 million. The …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to work on GPS solution for USAF

  24th June 2013

  Northrop Grumman will continue work to improve geo-registration accuracy for positioning and pointing applications for the US Air Force under a phase two inertial navigation …

• Defence Notes

  UK cements second place in global defence exports

  21st June 2013

  UK defence and security exports have increased by £3.5bn to £11bn between 2011 and 2012, making it the second largest exporter behind the US. According …

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 ...

• EO/IR systems

  CM262

  Manfuaucted by AVT Australia, the CM262 is a ground-based imaging system combining four sensor configurations into a compact and ruggedised system for C-UAS and ISR ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...