• Defence Notes

  Doubt cast over UK MoD efficiencies

  18th December 2017

  The UK Defence Committee has expressed its lack of confidence in the Ministry of Defence's (MoD) ability to realise extensive efficiency targets essential for the …

• Naval Warfare

  Little let-up in South China Sea facility construction

  15th December 2017

  While tensions in the South China Sea were at a reduced level throughout 2017, China has not been sitting idle on its military outposts.  In …

• Naval Warfare

  First UK P-8s under contract

  22nd December 2017

  Christmas has come early for the UK as the US Department of Defense (DoD) announced that Boeing has been awarded the first production contract for …

• Special Operations

  Bahrain Special Forces master free-fall training

  13th December 2017

  In July 2017, the Bahrain Royal Guard Special Forces celebrated its tenth anniversary. For five of those years, Andrew Goodall, a former British Army Parachute …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Three selected for HALE UAV laser development

  11th December 2017

  Boeing has been awarded a $9 million contract for the phase one effort of the US Missile Defense Agency’s (MDA) Low Power Laser Demonstrator (LPLD) …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Four selected for US Army cargo carrying robots

  15th December 2017

  The US Army has selected four UGVs to enter Phase II of its Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET), it has been revealed. The selected entries …

• Land Warfare

  GDA 2017: Kuwait's M-84 up close and personal (video)

  13th December 2017

  With its mixed armoured vehicle fleet the Kuwait Army is reflective of the overall approach to defence purchases by the country, as new main battle …

• Land Warfare

  GDA 2017: Kuwait's Desert Warrior (video)

  12th December 2017

  Rarely seen at trade shows, Kuwait's Desert Warrior is the only foreign success story that emerged from the UK's Warrior IFV programme.  Taking the opportunity …

• Training

  Raytheon prepares for DoD cyber training

  20th December 2017

  Over recent years there has been much talk of developing cyber security training methodologies but few companies have brought forward any meaningful training processes or …

• Defence Notes

  GDA 2017: What's at the show (video)

  12th December 2017

  As the year comes to a close, the tri-service Gulf Defence and Aerospace exhibition gets underway in Kuwait with a strong static display outside the …

• Naval Warfare

  Canada boosts maritime fleet

  12th December 2017

  Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS), implemented in 2010, delivered some of its first fruits in December 2017 with the assembly of the first Arctic and …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Bangladeshi MALEs come under scrutiny

  21st December 2017

  The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) is seeking to join the ranks of nations operating a MALE UAV, with the release of an RfP for one …

• Naval Warfare

  GDA 2017: Lurssen highlights shipbuilding capabilities (video)

  13th December 2017

  Fresh from what some perceived as an unlikely victory in the Australian Sea 1180 programme, German ship designer and builder Lurssen arrived at Gulf Defence …

• Land Warfare

  GDA 2017: Nurol readies NMS 4x4 for production

  13th December 2017

  Turkish vehicle manufacturer Nurol Makina will wrap up qualification trials of its new NMS 4x4 vehicle early next year as it pursues initial customers for …

• Defence Helicopter

  Pakistan and USMC to procure AH-1Z gun turrets

  18th December 2017

  The Pakistan government and USMC are set to procure an arsenal of 41 A/A49E-7 (V4) gun turrets for their respective Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter fleets. Contractor General …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - mini, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Wolverine / Honeybadger [US]

  Programme Background During the Modern Day Marine (MDM) exhibition, held in Washington between 10-12 May 2022, XTEND announced it would supply hundreds of Wolverine platforms ...

• Military UAS - micro, Military UAS - rotary-wing

  Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) (Tranche 2) / Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) [USA]

  Programme Background The Rucksack Portable UAS (RPUAS) Programme The RPUAS programme will provide the battalion and below-ground manoeuvre elements within the US Army with an ...

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

  Short Range/Short Endurance (SR/SE) [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

  Warmate [Ukraine]

  Programme Background Ukraine placed an order for an undisclosed number of Warmate systems in 2017. Shepherd believes units acquired in this order later were utilised ...

• Special operations vehicles

  Ashok Leyland LBPV (India - Air Force)

  Programme Background The IAF created the Garud commando force in 2004 to protect its airbases, carry out combat search and rescue and conduct covert operations ...

• Minehunters

  Awaji Class

  Programme Background Two Awaji class mine countermeasures vessels (MCMV) were ordered from the Japanese shipyard Japan Marine United (JMU) for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) initially. ...

