• Defence Helicopter

  MD 530F shipment arrives in Kabul

  27th June 2016

  A shipment of five additional rotorcraft from MD Helicopters arrived in the Afghan capital on 17 June.  The MD 530F Cayuse Warrior scout helicopters will …

• Land Warfare

  Raytheon to upgrade Kuwait's Patriots

  27th June 2016

  Raytheon has received a $523 million undefinitised contract action from the US Army to upgrade Kuwait's Patriot Air and Missile Defense Systems to the currently …

• Naval Warfare

  Taiwan airs impressive shipbuilding ambitions

  27th June 2016

  The Republic of China Navy (ROCN) Program Office recently announced in Taipei a major indigenous development programme spanning ten vessel types. It represents a desire …

• Defence Helicopter

  Sikorsky accepts T70 prototype

  24th June 2016

  Sikorsky has accepted the first T70 prototype helicopter from PZL Mielec as the Turkish Utility Helicopter Program (TUHP) gets underway The Turkish government plans to …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Crunch time for RQ-21A Blackjack

  24th June 2016

  The US Navy and US Marine Corps (USMC) is preparing for a busy few months as its newest small UAS, the RQ-21A Blackjack, is approved …

• Defence Helicopter

  Mi-38 engines enter production in Russia

  24th June 2016

  Russia has brought production of engines for the Mi-38 helicopter in-country, with the United Engine Corporation (UEC) starting serial production of new TV7-117V engines developed …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell V-280 gets elastomeric rotor bearings

  24th June 2016

  Lord Corporation has delivered the first ship-set of elastomeric rotor bearings to Bell Helicopter for the V-280 Valor Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR-TD) programme, it …

• Training

  Airbus D&S orders MRTT FFS

  24th June 2016

  Airbus Defence and Space has signed a contract with Indra for the development and supply of a Full Flight Simulator (FFS) for the A330 Multi Role …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Chinese V750 grows arms

  24th June 2016

  China’s military UAV efforts continue to advance, with the most recent revelation surrounding an armed version of the V750 rotary-winged platform. Photos on the Chinese …

• Training

  Bluedrop CH-148 training extended

  24th June 2016

  Bluedrop Training and Simulation has been awarded a $13 million contract by Sikorsky to provide training courseware and instructors for pilots and maintainers learning to …

• Defence Helicopter

  T129 hot and high in Pakistan

  24th June 2016

  Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has sent its T129 ATAK advanced attack and reconnaissance helicopter to Pakistan, at the request of the Pakistan Army Aviation Command …

• Training

  Hercules Training Center breaks ground

  23rd June 2016

  Lockheed Martin has broken ground for the Hercules Training Center (HTC), which will open at the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics site in Marietta, Georgia, in 2018, …

• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin wins SS-AISR task order

  23rd June 2016

  Lockheed Martin has received the $733 million Sensor Systems - Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (SS-AISR) task order from the US Army Contracting Command – …

• Training

  Saber Strike 16 conducted in Baltics

  23rd June 2016

  US Marine Corps (USMC) troops from Combat Logistics Regiment 2 out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and Black Sea Rotational Force based in Romania participated …

• Training

  HMAS Adelaide completes Exercise SEA EXPLORER

  23rd June 2016

  The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Adelaide has successfully completed Exercise Sea Explorer off the North Queensland coast, the service announced on 21 June. The Royal …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Data links

  Data links | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | M-346 FA [Brazil]

  Brazil is evaluating the procurement of up to 30 Leonardo M-346 light attack aircraft under a potential agreement with Italy, aimed at modernising its aerial ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390 [Brazil]

  Programme Background Requirement The aircraft deliveries were scheduled to start by the end of 2016 and continue over a period of ten years. However,  the first ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  C-130H Replacement [Sweden]

  Programme Background Requirements Sweden has five C-130H aircraft (designated Tp-84) and one KC-130H. Two C-130Es bought in the 1960s have retired, but the six H ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Chile]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated ...

• Fighter - multirole

  JAS 39E/F Gripen [Brazil]

  Background In 2016, Gripen’s Project and Development Center was opened in Sao Paulo to allow Sweedish and Brazillian engineers to work together in the Gripen ...

