• Defence Notes

  North Korea conducts spectacular volley of missile tests

  3rd February 2022

  In the space of a month, North Korea fired more missiles in January than it did in all of 2021.

• Land Warfare

  Future of MRV-P remains unclear

  6th December 2021

  Procurement of the Multi-Role Vehicle – Protected was not mentioned in the recent Future Soldier plan or the earlier Integrated Review, but the MoD claims that plans have not yet been finalised.

• Land Warfare

  Lithuania receives enough Boxers for battalion-sized unit

  10th January 2022

  Deliveries of the Vilkas IFV to Lithuania have been unaffected by delays to the programme, and the defence ministry expects to receive a final batch of vehicles by the end of 2022.

• Training

  German Army to use wireless AGDUS for combat training

  3rd December 2021

  New AGDUS passive vehicle training systems from Rheinmetall will be used by the German Army in its Combat Training Centre

• Land Warfare

  Australia inks its largest ever Asian military contract

  13th December 2021

  The Australian Army will be receiving its first self-propelled howitzers, which will be assembled domestically.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2021: PEO STRI hails ‘Team Orlando’

  2nd December 2021

  I/ITSEC delegates heard details of how the US Army is innovating a complex portfolio of modernisation programmes.

• Air Warfare

  Podcast: Critical Care episode 1 - The benefits of aircraft sustainment

  15th December 2021

  Welcome to Episode 1 of Shephard Studio’s Critical Care podcast, the story of military aircraft sustainment and support in an unpredictable world.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2021: MOSA and STE shape the future of US Army training

  3rd December 2021

  Modular open source architecture forms the backbone of PEO STRI programmes.

• Air Warfare

  Bangladesh Army seeks attack helicopters

  1st December 2021

  There are requirements for new helicopters in all three armed services in Bangladesh.

• Land Warfare

  Rangers in focus as British Army transformation plans unveiled

  25th November 2021

  The British Army’s new Ranger Regiment was in the spotlight on 25 November as UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace detailed to Parliament plans to transform the structure of the service.

• Digital Battlespace

  Zero Trust becomes an essential weapon against cyber attacks

  6th December 2021

  The DoD aims in December 2021 to begin rolling out Zero Trust architecture, as it moves away from network-centric to data-centric security models.

• Training

  I/ITSEC 2021: Marathon touts flexible ranges to improve readiness

  30th November 2021

  Marathon is looking to push its AI-driven targets as a solution to reduce costs, improve training realism and change the mentality around range training.

• Land Warfare

  Portuguese Army receives final armoured vehicles under multiyear programme

  25th November 2021

  Urovesa has completed the delivery of 139 armoured vehicles in various configurations to the Portuguese Army.

• Land Warfare

  Bangladesh receives VT5 tanks plus other equipment

  24th November 2021

  Light tanks, MANPADS, air defence radars, reconnaissance vehicles and amphibious tanks have all been on Bangladesh's shopping list of late.

• Naval Warfare

  Chinese navy commissions second LHD

  7th January 2022

  China's phenomenal naval shipbuilding continues, with a Type 075 LHD commissioned and construction proceeding of the Type 003 aircraft carrier.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Titan-B

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• Military UAS - small

  Small UAV (Colombia)

  Programme Background Many of the Colombian military's UAVs are operated by the Colombian Air Force, but the Colombian Army has also employed several different types ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Titan-C

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  Colombia M113A3

  Programme Background The Colombian Army currently operates 54 M113A1 and M113A2 APCs, which are divided among two mechanised infantry battalions and a training school. Known ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Surplus M1117 Guardian ASV (Colombia)

  Programme Background The Colombian Army has requested surplus M1117s to assist with counter-insurgency and counter-narcotics operations. Due to a lack of armoured vehicles suitable for ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  PETEF - Light Tactical Vehicles

  The Colombian MoD has not outlined how many new patrol vehicles will be needed to equip all seven of the light cavalry groups, nor how ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle (Colombia - Forecast)

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  PETEF - LAV III (Colombia)

  Programme Background Since the replacement of the M113 is understood to be a priority for the Colombian Army, it is anticipated that a contract could ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Secure Personnel Transport Vehicle (Colombia - Announced)

  Programme Background Colombia is understood to have a requirement for as many as 100 APCs capable of carrying up to 20 troops and protecting their ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Coelum (Colombia)

  Programme Background Testing Colombian Aeronautical Industry Cooperation (CIAC) was working on a project called Dron Coelum X-001. In late 2020, the CIAC tested a redesigned prototype of the ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  PETEF - Tracked IFV

  Since a programme to procure a tracked IFV has yet to be launched by the Colombian Army, it is unclear how many tracked IFVs could ...