• OPVs

  Inlay Class (second OPV)

  Programme Background The Inlay class originally consists of a single OPV in service with the Myanmar Navy. However, a second Inlay-class OPV has been reported under construction since ...

• APCs/IFVs - 4x4

  Eagle V 4x4

  According to documents released by the Danish Ministry of Defence, a total of 233.6 million Danish Krone (US$34.669 million) were allocated to this programme. 62.1 ...

• OPVs

  Cyprus Second Sa'ar 62 OPV

  Programme BackgroundThe Republic of Cyrus' Ministry of Defence placed an order with Israel Shipyards for its first Sa'ar 62  OPV in December 2015 in a project valued ...

• Loitering munitions

  Warmate (2017) [Poland]

  Programme Background Order In November 2017, Poland ordered 100 sets of Warmate loitering munitions, each consisting of ten platforms, for a reported 100 million Polish Zloty ...

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

  HUSAR (2023 Order) [Germany]

  Programme Background First Order In 2015, the German Army launched the HUSAR programme to identify a replacement for its Airbus Defence & Space KZO and ...

• Landing platform docks/dock landing ships

  Makassar Class LPD (7)

  Indonesia signed a contract for $150 million for two LPDs in the Makassar class, KRI Makassar and KRI Surabaya, with South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering ...

• Patrol boats

  Rajshree Class (Flight II)

  Programme BackgroundThe Rajshree class is to consist of 13 FPVs built in two separate flights. Flight I saw construction begin in 2010 and all eight vessels ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MDM-HF

  The MDM-3001, MDM-2201 and MDM-2501 multi-mode HF data modems provide single-tone (serial) HF data communications capability in accordance with the requirements of MIL-STD-188-110A (para 5.3). ...

• Data links

  Link 11 DTS

  The programmable Data Terminal Set (DTS) uses real-time processor architectures and signal processing algorithms. It is designed for controlled network operation in a Link 11 ...

• APCs/IFVs - tracked

  BTR-MDM

  The BTR-MDM Rakushka is an amphibious tracked armoured vehicle developed by Kurganmashzavod to meet the Russian Airborne Forces' (VDV) need for a new air-droppable APC. ...

• Data links

  MDM-2X02N

  The MDM-2X02N is a tactical data link modem that combines the functionalities of a Link 11 DTS and Link 22 signal processor controller (SPC) into ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  MDM-Q9604

  Collins Aerospace’s MDM-Q9604 high-speed, high-data-rate HF modem is capable of transmitting data over a standard 3KHz single sideband at 9,600b/s or a 6kHz ISB at ...

• 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 ...

• EW test systems, Air: chaff, flare and decoy systems

  CAST-easy

  RUAG unveiled the Countermeasure Advanced System Test Equipment (CAST-easy) in 2017 earmarking it for the Panavia Tornado series of combat aircraft. The 2017 announcement stated ...

• Naval guns, Land: RWS

  Dragonfire

  Dragonfire is a new laser weapon system built for the UK MoD, receiving £30 million of funding in early 2017. The design of the gun ...

• Counter-UAS systems

  Drone Deterrence System

  First unveiled at the LIMA 2017 exhibition by Mitsubishi Electric, the Drone Deterrence System began to be developed in 2014 and made its first sale in ...

• Military - UUVs

  ThunderFish Alpha

  The ThunderFish Alpha (formerly DeDAvE) is an AUV designed for deep-sea military, commercial and scientific applications. In March 2017, Kraken announced a licensing agreement for ...

• Self-propelled mortars

  2S42 Lotos

  The 2S42 Lotos (Lotus) is a self-propelled artillery system that is being developed by Rostec subsidiary TsNIITochMash to replace the Russian VDV airborne forces' and ...

• Self-propelled rocket launchers

  Fletcher

  Arnold Defense, which has produced more than 1.1 million 2.75in/70mm rocket launchers for airborne applications since 1961, unveiled the Fletcher 2.75in/70mm Weapon System at the September ...

• Minehunters

  Kormoran II Class

  Three Kormoran II-class minehunters were budgeted for the Polish Navy in 2011, and a contract was placed for a prototype in 2013, with the first ...

• OPVs

  La Confiance Class (PLG)

  The La Confiance-class, also known as the Guyanese Light Patrol Vessel (PLG), in service with the French Navy, was designed by Bureau Mauric and built ...

• Submachine guns

  FN SCAR-SC

  FN Herstal unveiled the 5.56mm FN SCAR-SC (Subcompact Carbine), the newest member of the SCAR (SOF Combat Assault Rifle) family originally developed for the US ...