• Land Warfare

  AUSA 2024 preview: Vehicles to take centre stage as competitions heat up

  3rd October 2024

  The Association of the US Army’s flagship conference and exhibition, the largest defence trade show in the US, returns on 14 October presenting one of the few chances for companies to publicly put their platforms to an audience of US decision-makers. Shephard takes a look at what’s in store for 2024.

• Land Warfare

  US Army set for Beowulf CATV first-year delivery milestone as Arctic threats mount

  1st August 2024

  Deliveries will enable the service to progress with the replacement of the ageing fleet of SUSVs.

• Air Warfare

  US State Department approves $1.9 billion Black Hawk sales for Sweden and Austria

  30th May 2024

  Foreign Military Sales (FMS) have been approved for 12 UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to both Sweden and Austria. The announcements follow the approval of 12 to Brazil on 24 May, Greece signing for the procurement 35 of the helicopters in April and FMS approval to Croatia for eight aircraft in January.

• Training

  German Navy takes delivery of ship handling trainer

  4th July 2024

  The system is designed to teach content in navigation, nautical law, military procedures, ship-handling and basic seamanship such as manoeuvring in port, towing or being towed.

• Land Warfare

  Challenger 3 programme promises capability upgrade as first delivery milestone approaches

  23rd August 2024

  The British Army’s Challenger 3 main battle tank (MBT) will replace existing Challenger 2s with a smaller but more capable fleet of vehicles with improved protection and notably a 120mm L55A1 smoothbore gun firing an Enhanced Kinetic Energy round. The programme is advancing rapidly with several hurdles cleared in the past year.

• Training

  Florida firm wins Bell 412 maintenance training contract in El Salvador

  2nd October 2024

  The deal, ECS’s 12th contract under the Enterprise Training Services Contract (ETSC) programme, will run from late-August 2024 to late-August 2025.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Specialist solutions: the growing importance of niche UAS in defence

  31st July 2024

  DARPA and Northrop Grumman outline plans for the XRQ-73 uncrewed aerial system with hybrid-electric power, which will join the growing ranks of highly specialist UAV designs.

• Land Warfare

  Germany orders $998 million in trucks and systems from Rhienmetall

  12th June 2024

  In June 2020, Germany’s Defence Procuremnt Agency (BAAINBw) concluded a framework contract with Rheinmetall which will run until 2027 for the delivery of up to 4,000 trucks with swap-body systems.

• Land Warfare

  Rheinmetall nets Denmark order for 16 Skyranger 30 turrets

  30th September 2024

  A prototype of the turret will be expected by late 2026, with deliveries scheduled for 2027–28. The order also included ammunition and additional vehicle equipment for an 8x8 wheeled platform.

• Land Warfare

  US Army orders 40 AMPVs under $184 million contract

  14th October 2024

  BAE Systems’ Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) was developed in response to a US Army requirement for a platform to replace M113s. The latest order is in addition to a full-rate production contract.

• Land Warfare

  US Army orders more than 200 Bradley A4 IFVs for $440 million

  14th September 2024

  The upgrades mean Bradleys could stay in service as far out as 2050. Plans are underway, however, to replace the type under the XM30 Mechanised Infantry Combat Vehicle requirement and more than 1,000 XM30s may be delivered by the mid-2030s.

• Naval Warfare

  Thales and FEBUS Optics unite to protect critical undersea infrastructure

  8th November 2024

  The marriage of two branches of undersea technical expertise is expected to bring saleable results for both companies.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy carrier ground control station conducts ‘first live control of a UAV’

  8th November 2024

  The US Navy (USN) used its MD-5 Ground Control Station (GCS) with Lockheed Martin’s MDCX autonomy platform to control a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) MQ-20 Avenger UAS.

• Air Warfare

  US approves $4.9 billion E-7 AEW&C sale to South Korea

  5th November 2024

  The purchase of the four aircraft will also include 10 CFM56 engines, alongside aircraft countermeasures, GPS navigation systems, and related logistic and programme support.

• Naval Warfare

  Israel-based Orbit sells quad-band satcom system into a NATO fleet

  31st October 2024

  The system is set to be installed on vessels across the course of 2025.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Maritime patrol

  Long Range Patrol Aircraft [The Philippines]

  Programme Background On 10 July 2023, Elbit Systems announced that it had secured a contract for two long-range patrol aircraft. Although the customer was not ...

• APCs/IFVs - 6x6

  6x6 APC (Philippines)

  Programme Background The Philippine Army has identified an urgent need for new wheeled APCs, after the Battle of Marawi exposed shortcomings in its existing fleet ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8, Tanks

  Tracked & Wheeled Light Tank (Philippines)

  Programme Background The decision to split the programme into a wheeled and a tracked element follows the belief of the Philippine Army that this will ...

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

  Magni-X (UK)

  Programme Background On 12 January 2022, Elbit Systems UK announced it had been awarded a contract from the UK MoD's Defence Equipment & Support's Future Capability ...