• Tanks

  PETEF - MBT

  The Colombian Army has evaluated several offers for MBT platforms in the past, though none of these have progressed to the formal contract stage. For ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Kfir Replacement (Colombia)

  Programme Background In May 2021, budget constraints prompted new Colombian finance minister José Manuel Restrepo (in post since 3 May) to place on indefinite hold ...

• Frigates

  Plataforma Estratégica de Superficie (PES) - Frigate Acquisition Programme [Colombia]

  Programme Background The replacement of the existing ageing Almirante Padilla-class frigates was first initiated in 2015. The predecessors, built by Germany's Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) have been in service ...

• Naval: Combat Management Systems

  Naval: Combat Management Systems | Type 206/209 Replacement (PLOTEOS) [Colombia]

  The 2042 "Plan de Desarrollo Naval" (Naval Development Plan) outlines the intention to procure four new SSKs for the Colombian Navy. Saab, Navantia and Naval ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Titan

  Blindex developed the Titan series of APCs to provide the Colombian Army with an affordable means of transporting large numbers of troops for internal security ...

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

  Quimbaya X-003

  The Quimbaya X-003 is a Colombian fixed-wing UAV designed and developed by the Colombian Aeronautical Industry Corporation (CIAC). Reportedly, following evaluation tests in late 2023, ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  M1117 Guardian ASV

  In December 1995, the US Army selected a design based on the Textron ASV 150 to provide the military police with a vehicle that combined ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - mini

  Coelum

  Manufactured by Corporación de la Industria Aeronáutica Colombiana (CIAC), the Coelum is a mini UAV that is fitted with a 40x zoom EO/IR camera payload for ISR missions.  The ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  PRC-710

  The PRC-710 is a VHF/FM voice and data handheld radio with COMSEC and ECCM capabilities. Designed in response to emerging combat requirements, the PRC-710 is ...

• Fast attack/patrol craft and interceptors

  LPR 40 MKII

  The LPR acts as a command boat for the group of tactical riverine combat boats operated by the Colombian Marine Corps. It is equipped with ...

• EO/IR systems, Sea: optronic masts and periscopes

  SERO 250

  The SERO 250 is a compact submarine periscope that can be installed in both new-build and upgraded boats. Little or no structural modifications are required ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  SCTV

  The Survivable Combat Tactical Vehicle (SCTV), developed by Textron Marine & Land Systems and Granite Tactical Vehicles, is an upgrade solution for the AM General ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Airmor

  Airmor is an autonomous modular countermeasure SPS designed for helicopters and transport aircraft. Airmor’s core components are IMI’s management control unit (MCU), which processes information ...

• OPVs

  OPV 93C

  The OPV 93C is an offshore patrol vessel designed and developed by Cotecmar. The Colombian Navy ordered one platform in November 2022 and one in ...

• Military helicopters - scout/light attack

  MD 500

  The MD 500 is a single-engine light helicopter derived from the Hughes OH-6A Cayuse developed for the US Army in the early 1960s and the ...

• Reconnaissance/patrol vehicles

  SandCat

  The 4x4 SandCat family of vehicles was designed by Israeli armour specialist Plasan Sasa in 2005 for a range of military, special operations, homeland security, ...

• Submarines: conventional, attack

  Type 209/1200

  The Type 209/1200 diesel-electric submarine is a variant of the Type 209 submarine designed by the German company Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft exclusively for the export market. ...

• Naval guns

  OTO Strales/Davide

  The OTO Strales represents the second iteration of the OTO 76/62mm Super Rapido gun from Leonardo. The weapon, which is in service with the Italian ...

• 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 ...