• Military helicopters - attack

  H145M [Brazil]

  Background  Brazilian leadership announced in February 2022 that the Sabre Mil Mi-35M Hind-E attack helicopters were being retired from active service. This decision came as a ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Colombia]

  Methodology Unit cost In 2024, the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) acquired one Hermes 900 for 50 million reais ($9.14 million), giving each drone an estimated gross ...

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

  Hermes 900 (5) [Brazil]

  Background First three batches (2014-2024) Across three purchases, Defence Insight estimates that Brazil has acquired five Hermes 900 UAVs. In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one ...

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

  Hermes 900 (1-4) [Brazil]

  Background First batch (2014) In 2014, Elbit reported supplying one Hermes 900 UAV to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The drone is called the RQ-900 in Brazilian ...

• Maritime patrol

  C295 add-on [Brazil]

  Programme Background  In 2014 Brazil signed a contracted for two additional C-295 SAR platforms with the option to acquire one additional platform. In 2018, reports ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Undisclosed European Country]

  Background Various Contracts On 18 November 2024, Elbit Systems announced it had awarded various contacts with a combined $335 million to an undisclosed European country. ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Air-to-surface missiles

  MAR-1

  The MAR-1 is a Brazilian air-to-surface anti-radiation missile (ARM) developed by Mectron in collaboration with the Aerospace Technology and Science Department (DCTA) of the Brazilian ...

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

  Harpia

  Described as the UAV with the most onboard technology in Latin America, Harpia is a multifunctional fixed-wing Brazilian drone developed by Advanced Technologies Security & Defence.  The Uruguayan ...

• 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 ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  TPTS

  Tactical Procedures Training Simulators (TPTS), operating with SWARM software, can be used to provide most core training elements to pilots or offload training tasks from ...

• Guided munitions

  SMKB (Smart-MK-Bomb)

  The Smart-MK-Bomb, or the SMKB, is a precision guidance kit developed by Mectron and designed to turn Mk 82 and Mk 83 bombs into guided munitions.

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  Albatroz Vortex

  The Albatroz Vortex from Stella Tecnologia is a development of the company's Albatroz UAV.  The key differentiator is that the Vortex is fitted with an ATJR ...

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

  Condor

  The Condor, or Atobá XR, is an in-development MALE-class UAV from Stella Technologia.  The development of the multi-role is tied to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), which has ...

• Trainer, Transport

  EMB-121 Xingu

  The EMB-121 Xingu is a twin-turboprop light transport and advanced multi-engine trainer aircraft developed by Embraer based on the EMB-110 Bandeirante. Its maiden flight was ...

• Land: battle management systems

  Arkhe Mission & Combat

  Launched in 2017, Atech's Arkhe Mission & Combat solutions offer a variety of solutions enabling operator to conduct missions from planning to execution and debriefing. It ...

• Transport/tanker aircraft

  KC-390/C-390 Millennium

  The KC-390 is a high-wing, twin-turbofan, T-tail design intended to meet the needs of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) for a tanker/transport aircraft. Developed and ...

• Fighter - air superiority

  F-5E/F Tiger II

  The F-5E (single-seat)/F (twin-seat) Tiger II is an air superiority fighter developed by Northrop Grumman based on the original F-5 Freedom Fighter. Production of the ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  H225M

  The medium-weight, 11t-class H225M (formerly known as the EC725) is the latest military Super Puma/Cougar family member.  Technical features include a modular design of mechanical ...

• EO/IR systems

  Skyward

  The SkyWard system is an advanced Infrared Search and Track (IRST) solution developed for next-generation airborne platforms, including 5th-generation fighter aircraft.  Designed with modularity in ...

• Land: air defence radar

  Saber M60

  The Saber M60 is a low-altitude air-defence radar developed by the Brazilian Army's CTEx (Army Technology Centre) in collaboration with Bradar, part of Embraer Defence ...

• Man-portable missile systems

  RBS 70 system

  The RBS 70 was developed in the 1970s to meet the Swedish Army’s requirement for a low-cost, easy-to-use MANPADS which could function in extreme climatic ...