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

  Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project [UK]

  Programme Background Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Project The British Army launched the RAS project to provide the "direction required to exploit emerging technologies to ...

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

  Hermes 900 StarLiner [Switzerland]

  Programme Background Contract Information In September 2015, under the Reconnaissance Drone System 15 (ADS 15), the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (VBS) awarded ...

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

  Watchkeeper X [Romania]

  Programme Background 2021 In mid-2021, the Romanian manufacturer Aerostar signed a collaboration with U-TacS to produce the Watchkeeper X in Romania potentially. U-TacS is a ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Brazil]

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

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

  Hermes 900 [Thailand]

  Programme Background Requirement The Naval Acquisition Management Office (NAMO) of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) announced its intention to acquire one MALE UAV system comprising three ...

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

  Hermes 900 (Uganda)

  Programme Background In September 2018, The East African reported that Uganda had received 24 Hermes 900 platforms from Elbit Systems. Evidence of the platform being ...

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

  Hermes 900 [Israel]

  Programme Background Production In 2018, following the establishment of a joint venture between Elbit Systems and Adani Defence, the Adani Elbit UAV complex was inaugurated ...

• Trainer

  M-346 [Greece]

  Programme Background In April 2021, Elbit Systems was awarded a $1.65 billion contract to set up Hellenic Air Force International Flight Training Centre. The deal includes ...

• Military helicopters - transport/heavy lift

  CH-47F Chinook (Singapore)

  Programme Background In July 2020, photos have emerged on the internet of the first Boeing CH-47F Chinook destined for the Republic of Singapore Air Force ...

• APCs/IFVs - 8x8

  Romania Piranha V

  Programme Background The Romanian government has committed to raising defence spending to enable the country's armed forces to shed its Soviet-era equipment and to ensure ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Towed guns

  Soltam M-71

  Elbit Systems M-71 towed howitzer is a long-range field gun incorporating advanced artillery systems. It was originally built by Soltam but the company was purchased ...

• Air: fixed-wing flight simulators

  Tzofit Training Centre

  In June 2009, Elbit inaugurated the Beechcraft King Air B200 Tzofit Training Centre for IDF pilots. Elbit Systems serves as the project’s prime contractor, while ...

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

  Thor

  Thor is a VTOL mini-UAS manufactured by Elbit Systems. The platform is designed for ISR missions and features a real-time HD data link and unique ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  PNR-1000

  Part of the E-LynX family, the PNR-1000 IP radio supports up to 64-member ad-hoc networking including full-duplex voice conferencing, data and video simultaneously. As the newest generation ...

• Major networking projects

  ELBIT TIGER

  Tactical Intranet Geographic Dissemination in Real Time (TIGER) is a tactical communications system that integrates media, including legacy and narrowband channels, creating an end-to-end, unified ...

• Land: RWS

  Elbit UT50

  Announced in FQ4 2022, the Elbit UT50 is Elbit Systems of America's latest RWS mounted with a 50mm XM913 cannon. Elbit's development of a 50mm variant ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  IHADSS-21

  The Integrated Helmet and Display Sight System (IHADSS)-21, designed by Elbit Systems and Elbit Systems of America, allows AH-64 Apache helicopter crews to access the ...

• Tanks

  ASCOD MMBT

  GDELS unveiled the ASCOD Medium Main Battle Tank (MMBT), a 120mm-armed 42 tonne tank based on its tracked ASCOD IFV, at Eurosatory 2018.  The ASCOD MBBT ...

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

  Skylark I-eVTOL

  The Skylark I-eVTOL is, as its name suggests, an electric-powered VTOL capable development of the Skylark I. Manufactured by Elbit Systems, the drone can be controlled ...

• Land: Radio and SATCOM

  E-LynX MP Vehicular

  Elbit Systems' E-LynX MP (7200MP-VD55) is a dual-channel vehicular SDR that supports VHF, UHF and L-Band transmissions. The radio features VOIP and analogue interface support, Blue ...

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

  Skylark II

  The Skylark II is a fixed-wing UAV that can be used for various military and security applications, including tactical covert surveillance and reconnaissance, perimeter security ...

• Air: Displays

  Panoramic HD Airborne Display

  Produced by Elbit Systems of America, the 22" Panoramic High Definition Airborne Display provides high-performance flight and mission graphics on a single screen. 

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

  Magni

  Magni is a mini-UAS manufactured by Elbit Systems. Designed to deliver real-time intelligence to manoeuvring forces, Magni can operate fully autonomously and be carried and ...

• Air: air combat simulators

  F-16 FMS

  Elbit System's FMS for the Block 15, 30/40 and 52 F-16 fighters simulates all aircraft systems, emergencies and weapon deliveries. An F-16I simulator system has ...

• Air: UAV simulators

  UAV Simulators

  Elbit Systems has developed simulation systems to train personnel in UAV operation, from generic UAV training for initial screening procedures up to full mission, high-fidelity ...